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discretion enough to distinguish between sense and nonsense, or between that which was credible and that which was utterly unworthy of credit; or else that these compi lations are the artful contrivance of some who were more zealous than honest, and who thought by these strange stories to gain credit to their new religion.

4. Things are mentioned, which are later than the time in which the author lived, whose name the book bears.

Thus the epistle under the name of our Saviour to Abgarus 1 is manifestly a forgery, for it relates that to have been done by Christ, which could not possibly have been done till a considerable time after Christ's ascension. Thus in the beginning of the Epistle a passage is cited out of St. John's Gospel, which was not written till a considerable time after our Lord's ascension: the words are, Abgarus, you are happy, forasmuch as you have believed on me whom you have not seen; 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. This is a manifest allusion to those words of our Saviour to Thomas (John xx. 29.) Blessed are they who have not seen, and yet have believed. Here indeed that which the epistle says, is written concerning Christ, but in no other passage of the New Testament. The same proof of forgery occurs in the Gospel of Nicodemus,2 in which the Jews style Pilate your highness, a title which was not known to the Jews or used among them at that time-in the story of Christ going down into hell to recover and bring thence the patriarchs ;3-in the profound venera tion paid to the sign of the cross, particularly the practice of signing with the sign of the cross, which is here said to be done by Charinus and Lenthius, before they enter upon their relation of the divine mysteries; and in Christ's making the sign of the cross upon Adam and upon all the saints in hell 5 before he delivered them from that state. It is to be observed that the practice of signing with the cross, though very common in the fourth and following centuries, was not at all known till towards the end of the second century, when it was mentioned by Tertullian. Similar anachronisms are pointed out by Mr. Jones in various parts of his New Method of settling the Canonical authority of the New Testament, to which want of room compels us necessarily to refer the reader. See also § 1. pp. 639, 640. supra, for some additional instances of anachronism.

5. The style of the authors of the New Testament, we have already seen, is an indisputable proof of its authenticity. Whereas the style of the pseudo-evangelical compilations is totally different from, or contrary to, that of the genuine writings of the author or authors whose names they bear. Every page of the apocryphal New Testament confirms this remark; but especially the pretended gospel of Nicodemus, and the epistles of Paul

to Seneca.

(1.) The names given in the pseudo-gospel of Nicodemus to those who are represented as being Jews, are not Jewish, but either Greek, Roman, or of other foreign countries. Such are the names of Summas, Datam, Alexander, Cyrus, Asterius, Antonius, Carus or Cyrus, Crippus or Crispus,8 Charinus, and Lenthius: 9 which evidently indicate imposture. Further, the Gospel of Nicodemus is not extant in Greek; that which is now erant is evidently a translation into very bald and barbarous Latin.10

(2.) Nothing can be more unlike the known style of the confessedly genuine epistles, than is the style of the spurious epistles bearing their names in the apocryphal New Testament.11 This is so obvious to every one who is at all acquainted with those two writers, that it is unnecessary to multiply examples. The epistles attributed to Paul have not the least vestige of his gravity, but are rather compliments and instructions. Further, the subscriptions of the letters are very unlike those used by the supposed authors in their genuine epistles. Thus in the first epistle of Seneca, the subscription is, Bene te valere, frater, cupio, I wish your welfare, my brother, 12 which was an ap pellation exclusively in use among Christians. And in Paul's fifth epistle to Seneca, he concludes with Vale, devotissime magister,-Farewell, most respected master ;13 which is not only contradictory to Paul's usual mode of concluding his letters, but also most barbarous Latinity, such as did not exist in the Roman language till several hundred years after the time of Paul and Seneca.

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6. The Apocryphal Books ascribed to the apostles and evangelists, contain direct contradictions to authentic history both sacred and profane.

