This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>
Additional proofing was done by Curtis A. Weyant
THE
SUPPRESSED
GOSPELS AND EPISTLES
OF THE ORIGINAL
NEW TESTAMENT
OF
JESUS THE CHRIST
AND OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ANCIENT HOLY SCRIPTURES.
NOW EXTANT, ATTRIBUTED TO
HIS APOSTLES, AND THEIR DISCIPLES,
AND VENERATED BY THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DURING
THE FIRST FOUR CENTURIES,
BUT SINCE, AFTER VIOLENT DISPUTATIONS
FORBIDDEN BY THE
BISHOPS OF THE NICENE COUNCIL,
IN THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE
AND OMITTED FROM THE CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANT
EDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, BY ITS COMPILERS
TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TONGUES, WITH HISTORICAL
REFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,
BY
ARCHBISHOP WAKE
AND OTHER
LEARNED DIVINES
THE EPISTLES OF
JESUS CHRIST & ABGARUS KING OF EDESSA.
CHAPTER I.
A copy of a letter written by King Abgarus to Jesus;
and sent to him by Ananius, his footman, to Jerusalem,
5 inviting him to Edessa.
ABGARUS, king of Edessa, to
Jesus the good Saviour, who
appears at Jerusalem, greeting.
2 I have been informed concerning
you and your cures, which are
performed without the use of
medicines and herbs.
3 For it is reported, that you
cause the blind to see, the lame to
walk, do both cleanse lepers, and
cast out unclean spirits and devils,
and restore them to health who have
been long diseased; and raiseth up
the dead;
4 All which when I heard, I was
pursuaded of one of these two,
namely, either that you are God
himself descended from heaven;
who do these things, or the Son
of God.
5 On this account therefore I
have written to you, earnestly to
desire you would take the trouble
of a journey hither, and cure a
disease which I am under.
6 For I hear the Jews ridicule
you and, intend you mischief.
7 My city is indeed small, but
neat, and large enough for us
both.
CHAPTER II.
The answer of Jesus by Ananias the footman
to Abgarus the king,
3 declining to visit Edessa.
ABGARUS, you are happy,
forasmuch as you have
believed on me, whom you
have not seen.
2 For it is written concerning
me, that those who have seen me
should not believe on me, that
they who have not seen might
believe and live.
3 As to that part of your letter,
which relates to my giving you a
visit, I must inform you, that I
must fulfil all the ends of my
mission in this country, and after
that be received up again to him
who sent me.
4 But after my ascension I will
send one of my disciples, who will
cure your disease, and give life to
you, and all that are with you.
REFERENCES TO THE EPISTLES OF JESUS CHRIST AND
ABGARUS KING OF EDESSA.
[The first writer who makes any mention of the Epistles that passed
between Jesus Christ and Abgarus, is Eusebius, Bishop of Caesarea, in
Palestine, who flourished in the early part of the fourth century. For
their genuineness, he appeals to the public registers and records of the
City of Edessa in Mesopotamia, where Abgarus reigned, and where he
affirms that he found them written in the Syriac language. He published a
Greek translation of them, in his Ecclesiastical History. The learned
world has been much divided on this subject; but, notwithstanding the
erudite Grabe, with Archbishop Cave, Dr, Parker, and other divines, have
strenuously contended for their admission into the canon of Scripture,
they are deemed apocryphal. The Rev. Jeremiah Jones observes, that the
common people in England have this Epistle in their houses in many
places, fixed in a frame, with the picture of Christ before it; and that
they generally, with much honesty and devotion, regard it as the word of
God, and the genuine Epistle of Christ.]
THE EPISTLE OF
ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE LAODICEANS.
1 He salutes the brethren;
3 exhorts them to persevere in good works,
4 and not to be moved by vain speaking.
6 Rejoices in his bonds,
10 desires them to live in the fear of the Lord.
PAUL an Apostle, not of men,
neither by man, but by Jesus
Christ, to the brethren which are
at Laodicea.
2 Grace be to you, and peace
from God the Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
3 I thank Christ in every prayer
of mine, that ye may continue and
persevere in good works, looking
for that which is promised in the
day of judgment.
4 Let not the vain speeches of
any trouble you, who pervert the
truth, that they may draw you
aside from the truth of the Gospel
which I have preached.
5 And now may God grant, that
my converts may attain to a
perfect knowledge of the truth
of the Gospel, be beneficent,
and doing good works which
accompany salvation.
6 And now my bonds, which I
suffer in Christ, are manifest,
in which I rejoice and am glad.
For I know that this shall
turn to my salvation for ever,
which shall be through your
prayer, and the supply of the
Holy Spirit.
8 Whether I live or die, to live
shall be a life to Christ, to die
will be joy.
9 And our Lord will grant us
his mercy, that ye may have the
same love, and be like-minded.
10 Wherefore, my beloved, as
ye have heard of the coming of
the Lord, so think and act in fear,
and it shall be to you life eternal;
11 For it is God, who worketh
in you:
12 And do all things without
sin.
13 And what is best, my beloved
rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ
and avoid all filthy lucre.
14 Let all your requests be made
known to God, and be steady in
the doctrine of Christ.
15 And whatsoever things are
sound and true, and of good reort,
and chaste, and just, and lovely,
these things do.
16 Those things which ye have
heard, and received, think on these
things, and peace shall be with
you.
17 All the saints salute you.
18 The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with your spirit. Amen.
19 Cause this Epistle to be read
to the Colossians, and the Epistle
of the Colossians to be read among
you.
REFERENCES TO THE EPISTLE OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE
TO THE LAODICEANS.
[This Epistle has been highly esteemed by several learned men of the
church of Rome and others. The Quakers have printed a translation, and
plead for it, as the reader may see, by consulting Poole's Annotation on
Col. vi. 16. Sixtus Senensis mentions two MSS., the one in the Sorbonne
Library at Paris, which is a very ancient copy, and the other in the
Library of Joannes a Viridario, at Padua, which he transcribed and
published; and which is the authority for the following translation.
There is a very old translation of this Epistle in the British Museum,
among the Harleian MSS., Cod. 1212.]
THE EPISTLES OF
ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE TO SENECA, WITH
SENECA' S TO PAUL.
CHAPTER I.
ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.
I SUPPOSE, Paul, you have been
informed of that conversation,
which passed yesterday between
me and my Lucilius, concerning
hypocrisy and other subjects; for
there were some of your disciples
in company with us;
2 For when we were retired into
the Sallustian gardens, through
which they were also passing, and
would have gone another way, by
our persuasion they joined
company with us.
3 I desire you to believe, that
we much wish for your conversation;
4 We were much delighted with
your book of many Epistles, which
you have written to some cities
and chief towns of provinces, and
contain wonderful instructions for
moral conduct:
5 Such sentiments, as I suppose
you were not the author of, but
only the instrument of conveying,
though sometimes both the author
and the instrument,
6 For such is the sublimity of
those, doctrines, and their grandeur,
that I suppose the age of a man
is scarce sufficient to be instructed
and perfected in the knowledge of
them. I wish your welfare, my brother.
Farewell.