Petitis a me, ut vobis refcribam, quid mihi de quodam libello videatur, qui de Nativitate S. Mariæ a nonnullis habetur; et ideo fcire vos volo multa in eo falfa inveniri. Quidam namque Seleucus, qui Paffiones Apoftolorum confcripfit, hunc libellum compofuit. Et ficut de virtutibus eorum et miraculis per eos factis vera dixit, de doctrina vero eorum plura mentitus eft; ita et hic multa non vera de corde fuo confinxit. Proinde ut in Hebræo habetur, verbum ex verbo transferre curabo; fiquidem fanctum Evangeliftam Matthæum eun dem libellum liquet compofuiffe, et in capite Evangelii fui Hebraicis literis obfignatum appofuiffe; quod an verum fit, Auctori Præfationis et fidei fcriptoris committo: ipfe enim ut hæc dubia effe pronuncio, ita liquido falfa non affirmo. Illud autem libere dico, quod fidelium neminem negaturum puto, five hæc vera fint, five ab aliquo conficta, facrofancta Sanctæ Mariæ magna miracula præceffiffe, maxima confecuta fu You defire that I would write to you my fentiments concerning that little book which fome have concerning the Nativity of St. Mary; in which I affure you there are many falfe accounts. For a certain perfon named Seleucus, who wrote the hiftory of the Apoftles' Sufferings, was also the author of this small tract. And as (in that) he has related many true things concerning the mighty works and miracles done by them, but at the fame time gave very falfe accounts of their doctrine; fo in this he has forged many falfe accounts out of his own imagination. However I will endeavour to tranflate it word for word, as it is in the Hebrew, because it is pretended that this fame book was compofed by the holy Evangelift Matthew, and placed, written in Hebrew characters, at the beginning of his Gofpel; but as to the truth of this, I leave it to the author of the preface, and the credit of the writer; for as I declare these things to be uncertain, so I will not pofitively affirm them to be falfe. But this I am not afraid to affert, which I fuppose no Christian will deny, viz. that, whether these things be true or falfe, there were great miracles both preceding and VOL. II. following H iffe; et idcirco falva fide ab his qui Deum ifta facere poffe credunt, fine periculo animæ fuæ credi et legi poffe. Denique, in quantum recordari poffum, fenfum non verba fcriptoris fequens, et nunc eadem femita non iifdem veftigiis incedens, nunc quibufdam diverticulis ad eandem viam recurrens, fic narrationis ftylum tentabo, et non alia dicam, quam quæ aut fcripta funt ibi, aut confequenter fcribi potuerunt. following (the birth) of St. Mary, and therefore they may very fafely, without any hazard of the foul, be both believed and read by those who are perfuaded of the power of God to work fuch miracles. In a word, as far as my memory will ferve, I will attempt fuch a fort of tranflation, as to say nothing which is not either written there, or may be supposed by confequence to have been written; obferving rather the meaning than the words of the author; fometimes walking in the fame path with him, though not in the same steps; and though fometimes turning a little afide, returning to the fame way again. Whether any other of the antient writers of Chriftianity have mentioned this Gospel, or whether these Epiftles under the name of Jerome, relating to it, are genuine, I fhall not yet inquire, because there still is extant a spurious book, entitled, The Protevangelium, or First Gospel of the Apostle James, containing the greatest part of the preceding one, with several other confiderable additions; which (as it is neceffary) I will first infert, and then endeavour to give the reader the clearest account I can of both. CHAP. CHA P. XV. The Protevangelion of St. James, in Greek and English, publifhed out of the Orthodoxographa of Jacobus Grynæus, p. 7 