XXIII. An Answer of the Apostles to Chrift, in Jerome. Dialog. contr. Pelag. Hæref. lib. 2. c. 6.

CHR

HRIST having reproved them for their unbelief of his refurrection;

b

This paffage Jerome, in the place cited, affirms was in fome copies of St. Mark (especially the Greek ones), in the end of the last chapter, viz. after ver. 14, and becomes confiderable here, only because it has been fuppofed by feveral learned men to be taken out of fome Apocryphal Gospels. So Erafmus, and Father Simon, to whom Dr. Mill fubfcribes, and adds a very probable conjecture, that it was taken out of one of the Manichæan Golpels, and perhaps that of Thomas; which, if indeed it be true, yet does no way affect the credit of our prefent Canon. For befides that I have above proved the Gospels of the Manichces to be Apocryphal; fo this paffage itself proves the book which contained it, out of which it was inferted into Mark, to have been fuch. As to its being interpolated into the laft chapter of Mark, I have here no concern, that matter belonging to the question about the integrity of the text. I fhall only add, that this chapter of that Gospel has fuffered many alterations; for in many copies

2 Erafin. in Mar. 16. et Sim. Critic. Hift. Nov. Teft. Par. 1. C. II.

Prolegom. in Nov. Teftam.

§. 724. et in Loc.

Vid. Erafm, et Mill. Loc. cit. the

the last twelve verfes are entirely omitted: Jerome fays, they were to be found but in few copies; and almost all the Greek books had them not. I mention this, because Dr. Mill b fuppofes the interpolated verse, which I am now confidering, did appear fo plainly fpurious, that fome ignorant transcribers left out the rest of the chapter upon the account of that.

XXIV. A Queftion of the Apostles, and Reply of our Saviour, preferved in St. Auftin, contr. Adverf. Leg. et Prophet. lib. 2. c. 4.

Sed Apoftolis, inquit, Dominum noftrum interrogantibus de. Judæorum prophetis, quid fentiri deberet, qui de adventu ejus aliquid ceciniffe in præteritum putabantur? Commotus talia etiam eos nunc fentire refpondit, Dimififtis vivum qui ante vos eft, et de mortuis fabulamini. Quid mirum, quandoquidem hoc teftimonium de Scripturis nefcio quibus Apocryphis protulit, fi de prophetis Dei talia confinxerunt hæretici, qui eafdem literas non accipiunt?

But, faith he (viz. the Manichee, against whom he writes), when the Apostles asked our Lord, What opinion should be entertained of those Jewish prophets, who were fuppofed formerly to have foretold things relating to his coming? He being angry that they should think any fuch thing at that time, answered, You difregard him who is alive, and among you, and deal in idle ftories about those who are dead. But it is no wonder, seeing he took this teftimony out of fome Apocryphal books, that the Hereticks, who do not receive the fame (facred) books, fhould forge fuch things of the prophets.

Concerning this faying there need no more be faid, but that though it was part of an Apocryphal Gospel, yet it was taken thence by a wretched Heretick, and with this design to prove his doctrine of the neceffity of not regarding the antient Jew

* Epift. ad Hedib. Quæft. 3.

Annot. in Mar. xvi. 14. ifh

ish prophets. Dr. Milla conjectures it was taken out of the Gospel of Thomas, in which though he perhaps may be right, yet he is mistaken in fuppofing it to have been ever interpolated into either of our prefent Gospels.

XXV. A Saying in fome Gospel, according to the Opinion of Jerome, in Ezech. xvii.

Tale quid et illud Evangelii fonat, Eft confufio quæ ducit ad mortem, et eft confufio quæ ducit ad vitam.

Something like that are the words of the Gospel, There is a fhame which leadeth to death, and a fhame which leadeth to

life.

b

Concerning these words, Mr. Fabritius feems rightly to guefs, that Jerome failed in point of memory, citing that out of the Gospel which is not there; perhaps he meant those words in the book of Ecclefiafticus, c. iv. 21. which are not much unlike: There is a fame that bringeth fin, and there is a fhame which is glory and grace.

