I didn't think anyone in the thread tried to say that extra-biblical material should be included in the canon because they were cited in the NT, so I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Could you elaborate. The Apocrypha is included in Holy Scripture as "Other Books" by Article 6 of the Articles of Religion. The apocrypha was a part of the original 1611 King James Bible, positioned between the Old and New Testaments. It remained part of the KJV for 274 years until 1880, when the American Bible Society voted for its removal. It is said printers wanted it removed to make the Bible less costly to produce but I don't know how true that is.
As I said: "That does not mean the Church should not read from the apocrypha; they are wise and important and beautiful human works." Maybe I misunderstood. It is a common apologetic among the Romanists for counting it as inspired, on par with something like the book of Genesis or Isaiah, which they aren't. But given that they aren't inspired, I certainly think the evangelicals grievously err in removing the apocrypha altogether. They are, can, and should be read in churches (so long as they aren't used as basis for doctrine). The ingenious formulation of "human but read in churches", "not inspired but in the Bible", "read but not doctrinal", as said in our Articles never ceases to impress me.
I've always enjoy Sirach... and love Tobit as well. I've found it somewhat strange that from my understanding (correct me if I'm wrong) that the Jewish holiday of Hannackau is based out of the story of Maccabees yet that book is not part of the Jewish cannon of scripture
There are lots of things in life that are a bit untidy. I see this untidiness as part of the witness to authenticity.
Hugh of St. Victor, in the middle ages “Besides all these there are five other books—The Wisdom of Solomon, the Book of Jesus Son of Sirach, the Book of Judith, the Book of Tobias, and the Books of the Machabees—which are read, to be sure, but which are not included in the canon.”