Let now any impartial perfon judge, whether it be not probable, that the reason why these several parties and fects did fo mightily esteem the Acts of Andrew, was, because they found fome of their peculiar and favourite notions therein; and, if fo, then we have another argument, whereby to conclude it Apocryphal, viz. that it contained assertions contrary to those which are certainly known to be true by Prop. VIII.

CHAP. VI.

Other Books under the Name of Andrew confidered: they were the fame with the Acts of Leucius. The Gospel of Andrew. The Decree of Pope Gelafius, relating to Apocryphal Books, produced, with its various Lections: the Antiquity of this Decree.

Numb. II. Some other Apocryphal Books under the Name of the Apostle ANDREW.

I

ENTITLE them other, although, perhaps, they may appear to have been the fame with the former, because they are not mentioned exprefsly as the Acts of Andrew.

These are recorded,

1. By Auftin, confuting the anonymous Author, whom he ftyles Adverfarius Legis & Prophetaruma:

Sane de Apocryphis rite pofuit teftimonia, quæ fub nominibus Apoftolorum, Andreæ, Johannifque conscripta funt; quæ, fi illorum effent, recepta effent ab Ecclefia, quæ ab il

He hath made use of teftimonies out of fome Apocryphal pieces, which were written under the names of the Apof tles, Andrew and John; which, if they were truly

2 Contra Adverfar. Leg. & Prophet, lib. 1. c. 20.

lorum

Whatever the fubject of these books was, they appear plainly to have been fpurious by the exprefs teftimony of both those who mention them. Prop. III, IV, V. I have only to add, that perhaps thefe books, as alfo the former, viz. the Acts of Andrew, were either wholly, or in part, the fame with the Acts of the Apoftles under the name of Leucius, which I fhall particularly confider in its proper place, under the Letter L. As alfo who the philofophers Leonides and Nexocharides (mentioned in this Decree of Pope Innocent, as the authors of this book) were.

Numb. III. The Gospel of ANDREW the Apoftle.

THI

HIS book is not mentioned by any, but by Gelafius in his Decrees:

As there are not any fragments of this Gospel extant, nor any other teftimonies concerning it, it is impoffible for us now to form any particular idea of it, either as to its real author or contents. It is probable, it was firft forged and used by the fame Hereticks, as the other books under that Apoftle's name; however, it is easy to prove, it never was reputed to be a Canonical book, by Prop. IV, V, VI. I have only farther to obferve, after Mr. Fabritius", that in some copies of this famous Decree of Gelafius, there is no mention made of this Gospel under Andrew's name; and if these should happen to be the best copies, it will then follow, that there never was any fuch Gospel in the world.

Having occafion here, as I often shall hereafter, to make mention of this Decree of Pope Gelafius, concerning the Apocryphal books of the New Teftament, I perfuade myself, it will be a very excufable digreffion, if I give the unlearned reader a tranflation of the Decree itself, as far as it concerns any books which fall within my defign.

The DECREE of Pope GELASIUS, concerning Apocryphal Books.

1. The Travels under the name of Peter the Apoftle, which is also called the Eight Books of St. Clemens, are Apocryphal.

2. The Acts under the name of Andrew the Apostle are Apocryphal.

3. The Acts under the name of Philip the Apoftle are Apocryphal.

4. The Acts under the name of Peter the Apostle are Apocryphal '.

5. The Acts under the name of Thomas the Apostle are Apocryphal.

Cod. Apoc. Nov. Teft. par. 3.

P. 526.

Other copies for eight read

nine, others ten.

f In fome copies this is not mentioned.

6. The Gospel under the name of Thaddeus is Apocryphal & 7. The Gospel under the name of Thomas the Apostle, which the Manichees use, is Apocryphal.

8. The Gospel under the name of Barnabas is Apocryphal. 9. The Gospel under the name of Bartholomew the Apostle is Apocryphal ".

10. The Gospel under the name of Andrew the Apostle is Apocryphal.

II. The Gospels corrupted by Lucianus are Apocryphal. 12. The Gospels corrupted by Hefychius are Apocryphal. 13. The Gospel of the Infancy of our Saviour is Apocryphali.

14. The Book of the Nativity of our Saviour, of St. Mary, and the Midwife of our Saviour, is Apocryphal.

15. The Book which is called The Shepherd is Apocryphal. 16. All the Books which Lentitius, the difciple of the Devil, made, are Apocryphal.

17. The Book which is called The Acts of Thecla and Paul the Apostle is Apocryphal.

18. The Revelation afcribed to Thomas the Apostle is "Apocryphal.

19. The Revelation ascribed to Paul the Apostle is Apocryphal.

20. The Revelation afcribed to Stephen is Apocryphal. 21. The Travels, or Acts of St. Mary are Apocryphal. 22. The Book called The Lots of the Apostles is Apocryphal.

23. The Book called The Praise of the Apostles is Apocryphal.

24. The Book of The Canon of the Apostles is Apocryphal. 25. The Letters of Jefus to King Abgarus is Apocryphal.

I may perhaps have occafion hereafter more critically to enquire into the genuine authority of this Decree of Ge

Other copies read here, The Gospel of Matthias; others both Thaddeus and Matthias.

After this, fome copies have

The Gofpel of James the Lefs, and
Peter.

i This is omitted in fome copies.

lafius;

lafius; I fhall now only obferve, that it is generally agreed to be very antient, and by most learned men, to have been formed in the Council of Rome, A. C. 494. Those who have examined the manuscripts tell us, that in fome of them it is afcribed to Damafus, who lived in the century before Gelafius, and in others to Hormifdas, who lived the century after whence Baluzius feems rightly to conjecture, that Pope Damafus began the Decree, Gelafius renewed and made fome additions to it, and Hormifdas afterwards farther enlarged and confirmed it. It is true, Bishop Pearson, in his celebrated Vindication of Ignatius's Epiftles, attempts to prove, from this variety of titles, that the Decree is fpurious, as alfo by other arguments', which are approved by Dr. Cave, and tranflated into his excellent Work ". But it is not at all ftrange these learned men fhould reject this Decree, when we confider it as directly oppofite to fome notions, which they would have been much more unwilling to part with than this Decree,

CHA P. VII.

The Gospel of Apelles: his Age and Principles. The Gospel according to the Twelve Apoftles: it was the fame with the Gofpel of the Hebrews.

Numb. IV. The GOSPEL of APELLES.

ΤΗ

HIS Gospel is not mentioned by any writer till Jerome, who places it among feveral other Apocryphal pieces of the New Testament, whose words, because I fhall frequently refer to them, I fhall here tranfcribe at length".

*See Spanheim Hift. Chrift. Secul. V. c. 8. juxta fin. and Dalleus de Pfeudepig. Apoftol. 1. 3. c. 3, 4, &c.

Vindic. Ignat. Par. 1. c. 4.

P. 44, &c.

m Hiftor. Liter. in Gelaf.

Prafat. in Comm. in Matth.

Plures