By the publication of this volume, the Editor conceives he has rendered an acceptable service

The following Greek and Latin authors HAVE NOT QUOTED

THE TEXT:

Greek authors:-Irenæus-Clemens Alexandrinus-Dionysius Alexandrinus, (or the writer against Paul of Samosata under his name)—Athanasius-The Synopsis of ScriptureThe Synod of Sardica-Epiphanius-Basil-Alexander of Alexandria-Gregory Nyssen-Gregory Nazianzen, with his two commentators, Elias Cretensis and Nicetas-Didymas de Spiritu Sancto-Chrysostome-An author under his name de sancta et consubstantiali Trinitate-Cæsarius-ProclusThe Council of Nice, as it is represented by Gelasius Cyzicenus-Hyppolitus-Andrias-Six catena quoted by SimonThe marginal scolia of three MSS.-Hesychius-John Damascenus-Oecumenius-Euthimius Zigabenus.

Latin authors:-The author de Baptismo Hæreticorum, among Cyprian's works-Novatian-Hilary-Lucifer Calazitanus--Jerome—-Augustine-Ambruse-Faustinus--Leo

Magnus-The author de Promissis-Eucherius-FacundusCerealis-Rusticus--Bede― Gregory-Philastrius-Pascha

sius-Arnobius, junior—Pope Eusebius.

It is evident that if the text of the heavenly witnesses had been known from the beginning of Christianity, the ancients would have eagerly seized it, inserted it in their creeds, quoted it repeatedly against the heretics, and selected it for the brightest ornament of every book that they wrote upon the subject of the Trinity. In short, if this verse be really genuine, notwithstanding its absence from all the visible Greek MSS. except two; one of which awkwardly translates the verse from the Latin, and the other transcribes it from a printed book; notwithstanding its absence from all the versions except the Vulgate; and even from many of the best and oldest MSS. of the Vulgate; notwithstanding the deep and dead silence of all the Greek writers down to the thirteenth, and most of the Lattins down to the middle of the eighth century; if, in spite of all these objections it be still genuine, no part of Scripture whatsoever can be proved either spurious or genuine; and Sa tan has been permitted for many centuries, miraculously to

* Porson's Letters to Travis, p. 368.

to the theological student, and the ecclesiastical antiquary :-he has endeavored to render it more gratifying to the reader, and more convenient. for reference, by arranging the books into chapters, and dividing the chapters into verses. He has only to add, that the lover of old literature will here find the obscure but unquestionable origin of several remarkable relations in the Gol

banish the finest passage in the N. T. from the eyes and memories of all the Christian authors, translators, and transcribers.*

66

Sir Isaac Newton observes, that "what the Latins have done to this text, (1 John, v. 7.) the Greeks have to that of St. Paul, (Timothy, iii. 16.) For by changing o into th, the abbreviation of theos, they now read, Great is the mystery of godliness: GOD manifested in the flesh whereas all the churches for the first four or five hundred years, and the authors of all the ancient versions, Jerome, as well as the rest, read, "Great is the mystery of godliness, WHICH was manifested in the flesh." Sir Isaac gives a list of authors, who, he says, wrote all of them, in the fourth and fifth centuries for the Deity of the Son, and incarnation of God; and some of them largely, and in several tracts; and yet," he says, "I cannot find that they ever allege this text to prove it, excepting that Gregory Nyssent once urges it, (if the passage crept not into him out of some marginal annotation.) In all the times of the hot and lasting Arian controversy, it never came into play; though now those disputes are over, they that read God made manifest in the flesh, think it," Sir Isaac says, "one of the most obvious and pertinent texts for the business."

"hes

There are other interpolations and corruptions of passages in the New Testament, but the Editor perceives that the few observations he has hastily collected and thrown together in this note, have already extended it to undue length, and it must here close.

* Porson's Letters to Travis, 8vo. p. 402.

† Orat. xi, contra Eunom.

den Legend, the Lives of the Saints, and similar productions, concerning the birth of the Virgin, her marriage with Joseph on the budding of his rod, the nativity of Jesus, the miracles of his infancy, his laboring with Joseph at the carpentry trade, and the actions of his followers. Several

of the papal pageants for the populace, and the monkish mysteries performed as dramas at Chester, Coventry, Newcastle, and in other parts of England, are almost verbatim representations of the stories. Many valuable pictures by the best m sters-prints by the early engravers, particularly of the Italian-and German schools-woodcuts in early black letter and block books-and illuminations of missals and monastic MSS.receive immediate elucidation on referring to the Apocryphal New Testament, and are without explanation from any other source.

THE

APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMEN

THE GOSPEL OF THE BIRTH OF MARY.

[In the primitive ages there was a Gospel extant bearing this name, attribu ted to St. Matthew, and received as genuine and authentic by several of the ancient Christian secis. 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 cotemporaries, 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 Frustus, 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 Collyrideans established the worship and the offering of manchet bread and cracknels,or fine wafers, as sacrifices 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, be, 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 ye worship? he who had appeared to him inthe 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 Guostics 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, be, 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 Pro evangelion of James, which follows next in order ] Jerusalem, in the temple of the

CHAP. I.

1 The parentage of Mary.-Lord. 7 Joachim her father, and 2 Her father's name was JoAnna her mother, go to Je-achim, and her mother's Anna. rusalem to the feast of the The family of her father was dedication. 9 Issachar the of Galilee and the city of Nazhigh-priest reproaches Joa-jareth. The family of her mothchim for being childless. er was of Bethlehem.

T

HE blessed and ever glo- 3 Their lives were plain and rious Virgin Mary, sprung right in the sight of the Lord, from the royal race and family pious and faultless before men. of David, was born in the city For they divided all their subof Nazareth, and educated at stance into three parts: