First published in 1923 as the second edition of a 1903 original, this first volume in a three-part series examines the use of the Gospels by the very early Church until the end of the second century. Stanton also addresses the conflict between the Apologists and the Gnostics, as well as the use of other non-canonical gospel texts and the presence of competing traditions. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in Church history or in the transmission of biblical texts.