The apocryphal New Testament, being all the gospels, epistles, and other pieces now extant, attributed in the first four centuries to Jesus Christ, His apostles, and their companions

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Preface to the Second Edition

ALTHOUGH The Apocryphal New Testament was put out without pretension or ostentatious announcement, or even solicitude for its fate, yet a large Edition has been sold in a few months. The Public demanding another, to this second Edition a small fragment of the Second Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, accidentally omitted, has been added : it forms the fifth chapter of that Epistle. There is, likewise annexed, a Table of the years wherein all the Books of the New Testament are stated to have been written ; to the "Order of the Books of the Apocryphal New Testament,''^ the authorities from whence they have been taken are affixed ; and, finally, many errors in the numerous scriptural references subjoined in the notes to the Epistles have been correAed. These are the only material variations from the first Edition.

It escaped the Editor to notice that the legends of the Koran and the Hindoo Mythology are considerably connefted with this volume. Many of the a6ls and miracles ascribed to the Indian God, Crishna, during his incarnation, are precisely the same with those attributed to Christ in his infancy, by the Apocryphal Gospels, and are largely particularized by the Rev. Thomas Maurice in KislQsxuQd History of Hindostan.

Reference to the preceding Preface will leave little doubt that the Apocryphal writings formed an interesting portion of the lay, as well as the monkish literature of our forefathers. There is a translation of the Gospel of Nicodemus almost coeval with the origin of printing in England ; {a) and ancient MSS. of the Gospel of the Infancy are still extant in the Welsh language under the title of Mabinogi Jesu Grist.

Concerning any genuineness of any portion of the work, the Editor has not ofi'ered an opinion, nor is it necessary that he should. The brief notice at the head of each Gospel directs the reader to its source, and will assist him to inquire further, and form an opinion for himself. Yet respefting the Epistles^ which occupy about two-thirds of the volume, the Editor would call attention to Archbishop Wake's testimony. The pious and learned Prelate says, that these Epistles (^) are a full and perfed; collection of "all the genuine writings that remain to us of the Apostolic Fathers, and carry on the antiquity of the Church from the time of the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament to about a hundred and fifty years after Christ ; that except the Holy Scriptures, there is nothing remaining of the truly genuine Christian antiquity more early ; (r) that they contain all that can with any certainty be depended upon of the most primitive Fathers, {d) who had not only the advantage of living in the apostolical times, of hearing the Holy Apostles, and conversing with them, but were most of

(a) It was printed, in quarto, first by Wynkyn de Worde in 1509, next by John Skot in 1525; by tne same printer subsequently, and several times afterwards.

(&) Abp. Wake's Ajwstolical Fathers, Bagster's Edition, 8vo., 1817, Prelim. Disc. p. 120. (c) Abp. Wake's Apostolical Fathers, Bagster's Edition, 8vo., Prelim. Disc. p. 120. (4) D. 196. (0M«)

XIV

them persons of a very eminent charafter in the church too : (a) that we cannot with any reason doubt of what they deliver to us as the gospel of Christ, but ought to receive it, if not with equal veneration, yet but a little less resped; than we do the Sacred Writings of those who were their masters and instructors:" and, "if," says the Archbishop, (who translated these Epistles), (d) *' it shall be asked how I came to choose the drudgery of a translator, rather than the more ingenious part of publishing somewhat of my own composing, it was, in short, this ; because I hoped that such writings as these would find a more general and unprejudiced acceptance with all sorts of men than anything that could be written by any one now living."

As a literary curiosity, the work has attracted much notice ; as throwing a light upon the arts of design and engraving, it has already been useful to the painter, and the collector of pictures and prints ; and, as relating to theology, it has induced various speculations and inquiry.

But the Editor has been charged with expressing too little veneration for the councils of the Church. He feels none. It is true that respedling the three hundred Bishops assembled at the council of Nice, the Emperor Constantine (c) says, that what was approved by these Bishops could be nothing less than the determination of God himself; since the Holy Spirit residing in such great and worthy souls, unfolded to them the divine will, (a) Yet, Sabinus, the Bishop of Heraclea, affirms, that "excepting Constantine himself, and Eusebius Pamphilus, they were a set of illiterate simple creatures, that understood nothing;" and Pappus seems to have estimated them very low, for in his Synodicon to that council, he tells us, that having " promiscuously put all the books that were referred to the council for determination, under the communion table in a church, they besought the Lord that the inspired writings might get upon the table while the spurious ones remained underneath, and that it happened accordingly. " A commentator {e) on this legend suggests that nothing less than such a sight could sanctify that fiery zeal which breathes throughout an edid: published by Constantine, in which he decrees that all the writings of Arius should be burned and that any person concealing any writing composed by him, and not immediately producing it, and committing it to the flames, should be punished with death. {/) Let us, with the illustrious Jortin, {g) consider a a council called and presided over by this Barbarian Founder of the church militant : by what various motives the various Bishops may have been influenced ; as by reverence to the Emperor or to his counsellors and favorites, his slaves and eunuchs ; by the fear of offending some great prelate as a Bishop of Rome or Alexandria, who had it in his power to insult, vex, and plague all the bishops within and without his jurisdi(5lion ; by the dread of passing for heretics, and of being calumniated, reviled, hated, anathematized, excommunicated, imprisoned, banished, fined, beggared, starved, if they refused to submit ; by compliance with some active leading and imperious spirits ; by a deference to the majority ; by a love of dilating and domineering, of applause and respe6l ; by vanity and ambition ; by a total ignorance of the question in debate, or a total indifference about it ; by private friendships ; by enmity and resentment ; by old prejudices ; by hopes of gain ; by an indolent disposition ; by good nature ; by the fatigue of attending, and a desire to be at home ; by the love of peace and quiet ; and a hatred of contention, &c. {h) Whosoever takes these things into due consideration will

