CHAPTER I.

Produced by David Widger with additional proofing 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 ORDER OF ALL THE

FORBIDDEN BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT

WITH THEIR PROPER NAMES, AND NUMBER OF CHAPTERS

CONTENTS:

Mary

Protevangelion

I. Infancy

II. Infancy

Nicodemus

Christ and Abgarus

Laodiceans

Paul and Seneca

Acts of Paul and Thecla

I. Clement

II. Clement

Barnabas

Ephesians

Magnesians

Trallians

Romans

Philadelphians

Smyrnaeans

Polycarp

Philippians

I. Hermas--Visions

II. Hermas--Commands

III. Hermas--Similitudes

PREFACE.

To uphold the "right of private judgment," and our "Christian liberty

wherewith Christ hath made us free;" to add fuel to the fire of

investigation, and in the crucible of deep inquiry, melt from the gold

of pure religion, the dross of man's invention; to appeal from the

erring tribunals of a fallible Priesthood, and restore to its original

state the mutilated Testament of the Saviour; also to induce all earnest

thinkers to search not a part, but the whole of the Scriptures, if

therein they think they will find eternal life; I, as an advocate of

free thought and untrammelled opinion, dispute the authority of those

uncharitable, bickering, and ignorant Ecclesiastics who first suppressed

these gospels and epistles; and I join issue with their Catholic and

Protestant successors who have since excluded them from the New

Testament, of which they formed a part; and were venerated by the

Primitive Churches, during the first four hundred years of the Christian

Era.

My opposition is based on two grounds; first, the right of every rational

being to become a "Priest unto himself," and by the test of enlightened

reason, to form his own unbiased judgment of all things natural and

spiritual: second, that the reputation of the Bishops who extracted

these books from the original New Testament, under the pretence of being

Apocryphal, and forbade them to be read by the people, is proved by

authentic impartial history too odious to entitle them to any deference.

Since the Nicene Council, by a pious fraud, which I shall further allude

to, suppressed these books, several of them have been reissued from time

to time by various translators, who differed considerably in their

versions, as the historical references attached to them in the following

pages will demonstrate. But to the late Mr. William Hone we are indebted

for their complete publication for the first time in one volume, about

the year 1820; which edition, diligently revised, and purified of many

errors both in the text and the notes attached thereto, I have

re-published in numbers to enable all classes of the nation to purchase

and peruse them. As, however, instead of being called by their own

designation "Apocryphal," (which yet remains to be proved), they were

re-entitled THE FORBIDDEN BOOKS, and, from communications received,

appear to have agitated a portion of the great mass of ignorant bigotry

which mars the fair form of Religion in these sect-ridden dominions, I

have modified the title to its present shape with the hope that in spite

of illiberal clerical influence, my fellow Christians will read and

inwardly digest the sublime precepts they inculcate;--as pure, as holy,

and as charitable as those principles of Christianity taught in the

Scriptures they; now read by permission; although their minds may, after

mature reflection, doubt the truth of the miraculous records therein

given.

To ensure these Gospels and Epistles an unprejudiced and serious

attention, which they are entitled to, equally with those now patronised

by Church authority, I will briefly refer to that disgraceful epoch in

Roman Ecclesiastical Annals, when the New Testament was mutilated, and

priestly craft was employed for excluding these books from its pages.

HONE, in the preface to his first edition of the Apocryphal New

Testament, so called, without satisfactory grounds, by the Council of

Nice, in the reign of the Emperor Constantine, thus opens the subject:--

"After the writings contained in the New Testament were selected from the

numerous Gospels and Epistles then in existence, what became of the Books

that were rejected by the compilers?"

This question naturally occurs on every investigation as to the period

when and the persons by whom the New Testament was formed. It has been

supposed by many that the volume was compiled by the first Council of

Nice, which, according to Jortin (Rem. on Eccl. vol. ii. p. 177),

originated thus: Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, and Arius, who was a

presbyter in his diocese, disputed together about the nature of Christ;

and the bishop being displeased at the notions of Arius, and finding

that they were adopted by other persons, "was very angry." He commanded

Arius to come over to his sentiments, and to quit his own; as if a man

could change his opinions as easily as he can change his coat! He then

called a Council of War, consisting of nearly, a hundred bishops, and

deposed, excommunicated, and anathematized Arius, and with him several

ecclesiastics, two of whom were bishops. Constantine sent a letter, in

which he reprimanded the bishops for disturbing the church with their

insignificant disputes. But the affair was gone too far to be thus

composed. To settle this and other points, the Nicene Council was

summoned, consisting of about 318 bishops. The first thing they did was

to quarrel, and to express their resentments, and to present accusations

to the Emperor against one another. "The Emperor burnt all their libels,

and exhorted them to peace and unity." (See Mosheim's Eccle. Hist.) These

were the kind of spiritual shepherds of whom Sabinus, the Bishop

Heraclea affirms, that excepting Constantine himself, and Eusebius

Pamphilus, they "were a set of illiterate creatures, that understood

nothing." And now intelligent Catholics, especially Protestants who are

content to read only the books of the Testament authorized by the Council

of Nice, and agreed to ever since by your own bishops, although they and

you profess to dissent from the Papacy, hear what Pappus in his Synodican

to that Council says of their crafty contrivance when they separated the

books of the original New Testament:--He tells us, that having

"promiscuously put all the books that were referred to the Council for

deliberation under the communion-table in a church, they besought the

Lord that the inspired writings might get on the table, while the

spurious ones remained underneath; and that it happened accordingly!"

(See Com. Mace's N. T. p. 875.) Therefore, good reader, every Christian

sect from the fourth century to the present period, have been blessed

with the books that climbed upon the communion-table, and in consequence

were deemed inspired and canonical; at the same time have been forbidden

to read the Gospels and Epistles herein published, because they could

not perform the same feat, but remained under the table, and were

condemned accordingly, as uninspired and apocryphal writings. If you

believe this popish legend, you will not read the good books I lay before

you, but still continue to possess only HALF THE TESTAMENT, instead of

the PERFECT ONE, which will enable you to burst the trammels of

priestcraft, and by the light of God's whole truth become free. In

conclusion, I implore you to examine for yourselves, and observe the

testimony of Archbishop Wake and other learned divines and historians

appended thereto; and subscribe myself,

Your well-wisher,

EDWARD HANCOCK.

FORBIDDEN BOOKS

OF THE

NEW TESTAMENT.

THE GOSPEL OF THE BIRTH OF MARY.

CHAPTER I.

1 The Parentage of Mary.

7 Joachim her father, and Anna her mother,

go to Jerusalem to the feast of the dedication.

9 Issachar, the high priest, reproaches Joachim

for being childless.

THE blessed and ever glorious

Virgin Mary, sprung from

the royal race and family of David,

was born in the city of Nazareth,

and educated at Jerusalem, in the

temple of the Lord.

2 Her father's name was Joachim,

and her mother's Anna.

The family of her father was of

Galilee and the city of Nazareth.

The family of her mother was of

Bethlehem.

3 Their lives were plain and

right in the sight of the Lord,

pious and faultless before men;

for they divided all their substance

into three parts;

4 One of which they devoted to

the temple and officers of the

temple; another they distributed

among strangers, and persons in

poor circumstances; and the third

they reserved for themselves and

the uses of their own family.

5 In this manner they lived for

about twenty years chastely, in the

favour of God, and the esteem of

men, without any children.

6 But they vowed, if God should

favour them with any issue, they

would devote it to the service of

the Lord; on which account they

went at every feast in the year to

the temple of the Lord.

7 And it came to pass, that

when the feast of the dedication

drew near, Joachim, with some

others of his tribe, went up to

Jerusalem, and at that time,

Isachar was high-priest;

8 Who, when he saw Joachim

along with the rest of his

neighbours, bringing his offerings,

despised both him and his offerings,

and asked him,

9 Why he, who had no children,

would presume to appear among

those who had? Adding, that his

offerings could never be acceptable

to God, who was judged by him

unworthy to have children; the

Scripture having said, Cursed is

every one who shall not beget a

male in Israel.

10 He further said, that he ought

first to be free from that curse by

begetting some issue, and then

come with his offerings into the

presence of God.

11 But Joachim being much

confounded with the shame of such

reproach, retired to the shepherds

who were with the cattle in their

pastures;

12 For he was not inclined to

return home, lest his neighbours,

who were present and heard all

this from the high-priest, should

publicly reproach him in the same

manner.

CHAPTER II.

1 An angel appears to Joachim,

9 and informs him that Anna shall conceive and

bring forth a daughter, who shall be called Mary,

11 be brought up in the temple,

12 and while yet a virgin, in a way unparalleled,

bring forth the Son of God:

13 Gives him a sign,

14 and departs.

BUT when he had been there for

some time, on a certain day

when he was alone, the angel

of the Lord stood by him with

a prodigious light.

2 To whom, being troubled at

the appearance, the angel who had

appeared to him, endeavouring to

compose him, said:

3 Be not afraid, Joachim, nor

troubled at the sight of me, for

I am an angel of the Lord sent by

him to you, that I might inform

you that your prayers are heard,

and your alms ascended in the

sight of God.

4 For he hath surely seen your

shame, and heard you unjustly

reproached for not having children:

for God is the avenger of sin,

and not of nature;

5 And so when he shuts the

womb of any person, he does it for

this reason, that he may in a more

wonderful manner again open it,

and that which is born appear to

be not the product of lust, but the

gift of God.

6 For the first mother of your

nation, Sarah, was she not barren

even till her eightieth year: and

yet even in the end of her old age

brought forth Isaac, in whom the

promise was made of a blessing to

all nations.

7 Rachel, also, so much in

favour with God, and beloved so

much by holy Jacob, continued

barren for a long time, yet

afterwards was the mother of Joseph,

who was not only governor of

Egypt, but delivered many nations

from perishing with hunger.

8 Who among the judges was

more valiant than Sampson, or more

holy than Samuel? And yet both

their mothers were barren.

9 But if reason will not convince

you of the truth of my words, that

there are frequent conceptions in

advanced years, and that those

who were barren have brought forth

to their great surprise; therefore

Anna your wife shall bring you a

daughter, and you shall call her

name Mary;

10 She shall, according to your

vow, be devoted to the Lord from

her infancy, and be filled with the

Holy Ghost from her mother's

womb;

11 She shall neither eat nor

drink any thing which is unclean,

nor shall her conversation be

without among the common people,

but in the temple of the Lord;

that so she may not fall under any

slander or suspicion of what is bad.

12 So in the process of her

years, as she shall be in a

miraculous manner born of one that

was barren, so she shall, while yet

a virgin, in a way unparalleled,

bring forth the Son of the most

High God, who shall, be called

Jesus, and, according to the

signification of his name, be the

Saviour of all nations.

13 And this shall be a sign to

you of the things which I declare,

namely, when you come to the

golden gate of Jerusalem, you

shall there meet your wife Anna,

who being very much troubled

that you returned no sooner, shall

then rejoice to see you.

14 When the angel had said this,

he departed from him.

CHAPTER III.

1 The angel appears to Anna;

2 tells her a daughter shall be born unto her,

3 devoted to the service of the Lord in the temple,

5, who, being a virgin, and not knowing man,

shall bring forth the Lord,

6 and gives her a sign therefore.

8 Joachim and Anna meet, and rejoice,

10 and praise the Lord.

11 Anna conceives, and brings forth a daughter called Mary.

AFTERWARDS the angel appeared

to Anna his wife, saying;

Fear not, neither think that

which you see is a spirit;

2 For I am that angel who hath

offered up your prayers and alms

before God, and am now sent to

you, that I may inform you, that

a daughter will be born unto you,

who shall be called Mary, and

shall be blessed above all women.

3 She shall be, immediately

upon her birth, full of the grace of

the Lord, and shall continue during

the three years of her weaning

in her father's house, and afterwards,

being devoted to the service of the Lord,

shall not depart from the temple,

till she arrive to years of discretion.

4 In a word, she shall there

serve the Lord night and day in

fasting and prayer, shall abstain

from every unclean thing, and

never know any man;

5 But, being an unparalleled instance

without any pollution or defilement,

and a virgin not knowing any man,

shall ring forth a son, and a maid

shall bring forth the Lord, who

both by his grace and name and works,

shall be the Saviour of the world.

6 Arise therefore, and go up to

Jerusalem, and when you shall

come to that which is called the

golden gate (because it is gilt with

gold), as a sign of what I have told

you, you shall meet your husband,

for whose safety you have been so

much concerned.

7 When therefore you find these

things thus accomplished, believe

that all the rest which I have told

you, shall also undoubtedly be

accomplished.

8 According therefore to the

command of the angel, both of

them left the places where they

were, and when they came to the

place specified in the angels

prediction, they met each other.

9 Then, rejoicing at each other's

vision, and being fully satisfied in

the promise of a child, they gave

due thanks to the Lord, who exalts

the humble.

10 After having praised the

Lord, they returned home, and

lived in a cheerful and assured

expectation of the promise of God.

11 So Anna conceived, and

brought forth a daughter, and,

according to the angel's command,

the parents did call her name Mary.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Mary brought to the temple at three years old.

6 Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle.

8 Her parents sacrifice and return home.

AND when three years were

expired, and the time of her

weaning complete, they brought

the Virgin to the temple of the

Lord with offerings.

2 And there were about the

temple, according to the fifteen

Psalms of degrees, fifteen stairs

to ascend.

3 For the temple being built in

a mountain, the altar of burnt-

offering, which was without, could

not be come near but by stairs;

4 The parents of the blessed

Virgin and infant Mary put her

upon one of these stairs;

5 But while they were putting

off their clothes, in which they had

travelled, and according to custom

putting on some that were more

neat and clean,

6 In the mean time the Virgin

of the Lord in such a manner went

up all the stairs one after another,

without the help of any to lead her

or lift her, that any one would have

judged from hence, that she was of

perfect age.

7 Thus the Lord did, in the

infancy of his Virgin, work this

extraordinary work, and evidence by

this miracle how great she was like

to be hereafter.

8 But the parents having offered

up their sacrifice, according to the

custom of the law, and perfected

their vow, left the Virgin with

other virgins in the apartments of

the temple, who were to be brought

up there, and they returned home.

CHAPTER V.

2 Mary ministered unto by angels.

4 The high priest orders all virgins of fourteen

years old to quit the temple and endeavour to be married.

5 Mary refuses,

6 having vowed her virginity to the Lord.

7 The high-priest commands a meeting of the chief persons

of Jerusalem,

11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter.

13 A voice from the mercy-seat.

15 The high-priest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried

men of the house of David to bring their rods to the altar,

17 that his rod which should flower, and on which the

Spirit of God should sit, should betroth the Virgin.

BUT the Virgin of the Lord, as

she advanced in years, increased

also in perfections, and according

to the saying of the Psalmist,

her father and mother forsook her,

but the Lord took care of her.

2 For she every day had the

conversation of angels, and every

day received visitors from God,

which preserved her from all sorts

of evil, and caused her to abound

with all good things;

3 So that when at length she

arrived to her fourteenth year, as

the wicked could not lay any thing

to her charge worthy of reproof,

so all good persons, who were

acquainted with her, admired her

life and conversation.

4 At that time the high-priest

made a public order, That all the

virgins who had public settlements

in the temple, and were come to

this age, should return home, and,

as they were now of a proper

maturity, should, according to the

custom of their country, endeavour

to be married.

5 To which command, though

all the other virgins readily yielded

obedience, Mary the Virgin of the

Lord alone answered, that she

could not comply with it,

6 Assigning these reasons, that

both she and her parents had

devoted her to the service of the

Lord; and besides, that she had

vowed virginity to the Lord,

which vow she was resolved never

to break through by lying with a

man.

7 The high-priest being hereby

brought into a difficulty,

8 Seeing he durst neither on the

one hand dissolve the vow, and

disobey the Scripture, which says,

Vow and pay,

9 Nor on the other hand

introduce a custom, to which

the people were strangers, commanded,

10 That at the approaching feast

all the principal persons both of

Jerusalem and the neighbouring

places should meet together, that

he might have their advice, how

he had best proceed in so difficult

a case.

11 When they were accordingly

met, they unanimously agreed to

seek the Lord, and ask counsel

from him on this matter.

12 And when they were all

engaged in prayer, the high-priest

according to the usual way, went

to consult God.

13 And immediately there was

a voice from the ark, and the mercy

seat, which all present heard, that

it must be enquired or sought out

by a prophecy of Isaiah, to whom

the Virgin should be given and be

betrothed;

14 For Isaiah saith, there shall

come forth a rod out of the stem of

Jesse, and a flower shall spring

out of its root,

15 And the Spirit of the Lord

shall rest upon him, the Spirit of

Wisdom and Understanding, the

Spirit of Counsel and Might, the

Spirit of Knowledge and Piety,

and the Spirit of the fear of the

Lord shall fill him.

16 Then, according to this

prophecy, he appointed, that all

the men of the house and family

of David, who were marriageable,

and not married, should bring their

several rods to the altar,

17 And out of whatsoever

person's rod after it was brought,

a flower should bud forth, and on

the top of it the Spirit of the Lord

should sit in the appearance of a

dove, he should be the man to

whom the Virgin should be given

and be betrothed.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Joseph draws back his rod.

5 The dove pitches on it. He betroths Mary and

returns to Bethlehem.

7 Mary returns to her parents' house at Galilee.

AMONG the rest there was a

man named Joseph of the

house and family of David, and a

person very far advanced in years,

who kept back his rod, when every

one besides presented his.

2 So that when nothing appeared

agreeable to the heavenly voice,

the high-priest judged it proper to

consult God again.

3 Who answered that he to

whom the Virgin was to be

betrothed was the only person of

those who were brought together,

who had not brought his rod.

4 Joseph therefore was betrayed.

5 For, when he did bring his

rod, and a dove coming from

Heaven pitched upon the top of

it, every one plainly saw, that the

Virgin was to be betrothed to him.

6 Accordingly, the usual

ceremonies of betrothing being over,

he returned to his own city of

Bethlehem, to set his house in

order, and make the needful

provisions for the marriage.

7 But the Virgin of the Lord,

Mary, with seven other virgins of

the same age, who had been weaned

at the same time, and who had

been appointed to attend her by

the priest, returned to her parents'

house in Galilee.

CHAPTER VII.

7 The salutation of the Virgin by Gabriel, who explains to her

that she shall conceive, without lying with a man, while a Virgin,

19 by the Holy Ghost coming upon her without the heats of lust.

21 She submits.

NOW at this time of her first

coming into Galilee, the

angel Gabriel was sent to her

from God, to declare to her the

conception of our Saviour, and

the manner and way of her

conceiving him.

2 Accordingly going into her,

he filled the chamber where she

was with a prodigious light, and

in a most courteous manner saluting

her, he said,

3 Hail, Mary! Virgin of the

Lord most acceptable! O Virgin

full of grace! The Lord is with

you. You are blessed above all

women, and you are blessed above

all men, that have been hitherto

born.

4 But the Virgin, who had

before been well acquainted with

the countenances of angels, and

to whom such light from heaven

was no uncommon thing,

5 Was neither terrified with the

vision of the angel, nor astonished

at the greatness of the light, but

only troubled about the angel's

words,

6 And began to consider what

so extraordinary a salutation should

mean, what it did portend, or what

sort of end it would have.

7 To this thought the angel,

divinely inspired, replies;

8 Fear not, Mary, as though

I intended anything inconsistent

with your chastity in this salutation:

9 For you have found favour

with the Lord, because you made

virginity your choice.

10 Therefore while you are a

Virgin, you shall conceive without

sin, and bring forth a son.

11 He shall be great, because

he shall reign from sea to sea, and

from the rivers even to the ends of

the earth?

12 And he shall be called the

Son of the Highest; for he who is

born in a mean state on earth,

reigns in an exalted one in heaven.

13 And the Lord shall give him

the throne of his father David, and

he shall reign over the house of

Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom

there shall be no end.

14 For he is the King of Kings,

and Lord of Lords, and his throne

is forever and ever.

15 To this discourse of the

angel the Virgin replied, not, as

though she were unbelieving, but

willing to know the manner of it.

16 She said, How can that be?

For seeing, according to my vow,

I have never known any man, how

can I bear a child without the

addition of a man's seed.

17 To this the angel replied

and said, Think not, Mary, that

you shall conceive in the ordinary

way.

18 For, without lying with a

man, while a Virgin, you shall

conceive; while a Virgin, you

shall bring forth; and while a

Virgin shall give suck.

19 For the Holy Ghost shall

come upon you, and the power of

the Most High shall overshadow

you, without any of the heats of

lust.

20 So that which shall be born

of you shall be only holy, because

it only is conceived without sin,

and being born, shall be called the

Son of God.

21 Then Mary stretching forth

her hands, and lifting her eyes to

heaven, said, Behold the handmaid

of the Lord! Let it be unto me

according to thy word.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Joseph returns to Galilee, to marry the Virgin

he had betrothed;

4 perceives she is with child,

5 is uneasy,

7 purposes to put her away privily,

8 is told by the angel of the Lord it is not the

work of man but the Holy Ghost;

12 Marries her, but keeps chaste,

13 removes with her to Bethlehem,

15 where she brings forth Christ.

JOSEPH therefore went from

Judaea to Galilee, with intention

to marry the Virgin who was

betrothed to him:

2 For it was now near three

months since she was betrothed

to him.

3 At length it plainly appeared

she was with child, and it could

not be hid from Joseph:

4 For going to the Virgin in a

free manner, as one espoused, and

talking familiarly with her, he

perceived her to be with child,

5 And thereupon began to be

uneasy and doubtful, not knowing

what course it would be best to take;

6 For being a just man, he was

not willing to expose her, nor

defame her by the suspicion of

being a harlot, since he was a

pious man:

7 He purposed therefore privately

to put an end to their agreement,

and as privately to send her away.

8 But while he was meditating

these things, behold the angel of

the Lord appeared to him in his

sleep, and said, Joseph, son of

David, fear not;

9 Be not willing to entertain

any suspicion of the Virgin's

being guilty of fornication, or to

think any thing amiss of her,

neither be afraid to take her to wife:

10 For that which is begotten

in her and now distresses your

mind, is not the work of man, but

the Holy Ghost.

11 For she of all women is that

only Virgin who shall bring forth

the Son of God, and you shall call

his name Jesus, that is, Saviour:

for he will save his people from

their sins.

12 Joseph thereupon, according

to the command of the angel,

married the Virgin, and did not

know her, but kept her in chastity.

13 And now the ninth month

from her conception drew near,

when Joseph took his wife and

what other things were necessary

to Bethlehem, the city from whence

he came.

14 And it came to pass, while

they were there, the days were

fulfilled for her bringing forth.

15 And she brought forth her

first-born son, as the holy

Evangelists have taught, even our

Lord Jesus Christ, who with the

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

lives and reigns to everlasting ages.

REFERENCES TO MARY'S GOSPEL

[In the primitive ages there was a Gospel extant bearing this name,

attributed to St. Matthew, and received as genuine and authentic by

several of the ancient Christian sects. It is to be found in the works

of Jerome, a Father of the Church, who flourished in the fourth century,

from whence the present translation is made. His contemporaries,

Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, and Austin also mention a gospel under

this title. The ancient copies differed from Jerome's, for from one of

them the learned Faustus, a native of Britain, who became Bishop of Riez,

in Provence, endeavoured to prove that Christ was not the Son of God till

after his baptism; and that he was not of the house of David and tribe of

Judah, because, according to the Gospel he cited, the Virgin herself was

not of this tribe, but of the tribe of Levi; her father being a priest of

the name of Joachim. It was likewise from this Gospel that the sect of

the Collyridians established the worship and offering of manchet bread

and cracknels, or fine wafers, as sacrificed to Mary, whom they imagined

to have been born of a Virgin, as Christ is related in the Canonical

Gospels to have been born of her. Epiphanius likewise cites a passage

concerning the death of Zacharias, which is not in Jerome's copy, viz.:

"That it was the occasion of the death of Zacharias in the temple, that

when he had seen a vision, he, through surprise, was willing to disclose

it, and his mouth was stopped. That which he saw was at the time of his

offering incense, and it was a man standing in the form of an ass.

When he was gone out, and had a mind to speak thus to the people, Woe

unto you, whom do you worship? he who had appeared to him in the temple

took away the use of his speech. Afterwards when he recovered it, and was

able to speak, he declared this to the Jews; and they slew him. They add

(viz. the Gnostics in this book), that on this very account the

high-priest was appointed by their lawgiver (by God to Moses) to carry

little bells, that whensoever he went into the temple to sacrifice he,

whom they worshipped, hearing the noise of the bells, might have time

enough to hide himself, and not be caught in that ugly shape and figure."

The principal part of this Gospel is contained in the Protevangelion of

James which follows next in order.]

THE GOSPEL CALLED

THE PROTEVANGELION;

Or, an Historical Account of the BIRTH of CHRIST, and the perpetual

VIRGIN MARY, his Mother, by JAMES THE LESSER, Cousin and Brother

of the Lord Jesus, chief Apostle and first Bishop of the Christians in

Jerusalem.

CHAPTER I.

1 Joachim, a rich man,

2 offers to the Lord,

3 is opposed by Reuben the high priest,

because he has not begotten issue in Israel,

6 retires into the wilderness and fasts

forty days and forty nights.

IN the history of the twelve

tribes of Israel we read there

was a certain person called

Joachim, who being very rich, made

double offerings to the Lord God,

having made this resolution:

My substance shall be for the

benefit of the whole people, that

I may find mercy from the Lord

God for the forgiveness of my sins.

2 But at a certain great feast

of the Lord, when the children of

Israel offered their gifts, and

Joachim also offered his, Reuben the

high-priest opposed him, saying,

it is not lawful for thee to offer

thy gifts, seeing thou hast not

begot any issue in Israel.

3 At this, Joachim being

concerned very much, went away to

consult the registries of the twelve

tribes, to see whether he was the

only person who had begot no

issue.

4 But upon inquiry he found

that all the righteous had raised

up seed in Israel;

5 Then he called to mind the

patriarch Abraham, How that God

in the end of his life had given him

his son Isaac; upon which he was

exceedingly distressed, and would

not be seen by his wife:

6 But retired into the wilderness,

and fixed his tent there, and

fasted forty days and forty nights,

saying to himself,

7 I will not go down either to

eat or drink, till the Lord my

God shall look down upon me, but

prayer shall be my meat and drink.

CHAPTER. II.

1 Anna, the wife of Joachim mourns her barrenness,

6 is reproached with it by Judith her maid,

9 sits under a laurel tree and prays to the Lord.

IN the mean time his wife Anna

was distressed and perplexed

on a double account, and said,

I will mourn both for my widowhood

and my barrenness.

2 Then drew near a great feast

of the Lord, and Judith her maid,

said, How long will you thus

afflict your soul? The feast of

the Lord is now come, when it is

unlawful for any one to mourn.

3 Take therefore this hood

which was given by one who

makes such things, for it is not

fit that I, who am a servant should

wear it, but it well suits a person

of your greater character.

4 But Anna replied, Depart

from me, I am not used to such

things; besides, the Lord hath

greatly humbled me.

5 I fear some ill-designing person

hath given thee this, and thou

art come to reproach me with my sin.

6 Then Judith her maid answered,

what evil shall I wish you,

when you will not hearken to me?

7 I cannot wish you a greater

curse than you are under, in that

God hath shut up your womb, that

you should not be a mother in

Israel.

8 At this Anna was exceedingly

troubled, and having on her wedding

garment, went about three o'clock

in the afternoon to walk in her

garden.

9 And she saw a laurel-tree and

sat under it, and prayed unto the

Lord, saying,

10 O God of my fathers, bless

me and regard my prayer, as thou

didst bless the womb of Sarah;

and gavest her a son Isaac.