I, &c. HE fame reasons which induced me to infert the preceding Gospel of the Birth of Mary, make it neceffary that I should infert this, viz. because there can be no reasonable doubt but that they were of the fame original; and as that passed under the name of St. Matthew, so this was afcribed to St. James, and many of its relations received and credited by the antient Chriftians. Befides, it has been not only published among those books which go under the pompous character of Orthodoxographa, but its firft editor Poftellus pleads mightily for its authority, would have it received among the Hagiographa, and tells us, it is publickly read and judged authentick and Canonical by the Oriental Churches. (See below, Chap. XXI.) I. Ν ταῖς ἱςορίαις τῶν ΕΝ 2 δώδεκα φύλων το Ἰσραὴλ ἦν Ἰωακεὶμ πλέσιος σφόδρα, καὶ προσεφέρετο τα δώρα αὐτὰ διπλᾶ Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ, λέγων ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Ἔσαι το τῆς περισσείας παντὶ τῷ λαῷ, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀφέσεως με Κυρίῳ τῷ Θεῷ εἰς ἱλασμὸν ἐμοί. Ἤγγικε δὲ ἡμέρα Κυρίε ἡ μετ γάλη, καὶ προσέφερον οἱ υἱοὶ τῇ Ἰσραὴλ τὰ δῶρα αὐτῶν, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ Ἰωακεὶμ τὰ δώρα αὐτῷ· καὶ ἔςη κατέναντι αὐτῇ Ῥεβεὶμ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς, λέω γων· Οὐκ ἔξεσί σοι προσεν τα The PROTEVANGELION: Or, An Hiftorical Account of the Birth of Christ, and the perpetual Virgin Mary his Mother, by James the Leffer, Coufin and Brother of the Lord Jefus, chief Apoftle and first Bishop of the Chriftians in Jerufalem. I. I N the history of the twelve tribes of Ifrael (we read) there was a certain perfon called Joachim, who being very rich made double* offerings to the Lord God, having made this resolution; "My fubftance shall be for the σε benefit of the whole people, " and that I may find mercy "from the Lord God for the "forgiveness of my fins." But at a certain great feast of the Lord, when the children of Ifrael offered their gifts, and Joachim alfo offered his: Reuben the High-prieft oppofed him, faying, It is not lawful for thee to offer thy * i. e. gave as much more as he was obliged to give. έγκειν τὰ δῶρα σε, καθότι σπέρμα ἐκ ἐποίησας ἐν Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ ἐλυπήθη Ιωακεὶμ σφίδρα, καὶ ἀπίει εἰς τὸ δωδεκάφυλον τῇ λαᾶ, λέγων ἐν ἑαυτῷ· Εἰ ἐγὼ μόνος ἐκ ἐποίησα σπέρμα ἐν τῷ Ἰσα ραήλ. Ερεύνησε δὲ καὶ εὗρε πάντας δικαίες, ὅτι σπέρμα ἀνέςησαν ἐν τῷ Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἐμνήσθη τε πατριάρχου Αβραὰμ, ὅτι ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ Θεὸς υἱὸν τὸν Ἰσαάκ. Καὶ ἐλυπήθη Ἰωακεὶμ σφόδρα, καὶ ἐκ ἐφάνη τῇ γυναικὶ αὐτο· αλλ' ἔδωκεν ἑαυτὸν εἰς τὸν ἔρημον, καὶ ἔπηξε τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτῷ ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐνήςευσεν ἡμέρας σαράκοντα καὶ νύκτας τεσ τεστ gifts, feeing thou hal not begat any ifue in Ifrael. At this Joachim being concerned very much, went away to confult the registeries of the twelve tribes, to fce whether he was the only perfon who had begot no iffue. But upon enquiry he found, that all the righteous had raifed up feed in Ifracl : then he called to mind the patriarch Abraham, how that God in the end of his life had given him his fon Ifaac; upon which he was exceedingly diftrefied, and would not be feen by his wife, but retired into the wildernefs, and fixed his tent there, and fafted forty days and forty nights, faying to himself, I will not go down either to eat or drink, till the Lord my God fhall look davor upon me, but prayer fhall be my meat and drink a. II. In the mean time his wife Anna was diftrefied and perplexed on a double account, and faid, I will mourn Η 3 ix. 9. of Elijah, 1 Kings xix. 8. and Chrifi's, Matt, iv. 2. beth |