(a) Abp. Wake ' 8 Ajwstolical Fathers, Bagster's Edition, 8vo., Prelim. Disc. p. 128.

(6) p. 155. (c) Socrates Scol. Eccl. Hist. b. i. c. 0. (d) Ibid. c. 9.

(e) Mace 's N. Test. p. 875. If) Socrates, Schol. Eccl. Hist. b. i. c. 9.

(o) Rem. on Eccl. Hist. vol. ii. p. 177.

(ft) These considerations are more or less natural on becoming acquainted with the proceedings of every council, from that of Nice to that of Trent, in the year 1545, which, Father Paul says, was for divers ends and by divers means, procured and hastened, hindered and deferred, for two and twenty years ; and, for eighteen years more, was sometimes assembled and iK>metimeB dissolved. Brent, a translator ol Paulas History of that oouncil says, *'it not be disposed to pay a blind deference to the authority of genera! councils but will rather be inclined to judge that "the council held by the Apostles at Jerusalem was the first and the last in which the Holy Spirit may be affirmed to have presided." (a)

In accommodation to this opinion, the Church of England compels her clergy to subscribe to the following among the thirty-nine "Articles of Religion." (d) "When general councils be gathered together forasrnuch as they be an assembly of men, whereof all be not governed with the spirit and will of God they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God ; wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to salvation have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared that they be taken out of the Holy Scriptures. "

After eighteen centuries of bloodshed and cruelties perpetrated in the name of Christianity, it is gradually emerging from the mystifying subtleties of fathers, councils, and hierarchies, and the encumbering edicts of soldier-kingp and papal decretals. Charmed by the loveliness of its primitive simplicity, every sincere human heart will become a temple for its habitation, and every man become a priest unto himself Thus, and thus only, will be establishea the religion of Him, who, having the same interest with ourselves in the welfare of mankind, left us, for the rule of our happiness, the sum and substance of his code of peace and good will — * * Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them."

By some persons of the multitude, commonly known by the name of Christians, and who profess to suppose they do God service by calling themselves so, the Editor has been attacked with a malignity and fury that would have graced the age of Mary and Elizabeth, when Catholics put to death Protestants, and Protestants put to death Catholics for the sake of him who commanded mankind to lovg one another. To these assailants, he owes no explanation ; to the craft of disingenuous criticism, he offers no reply ; to the bolt of the Bigot, and the shaft of the Shrinemaker, he scarcely condescends the opposition of a smile.

would be infinite to relate the stratagems the bishops of Rome used to divert the council before it began, their postings to and fro, to hinder the proposing of those things which they thought would diminish their profit or pull down their pride : and their policies to enthral the prelates, and to procure a majority of voices."

It is stated by Guicciardini, that, ' ' as the priests were raised step by step to earthly power, they cared less and less for religious precepts. Using their spiritual only as an instrument of their temporal authority, their business was no more sanctity of Ufe, increase of religion, and love and charity towards their neighbors— but fomenting wars among Christians, and employing all arts and snares to scrape money together, and making new laws against the people. Hence, they were no longer respected, although, by the P9werful name of religion, they maintained their authority, being helped therein, " says Guicciardini, ^by the faculty which they have of gratifying princes.*^— Q\nc(iia.Tdim''s Hist, b, iv.

(a) Jortin's Bern, on £ccl. Hist, vol, ii, p. 177. (&) Art. xzi.

ORDER OF ALL THE BOOKS OF THE APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT.

Names.

No. of Chaps

Mary hath

Protevangelion...

II. Infancy

Christ and Abgarus Nicodemus

Apostles' Creed in its ancient state.

Apostles' Creed in

its present state.

Laodiceans

Paul and Seneca...

Paul andThecla...

I. Corinthians . . .

II. Corinthians ...

Magnesians

Romans

Smyrnaeans

I. Hermas- Visions

II. " Commands

III. Hermas-Similitudes

8 16

I

I

II 24 5

15 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 4 4

Page..

