CHAPTER XI.

Of the facred Books of the Ebionites. THE Ebionites being Jews, and in ge

neral acquainted with their own lan-. guage only, made use of no other than a Hebrew gofpel, which is commonly faid to have been that of Matthew, originally compofed in their language, and for their use. This I think highly probable, from the almost unanimous teftimony of antiquity. But this is a queftion which I shall not make it my business to difcufs.

"The Ebionites," fays Irenæus, "make ufe of the gofpel of Matthew only*." Jerom had seen this gospel, and translated it from Hebrew into Greek, and without giving his own opinion, fays, that "it was by most perfons called the authentic gospel of

* Ebionita etenim eo evangelio quod eft fecundum Matthæum folo utentes. Lib.3. cap. 11. p. 220. " Matthew."

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"Matthew*.”

Theodoret fays concern

ing both the kinds of Ebionites, that they received no other gospel than that of Matthew+.

But it is evident from Epiphanius, that the Ebionites did not confider the two first chapters of Matthew's gospel as belonging to it; for their copies were without them, beginning with the third chapter. "The gofpel of the Ebionites began thus, It "came to pafs in the days of Herod king "of Judea, in the time of Caiaphas the

high-prieft, a perfon whofe name was John came baptizing with the baptifm "of repentence in the river Jordan ‡." Here, however, there must be fome miftake, as it was not in the time of Herod

* In Matt. cap. 12. Opera, vol. 6. p. 21: † Aran de παρα ταύτην συμμορία, την αυλήν επωνυμίαν έχεσα Εβιώνεις γαρ και ετοι προσαγορεύονται· τα αλλα μεν απαία συνομο λογει τοις πρότερους, τον δε σωτηρα καὶ κυριον εκ παρθενα γεγενησθαι Φησιν, ευαγγελίω δε τω κατα Ματθαιον κεχρηναι μονω. Hær. Fab. lib. 2. cap. 1. vol. 4. p. 328. Ed Halæ.

† Οτι εγενείο, φησιν, εν ταις ημέραις Ηρωδε βασιλεως της Ιεδαίας επι Αρχιρεως Καιαφα ηλθε τις Ιωάννης ονομαλι βαπλίζων βαπίισμα μελανοιας εν τω ποταμω Ιορδανη, και τα εξης: Hær. 30. Opera, vol. 1. p. 138:

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king

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king of Judea, but of Herod the Tetrarch, or king of Galilee; and the inaccuracy is probably to be afcribed to Epiphanius himself. That this writer quoted only from his memory, and inaccurately, is evident from his giving the beginning of this gofpel in another place fomewhat differently, as follows: "It came to pafs in the days

of Herod king of Judea, John came bap"tizing with the baptifm of repentance, in the river Jordan; who was faid to be of the race of Aaron the priest, the fon of Zacharias and Elizabeth; and all men went out to him*."

This writer, who was fond of multiplying fects, and who makes that of the Nazarenes to be different from that of the Ebionites, fays concerning the latter, that "he did "not know whether they had cut off the "genealogy from the gofpel of Matthew †."

* Ότι εγενετο εν ταις ημέραις Ηρωδε τα βασιλεως της Ιεδαίας, ήλθεν Ιωάννης βαπτίζων βαπτισμα μελανοιας εν τω Ιορδάνη ποταμώ, ος ελέγετο είναι εκ γενες Ααρων τ8 ιερέως, παις Ζαχαρις και Ελισαν

σετ, και εξήρχοντο προς αυτόν παντες. Hær. 30. fect. 13.

p. 138.

† Εχεσι δε το κατα Ματθαίον ευαγγελιον πληρεςατον Εβραιτι . παρ' αυτοις γαρ σαφώς τέτο, καθώς εξ αρχής έγραφη Εβραικός

пращих

Meaning, perhaps, the whole of the introduction, as far as the third chapter.It must be observed, however, that in the copy of this gofpel which Jerom tranflated, there was the fecond chapter, if not the genealogy. For in this gofpel there was, out of Egypt I have called my fon, and he fhall be called a Nazarene*.

This I

am willing to explain in the following manner. Originally the Jewish chriftians did not believe the doctrine of the miraculous conception. Both Juftin Martyr and Irenæus represent them as difbelieving it, without excepting any that did. Origen is the first who has noticed two kinds of Ebionites, one believing the miraculous

γραμμασιν ετι σώζεται . εκ οίδα δε ει και τας γενεαλογίας τας απο το Αβρααμ περιειλον. Hær. 29. vol. 1. p. 124.

* Mihi quofque a Nazaræis, qui in Beræa, urbe Syriæ, hoc volumine utuntur, defcribendi facultas fuit; in quo animadvertendum quod ubicunque evangelifta, five ex perfona fua, five ex perfona domini falvatoris, veteris fcripturæ teftimoniis utitur, non fequatur feptuaginta translatorum auctoritatem, fed Hebraicam, e quibus illa duo funt. Ex Ægypto vocavi filium meum, et quoniam Nazaræus vocabitur. Catalogus Scriptorum, Opera, vol. 1. p. 267. conception

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conception, and the other denying it. Probably, therefore, their original copies of the gospel had not the two firft chapters, which contained that hiftory; but after fome time, thofe of the Jewish christians who gave credit to the ftory, would naturally add these two chapters from the Greek copies; and it might be a copy of this kind that Jerom met with.

Epiphanius likewife fays, that "the "Ebionites made ufe of the travels of

"Clement*.” This being an unitarian work, they might be pleased with it; but it is not probable that they would read it in the public offices of their churches, or confider it in the fame light with one of the books of scripture.

It is agreed on all hands that the Ebionites made no ufe of the epiftles of Paul, because they did not approve of the flight which he seemed to put upon the law of Mofes, which they held in the greatest - poffible veneration.

* Χρώνται δε και άλλοις τισι βιβλιοις, δήθεν ταις περιόδοις και λεμενοις Πείρα, ταις δια Κλημεντο γραφείσαις, Har. 30. Opera, vol. 1. p. 139.

Epiphanius