Thus, in the beginning of the epistle of Abgarus, that monarch is made to confess his faith in Christ as God, or as the Son of God; in the latter part he invites Christ to dwell with him in his city, because of the malice of Jews, who intended him mischief. Now this is a plain contradiction; for had he really thought him God, he must certainly think him possessed of Almighty power, and consequently to be in no need of the protection of his city. This seems to be as clear a demonstration as subjects of this sort are capable of receiving; nor are we aware of any objection that can be made, unless it be that Peter, who had confessed him to be the Son of God (Matt. xvi. 16.), yet when he came to be apprehended, thought it necessary to interpose with human force to attempt his rescue. (Matt. xxvi. 51. compared with John xviii. 10.) To which it is easy to answer, that whatever opinion Peter, or indeed any of the apostles had of Christ before this time, they seem now to have changed it, and by the prospects of his danger and death to have grown cool in their opinion of his Almighty power, else they would never all have forsaken him at his crucifixion as they did. But nothing of this can be supposed in the case of Abgarus, who cannot be imagined to have altered his sentiments in the interval of writing so short an epistle.

Again, several parts of the above-cited letters which profess to be addressed to Seneca, suppose Paul to have been at the time of writing at Rome; whereas others imply the contrary. That he was then at Rome, is implied in the first words of the first letter, in which Seneca tells Paul, that he supposed he had been told the discourse that passed the day before between him and Lucilius by some Christians who were present: as also in the first words of Paul's Epistle, and that part of Seneca's second, where he tells him, He would endeavour to introduce him to Cæsar, and that he would confer with him, and read over together some parts of his writings; and in that part of Paul's second, where he hopes for Seneca's company, and in several other places. But on the other hand, several parts of the letters suppose Paul not at Rome, as where Seneca (Epist. iii.) complains of his staying so long away, and both Paul and Seneca are made to date their letters, when such and such persons were consuls: see Paul's fifth and sixth, and Seneca's sixth, seventh, and eighth epistles. Now, had they both been in the same city, nothing can be more unreasonable than to suppose that they would have dated thus: what need could there be to inform each other who were consuls? Paul therefore is supposed to be and not to be at Rome at the same time, which is a manifest contradiction. Besides this contradiction, the very dating of their letters by consulships seems to be no small evidence of their spuriousness, because it was a thing utterly unknown that any persons ever did so; nor does one such instance occur in the epistles of Seneca, Cicero, or any other writer. To which we may add, that, in these letters, there are several mistakes in the names of the consuls who are mentioned; which clearly prove that these epistles could not have been written by Paul and Seneca. Another circumstance which proves the epistles ascribed to the apostle to be a gross forgery, is that the latter is introduced as intreating Seneca not to venture to say any thing more concerning him or the Christian religion to Nero, lest he should offend him. Now it is utterly improbable that Paul would obstruct Seneca in his intentions of recommending Christianity to the Emperor Nero: and it is directly contrary to his known and constant zeal and endeavours for its propagation. Would he not rather have rejoiced in so probable an opportunity of spreading the knowledge of Christ, and by the means of one so near to, and so much in favour with, the emperor, have procured the liberty for himself and the other Christian converts of exercising their religion freely? To imagine the contrary is to suppose the apostle at once defective in his regards to himself and the whole body of Christians, and acting in direct contradiction to the whole of his conduct, and zealous endeavours to advance the interests of Christianity. But, besides, it has happened here, as commonly in such cases: want of memory betrays the forgery. Although the author, so unlike Paul, in this place wishes not to discover the Christian religion to the emperor, yet in another epistle, viz. the sixth of Paul, he is made to advise Seneca to take convenient opportunities of insinuating the Christian religion, and things in favour of it, to Nero and his family: than which nothing can be a more manifest contradiction.

Similar gross and glaring contradictions occur in the Gospel of Nicodemus. To instance only in one or two, which are very notorious. In chap. ii. 14.3 the twelve men, Eliezer, Asterius, Antonius, &c. declare themselves to be no proselytes, but born Jews;

1 Apoc. New Test. p. 44.

Apoc. New Test. p. 48.

9 Epist. viii. Apoc. New Test. P 76.

when Pilate tendered them an oath, and would have had them swear by the life of Cæsar, they refused, because, they say, we have a law that forbids our swearing, and makes it sinful to swear; yet, in ch. iv. 7. the elders, scribes, priests, and Levites, are brought in swearing by the life of Cæsar without any scruple; and in ch. ii. 23,2 they make others, who were Jews, swear by the God of Israel; and Pilate gives an oath to a whole assembly of the scribes, chief priests, &c. ch. xxii. 3.3 This seems a manifest contradiction. Another is, that in ch. xi. 15.4 Pilate is introduced as making a speech to the Jews, in which he gives a true and just abstract of the Old Testament history relating to the Israelites, viz. what God had done for them, and how they had behaved themselves to him. Whereas the same Pilate, ch. xxiii. 2.5 is made to be perfectly ignorant of the Bible, and only to have heard by report that there was such a book; nor can it be said, that Pilate here only refers to the Bible kept in the temple; for the manner of speech shows he was ignorant of the contents of the book; I have heard you have a certain book, &c. and this is in itself very probable.