CHAPTER III.

1 Anna perceiving a sparrow's nest in the

laurels bemoans her barrenness.

AND as she was looking towards

heaven she perceive a sparrow's

nest in the laurel,

2 And mourning within herself,

she said, Wo is me, who begat

me? and what womb did bear

me, that I should be thus

accursed before the children of

Israel, and that they should

reproach and deride me in the

temple of my God: Wo is me,

to what can I be compared?

3 I am not comparable to the

very beasts of the earth, for even

the beasts of the earth are fruitful

before thee, O Lord! Wo is me,

to what can I be compared?

4 I am not compared to the

brute animal, for even the brute

animals are fruitful before thee,

O Lord! Wo is me, to what am I

comparable?

5 I cannot be comparable to

these waters, for even the waters

are fruitful before thee, O Lord!

Wo is me, to what can I be compared?

6 I am not comparable to the

waves of the sea; for these,

whether they are calm, or in motion,

with the fishes which are in them,

praise thee, O Lord! Wo is me to

what can I be compared?

7 I am not comparable to the

very earth, for the earth produces

its fruits, and praises thee, O Lord!

CHAPTER IV.

1 An Angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall conceive;

two angels appear on the same errand.

5 Joachim sacrifices.

8 Anna goes to meet him,

9 rejoicing that she shall conceive.

THEN an angel of the Lord

stood by her and said, Anna,

Anna, the Lord hath heard thy

prayer; thou shalt conceive and

bring forth, and thy progeny shall

be spoken of in all the world.

2 And Anna answered, As the

Lord my God liveth, whatever I

bring forth, whether it be male or

female, I will devote it to the Lord

my God and it shall minister to

him in holy things, during its

whole life.

3 And behold there appeared

two angels, saying unto her,

Behold Joachim thy husband is

coming with his shepherds.

4 For an angel of the Lord

hath also come down to him, and

said, The Lord God hath heard

thy prayer, make haste and go

hence, for behold Anna thy wife

shall conceive.

5 And Joachim went down and

called his shepherds, saying, Bring

me hither ten she-lambs without

spot or blemish, and they shall

be for the Lord my God.

6 And bring me twelve calves

without blemish, and the twelve

calves shall be for the priests and

the elders.

7 Bring me also a hundred

goats, and the hundred goats shall

be for the whole people.

8 And Joachim went down with

the shepherds, and Anna stood

by the gate and saw Joachim

coming with the shepherds.

9 And she ran, and hanging

about his neck, said, Now I know

that the Lord hath greatly blessed

me:

10 For behold, I who was as a

widow am no longer as a widow, and

I who was barren shall conceive.

CHAPTER V.

1 Joachim abides the first day in his house but

sacrifices on the morrow.

2 Consults the plate on the priests forehead,

3 and is without sin.

6 Anna brings forth a daughter,

9 whom she calls Mary.

AND Joachim abode the first

day in his house, but on the

morrow he brought his offerings,

and said,

2 If the Lord be propitious to

me let the plate which is on the

priests forehead make it manifest.

3 And he consulted the plate

which the priest wore, and saw it,

and behold sin was not found in

him.

4 And Joachim said, Now I know

that the Lord is propitious

to me, and hath taken away all

my sins.

5 And he went down from the

temple of the Lord justified,

and he went to his own house.

6 And when nine months were

fulfilled to Anna, she brought

forth, and said to the midwife,

What have I brought forth?

7 And she told her, A girl.

8 Then Anna said, The Lord

hath this day magnified my soul;

and she laid her in bed.

9 And when the days of her

purification were accomplished,

she gave suck to the child; and

called her name Mary.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Mary at nine months old, walks nine steps.

3 Anna keeps her holy.

4 When she is a year old, Joachim makes a great feast.

7 Anna gives her the breast, and sings a song to the Lord.

AND the child increased in

strength every day, so that

when she was nine months old, her

mother put her upon the ground,

to try if she could stand; and

when she had walked nine steps,

she came again to her mother's

lap.

2 Then her mother caught her

up, and said, As the Lord my God

liveth, thou shalt not walk again

on this earth, till I bring thee

into the temple of the Lord.

3 Accordingly she made her

chamber a holy place, and suffered

nothing uncommon or unclean to

come near her, but invited certain

undefiled daughters of Israel, and

they drew her aside.

4 But when the child was a year

old, Joachim made a great feast,

and invited the priests, scribes,

elders, and all the people of

Israel;

5 And Joachim then made an

offering of the girl to the chief-

priests, and they blessed her,

saying, The God of our fathers bless

this girl, and give her a name

famous and lasting through all

generations. And all the people

replied, So be it, Amen:

6 Then Joachim a second time

offered her to the priests, and they

blessed her, saying, O most high

God, regard this girl, and bless

her with an everlasting blessing.

7 Upon this her mother took

her up, and gave her the breast,

and sung the following song to the

Lord.

8 I will sing a song unto the

Lord my God, for he hath visited

me, and taken away from me the

reproach of mine enemies, and

hath given me the fruit of his

righteousness, that it may now be

told the sons of Reuben, that Anna

gives suck.

9 Then she put the child to rest

in the room which she had consecrated,

and she went out and ministered unto

them.

10 And when the feast was

ended, they went away rejoicing,

and praising the God of Israel.

CHAPTER VII.

3 Mary being three years old, Joachim causes certain virgins to

light each a lamp, and goes with her to the temple.

5 The high-priest places her on the third step of the altar, and

sits dances with her feet.

BUT the girl grew, and when

she was two years old, Joachim

said to Anna, Let us lead her

to the temple of the Lord,

that we may perform our vow,

which we have vowed unto the

Lord God, lest he should be angry

with us, and our offering be

unacceptable.

2 But Anna said, Let us wait

the third year, lest she should

be at a loss to know her father.

And Joachim said, Let us then

wait.

3 And when the child was

three years old, Joachim said,

Let us invite the daughters of the

Hebrews, who are undefiled, and let

them take each a lamp, and let

them be lighted, that the child

may not turn back again, and her

mind be set against the temple of

the Lord,

4 And they did thus till they

ascended into the temple of the Lord.

And the high-priest received her,

and blessed her, and said, Mary,

the Lord God hath magnified thy

name to all generations, and to the

very end of time by thee will the

Lord shew his redemption to the

children of Israel.

5 And he placed her upon the

third step of the altar, and the

Lord gave unto her grace, and she

dance with her feet, and all the

house of Israel loved her.

CHAPTER VIII.

2 Mary fed in the temple by angels.

3 When twelve years old the priests consult what to do with her.

6 The angel of the Lord warns Zacharias to call together all the

widowers, each bringing a rod.

7 The people meet by sound of trumpet.

8 Joseph throws away his hatchet, and goes to the meeting.

11 A dove comes forth from his rod, and alights on his head.

12 He is chosen to betroth the Virgin,

13 refuses because he is an old man,

14 is compelled,

16 takes her home, and goes to mind his trade of building.

AND her parents went away

filled with wonder, and praising God,

because the girl did not return back

to them.

2 But Mary continued in the

temple as a dove educated there,

and received her food from the

hand of an angel.

3 And when she was twelve

years of age, the priests met in a

council, and said, Behold, Mary is

twelve years of age, what shall we

do with her, for fear lest the holy

place of the Lord our God should

be defiled?

4 Then replied the priests to

Zacharias the high-priest, Do you

stand at the altar of the Lord, and

enter into the holy place, and make

petitions concerning her, and

whatsoever the Lord shall manifest

unto you, that do.

5 Then the high-priest entered

into the Holy of Holies, and taking

away with him the breast-plate of

judgment made prayers concerning her;

6 And behold the angel of the

Lord came to him, and said,

Zacharias, Zacharias, Go forth and

call together all the widowers

among the people, and let every

one of them bring his rod, and

he by whom the Lord shall shew

a sign shall be the husband of

Mary.

7 And the criers went out

through all Judaea, and the trumpet

of the Lord sounded, and all

the people ran and met together.

8 Joseph also throwing away

his hatchet, went out to meet

them; and when they were met,

they went to the high-priest;

taking every man his rod.

9 After the high-priest had

received their rods, he went

into the temple to pray;

10 And when he had finished

his prayer, he took the rods, and

went forth and distributed them,

and there was no miracle attended

them.

11 The last rod was taken by

Joseph, said behold a dove

proceeded out of the rod, and

flew upon the head of Joseph.

12 And the high-priest said,

Joseph, Thou art the person

chosen to take the Virgin of the

Lord, to keep her for him:

13 But Joseph refused, saying,

I am an old man, and have children,

but she is young, and I fear

lest I should appear ridiculous

in Israel.

14 Then the high-priest replied,

Joseph, Fear the Lord thy God,

and remember how God dealt with

Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, how

the earth opened and swallowed

them up, because of their

contradiction.

15 Now therefore, Joseph, fear

God lest the like things should

happen in your family.

16 Joseph then being afraid,

took her unto his house, and

Joseph said unto Mary, Behold, I

have taken thee from the temple

of the Lord, and now I will leave

thee in my house; I must go to

mind my trade of building. The

Lord be with thee.

CHAPTER IX.

1 The priests desire a new veil for the temple,

3 seven virgins cast lots for making different parts of it,

4 the lot to spin the true purple falls to Mary.

5 Zacharias, the high priest, becomes dumb.

7 Mary takes a pot to draw water, and hears a voice,

8 trembles and begins to work,

9 an angel Appears and salutes her, and tells her she

shall conceive by the Holy Ghost,

17 she submits.

19 Visits her cousin Elizabeth, whose child in her womb leaps.

AND it came to pass, in a council

of the priests, it was said,

Let us make a new veil for the

temple of the Lord.

2 And the high-priest said,

Call together to me seven undefiled

virgins of the tribe of David.

3 And the servants went and

brought them into the temple of

the Lord, and the high-priest said

unto them, Cast lots before me

now, who of you shall spin the

golden thread, who the blue, who

the scarlet, who the fine linen, and

who the true purple.

4 Then the high-priest knew

Mary; that she was of the tribe of

David; and he called her, and the

true purple fell to her lot to spin,

and she went away to her own

house.

5 But from that time Zacharias

the high-priest became dumb, and

Samuel was placed in his room till

Zacharias spoke again.

6 But Mary took the true purple;

and did spin it.

7 And she took a pot, and

went out to draw water, and heard

a voice saying unto her, Hail thou

who art full of grace, the Lord

is with thee; thou art blessed

among women.

8 And she looked round to the

right and to the left (to see) whence

that voice came, and then trembling

went into her house, and laying

down the water-pot, she took

the purple, and sat down in her

seat to work it.

9 And behold the angel of the

Lord stood by her, and said, Fear

not, Mary, for thou hast found

favour in the sight of God.

10 Which when she heard, she

reasoned with herself what that

sort of salutation meant.

11 And the angel said unto her,

The Lord is with thee, and thou

shalt conceive:

12 To which she replied, What!

shall I conceive by the living God

and bring forth as all other

women do?

13 But the angel returned

answer, Not so, O Mary, but the

Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,

and the power of the Most High

shall overshadow thee;

14 Wherefore that which shall

be born of thee shall be holy,

and shall be called the Son of the

Living God, and thou shalt call his

name Jesus; for he shall save his

people from their sins.

15 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,

she also hath conceived a son in her

old age.

16 And this now is the sixth

month with her, who was called

barren: for nothing is impossible

with God.

17 And Mary said, Behold the

handmaid of the Lord; let it be

unto me according to thy word.

18 And when she had wrought

her purple, she carried it to the

high-priest, and the high-priest

blessed her, saying, Mary, the

Lord God hath magnified thy name,

and thou shalt be blessed in all the

ages of the world.

19 Then Mary, filled with joy,

went away to her cousin Elizabeth,

and knocked at the door.

20 Which when Elizabeth heard,

she ran and opened to her, and

blessed her, and said, Whence is

this to me, that the mother of my

Lord should come unto me?

21 For lo! as soon as the voice

of thy salutation reached my ears,

that which is in me leaped and

blessed thee.

22 But Mary, being ignorant of

all those mysterious things which

the archangel Gabriel had spoken

to her, lifted up her eyes to heaven,

and said, Lord! What am I, that

all the generations of the earth

should call me blessed?

23 But perceiving herself daily

to grow big, and being afraid, she

went home, and hid herself from

the children of Israel; and was

fourteen years old when all these

things happened.

CHAPTER X.

1 Joseph returns from building houses, finds the Virgin

grown big, being six months gone with child,

2 is jealous and troubled,

8 reproaches her,

10 she affirms her innocence,

13 he leaves her,

16 determines to dismiss her privately,

17 is warned in a dream that Mary is with child by the Holy Ghost,

20 and glorifies God who had shewn him such favour.

AND when her sixth month was

come, Joseph returned from

his building houses abroad, which

was his trade, and entering into the

house, found the Virgin grown big:

2 Then smiting upon his face,

he said, With what face can I look

up to the Lord my God? or, what

shall I say concerning this young

woman?

3 For I received her a Virgin

out of the temple of the Lord my

God, and have not preserved her

such!

4 Who has thus deceived me?

Who has committed this evil in

my house, and seducing the Virgin

from me, hath defiled her?

5 Is not the history of Adam exactly

accomplished in me?

6 For in the very instant of his

glory, the serpent came and found

Eve alone, and seduced her.

7 Just after the same manner it

has happened to me.

8 Then Joseph arising from the

ground, called her, and said, O

thou who hast been so much

favoured by God, why hast thou

done this?

9 Why hast thou thus debased

thy soul, who wast educated in the

Holy of Holies, and received thy

food from the hand of angels?

10 But she, with a flood of tears,

replied, I am innocent, and have

known no man.

11 Then said Joseph, How

comes it to pass you are with

child?

12 Mary answered, As the Lord

my God liveth, I know not by what

means.

13 Then Joseph was exceedingly afraid,

and went ay from her, considering

what he should do with her;

and he thus reasoned with himself:

14 If I conceal her crime, I shall

be found guilty by the law of the

Lord;

15 And if I discover her to the

children of Israel, I fear, lest

she being with child by an angel,

I shall be found to betray the life

of an innocent person.

16 What therefore shall I do?

I will privately dismiss her.

17 Then the night was come

upon him, when behold an angel

of the Lord appeared to him in a

dream, and said,

18 Be not afraid to take that

young woman, for that which is

within her is of the Holy Ghost,

19 And she shall bring forth

a son, and thou shalt call his name

Jesus, for he shall save his people

from their sins.

20 Then Joseph arose from his

sleep, and glorified the God of

Israel, who had shewn him such

favour, and preserved the Virgin.

CHAPTER XI.

3 Annas visits Joseph, perceives the Virgin big with child,

4 informs the high priest that Joseph had privately married her.

8 Joseph and Mary brought to trial on the charge.

17 Joseph drinks the water of the Lord as an ordeal,

and receiving no harm, returns home.

THEN came Annas the scribe,

and said to Joseph, Wherefore

have we not seen you since

your return?

2 And Joseph replied, Because

I was weary after my journey, and

rested the first day.

3 But Annas turning about

perceived the Virgin big with child.

4 And went away to the priest,

and told him, Joseph in whom you

placed so much confidence, is

guilty of a notorious crime, in

that he hath defiled the Virgin

whom he received out of the temple

of the Lord, and hath privately

married her, not discovering it to

the children of Israel.

5 Then said the priest, Hath

Joseph done this?

6 Annas replied, If you send

any of your servants you will find

that she is with child.

7 And the servants went, and

found it as he said.

8 Upon this both she and Joseph

were brought to their trial, and

the priest said unto her, Mary,

what hast thou done?

9 Why hast thou debased thy

soul, and forgot thy God, seeing

thou wast brought up in the Holy

of Holies, and didst receive thy

food from the hands of angels, and

heardest their songs?

10 Why hast thou done this?

11 To which with a flood of

tears she answered, As the Lord

my God liveth, I am innocent in

his sight, seeing I know no man.

12 Then the priest said to Joseph,

Why hast thou done this?

13 And Joseph answered, As

the Lord my God liveth, I have

not been concerned with her.

14 But the priest said, Lie not,

but declare the truth; thou hast

privately married her, and not

discovered it to the children of

Israel, and humbled thyself under

the mighty hand (of God), that thy

seed might be blessed:

15 And Joseph was silent.

16 Then said the priest

(to Joseph), You must restore to

the temple of the Lord the Virgin

which you took thence.

17 But he wept bitterly, and the

priest added, I will cause you both

to drink the water of the Lord,

which is for trial, and so your

iniquity shall be laid open before

you.--[bitter water that causeth the curse]

18 Then the priest took the water,

and made Joseph drink, and sent him

to a mountainous place,

19 And he returned perfectly

well, and all the people wondered

that his guilt was not discovered.

20 So the priest said, Since the

Lord hath not made your sins

evident, neither do I condemn

you.

21 So he sent them away.

22 Then Joseph took Mary, and

went to his house, rejoicing and

praising the God of Israel.

CHAP. XII.

1 A decree from Augustus for taxing the Jews.

5 Joseph puts Mary on an ass, to return to Bethlehem,

6 she looks sorrowful,

7 she laughs,

8 Joseph inquires the cause of each,

9 she tells him she sees two persons,

one mourning and the other rejoicing.

10 The delivery being near, he takes her

from the ass, and places her in a cave.

AND it came to pass, that there

went forth a decree from

the Emperor Augustus, that all

the Jews should be taxed, who

were of Bethlehem in Judaea.

2 And Joseph said, I will take

care that my children be taxed;

but what shall I do with this young

woman?

3 To have her taxed as my wife

I am ashamed; and if I tax her as

my daughter, all Israel knows she

is not my daughter.

4 When the time of the Lord's

appointment shall come, let him do

as seems good to him.

5 And he saddled the ass, and

put her upon it, and Joseph and

Simon followed after her, and

arrived at Bethlehem within three

miles.

6 Then Joseph turning about

saw Mary sorrowful, and said

within himself, Perhaps she is in

pain through that which is within

her.

7 But when he turned about

again, he saw her laughing, and

said to her,

8 Mary, how happens it, that I

sometimes see sorrow, and sometimes

laughter and joy in thy countenance?

9 And Mary replied to him,

I see two people with mine eyes,

the one weeping and mourning,

the other laughing and rejoicing.

10 And he went again across

the way, and Mary said to Joseph,

Take me down from the ass, for

that which is in me presses to come

forth.

11 But Joseph replied, Whither

shall I take thee? for the place is

a desert.

12 Then said Mary again to Joseph,

take me down, for that which is

within me mightily presses me.

13 And Joseph took her down.

14 And he found there a cave,

and let her into it.

CHAPTER XIII.

1 Joseph seeks a Hebrew midwife,

2 perceives the owls stopping in their flight,

3 the working people at their food not moving,

8 the sheep standing still,

9 the shepherd fixed and immoveable,

10 and kids with their mouths touching

the water but not drinking.

AND leaving her and his sons

in the cave, Joseph went

forth to seek a Hebrew midwife in

the village of Bethlehem.

2 But as I was going (said Joseph),

I looked up into the air,

and I saw the clouds astonished,

and the fowls of the air stopping in

the midst of their flight.

3 And I looked down towards

the earth, and saw a table spread,

and working people sitting around

it, but their hands were upon the

table and they did not move to

eat.

4 They who had meat in their

mouths did not eat.

5 They who lifted their hands

up to their heads did not draw

them back,

6 And they who lifted them up

to their mouths did not put any

thing in;

7 But all their faces were fixed

upwards.

8 And I beheld the sheep dispersed,

and yet the sheep stood still.

9 And the shepherd lifted up

his hand to smite them, and his

hand continued up.

10 And I looked unto a river,

and saw the kids with their mouths

close to the water, and touching it,

but they did not drink.

CHAPTER XIV.

1 Joseph finds a midwife.

10 A bright cloud overshadows the cave.

11 A great light in the cave, gradually

increases until the infant is born.

13 The mid-wife goes out, and tells Salome

that she has seen a virgin bring forth.

17 Salome doubts it.

20 her hand withers,

22 she supplicates the Lord,

28 is cured,

30 but warned not to declare what she had seen.

THEN I beheld a woman coming

down from the mountains,

and she said to me, Where art thou

going, O man?

2 And I said to her, I go to

enquire for a Hebrew midwife.

3 She replied to me, Where is

the woman that is to be delivered?

4 And I answered, In the cave,

and she is betrothed to me.

5 Then said the midwife, Is she

not thy wife?

6 Joseph answered, It is Mary,

who was educated in the Holy of

Holies, in the house of the Lord,

and she fell to me by lot, and is

not my wife, but has conceived by

the Holy Ghost.

7 The midwife said, Is this true?

8 He answered, Come and see.

9 And the midwife went along

with him, and stood in the cave.

10 Then a bright cloud over-

shadowed the cave, and the mid-

wife said, This day my soul is

magnified, for mine eyes have seen

surprising things, and salvation is

brought forth to Israel.

11 But on a sudden the cloud

became a great light in the cave,

so that their eyes could not bear it.

12 But the light gradually

decreased, until the infant appeared,

and sucked the breast of his mother,

Mary.

13 Then the midwife cried out,

and said, How glorious a day is

this, wherein mine eyes have seen

this extraordinary sight!

14 And the midwife went out

from the cave, and Salome met

her.

15 And the midwife said to her,

Salome, Salome, I will tell you a

most surprising thing which I saw,

16 A virgin hath brought forth,

which is a thing contrary to

nature.

17 To which Salome replied, As

the Lord my God liveth unless I

receive particular proof of this

matter, I will not believe that a

virgin hath brought forth.

18 If Then Salome went in, and

the midwife said, Mary, shew thyself,

for a controversy is risen

concerning thee.

19 And Salome received satisfaction.

20 But her hand was withered,

and she groaned bitterly;

21 And said, Woe to me, because

of mine iniquity; for I have

tempted the living God, and my

hand is ready to drop off.

22 Then Salome made her

supplication to the Lord, and said,

O God of my Fathers, remember me,

for I am of the seed of Abraham,

and Isaac, and Jacob.

23 Make me not a reproach

among the children of Israel, but

restore me sound to my parents.

24 For thou well knowest,

O Lord, that I have performed many

offices of charity in thy name,

and have received my reward from

thee.

25 Upon this an angel of the

Lord stood by Salome, and said,

The Lord God hath heard thy

prayer, reach forth thy hand to

the child, and carry him, and by

that means thou shalt be restored.

26 Salome filled with exceeding

joy, went to the child, and said,

I will touch him.

27 And she purposed to worship

him, for she said, This is a great

king, which is born in Israel.

28 And straightway Salome was

cured.

29 Then the midwife went out

of the cave, being approved by God.

30 And lo! a voice came to Salome.

Declare not the strange things

which thou hast seen, till

the child shall come to Jerusalem.

31 So Salome also departed,

approved by God.

CHAPTER XV.

1 Wise men come from the east.

3 Herod alarmed;

8 desires them if they find the child to bring him word.

10 They visit the cave and offer the child their treasure,

11 and being warned in a dream, do not return to Herod,

but go home another way.

THEN Joseph was preparing to

go away, because there arose

a great disorder in Bethlehem by

the coming of some wise men

from the east,

2 Who said, Where is the King

of the Jews born? For we have

seen his star in the east, and are

come to worship him.

3 When Herod heard this, he

was exceedingly troubled, and sent

messengers to the wise men, and

to the priests, and enquired of

them in the town-hall,

4 And said unto them, Where

have you it written concerning

Christ the king, or where should

he be born?

5 Then they say unto him, In

Bethlehem of Judaea; for thus it

is written: And thou Bethlehem in

the land of Judah, art not the least

among the princes of Judah, for

out of thee shall come a ruler,

who shall rule my people Israel.

6 And having sent away the

chief priests, he enquired of the

wise men in the town-hall, and

said unto them, What sign was it

ye saw concerning the king that is

born?

7 They answered him, We saw

an extraordinary large star shining

among the stars of heaven, and so

out-shined all the other stars, as

that they became not visible, and

we knew thereby that a great king

was born in Israel, and therefore

we are come to worship him.

8 Then said Herod to them, Go

and make diligent inquiry; and if

ye find the child, bring me word

again, that I may come and worship

him also.

9 So the wise men went forth,

and behold, the star which they

saw in the east went before them,

till it came and stood over the cave

where the young child was with

Mary his mother.

10 Then they brought forth out

of their treasures, and offered unto

him gold and frankincense, and

myrrh.

11 And being warned in a dream

by an angel, that they should not

return to Herod through Judaea,

they departed into their own country

by another way.

CHAPTER XVI.

1 Herod enraged, orders the infants in Bethlehem to be slain.

2 Mary puts her infant in an ox-manger.

3 Elizabeth flees with her son John to the mountains.

6 A mountain miraculously divides and receives them.

9 Herod incensed at the escape of John, causes Zacharias

to be murdered at the altar.

23 The roofs of the temple rent, the body miraculously

conveyed, and the blood petrified.

25 Israel mourns for him.

27 Simeon chosen his successor by lot.

THEN Herod perceiving that

he was mocked by the wise

men, and being very angry,

commanded certain men to go and

to kill all the children that were

in Bethlehem, from two years old

and under.

2 But Mary hearing that the

children were to be killed, being

under much fear, took the child,

and wrapped him up in swaddling

clothes, and laid him in an

ox-manger, because there was no

room for them in the inn.

3 Elizabeth also, hearing that

her son John was about to be

searched for, took him and went

up unto the mountains, and looked

around for a place to hide him;

4 And there was no secret place

to be found.

5 Then she groaned within herself,

and said, O mountain of the Lord,

receive the mother with the child.

6 For Elizabeth could not climb up,

7 And instantly the mountain

was divided and received them.

8 And there appeared to them

an angel of the Lord to preserve

them.

9 But Herod made search after

John, and sent servants to Zacharias,

when he was (ministering) at the altar,

and said unto him, Where hast thou hid

thy son?

10 He replied, to them, I am a

minister of God, and a servant at

the altar: how should I know

where my son is?

11 So the servants went back,

and told Herod the whole; at

which he was incensed, and said,

Is not this son of his like to be

king of Israel?

12 He sent therefore again his

servants to Zacharias, saying, Tell

us the truth, where is thy son, for

you know that your life is in my

hand.

13 So the servants went and told

him all this:

14 But Zacharias replied to

them, I am a martyr for God, and

if ye shed my blood, the Lord will

receive my soul.

15 Besides know that ye shed

innocent blood.

16 However Zacharias was murdered

in the entrance of the temple

said altar, and about the partition;

17 But the children of Israel

knew not when he want killed.

18 Then at the hour of salutation

the priests went into the temple

but Zacharias did not according

to custom, meet them and bless them.

19 Yet they still continued

waiting for him to salute them;

20 And when they found he did

not in a long time come, one of

them ventured into the holy place

where the altar was, and he saw

blood lying upon the ground

congealed:

21 When, behold, a voice from

heaven said, Zacharias is murdered,

and his blood shall not be

wiped away, until the revenger

of his blood come.

22 But when he heard this, he

was afraid; and went forth and told

the priests what he had seen and

heard; and they all went in, and

saw the fact.

23 Then the roofs of the temple

howled, and were rent from the

top to the bottom:

24 And they could not find the

body, but only blood made hard

like stone.

25 And they went away, and

told the people, that Zacharias

was murdered, and all the tribes

of Israel heard thereof, and mourned

for him, and lamented three days:

26 Then the priests took

council together concerning

a person to succeed him.

27 And Simeon and the other

priests cast lots, and the lot fell

upon Simeon.

28 For he had been assured by

the Holy Spirit, that he should not

die, till he had seen Christ come in

the flesh.

