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"the tree was an idol, and the Devil was affrighted at Chrift's "coming, and that all the idols of Egypt fell down upon "Chrift's coming there, according to the prophecy of Ifaiah “xix. 1. The burden of Egypt. Behold the Lord rideth upon "a fwift cloud, and shall come into Egypt, and the idols of “Egypt shall be moved at his prefence, &c. So, fays he, the "Devil being caft out, the tree remained to be a witness of "the fact, and to cure believers of their diseases a."

5. Mr. La Crofe cites a fynod, which was held in the diocefe of Angamala, in the mountainous country of Malabar, A. D. 1599, which condemns the Gospel of Chrift's Infancy, as a book that was commonly read by the Neftorians in Malabar b. Add to this, that Ahmed Ibn Idris, a writer for the Mahometan religion against the Chriftians and Jews, fays, it was used by fome Chriftians as the other four Gofpels: and Ocobius de Castro speaks of a Gospel of Thomas, which Mr. Fabritius takes for the Gospel of the Infancy (and probably was fo), that was read in very many Churches of Afia and Africa, as the only rule of their faith; which, he fays, he saw, and had tranflated to him by an Armenian Archbishop at Amfterdam.

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Numb. VII.

EVANGELIUM INFANTIÆ.

In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, Dei Unius. Auxiliante et favente fummo Numine, incipimus fcribere

librum miraculorum Heri et Domini et Servatoris noftri Jefu Chrifti, qui vocatur Evangelium Infantiæ, in pace Domini, Amen.

Cap. I.

INVENIMUS in libro Jofephi Pontificis, qui vixit tempore Chrifti; dicuntque nonnulli eum effe Caiapham; dixit is, Jefum locutum effe, et quidem cum in cunis jaceret, dixiffeque matri fuæ Mariæ; Ego fum Jefus, Filius Dei, Verbum illud quod peperifti, quemadmodum annunciavit Angelus tibi Gabriel, mifitque me Pater meus ad falutem

II. Anno autem trecentefimo nono æræ Alexandri edixit Auguftus, ut defcriberetur unufquifque in patria fua.

The GOSPEL of the IN. FANCY (of our SAVIOUR).

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, One God. I begin with the affiftance and favour of God to write the book of the miracles of our Mafter, and Lord and Saviour. Jefus Chrift, which is entitled, The Gospel of the Infancy, with the bleffing of God, Amen.

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Surrexit itaque Jofephus, et affumpta Maria fponfa fua Hierofolymam abiit, venitque Bethlehemum, ut cum familia fua in urbe patria defcriberetur. Cumque ad fpeluncam perveniffent, faffa eft Maria Jofepho, inftare fibi tempus pariendi, neque fe poffe in urbem proficifci; fed hanc, inquit, fpeluncam intremus. Sol autem præceps in occafum ferebatur. At Jofephus propere abiens, ut mulierem, quæ (in partu) ipfi adeffet, accerferet, anum Hebræam confpicit, Hierofolymis oriundam; et, Heus benedicta, inquit, huc ades, et fpeluncam iftam ingredere, in qua mulierem partui vicinam invenies.

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own country. Jofeph therefore arofe, and with Mary his fpoufe he went to Jerufalem, and then came to Bethlehem, that he and his family might be taxed in the city of his fathers. And when they came by the cave, Mary confeffed to Jofeph, that her time of bringing forth was come, and she could not go on to the city, and faid, Let us go into this cave. At that time the fun was very near going down. But Joseph haftened away, that he might fetch her a midwife; and when he faw an old Hebrew woman, who was of Jerufalem, he faid to her, Pray come hither, good woman, and go into that and you will there fee a woman just ready to bring forth.