17 25

39 62

65 94

Authorities.

See also authorities more at large in the Notices before each Book.

98 102

193 197 200 205 221

In the words of St. Jerome, a Father of the Church, who died A. D. 420.

Postellus brought the MSS. from the Levant, translated it into Latin, and caused it to be printed at Zurich, in 1552.

Received by the Gnostics, a se(5t of Christians in the second Century, and translated into English by Mr. Henry Sike, Oriental Professor at Cambridge, in 1697.

Printed by Professor Cotelerius, in a note to his works of the Apostolic Fathers, from a MSS. in the King of France's Library, No. 2279, and Bishop of Caesarea, A.D. 315.

Preserved by Eusebius, one of the Council of Nice, in his Ecclesiastical History, Book i, chap. 13.

Published by Professor Grynseus, in the Orthodoxographia, 1555, tom. ii. p. 643.

Without the articles of Christ's Descent into Hell^^\6.t\\Q. Coinmufiion of Saints . See it thus handed down in Mr. Justice Bailey's Edition of the Book of Common Prayer, 8vo. 1813, p. 9, note. Also in Bingham's Antiquities of the Christian Church, folio, 1726. B. 10. c 4. s. 12.

In the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England.

From ancient MSS. in the Sorbonne and the Library of loannes a Viridario at Padua. See also Poole's Annotations on Col. iv. r6, and Harl. MSS. Cod. 1212.

Jerome ranks Seneca on account of these Epistles among the holy writers of the Church. They are preserved by Sixtus Senensis, in his Bibliotheque, p. 89, 90.

From the Greek MSS. in the Bodleian Library, copied by Dr. Mills, and transmitted to Dr. Grabe, who edited and printed it in his Spicilegium.

These are " The Genuine Epistles of the Apostolic Fathers: beings together with the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament, a complete colledlion of the most primitive Antiquity for about a hundred and fifty years after Christ. Translated and published with a large prelimiftary discourse relating to the several Treatises by the most Reverend Father in God, Williafn, (Wake) Lord Bishop of Lincoln, ^^ afterwards Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. The authorities and proofs adduced by this erudite and honest prelate will be found in great number in the introdudion and discourses to the Edition of the Archbishop's Translation of these Epistles, published in 1817, by Mr. Bagster, Paternoster Row.

NOTB.— Columu 1 contains the proper names of the Books ; col. 2, the No. of chapters in each: 90I. 3, the page whereon each Book commences ; col. 4, the authorities for each briefly stated.

THE GOSPEL OF THE BIRTH OF MARY.

[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, endeavored 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 sacrifices to Mary, who 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, fVoe unto you, whom do ye 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.] (17)

Marys parents barren. MARY. An angel appears^ and

CHAP„ I.

I The parentage of Mary. ^ 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 favor of God, and the esteem of men, without any children.

6 But they vowed, if God should favor 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 Tf 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, Issachar was high-priest ;

8 Who, when he saw Joachim along with the rest of his neighbors, bringing his offering, 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.

1 2 For he was not inclined to return home, lest his neighbors, who were present and heard all this from the high-priest, should publicly reproach him in the same manner.

Chap. II

I An angel appears to Joachim,. 9 and inform.s him that Anna shall conceive and bring forth a daughter^ who shall be called Mary^ 11 be brought up in the temple y 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 promises them a child.

MARY.

Anna conceives.

the appearance, the angel who had appeared to him, endeavoring 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 producft 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 favor 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.*

> Acts, X. 4.

•Gen. xvi. 2, &c. and xviii. 10, &c. 'Gen. XXX. 1—22. and xli. i, &c. *Judg. xiii. 2. and i. Sam. 6, &c.

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.

' Luke i. 15. 2 Matt. I. ai.

Mary bom.

MARY. Ministered unto by angels.

Chap. III

I 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. 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 arrives 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 bring 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.

'Matt. xiv. 26. » Luke, i. 28. • Luke, ii. 37.

(ao)

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 T[ 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 angel's predication, 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 expecftation of the promise of God.

11 Tf So Anna conceived, and brought forth a daughter, and, according to the angel's command, the parents did call her name Mary.

Chap. IV

I Mary brought to the temple at three years old. 6 Ascends the stairs oj 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

Her vow of virginify.

MARY. The high-priest in difficulty.

Psalms of degree,* 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 traveled, 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 perfecft 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.

Chap. V

3 Maty ministered unto by angels. 4 The high priest orders all virgins of fourteen years old to quit the temple and endeavor 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 ferusalem., 11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter. 13 A voice from the mercy-

* Those Psalms are from the 120th to the 134th including both.

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 perfec5lions, 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, endeavor to be married.

5 To Tvlilch 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

The Virgin betrothed. MARY. Returns to her parents^ house.

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.