(I James wrote this History in Jerusalem: and when the disturbance

was I retired into a desert place, until the death of Herod, and the

disturbances ceased at Jerusalem. That which remains is, that I

glorify God that he hath given me such wisdom to write unto you who

are spiritual, and who love God: to whom (be ascribed) glory and

dominion for ever and ever. Amen.)

THE PROTEVANGELION.

Note on the death of Zacharias in Chap. 16.

There is a story both in the Jerusalem and Babylonish Talmud very similar

to this. It is cited by Dr. Lightfoot, Talmud, Hierosol, in Taanith, fol.

69; and Talmud. Babyl. in Sanhedr., fol. 96. "O Rabbi Jochanan said,

Eighty thousand priests were slain for the blood of Zacharias. Rabbi

Judas asked Rabbi Achan, Where did they kill Zacharias? Was it in the

woman's court, or in the court of Israel? He answered, Neither in the

court of Israel, nor in the court of women, but in the court of the

priests; and they did not treat his blood in the same manner as they were

wont to treat the blood of a ram or young goat. For of these it is

written, He shall pour out his blood, and cover it with dust. But it is

written here, The blood is in the midst of her: she set it upon the top

of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground. (Ezek. xxiv. 7.) But why

was this? That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance: I have

set his blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

They committed seven evils that day: they murdered a priest, a prophet,

and a king; they shed the blood of the innocent; they polluted the court:

that day was the Sabbath: and the day of expiation. When therefore

Nebuzaradan came there (viz. to Jerusalem,) he saw his blood bubbling,

and said to them, What meaneth this? They answered, It is the blood of

calves, lambs, and rams, which we have offered upon the altar. He

commanded then, that they should bring calves, and lambs, and rams, and

said I will try whether this be their blood: accordingly they brought

and slew them, but the blood of Zacharias still bubbled, but the blood of

these did not bubble. Then he said, Declare to me the truth of this

matter, or else I will comb your flesh with iron combs. Then said they to

him, He was a priest, prophet, and judge, who prophesied to Israel all

these calamities which we have suffered from you; but we arose against

him, and slew him. Then, said he, I will appease him; then he took the

rabbis and slew them upon his (viz. Zacharias's) blood, and he was not

yet appeased. Next he took the young boys from the schools, and slew them

upon his blood; and yet it bubbled. Then he brought the young priests and

slew them in the same place, and yet it still bubbled. So he slew at

length ninety-four thousand persons upon his blood, and it did not as yet

cease bubbling; then he drew near to it, and said, O Zacharias,

Zacharias, thou halt occasioned the death of the chief of thy

countrymen, shall I slay them all? then the blood ceased, and did bubble

no more."

REFERENCES TO THE PROTEVANGELION.

[This Gospel is ascribed to James. The allusions to it in the ancient

Fathers are frequent, and their expressions indicate that it had

obtained a very general credit in the Christian world. The controversies

founded upon it chiefly relate to the age of Joseph at the birth of

Christ, and to his being a widower with children, before his marriage

with the Virgin. It seems material to remark, that the legends of the

latter ages affirm the virginity of Joseph, notwithstanding Epiphanius,

Hilary, Chrysostom, Cyril, Euthymius, Thephylaet, Occumenius, and indeed

all the Latin Fathers till Ambrose, and the Greek Fathers afterwards,

maintain the opinions of Joseph's age and family, founded upon their

belief in the authenticity of this book. It is supposed to have been

originally composed in Hebrew. Postellus brought the MS. of this Gospel

from the Levant, translated it into Latin, and sent it to Oporimus,

a printer at Basil, where Bibliander, a Protestant Divine, and the

Professor of Divinity at Zurich, caused it to be printed in 1552.

Postellus asserts that it was publicly read as canonical in the eastern

churches they making no doubt that James was the author, of it. It is,

nevertheless considered apocryphal by some of the most learned divines in

the Protestant and Catholic churches.]

THE FIRST GOSPEL OF

THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I.

1 Caiphas relates that Jesus, when in his cradle,

informed his mother that he was the Son of God.

5 Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem to be taxed, Mary's

time of bringing forth arrives, and she goes into a cave.

8 Joseph fetches in a Hebrew woman. The cave filled with

great lights.

11 The infant born,

17 and cures the woman.

19 Arrival of the shepherds.

THE following accounts we found

in the book of Joseph the

high-priest, called by some

Caiphas:

2 He relates, that Jesus spake

even when he was in the cradle,

and said to his mother:

3 Mary, I am Jesus the Son of

God, that word, which thou didst

bring forth according to the

declaration of the angel Gabriel to

thee, and my father hath sent me

for the salvation of the world.

4 In the three hundred and

ninth year of the era of Alexander,

Augustus published a decree that

all persons should go to be taxed

in their own country.

5 Joseph therefore arose, and

with Mary his spouse he went to

Jerusalem, and then came to Bethlehem,

that he and his family might be taxed

in the city of his fathers.

6 And when they came by the cave,

Mary confessed to Joseph that her

time of bringing forth was come,

and she could not go on to the city,

and said, Let us go into this cave.

7 At that time the sun was very

near going down.

8 But Joseph hastened away,

that he might fetch her a midwife;

and when he saw an old Hebrew

woman who was of Jerusalem, he

said to her, Pray come hither,

good woman, and go into that cave,

and you will there see a woman

just ready to bring forth.

9 It was after sunset, when the

old woman and Joseph with her

reached the cave, and they both

went into it.

10 And behold, it was all filled

with lights, greater than the light

of lamps and candles, and greater

than the light of the sun itself.

11 The infant was then wrapped

up in swaddling clothes, and sucking

the breasts of his mother St.

Mary.

12 When they both saw this

light, they were surprised; the

old woman asked St. Mary, Art

thou the mother of this child?

13 St. Mary replied, She was.

14 On which the old woman

said, Thou art very different from

all other women.

15 St. Mary answered, As there

is not any child like to my son,

so neither is there any woman like

to his mother.

16 The old woman answered,

and said, O my Lady, I am come

hither that I may obtain an

everlasting reward.

17 Then our Lady St. Mary

said to her, Lay thine hands upon

the infant, which, when she had

done, she became whole.

18 And as she was going forth,

she said, From henceforth, all the

days of my life, I will attend upon

and be a servant of this infant.

19 After this, when the shepherds

came, and had made a fire, and they

were exceedingly rejoicing, the

heavenly host appeared to them,

praising and adoring the supreme God.

20 And as the shepherds were

engaged in the same employment,

the cave at that time seemed like

a glorious temple, because both

the tongues of angels and men

united to adore and magnify God,

on account of the birth of the Lord

Christ.

21 But when the old Hebrew

woman saw all these evident miracles,

she gave praises to God, and

said, I thank thee, O God, thou

God of Israel, for that mine eyes

have seen the birth of the Saviour

of the world.

CHAP. II.

1 The child circumcised in the cave,

2 and the old woman preserving his foreskin or navel-string in a

box of spikenard, Mary afterwards anoints Christ with it.

5 Christ brought to the temple;

6 He shines,

7 and angels stand around him adoring.

8 Simeon praises Christ.

AND when the time of his

circumcision was come: namely,

the eighth day, on which the

law commanded the child to be

circumcised; they circumcised

him in the cave.

2 And the old Hebrew woman

took the foreskin (others say she

took the navel-string), and preserved

it in an alabaster-box of old oil

of spikenard.

3 And she had a son who was a

druggist, to whom she said, Take

heed thou sell not this alabaster-

box of spikenard-ointment, although

thou shouldst be offered three

hundred pence for it.

4 Now this is that alabaster-

box which Mary the sinner procured,

and poured forth the ointment out

of it upon the head and the feet

of our Lord Jesus Christ, and wiped

them off with the hairs of her head.

5 Then after ten days they

brought him to Jerusalem, and on

the fortieth day from his birth

they presented him in the temple

before the Lord, making the proper

offerings for him, according

to the requirement of the law of

Moses: namely, that every male

which opens the womb shall be

called holy unto God.

6 At that time old Simeon saw

him shining as a pillar of light,

when St. Mary the Virgin, his

mother, carried him in her arms,

and was filled with the greatest

pleasure at the sight.

7 And the angels stood around

him, adoring him, as a king's

guards stand around him.

8 Then Simeon going near to

St. Mary, and stretching forth his

hands towards her, said to the

Lord Christ, Now, O My Lord,

thy servant shall depart in peace,

according to thy word;

9 For mine eyes have seen thy

mercy, which thou hast prepared

for the salvation of all nations;

a light to all people, and the glory

of thy people Israel.

10 Hannah the prophetess was

also present, and drawing near,

she gave praises to God, and

celebrated the happiness of Mary.

CHAPTER III.

1 The wise men visit Christ. Mary gives them

one of his swaddling clothes.

3 An angel appears to them in the form of a star.

4 They return and make a fire, and worship the

swaddling cloth, and put it in the fire where it

remains unconsumed.

AND it came to pass, when the

Lord Jesus was born at Bethlehem,

a city of Judaea, in the time of Herod

the King;--the wise men came from the

East to Jerusalem, according to the

prophecy of Zoradascht, [Zoroaster]

and brought with them offerings:

namely, gold, frankincense, and myrrh,

and worshipped him, and offered to him

their gifts.

2 Then the Lady Mary took one

of his swaddling clothes in which

the infant was wrapped, and gave

it to them instead of a blessing,

which they received from her as a

most noble present.

3 And at the same time there

appeared to them an angel in the

form of that star which had before

been their guide in their journey;

the light of which they followed

till they returned into their own

country.

4 On their return their kings

and princes came to them inquiring,

whom they had seen and done?

What sort of journey and return

they had? What Company

they had on the road?

5 But they produced the swaddling

cloth which St. Mary had given

them, on account whereof they kept

a feast.

6 And having, according to the

custom of their country, made

a fire, they worshipped it.

7 And casting the swaddling

cloth into it, the fire took it

and kept it.

8 And when the fire was put out,

they took forth the swaddling cloth

unhurt, as much as if the fire had

not touched it.

9 Then they began to kiss it,

and put it upon their heads and

their eyes saying, This is certainly

an undoubted truth, and it is really

surprising that the fire could not

burn it, and consume it.

10 Then they took it, and with

the greatest respect laid it up

among their treasures.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Herod intends to put Christ to death.

3 An angel warns Joseph to take the child

and his mother into Egypt.

6 Consternation on their arrival.

13 The idols fall down.

15 Mary washes Christ's swaddling clothes, hangs them to

dry on a post, and the son of a priest puts one on his head;

16 And being possessed of devils they leave him.

NOW Herod perceiving that the

wise men did delay and not return

to him, called together the priest

and wise men, and said, Tell me in

what place the Christ should be born.

2 And when they replied, in

Bethlehem,--a city of Judaea, he

began to contrive in his own mind

the death of the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 But an angel of the Lord

appeared to Joseph in his sleep,

and said, Arise, take the child and

his mother, and go into Egypt as soon

as the cock crows. So he arose,

and went.

4 And as he was considering

with himself about his journey,

the morning came upon him.

5 In the length of the journey

the girts of the saddle broke.

6 And now he drew near to a great

city, in which there was an idol,

to which the priests of the other

idols and gods of Egypt brought

their offerings and vows.

7 And there was by this idol a

priest ministering to it, who, as

often as Satan spoke out of that

idol, related the things he said to

the inhabitants of Egypt, and those

countries.

8 This priest had a son three

years old, who was possessed with

a great multitude of devils, who

uttered many strange things and

when the devils seized him, walked

about naked with his clothes torn,

throwing stones at those whom

he saw.

9 Near to that idol was the inn

of the city, into which when Joseph

and St. Mary were come, and had

turned into that inn, all the

inhabitants of the city were

astonished.

10 And all the magistrates and

priests of the idols assembled

before that idol, and made inquiry

there, saying, What means all this

consternation, and dread, which

has fallen upon all our country?

11 The idol answered them,

The unknown God is come thither,

who is truly God; nor is there any

one besides him, who is worthy of

divine worship for he is truly the

Son of God.

12 At the fame of him this

country trembled, and at his

coming it is under the present

commotion and consternation, and

we ourselves are afrighted by the

greatness of his power.

13 And at the same instant this

idol fell down, and at his fall all

the inhabitants of Egypt, besides

others ran together.

14 But the son of the priest,

when his usual disorder came upon

him going into the inn, found

there Joseph and St. Mary, whom

all the rest had left behind and

forsook.

15 And when the Lady St. Mary

had washed the swaddling clothes

of the Lord Christ, and hanged

them out to dry upon a post, the

boy possessed with the devil took

down one of them, and put it upon

his head.

16 And presently the devils

began to come out of his mouth,

and fly away in the shape of crows

and serpents.

17 From that time the boy was

healed by the power of the Lord

Christ and he began to sing

praises, and give thanks to the

Lord who had healed him.

18 When his father saw him

restored to his former state of

health, he said, My son, what has

happened to thee, and by what

means wert thou cured?

19 The son answered, When the

devils seized me, I went into the

inn, and there found a very

handsome woman with a boy, whose

swaddling clothes she had just

before washed, and hanged out upon

a post.

20 One of these I took, and put

it upon my head, and immediately

the devils left me, and fled away.

21 At this the father exceedingly

rejoiced, and said, My son,

perhaps this boy is the son of the

living God, who made the heavens

and the earth.

22 For as soon as he came

amongst us, the idol was broken,

and all the gods fell down, and

were destroyed by a greater power.

23 Then was fulfilled the prophecy

which saith, Out of Egypt I have

called my son.

CHAPTER V.

1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt.

3 Go to the Haunts of robbers,

4 Who hearing a mighty noise,

as of a great army flee away.

NOW Joseph and Mary when

they heard that the idol was

fallen down and destroyed, were

seized with fear and, trembling,

and said, When we Were in the

land of Israel, Herod, intending

to kill Jesus, slew for that purpose

all the infants at Bethlehem, and

that neighbourhood.

2 And there is no doubt but

the Egyptians if they come to

hear that this idol is broken and

fallen down, will burn us with fire.

3 They went therefore hence to

the secret places of robbers, who

robbed travellers as they pass by,

of their carriages and their clothes

and carried them away bound.

4 These thieves upon their

coming heard a great noise such

as the noise of a king with a great

army, and many horse and the

trumpets sounding at his departure

from his own city, at which they

were so affrighted, as to leave

all their booty behind them and

fly away in haste.

5 Upon this the prisoners arose,

and loosed each other's bonds,

and taking each man his bags,

they went way, and saw Joseph

and Mary coming towards them,

and inquired, Where is that king,

the noise of whose approach the

robbers heard, and left us,

so that we are now come off safe?

6 Joseph answered, He will come

after us.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Mary looks on a woman in whom Satan had taken

up his abode, and she becomes dispossessed.

5 Christ kissed by a bride made dumb by sorcerers,

cures her.

11 Miraculously cures a gentlewoman in whom Satan

had taken up his abode.

16 A leprous girl cured by the water in which he was

washed, and becomes the servant of Joseph and Mary.

20 The leprous son of a prince's wife cured in like manner.

37 Has mother offers large gifts to Mary, and dismisses her.

THEN they went into another

city where there was a woman

possessed with a devil, and in

whom Satan, that cursed rebel,

had taken up his abode.

2 One night, when she went to

fetch water, she could neither

endure her clothes on, nor to be

in any house; but as often as they

tied her with chains or cords, she

brake them, and went out into desert

places, and sometimes standing

where roads crossed, and in

church yards, would throw stones

at men.

3 When St. Mary saw this

woman, she pitied her; where

upon Satan presently left her, and

fled away in the form of a young

man, saying, Wo to me, because

of thee, Mary, and thy son.

4 So the woman was delivered

from her torment; but considering

herself naked, she blushed,

and avoided seeing any man and

having put on her clothes, went

home, and gave an account of her

case to her father and relations

who, as they were the best of the

city, entertained St. Mary and

Joseph with the greatest respect.

5 The next morning having

received a sufficient supply of

provisions for the road, they went

from them, and about the evening of

the day arrived at another town,

where a marriage was then about

to be solemnized; but by the arts

of Satan and the practices of a

sorcerers, the bride was become

so dumb, that she could not so

much as open her mouth.

6 But when this dumb bride

saw the Lady St. Mary entering

into the town, and carrying

Lord Christ in her arms, she

stretched out her hands to the

Lord Christ, and-took him in her

arms, and closely hugging him,

very often kissed him, continually

moving him and, pressing him to

her body.

7 Straightway the string of her

tongue was loosed, and her ears

were opened, and she began to

sing praises unto God, who had

restored her.

8 So there was great joy among

the inhabitants of the town that

night, who thought that God and

his angels were come down among

them.

9 In this place they abode

three days, meeting with the greatest

respect and most splendid entertainment.

10 And being then furnished by

the people with provisions for the

road, they departed and went to

another city, in which they were

inclined to lodge, because it was a

famous place.

11 There was in this city a

gentlewoman, who, as she went down

one day to the river to bathe, behold

cursed Satan leaped upon her in the

form of a serpent.

12 And folded himself about her

belly, and every night lay upon

her.

13 This woman seeing the Lady

St. Mary, and the Lord Christ the

infant in her bosom, asked the

Lady St. Mary, that she would

give her the child to kiss, and

carry in her arms.

14 When she had consented,

and as soon as the woman had

moved the child, Satan left her,

and fled away, nor did the woman

ever afterwards see him.

15 Hereupon all the neighbors

praised the Supreme God, and the

woman reward them with ample,

beneficence.

16 On the morrow, the same

woman brought perfumed water to

wash the Lord Jesus; and when

she had washed him, she preserved

the water.

17 And there was a girl there,

whose body was white with a

leprosy, who being sprinkled with

this water, and washed, was

instantly cleansed from her leprosy.

18 The people therefore said

Without doubt Joseph and Mary,

and that boy are Gods, for they do

not look like mortals.

19 And when they were making

ready to go away, the girl, who

had been troubled with the leprosy,

came and desired they would

permit her to go along with them;

so they consented and the girl went

with them till they came to a city

in which was the palace of a great

king, and whose house was not far

from the inn.

20 Here they staid, and when

the girl went one day to the

prince's wife, and found her in a

sorrowful and mournful condition,

she asked her the reason of her

tears.

21 She replied, wonder not at

my groans, for I am under a great

misfortune, of which I dare not

tell any one.

22 But, says the, girl, if you

will entrust me with your private

grievance, perhaps I may find you

a remedy for it.

23 Thou, therefore, says the

prince's wife, shall keep the

secret, and not discover it to

any one alive.

24 I have been married to this

prince, who rules as king over

large dominions, and lived long

with him before he had any child

by me.

25 At length I conceived by

him, but alas! I brought forth a

leprous son; which, when he saw

him would not own to be his, but

said to me,

26 Either do thou kill him, or

send him to some nurse in such a

place, that he may be never heard

of; and now take care of yourself;

I will never see you more.

27 So here I pine, lamenting

my wretched and miserable

circumstances. Alas, my son! alas,

my husband; Have I disclosed it

to you?

28 The girl replied I have found

a remedy for your disease, which

I promise you, for I also was

leprous, but God hath cleansed

me, even he who is called Jesus

the son of the Lady Mary.

29 The woman inquiring where

that God was, whom she spake

of; the girl answered, He lodges

with you here, in the same house.

30 But how can this be? says

she; where is he? Behold, replied

the girl, Joseph and Mary; and

the infant who is, with them is

called Jesus; and it is he who

delivered me from my disease and

torment.

31 But by what means, says she,

were you cleansed from your leprosy?

Will not you tell me that?

32 Why not? says the girl; I

took the water with which his

body had been washed, and poured

it upon me, and my leprosy

vanished.

33 The prince's wife then arose

and entertained them, providing a

great feast for Joseph among a

large company of men.

34 And the next day took

perfumed water to wash the Lord

Jesus, and afterwards poured the

same water upon her son, whom

she had brought with her, and her

son was instantly cleansed from

his leprosy,

35 Then she sang thanks and

unto God, and said, Blessed

is the mother that bare thee,

O Jesus!

36 Dost thou thus cure men of

the same nature with thyself, with

the water with which thy body is

washed?

37 She then offered very large

gifts to the Lady Mary, and sent

her away with all imaginable

respect.

CHAPTER VII.

1 A man who could not enjoy his wife, freed from his disorder.

5 A young man who had been bewitched, and turned into a

mule miraculously cured by Christ being put on his back,

28 and is married to the girl who had been cured of leprosy.

THEY came afterwards to another

city, and had a mind to lodge there.

2 Accordingly they went to a man's

house, who was newly married

but by the influence of sorcerers

could not enjoy his wife.

3 But they lodging at his house

that night, the man was freed of

his disorder.

4 And when they were preparing

early in the morning to go forward

on their journey, the new-married

person hindered them, and

provided a noble entertainment

for them.

5 But going forward on the

morrow, they came to another

city, and saw three women going

from a certain grave with great

weeping.

6 When St. Mary saw them, she

spake to the girl who was their

companion, saying, Go and inquire

of them, what is the matter with

them, and what misfortune has

befallen them?

7 When the girl asked them,

they made her no answer, but

asked her again, Who are ye? and

where are you going? For the day

is far spent, and night is at hand.

8 We are travellers, saith the

girl, and we are seeking for an inn

to lodge at.

9 They replied, Go along with

us, and lodge with us.

10 They then followed them,

and were introduced into a new

house, well furnished with all

sorts of furniture.

11 Now it was winter-time, and

the girl went into the parlour

where these women were, and

found them weeping and lamenting

as before.

12 By them stood a mule, covered

over with silk, and an ebony collar

hanging down from his neck, whom

they kissed and were feeding.

13 But when the girl said, How

handsome, ladies, that mule is!

they replied with tears, and said,

This mule, which you see, was our

brother, born of this same mother

as we;

14 For when our father died,

and left us a very large estate, and

we had only this brother, and we

endeavoured to procure him a suitable

match, and thought he should

be married as other men, some

giddy and jealous women bewitched

him without our knowledge.

15 And we one night, a little before

day, while the doors of the house

were all shut fast, saw this our

brother was changed into a mule,

such as you now see him to be:

16 And we in the melancholy

condition in which you see us,

having no father to comfort us,

have applied to all the wise men,

magicians, and diviners in the

world, but they have been of no

service to us.

17 As often therefore as we find

ourselves oppressed with grief, we

rise and go with this our mother

to our father's tomb, where, when

we have cried sufficiently, we

return home.

18 When the girl had heard this

she said, Take courage, and cease

your fears, for you have a remedy

for your afflictions near at hand

even amoung you and in the midst

of your house.

19 For I was also leprous; but

when I saw this woman, and this

little infant with her, whose name

is Jesus, I sprinkled my body with

the water with which his mother

had washed him and I was

presently made well.

20 And I am certain that he is

also capable of relieving you under

your distress. Wherefore arise,

go to my mistress Mary, and when

you have brought her into your

own parlour, disclose to her the

secret, at the same time earnestly

beseeching her to compassionate

your case.

21 As soon as the women had

heard the girl's discourse, they

hastened away to the Lady St.

Mary, introduced themselves to

her, and sitting down before her,

they wept.

22 And said, O our Lady St.

Mary, pity your handmaids, for

we have no head of our family, no

one elder than us; no father or

brother to go in or out before us.

23 But this mule, which you

see, was our brother, which some

women by witchcraft have brought

into this condition which you see:

we therefore entreat you to

compassionate us.

24 Hereupon St. Mary was

grieved at their case, and taking

the Lord Jesus, put him upon the

back of the mule.

25 And said to her son, O Jesus

Christ, restore (or heal) according

to thy extraordinary power this

mule, and grant him to have again

the shape of a man and a rational

creature, as he had formerly.

26 This was scarce said by the

Lady St. Mary, but the mule

immediately passed into a human

form, and became a young man

without any deformity.

27 Then he and his mother and

the sisters worshipped the Lady

St. Mary, and lifting the child

upon their heads, they kissed him,

and said, Blessed is thy mother,

O Jesus, O Saviour of the world!

Blessed are the eyes which are

so happy to see thee.

28 Then both the sisters told

their mother, saying, Of a truth,

our brother is restored to his former

shape by the help of the Lord

Jesus Christ, and the kindness

of that girl who told us of Mary

and her son.

29 And inasmuch as our brother

is unmarried, it is fit that we

marry him to this girl their

servant.

30 When they had consulted

Mary in this matter, and she had

given her consent, they made a

splendid wedding for this girl.

31 And so their sorrow being

turned into gladness, and their

mourning into mirth, they began

to rejoice, and to make merry,

and sing, being dressed in their

richest attire, with bracelets.

32 Afterwards they glorified and

praised God, saying, O Jesus, son

of David, who changest sorrow

into gladness, and mourning into

mirth!

33 After this Joseph and Mary

tarried there ten days, then went

away, having received great

respect from these people.

34 Who, when they took their

leave of them, and returned home,

cried,

35 But especially the girl.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Joseph and Mary pass through a country infested by robbers.

3 Titus a humane thief, offers Dumachus, his comrade,

forty groats to let Joseph and Mary pass unmolested.

6 Jesus prophecies that the thieves Dumachus and Titus shall be

crucified with him and that Titus shall go before him into paradise.

10 Christ causes a well to spring from a sycamore tree, and Mary

washes his coat in it.

11 A balsam grows there from his sweat. They go to Memphis, where

Christ works more miracles. Return to Judea.

15 Being warned, depart for Nazareth.

IN their journey from hence they

came into a desert country and

were told it was infested with

robbers; so Joseph and St. Mary

prepared to pass through it in the

night.

2 And as they were going along,

behold they saw two robbers asleep

in the road, and with them a great

number of robbers, who were their

confederates, also asleep.

3 The names of these two were

Titus and Dumachus; and Titus

said to Dumachus, I beseech thee

let these persons go along quietly,

that our company may not perceive

anything of them.

4 But Damachus refusing, Titus

again said, I will give thee forty

groats, and as a pledge take my

girdle, which he gave him before

he had done speaking, that he

might not open his mouth or make

a noise.

5 When the Lady St. Mary saw

the kindness which this robber did

shew them, she said to him, The

Lord God will receive thee to his

right hand and grant thee pardon

of thy sins.

6 Then the Lord Jesus answered,

and said to his mother, When

thirty years are expired, O mother,

the Jews will crucify me at

Jerusalem;

7 And these two thieves shall

be with me at the same time upon

the cross, Titus on my right hand,

and Dumachus on my left, and

from that time Titus shall go before

me into paradise;

8 And when she had said, God

forbid this should be thy lot, O

my son, they went on to a city in

which were several idols; which,

as soon as they came near to it,

was turned into hills of sand.

9 Hence they went to that

sycamore tree, which is now called

Matarea.

10 And in Materea the Lord

Jesus caused a well to spring

forth, in which St. Mary washed

his coat;

11 And a balsam is produced,

or grows, in that country, from

the sweat which ran down there

from the Lord Jesus.

12 Thence they proceeded to

Memphis, and saw Pharoah, and

abode three years in Egypt.

13 And the Lord Jesus did very

many miracles, in Egypt, which

are neither to be found in

Gospel of the Infancy nor in the

Gospel of Perfection.

14 At the end of three years

he returned out of Egypt, and

when he came near to Judea,

Joseph was afraid to enter;

15 For hearing that Herod was

dead, and that Archelaus his son

reigned in his stead, he was afraid.

16 And when he went to Judea,

an, angel of God appeared to

him, and said, O Joseph go

into the city of Nazareth, and

abide there.

17 It is strange indeed, that he,

who is the Lord of all countries,

should be thus carried backward and

forward, through so many countries.

