The first council, that made the Scriptures we now have canon, is not extant: for that collection of the canons of the apostles, attributed to Clemens, the first bishop of Rome after St. Peter, is subject to question. For though the canonical books be there reckoned up; yet these words, sint vobis omnibus clericis et laicis libri venerandi , etc. , contain a distinction of clergy and laity, that was not in use so near St. Peter’s time. The first council for settling the canonical Scripture that is extant, is that of Laodicea ( Can. LIX ), which forbids the reading of other books than those in the Churches; which is a mandate that is not addressed to every Christian, but to those only that had authority to read anything publicly in the Church, that is, to ecclesiastics only.