Further, this book contains many things contrary to known truths. Such is indeed the whole of it, besides what is taken out of our present genuine Gospels. Who, for instance, will credit the long story, ch. xv.-xviii.6 of Christ's going down to hell, and all the romantic fabulous relations of what happened in consequence of it? Who will believe that Christ there signed Adam and the Patriarchs with the sign of the cross, and that all the holy Patriarchs were in hell till that time? &c. Besides, in other places there are notorious falsehoods; as that is, to make the Jews understand our Saviour, as saying that he would destroy Solomon's temple, ch. iv. 4.7 which they could not but know had been destroyed several hundred years before. To make the name of Centurio to be the proper name of a man who came to Christ, when it is certain that it was the name of his post or office, &c. To make the words of Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 55. O death, where is thy sting O grave, where is thy victory? to be the words of Isaiah, ch. xxi.; and to make Simeon (ch. xvi. and xvii.) to be a high-priest, which it is certain he was not.

7. The striking contrast between truth and falsehood, is naturally heightened, when those passages come under consideration which are borrowed from the genuine Scriptures, and, with more or less deviation from the original, adapted to the purposes of the apocryphal writers.8

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Thus, the simple fact contained in Matt. i. 19. is expanded through a chapter and a half of the prot-evangelion.9 Again, the plain narrative of Luke ii. 16. is not thought sufficient for the great event, which was just before related, and accordingly it is thus improved in the Gospel of the Infancy. 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; 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. 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." 10 The short and interesting account, which is given by the genuine evangelist at the end of the same chapter, is considered by the author of a spurious Gospel, as by no means adequate to the great dignity of our Saviour's character, nor calculated to satisfy the just curiosity of pious Christians. We are therefore informed, that Jesus 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 astronomy, medicine, and natural history. Hence too in the Gospel attributed to Nicodemus, the particulars of our Saviour's trial are enumerated most fully, the testimony of the 2 Ibid. p. 61. 3 Ibid. p. 70. 5 Ibid. pp. 69, 70. 6 Ibid. p. 63-66. 8 Dr. Maltby's Illustration, pp. 48, 49. 9 Ch. xiii. xiv. of the edition of Fabricius, but x. xi. of the Apoc. N. T. pp. 14, 15. 10 Infancy, i. 19-21. (iv. of Fabricius's edition.) Apoc. New Test. P. 22. 11 Gospel of the Infancy (li. lii. of Fabricius), xx-xxi. of Apoc. Ñew Testament, pp. 39-41. The latter part is so curious, and forms such a contrast to the sober, narrative of the sacred historians, and indeed of all serious history, that we cannot resist the temptation of transcribing it. "When a certain astronomer who was present, asked the Lord Jesus, Whether he had studied astronomy? 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 dis

Apoc. New Test. p. 49. 4 Ibid p. 53.

7 Ibid. P. 49.

witnesses both for and against him is given at large, and the expostulations of Pilate with the Jews are recorded with a minuteness equal to their imagined importance. And as, in the genuine history of these transactions, the Roman governor is reported to have put a question of considerable moment, to which our Saviour vouchsafed no answer, or the evangelists have failed to record it, these falsifiers have thought proper to supply so essential a defect. "Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? Jesus said, Truth is from heaven. Pilate said, Therefore truth is not on earth? Jesus saith unte 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.1