CHAPTER IX.

2 Two sick children cured by water

wherein Christ was washed.

WHEN they came afterwards

into the city of Bethlehem,

they found there several very

desperate distempers, which became

so troublesome to children by seeing

them, that most of them died.

2 There was there a woman who

had a sick son, whom she brought,

when he was at the point of death,

to the Lady St. Mary, who saw

her when she was washing Jesus

Christ.

3 Then said the woman, O my

Lady Mary, look down upon this

my son, who is afflicted with most

dreadful pains.

4 St. Mary hearing her, said,

Take a little of that water with

which I have washed my son, and

sprinkle it upon him.

5 Then she took a little of that

water, as St. Mary had commanded,

and sprinkled it upon her son,

who being wearied with his violent

pains, was fallen asleep; and after

he had slept a little, awaked

perfectly well and recovered.

6 The mother being abundantly

glad of this success, went again to

St. Mary, and St. Mary said to

her, Give praise to God, who hath

cured this thy son.

7 There was in the same place

another woman, a neighbour of

her, whose son was now cured.

8 This woman's son was afflicted

with the same disease, and his eyes

were now almost quite shut, and

she was lamenting for him day

and night.

9 The mother of the child which

was cured, said to her, Why do

you not bring your son to St. Mary,

as I brought my son to her, when

he was in the agonies of death;

and he was cure by that water,

with which the body of her son

Jesus was washed?

10 When the woman heard her

say this, she also went, and having

procured the same water, washed

her son with it, whereupon his

body and his eyes were instantly

restored to their former state.

11 And when she brought her

son to St. Mary, and opened his

case to her, she commanded her to

give thanks to God for the recovery

of her son's health, and tell

no one what had happened.

CHAPTER X.

1 Two wives of one man, each have a son sick.

2 One of them named Mary, and whose son's name was Caleb,

presents the Virgin with a handsome carpet, and Caleb is cured;

but the son of the other wife dies,

4 which occasions a difference between the women.

5 The other wife puts Caleb into a hot oven, and he is

miraculously preserved,

9 she afterwards throws him into a well,

and he is again preserved;

11 his mother appeals to the Virgin against the other wife,

12 whose downfall the Virgin prophecies,

13 and who accordingly falls into the well,

14 therein fulfilling a saying of old.

THERE were in the same city

two wives of one man, who

had each a son sick. One of them

was called Mary, and her son's

name was Caleb.

2 She arose, and taking her son,

went to the Lady St. Mary, the

mother of Jesus, and offered her a

very handsome carpet, saying, O

my Lady Mary accept this carpet

of me, and instead of it give me a

small swaddling cloth.

3 To this Mary agreed, and

when the mother of Caleb was

gone, she made a coat for her son

of the swaddling cloth, put it on

him, and his disease was cured;

but the son of the other wife died.

4 Hereupon there arose between

them a difference in doing

the business of the family by turns,

each her week;

5 And when the turn of Mary

the mother of Caleb came, and she

was heating the oven to bake

bread, and went away to fetch the

meal, she left her son Caleb by the

oven;

6 Whom the other wife, her

rival, seeing to be by himself,

took and cast him into the oven,

which was very hot, and then went

away.

7 Mary on her return saw her

son Caleb lying in the middle of

the oven laughing, and the oven

quite as cold as though it had not

been before heated, and knew that

her rival the other wife had thrown

him into the fire.

8 When she took him out, she

brought him to the Lady St. Mary,

and told her the story, to whom

she replied, Be quiet, I am

concerned lest thou shouldest make

this matter known.

9 After this her rival, the other

wife, as she was drawing water at

the well, and saw Caleb playing

by the well, and that no one was

near, took him, and threw him

into the well.

10 And when some men came to

fetch water from the well, they

saw the boy sitting on the

superficies of the water, and

drew him out with ropes, and were

exceedingly surprised at the child,

and praised God.

11 Then came the mother and

took him and carried him to the

Lady St. Mary, lamenting, and

saying, O my Lady, see what my

rival hath done to my son, and

how she hath cast him into the

well, and I do not question but

one time or other she will be the

occasion of his death.

12 St. Mary replied to her, God

will vindicate your injured cause.

13 Accordingly a few days after,

when the other wife came to the

well to draw water, her foot was

entangled in the rope, so that she

fell headlong into the well, and

they who ran to her assistance

found her skull broken, and bones

bruised.

14 So she came to a bad end,

and in her was fulfilled that saying

of the author, They digged a well,

and made it deep, but fell themselves

into the pit which they prepared.

CHAPTER XI.

1 Bartholomew, when a child and sick, miraculously

restored by being laid on Christ's bed.

ANOTHER woman in that city

had likewise two sons sick.

2 And when one was dead, the

other, who lay at the point of

death, she took in her arms to the

Lady St. Mary, and in a flood of

tears addressed herself to her,

saying,

3 O my Lady, help and relieve

me; for I had two sons, the one I

have just now buried, the other I

see is fast at the point of death

behold how I (earnestly) seek for

your from God, and pray to him.

4 Then she said, O Lord, thou

art gracious, and merciful, and

kind; thou, hast given me two

sons; one of them thou halt taken

to thyself, O spare me this other.

5 St. Mary then perceiving the

greatness of her sorrow, pitied her

and said, Do thou place thy son in

my son's bed, and cover him with

his clothes.

6 And when she had placed him

in the bed wherein Christ lay,

at the moment when his eyes were

just closed by death; as soon as

ever the small of the garments of

the Lord Jesus Christ reached the

boy, his eyes were opened, and

calling with a loud voice to his

mother, he asked for bread, and

when he had received it, he sucked

it.

7 Than his mother said, O Lady

Mary, now I am assured that the

powers of God do dwell in you, so

that thy son can cure children who

are of the same sort as himself, as

soon as they touch his garments.

8 This boy, who was thus cured,

is the same who in the Gospel is

called Bartholomew.

CHAPTER XII.

A leprous woman healed by Christ's washing water.

7 A princess healed by it and restored to her husband.

AGAIN, there was a leprous

woman who went to the Lady

St. Mary, the mother of Jesus,

and said, O my Lady, help me.

2 St. Mary replied, What help

does thou desire? Is it gold or

silver, or that thy body be cured

of its leprosy?

3 Who, says the woman, can

grant me this?

4 St. Mary replied to her, Wait

a little till I have washed my son

Jesus, and put him to bed.

5 The woman waited, as she

was commanded; and Mary when

she had put Jesus in bed, giving

her the water with which she had

washed his body, said, Take some

of the water, and pour it upon thy

body;

6 Which when she had done,

she instantly became clean, and

praised God, and gave thanks to

him.

7 Then she went away, after

she had abode with her three

days;

8 And going into the city, she

saw a certain prince, who had

married another prince's daughter;

9 But when he came to see her,

he perceived between her eyes the

signs of leprosy like a star, and

thereupon declared the marriage

dissolved and void.

10 When the woman saw these

persons in this condition, exceeding

sorrowful, and shedding abundance

of tears, she inquired of them

the reason of their crying;

11 They replied, inquire not

into our circumstances; for we

are not able to declare our

misfortunes to any, person,

whatsoever.

12 But she still pressed and

desired them to communicate their

case to her; intimating, that she

might be able to direct them

to a remedy.

13 So when they showed the young

woman to her, and the signs

of the leprosy, which appeared

between her eyes;

14 She said, I also whom ye

see in this place, was afflicted

with the same distemper, and going

on some business to Bethlehem, I

went into a certain cave, and saw

a woman named Mary, who had a

son called Jesus.

15 She seeing me to be leprous,

was concerned for me, and gave

me some water with which she

had washed her son's body, with

that I sprinkled my body, and

became clean.

16 Then said these women, Will

you Mistress, go along with us,

and show the Lady St. Mary to

us?

17 To which she consenting,

they arose and went to the Lady

St. Mary, taking with them very

noble presents.

18 And when they came in and

offered their presents to her,

they showed the leprous young woman

whom they brought with them to

her.

19 Then said St. Mary, The

mercy of the Lord Jesus Christ

rest upon you;

20 And giving them a little of

that water, with which she had

washed the body of Jesus Christ,

she bade them wash the diseased

person with it, which when they

had done, she was presently

cured;

21 So they, and all who were

present, praised God; and being

filled with joy, they went back to

their own city, and gave praises to

God on that account.

22 Then the prince hearing that

his wife was cured, took her home

and made a second marriage, giving

thanks unto God for the recovery

of his wife's health.

CHAPTER XIII.

1 A girl, whose blood Satan sucked receives one

of Christ's swaddling clothes from the Virgin,

14 Satan comes like a dragon, and she shews it to him;

flames and burning coals proceed from it and fall upon him;

19 he is miraculously discomfited, and leaves the girl.

THERE was also a girl, who

was afflicted by Satan,

2 For that cursed spirit did

frequently appear to her in the shape

of a dragon, and was inclined to

swallow her up, and had so sucked

out all her blood, that she looked

like a dead carcass.

3 As often as she came to herself,

with her hands wringed about

her head she would cry out, and

say, Wo, Wo is me, that there is

no one to be found, who can deliver

me from that impious dragon!

4 Her father and mother, and

all who were about her and saw

her, mourned and wept over her;

5 And all who were present

would especially be under sorrow

and in tears, when they heard her

bewailing and saying, My brethren

and friends, is here no one who can

deliver me from this murderer?

6 Then the prince's daughter,

who had been cured of her leprosy,

hearing the complaint of that girl,

went upon the top of her castle,

and saw her with her hands twisted

about her head, pouring out a flood

of tears, and all the people that

were about her in tears.

7 Then she asked the husband

of the possessed person, Whether

his wife's mother was alive? He

told her, That her father and

mother were both alive,

8 Then she ordered her mother

to be sent to her; to whom, when

she saw her coming, she said,

Is this possessed girl thy daughter?

She moaning and bewailing said,

Yes madam I bore her.

9 The prince's daughter answered,

Disclose the secret of her case to me,

for I confess to you that I was leprous,

but the Lady Mary, the mother of

Jesus Christ, healed me.

10 And if you desire your

daughter to be restored to her

former state, take her to Bethlehem,

and inquire for Mary the mother

of Jesus, and doubt not but your

daughter will be cured; for I do

not question but you will come

home with great joy at your

daughter's recovery.

11 As soon as ever she had done

speaking, she arose and went with

her daughter to the place appointed,

and to Mary, and told her the case

of her daughter.

12 When St. Mary had heard

her story, she gave her a little

of the water with which she had

washed the body of her son Jesus,

and bade her pour it upon the

body of her daughter.

13 Likewise she gave her one of

the swaddling cloths of the Lord

Jesus, and said, Take this swaddling

cloth, and shew it to thine

enemy as often as thou seest him

and she sent them away in

peace.

14 After they had left that

city and returned home, and the

time was come in which Satan was

wont to seize her, in the same

moment this cursed spirit appeared

to her in the shape of a huge

dragon, and the girl seeing him

was afraid,

15 The mother said to her, Be

not afraid, daughter; let him alone

till he come nearer to thee! then

shew him the swaddling cloth,

which the Lady Mary gave us, and

we shall see the event.

16 Satan then coming like a

dreadful dragon, the body of the

girl trembled for fear.

17 But as soon as she had put

the swaddling cloth upon her

head, and about her eyes, and

chewed it to him, presently there

issued forth from the swaddling

cloth flames and burning coals,

and fell upon the dragon.

18 Oh! how great a miracle was

this, which was done: as soon as

the dragon saw the swaddling

cloth of the Lord Jesus, fire went

forth and was scattered upon his

head and eyes; so that he cried

out with a loud voice, What have

I to do with thee, Jesus, thou son

of Mary? Whither shall I flee

from thee?

19 So he drew back much

affrighted, and left the girl.

20 And she was delivered from

this trouble, and sang praises and

thanks to God, and with her all

who were present at the working

of the miracle.

CHAPTER XIV.

1 Judas when a boy possessed by Satan, and brought up

by his parents to Jesus to be cured, whom he tries to bite,

7 but failing, strikes Jesus and makes him cry out.

Whereupon Satan goes from Jesus in the shape of a dog.

ANOTHER woman likewise

lived there, whose son was

possessed by Satan,

2 This boy, named Judas, as

often as Satan seized him, was

inclined to bite all that were

present; and if he found no one else

near him, he would bite his own

hands and other parts.

3 But the mother of this miserable

boy, hearing of St. Mary and her son

Jesus, arose presently and taking

her son in her arms, brought him

to the Lady Mary.

4 In the meantime, James and

Joses had taken away the infant,

the Lord Jesus, to play at a proper

season with other children;

and when they went forth, they

sat down and the Lord Jesus with

them.

5 Then Judas, who was possessed,

came and sat down at the right hand

of Jesus.

6 When Satan was acting upon him

as usual, he went about to bite

the Lord Jesus.

7 And because he could not do

it, he struck Jesus on the right

side, so that he cried out.

8 And in the same moment Satan

went out of the boy, and ran

away like a mad dog.

9 This same boy who struck

Jesus, and out of whom Satan went

in the form of a dog, was Judas

Iscariot, who betrayed him to the

Jews.

10 And that same side, on which

Judas: struck him, the Jews

pierced with a spear.

CHAPTER XV.

1 Jesus and other boys play together,

and make clay figures of animals.

4 Jesus causes them to walk,

6 also makes clay birds, which he causes to fly,

and eat and drink.

7 The children's parents alarmed,

and take Jesus for a sorcerer.

8 He goes to a dyer's shop, and throws all the

cloths into the furnace, and works a miracle therewith.

15 Whereupon the Jews praise God.

AND when the Lord Jesus was

seven years of age, he was

on a certain day with other boys

his companions about the same

age;

2 Who, when they were at play,

made clay into several shapes,

namely--asses, oxen, birds, and

other figures;

3 Each boasting of his work,

and endeavouring to exceed the

rest.

4 Then the Lord Jesus said to

the boys, I will command these

figures which I have made to

walk.

5 And immediately they moved,

and when he commanded them to

return, they returned.

6 He had also made the figures

of birds and sparrows, which,

when he commanded to fly, did

fly, and when he commanded to

stand still, did stand still; and if

he gave them meat and drink, they

did eat and drink.

7 When at length the boys went

away, and related these things to

their parents, their fathers said to

them, Take heed, children, for the

future of his company, for he is a

sorcerer; shun and avoid him, and

from henceforth never play with

him.

8 On a certain day also, when

the Lord Jesus was playing with

the boys, and running about, he

passed by a dyer's shop, whose

name was Salem.

9 And there were in his shop

many pieces of cloth belonging to

the people of that city, which they

designed to dye of several colours.

10 Then the Lord Jesus going

into the dyer's shop, took all the

cloths, and threw them into the

furnace.

11 When Salem came home, and

saw the cloths spoiled, he began to

make a great noise, and to chide

the Lord Jesus, saying,

12 What hast thou done to me,

O thou son of Mary? Thou hast

injured both me and my neighbours;

they all desired their cloths

of a proper colour; but thou hast

come and spoiled them all.

13 The Lord Jesus replied, I

will change the colour of every

cloth to what colour thou desirest.

14 And then he presently began

to take the cloths out of the furnace,

and they were all dyed of those same

colours which the dyer desired.

15 And when the Jews saw this

surprising miracle, they praised

God.

CHAP. XVI.

1 Christ miraculously widens or contracts the gates,

milk pails, sieves, or boxes, not properly made by Joseph,

4 he not being skilful at his carpenter's trade.

5 The King of Jerusalem gives Joseph an order for a throne.

6 Joseph works on it for two years in the king's palace,

and makes it two spans too short. The king being angry with him,

10 Jesus comforts him,

13 commands him to pull one side of the throne, while he

pulls the other, and brings it to its proper dimensions.

14 Whereupon the bystanders praise God.

AND Joseph, wheresoever he

went in the city, took the

Lord Jesus with him, where he

was sent for to work to make

gates, or milk-pails, or sieves, or

boxes; the Lord Jesus was with

him, wheresoever he went.

2 And as often as Joseph had

anything in his work, to make

longer, or shorter, or wider, or

narrower, the Lord Jesus would

stretch his hand towards it.

3 And presently it became as

Joseph would have it:

4 So that he had no need to

finish anything with his own hands,

for he was not very skilful at his

carpenter's trade.

5 On a certain time the King

of Jerusalem sent for him, and

said, I would have thee make me

a throne of the same dimensions

with that place in which I

commonly sit.

6 Joseph obeyed, and forthwith

began the work, and continued two

years in the king's palace before

he finished it.

7 And when he came to fix it

in its place, he found it wanted

two spans on each side of the

appointed measure.

8 Which when the king saw,

he was very angry with Joseph;

9 And Joseph afraid of the

king's anger, went to bed without

his supper, taking not any thing

to eat.

10 Then the Lord Jesus asked

him, What he was afraid of?

11 Joseph replied, Because I

have lost my labour in the work

which I have been about these two

years.

12 Jesus said to him, Fear not,

neither be cast down;

13 Do thou lay hold on one side

of the throne, and I will the other,

and we will bring it to its just

dimensions.

14 And when Joseph had done

as the Lord Jesus said, and each

of them had with strength drawn

his side, the throne obeyed, and

was brought to the proper

dimensions of the place:

15 Which miracle when they

who stood by saw, they were

astonished, and praised God.

16 The throne was made of the

same wood which was in being

in Solomon's time, namely, wood

adorned with various shapes, and

figures.

CHAP. XVII.

1 Jesus plays with boys at hide and seek.

3 Some women put his playfellows in a furnace,

7 where they are transformed by Jesus into kids.

10 Jesus calls them to go and play, and they

are restored to their former shape.

ON another day the Lord Jesus

going out into the street,

and seeing some boys who were

met to play, joined himself to their

company.

2 But when they saw him, they

hid themselves, and left him to

seek for them;

3 The Lord Jesus came to the

gate of a certain house, and asked

some women who were standing

there, Where the boys were gone?

4 And when they answered,

That there was no one there; the

Lord Jesus said, Who are those

whom ye see in the furnace?

5 They answered, They were

kids of three years old.

6 Then Jesus cried out aloud,

and said, Come out hither, O ye

kids, to your shepherd;

7 And presently the boys came

forth like kids, and leaped about

him; which when the women saw,

they were exceedingly amazed, and

trembled,

8 Then they immediately worshipped,

the Lord Jesus, and beseeched him,

saying, O our Lord Jesus, son of

Mary, thou art truly that good

shepherd of Israel! have mercy

on thy handmaids, who stand before

thee, who do not doubt, but that

thou, O Lord, art come to save,

and not to destroy.

9 After that, when the Lord

Jesus said, the children of Israel

are like Ethiopians among the

people; the women said, Thou,

Lord, knowest all things, nor is

any thing concealed from thee:

but now we entreat thee, and

beseech of thy mercy, that thou

wouldest restore those boys to

their former state.

10 Then Jesus said, Come hither,

O boys, that we may go and

play; and immediately, in the

presence of these women, the kids

were changed, and returned into

the shape of boys.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 Jesus becomes the king of his playfellows,

and they crown him with flowers;

4 miraculously causes a serpent who had

bitten Simon the Canaanite, then a boy,

to suck out all the poison again;

16 the serpent bursts, and Christ restores the boy to health.

IN the month Adar Jesus

gathered together the boys, and

ranked them as though he had

been a king.

2 For they spread their garments

on the ground for him to sit

on; and having made a crown of

flowers, put it upon his head, and

stood on his right and left as the

guards of a king.

3 And if any one happened to

pass by, they took him by force,

and said, Come hither, and worship

the king, that you may have a

prosperous journey.

4 In the mean time, while

these things were doing, there

came certain men, carrying a boy

upon a couch;

5 For this boy having gone with

his companions to the mountain to

gather wood, and having found

there a partridge's nest, and put

his hand in to take out the eggs,

was stung by a poisonous serpent,

which leaped out of the nest; so

that he was forced to cry out for

the help of his companions; who,

when they came, found him lying

upon the earth like a dead person.

6 After which his neighbours

came and carried him back into

the city.

7 But when they came to the

place where the Lord Jesus, was

sitting like a king, and the other

boys stood around him like his

ministers, the boys made haste to

meet him, who was bitten by the

serpent, and said to his neighbours,

Come and pay your respects to the

king;

8 But when, by reason of their

sorrow, they refused to come, the

boys drew them, and forced them

against their wills to come.

9 And when they came to the

Lord Jesus, he inquired, On what

account they carried that boy?

10 And when they answered that

a serpent had bitten him, the Lord

Jesus said to the boys, Let us go

and kill that serpent.

11 But when the parents of the

boy desired to be excused, because

their son lay at the point of death;

the boys made answer, and said,

Did not ye hear what the king

said? Let us go and kill the serpent;

and will not ye obey him?

12 So they brought the couch

back again, whether they would

or not.

13 And when they were come to

the nest, the Lord Jesus said to

the boys, Is this the serpent's

lurking place? They said, It was.

14 Then the Lord Jesus calling

the serpent, it presently came forth

and submitted to him; to whom he

said, Go and suck out all the poison

which thou hast infused into that

boy:

15 So the serpent crept to the

boy, and took away all its poison

again.

16 Then the Lord Jesus cursed

the serpent, so that it immediately

burst asunder, and died;

17 And he touched the boy with

his hand to restore him to his

former health;

18 And when he began to cry,

the Lord Jesus said, Cease crying

for hereafter thou shall be my

disciple;

19 And this is that Simon the

Canaanite, who is mentioned in

the Gospel.

CHAPTER XIX.

1 James being bitten by a viper,

Jesus blows on the wound and cures him.

4 Jesus charged with throwing a boy from

the roof of a house,

10 miraculously raises the dead boy to acquit him;

12 fetches water for his mother, breaks the pitcher

and miraculously gathers the water in his mantle

and brings it home;

16 makes fish pools on the Sabbath,

20 causes a boy to die who broke them down,

22 another boy runs against him,

whom he also causes to die.

ON another day Joseph sent his

son James to gather wood,

and the Lord Jesus went with

him;

2 And when they came to the

place where the wood was, and

James began to gather it, behold,

a venomous viper bit him, so that

he began to cry, and make a

noise.

3 The Lord Jesus seeing him in

this condition, came to him, and

blowed upon the place where the

viper had bit him, and it was

instantly well.

4 On a certain day the Lord

Jesus was with some boys, who

were playing on the house-top,

and one of the boys fell down, and

presently died.

5 Upon which the other boys all

running away, the Lord Jesus was

left alone on the house-top.

6 And the boy's relations came

to him and said to the Lord Jesus,

Thou didst throw our son down

from the house-top.

7 But he denying it, they cried

out, Our son is dead, and this is

he who killed him.

8 The Lord Jesus replied to

them, Do not charge me with a

crime of which you are not able to

convict me, but let us go and ask

the boy himself, who will bring

the truth to light.

9 Then the Lord Jesus going

down stood over the head of the

dead boy, and said with a loud

voice, Zeinunus, Zeinunus, who

threw thee down from the housetop?

10 Then the dead boy answered,

thou didst not throw me down,

but such a one did.

11 And when the Lord Jesus

bade those who stood by to take

present praised God on account

of that miracle.

12 On a certain time the

Lady St. Mary had commanded

the Lord Jesus to fetch her some

water out of the well;

13 And when he had gone to

fetch the water, the pitcher, when

it was brought up full, brake;

14 But Jesus spreading his mantle

gathered up the water again,

and brought it in that to his

mother;

15 Who, being astonished at

this wonderful thing, laid up this,

and all the other things which she

had seen, in her memory.

16 Again on another day the

Lord Jesus was with some boys

by a river, and they drew water

out of the river by little channels,

and made little fish-pools.

17 But the Lord Jesus had

made twelve sparrows, and placed

them about his pool on each side,

three on a side.

18 But it was the Sabbath day,

and the son of Hanani a Jew came

by, and saw them making these

things, and said, Do ye thus make

figures of clay on the Sabbath?

And he ran to them, and broke

down their fish-pools.

19 But when the Lord Jesus

clapped his hands over the sparrows

which he had made, they fled away

chirping.

20 At length the son of Hanani

coming to the fish-pool of Jesus

to destroy it, the water vanished

away, and the Lord Jesus said to

him,

21 In like manner as this water

had vanished, so shall thy life

vanish; and presently the boy

died.

22 Another time, when the

Lord Jesus was coming home in

the evening with Joseph, he met

a boy, who ran so hard against

him, that he threw him down;

23 To whom the Lord Jesus

said, As thou hast thrown me

down, so shalt thou fall, nor ever

rise.

24 And that moment the boy

fell down and died.

CHAPTER XX.

4 Christ sent to school to Zaccheus to learn

his letters, and teaches Zaccheus.

13 Sent to another schoolmaster,

14 refuses to tell his letters, and the schoolmaster

going to whip him, his hand withers and he dies.

THERE was also at Jerusalem

one named Zaccheus, who

was a schoolmaster:

2 And he said to Joseph, Joseph,

why dost thou not send Jesus to me,

that he may learn his letters?

3 Joseph agreed, and told St. Mary;

4 So they brought him to that

master; who, as soon as he saw

him, wrote out an alphabet for him,

5 And he bade him say Aleph;

and when he had said Aleph, the

master bade him pronounce Beth.

6 Then the Lord Jesus said to

him, Tell me first the meaning of

the letter Aleph, and then I will

pronounce Beth.

7 And when the master threatened

to whip him, the Lord Jesus

explained to him the meaning of

the letters Aleph and Beth;

8 Also which were the straight

figures of the letters, which the

oblique, and what letters had

double figures; which had points,

and which had none; why one

letter went before another; and

many other things he began to tell

him, and explain, of which the

master himself had never heard,

nor read in any book.

9 The Lord Jesus farther said

to the master, Take notice how I

say to thee; then he began clearly

and distinctly to say Aleph, Beth,

Gimel, Daleth, and so on to the

end of the alphabet.

10 At this the master was so

surprised, that he said, I believe

this boy was born before Noah;

11 And turning to Joseph, he

said, Thou hast brought a boy to

me to be taught, who is more

learned than any master.

12 He said also to St. Mary,

This your son has no need of any

learning.

13 They brought him then

to a more learned master, who,

when he saw him, said, say Aleph;

14 And when he had said Aleph,

the master bade him pronounce

Beth; to which the Lord Jesus

replied, Tell me first the meaning

of the letter Aleph, and then I

will pronounce Beth.

15 But this master, when he did

lift up his hand to whip him, had

his hand presently withered, and

he died.

16 Then said Joseph to St. Mary,

Henceforth we will not allow him

to go out of the house; for every

one who displeases him is killed.

CHAPTER XXI.

[Compare Luke ii. 42, whose meagre account is deficient

of the sublime details here given of the subjects disputed upon.]

1 Disputes learnedly with the doctors in the temple,

7 on law,

9 on astronomy,

12 on physics and metaphysics.

21 Is worshipped by a philosopher,

28 and fetched home by his mother.

AND when he was twelve years

old, they brought him to

Jerusalem to the feast; and when

the feast was over, they returned.

2 But the Lord Jesus continued

behind in the temple among the

doctors and elders, and learned

men of Israel; to whom he proposed

several questions of learning,

and also gave them answers:

3 For he said to them, Whose

son is the Messiah? They answered,

the son of David.

4 Why then, said he, does he in

the spirit call him Lord? When he

saith, The Lord said to my Lord,

sit thou at my right hand, till I

have made thine enemies thy foot-

stool.

5 Then a certain principal Rabbi

asked him, Hast thou read books?

6 Jesus answered, he had read

both books, and the things which

were contained in books.

7 And he explained to them the

books of the law, and precepts,

and statutes: and the mysteries

which are contained in the books

of the prophets; things which

the mind of no creature could

reach.

