• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
THESUPPRESSEDGOSPELS AND EPISTLESOF THE ORIGINALNEW TESTAMENTOFJESUS THE CHRISTAND OTHER PORTIONS OF THEANCIENT HOLY SCRIPTURES.NOW EXTANT, ATTRIBUTED TOHIS APOSTLES, AND THEIR DISCIPLES,AND VENERATED BY THE PRIMITIVECHRISTIAN CHURCHES DURINGTHE FIRST FOUR CENTURIES,BUT SINCE, AFTER VIOLENTDISPUTATIONSFORBIDDEN BY THEBISHOPS OF THE NICENECOUNCIL,IN THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINEAND OMITTED FROM THE CATHOLICSAND PROTESTANTEDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT,BY ITS COMPILERSTRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINALTONGUES, WITH HISTORICALREFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,BYARCHBISHOP WAKEAND OTHER LEARNED DIVINESTHE ORDER OF ALL THEFORBIDDEN BOOKS OF THE NEWTESTAMENTWITH THEIR PROPER NAMES, AND NUMBER OF CHAPTERSCONTENTS:MaryProtevangelionI. InfancyII. Infancy NicodemusChrist and AbgarusLaodiceansPaul and SenecaActs of Paul and TheclaI. ClementII. ClementBarnabasEphesiansMagnesiansTralliansRomansPhiladelphiansSmyrnaeansPolycarpPhilippiansI. Hermas--VisionsII. Hermas--CommandsIII. Hermas--SimilitudesPREFACE.To uphold the "right of private judgment," and our "Christian libertywherewith Christ hath made us free;" to add fuel tothe fire of investigation, and in the crucible of deep inquiry,melt from the goldof pure religion, the dross of man's invention; toappeal from theerring tribunals of a fallible Priesthood, and restoreto its originalstate the mutilated Testament of the Saviour; also toinduce all earnestthinkers to search not a part, but the whole of theScriptures, if therein they think they will find eternal life; I, as anadvocate of free thought and untrammelled opinion, dispute theauthority of thoseuncharitable, bickering, and ignorant Ecclesiasticswho first suppressedthese gospels and epistles; and I join issue with their Catholic andProtestant successors who have since excluded themfrom the NewTestament, of which they formed a part; and werevenerated by thePrimitive Churches, during the first four hundredyears of the ChristianEra.My opposition is based on two grounds; first, theright of every rational being to become a "Priest unto himself," and by thetest of enlightenedreason, to form his own unbiased judgment of allthings natural andspiritual: second, that the reputation of the Bishopswho extractedthese books from the original New Testament, under the pretence of beingApocryphal, and forbade them to be read by the people, is proved byauthentic impartial history too odious to entitle themto any deference.Since the Nicene Council, by a pious fraud, which Ishall further alludeto, suppressed these books, several of them have been reissued from timeto time by various translators, who differedconsiderably in their versions, as the historical references attached to themin the following pages will demonstrate. But to the late Mr. WilliamHone we are indebtedfor their complete publication for the first time inone volume, aboutthe year 1820; which edition, diligently revised, and purified of manyerrors both in the text and the notes attached thereto,I havere-published in numbers to enable all classes of thenation to purchaseand peruse them. As, however, instead of beingcalled by their owndesignation "Apocryphal," (which yet remains to be proved), they werere-entitled THE FORBIDDEN BOOKS, and, fromcommunications received,appear to have agitated a portion of the great mass of ignorant bigotrywhich mars the fair form of Religion in these sect-ridden dominions, Ihave modified the title to its present shape with thehope that in spiteof illiberal clerical influence, my fellow Christianswill read andinwardly digest the sublime precepts theyinculcate;--as pure, as holy,and as charitable as those principles of Christianitytaught in theScriptures they; now read by permission; althoughtheir minds may, after mature reflection, doubt the truth of the miraculousrecords thereingiven.To ensure these Gospels and Epistles anunprejudiced and seriousattention, which they are entitled to, equally withthose now patronised by Church authority, I will briefly refer to thatdisgraceful epoch inRoman Ecclesiastical Annals, when the NewTestament was mutilated, and priestly craft was employed for excluding these books from its pages.HONE, in the preface to his first edition of theApocryphal NewTestament, so called, without satisfactory grounds, by the Council of  Nice, in the reign of the Emperor Constantine, thusopens the subject:--"After the writings contained in the New Testamentwere selected from thenumerous Gospels and Epistles then in existence,what became of the Booksthat were rejected by the compilers?"This question naturally occurs on every investigationas to the periodwhen and the persons by whom the New Testamentwas formed. It has beensupposed by many that the volume was compiled bythe first Council of  Nice, which, according to Jortin (Rem. on Eccl. vol.ii. p. 177),originated thus: Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria,and Arius, who was a presbyter in his diocese, disputed together about thenature of Christ;and the bishop being displeased at the notions of Arius, and findingthat they were adopted by other persons, "was veryangry." He commandedArius to come over to his sentiments, and to quit hisown; as if a mancould change his opinions as easily as he can changehis coat! He thencalled a Council of War, consisting of nearly, ahundred bishops, anddeposed, excommunicated, and anathematized Arius,and with him severalecclesiastics, two of whom were bishops.Constantine sent a letter, inwhich he reprimanded the bishops for disturbing thechurch with their insignificant disputes. But the affair was gone too far to be thuscomposed. To settle this and other points, the NiceneCouncil wassummoned, consisting of about 318 bishops. Thefirst thing they did wasto quarrel, and to express their resentments, and to present accusations
1
 
