The two Books of Maccabees.
The two Books of Maccabees.
§ 230. 1 and 2 Maccabees. We admit that the first book is to be preferred to the second. The first is written with gravity; the second was cut by an uncertain author from the five books of Jason of Cyrene with an affected style. Consequently, blessed Luther says: “The first book ought to have been counted in the number of the Holy Scriptures as deservedly as the second ought to have been rejected.” However, that they are not canonical we demonstrate from the following arguments.