8 Then said that Rabbi, I never

yet have seen or heard of such

knowledge! What do you think

that boy will be?

9 When a certain astronomer,

who was present, asked the Lord

Jesus, Whether he had studied

astronomy?

10 The Lord Jesus replied, and

told him the number of the spheres

and heavenly bodies, as also their

triangular, square, and sextile

aspect; their progressive and

retrograde motion; their size and

several prognostications; and other

things which the reason of man

had never discovered.

11 There was also among them

a philosopher well skilled in

physic and natural philosophy,

who asked the Lord Jesus, Whether

he had studied physic?

12 He replied, and explained to

him physics and metaphysics.

13 Also those things which were

above and below the power of nature;

14 The powers also of the body,

its humours, and their effects.

15 Also the number of its members,

and bones, veins, arteries,

and nerves;

16 The several constitutions of

body, hot and dry, cold and moist,

and the tendencies of them;

17 How the soul operated upon

the body;

18 What its various sensations

and faculties, were;

19 The faculty of speaking, anger,

desire;

20 And lastly the manner of its

composition and dissolution; and

other things, which the

understanding of no creature

had ever reached.

21 Then that philosopher arose,

and worshipped the Lord Jesus,

and said, O Lord Jesus, from

henceforth I will be thy disciple

and servant.

22 While they were discoursing

on these and such like things,

the Lady St. Mary came in, having

been three days walking about

with Joseph, seeking for him.

23 And when she saw him sitting

among the doctors, and in his turn

proposing questions to them, and

giving answers, she said to him,

My son, why hast thou done thus

by us? Behold I and thy father

have been at much pains in

seeking thee.

24 He replied, Why did ye seek

me? Did ye not know that I ought

to be employed in my father's

house?

25 But they understood not the

words which he said to them.

26 Then the doctors asked Mary,

Whether this were her son? And

when she said, He was, they said,

O happy Mary, who hast borne

such a son.

27 Then he returned with them

to Nazareth, and obeyed them in

all things.

28 And his mother kept all these

things in her mind;

29 And the Lord Jesus grew in

stature and wisdom, and favour

with God and man.

CHAPTER XXII.

1 Jesus conceals his miracles,

2 studies the law,

3 and is baptized.

NOW from this time Jesus began

to conceal his miracles and

secret works,

2 And gave himself to the study

of the law, till he arrived to the

end of his thirtieth year;

3 At which time the Father publicly

owned him at Jordan, sending

down this voice from heaven, This

is my beloved son, in whom I am

well pleased;

4 The Holy Ghost being also

present in the form of a dove.

5 This is he whom we worship

with all reverence, because he gave

us our life and being, and brought

us from our mother's womb,

Glory to God,

6 Who, for our sakes, took a

human body, and hath redeemed

us, that so he might embrace

us with everlasting mercy, and

shew his free, large, bountiful

grace and goodness to us.

7 To him be glory and praise,

and power, and dominion, from

henceforth said for evermore.

Amen.

(The end of the whole Gospel of

the Infancy, by the assistance of

the Supreme God, according to

what we found in the original.)

REFERENCES TO THE FIRST GOSPEL OF

THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST

[Mr. Henry Sike, Professor of Oriental Languages at Cambridge, first

translated and published this Gospel in 1697. It was received by the

Gnostics, a sect of Christians in the second century; and several of its

relations were credited in the following ages by other Christians, viz.,

Eusebius, Athanasius, Epiphanius; Chrysostom. &c. Sozomen says, he was

told by many, and he credits the relations, of the idols in Egypt falling

down on Joseph, and Mary's flight thither with Christ; and of Christ

making a well to wash his clothes in a sycamore-tree, from whence balsam

afterwards proceeded; which stories are from this Gospel. Chemnitius, out

of Stipulensis, who had it from Peter Martyr, Bishop of Alexandria, in

the third century, says, that the place in Egypt where Christ was

banished is now called Matarea, about ten miles beyond Cairo; that the

inhabitants constantly burn a lamp in remembrance of it; and that there

is a garden of trees yielding a balsam, which were planted by Christ when

a boy. M. La Crosse cites a synod at Angamala, in the Mountain of

Malabar, A. D. 1599, which shows this Gospel was commonly read by the

Nestorians in the country. Ahmed Ibu Idris, a Mahometan divine, says, it

was used by some Christians in common with the other four Gospels; and

Ocobius de Castro mentions a Gospel of Thomas, which he says, he saw and

had translated to him by an Armenian Archbishop at Amsterdam, that was

read in very many churches of Asia and Africa, as the only rule of their

faith. Fabricius takes it to be this Gospel. It has been supposed, that

Mahomet and his coadjutors used it in compiling the Koran. There are

several stories believed of Christ, proceeding from this Gospel; as that

which Mr. Sike relates out of La Brosse's Persic Lexicon, that Christ

practised the trade of a dyer, and his working a miracle with the

colours; from whence the Persian dyers honour him as their patron, and

call a dye-house the shop of Christ. Sir John Chardin mentions Persian

legends concerning Christ's dispute with his schoolmaster about his ABC;

and his lengthening the cedar-board which Joseph sawed too short.]

Note on the Miracles of Christ in the preceding Gospels.

A great void in the early life of the Saviour is filled up by these

Gospels. In none of the Canonical Evangelists is any mention made of the

childhood of Jesus. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, more

rapidly than satisfactorily, pass over the period intervening between His

birth and ministry. It is natural to suppose that the Infant Redeemer's

earliest days were spent in the society of other young children, and it

is quite consistent with every sincere Christians faith to believe that

He had the power to perform the miracles here ascribed to him otherwise,

a limit will be set to His divine attributes, doubts raised against His

performance of the miracles related by the four Evangelists, in the

authorised version of the Testament, and a denial given of the

declaration therein, "With GOD nothing is impossible!"

THE SECOND, OR ST. THOMAS'S GOSPEL OF

THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.

An Account of the ACTIONS and MIRACLES of our Lord and Saviour

JESUS CHRIST in his INFANCY.

CHAPTER I.

2 Jesus miraculously clears the water after rain.

4 Plays with clay sparrows, which he animates

on the Sabbath day.

I THOMAS, an Israelite, judged

it necessary to make known to

our brethren among the Gentiles,

the actions and miracles of Christ

in his childhood, which our Lord

and God Jesus Christ wrought

after his birth in Bethlehem in our

country, at which I myself, was

astonished; the beginning of which

was as followeth.

2 When the child Jesus was

five years of age, and there had

been a shower of rain, which was

now over, Jesus was playing with

other Hebrew boys by a running

stream; and the water running

over the banks, stood in little

lakes;

3 But the water instantly became

clear and useful again; he

having smote them only by his

word, they readily obeyed him.

4 Then he took from the bank

of the stream some soft clay, and

formed out of it twelve sparrows;

and there were other boys playing

with him.

5 But a certain Jew seeing the

things which he was doing, namely,

his forming clay into the figures

of sparrows on the Sabbath day,

went presently away, and told

his father Joseph, and said,

6 Behold, thy boy is playing by

the river side, and has taken clay,

and formed it into twelve sparrows,

and profaneth the Sabbath.

7 Then Joseph came to the

place where he was, and when he

saw him, called to him, and said,

Why doest thou that which it is

not lawful to do on the Sabbath

day?

8 Then Jesus clapping together

the palms of his hands, called to

the sparrows, and said to them

Go, fly away; and while ye live

remember me.

9 So the sparrows fled away

making a noise.

10 The Jews seeing this, were

astonished, and went away, and

told their chief persons what a

strange miracle they had seen

wrought by Jesus.

CHAPTER II.

2 Causes a boy to wither who broke down his fish-pools;

6 Partly restores him.

7 Kills another boy.

16 causes blindness to fall on his accusers,

18 for which, Joseph pulls him by the ear.

BESIDES this, the son of Annas

the scribe, was standing there

with Joseph, and took a bough

of a willow tree, and scattered

the waters which Jesus had

gathered into lakes.

2 But the boy Jesus seeing what

he had done, became angry, and

said to him, Thou fool, what harm

did the lake do thee, that thou

shouldest scatter the water?

3 Behold, now thou shalt wither

as a tree, and shalt not bring forth

either leaves, or branches, or fruit.

4 And immediately he became

withered all over.

5 Then Jesus went away home.

But the parents of the boy who

was withered, lamenting the

misfortune of his youth, took and

carried him to Joseph, accusing him,

and said, Why dost thou keep a

son who is guilty of such actions?

6 Then Jesus at the request of

all who were present did heal him,

leaving only some small member

to continue withered, that they

might take warning.

7 Another time Jesus went

forth into the street, and a boy

running by, rushed upon his

shoulder;

8 At which Jesus being angry,

said to him, Thou shalt go no

farther;

9 And he instantly fell down

dead:

10 Which when some persons

saw, they said, Where was this

boy born, that every thing which

he says presently cometh to pass?

11 Then the parents of the dead

boy going to Joseph, complained,

saying, You are not fit to live with

us, in our city, having such a boy

as that:

12 Either teach him that he

bless and not curse, or else depart

hence with him, for he kills our

children.

13 Then Joseph calling the

boy Jesus by himself, instructed

him, saying, Why doest thou such

things to injure the people so, that

they hate us and prosecute us?

14 But Jesus replied, I know

that what thou sayest is not of

thyself, but for thy sake I will

say nothing;

15 But they who have said these

things to thee, shall suffer

everlasting punishment.

16 And immediately they who

had accused him became blind,

17 And all they who saw it were

exceedingly afraid and confounded,

and said concerning him, Whatsoever

he saith, whether good or bad,

immediately cometh to pass and

they were amazed.

18 And when they saw this action

of Christ, Joseph arose, and

plucked him by the ear, at which

the boy was angry, and said to

him, Be easy;

19 For if they seek for us, they

shall not find us: thou hast done

very imprudently.

20 Dost thou not know that I

am thine? Trouble me no more.

CHAPTER III.

1 Astonishes his schoolmaster by his learning.

A CERTAIN schoolmaster

named Zaccheaus, standing

in a certain place, heard Jesus

speaking these things to his father.

2 And he was much surprised,

that being a child he should speak

such things; and after a few days

he came to Joseph, and said,

3 Thou hast a wise and sensible

child, send him to me, that he may

learn to read.

4 When he sat down to teach

the letters to Jesus, he began with

the first letter Aleph;

5 But Jesus pronounced the

second letter Mpeth (Beth) Cghimel

(Gimel), and said over all the

letters to him to the end.

6 Then opening a book, he

taught his master the prophets

but he was ashamed, and was at a

loss to conceive how he came to

know the letters.

7 And he arose and went home,

wonderfully surprised at so strange

a thing.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Fragment of an adventure at a dyer's.

AS Jesus was passing by a certain

shop, he saw a young man dipping

(or dyeing) some cloths and stockings

in a furnace, of a sad colour, doing

them according to every person's

particular order;

2 The boy Jesus going to the

young man who was doing this,

took also some of the cloths ......

(Here endeth the fragment of

Thomas's Gospel of the Infancy

of Jesus Christ.)

REFERENCE TO ST. THOMAS'S GOSPEL OF THE

INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.

[The original in Greek, from which this translation is made, will be

found printed by Cotelerius, in his notes on the constitutions of the

Apostles, from a MS. in the French King's Library, No. 2279.--It is

attributed to St. Thomas, and conjectured to have been originally

connected with the, Gospel of Mary. Unfortunately this ancient MS. was

found torn at the second verse of the fourth chapter.]

THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS,

FORMERLY CALLED THE ACTS OF PONTIUS PILATE.

The Gospel of NICODEMUS, the disciple,

concerning the Sufferings and Resurrection

of our Master and Saviour, JESUS CHRIST.

CHAPTER I.

1 Christ accused to Pilate by the Jews

of healing on the Sabbath.

9 Summoned before Pilate by a messenger

who does him honour.

20 Worshipped by the standards bowing down to him.

ANNAS and Caiphas, and

Summas, and Datam, Gamaliel,

Judas, Levi, Nepthalim, Alexander,

Cyrus, and other Jews, went

to Pilate about Jesus, accusing

him with many bad crimes.

2 And said, We are assured that

Jesus is the son of Joseph, the

carpenter, and born of Mary, and

that he declares himself the Son of

God, and a king; and not only so,

but attempts the dissolution of the

Sabbath, and the laws of our

fathers.

3 Pilate replied, What is it

which he declares? and what is it

which he attempts dissolving?

4 The Jews told him, We have

a law which forbids doing cures

on the Sabbath day; but he cures

both the lame and the deaf, those

afflicted with the palsy, the blind,

the lepers, and demoniacs, on that

day, by wicked methods.

5 Pilate replied, How can he

do this by wicked methods? They

answered He is a conjurer, and

casts out devils by the prince of

the devils; and so all things,

become subject to him.

6 Then said Pilate, Casting out

devils seems not to be the work of

an unclean spirit, but to proceed

from the power of God.

7 The Jews replied to Pilate,

We entreat your highness to summon

him to appear before your tribunal,

and hear him yourself.

8 Then Pilate called a messenger,

and said to him, By what means

will Christ be brought hither?

9 Then went the messenger

forth, and knowing Christ,

worshipped him; and having spread

the cloak which he had in his hand

upon the ground, he said, Lord,

walk upon this, and go in, for the

governor calls thee.

10 When the Jews perceived

what the messenger had done,

they exclaimed (against him) to

Pilate, and said, Why did you not

give him his summons by a beadle,

and not by a messenger?--For the

messenger, when he saw him,

worshipped him, and spread the

cloak which he had in his hand

upon the ground before him, and

said to him, Lord, the governor

calls thee.

11 Then Pilate called the

messenger, and said, Why hast thou

done thus?

12 The messenger replied, When

thou sentest me from Jerusalem to

Alexander, I saw Jesus sitting in

a mean figure upon a she-ass, and

the children of the Hebrews cried

out, Hosannah, holding boughs of

trees in their hands.

13 Others spread their garments

in the way, and said, Save us, thou

who art in heaven; blessed is he

who cometh in the name of the

Lord.

14 Then the Jews cried out,

against the messenger, and said,

The children of the Hebrews made

their acclamations in the Hebrew

language; and how couldst thou,

who art a Greek, understand the

Hebrew?

15 The messenger answered

them and said, I asked one of the

Jews and said, What is this which

the children do cry out in the

Hebrew language?

16 And he explained it to me,

saying, they cry out, Hosannah,

which being interpreted, is, O

Lord, save me; or, O Lord, save.

17 Pilate then said to them,

Why do you yourselves testify to

the words spoken by the children,

namely, by your silence? In what

has the messenger done amiss?

And they were silent.

18 Then the governor said unto

the messenger, Go forth and

endeavour by any means to bring

him in.

19 But the messenger went forth

and did as before; and said, Lord

come in, for the governor calleth

thee.

20 And as Jesus was going in

by the ensigns, who carried the

standards, the tops of them bowed

down and worshipped Jesus.

21 Whereupon the Jews exclaimed

more vehemently against the ensigns.

22 But Pilate said to the Jews,

I know it is not pleasing to you

that the tops of the standards did

of themselves bow and worship

Jesus; but why do ye exclaim

against the ensigns, as if they had

bowed and worshipped?

23 They replied to Pilate,

We saw the ensigns themselves

bowing and worshipping Jesus.

24 Then the governor called the

ensigns, and said unto them, Why

did you do thus?

25 The ensigns said to Pilate,

We are all Pagans and worship

the gods in temples; and how

should we think anything about

worshipping him? We only held

the standards in our hands,

and they bowed themselves and

worshipped him.

26 Then said Pilate to the rulers

of the synagogue, Do ye yourselves

choose some strong men, and let

them hold the standards, and we

shall see whether they will then

bend of themselves.

27 So the elders of the Jews

sought out twelve of the most

strong and able old men, and made

them hold the standards, and they

stood in the presence of the governor.

28 Then Pilate said to the

messenger, Take Jesus out, and by

some means bring him in again.

And Jesus and the messenger went

out of the hall.

29 And Pilate called the ensigns

who before had borne the standards,

and swore to them, that if they

had not borne the standards in

that manner when Jesus before

entered in, he would cut off

their heads.

30 Then the governor commanded

Jesus to come in again.

31 And the messenger did as he

had done before, and very much

entreated Jesus that he would go

upon his cloak, and walk on it;

and he did walk upon it, and went

in.

32 And when Jesus went in,

the standards bowed themselves as

before, and worshipped him.

CHAPTER II.

2 Is compassionated by Pilate's wife,

7 charged with being born in fornication.

12 Testimony to the betrothing of his parents.

15 Hatred of the Jews to him.

NOW when Pilate saw this, he

was afraid, and was about to

rise from his seat.

2 But while he thought to rise,

his own wife who stood at a

distance, sent to him, saying, Have

thou nothing to do with that just

man; for I have suffered much

concerning him in a vision this

night.

3 When the Jews heard this

they said to Pilate, Did we not say

unto thee, He is a conjuror? Behold,

he hath caused thy wife to dream.

4 Pilate then calling Jesus, said,

thou hast heard what they testify

against thee, and makest no answer?

5 Jesus replied, If they had not

a power of speaking, they could

not have spoke; but because every

one has the command of his own

tongue, to speak both good and

bad, let him look to it.

6 But the elders of the Jews

answered, and said to Jesus, What

shall we look to?

7 In the first place, we know

this concerning thee, that thou

wast born through fornication;

secondly, that upon the account of

thy birth the infants were slain in

Bethlehem; thirdly, that thy father

and mother Mary fled into Egypt,

because they could not trust their

own people.

8 Some of the Jews who stood

by spake more favourably, We

cannot say that he was born

through fornication; but we know

that his mother Mary was betrothed

to Joseph, and so he was not born

through fornication.

9 Then said Pilate to the Jews

who affirmed him to be born

through fornication, This your

account is not true, seeing there was

a betrothment, as they testify who

are of your own nation.

10 Annas and Caiphas spake to

Pilate, All this multitude of people

is to be regarded, who cry out,

that he was born through fornication,

and is a conjurer; but they who deny

him to be born through fornication,

are his proselytes and disciples.

11 Pilate answered Annas and

Caiphas, Who are the proselytes?

They answered, They are those

who are the children of Pagans,

and are not become Jews, but

followers of him.

12 Then replied Eleazer, and

Asterius, and Antonius, and James,

Caras and Samuel, Isaac and Phinees,

Crispus and Agrippa, Annas and Judas,

We are not proselytes, but children

of Jews, and speak the truth,

and were present when Mary was

betrothed.

13 Then Pilate addressing

himself to the twelve men who

spake this, said to them, I conjure

you by the life of Caesar, that ye

faithfully declare whether he was

born through fornication, and those

things be true which ye have related.

14 They answered Pilate, We

have a law whereby we are forbid

to swear, it being a sin: Let them

swear by the life of Caesar that it

is not as we have said, and we will

be contented to be put to death.

15 Then said Annas and Caiphas

to Pilate, Those twelve men will

not believe that we know him to be

basely born, and to be a conjurer,

although he pretends that he is

the Son of God, and a king: which

we are so far from believing, that

we tremble to hear.

16 Then Pilate commanded

every one to go out except the

twelve men who said he was not

born through fornication, and

Jesus to withdraw to a distance,

and said to them, Why have the Jews

a mind to kill Jesus?

17 They answered him, They

are angry because he wrought

cures on the sabbath day. Pilate

said, Will they kill him for a

good work? They say unto him,

Yes, Sir.

CHAPTER III.

1 Is exonerated by Pilate.

11 Disputes with Pilate concerning truth.

THEN Pilate, filled with anger,

went out of the hall, and said

to the Jews, I call the whole

world to witness that I find no

fault in that man.

2 The Jews replied to Pilate,

If he had not been a wicked person,

we had not brought him before thee.

3 Pilate said to them, Do ye take

him and try him by your law.

4 Then the Jews said, It is not

lawful for us to put any one to

death.

5 Pilate said to the Jews, The

command, therefore, thou shalt

not kill, belongs to you, but

not to me.

6 And he went again into the

hall, and called Jesus by himself,

and said to him, Art thou the king

of the Jews?

7 And Jesus answering, said

to Pilate, Dost thou speak this

of thyself, or did the Jews tell

it thee concerning me?

8 Pilate answering, said to

Jesus, Am I a Jew? The whole

nation and rulers of the Jews have

delivered thee up to me. What

hast thou done?

9 Jesus answering, said, My

kingdom is not of this world:

if my kingdom were of this world,

then would my servants fight,

and I should not have been

delivered to the Jews: but now

my kingdom is not from hence.

10 Pilate said, Art thou a king

then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest

that I am a king: to this end

was I born, and for this end came

I into the world; and for this

purpose I came, that I should bear

witness to the truth; and every

one who is of the truth, heareth

my voice.

11 Pilate saith to him, What is

truth?

12 Jesus said, Truth is from

heaven.

13 Pilate said, Therefore truth

is not on earth.

14 Jesus saith to Pilate,

Believe that truth is on earth

among those, who when they have

the power of judgment, are governed

by truth, and form right judgment.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Pilate finds no fault in Jesus.

16 The Jews demand his crucifixion.

THEN Pilate left Jesus in the hall,

and went out to the Jews, and said,

I find not any one fault in Jesus.

2 The Jews say unto him, But

he said, I can destroy the temple

of God, and in three days build it

up again.

3 Pilate saith to them, What

sort of temple is that of which he

speaketh?

4 The Jews say unto him,

That which Solomon was forty-six

years in building, he said he

would destroy, and in three days

build up.

5 Pilate said to them again, I

am innocent from the blood of that

man! do ye look to it.

6 The Jews say to him, His

blood be upon us and our children.

Then Pilate calling together the

elders and scribes, priests and

Levites, saith to them privately,

Do not act thus; I have found

nothing in your charge (against

him) concerning his curing sick

persons, and breaking the sabbath,

worthy of death.

7 The priests and Levites replied

to Pilate, By the life of Caesar,

if any one be a blasphemer, he is

worthy of death; but this man hath

blasphemed against the Lord.

8 Then the governor again

commanded the Jews to depart out

of the hall; and calling Jesus,

said to him, What shall I do with

thee?

9 Jesus answered him, Do according

as it is written.

10 Pilate said to him, How is it

written?

11 Jesus saith to him, Moses

and the prophets have prophesied

concerning my suffering and

resurrection.

12 The Jews hearing this, were

provoked, and said to Pilate,

Why wilt thou any longer hear the

blasphemy of that man?

13 Pilate saith to them, If these

words seem to you blasphemy, do

ye take him, bring him to your

court, and try him according to

your law.

14 The Jews reply to Pilate,

Our law saith, he shall be obliged

to receive nine and thirty stripes,

but if after this manner he shall

blaspheme against the Lord, he

shall be stoned.

15 Pilate saith unto them, If

that speech of his was blasphemy,

do ye try him according to your

law.

16 The Jews say to Pilate, Our

law command us not to put any one

to death. We desire that he may be

crucified, because he deserves the

death of the cross.

17 Pilate saith to them, It is not

fit he should be crucified: let him

be only whipped and sent away.

18 But when the governor looked

upon the people that were present

and the Jews, he saw many of the

Jews in tears, and said to the

chief priests of the Jews, All

the people do not desire his death.

19 The elders of the Jews answered

to Pilate, We and all the people

came hither for this very purpose,

that he should die.

20 Pilate saith to them, Why should

he die?

21 They said to him, Because

he declares himself to be the Son

of God and a King.

CHAP. V.

1 Nicodemus speaks in defence of Christ,

and relates his miracles.

12 Another Jew,

26 with Veronica,

34 Centurio, and others,

testify of other miracles.

BUT Nicodemus, a certain Jew,

stood before the governor,

and said, I entreat thee,

O righteous judge, that thou

wouldst favour me with the

liberty of speaking a few words.

2 Pilate said to him, Speak on.

3 Nicodemus said, I spake to

the elders of the Jews, and the

scribes, and priests and Levites,

and all the multitude of the Jews,

in their assembly; What is it ye

would do with this man?

4 He is a man who hath wrought

many useful and glorious miracles,

such as no man on earth ever

wrought before, nor will ever

work. Let him go, and do him

no harm; if he cometh from God,

his miracles, (his miraculous

cures) will continue; but if from

men, they will come to nought.

5 Thus Moses, when he was

sent by God into Egypt, wrought

the miracles which God commanded

him, before Pharaoh king of Egypt;

and though the magicians of that

country, Jannes and Jambres,

wrought by their magic the same

miracles which Moses did, yet they

could not work all which he did;

6 And the miracles which the

magicians wrought, were not of

God, as ye know, O Scribes and

Pharisees; but they who wrought

them perished, and all who

believed them.

7 And now let this man go;

because the very miracles for

which ye accuse him, are from

God; and he is not worthy of

death.

8 The Jews then said to Nicodemus,

Art thou become his disciple,

and making speeches in his favour?

9 Nicodemus said to them, Is

the governor become his disciple

also, and does he make speeches

for him? Did not Caesar place

him in that high post?

10 When the Jews heard this

they trembled, and gnashed their

teeth at Nicodemus, and said to

him, Mayest thou receive his

doctrine for truth, and have

thy lot with Christ!

11 Nicodemus replied, Amen;

I will receive his doctrine, and

my lot with him, as ye have said.

12 Then another certain Jew

rose up, and desired leave of the

governor to hear him a few words.

13 And the governor said,

Speak, what thou hast a mind.

14 And he said, I lay for thirty-

eight years by the sheep-pool at

Jerusalem, labouring under a great

infirmity, and waiting for a cure

which should be wrought by the

coming of an angel, who at a

certain time troubled the water: and

whosoever first after the troubling

of the water stepped in, was made

whole of whatsoever disease he had.

15 And when Jesus saw me languishing

there, he said to me, Wilt thou be

made whole? And I answered, Sir,

I have no man, when the water is

troubled, to put me into the pool.

16 And he said unto me, Rise,

take up thy bed and walk. And

I was immediately made whole,

and took up my bed and walked.

17 The Jews then said to Pilate,

Our Lord Governor, pray ask

him what day it was on which he

was cured of his infirmity.

18 The infirm person replied,

It was on the sabbath.

19 The Jews said to Pilate, Did

we not say that he wrought his

cures on the sabbath, and cast out

devils by the prince of devils?

20 Then another certain Jew

came forth, and said, I was blind,

could hear sounds, but could not

see any one; and as Jesus was

going along, I heard the multitude

passing by, and I asked what

was there?

21 They told me that Jesus was

passing by: then I cried out,

saying, Jesus, Son of David, have

mercy on me. And he stood still,

and commanded that I should be

brought to him, and said to me,

What wilt thou?

22 I said, Lord, that I may

receive my sight.

23 He said to me, Receive thy

sight: and presently I saw, and

followed him, rejoicing and giving

thanks,

24 Another Jew also came forth,

and said, I was a leper, and he

cured me by his word only, saying,

I will, be thou clean; and presently

I was cleansed from my leprosy.

25 And another Jew came

forth, and said I was crooked,

and he made me straight by his

word.

26 And a certain woman

named Veronica, said, I was

afflicted with an issue of blood

twelve years, and I touched the

hem of his garment, and presently

the issue of blood stopped.

27 The Jews then said, We

have a law, that a woman shall

not be allowed as an evidence.

28 And, after other things,

another Jew said, I saw Jesus

invited to a wedding with his

disciples, and there was a want

of wine in Cana of Galilee;

29 And when the wine was all

drank, he commanded the servants

that they should fill six pots which

were there with water, and they

filled them up to the brim, and he

blessed them and turned the water

into wine, and all the people drank,

being surprised at this miracle,

30 And another Jew stood forth,

and said, I saw Jesus teaching

in the synagogue at Capernaum;

and there was in the synagogue

a certain man who had a devil;

and he cried out, saying,

let me alone; what have we to

do with thee, Jesus of Nazareth?