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this light, they were furprised; the old woman asked St. Mary,

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rentur, rogat vetula divam Mariam, Tune hujus prolis es mater? et annuente diva Maria, Nequaquam, ait, fimilis es filiabus Evæ. Dicebat diva Maria, Sicuti filio meo nemo inter pueros fimilis exiftit, ita ipfius genetrix nullam inter mulieres parem habet. Refpondente vero anu, et dicente, Hera mea, veni ego, ut præmium perpetuo duraturum acquirerem: inquit illi Domina noftra diva Maria, Impone manus tuas infanti: quod cum feciffet, anus extempore munda evafit. Egreffa itaque dicebat, Ab hoc tempore famula et miniftra ero hujus infantis omnibus diebus vitæ meæ.

IV. Deinde cum adveniffent paftores, et fuccenfo igne admodum lætarentur, apparuerunt illis exercitus cœleftes, laudantes et celebrantes Deum fupremum, idemque facientibus paftoribus, fpelunca ifta tunc temporis augufto templo fimillima videbatur, quoniam orà cœleftia pariter et terreftria celebrabant et magnificabant Deum, ob nativitatem Domini Chrifti.

Art thou the mother of this child? St. Mary replied, She was. On which the old woman faid, Thou art very different from all other women. St. Mary anfwered, As there is not any child like to my fon, fo neither is there any woman like to his mother. The old woman answered, and faid, O my Lady, I am come hither, that I may obtain an everlasting reward. Then our Lady St. Mary faid to her, Lay thine hands upon the infant which when fhe had done, fhe became clean (or whole); and as fhe was going forth, fhe faid, From henceforth all the days of my life I will attend upon, and be a servant of this infant.

IV. After this, when the fhepherds came, and had made a fire, and they were exceedingly rejoicing, the heavenly Hoft appeared to them, praif-ing and adoring the fupreme God; and as the fhepherds were engaged in the fame employment, the cave at that time feemed 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 Chrift. But when the old Hebrew woman

faw

Videns vero anus illa Hebræa manifefta illa miracula, gratias Deo agebat, dicens, Gratias tibi ago, O Deus, Deus Ifraelis, propterea quod viderunt oculi mei nativitatem Servatoris mundi.

V. Cumque adeffet tempus circumcifionis, dies fcilicet octavus, quo circumcidendum effe puellum lex præcipit, circumciderunt illum in fpelunca, fumfitque anus illa Hebræa pelliculam iftam (dicunt vero alii ipfam fumfiffe præfegmen umbilici), eamque in alabaftro olei nardini vetufti recondidit. Erat autem illi filius feplafiarius, cui tradens illud, Cave, inquit, vendas alabaftrum hoc unguenti nardini, quamvis trecenti denarii pro illo tibi offerentur. Atque hoc eft alabaftrum illud, quod Maria peccatrix fibi comparavit, et in caput et pedes Domini noftri Jefu Chrifti effudit, eofque capillitio capitis fui exterfit. Tum decem dierum fpatio interjecto Hierofolymas eum detulerunt, et quadragefimo a nativitate die in Templo coram facie Domini ftiterunt, offerentes pro ipfo munera,

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faw all these evident miracles,
fhe gave praises to God, and
faid, I thank thee, O God, thou
God of Ifrael, for that mine
eyes have feen the birth of the
Saviour of the world.

V. And when the time of his circumcifion was come, viz. the eighth day, on which the law commanded the child to be circumcifed, they circumcised him in the cave, and the old Hebrew woman took the fore-fkin (others fay she took the navel-ftring), and preferved it in an alabasterbox of old oil of spikenard. And she had a fon who was a druggift, to whom fhe faid, Take heed thou fell not this alabaster-box of spikenard-ointment, although thou shouldest be offered three hundred pence for it. Now this is that alabaf ter-box which Mary the finner procured, and poured forth the ointment out of it upon the head and the feet of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and wiped them off with the hairs of her head. Then after ten days they brought him to Jerufalem, and on the fortieth day from his birth they presented him in the Temple before the Lord, making the proper offerings for him, according to

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