femetipfos, Nequando audientes fermones iftos, omnes credent in Jefum. Et congregantes pecuniam multam, dederunt militibus, dicentes, Dicite, quia vobis dormientibus venerunt difcipuli Jesu nocte, et furati funt corpus Jefu. Et fi hoc auditum fuerit a Pilato præfide, nos fatisfaciemus pro vobis, et fecuros vos faciemus. Milites vero accipientes fic dixerunt, ut a Judæis moniti funt; et diffamatus eft omnibus fermo illorum. XIV. Quidam autem facerdos, nomine Phinees, et Ada præceptor, et Levita, nomine Ageus, ifti tres venerunt de Galilæa in Jerufalem, et dixerunt principibus facerdotum, et omnibus qui in fynagogis erant, Quia Jefum crucifixiftis, quem vidimus cum undecim difcipulis fuis loquentem et fedentem in medio eorum in monte Oliveti, et dicentem eis, Euntes in mundum univerfum, prædicate omnibus gentibus, baptizantes eos in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti; any means these things should become publick, then every body will believe in Jefus. Then they gathered a large sum of money, and gave it to the foldiers, faying, Do ye tell the people that the difciples of Fefus came in the night when ye were afleep, and ftole away the body of Jefus; and if Pilate the governor should hear of this, we will fatisfy him and fecure you. The foldiers accordingly took the money, and faid as they were inftructed by the Jews; and their report was spread abroad among all the people. XIV. But a certain priest Phinees, Ada a schoolmaster, and a Levite, named Ageus, they three came from Galilee to Jerufalem, and told the chief priests and all who were in the fynagogues, faying, We have feen Jefus, whom ye crucified, talking with his eleven difciples, and fitting in the midst of them in mount Olivet, and faying to them3, Go forth into the whole world, preach the Gospel to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and a Matt. xxviii. 16. & Mark xvi. 16. whosoever 1 Et et qui crediderit et baptizatus whofoever fhall believe and fuerit, hic falvus erit. be baptized, fhall be faved. quum hæc loquutus fuiffet And when he had faid thefe discipulis fuis, vidimus eum things to his difciples, we saw afcendentem in cœlum. Et him afcending up to heaven. hæc audientes principes facer- When the chief Priests, and dotum, et feniores, et Levitæ, Elders, and Levites heard dixerunt tribus viris illis, Da- these things, they said to these te gloriam Deo Ifrael, et date three men, Give glory to the ei confeffionem, fi vera funt God of Ifrael, and make conquæ vidiftis et audiftis. Illi fession to him, whether thofe autem refpondentes, dixerunt, things are true, which (ye fay) Vivit Dominus patrum nof- ye have feen and heard. They trorum, Deus Abraham, et answering, faid, As the Lord Deus Ifaac, et Deus Jacob; of our fathers liveth, the God ficut audivimus loquentem of Abraham, and the God of Jefum cum difcipulis fuis, et Ifaac, and the God of Jacob, ficut vidimus eum afcenden- according as we heard Jefus tem in cœlum, fic veritatem talking with his disciples, and dicimus vobis. according as we saw him afcending up to heaven, so we have related the truth to you. And the three men farther answered and faid, adding thefe words, If we should not own the words which we heard Jefus fpeak, and that we faw him afcending into heaven, we should be guilty of fin. Then the chief priests immediately rofe up, and holding the book of the Law in their hands, conjured thofe men, saying, Ye shall no more hereafter ever declare thofe things which ye have spoke concerning Jesus. And they gave them a large Et refpondentes tres viri dixerunt, et fuperaddentes fermones hos iidem tres viri dixerunt, Si verba quæ audivimus ab Jefu, et quod vidimus eum afcendentem in cœlos, taceamus, peccatum habebimus. Statim exfurgentes principes facerdotum, tenentes legem Domini, adjuraverunt contra eos, dicentes, Jam enim amplius non nuntietis verba quæ loquuti eftis de Jefu; et dederunt eis pecuniam multam, et miferunt cum eis alios viros, qui ducerent eos ufque in fum of money, and sent other persons along with them, who regionem fuam, ut nullo modo ftarent in Jerufalem. Congregati funt ergo