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Whether or no this paffage is really a fragment of the antient Apocryphal Gofpel under the name of Barnabas, feems to me very uncertain. The author of the manufcript (which is a common-place book made after the modern alphabetical manner) does not mention the name of any Gospel from whence he took it; nor has the Doctor, who produces it, given any reasons to support his conjecture, and therefore we may as fairly conclude it to have been taken from the Epiftle under the name of Barnabas, as from the Gospel; and though it be not now to be found in any part of that Epiftle, yet I cannot fee why it may not be fuppofed to have been in that part of it which is loft, fince it is certain we have it now not complete and I am the rather apt to imagine this, because we cannot discover any intimations or citations of this Gospel in the antient writers, whereas the Epiftle was well known, and frequently referred to.

I can fcarce tell, whether it be worth while to obferve, that Mr. Toland, in his late trifling book, which he calls Nazarenus, finding it very much to his purpose, endeavours to confirm the aforefaid conjecture of Dr. Grabe. He tells us, that in an Italian manufcript, which he faw in Holland, and which is now in the library of Prince Eugene, entitled, The true Gospel of Jefus, called Chrift, a new Prophet sent by God to the World, according to the relation of Barnabas the Apostle. In this, I fay, he tells us, he found the paffage (just above produced out of the Baroccian manufcript) almoft in terms, and the fenfe evidently there in more than one place. It is not my bufinefs to make here any remarks concerning this pretended Gospel of Barnabas; it is enough to observe, that it is a very late and notorious Mahometan impofture, as appears fufficiently by the fcraps of it which Mr. Toland has produced, and more fully by the large citations out of it, which are given us by La Monnoy, who had by Baron Hohendorf, Prince Eugene's adjutant-general, the fight of the manufcript; and as he seems to have given a more juft and full account of it

Sre Dr. Mangey's Remarks on Mr. Toland's Nazarenus, c. 4. p.22. ► Nazaren. c. 2. p. 8. and c. 7. zadtad V

M

P.20.

с

Animadverf. ad Menagian. apud Fabrit. tom. 3. p. 373than

than Mr. Toland, fo I verily believe he had more opportunity to do it. It is probable the curiosity of fome readers may be fuch, as to defire these fragments in our language, for whose fake, though it be a digreffion from my propofed method, I fhall infert them here, as I find them in either of the forementioned authors.

The title is, as above,

"The true Gofpel of Jefus, called Chrift, a new Prophet "fent by God to the world, according to the relation of "Barnabas the Apostle "."

The first words of the book are these :

"Barnabas, an Apoftle of Jefus of Nazareth, called Chrift, "to all those who dwell upon the earth, wifheth peace and "confolation.

"He declares he was commanded to write this Gofpel; "represents himself as one of the Apostles, very familiar with "Jefus Chrift and the Virgin, better inftructed than Paul ❝ concerning the defign of circumcifion, and the ufage of "meats, either allowed or forbid to the faithful.

"He afferts, the infernal torments of the Mahometans "shall not be everlasting.

"Jefus Chrift is never called any more than a Prophet "." "It informs us, that the very moment the Jews were "preparing to go and take Chrift in the garden of Olives, "he was taken up into the third heavens, by the miniftry of "the four angels, Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel; "that he fhould not die until the end of the world, and that

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"it was Judas who was crucified instead of him, God per"mitting that this traitor fhould appear to the eyes of the

Jews fo very like to Jefus Chrift, that they apprehended "him inftead of him, and as fuch delivered him to Pilate; "that the resemblance between them was fo great, that the "Virgin Mary and the Apostles were even deceived, but that "afterwards Jefus Chrift had obtained of God premiffion to 66 come and comfort them "."

What paffed after this, we shall find in the following fragment, for which we are also obliged to Mr. La Monnoy, as well as the former.

A large Fragment of the GOSPEL of BARNABASb.

"The Virgin returned to Jerufalem together with the "author (Barnabas), James and John, upon the same day in "which the decree of the high priest came forth. The Virgin, "who feared God, although she knew the injustice of the high "prieft's decree, gave a charge to all her particular acquaint66 ance (or family), that they would forget her Son. But "God, who is acquainted with the temper of all men's minds, "knew how we and the mother of Jesus were very miferably "diftreffed between forrow for the death of Judas (whom we "believed to have been Jefus our mafter) and expectations of "seeing him risen again from the dead. The guardian angels "therefore of the Virgin Mary afcended into the third hea"ven, where Jefus was in the fociety of angels, and related "to him all the affair. Hereupon Jefus intreated God, that he "would permit him to go and fee his mother and his Difciples. "Then God, being merciful, commanded four of his most "beloved angels, viz. Gabriel, Michael, Raphael and Uriel, "that they should carry Jefus to his mother's house, and "there be his guard for three fucceffive days, and fuffer no "perfons to see him, who did not believe his doctrine. So

a La Monnoy loc. cit. p. 376, 377.

