Note 608 — Chapter X · THE SYSTEM OF THE PISTIS SOPHIA AND ITS RELATED TEXTS[459]

Jean Reville, Le Quatrième Évangile, Paris, 1901, p. 321. Mgr Duchesne, Early Christian Church, pp. 102, 192, says in effect that St John’s Gospel appeared after the Apostle’s death and was not accepted without opposition. He thinks Tatian and Irenaeus the first writers who quoted from it with acknowledgement of its authorship. If we put the date of Tatian’s birth at 120 (see Dict. Christian Biog. s.h.n.) and allow a sufficient period for the initiation into heathen mysteries which he mentions, for his conversion and for his becoming a teacher, we do not get a much earlier date than 170 for his acceptance of the Fourth Gospel. Irenaeus was, of course, later in date than Tatian.