These are all the Sayings and Hiftories of Chrift which have fallen within my obfervation, and which were neceffary to be produced, in order to fhew they were not taken by any ecclefiaftical writers out of Apocryphal Gofpels. Some befides these I have obferved, which I regard not, as being no way prejudicial to the Canon, becaufe either found in books evidently spurious and of uncertain age (fuch as thofe in the Conftitutions under the Apostles' names, of which the reader may take the following inftance out of B. IV. c. 3. It is faid by the Lord, Woe to thofe that have and receive in hypocrify, or who are able to fupport themselves, yet will receive of others, for both of them fhall give an account to the Lord God in the day of judgment); or because they are only the various readings of different copies, and interpolation of scribes in their ma

nufcripts, which were wrote long after the end of the fourth century, and of which the reader may fee many inftances in Dr. Mill's Notes on the Gospels; see Matt. xx. 28. xxiv. 31. Mar. xvi. 8. Luk. vi. 5. Joh. iii. 5. vi. 25. But befides either of thefe, there are now to be found in the Alcoran of Mahomet feveral Difcourfes, Sayings and Hiftories, as of Chrift and his Apoftles, which are not to be found in any of our present Gofpels. My defign indeed obliges me not to take any notice of these, because the impoftor lived about two hundred years after that time, to which I have confined myself in the whole of this difcourfe, and at a time when there was not the leaft difpute among the Chriftians about the Canon of the New Teftament, but all in every country univerfally agreed in receiving the same books as Scripture. However I thought it not unsuitable to prefent the reader with the following collection which I have made out of the Alcoran of the Sayings, Hiftories, Difcourfes, &c. which are therein afcribed to Chrift, his Apoftles, &c. for the following reafons:

1. Because the paffages being fo large, and undoubtedly many, or most of them taken out of Apocryphal books, will afford us more clear and enlarged notions of those books, as being made up of idle, fabulous, and incredible relations, which confequently will be no small strengthening to our prefent books in the Canon, whofe accounts are fo much more confiftent and rational.

2. Hereby we shall fee what wretched, perverse, and unjuft ideas the Mahometans are neceffitated to have of the Christian religion, who know little or nothing of Christ, but what is contained in the following collection.

3. We hereby also perceive how unfair the artifices were, which the impoftor made ufe of against Christianity in the compiling his Alcoran, who chose to make his collections concerning Chrift, and the Chriftian affairs, out of thofe fpurious and Apocryphal books, which were at that time almoft univerfally rejected by Chriftians, and not from the genuine and allowed records of Chrift's Apoftles.

4. Such

4. Such a collection as the following having not yet been made (to my knowledge) by any, I thought it might be fome entertainment to those who have any curiofity in these things, to fee at one view what Mahomet and his followers believe concerning Jefus Chrift, as it is contained in their Alcoran.

A Collection of the HISTORIES and SAYINGS of CHRIST, and Things relating to him, which are to be found in the Alcoran of MAHоMET.

[N. B. In this collection I have followed the last English translation of the Alcoran, done out of the French, which was tranflated out of Arabick by the Sieur de Ryer, Lord of Malezair, and refident for the French King at Alexandria.]

MAH

56

I. Chap. II. Intitled, Of the Cow, p. 72.

AHOMET introduces God thus fpeaking, "We gave "the Law to Mofes, and after him fent many prophets; we infpired knowledge into Jefus the son of Mary, and Strengthened him by the Holy Ghost; but you arofe against "the prophets that came contrary to your affections; you belied "one part, and flew another." The fame in part we read in the fame chapter, p. 89.

II. Chap. III. Intitled, Of the Lineage of Joachim, p. 96, 97, &c.

GOD elected Adam and Noah, the lineage of Abraham, and the lineage of Joachim; the one proceedeth from the other; God knoweth and understandeth all things. Remember thou, how the wife of Joachim faid, "Lord, I vow "unto thee the fruit that is in my womb free and exempt from "all affairs, to ferve thee in thy temple. Accept him from me,

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