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Hebrew. The writers had, from their infancy, been accustomed to the Syro-Chaldaic language, which is a corruption of the ancient Hebrew. Now, this peculiarity of idiom could never have been successfully imitated by any native Greek; nor by any one not early conversant with the vernacular tongue of Palestine, at that time. When, therefore, men of other countries, and other times, undertook to publish books, under the name of the Apostles, the imposture was manifest at once, to all capable of judging correctly on the subject; because, although they could write in the same language as the Apostles, they could not possibly imitate their idiom. This, therefore, furnishes a most important characteristic, to distinguish between the genuine writings of the Apostles, and such as are supposititious.

7. "That book is spurious which exhibits a disposition and temper of mind very different from that of the person to whom it is ascribed."

This rule depends on a principle in human nature, well understood, and needs no particular elucidation.

8. "That book is not genuine, which consists principally of mere extracts from other books."

This is also so evident, that it requires no illustration.

9. "Those books which were never cited, nor referred to as Scripture, by any writer of credit, for the first four hundred years after the Apostles' days, are Apocryphal."

10. "Those books which were expressly rejected by the Fathers of the first ages as spurious, and attributed by them to heretics, are Apocryphal."

By the application of the foregoing rules, it can be shown, that every book which claims Canonical authority, not included in our present Canon, is Apocryphal. When we denominate all books Apocryphal, which are not Canonical, we do not mean to reduce them all to the same level. A book which is not Canonical, may be a very instructive and useful book. As a human composition, it may deserve to be highly esteemed; and as the writing of a pious and eminent man of antiquity, it may claim peculiar respect.

The ancient method of division was more accurate than ours. They divided all books into three classes; first, the Canonical; secondly, the Ecclesiastical; and thirdly, the Spurious. And there is reason to believe, that some books which were written, without the least fraudulent design, by anonymous authors, have, by the ignorance of their successors, been ascribed to the wrong persons.

That the Fathers did sometimes cite Apocryphal books, in their writings, is true; but so did Paul cite the Heathen Poets. If these books are sometimes mentioned, without any note of disapprobation annexed, it can commonly be clearly ascertained, from other places in the same author, that he held them to be Apocryphal. Thus, ORIGEN, in one place, quotes the Gospel according to the Hebrews, without any expression of disapprobation; but, in another place, he rejects it, as spurious, and declares, "That the church receives no more than four Gospels."

Sometimes, the Fathers cited these Apocryphal books, to show that their knowledge was not confined to their own books, and that they did not reject others, through ignorance of their contents. Remarkably to this purpose, are the words of Origen: "The church," says he," receives only four Gospels: heretics have many, such as, the gospel of the Egyptians, the gospel of Thomas, &c.: these we read, that we may not seem to be ignorant, to those who think they know something extraordinary, if they are acquainted with those things which are recorded in these books."

To the same purpose speaks AMBROSE; for having mentioned several of these books, he says, "We read these, that they may not be read by others; we read them, that we may not seem to be ignorant; we read them, not that we receive them, but that we may reject them, and may know what those thing's are of which they make such a boast."

In some instances, it seems probable that some of the Fathers took passages out of these books, because they were acknowledged by those against whom they were writing; being willing to dispute with them on their own principles, and to confute them by their own books.

It may perhaps be true also, that one or two of the Fathers eited passages from these books, because they contained facts not recorded in the Canonical Gospels. The Apostle John informs us that our Lord performed innumerable miracles, besides those which he had recorded, "the which, if they should be written, every one, I suppose the world itself could not contain the books which should be written." Now, some tradition of some of these things would undoubtedly be handed down as low as to the second century, and might find its way into some of the Apocryphal gospels, and might be cited by persons who did not believe the book to be of Canonical authority, just as we refer to any profane author for the proof of such facts as are credibly related by them. There is, at least, one example

of this; JEROME refers to the Gospel according to the Hebrews for a fact; and yet he most explicitly rejects this book as Apocryphal.

The only books which were ever read in the churches besides the Čanonical, were a few written by apostolical men; which, although not written by a plenary inspiration, were the genuine writings of the persons whose names they bore, and were pious productions, and tended to edification; such as, the Epistle of Clement, the Shepherd of Hermas, and the Epistle of Barnabas; but no spurious books were ever read in the churches.

None of the writings falsely ascribed to Christ and his Apostles, ever acquired so much authority, as to be publicly read in any church, as far as we know. Indeed, although the Apocryphal books of the New Testament were very numerous, yet they did not appear in the age of the church next after the times of the Apostles. In the first century, no books of this description are referred to, unless we suppose that Luke, in the beginning of his Gospel, intends to speak of such. In the second century, a few spurious writings began to be first put into circulation, as, the Gospel according to the Hebrews; the Gospel of Truth, used by the Valentinians; the Preaching of Peter; the Traditions of Matthias; the Acts of Paul and Thecla; the Gospel of Marcion; the Revelation of Cerinthus; and a few others of less note. But in the third century, the number of Apocryphal books was considerably increased; and in the fourth and fifth centuries, they were exceedingly multiplied.

