Annotation CCCXLIV

”Jude, servant of Jesus Christ.” — Jude 1

Whether the epistle of Jude is canonical.

The exposition of Thomas Cajetan, Ambrose chastised with this censure: “I HAVE noted,” he says, “that he says the epistle of Jude is not certainly canonical, because Jerome does not have this as certain — from that which he says: ‘Jude, the brother of the Lord, wrote indeed a small epistle, which is of the seven canonical.’ Who here would not be stupefied, that thence it is gathered from Jerome that this epistle is not certainly canonical — when he himself says [it is] one of the seven canonical? Nor truly [is it uncertain] because he adds, ‘by some rejected, in that it takes testimony from apocrypha’ — [and] therefore he too is to be thought to reject [it], or not to receive [it]: [Jerome,] who at once, on the contrary, added — namely, that it merited authority by antiquity and use, and is computed among the sacred scriptures.” Read the seventh book, in the confutation of the ninth heresy, objection seven.