Art thou come to destroy us?

I know that thou art the Holy One

of God.

31 And Jesus rebuked him, saying,

Hold thy peace, unclean spirit,

and come out of the man; and

presently he came out of him, and

did not at all hurt him.

32 The following things were

also said by a Pharisee: I saw

that a great company came to

Jesus from Galilee and Judea, and

the sea-cost, and many countries

about Jordan; and many infirm

persons came to him, and he healed

them all.

33 And I heard the unclean

spirits crying out, and saying,

Thou art the Son of God. And

Jesus strictly charged them, that

they should not make him known.

34 After this another person,

whose name was Centurio, said,

I saw Jesus in Capernaum, and I

entreated him, saying, Lord, my

servant lieth at home sick of the

palsy.

35 And Jesus said to me, I

will come and cure him.

36 But I said, Lord, I am not

worthy that thou shouldst come

under my roof; but only speak

the word, and my servant shall be

healed.

37 And Jesus said unto me, Go

thy way; and as thou hast believed

so be it done unto thee. And my

servant was healed from that same

hour.

38 Then a certain nobleman

said, I had a son in Capernaum,

who lay at the point of death; and

when I heard that Jesus was come

into Galilee, I went and besought

him that he would come down to

my house, and heal my son, for he

was at the point of death.

39 He said to me, Go thy way,

thy son liveth.

40 And my son was cured from

that hour.

41 Besides these, also many

others of the Jews, both men and

Women, cried out and said, He is

truly the Son of God, who cures

all diseases only by his word, and

to whom the devils are altogether

subject.

42 Some of them farther said,

This power can proceed from none

but God.

43 Pilate said to the Jews, Why

are not the devils subject to your

doctors?

44 Some of them said, The

power of subjecting devils cannot

proceed but from God.

45 But others said to Pilate,

That he had raised Lazarus from

the dead, after he had been four

days in his grave.

46 The governor hearing this,

trembling, said to the multitude of

the Jews, What will it profit you

to shed innocent blood?

CHAPTER VI.

1 Pilate dismayed by the turbulence of the Jews,

5 who demand Barabbas to be released, and Christ

to be crucified.

9 Pilate warmly expostulates with them,

20 washes his hands of Christ's blood,

23 and sentences him to be whipped and crucified.

THEN Pilate having called

together Nicodemus, and the

fifteen men who said that Jesus

was not born through fornication,

said to them, What shall I do,

seeing there is like to be a tumult

among the people.

2 They say unto him, We know

not; let them look to it who raise

the tumult.

3 Pilate then called the

multitude again, and said to them,

Ye know that ye have a custom, that

I should release to you one prisoner

at the feast of the passover:

4 I have a noted prisoner, a

murderer, who is called Barabbas,

and Jesus who is called Christ, in

whom I find nothing that deserves

death; which of them, therefore,

have you a mind that I should

release to you?

5 They all cry out, and say,

Release to us Barabbas.

6 Pilate saith to them, What

then shall I do with Jesus who is

called Christ?

7 They all answer, Let him be

crucified.

8 Again they cry out and say to

Pilate, You are not the friend of

Caesar, if you release this man;

for he hath declared that he is the

Son of God, and a king. But are

you inclined that he should be

king, and not Caesar?

9 Then Pilate filled with anger

said to them, Your nation hath

always been seditious, and you are

always against those who have

been serviceable to you.

10 The Jews replied, Who are those

who have been serviceable to us?

11 Pilate answered them, Your

God who delivered you from the

hard bondage of the Egyptians,

and brought you over the Red Sea

as though it had been dry land,

and fed you in the wilderness with

manna and the flesh of quails, and

brought water out of the rock, and

gave you a law from heaven.

12 Ye provoked him all ways,

and desired for yourselves a

molten calf, and worshipped it,

and sacrificed to it, and said,

These are thy Gods, O Israel,

which brought thee out of the

land of Egypt:

13 On account of which your

God was inclined to destroy you;

but Moses interceded for you, and

your God heard him, and forgave

your iniquity.

14 Afterwards ye were enraged

against, and would have killed

your prophets, Moses and Aaron,

when they fled to the tabernacle,

and ye were always murmuring

against God and his prophets.

15 And arising from his

judgment seat, he would have gone

out; but the Jews all cried out,

We acknowledge Caesar to be king,

and not Jesus;

16 Whereas this person, as

soon as he was born, the wise

men came and offered gifts unto

him; which when Herod heard,

he was exceedingly troubled,

and would have killed him:

17 When his father knew this,

he fled with him and his mother

Mary into Egypt. Herod, when

he heard he was born, would have

slain him; and accordingly sent

and slew all the children which

were in Bethlehem, and in all the

coasts thereof, from two years old

and under.

18 When Pilate heard this

account, he was afraid; and

commanding silence among the

people, who made a noise, he said

to Jesus, Art thou therefore a king?

19 All the Jews replied to

Pilate, he is the very person

whom Herod sought to have slain.

20 Then Pilate taking water,

washed his hands before the people

and said, I am innocent of the

blood of this just person; look ye

to it.

21 The Jews answered and said,

His blood be upon us and our

children.

22 Then Pilate commanded Jesus

to be brought before him, and

spake to him in the following

words;

23 Thy own nation hath charged

thee as making thyself a king;

wherefore I, Pilate, sentence thee

to be whipped according to the

laws of former governors; and

that thou be first bound, then

hanged upon a cross in that place

where thou art now a prisoner;

and also two criminals with thee,

whose names are Dimas and Gestas.

CHAP. VII.

1 Manner of Christ's crucifixion

with the two thieves.

THEN Jesus went out of the

hall, and the two thieves

with him.

2 And when they came to the

place which is called Golgotha,

they stript him of his raiment, and

girt him about with a linen cloth,

and put a crown of thorns upon his

head, and put a reed in his hand.

3 And in like manner did they

to the two thieves who were

crucified with him, Dimas on his

right hand and Gestas on his left.

4 But Jesus said, My Father,

forgive them, For they know not

what they do.

5 And they divided his garments,

and upon his vesture they cast lots.

6 The people in the mean time

stood by, and the chief priests

and elders of the Jews mocked him,

saying, He saved others, let him

now save himself if he can; if he

be the son of God, let him now

come down from the cross.

7 The soldiers also mocked him,

and taking vinegar and gall, offered

it to him to drink, and said to him,

If thou art king of the Jews,

deliver thyself.

8 Then Longinus, a certain soldier,

taking a spear, pierced his side,

and presently there came forth blood

and water.

9 And Pilate wrote the title

upon the cross in Hebrew, Latin,

and Greek letters, viz., THIS IS

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

10 But one of the two thieves

who were crucified with Jesus,

whose name was Gestas, said to

Jesus, If thou art the Christ,

deliver thyself and us.

11 But the thief who was

crucified on his right hand,

whose name was Dimas, answering,

rebuked him, and said, Dost not

thou fear God, who art condemned

to this punishment? We indeed

receive rightly and justly the

demerit of our actions; but this

Jesus, what evil hath he done.

12 After this, groaning, he said

to Jesus, Lord, remember me

when thou comest into thy kingdom.

13 Jesus answering, said to

him, Verily I say unto thee, that

this day thou shalt be with me in

Paradise.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Miraculous appearance at his death.

10 The Jews say the eclipse was natural.

12 Joseph of Arimathaea embalms Christ's

body and buries it.

AND it was about the sixth

hour, and darkness was upon

the face of the whole earth until

the ninth hour.

2 And while the sun was eclipsed,

behold the veil of the temple was

rent from the top, to the bottom;

and the rocks also were rent, and

the graves opened, and many

bodies of saints, which slept,

arose.

3 And about the ninth hour

Jesus cried out with a loud voice,

Eli, Eli, lama sabacthani? which

being interpreted is, My God, My

God, why hast thou forsaken me?

4 And after these things, Jesus

said, Father, into thy hands I

commend my spirit; and having

said this, he gave up the ghost.

5 But when the centurion saw

that Jesus thus crying out gave up

the ghost, he glorified God, and

said, Of a truth this was a just

man.

6 And all the people who stood

by, were exceedingly troubled at

the sight; and reflecting upon

what had passed, smote upon their

breasts, and then returned to the

city of Jerusalem.

7 The centurion went to the

governor, and related to him all

that had passed:

8 And when he had heard all

these things, he was exceedingly

sorrowful;

9 And calling the Jews together,

said to them, Have ye seen the

miracle of the sun's eclipse, and

the other things which came to

pass, while Jesus was dying?

10 Which when the Jews heard,

they answered to the governor,

The eclipse of the sun happened

according to its usual custom.

11 But all those who were the

acquaintance of Christ, stood at

a distance, as did the women who

had followed Jesus from Galilee,

observing all these things.

12 And behold a certain man

of Arimathaea, named Joseph, who

was also a disciple of Jesus, but

not openly so, for fear of the Jews,

came to the governor, and entreated

the governor that he would give him

leave to take away the body of Jesus

from the cross.

13 And the governor gave him leave.

14 And Nicodemus came, bringing

with him a mixture of myrrh and

aloes about a hundred pounds

weight; and they took down Jesus

from the cross with tears, and

bound him in linen cloths with

spices, according to the custom of

burying among the Jews;

15 And placed him in a new

tomb, which Joseph had built,

and caused to be cut out of a rock,

in which never any man had been

put; and they rolled a great stone

to the door of the sepulchre.

CHAPTER IX.

1 The Jews angry with Nicodemus:

5 and with, Joseph of Arimathaea,

7 whom they imprison.

WHEN the unjust Jews heard

that Joseph had begged and buried

the body of Jesus, they sought

after Nicodemus, and those fifteen

men who had testified before the

governor, that Jesus was not born

through fornication, and other

good persons who had shown any

good actions towards him.

2 But when they all concealed

themselves through fear of the

Jews, Nicodemus alone showed

himself to them, and said, How

can such persons as these enter

into the synagogue?

3 The Jews answered him, But

how durst thou enter into the

synagogue, who wast a confederate

with Christ? Let thy lot be along

with him in the other world.

4 Nicodemus answered, Amen;

so may it be, that I may have

my lot with him in his kingdom.

5 In like manner Joseph, when

he came to the Jews, said to them,

Why are ye angry with me for

desiring the body of Jesus of

Pilate? Behold, I have put him in

my tomb, and wrapped him up in

clean linen, and put a stone at the

door of the sepulchre:

6 I have acted rightly towards

him; but ye have acted unjustly

against that just person, in

crucifying him, giving him vinegar

to drink, crowning him with thorns,

tearing his body with whips, and

praying down the guilt of his blood

upon you.

7 The Jews at the hearing of

this were disquieted and troubled;

and they seized Joseph, and

commanded him to be put in custody

before the Sabbath, and kept there

till the Sabbath was over.

8 And they said to him, Make

confession; for at this time it is

not lawful to do thee any harm,

till the first day of the week come.

But we know that thou wilt not be

thought worthy of a burial; but

we will give thy flesh to the birds

of the air, and the beasts of the

earth.

9 Joseph answered, That speech

is like the speech of proud Goliath,

who reproached the living God in

speaking against David. But ye

scribes and doctors know that God

saith by the prophet, Vengeance is

mine, and I will repay to you evil

equal to that which ye have

threatened to me.

10 The God whom you have

hanged upon the cross, is able to

deliver me out of your hands. All

your wickedness will return upon

you.

11 For the governor, when he

washed his hands, said, I am clear

from the blood of this just person.

But ye answered and cried out,

His blood be upon us and our

children. According as ye have

said, may ye perish for ever.

12 The elders of the Jews hearing

these words, were exceedingly

enraged; and seizing Joseph, they

put him into a chamber where

there was no window; they fastened

the door, and put a seal upon

the lock;

13 And Annas and Caiaphas placed

a guard upon it, and took counsel

with the priests and Levites,

that they should all meet after

the Sabbath, and they contrived

to what death they should put Joseph.

14 When they had done this, the

rulers, Annas and Caiaphas,

ordered Joseph to be brought

forth.

(In this place there is a portion

of the Gospel lost or omitted.

which cannot be supplied. It

may, nevertheless, be surmised

from the occurrence related in

the next chapter, that the order

of Annas and Caiaphas were rendered

unnecessary by Joseph's miraculous

escape, and which was announced

to an assembly of people.)

CHAPTER X.

1 Joseph's escape.

2 The soldiers relate Christ's resurrection.

18 Christ is seen preaching in Galilee.

21 The Jews repent of their cruelty to him.

WHEN all the assembly heard

this (about Joseph's escape),

they admired and were astonished,

because they found the same seal

upon the lock of the chamber, and

could not find Joseph.

2 Then Annas and Caiaphas went

forth, and while they were all

admiring at Joseph's being gone,

behold one of the soldiers, who

kept the sepulchre of Jesus, spake

in the assembly,

3 That while they were guarding

the sepulchre of Jesus, there was

an earthquake; and we saw an angel

of God roll away the stone of the

sepulchre and sit upon it;

4 And his countenance was like

lightning and his garment like

snow; and we became through fear

like persons dead.

5 And we heard an angel saying

to the women at the sepulchre of

Jesus, Do not fear; I know that

you seek Jesus who was crucified;

he is risen as he foretold;

6 Come and see the place where

he was laid; and go presently, and

tell his disciples that he is risen

from the dead; and he will go before

you into Galilee; there ye shall

see him as he told you.

7 Then the Jews called together

all the soldiers who kept the sepulchre

of Jesus, and said to them, Who are

those women, to whom the angel spoke?

Why did ye not seize them.

8 The soldiers answered and said,

We know not who the women were;

besides we became as dead persons

through fear, and how could we

seize those women?

9 The Jews said to them, As the

Lord liveth, we do not believe you;

10 The soldiers answering said to

the Jews, when ye saw and heard

Jesus working so many miracles,

and did not believe him, how should

ye believe us? Ye well said,

As the Lord liveth, for the Lord

truly does live.

11 We have heard that ye shut

up Joseph, who buried the body of

Jesus, in a chamber, under a lock

which was sealed; and when ye

opened it, found him not there.

12 Do ye then produce Joseph

whom ye put under guard in the

chamber, and we will produce

Jesus whom we guarded in the

sepulchre.

13 The Jews answered and said,

We will produce Joseph, do ye

produce Jesus. But Joseph is in

his own city of Arimathaea.

14 The soldiers replied,

If Joseph be in Arimathaea,

and Jesus in Galilee, we heard

the angel inform the women.

15 The Jews hearing this, were

afraid, and said among themselves,

If by any means these things

should become public, then

everybody will believe in Jesus.

16 Then they gathered a large

sum of money, and gave it to the

soldiers, saying, Do ye tell the

people that the disciples of Jesus

came in the night when ye were

asleep, and stole away the body of

Jesus; and if Pilate the governor

should hear of this, we will satisfy

him and secure you.

17 The soldiers accordingly took

the money, and said as they were

instructed by the Jews; and their

report was spread abroad among

all the people.

18 But a certain priest Phinees,

Ada a schoolmaster, and a Levite,

named Ageus, they three came from

Galilee to Jerusalem, and told

the chief priests and all who

were in the synagogues, saying,

19 We have seen Jesus, whom

ye crucified, talking with his

eleven disciples, and sitting in the

midst of them in Mount Olivet,

and saying to them,

20 Go forth into the whole world,

preach the Gospel to all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the

Father, and the Son, and the Holy

Ghost; and whosoever shall believe

and be baptized, shall be saved.

21 And when he had said these

things to his disciples, we saw him

ascending up to heaven.

22 When the chief priests and

elders, and Levites heard these

things, they said to these three

men, Give glory to the God of

Israel, and make confession to

him, whether those things are true,

which ye say ye have seen and heard.

23 They answering said, As the

Lord of our fathers liveth, the

God of Abraham, and the God of

Isaac, and the God of Jacob,

according as we heard Jesus talking

with his disciples, and according

as we saw him ascending up to

heaven, so we have related the

truth to you.

24 And the three men farther

answered, and said, adding these

words, If we should not own the

words which we heard Jesus speak,

and that we saw him ascending

into heaven, we should be guilty

of sin.

25 Then the chief priests

immediately rose up, and holding

the book of the law in their hands,

conjured these men, saying, Ye

shall no more hereafter declare

those things which ye have spoken

concerning Jesus.

26 And they gave them a large

sum of money, and sent other

persons along with them, who

should conduct them to their own

country, that they might not by any

means make any stay at Jerusalem.

27 Then the Jews did assemble

all together, and having expressed

the most lamentable concern said,

What is this extraordinary thing

which is come to pass in Jerusalem?

28 But Annas and Caiaphas comforted

them, saying, Why should we believe

the soldiers who guarded the sepulchre

of Jesus, in telling us, that an angel

rolled away the stone from the door

of the sepulchre?

29 Perhaps his own disciples told

them this, and gave them money

that they should say so, and they

themselves took away the body of Jesus.

30 Besides, consider this, that

there is no credit to be given to

foreigners, because they also took

a large sum of us, and they have

declared to us according to the

instructions which we gave them.

They must either be faithful to us

or to the disciples of Jesus.

CHAPTER XI.

1 Nicodemus counsels the Jews.

6 Joseph found.

11 Invited by the Jews to return.

19 Relates the manner of his miraculous escape.

THEN Nicodemus arose, and

said, Ye say right, O sons of

Israel; ye have heard what those

three men have sworn by the Law

of God, who said, We have seen

Jesus speaking with his disciples

upon mount Olivet, and we saw

him ascending up to heaven.

2 And the scripture teacheth

us that the blessed prophet Elijah

was taken up to heaven, and Elisha

being asked by the sons of the

prophets, Where is our father Elijah?

He said to them, that he is taken up

to heaven.

3 And the sons of the prophets

said to him, Perhaps the spirit

hath carried him into one of the

mountains of Israel, there perhaps

we shall find him. And they besought

Elisha, and he walked about with

them three days, and they could

not find him.

4 And now hear me, O sons of

Israel, and let us send men into

the mountains of Israel, lest

perhaps the spirit hath carried

away Jesus, and there perhaps we

shall find him, and be satisfied.

5 And the counsel of Nicodemus

pleased all the people; and they

sent forth men who sought for Jesus,

but could not find him; and they

returning, said, We went all about,

but could not find Jesus, but we

have found Joseph in his city of

Arimathaea.

6 The rulers hearing this, and

all the people, were glad, and

praised the God of Israel, because

Joseph was found, whom they had

shut up in a chamber, and could

not find.

7 And when they had formed a

large assembly, the chief priests

said, By what means shall we bring

Joseph to us to speak with him?

8 And taking a piece of paper,

they wrote to him, and said, Peace

be with thee, and all thy family,

We know that we have offended

against God and thee. Be pleased

to give a visit to us, your fathers,

for we were perfectly surprised at

your escape from prison.

9 We know that it was malicious

counsel which we took against

thee, and that the Lord took care

of thee, and the Lord himself

delivered thee from our designs.

Peace be unto thee, Joseph, who

art honourable among all the

people.

10 And they chose seven of

Joseph's friends, and said to them,

When ye come to Joseph, salute

him in peace, and give him this

letter.

11 Accordingly, when the men

came to Joseph, they did salute

him in peace, and gave him the

letter.

12 And when Joseph had read it,

he said, Blessed be the Lord God,

who didst deliver me from the

Israelites, that they could not

shed my blood. Blessed be God,

who hast protected me under thy

wings.

13 And Joseph kissed them, and

took them into his house. And on

the morrow, Joseph mounted his

ass, and went along with them to

Jerusalem.

14 And when all the Jews heard

these things, they went out to

meet him, and cried out, saying,

Peace attend thy coming hither,

father Joseph.

15 To which he answered,

Prosperity from the Lord attend

all the people.

13 And they all kissed him; and

Nicodemus took him to his house,

having prepared a large

entertainment.

17 But on the morrow, being

a preparation-day, Annas, and

Caiaphas, and Nicodemus, said to

Joseph, Make confession to the

God of Israel, and answer to us

all those questions which we shall

ask thee;

18 For we have been very much

troubled, that thou didst bury the

body of Jesus; and that when we

had locked thee in a chamber, we

could not find thee; and we have

been afraid ever since, till this

time of thy appearing among us.

Tell us therefore before God, all

that came to pass.

19 Then Joseph answering,

said Ye did indeed put me under

confinement, on the day of

preparation, till the morning.

20 But while I was standing at

prayer in the middle of the night,

the house was surrounded with

four angels; and I saw Jesus as

the brightness of the sun, and fell

down upon the earth for fear.

21 But Jesus laying hold on my

hand, lifted me from the ground,

and the dew was then sprinkled

upon me; but he, wiping my face,

kissed me, and said unto me, Fear

not, Joseph; look upon me for

it is I.

22 Then I looked upon him, and

said, Rabboni Elias! He answered

me, I am not Elias, but Jesus of

Nazareth, whose body thou didst

bury.

23 I said to him, show me the

tomb in which I laid thee.

24 Then Jesus, taking me by the

hand, led me unto the place where

I laid him, and showed me the

linen clothes, and napkin which I

put round his head. Then I knew

that it was Jesus, and worshipped

him, and said; Blessed be he who

cometh in the name of the Lord.

25 Jesus again taking me by the

hand, led me to Arimathaea, to my

own house, and said to me, Peace

be to thee; but go not out of thy

house till the fortieth day; but

I must go to my disciples.

CHAPTER XII.

1 The Jews astonished and confounded.

16 Simeon's two sons, Charinus and Lenthius,

rise from the dead at Christ's crucifixion.

19 Joseph proposes to get them to relate the

mysteries of their resurrection.

21 They are sought and found,

22 brought to the synagogue,

23 privately sworn to secrecy,

25 and undertake to write what they had seen.

WHEN the chief priests and

Levites heard all these

things, they were astonished, and

fell down with their faces on the

ground as dead men, and crying

out to one another, said, What is

this extraordinary sign which is

come to pass in Jerusalem? We

know the father and mother of

Jesus.

2 And a certain Levite said,

I know many of his relations,

religions persons, who are wont to

offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings

to the God of Israel, in the temple,

with prayers.

3 And when the high-priest

Simeon took him up in his arms,

he said to him, Lord, now lettest

thou thy servant depart in peace,

according to thy word; for mine

eyes have seen thy salvation,

which then halt prepared before

the face of all people; a light to

enlighten the Gentiles, and the

glory of thy people Israel.

4 Simeon in like manner blessed

Mary the Mother of Jesus, and

said to her, I declare to thee

concerning that child; He is

appointed for the fall and rising

again of many, and for a sign

which shall be spoken against;

5 Yea, a sword shall pierce

through thine own soul also, and

the thoughts of many hearts shall

be revealed.

6 Then said all the Jews, Let

us send to those three men, who

said they saw him talking with

his disciples in mount Olivet.

7 After this, they asked them

what they had seen; who answered

with one accord, In the presence

of the God of Israel we affirm,

that we plainly saw Jesus talking

with his disciples in Mount Olivet,

and ascending up to heaven.

8 Then Annas and Caiaphas took

them into separate places, and

examined them separately; who

unanimously confessed the truth,

and said, they had seen Jesus.

9 Then Annas and Caiaphas said

"Our law saith, By the mouth of

two or three witnesses every word

shall be established."

10 But what have we said?

The blessed Enoch pleased God,

and was translated by the word of

God; and the burying-place of the

blessed Moses is known.

11 But Jesus was delivered to

Pilate, whipped, crowned with

thorns, spit upon, pierced with a

spear, crucified, died upon the

cross, and was buried, and his

body the honourable Joseph buried

in a new sepulchre, and he testifies

that he saw him alive.

12 And besides, these men have

declared, that they saw him talking

with his disciples in Mount Olivet,

and ascending up to heaven.

13 Then Joseph rising up, said

to Annas and Caiaphas, Ye may be

justly under a great surprise,

that you have been told, that

Jesus is alive, and gone up to

heaven.

14 It is indeed a thing really

surprising, that he should not

only himself arise from the dead,

but also raise others from their

graves, who have been seen by

many in Jerusalem.

15 And now hear me a little

We all knew the blessed Simeon,

the high-priest, who took Jesus

when an infant into his arms in

the temple.

16 This same Simeon had two sons

of his own, and we were all present

at their death and funeral.

17 Go therefore and see their

tombs, for these are open, and

they are risen: and behold, they

are in the city of Arimathaea,

spending their time together in

offices of devotion.

18 Some, indeed, have heard

the sound of their voices in prayer,

but they will not discourse with

anyone, but they continue as mute

as dead men.

19 But come, let us go to them,

and behave ourselves towards them

with all due respect and caution.

And if we can bring them to swear,

perhaps they will tell us some of

the mysteries of their resurrection.

20 When the Jews heard this

they were exceedingly rejoiced.

21 Then Annas and Caiaphas,

Nicodemus, Joseph, and Gamaliel,

went to Arimathaea, but did not

find them in their graves; but

walking about the city, they found

them on their bended knees at

their devotions:

22 Then saluting them with all

respect and deference to God, they

brought them to the synagogue at

Jerusalem; and having shut the

gates, they took the book of the

law of the Lord,

23 And putting it in their hands,

swore them by God Adonai, and

the God of Israel, who spake to

our fathers by the law and the

prophets, saying, If ye believe

him who raised you from the dead,

to be Jesus, tell us what ye have

seen, and how ye were raised from

the dead.

24 Charinus and Lenthius, the

two sons of Simeon, trembled

when they heard these things, and

were disturbed, and groaned; and

at the same time looking up to

heaven, they made the sign of the

cross with their fingers on their

tongues,

25 And immediately they spake,

and said, Give each of us some

paper, and we will write down for

you all those things which we have

seen. And they each sat down

and wrote, saying:--

CHAPTER XIII.

1 The narrative of Charinus and Lenthius commences.

3 A great light in hell.

7 Simeon arrives, and announces the coming of Christ.

O LORD Jesus and Father, who

art God, also the resurrection

and life of the dead, give us

leave to declare thy mysteries,

which we saw after death, belonging

to thy cross; for we are sworn by

thy name.

2 For thou hast forbidden thy

servants to declare the secret

things, which were wrought by

thy divine power in hell.

3 When we were Placed with

our fathers in the depth of hell,

in the blackness of darkness,

on a sudden there appeared the

colour of the sun like gold,

and a substantial purple-coloured

light enlightening the place.

4 Presently upon this, Adam,

the father of all mankind, with

all the patriarchs and prophets,

rejoiced and said, That light is the

author of everlasting light, who

hath promised to translate us to

everlasting light.

5 Then Isaiah the prophet cried

out and said, This is the light

of the Father, and the Son of God,

according to my prophecy, when I

was alive upon earth.

6 The land of Zabulon, and the

land of Nephthalim, beyond Jordan,

a people who walked in darkness,

saw a great light; and to them

who dwelled in the region of the

shadow of death, light is arisen.

And now he is come, and hath

enlightened us who sat in death.

7 And while we were all rejoicing

in the light which shone upon us,

our father Simeon came among us,

and congratulating all the company,

said, Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ

the Son of God.

8 Whom I took up in my arms when

an infant in the temple, and

being moved by the Holy Ghost,

said to him, and acknowledged,

That now mine eyes have seen thy

salvation, which thou hast prepared

before the face of all people; a

light to enlighten the Gentiles,

and the glory of thy people Israel.

9 All the saints who were in

the depth of hell, hearing this,

rejoiced the more.

10 Afterwards there came forth

one like a little hermit, and was

asked by every one, Who art thou?