omnes Judæi, et fecerunt inter fe magnam lamentationem, dicentes, Quid eft hoc fignum quod factum eft in Jerufalem? Annas autem et Caiphas confolantes eos, dixerunt, Nunquid militibus, qui cuftodierunt monumentum Jefu, debemus credere, dicentibus nobis, quoniam angelus revolvit lapidem de oftio monumenti? Forfitan hæc difcipuli ejus dixerunt eis, et dederunt pecuniam, ut hæc dicerent, et tollerent corpus Jefu. Hoc autem fcitote, quod non eft credendum ullo modo alienigenis; quia et a nobis acceperunt pecuniam copiofam, et fecundum quod docuimus eos dicere, fic omnibus dixerunt: aut nobis habent tenere fidem, aut difcipulis Jefu. fhould conduct them to their own country, that they might not by any means make any ftay at Jerufalem. Then the Jews did affemble all together, and having expressed the most lamentable concern, faid, What is this extraordinary thing which is come to pafs in Jerufalem? But Annas and Caiaphas comforted them, faying, Why Should we believe the foldiers who guarded the fepulchre of Jefus, in telling us, that an angel rolled away the ftone from the door of the fepulchre? Perhaps his own disciples told them this, and gave them money that they fhould fay fo, and they themfelves took away the body of Jefus. Befides, confider this, that there is no credit to be given to foreigners (Heathens) because they also took a large Sum of us, and they have declared to us according to the They must either be faithful inftructions which we gave them. to us, or to the difciples of Jefus. XV. Exfurgens vero Nicodemus, dixit, Recte loquimini, filii Ifrael. Vos audiftis omnia quæ loquuti funt tres illi viri, jurantes in lege Domini. Qui dixerunt, Vidimus Jefum loquentem cum difcipulis fuis fuper montem XV. Then Nicodemus arofe, and faid, Ye fay right, O fons of Ifrael, ye have heard what those three men have fwore by the Law of God, who faid, We have feen Jesus fpeaking with his difciples upon mount Olivet, and we faw fi Oliveti, et vidimus eum af- faw him afcending up to found, whom they had fhut gationem magnam, dixerunt principes facerdotum, Quo ordine poffimus adducere Joseph ad nos, et loqui cum eo? Et tollentes tomum chartæ, fcripferunt ad Jofeph, dicentes, Pax tecum, et omnibus qui tecum funt. Scimus quia peccavimus tibi et in Deum. Dignare ergo venire ad patres tuos, quia admirati fumus de affumptione tua. Scimus quia malignum confilium habuimus adverfum te, et Dominus fufcepit te, et ipfe Dominus liberavit de confilio noftro. Pax tibi, Joseph, honorabilis ab omni plebe. Et elegerunt feptem viros, amicos Jofeph, et dixerunt ad eos, Dum perveneritis ad Jofeph, falutate eum in pace, dantes ei epistolam. Et pervenientes viri ad Jofeph, falutantes eum pacifice, dederunt ei libellum epiftolæ. Et quum legiffet Jofeph, dixit, Benedictus Dominus Deus, qui liberafti me ab Ifrael, ut non effunderet fanguinem meum. Benedictus Deus, qui protexifti me fub alis tuis. Et ofculatus eft eos Jofeph, et fufcepit in domum fuam. Alia autem die afcen dens Jofeph afinum fuum, chief Priefts faid, By what means fhall we bring Jofeph to us to speak with him? And taking a piece of paper, they wrote to him, and faid, Peace be with thee, and all thy family. We know that we have offended against God and thee. Be pleafed to give a vifit to us your fathers, for we were perfectly furprized at your escape (from prison). (from prifon). We know that it was malicious counsel which we took against thee, and that the Lord took care of thee, and the Lord himself delivered thee from our defigns. Peace be unto thee, Jofeph, who art honourable among all the peo ple. And they chose seven of Jofeph's friends, and faid to them, When ye come to Jofeph, falute him in peace, and give him this letter. Accordingly, when the men came to Jofeph, they did falute him in peace, and gave him the letter. And when Jofeph had read it, he faid, Blessed be the Lord God, who didst deliver me from the ifraelites, that they could not shed my blood. Bleffed be God, who haft protected me under thy wings. And Jofeph kiffed them, and took them into his house. And on the morrow, Jofeph mounted his afs, and went |