In the prot-evangelion, there are not fewer than twelve circumstances stolen from the canonical books, and in the Gospel of the birth of Mary, siz circumstances;2 and by far the greater part of the pretended Gospel of Nicodemus is transcribed and stolen from other books. Nothing can be more evident to any one who is acquainted with the sacred books, and has read this Gospel, than that a great part of it is borrowed and stolen from them. Every such person must perceive, that the greatest part of the history of our Saviour's trial is taken out of our present Gospels, not only because it is a relation of the same facts and circumstances, but also in the very same words and order for the most part; and though this may be supposed to have happened accidentally, yet it is next to impossible to suppose a constant likeness of expression, not only to one, but sometimes to one, and sometimes to another of our evangelists. In short, the author seems to have designed a sort of abstract or compendium of all which he found most considerable to his purpose in our four Gospels; though he has but awkwardly enough put it together.3

But the most flagrant instance, perhaps, of fraudulent copying from the canonical books, is to be found in the pretended epistle of Paul to the Laodiceans, almost every verse of which is taken from the great apostle's genuine writings, as will appear from the following collation, which is taken from Mr. Jones's work on the canon,4 whose translation is reprinted without acknowledgment in the Apocryphal New Testament.5

The Epistle of St. Paul to the Laodiceans. The places in St. Paul's genuine Epistles,

1. Paul an apostle, not of men, neither by ma 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 continue and persevere in

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especially that to the Philippians, out of which this to the Laodiceans was com piled.

1. Galat. i. 1. men, neither by

&c.

Paul an apostle, not of man, but by Jesus Christ,

2. Galat. i. 3. Grace be to you, and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. See the same also, Rom. 1. 7. 1 Cor. i. 3. 2 Cor. i. 2. Eph. i. 2. Phil. i. 2. Col. i. 2. 1 Thess. i. 2. 2 Thess. i. 2.

3. Phil. i. 3. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, for your fellow

covered. There was also among them a philosopher well skilled in physic and natural philosophy, who asked the Lord Jesus, Whether he had studied physic?' He replied, and explained to him physics and metaphysics, also those things which were above and below the power of nature; the powers also of the body, its humours, and their effects; also the number of its members, and bones, veins, arteries, and nerves; the several constitutions of body, hot and dry, cold and moist, and the tendencies of them: how the soul operated upon the body; what its various sensations and faculties were; the faculty of speaking, anger, desire; and lastly, the manner of its composition and dissolution; and other things, which the understanding of no creature had ever reached. Then that philosopher arose, and worshipped the Lord Jesus, and said, O Lord Jesus, from henceforth I will be thy disciple and servant."

1 Gospel of Nicodemus, iii. 11-14. Apoc. New Test. p. 48.

2 They are enumerated by Mr. Jones, on the Canon, vol. ii. pp. 153–156.

3 See Jones on the Canon, vol. ii. pp. 349, 350., where the above remark is confirmed by many examples.

4.Vol. ii. pp. 33-35.

5 Apoc. New Test. pp. 73, 74.

good works, looking for that which is proInised 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.

7. 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; (for) to me to live shall be a life to Christ, to die will be joy.

9. And our Lord will grant us his mer. ey, 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.

ship in the Gospel, from the first day until now, &c.

4. Galat. i. 7. There be some that trouble you, and would pervert the Gos pel of Christ, &c.

6. Phil. i. 13. My bonds in Christ are manifest.

7. Phil. i. 19. For I know that this shall turn to my salvation through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit.

8. Phil. i. 20, 21. Whether it be by life or death, for to me to live is Christ, to die is gain.

3. Phil. ii. 2. That ye be like-minded, having the same love.

10. Phil. ii. 12. Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, &c. work out your own salvation with fear;

11. Phil. ii. 13. For it is God whe worketh in you.

12. Phil. ii. 14. Do all things without murmuring, &c. ver. 15. that ye may be blameless.

13. Phil. iii. 1. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord.

14. Phil. iv. 6. Let your requests be made known unto God.

15. Phil. iv. 8. Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, &c.

16. Phil. iv. 9. Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard and seen,-do, and the God of peace shall be with you.

17. Phil. iv. 22. All the saints salute

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8. Lastly, as the credibility of the genuine books of the New Testament is established by the accounts of countries, governors, princes, people, &c. therein contained, by their being confirmed by the relations of contemporary writers, both friends and enemies to Christians and Christianity (and espe cially by the relations of hostile writers); so the spuriousness of the pseudoevangelical writings is demonstrated by their containing GROSS FALSEHOODS,

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