11 To which he replied, I am

the voice of one crying in the

wilderness, John the Baptist, and

the prophet of the Most High, who

went before his coming to prepare

his way, to give the knowledge of

salvation to his people for the

forgiveness of sins.

12 And I, John, when I saw

Jesus coming to me, being moved

by the Holy Ghost, I said, Behold

the Lamb of God, behold him who

takes away the sins of the world.

13 And I baptized him in the

river Jordan, and saw the Holy

Ghost descending upon him in the

form of a dove, and heard a voice

from heaven saying, This is my

beloved Son, in whom I am well

pleased.

14 And now while I was going

before him, I came down hither to

acquaint you, that the Son of God

will next visit us, and, as the

day-spring from on high, will come to

us, who are in darkness and the

shadow of death.

CHAPTER XIV.

1 Adam causes Seth to relate what he heard

from Michael the archangel, when he sent him

to Paradise to entreat God to anoint his

head in his sickness.

BUT when the first man our father

Adam heard these things, that

Jesus was baptized in Jordan,

he called out to his son Seth,

and said,

2 Declare to your sons, the

patriarchs and prophets, all those

things, which thou didst hear from

Michael, the archangel, when I

sent thee to the gates of Paradise,

to entreat God that he would

anoint my head when I was sick.

3 Then Seth, coming near to the

patriarchs and prophets, said, I,

Seth, when I was praying to God

at the gates of Paradise, beheld

the angel of the Lord, Michael,

appear unto me, saying, I am sent

unto thee from the Lord; I am

appointed to preside over human

bodies.

4 I tell thee, Seth, do not pray

to God in tears, and entreat him

for the oil of the tree of mercy

wherewith to anoint thy father

Adam for his head-ache;

5 Because thou canst not by any

means obtain it till the last day

and times, namely, till five thousand

and five hundred years be past.

6 Then will Christ, the most

merciful Son of God, come on

earth to raise again the human

body of Adam, and at the same

time to raise the bodies of the

dead, and when he cometh he will

be baptized in Jordan;

7 Then with the oil of his

mercy he will anoint all those

who believe in him; and the oil

of his mercy will continue to

future generations, for those

who shall be born of the water

and the Holy Ghost unto eternal

life.

8 And when at that time the

most merciful Son of God, Christ

Jesus, shall come down on earth,

he will introduce our father Adam

into Paradise, to the tree of mercy.

9 When all the patriarchs and

prophets heard all these things

from Seth, they rejoiced more.

CHAPTER XV.

1 Quarrel between Satan and the prince of hell,

concerning the expected arrival of Christ in hell.

WHILE all the saints were

rejoicing, behold Satan, the

prince and captain of death, said

to the prince of hell,

2 Prepare to receive Jesus of

Nazareth himself, who boasted

that he was the Son of God, and

yet was a man afraid of death, and

said, My soul is sorrowful even to

death.

3 Besides he did many injuries

to me and to many others; for

those whom I made blind and lame

and those also whom I tormented

with several devils, he cured by

his word; yea, and those whom I

brought dead to thee, he by force

takes away from thee.

4 To this the prince of hell

replied to Satan, Who is that so

powerful prince, and yet a man who

is afraid of death?

5 For all the potentates of the

earth are subject to my power,

whom thou broughtest to subjection

by thy power.

6 But if he be so powerful in his

human nature, I affirm to thee for

truth, that he is almighty in his

divine nature, and no man can

resist his power:

7 When therefore he said he was

afraid of death, he designed to

ensnare thee, and unhappy it will be

to thee for everlasting ages,

8 Then Satan replying, said to

the prince of hell, Why didst thou

express a doubt, and wast afraid to

receive that Jesus of Nazareth,

both thy adversary and mine?

9 As for me, I tempted him and

stirred up my old people the Jews

with zeal and anger against him;

10 I sharpened the spear for his

suffering; I mixed the gall and

vinegar, and commanded that he

should drink it; I prepared the

cross to crucify him, and the nails

to pierce through his hands and

feet; and now his death is near

at hand, I will bring him hither,

subject both to thee and me.

11 Then the prince of hell

answering, said, Thou saidst to me

just now, that he took away the

dead from me by force.

12 They who have been kept here

till they should live again upon

earth, were taken away hence,

not by their own power, but by

prayers made to God, and their

almighty God took them from me.

13 Who then is that Jesus of

Nazareth that by his word hath

taken away the dead from me

without prayer to God?

14 Perhaps it is the same who

took away from me Lazarus, after

he had been four days dead, and

did both stink and was rotten, and

of whom I had possession as a dead

person, yet he brought him to life

again by his power.

15 Satan answering, replied to

the prince of hell, It is the very

same person, Jesus of Nazareth.

16 Which when the prince of hell

heard, he said to him, I adjure

thee by the powers which belong

to thee and me, that thou bring

him not to me.

17 For when I heard of the power

of his word, I trembled for fear,

and all my impious company were

at the same disturbed;

18 And we were not able to detain

Lazarus, but he gave himself a

shake, and with all the signs of

malice he immediately went away

from us; and the very earth, in

which the dead body of Lazarus

was lodged, presently turned him

out alive.

19 And I know now that he is

Almighty God who could perform

such things, who is mighty in his

dominion, and mighty in his human

nature, who is the Saviour of

mankind.

20 Bring not therefore this person

hither, for he will set at liberty

all those whom I hold in prison

under unbelief, and bound with

the fetters of their sins, and will

conduct them to everlasting life.

CHAPTER XVI.

1 Christ's arrival at hell-gates;

the confusion thereupon.

19 He descends into hell.

AND while Satan and the Prince

of hell were discoursing thus

to each other, on a sudden there

was a voice as of thunder, and the

rushing of winds, saying, Lift up

your gates, O ye princes; and be

ye lift up, O everlasting gates,

and the King of Glory shall come in.

2 When the prince of hell heard

this, he said to Satan, Depart from

me, and begone out of my habitations;

if thou art a powerful warrior,

fight with the King of Glory.

But what hast thou to do with

him?

3 And he cast him forth from his

habitations.

4 And the prince said to his

impious officers, Shut the brass gates

of cruelty, and make them fast with

iron bars, and fight courageously,

lest we be taken captives.

5 But when all the company of

the saints heard this they spake

with a loud voice of anger to the

prince of hell,

6 Open thy gates, that the King

of Glory may come in.

7 And the divine prophet David

cried out, saying, Did not I, when

on earth, truly prophesy and say,

O that men would praise the Lord

for his goodness, and for his

wonderful works to the children

of men!

8 For he hath broken the gates

of brass, and cut the bars of iron

in sunder. He hath taken them

because of their iniquity, and

because of their unrighteousness

they are afflicted.

9 After this, another prophet,

namely, holy Isaiah, spake in like

manner to all the saints, Did not

I rightly prophesy to you when I

was alive on earth?

10 The dead men shall live, and

they shall rise again who are in

their graves, and they shall rejoice

who are in the earth; for the dew

which is from the Lord, shall

bring deliverance to them.

11 And I said in another place,

O grave, where is thy victory?

O death, where is thy sting?

12 When all the saints heard

these things spoken by Isaiah,

they said to the prince of hell,

Open now thy gates, and take

away thine iron bars; for thou

wilt now be bound, and have no

power.

13 Then was there a great voice,

as of the sound of thunder, saying,

Lift up your gates, O princes; and

be ye lifted up, ye gates of hell,

and the King of Glory will enter

in.

14 The prince of hell perceiving

the same voice repeated, cried out,

as though he had been ignorant,

Who is that King of Glory?

15 David replied to the prince

of hell, and said, I understand the

words of that voice, because I

spake them in his spirit. And now,

as I have before said, I say unto

thee, the Lord strong and powerful,

the Lord mighty in battle: he is

the King of Glory, and he is the

Lord in heaven and in earth.

16 He hath looked down to hear

the groans of the prisoners, and to

set loose those that are appointed

to death.

17 And now, thou filthy and

stinking prince of hell, open thy

gates, that the King of Glory may

enter in; for he is the Lord of

heaven and earth.

18 While David was saying this,

the mighty Lord appeared in the

form of a man, and enlightened

those places which had ever before

been in darkness.

19 And broke asunder the fetters

which before could not be broken;

and with his invincible power

visited those who sate in the deep

darkness by iniquity, and the shadow

of death by sin.

CHAPTER XVII.

1 Death and the devils in great horror

at Christ's coming.

13 He tramples on death, seizes the prince

of hell, and takes Adam with him to Heaven.

IMPIOUS death and her cruel

officers hearing these things,

were seized with fear in their

several kingdoms, when they saw

the clearness of the light,

2 And Christ himself on a sudden

appearing in their habitations,

they cried out therefore, and said,

We are bound by thee; thou seemest

to intend our confusion before

the Lord.

3 Who art thou, who has no signs

of corruption, but that bright

appearance which is a full proof of

thy greatness, of which yet thou

seemest to take no notice?

4 Who art thou, so powerful,

and so weak, so great and so little;

mean, and yet a soldier of the first

rank, who can command in the form

of a servant and a common soldier?

5 The king of Glory, dead and

alive, though once slain upon the

cross?

6 Who layest dead in the grave,

and art come down alive to us,

and in thy death all the creatures

trembled, and all the stars were

moved; and now hast thy liberty

among the dead, and givest

disturbance to our legions?

7 Who art thou, who dost release

the captives that were held

in chains by original sin, and

bringest them into their former

liberty?

8 Who art thou, who dost spread

so glorious and divine a light over

those who were made blind by the

darkness of sin?

9 In like manner all the legions

of devils were seized with the like

horror, and with the most submissive

fear cried out, and said,

10 Whence comes it, O thou

Jesus Christ, that thou art a man

so powerful and glorious in majesty

so bright as to have no spot, and

so pure as to have no crime? For

that lower world of earth, which

was ever till now subject to us,

and from whence we received

tribute, never sent us such a

dead man before, never sent such

presents as these to the princes of

hell.

11 Who therefore art thou, who

with such courage enterest among

our abodes, and art not only not

afraid to threaten us with the

greatest punishments, but also

endeavourest to rescue all others

from the chains in which we hold

them?

12 Perhaps thou art that Jesus,

of whom Satan just now spoke to

our prince, that by the death of

the cross thou wert about to

receive the power of death.

13 Then the King of Glory

trampling upon death, seized the

prince of hell, deprived him of all

his power, and took our earthly

father Adam with him to his glory.

CHAPTER XVIII.

1 Beelzebub, prince of hell, vehemently upbraids Satan for

persecuting Christ and bringing him to hell.

14 Christ gives Beelzebub dominion over Satan forever,

as a recompence for taking away Adam and his sons.

THEN the prince of hell took

Satan, and with great indignation

said to him, O thou prince of

destruction, author of Beelzebub's

defeat and banishment, the scorn

of God's angels and loathed by all

righteous persons! What inclined

thee to act thus?

2 Thou wouldst crucify the King

of Glory, and by his destruction,

hast made us promises of very

large advantages, but as a fool

wert ignorant of what thou wast

about.

3 For behold now that Jesus of

Nazareth, with the brightness of

his glorious divinity, puts to flight

all the horrid powers of darkness

and death;

4 He has broke down our prisons

from top to bottom, dismissed

all the captives, released all

who were bound, and all who were

wont formerly to groan under the

weight of their torments, have

now insulted us, and we are like

to be defeated by their prayers.

5 Our impious dominions are

subdued, and no part of mankind

is now left in our subjection, but

on the other hand, they all boldly

defy us;

6 Though, before, the dead never

durst behave themselves insolently

towards us, nor being prisoners,

could ever on any occasion be

merry.

7 O Satan, thou prince of all

the wicked, father of the impious

and abandoned, why wouldest thou

attempt this exploit, seeing our

prisoners were hitherto always

without the least hope of

salvation and life?

8 But now there is not one of

them does ever groan, nor is there

the least appearance of a tear in

any of their faces.

9 O prince Satan, thou great

keeper of the infernal regions,

all thy advantages which thou didst

acquire by the forbidden tree, and

the loss of Paradise, thou hast

now lost by the wood of the

cross;

10 And thy happiness all then

expired, when thou didst crucify

Jesus Christ the King of Glory.

11 Thou hast acted against thine

own interest and mine, as thou

wilt presently perceive by those

large torments and infinite

punishments which thou art

about to suffer.

12 O Satan, prince of all evil,

author of death, and source of all

pride, thou shouldest first have

inquired into the evil crimes of

Jesus of Nazareth, and then thou

wouldest have found that he was

guilty of no fault worthy of death.

13 Why didst thou venture,

without either reason or justice,

to crucify him, and hast brought

down to our regions a person

innocent and righteous, and thereby

hast lost all the sinners, impious

and unrighteous persons in the

whole world?

14 While the prince of hell was

thus speaking to Satan, the King

of Glory said to Beelzebub the

prince of hell, Satan the prince

shall be subject to thy dominions

for ever, in the room of Adam and

his righteous sons, who are mine,

CHAPTER XIX.

1 Christ takes Adam by the hand,

the rest of the saints join hands,

and they all ascend with him to Paradise.

THEN Jesus stretched forth his

hand, and said, Come to me,

all ye my saints, who were created

in my image, who were condemned

by the tree of the forbidden fruit,

and by the devil and death;

2 Live now by the wood of my

cross; the devil, the prince of this

world, is overcome, and death is

conquered,

3 Then presently all the saints

were joined together under the

hand of the most high God; and

the Lord Jesus laid hold on Adam's

hand, and said to him, Peace be

to thee, and all thy righteous

posterity, which is mine.

4 Then Adam, casting himself

at the feet of Jesus, addressed

himself to him with tears, in

humble language, and a loud voice,

saying,

5 "I will extol thee, O Lord, for

thou halt lifted me up, and hast

not made my foes to rejoice over

me. O Lord my God, I cried

unto thee, and thou hast healed

me."

6 "O Lord thou hast brought up

my soul from the grave; thou

hast kept me alive, that I should

not go down to the pit."

7 "Sing unto the Lord, all ye

saints of his, and give thanks at

the remembrance of his holiness,

for his anger endureth but for a

moment; in his favour is life."

8 In like manner all the saints,

prostrate at the feet of Jesus,

said with one voice, Thou art come,

O Redeemer of the world, and hast

actually accomplished all things,

which thou didst foretell by the

law and thy holy prophets.

9 Thou hast redeemed the living

by thy cross, and art come down

to us, that by the death of the

cross thou mightest deliver us

from hell, and by thy power from

death.

10 O Lord, as thou hast put the

ensigns of thy glory in heaven,

and hast set up the sign of thy

redemption, even thy cross on earth;

so, Lord, set the sign of the victory

of thy cross in hell, that death

may have dominion no longer.

11 Then the Lord stretching

forth his hand, made the sign of

the cross upon Adam, and upon

all his saints.

12 And taking hold of Adam by

his right hand, he ascended from

hell, and all the saints of God

followed him.

13 Then the royal prophet, David,

boldly cried, and said, O sing

unto the Lord a new song, for he

hath done marvellous things; his

right hand and his holy arm have

gotten him the victory.

14 The Lord hath made known

his salvation, his righteousness

hath he openly shewn in the sight

of the heathen.

15 And the whole multitude of

saints answered, saying, This

honour have all his saints, Amen,

Praise ye the Lord.

16 Afterwards, the prophet

Habbakuk cried out, and said,

Thou wentest forth for the salvation

of thy people, even for salvation

with thine anointed.

17 And all the saints said,

Blessed is he who cometh in the

name of the Lord; for the Lord

hath enlightened us. This is our

God for ever and ever; he shall

reign over us to everlasting ages.

Amen.

18 In like manner all the prophets

spake the sacred things of his

praise, and followed the Lord.

CHAPTER XX.

1 Christ delivers Adam to Michael the archangel.

3 They meet Enoch and Elijah in heaven,

5 and also the blessed thief, who relates

how he came to Paradise.

THEN the Lord, holding Adam

by the hand, delivered him

to Michael the archangel; and he

led them into Paradise, filled with

mercy and glory;

2 And two very ancient men

met them, and were asked by the

saints, Who are ye, who have not

yet been with us in hell, and have

had your bodies placed in Paradise?

3 One of them answering, said,

I am Enoch, who was translated

by the word of God: and this man

who is with me, is Elijah the

Tishbite, who was translated in a

fiery chariot.

4 Here we have hitherto been,

and have not tasted death, but are

now about to return at the coming

of Antichrist, being armed with

divine signs and miracles, to

engage with him in battle, and to be

slain by him at Jerusalem, and to

be taken up alive again into the

clouds, after three days and a

half.

5 And while the holy Enoch

and Elias were relating this,

behold there came another man in a

miserable figure, carrying the sign

of the cross upon his shoulders.

6 And when all the saints saw

him, they said to him, Who art

thou? For thy countenance is like

a thief's; and why dost thou carry

a cross upon thy shoulders?

7 To which he answering, said,

Ye say right, for I was a thief,

who committed all sorts of wickedness

upon earth.

8 And the Jews crucified me

with Jesus; and I observed the

surprising things which happened

in the creation at the crucifixion

of the Lord Jesus.

9 And I believed him to be the

Creator of all things, and the

Almighty King; and I prayed to

him, saying, Lord remember me,

when thou comest into thy kingdom.

10 He presently regarded my

supplication, and said to me,

Verily I say unto thee, this day

thou shalt be with me in Paradise.

11 And he gave me this sign of

the cross, saying, Carry this, and

go to Paradise; and if the angel

who is the guard of Paradise will

not admit thee, show him the sign

of the cross, and say unto him

Jesus Christ who is now crucified,

hath sent me hither to thee.

12 When I did this and told the

angel who is the guard of Paradise

all these things, and he heard

them, he presently opened the

gates, introduced me, and placed

me on the right hand in Paradise,

13 Saying, Stay here a little

time, till Adam, the father of all

mankind, shall enter in, with all

his sons, who are the holy and

righteous servants of Jesus Christ,

who was crucified.

14 When they heard all this

account from the thief, all the

patriarchs said with one voice,

Blessed be thou, O Almighty God,

the Father of everlasting goodness,

and the Father of mercies, who hast

shown such favour to those who were

sinners against him, and hast

brought them to the mercy of

Paradise, and hast placed them

amidst thy large and spiritual

provisions, in a spiritual and

holy life. Amen.

CHAPTER XXI.

1 Charinus and Lenthius being only allowed

three days to remain on earth,

7 deliver in their narratives, which miraculously

correspond; they vanish,

13 and Pilate records these transactions.

THESE are the divine and

sacred mysteries which we saw

and heard. We, Charinus and

Lenthius are not allowed to declare

the other mysteries of God, as the

archangel Michael ordered us,

2 Saying, ye shall go with my

brethren to Jerusalem, and shall

continue in prayers, declaring and

glorifying the resurrection of

Jesus Christ, seeing he hath raised

you from the dead at the same

time with himself.

3 And ye shall not talk with

any man, but sit as dumb persons

till the time come when the Lord

will allow you to relate the

mysteries of his divinity.

4 The archangel Michael farther

commanded us to go beyond Jordan,

to an excellent and fat country,

where there are many who rose

from the dead along with us

for the proof of the resurrection

of Christ.

5 For we have only three days

allowed us from the dead, who

arose to celebrate the passover of

our Lord with our parents, and to

bear our testimony for Christ the

Lord, and we have been baptized

in the holy river of Jordan. And

now they are not seen by any one.

6 This is as much as God allowed

us to relate to you; give ye

therefore praise and honour to

him, and repent, and he will have

mercy upon you. Peace be to you

from the Lord God Jesus Christ,

and the Saviour of us all. Amen,

Amen, Amen.

7 And after they had made an

end of writing, and had written

on two distinct pieces of paper,

Charinus gave what he wrote into the

hands of Annas, and Caiaphas, and

Gamaliel.

8 Lenthius likewise gave what

he wrote into the hands of Nicodemus

and Joseph; and immediately they

were changed into exceeding white

forms and were seen no more.

9 But what they had written

was found perfectly to agree, the

one not containing one letter more

or less than the other.

10 When all the assembly of the

Jews heard all these surprising

relations of Charinus and Lenthius,

they said to each other, Truly all

these things were wrought by

God, and blessed be the Lord Jesus

for ever and ever, Amen.

11 And they went all out with

great concern, and fear, and

trembling, and smote upon their

breasts and went away every one

to his home.

12 But immediately all these

things which were related by the

Jews in their synagogues concerning

Jesus, were presently told by Joseph

and Nicodemus to the governor.

13 And Pilate wrote down all

these transactions, and placed all

these accounts in the public records

of his hall.

CHAPTER XXII.

1 Pilate goes to the temple; calls together

the rulers, and scribes, and doctors.

2 Commands the gates to be shut;

orders the book of the Scriptures; and

causes the Jews to relate what they really

knew concerning Christ.

14 They declare that they crucified Christ

in ignorance, and that they now know him

to be the Son of God, according to the

testimony of the Scriptures; which,

after they put him to death, were examined.

AFTER these things Pilate went

to the temple of the Jews,

and called together all the rulers

and scribes, and doctors of the

law, and went with them into a

chapel of the temple.

2 And commanding that all the

gates should be shut, said to them,

I have heard that ye have a certain

large book in this temple; I desire

you, therefore, that it may be

brought before me.

3 And when the great book,

carried by four ministers of the

temple, and adorned with gold and

precious stones, was brought,

Pilate said to them all, I adjure

you by the God of your Fathers,

who made and commanded this temple

to be built, that ye conceal not the

truth from me.

4 Ye know all the things which

are written in that book; tell me

therefore now, if ye in the

Scriptures have found any thing of

that Jesus whom ye crucified, and at

what time of the world he, ought

to have come: show it me.

5 Then having sworn Annas and

Caiaphas, they commanded all the

rest who were with them to go out

of the chapel.

6 And they shut the gates of the

temple and of the chapel, and said

to Pilate, Thou hast made us to

swear, O judge, by the building of

this temple, to declare to thee that

which is true and right.

7 After we had crucified Jesus,

not knowing that he was the Son

of God, but supposing he wrought

his miracles by some magical arts,

we summoned a large assembly in

this temple.

8 And when we were deliberating

among one another about the

miracles which Jesus had wrought,

we found many witnesses of our

own country, who declared that

they had seen him alive after his

death, and that they heard him

discoursing with his disciples, and

saw him ascending into the height

of the heavens, and entering into

them;

9 And we saw two witnesses,

whose bodies Jesus raised from the

dead, who told us of many strange

things which Jesus did among the

dead, of which we have a written

account in our hands.

10 And it is our custom annually

to open this holy book before an

assembly, and to search there for

the counsel of God.

11 And we found in the first of

the seventy books, where Michael

the archangel is speaking to the

third son of Adam the first man,

an account that after five thousand

five hundred years, Christ the

most beloved son of God was to

come on earth,

12 And we further considered,

that perhaps he was the very God

of Israel who spoke to Moses,

Thou shalt make the ark of the

testimony; two cubits and a half

shall be the length thereof, and a

cubit and a half the breadth thereof,

and a cubit and a half the height

thereof.

13 By these five cubits and a

half for the building of the ark

of the Old Testament, we perceived

and knew that in five thousand

years and half (one thousand) years,

Jesus Christ was to come in the

ark or tabernacle of a body;

14 And so our Scriptures testify

that he is the Son of God, and the

Lord and King of Israel.

15 And because after his suffering,

our chief priests were surprised

at the signs which were wrought

by his means, we opened that book

to search all the generations down

to the generation of Joseph and

Mary the mother of Jesus,

supposing him to be of the

seed of David;

16 And we found the account of

the creation, and at what time he

made the heaven and the earth,

and the first man Adam, and that

from thence to the flood, were two

thousand seven hundred and forty-

eight years.

17 And from the flood to Abraham,

nine hundred and twelve.

And from Abraham to Moses, four

hundred and thirty. And from

Moses to David the King, five

hundred and ten.

18 And from David to the Babylonish

captivity five hundred years.

And from the Babylonish captivity

to the incarnation of Christ, four

hundred years.

19 The sum of all which amounts

to five thousand and half (a thousand.)

20 And so it appears, that Jesus

whom we crucified, is Jesus Christ

the Son of God, and true Almighty

God. Amen.

(In the name of the Holy Trinity,

thus end the acts of our Saviour

Jesus Christ, which the Emperor

Theodosius the Great found at

Jerusalem, in the hall of Pontius

Pilate, among the public records;

the things were acted in the

nineteenth year of Tiberius Caesar,

Emperor of the Romans, and in

the seventeenth year of the

government of Herod, the son of

Herod and of Galilee, on the

eighth of the calends of April,

which is the twenty-third day of

the month of March, in the CCIId

Olympiad, when Joseph and Caiaphas

were rulers of the Jews; being a

History written in Hebrew by

Nicodemus, of what happened after

our Saviour's crucifixion.)

REFERENCES TO THE GOSPEL OF NICODEMUS, FORMERLY

CALLED THE ACTS OF PONTIUS PILATE.

[Although this Gospel is, by some among the learned, supposed to have

been really written by Nicodemus, who became a disciple of Jesus Christ,

and conversed with him; others conjecture that it was a forgery towards

the close of the third century by some zealous believer, who, observing

that there had been appeals made by the Christians of the former age,

to the acts of Pilate, but that such acts could not be produced,

imagined it would be of service to Christianity to fabricate and publish

this Gospel; as it would both confirm the Christians under persecution,

and convince the Heathens of the truth of the Christian religion. The

Rev. Jeremiah Jones says, that such pious frauds were very common among

Christians even in the first three centuries; and that a forgery of this

nature, with the view above-mentioned, seems natural and probable. The

same author, in noticing that Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History,

charges the Pagans with having forged and published a book, called "The

Acts of Pilate," takes occasion to observe that the internal evidence of

this Gospel shows it was not the work of any Heathen, but that if in the

latter end of the third century we find it in use among Christians (as

it was then certainly in some churches), and about the same time find a

forgery of the Heathens under the same title, it seems exceedingly

probable that some Christians, at that time, should publish such a piece

as this, in order partly to confront the spurious one of the Pagans, and

partly to support those appeals which had been made by former Christians

to the Acts of Pilate; and Mr. Jones says, he thinks so more particularly

as we have innumerable instances of forgeries by the faithful in the

primitive ages, grounded on less plausible reasons. Whether it be

canonical or not, it is of very great antiquity, and is appealed to by

several of the ancient Christians. The present translation is made from

the Gospel, published by Grynaeus in the Orthodoxographa, vol. i, tom,

ii, p. 613.]

Notwithstanding the diversity of opinions here alluded to, the majority

of the learned believe that the internal evidence of the authenticity of

this Gospel is manifested in the correct details of that period of

Christ's life on which it treats, while it far excels the canonical

Evangelists narrative of the trial of our Saviour before Pilate, with

more minute particulars of persons, evidence, circumstance, &c.

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

persuaded 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 report,

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.

CHAPTER II.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

I RECEIVED your letter yesterday

with pleasure, to which I could

immediately have written an answer,

had the young man been at home,

whom I intended to have sent to you:

2 For you know when, and by whom,

at what seasons, and to whom I must

deliver everything which I send.

3 I desire therefore you would

not charge me with negligence, if

I wait for a proper person.

4 I reckon myself very happy in

having the judgment of so valuable

a person, that you are delighted

with my Epistles:

5 For you would not be esteemed

a censor, a philosopher, or be the

tutor of so great a prince, and a

master of everything, if you were

not sincere. I wish you a lasting

prosperity.

CHAPTER III.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

I HAVE completed some volumes

and divided them into their

proper parts.

2 I am determined to read them

to Caesar, and if any favourable

opportunity happens, you also

shall be present, when they are

read;

3 But if that cannot be, I will

appoint and give you notice of a

day, when we will together read

over the performance.