If it be inquired, how it happened that so many Apocryphal books were written, it may confidently be answered, that the principal cause was, the abounding of heresies. Álmost all the spurious writings under the names of the Apostles, are the productions of heretics, as we learn from the testimony of those Fathers who have made mention of them. It is, however, true, that some mistaken well-meaning people thought that they could add honour to the Apostles, or contribute to the edification of the church, by resorting to (what have improperly been called) pious frauds. They imagined also, that they could recommend Christianity to the Gentiles, by inventing stories which they rashly pretended were sayings or actions of Christ. Thus adopting the pernicious maxim, so peremptorily denounced by Paul, "That we may do evil that good may come;" or that the goodness of the end will sanctify the badness of the means. Of this we have one remarkable example in the spurious book still extant, entitled, The Acts of

Paul and Thecla, which a certain Asiatic presbyter confessed that he had forged, and assigned as his reason for this forgery, that he wished to show respect to Paul. But in connexion with this fact, we have satisfactory proof of the vigilance of the church, in guarding the Sacred Canon from corruption; for the book was no sooner published, than a strict inquiry was instituted into its origin, and the presbyter mentioned above, having been detected as the author, was deprived of his office in the church. This account is given by Tertullian; and Jerome adds, that the detection of this forgery was made by the Apostle John.

It is probable, also, that some of these books were written without any evil purpose, by weak men, who wrote down all the stories they had received by tradition; for, no doubt, a multitude of traditions respecting Christ and his Apostles, with extravagant distortions and additions, would be handed down for several generations.

*

By all these means, the number of Apocryphal books of the New Testament was greatly multiplied. But by far the greater number of these have perished; yet there is no difficulty in determining, that none of them had any just claim to a place in the Canon. By one or more of the rules laid down above, they can all be demonstrated to have been Apocryphal; and, indeed, most of them are never mentioned by any ancient author, in any other light than as spurious writings." There is a famous decree of Pope GELASIUS, in which at least twentyfive of these books are named, and declared to be Apocryphal. It is not certain, indeed, whether this decree ought to be ascribed to GELASIUS, or to one of his predecessors, Damasus; but there can be no doubt that it is very ancient, and is by most supposed to have been formed in the council which met at Rome, A.D. 494. A translation of this decree, extracted from Jones, will be found in the Notes at the end of the volume.†

*See Note D, in Appendix.

† See Note E, in do.

SECTION XV.

APOCRYPHAL BOOKS WHICH ARE STILL EXTANT-Letter of abgarus, KING of Edessa, TO JESUS, AND HIS ANSWER-EPISTLE OF THE LAODICEANS— LETTERS OF PAUL TO SENECA-PROTEVANGELION OF JAMES THE GOSPEL OF OUR SAVIOUR'S INFANCY-THE ACTS OF PILATE THE ACTS OF PAUL AND THECLA.

WE come now to consider those Apocryphal books which are still extant, and concerning which, therefore, we can speak more particularly.

The first of these is the Letter of ABGARUS, king of Edessa, addressed to Jesus, as sent by his footman Ananias.

EUSEBIUS is the first who makes mention of this Epistle, and the sum of his account is, that our Saviour's miraculous works drew innumerable persons to him from the most remote countries, to be healed of their diseases; and that ABGARUS, a famous king beyond the Euphrates, wrote to him, because he was afflicted with a malady incurable by human art. Our Lord promised to send one of his Disciples to him, and Thaddeus, one of the Seventy Disciples, was sent by Thomas after the ascension of Jesus, by an intimation given him from heaven. For the truth of this story, Eusebius appeals to the public records of the city of Edessa, where, he says, all the transactions of the reign of Abgarus are preserved in the Syriac language; out of which he translated these Epistles and the accompanying history. He proceeds to relate, that Thaddeus having come to Edessa, wrought many miracles, and healed many that were diseased. Abgarus, supposing that this was the person whom Christ had, in his letter, promised to send to him, as soon as Thaddeus was introduced to him, perceiving something extraordinary in his countenance, fell down before him, at which his nobles were greatly surprised. The king having inquired whether he was the person sent by Christ, he answered, that on account of the faith of Christ he was sent, and assured him that all things should be according to his faith. To which the king replied, that he believed so much in Christ, that he was resolved, had it not been for fear of the Romans, to have made war with the Jews for crucifying him. Thad

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