Not understanding thoroughly the Italian itself, I am obliged in

this English translation to follow and depend upon the Latin one of Mr. Fabritius.

« Jefus,

"Jefus, encircled with glory, came into the parlour, wherein "were Mary the Virgin, with her two fifters, Martha, with

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Mary Magdalen, Lazarus, with the author (Barnabas), and "John, with James and Peter; who, when they faw him, "fell down on the ground almoft dead with the surprise. "Whereupon Jefus, lifting up his mother and the rest of "them from the ground, faid, Fear not, for I am Jesus ; "mourn not, for I am alive, and not dead. But ftill they all "ftood perfectly aftonished at the fight of Jefus, whom they "really believed to have been dead. At length the Virgin very mournfully addreffed herself to him, and faid, I befeech you, my son, how came it to pass, that fince God had "given you power of raifing up the dead to life, he should per "mit you to be fo betrayed to death, to the difgrace of your re"lations and friends, as well as the reproach of your doctrine, « inafmuch as all that had any kindness for you were astonished " even almost unto death? Then Jefus embracing his mother, « said, Believe me, my mother, for I pofitively affirm that I was never dead, for God has referved me even to the end of "the world. When he had thus faid, he defired the four an"gels that they would fhew themselves, and testify how the "whole affair was managed. The angels then appeared like "four funs in their greatest brightness, whereupon they all "fell down again upon the ground at the furprize, as perfons "that were dead. Then Jefus gave them four linen cloths, "that being covered with them, his mother and the rest of "the company might be able to bear the fight of them, and "hear them speak. Lifting them then all from the ground, "he encouraged them, and faid, Thefe are the minifters of "God, Gabriel, who carries and delivers the fecret messages "of God; Michael, who battles against the enemies of God;

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Raphael, who takes charge of the fouls of them who dies "Uriel, who on the last day shall gather all to judgment. "Then the angels declared to the Virgin (that which God ❝ had commanded them by Jefus) how that Judas was tranf"formed [into the likeness of Jefus] that so himself might " fuffer the punishment, which he defigned to have brought upon another. Hereupon the author (Barnabas) spake, M 3 "and

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"and faid, Mafter, may I have the fame liberty of propofing a "question to you now, which I heretofore had when you con "verfed with us? Jefus answered, Barnabas, propose what questions you have a mind, and I will reply to them. The "author (Barnabas) then said, O my mafter, fince God is mer"ciful, why would he fo torment us, and make us to believe you

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were really dead, and your mother to grieve almost to death? "And as to yourself, who are the holy one of God, why would "God permit you to be brought under fuch difgrace, as though

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you had been executed with felons in mount Calvary? Jesus "answered, Oh, Barnabas, believe me, every fin, though it be

a fmall one, is very feverely punished by God, to whom it is <c offenfive. Inafmuch therefore as my mother and my faithful "difciples loved me with fome mixture of earthly love, the right"eous God was pleafed now to punish them for that love, that "they might not hereafter fuffer for it in the flames of hell. "And as for my part, although I lived a very blameless life in

the world, yet fince men called me God, and the fon of God, " it pleafed God, in order to prevent my being mocked by devils "in the judgment day, that I should fuffer difgrace in this "world by the death of Judas, all men being perfuaded that I "really died on the cross. Wherefore this reproach fhall laft "till the coming of Mahomet, who, when he shall come into the "world, will deliver all those who believe the law of God from "this error."

In another part of this Gospel, Mahomet is expressly named for the Paraclete or Comforter promised to come, John xiv. 16, 26. and xvi. 7. and in feveral places foretold as the defigned accomplisher of God's economy towards men. It is, in fhort, fays Mr. Toland', the antient Ebionite or Nazarene fyftem, as to the making Jefus a mere man (though not with them the son of Jofeph, but divinely conceived by the Virgin Mary), and agrees in every thing almost with the scheme of our modern Unitarians, excepting the history of his death and refurrection, about which a very different account is given from that in our Gospels, but perfectly conformable to the tradition of the

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