4 I had determined, if I could

with safety, first to have your

opinion of it, before I published

it to Caesar, that you might be

convinced of my affection to you.

Farewell, dearest Paul.

CHAP. IV.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

AS often as I read your letters,

I imagine you present with

me; nor indeed do I think any

other, than that you are always

with us.

2 As soon therefore as you begin

to come, we shall presently see

each other. I wish you all

prosperity.

CHAPTER V.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

WE are very much concerned

at your too long absence

from us.

2 What is it, or what affairs are

they, which obstructs your coming?

3 If you fear the anger of

Caesar because you have abandoned

your former religion, and made

proselytes also of others, you

have this to plead, that your

acting thus proceeded not from

inconstancy, but judgment.

Farewell.

CHAPTER VI.

PAUL to SENECA and LUCILIUS

Greeting.

CONCERNING those things,

about which ye wrote to me,

it is not proper for me to mention

anything in writing with pen and

ink: the one of which leaves

marks, and the other evidently

declares things.

2 Especially since I know that

there are near you, as well as me,

those who will understand my

meaning.

3 Deference is to be paid to

all men, and so much the more,

as they are more likely to take

occasions of quarrelling.

4 And if we show a submissive

temper, we shall overcome

effectually in all points, if so

be they are, who are capable of

seeing and acknowledging themselves

to have been in the wrong. Farewell.

CHAPTER VII.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

I PROFESS myself extremely

pleased with the reading your

letters to the Galatians,

Corinthians, and people of Achaia.

2 For the Holy Ghost has in

them by you delivered those

sentiments which are very lofty,

sublime, deserving of all respect,

and beyond your own invention.

3 I could wish therefore, that

when you are writing things so

extraordinary, there might not

be wanting an elegancy of speech

agreeable to their majesty.

4 And I must own, my brother,

that I may not at once dishonestly

conceal anything from you, and be

unfaithful to my own conscience,

that the emperor is extremely

pleased with the sentiments of

your Epistles;

5 For when he heard the beginning

of them read, he declared, that he

was surprised to find such notions

in a person, who had not had a

regular education.

6 To which I replied, That the

Gods sometimes made use of mean

(innocent) persons to speak by, and

gave him an instance of this in a

mean countryman named Vatienus,

who, when he was in the country

of Reate, had two men appeared

to him, called Castor and Pollux,

and received a revelation from the

gods. Farewell.

CHAPTER VIII.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

ALTHOUGH I know the emperor is

both an admirer and favourer of

our religion, yet give me leave

to advise you against your suffering

any injury (by showing favour to us).

2 I think indeed you ventured

upon a very dangerous attempt,

when you would declare (to the

emperor) that which is so very

contrary to his religion, and way

of worship; seeing he is a

worshipper of the heathen gods.

3 I know not what you particularly

had in view, when you told him of

this; but I suppose you did it out

of too great respect for me.

4 But I desire that for the future

you would not do so; for you had

need be careful, lest by showing

your affection for me, you should

offend your master:

5 His anger indeed will do us no

harm, if he continue a heathen;

nor will his not being angry be

of any service to us:

6 And if the empress act worthy

of her character, she will not be

angry; but if she act as a woman,

she will be affronted. Farewell.

CHAPTER IX.

ANNEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

KNOW that my letter, wherein

I acquainted you, that I had

read to the Emperor your Epistles,

does not so much affect you as the

nature of the things (contained

in them.)

2 Which do so powerfully divert

men's minds from their former

manners and practices, that I have

always been surprised, and have

been fully convinced of it by many

arguments heretofore.

3 Let us therefore begin afresh;

and if any thing heretofore has

been imprudently acted, do you

forgive.

4 I have sent you a book decopia

verborum. Farewell, dearest Paul.

CHAPTER X.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

AS often as I write to you,

and place my name before yours,

I do a thing both disagreeable

to myself, and contrary to our

religion:

2 For I ought, as I have often

declared, to become all things to

all men, and to have that regard

to your quality, which the Roman

law has honoured all senators with;

namely, to put my name last in the

(inscription of the) Epistle, that

I may not at length with uneasiness

and shame be obliged to do that

which it was always my inclination

to do. Farewell, most respected

master. Dated the fifth of the

calends of July, in the fourth

Consulship of Nero, and Messala.

CHAPTER XI.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

ALL happiness to you,

my dearest Paul.

2 If a person so great, and

every way agreeable as you are,

become not only a common, but

a most intimate friend to me,

how happy will be the case of

Seneca!

3 You therefore, who are so

eminent, and so far exalted above

all, even the greatest, do not think

yourself unfit to be first named in

the inscription of an Epistle;

4 Lest I should suspect you intend

not so much to try me, as to banter

me; for you know yourself to be a

Roman citizen.

5 And I could wish to be in that

circumstance or station which you

are, and that you were in the same

that I am. Farewell, dearest Paul.

Dated the tenth of the calends of

April, in the Consulship of Aprianus

and Capito.

CHAPTER XII.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

ALL happiness to you, my dearest

Paul. Do you not suppose I am

extremely concerned and grieved

that your innocence should bring

you into sufferings?

2 And that all the people should

suppose you (Christians) so criminal,

and imagine all the misfortunes

that happen to the city, to be

caused by you?

3 But let us bear the charge

with a patient temper, appealing

for our innocence to the court

above, which is the only one our

hard fortune will allow us to address

to, till at length our misfortunes

shall end in unalterable happiness.

4 Former ages have produced

(tyrants) Alexander the son of

Philip, and Dionysius; ours also

has produced Caius Caesar; whose

inclinations were their only laws.

5 As to the frequent burnings

of the city of Rome, the cause is

manifest; and if a person in my

mean circumstances might be allowed

to speak, and one might declare

these dark things without danger,

every one should see the whole of

the matter.

6 The Christians and Jews are

indeed commonly punished for the

crime of burning the city; but that

impious miscreant, who delights

in murders and butcheries, and

disguises his villainies with lies,

is appointed to, or reserved till,

his proper time.

7 And as the life of every

excellent person is now sacrificed

instead of that one person (who is

the author of the mischief), so this

one shall be sacrificed for many,

and he shall be devoted to be burnt

with fire instead of all.

8 One hundred and thirty-two houses,

and four whole squares (or islands)

were burnt down in six days: the

seventh put an end to the burning.

I wish you all happiness.

9 Dated the fifth of the calends

of April, in the Consulship of

Frigius and Bassus.

CHAPTER XIII.

ANNAEUS SENECA to PAUL Greeting.

ALL happiness to you, my dearest

Paul.

2 You have written many volumes in

an allegorical and mystical style,

and therefore such mighty matters

and business being committed to you,

require not to be set off with any

rhetorical flourishes of speech,

but only with some proper elegance.

3 I remember you often said,

that many by affecting such a style

do injury to their subjects, and

lose the force of the matters they

treat of.

4 But in this I desire you to

regard me, namely, to have respect

to true Latin, and to choose just

words, that so you may the better

manage the noble trust which is

reposed in you.

5 Farewell. Dated the fifth of

the nones of July, Leo and Savinus

Consuls.

CHAPTER XIV.

PAUL to SENECA Greeting.

YOUR serious consideration is

requited with those discoveries,

which the Divine Being has

granted but to few;

2 I am thereby assured that

I sow the most strong seed in a

fertile soil, not anything material,

which is subject to corruption, but

the durable word of God, which

shall increase and bring forth fruit

to eternity.

3 That which by your wisdom you

have attained to, shall abide

without decay for ever.

4 Believe that you ought to

avoid the superstitions of Jews

and Gentiles.

5 The things which you have in

some measure arrived to, prudently

make known to the emperor, his

family, and to faithful friends;

6 And though your sentiments

will seem disagreeable, and not

be comprehended by them, seeing

most of them will not regard your

discourses, yet the Word of God

once infused into them, will at

length make them become new men,

aspiring towards God.

7 Farewell Seneca, who art

most dear to us. Dated on the

calends of August, in the

Consulship of Leo and Savinus.

REFERENCES TO THE EPISTLES OF ST. PAUL THE APOSTLE

TO SENECA, WITH SENECA'S TO PAUL.

[Several very learned writers have entertained a favourable opinion of

these Epistles. They are undoubtedly of high antiquity. Salmeron cites

them to prove that Seneca was one of Caesar's household, referred to by

Paul, Philip iv. 22, as saluting the brethren at Philippi. In Jerome's

enumeration of illustrious men, he places Seneca, on account of these

Epistles, amongst the ecclesiastical and holy writers of the Christian

Church. Sixtus Senensis has published them in his Bibliotheque, p 89, 90;

and it is from thence that the present translation is made. Baronius,

Bellarmine, Dr. Cave, Spanheim, and others, contend that they are not

genuine.]

THE ACTS OF ST. PAUL AND THECLA.

The martyrdom of the holy and glorious

first Martyr and Apostle Thecla.

CHAPTER I.

1 Demas and Hermogenes become Paul's companions.

4 Paul visits Onesiphorus.

8 Invited by Demos and Hermogenes.

11 Preaches to the household of Onesiphorus.

12 His sermon.

WHEN Paul went up to Iconium,

after his flight from Antioch,

Demas and Hermogenes became

his companions, who were then

full of hypocrisy.

2 But Paul looking only at the

goodness of God, did them no

harm, but loved them greatly.

3 Accordingly he endeavoured

to make agreeable to them all the

oracles and doctrines of Christ,

and the design of the Gospel of

God's well-beloved son; instructing

them in the knowledge of Christ,

as it was revealed to him.

4 And a certain man named

Onesiphorus, hearing that Paul

was come to Iconium, went out

speedily to meet him, together

with his wife Lectra, and his sons

Simmia and Zeno, to invite him to

their house.

5 For Titus had given them a

description of Paul's personage,

they as yet not knowing him in

person, but only being acquainted

with his character.

6 They went in the king's highway

to Lystra, and stood there waiting

for him, comparing all who passed

by with that description which

Titus had given them.

7 At length they saw a man coming

(namely Paul), of a low stature,

bald on the head; with crooked thighs,

handsome legs, hollow-eyes; and a

crooked nose; full of grace, for

sometimes he appeared as a man,

sometimes he had the countenance

of an angel. And Paul saw Onesiphorus,

and was glad.

8 And Onesiphorus said:

Hail, thou servant of the blessed

God. Paul replied, The grace of

God be with thee and thy family.

9 But Denies and Hermogenes

were moved with envy, and, under

a show of great religion, Demas

said, And are not we also servants

of the blessed God? Why didst

thou not salute us?

10 Onesiphorus replied, Because

I have not perceived in you the

fruits of righteousness; nevertheless,

if ye are of that sort, ye shall be

welcome to my house also.

11 Then Paul went into the house

of Onesiphorus, and there was great

joy among the family on that account:

and they employed themselves in prayer,

breaking of bread, and hearing Paul

preach the word of God concerning

temperance and the resurrection,

in the following manner:

12 Blessed are the pure in

heart; for they shall see God.

13 Blessed are they who keep

their flesh undefiled (or pure);

for they shall be the temple of God.

14 Blessed are the temperate

(or chaste); for God will reveal

himself to them.

15 Blessed are they who abandon

their worldly enjoyments; for they

shall be accepted of God.

16 Blessed are they who have

wives, as though they had them

not; for they shall be made angels

of God.

17 Blessed are they who tremble

at the word of God; for they

shall be comforted.

18 Blessed are they who keep

their baptism pure; for they shall

find peace with the Father, Son,

and Holy Ghost.

19 Blessed are they who pursue

the wisdom or doctrine of Jesus

Christ; for they shall be called

the sons of the Most High.

20 Blessed are they who observe

the instructions of Jesus Christ;

for they shall dwell in eternal

light.

21 Blessed are they, who for the

love of Christ abandon the glories

of the world, for they shall judge

angels, and be placed at the right

hand of Christ, and shall not suffer

the bitterness of the last judgment.

22 Blessed are the bodies and souls

of virgins; for they are acceptable

to God, and shall not lose the reward

of their virginity; for the word of

their (heavenly) Father shall prove

effectual to their salvation in the

day of his Son, and they shall enjoy

rest for evermore.

CHAPTER II.

1 Thecla listens anxiously to Paul's preaching.

5 Thamyris, her admirer, concerts with Theoclia

her mother to dissuade her,

12 in vain.

14 Demas and Hermogenes vilify Paul to Thamyris.

WHILE Paul was preaching

this sermon in the church

which was in the house of

Onesiphorus, a certain virgin

named Thecla (whose mother's

name was Theoclia, and who was

betrothed to a man named Thamyris)

sat at a certain window in her house.

2 From whence, by the advantage

of a window in the house where

Paul was, she both night and day

heard Paul's sermons concerning

God, concerning charity, concerning

faith in Christ, and concerning

prayer;

3 Nor would she depart from

the window, till with exceeding

joy she was subdued to the

doctrines of faith.

4 At length, when she saw many

women and virgins going into

Paul, she earnestly desired that

she might be thought worthy to

appear in his presence, and hear

the word of Christ; for she had

not yet seen Paul's person, but only

heard his sermons, and that alone.

5 But when she would not be

prevailed upon to depart from the

window, her mother sent to Thamyris,

who came with the greatest pleasure,

as hoping now, to marry her.

Accordingly he said to Theoclia,

Where is my Thecla?

6 Theoclia replied, Thamyris,

I have something very strange to

tell you; for Thecla, for the space

of three days, will not move from

the window, not so much as to eat

or drink, but is so intent in

hearing the artful and delusive

discourses of a certain foreigner,

that I perfectly wonder Thamyris,

that a young woman of her known

modesty, will suffer herself to be

so prevailed upon.

7 For that man has disturbed

the whole city of Iconium, and

even your Thecla, among others.

All the women and young men

flock to him to receive his

doctrine; who, besides all the

rest, tells them that there is

but one God, who alone is to be

worshipped, and that we ought

to live in chastity.

8 Notwithstanding this, my

daughter Thecla, like a spider's

web fastened to the window, is

captivated, by the discourses of

Paul, and attends' upon them with

prodigious eagerness, and vast

delight; and thus, by attending

on what he says, the young woman

is seduced. Now then do you go,

and speak to her, for she is

betrothed to you.

9 Accordingly Thamyris went,

and having saluted her, and taking

care not to surprise her, he said,

Thecla, my spouse, why sittest

thou in this melancholy posture?

What strange impressions are

made upon thee? Turn to Thamyris,

and blush.

10 Her mother also spake to her

after the same manner, and said,

Child, why dost thou sit so

melancholy, and, like one

astonished, makest no reply?

11 Then they wept exceedingly,

Thamyris, that he had lost his

spouse; Theoclia, that she had

lost her daughter; and the maids,

that they had lost their mistress;

and there was an universal

mourning in the family.

12 But all these things made no

impression upon Thecla, so as to

incline her so much as to turn to

them, and take notice of them;

for she still regarded the

discourses of Paul.

13 Then Thamyris ran forth into

the street to observe who they

were that went in to Paul, and

came out from him; and he saw

two men engaged in a very warm

dispute, and said to them;

14 Sirs, what business have

you here? and who is that man

within, belonging to you, who

deludes the minds of men, both

young men and virgins, persuading

them, that they ought not to marry,

but continue as they are?

15 I promise to give you a

considerable sum, if ye will give

me a just account of him; for I am

the chief person of this city.

16 Demas and Hermogenes replied,

We cannot so exactly tell who he

is; but this we know, that he

deprives young men of their

(intended) wives, and virgins of

their (intended) husbands, by

teaching, There can be no future

resurrection, unless ye continue

in chastity, and do not defile your

flesh.

CHAPTER III.

1 They betray Paul.

7 Thamyris arrests him with officers.

THEN said Thamyris, Come along

with me to my house, and refresh

yourselves. So they went to a very

splendid entertainment, where

there was wine in abundance,

and very rich provision.

2 They were brought to a table

richly spread, and made to drink

plentifully by Thamyris, on account

of the love he had for Thecla

and his desire to marry her.

3 Then Thamyris said, I desire

ye would inform me what the

doctrines of this Paul are, that

I may understand them; for I am

under no small concern about Thecla,

seeing she so delights in that

stranger's discourses, that I am in

danger of losing my intended wife.

4 Then Demas and Hermogenes

answered both together, and said,

Let him be brought before the

governor Castellius, as one who

endeavours to persuade the people

into the new religion of the

Christians, and he, according to

the order of Caesar, will put him

to death, by which means you will

obtain your wife;

5 While we at the same time will

teach her, that the resurrection

which he speaks of is already come,

and consists in our having children;

and that we then arose again,

when we came to the knowledge of God.

6 Thamyris having this account

from them, was filled with hot

resentment:

7 And rising early in the morning

he went to the house of Onesiphorus,

attended by the magistrates, the

Jailor, and a great multitude of

people with staves, and said to Paul;

8 Thou hast perverted the city

of Iconium, and among the rest,

Thecla, who is betrothed to me,

so that now she will not marry

me. Thou shalt therefore go with

us to the governor Castellius.

9 And all the multitude cried

out, Away with this imposter, for

he has perverted the minds of our

wives, and all the people hearken

to him.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Paul accused before the governor by Thamyris.

5 Defends himself.

9 Is committed to prison,

10 and visited by Thecla.

THEN Thamyris standing before

the governor's judgment-seat,

spake with a loud voice in the

following manner.

2 O governor, I know not whence

this man cometh; but he is one

who teaches that matrimony is

unlawful. Command him therefore

to declare before you for what

reason he publishes such doctrines.

3 While he was saying thus,

Demas and Hermogenes (whispered to

Thamyris, and) said; Say that he

is a Christian, and he will

presently be put to death.

4 But the governor was more

deliberate, and calling to Paul,

he said, Who art thou? What dost

thou teach? They seem to lay

gross crimes to thy charge.

5 Paul then spake with a loud

voice, saying, As I am now called

to give an account, O governor,

of my doctrines, I desire your

audience.

6 That God, who is a God of

vengeance, and who strands in need

of nothing but the salvation of his

creatures, has sent me to reclaim

them from their wickedness, and

corruptions; from all (sinful)

pleasures, and from death; and to

persuade them to sin no more.

7 On this account, God sent his

Son Jesus Christ, whom I preach,

and in whom I instruct men to

place their hopes, as that person

who only had such compassion on

the deluded world, that it might

not, O governor, be condemned,

but have faith, the fear of God,

the knowledge of religion, and the

love of truth.

8 So that if I only teach those

things which I have received by

revelation from God, where is my

crime?

9 When the governor heard this,

he ordered Paul to be bound,

and to be put in prison, till he

should be more at leisure to hear

him more fully.

10 But in the night, Thecla

taking off her ear-rings, gave them

to the turnkey of the prison, who

then opened the door to her, and

let her in;

11 And when she made a present

of a silver looking-glass to the

jailor, was allowed to go into the

room where Paul was; then she set

down at his feet, and heard from

him the great things of God.

12 And as she perceived Paul

not to be afraid of suffering,

but that by divine assistance

he behaved himself with courage,

her faith so far increased that

she kissed his chains.

CHAPTER V.

1 Thecla sought and found by her relations.

4 Brought with Paul before the governor.

9 Ordered to be burnt, and Paul to be whipt.

15 Thecla miraculously saved.

AT length Thecla was missed

and sought for by the family

and by Thamyris in every street,

as though she had been lost; till

one of the porter's fellow-servants

told them, that she had gone out

in the night-time.

2 Then they examined the porter,

and he told them, that she was

gone to the prison to the strange

man.

3 They went therefore according

to his direction, and there found

her; and when they came out, they

got a mob together, and went and

told the governor all that had

happened.

4 Upon which he ordered Paul

to be brought before his judgment

seat.

5 Thecla in the mean time lay

wallowing on the ground in the

prison, in that same place where

Paul had sat to teach her; upon

which the governor also ordered

her to be brought before his

judgment-seat; which summons she

received with joy, and went.

6 When Paul was brought thither,

the mob with more vehemence cried

out, He is a magician, let him die.

7 Nevertheless the governor

attended with pleasure upon Paul's

discourses of the holy works of

Christ; and, after a council called,

he summoned Thecla, and said to

her, Why do you not, according

to the law of the Iconians, marry

Thamyris?

8 She stood still, with her eyes

fixed upon Paul; and finding she

made no reply, Theoclia, her

mother cried out saying, Let the

unjust creature be burnt; let her

be burnt in the midst of the theatre,

for refusing Thamyris, that all

women may learn from her to avoid

such practices.

9 Then the governor was exceedingly

concerned, and ordered Paul to be

whipt out of the city, and Thecla

to be burnt.

10 So the governor arose, and went

immediately into the theatre; and

all the people went forth to see

the dismal sight.

11 But Thecla, just as a lamb in

the wilderness looks every way to

see his shepherd, looked around

for Paul;

12 And as she was looking upon

the multitude, she saw the Lord

Jesus in the likeness of Paul, and

said to herself, Paul is come to see

me in my distressed circumstances.

And she fixed her eyes upon him;

but he instantly ascended up to

heaven, while she looked on him.

13 Then the young men and women

brought wood and straw for the

burning of Thecla; who being brought

naked to the stake, extorted tears

from the governor, with surprise

beholding the greatness of her beauty.

14 And when they had placed

the wood in order, the people

commanded her to go upon it; which

she did, first making the sign of

the cross.

15 Then the people set fire to

the pile; though the flame was

exceeding large, it did not touch

her; for God took compassion on

her, and caused a great eruption

from the earth beneath, and a

cloud from above to pour down

great quantities of rain and hail;

16 Insomuch that by the rupture

of the earth, very many were

in great danger, and some were

killed, the fire was extinguished,

and Thecla preserved.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Paul with Onesiphorus in a cave.

7 Thecla discovers Paul;

12 proffers to follow him:

13 he exhorts her not for fear of fornication.

IN the mean time Paul, together

with Onesiphorus, his wife and

children, was keeping a fast in a

certain cave, which was in the

road from Iconium to Daphne.

2 And when they had fasted for

several days, the children said to

Paul, Father, we are hungry, and

have not wherewithal to buy bread;

for Onesiphorus had left all his

substance to follow Paul with his

family.

3 Then Paul, taking off his coat,

said to the boy, Go, child, and buy

bread, and bring it hither.

4 But while the boy was buying

the bread, he saw his neighbour

Thecla, and was surprised, and

said to her, Thecla, where are you

going?

5 She replied, I am in pursuit

of Paul, having been delivered

from the flames.

6 The boy then said, I will bring

you to him, for he is under great

concern on your account, and has

been in prayer and fasting these

six days.

7 When Thecla came to the cave,

she found Paul upon his knees

praying and saying, O holy Father,

O Lord Jesus Christ, grant that

the fire may not touch Thecla;

but be her helper, for she is

thy servant.

8 Thecla then standing behind

him, cried out in the following

words: O sovereign Lord Creator

of heaven and earth, the Father of

thy beloved and holy Son, I praise

thee that thou hast preserved me

from the fire, to see Paul again.

9 Paul then arose, and when he

saw her, said, O God, who searchest

the heart, Father of my Lord Jesus

Christ, I praise thee that thou hast

answered my prayer.

10 And there prevailed among them

in the cave an entire affection to

each other; Paul, Onesiphorus,

and all that were with them being

filled with joy.

11 They had five loaves, some

herbs and water, and they solaced

each other in reflections upon the

holy works of Christ.

12 Then said Thecla to Paul,

If you be pleased with it, I will

follow you whithersoever you go.

13 He replied to her, Persons

are now much given to fornication,

and you being handsome, I am

afraid lest you should meet with

greater temptation than the former,

and should Not withstand, but be

overcome by it.

14 Thecla replied, Grant me

only the seal of Christ, and no

temptation shall affect me.

15 Paul answered, Thecla, wait

with patience, and you shall

receive the gift of Christ.

CHAPTER VII.

1 Paul and Thecla go to Antioch.

2 Alexander, a magistrate, falls in love with Thecla:

4 kisses her by force:

5 she resists him:

6 is carried before the governor, and condemned

to be thrown to wild beasts.

THEN Paul sent back Onesiphorus

and his family to their own home,

and taking Thecla along with him,

went for Antioch;

2 And as soon as they came in.

to the city, a certain Syrian,

named Alexander, a magistrate in

the city, who had done many

considerable services for the city

during his magistracy, saw Thecla,

and fell in love with her, and

endeavoured by many rich presents

to engage Paul in his interest.

3 But Paul told him, I know not

the woman of whom you speak, nor

does she belong to me.

4 But he being a person of great

power in, Antioch, seized her in

the street and kissed her: which

Thecla would not bear, but looking

about for Paul, cried out in a

distressed loud tone, Force me not,

who am a stranger; force me not,

who am a servant of God; I am

one of the principal persons of

Iconium, and was obliged to leave

that city because I would not be

married to Thamyris.

5 Then she laid hold on Alexander,

tore his coat, and took his crown

off his head, and made him appear

ridiculous before all the people.

6 But Alexander, partly as he

loved her, and partly being ashamed

of what had been done, led her to

the governor, and upon her confession

of what she had done, he condemned

her to be thrown among the beasts.

CHAPTER VIII.

2 Thecla entertained by Trifina;

3 brought out to the wild beasts;

a she-lion licks her feet.

5 Trifina upon a vision of her deceased

daughter, adopts Thecla,

11 who is taken to the amphitheatre again.

WHICH when the people saw, they

said: The judgments passed in this

city are unjust. But Thecla desired

the favour of the governor, that

her chastity might not be attacked,

but preserved till she should be

cast to the beasts.

2 The governor then inquired,

Who would entertain her; upon

which a certain very rich widow,

named Trifina, whose daughter

was lately dead, desired that she

might have the keeping of her;

and she began to treat her in her

house as her own daughter.

3 At length a day came, when

the beasts were to be brought forth

to be seen; and Thecla was brought

to the amphitheatre, and put into

a den in which was an exceeding

fierce she-lion, in the presence of

a multitude of spectators.

4 Trifina; without any surprise,

accompanied Thecla, and the

she-lion licked the feet of Thecla.

The title written which denoted

her crime, was Sacrilege. Then

the women cried out, O God, the

judgments of this city are

unrighteous.

5 After the beasts had been

shown, Trifina took Thecla home

with her, and they went to bed;

and behold, the daughter of Trifina,

who was dead, appeared to her

mother, and said; Mother, let the

young woman, Thecla, be reputed

by you as your daughter in my

stead; and desire her that she

should pray for me, that I may be

translated to a state of happiness.

6 Upon which Trifina, with a

mournful air, said, My daughter

Falconilla has appeared to me, and

ordered me to receive you in her

room; wherefore I desire, Thecla,

that you would pray for my daughter,

that she may be translated into

a state of happiness, and to life

eternal.

7 When Thecla heard this, she

immediately prayed to the Lord,

and said: O Lord God of heaven and

earth, Jesus Christ, thou Son of

the Most High, grant that her

daughter Falconilla may live forever.

Trifina hearing this, groaned again,

and said: O unrighteous judgments!

O unreasonable wickedness! that

such a creature should (again)

be cast to the beasts!

8 On the morrow, at break of day,

Alexander came to Trifina's house,

and said: The governor and the

people are waiting; bring the

criminal forth.

9 But Trifina ran in so violently

upon him, that he was affrighted,

and ran away. Trifina was one of

the royal family; and she thus

expressed her sorrow, and said;

Alas! I have trouble in my house

on two accounts, and there is no

one who will relieve me, either

under the loss of my daughter, or

my being unable to save Thecla.

But now, O Lord God, be thou the

helper of Thecla thy servant.

10 While she was thus engaged.

the governor sent one of his own