The Canon of Epistles and the Iambic Count

For your sake, I will speak of each of the God-inspired books; and so that you may learn clearly, I will first speak of the books of the Old Testament. The Pentateuch contains the creation, then the Exodus, and the Leviticus is the middle book, with which are the numbers, then Deuteronomy. To these he adds Jesus and the Judges, then the four books of the kings, and Ruth, leaving out the Song. Ezra is first upon them, then the second.

After these, I will speak of five verse-books to you: Job, crowned with various contests of sufferings, the book of Psalms, a sharp hearing for souls, and then three of Solomon the wise: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs. To these he adds the twelve prophets: Hosea first, then Amos the second, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, and the type Jonah with his three-day suffering, Nahum with them, Habakkuk, then finally Zephaniah, Haggai and Zechariah, and a two-syllable angel, Malachi. With whom he learned the four prophets: the great Isaiah the outspoken, Jeremiah the sympathetic, and the mystical Ezekiel, and lastly Daniel, the wisest in works and words. To these some approach Esther.

It is my turn to speak of the books of the New Testament. Receive only the four evangelists: Matthew, then Mark, to whom having added Luke third, he counts John fourth in time, but first in the height of dogmas. For this one is appropriately called the greatest, having sounded like a son of thunder to the word of God. Receive also the book of Luke and the second, the book of the general acts of the apostles. After this he adds the vessel of election, the herald of the Gentiles, the apostle Paul, having wisely written letters to the churches twice seven times.

To the Romans one, which must be joined to two for the Corinthians, the one to the Galatians and the one to the Ephesians, with which the one in Philippi, then the one written to the Colossians, two for the Thessalonians, two for Timothy, Titus and Philemon one for each, and one to the Hebrews. But some say not well concerning the one to the Hebrews as a forgery; for grace is genuine. So what then? Regarding the catholic epistles, some say seven, but others receive only three: the one of James, one of Peter, and one of John. And others receive the three and with them the two of Peter, receiving the seventh of Jude. As for the Apocalypse of John, again some approve it, but most call it a forgery. This would be an unerring rule of the God-breathed writings.

With which rules if you are persuaded, you would flee the deceits of the world, and cast down the vanity of hopes, and with hands sowing generously the fleeing wealth, you would remain a secure harvest for the poor. For in the heavens one stores up the seed. But follow Christ, the wise Word of God. Whether you are a thrice-blessed one, or a three-syllabled one, you become a light to many old and young. For a pious life shines more than the stars. And a choir of prophets, martyrs, and apostles will surround you, as if crowning a domestic member, sending forth a victorious helmet. And you will have tasted glory unceasingly then, dancing in the midst, crowned by angels. Be strong and remember the written things. Let your diadem present the living image of dignity, purity, and asceticism, and the seal of faith, as Olympiad prizes presented theirs. If you wished, Seleucus, to learn the number of iambs, let it be three hundreds, that many tens, and three units. For always, my child, I wish you to be a friend of the Trinity.