matter fo obvious, the following paffage* occurs in a tedious defcription of Jofeph's journey to Bethlehem. Καὶ ἐσράφη Ιωσήφ, και ειδε τὴν Μαρίαν συγνὴν καὶ εἶπεν ἐν ἑαυτῷ Ἰωσὴφ, ἴσως τὸ ἐν αὐτῇ χειμάζει αυτήν. Καὶ πάλιν ἐςράφη Ἰωσὴφ, και είδεν αὐτὴν γελᾶσαν, καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· Μαρία, τί ἐςιν, ὅτι τὸ πρόσωπόν σου βλέπω ποτὲ μὲν συγνὸν, ποτὲ δὲ γελῶν καὶ ἀγαλλιώμενον ; καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν Μαρία· δύο λαὲς βλέπω τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς με, ἕνα κλαίοντα καὶ κοπζόμενον, καὶ ἕνα γελῶντα καὶ ἀγαλλιώμενον. III. IT will readily be allowed, that all miracles, afcribed to the mother of Jefus, or to himself in his infancy, may be called ufelefs and improbable. A confiftent Christian cannot admit the extraordinary interference of the divinity, except for the high and important purpose of establishing the authority of fome perfon, commiffioned to declare his will to mankind. The manner and circumstance of the interference muft be marked with a dignity, and folemnity, befitting the more immediate prefence of the Almighty. When therefore we obferve any miraculous acts attributed to perfons, not exercising such a commiffion, performed upon frivolous or improper occafions, or marked * Protevangel. Jacob. Cap. 17. marked by any circumftance of levity or inanity, we conclude that the report of fuch miracles is unworthy our attention*, and that the reporters of them are to be fufpected of grofs error, or intentional deceit. Thus we fimile with contempt at the prodigies of a writer, who gravely relates as a ftupendous miracle, that a child at the age of three years, afcended without affistance the steps of the temple at Jerufalem, which were half a cubit each in height. In the fame Gospel ‡, in fuppofed accommodation to a prophecy of Ifaiah, which is most grofsly mifinterpreted, a declaration from Heaven is alleged to have taken place in favour of Jofeph, the reputed father of Jefus, fimilar to that, which, upon the ftrongest grounds, we believe to have been made in honour of Jesus at his baptifm. The bandage, which was before mentioned, as having been prefented by Mary to the magi, is of course represented as the inftrument of a miracle, being caft into a fire, yet not confumed §. + In These deserve to be claffed with the fictions, of which Ovid fpeaks: Prodigiofa loquor veterum miracula vatum: Nec tulit hæc, nec fert, nec feret ulla dies. Compare Amor. iii. 6, 17. with Trift. iii. 8, 12. + Vid. Evangel. de Nativit. Mariæ, c. 6. ‡ Ibid. c. 8. § Evangel. Infant. c. 8. In another of thefe ingenious productions, when Elifabeth wifhed to fhelter her infant Son from the perfecution of Herod, she is faid to have been thus wonderfully preferved. Ἡ δὲ Ελισάβετ ἀκέσασα, ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς αὐτῆς μέλλει ζητεῖσθαι, λαβᾶσα αὐτὸν ἀνέβη εἰς τὴν ὀρεινὴν, καὶ περιεβλέπετο τόπον, ἐν ᾧ ἀποκρύψει αὐτόν. καὶ ἐκ ἦν τόπος ἀπόκρυφος. Καὶ σενάζεσα λέγει, ὄρος τῇ Θεᾶ δέξαι μητέρα μητὰ τέκνα. ἐ γὰρ ἠδύνατο ἡ Ελισάβετ προσαναθῆναι. Καὶ παραχρῆμα ἐδιχάσθη τὸ ὄρος ἐκεῖνο, καὶ ἥν διαφαίνων αὐτοῖς ἄγγελος κυρία, καὶ διαφυλάττων αὐτές*. Not to mention the variety of miraculous acts in Egypt by Mary and her Son, the palpable abfurdity of thefe forgers cannot be placed in a ftronger light, than by remarking, that the powers attributed to Jefus in his early years, are applied to facilitate the operations of Jofeph in his trade +. IV. The ftriking contrast between truth and falfehood, is naturally heightened, when thofe paffages come under confideration, which are borrowed from the genuine Scriptures, and, with more or lefs deviation from the original, adapted to the purposes of the Apocryphal writers. The fimple fact, which is • Protevangel. Jacob. c. 22. is contained in the 19th verfe of the 1ft chapter of St. Matthew, is expanded through a chapter and an half in the Protevangelium Jacobi*. Again, the plain narrative of St. Luke, c. ii. 16. is not thought fufficient for the great event which was just before related, and accordingly it is thus improved in the Evangelium Infantiæ. Deinde cùm adveniffent Paftores, et fuccenfo igne, admodùm lætarentur, apparuerunt illis exercitus cœleftes laudantes et celebrantes Deum fupremum, idémque facientibus paftoribus, fpelunca ista tunc temporis augusto templo fimillima` videbatur, quoniàm ora cœleftia, pariter, et terreftria celebrabant et magnificabant Deum ob nativitatem Domini Chrifti. Videns verò Anus illa Hebræa manifesta illa miracula, gratias Deo agebat, dicens: Gratias tibi ago, O Deus, Deus Ifräelis, propterea quòd viderunt oculi mei nativitatem fervatoris mundit. The short and interesting account, which is given by the genuine Evangelift at the end of the fame chapter, is confidered by the author of a fpurious Gofpel, as by no means adequate * Capp. 13, 14. to Evang. Infant. c. 4. The latter part is plainly an imitation of Luke, c. ii. 30. G to the great dignity of our Saviour's character, nor calculated to fatisfy the juft curiofity of pious Chriftians. We are therefore informed, that Jefus, in his conference with the doctors in the temple, after explaining the books of the law, and unfolding the mysteries contained in the Prophetical writings, exhibited a knowledge no less profound of aftronomy, medicine and natural history*. Hence too in the Gospel attributed to Nicodemus, the particulars of our Saviour's trial, are enumerated most fully, the Evang. Infant. capp. 50, &c. This latter part is fo curious, and forms such a contraft to the manner of the sacred hiftorians, and indeed of all serious hiftory, that I cannot refift the temptation of tranfcribing it. Cúmque adeffet ibidem philosophus, aftronomia peritus, rogarétque Dominum Jefum, num aftronomiæ ftuduiffet? refpondebat ipfi Dominus Jefus, exponebátque numerum fphærarum, et corporum coeleftium eorúmque naturas et operationes, oppofitionem, afpectum triquetrum, quadratum et fextilem: progreffionem eorundem et retrogradationem, computum denique et prognofticationem, aliáque quæ nullius unquam hominis ratio perveftigavit. Aderat quoque inter illos philofophus, medicinæ et naturalis fcientiæ peritiffimus; qui cum rogâffet Dominum Jefum, an medicinæ ftuduiffet? refpondens ille expofuit ipfi phyfica et metaphyfica, hyperphyfica et hypophyfica; virtutes quoque corporis et humores, eorundémque effectus; numerum item membrorum et offium, venarum, arteriarum et nervorum, temperamenta etiam, calidum et ficcum, frigidum et humidum, quæque ex hifce orientur : quænam effet operatio animæ in corpus, ejúfque fenfationes et virtutes; facultates loquendi, irafcendi, appetendi: denique congregationem et diffipationem: aliáque quæ nullius creaturæ intellectus unquam penetravit. Tunc furgebat philofophus ifte, et Dominum Jefum adorabat, et, O Domine Jefu, inquit, ab hoc tempore ero difcipulus tuus et fervus. |