to the Emperor against one another. "The Emperor  burnt all their libels,and exhorted them to peace and unity." (SeeMosheim's Eccle. Hist.) Thesewere the kind of spiritual shepherds of whomSabinus, the BishopHeraclea affirms, that excepting Constantine himself,and EusebiusPamphilus, they "were a set of illiterate creatures,that understoodnothing." And now intelligent Catholics, especiallyProtestants who arecontent to read only the books of the Testamentauthorized by the Councilof Nice, and agreed to ever since by your own bishops, although they andyou profess to dissent from the Papacy, hear whatPappus in his Synodicanto that Council says of their crafty contrivance whenthey separated the books of the original New Testament:--He tells us,that having"promiscuously put all the books that were referredto the Council for deliberation under the communion-table in a church,they besought theLord that the inspired writings might get on thetable, while thespurious ones remained underneath; and that ithappened accordingly!"(See Com. Mace's N. T. p. 875.) Therefore, goodreader, every Christiansect from the fourth century to the present period,have been blessedwith the books that climbed upon the communion-table, and in consequencewere deemed inspired and canonical; at the sametime have been forbiddento read the Gospels and Epistles herein published, because they couldnot perform the same feat, but remained under thetable, and werecondemned accordingly, as uninspired andapocryphal writings. If you believe this popish legend, you will not read thegood books I lay beforeyou, but still continue to possess only HALF THETESTAMENT, instead of the PERFECT ONE, which will enable you to burstthe trammels of  priestcraft, and by the light of God's whole truth become free. Inconclusion, I implore you to examine for yourselves,and observe thetestimony of Archbishop Wake and other learneddivines and historiansappended thereto; and subscribe myself,Your well-wisher,EDWARDHANCOCK.FORBIDDEN BOOKSOF THENEW TESTAMENT.THE GOSPEL OF THE BIRTH OFMARY.CHAPTER I.1 The Parentage of Mary.7 Joachim her father, and Anna her mother,go to Jerusalem to the feast of the dedication.9 Issachar, the high priest, reproaches Joachimfor being childless.THE blessed and ever gloriousVirgin Mary, sprung fromthe royal race and family of David,was born in the city of Nazareth,and educated at Jerusalem, in thetemple of the Lord.2 Her father's name was Joachim,and her mother's Anna.The family of her father was of Galilee and the city of Nazareth.The family of her mother was of Bethlehem.3 Their lives were plain andright in the sight of the Lord, pious and faultless before men;for they divided all their substanceinto three parts;4 One of which they devoted tothe temple and officers of thetemple; another they distributedamong strangers, and persons in poor circumstances; and the thirdthey reserved for themselves andthe uses of their own family.5 In this manner they lived for about twenty years chastely, in thefavour of God, and the esteem of men, without any children.6 But they vowed, if God shouldfavour them with any issue, theywould devote it to the service of the Lord; on which account theywent at every feast in the year tothe temple of the Lord.7 And it came to pass, thatwhen the feast of the dedicationdrew near, Joachim, with someothers of his tribe, went up toJerusalem, and at that time,Isachar was high-priest;8 Who, when he saw Joachimalong with the rest of hisneighbours, bringing his offerings,despised both him and his offerings,and asked him,9 Why he, who had no children,would presume to appear amongthose who had? Adding, that hisofferings could never be acceptableto God, who was judged by himunworthy to have children; theScripture having said, Cursed isevery one who shall not beget amale in Israel.10 He further said, that he oughtfirst to be free from that curse by begetting some issue, and thencome with his offerings into the presence of God.11 But Joachim being muchconfounded with the shame of suchreproach, retired to the shepherdswho were with the cattle in their  pastures;12 For he was not inclined toreturn home, lest his neighbours,who were present and heard allthis from the high-priest, should publicly reproach him in the samemanner.CHAPTER II.1 An angel appears to Joachim,9 and informs him that Anna shall conceive andbring forth a daughter, who shall be called Mary,11 be brought up in the temple,12 and while yet a virgin, in a way unparalleled,bring forth the Son of God:13 Gives him a sign,14 and departs.BUT when he had been there for some time, on a certain daywhen he was alone, the angelof the Lord stood by him witha prodigious light.2 To whom, being troubled atthe appearance, the angel who hadappeared to him, endeavouring tocompose him, said:3 Be not afraid, Joachim, nor troubled at the sight of me, for I am an angel of the Lord sent byhim to you, that I might informyou that your prayers are heard,and your alms ascended in thesight of God.4 For he hath surely seen your shame, and heard you unjustlyreproached for not having children:for God is the avenger of sin,and not of nature;5 And so when he shuts thewomb of any person, he does it for this reason, that he may in a morewonderful manner again open it,and that which is born appear to be not the product of lust, but thegift of God.6 For the first mother of your nation, Sarah, was she not barreneven till her eightieth year: andyet even in the end of her old age brought forth Isaac, in whom the promise was made of a blessing toall nations.7 Rachel, also, so much infavour with God, and beloved somuch by holy Jacob, continued barren for a long time, yetafterwards was the mother of Joseph,who was not only governor of Egypt, but delivered many nationsfrom perishing with hunger.8 Who among the judges was
2
 
more valiant than Sampson, or moreholy than Samuel? And yet boththeir mothers were barren.9 But if reason will not convinceyou of the truth of my words, thatthere are frequent conceptions inadvanced years, and that thosewho were barren have brought forthto their great surprise; thereforeAnna your wife shall bring you adaughter, and you shall call her name Mary;10 She shall, according to your vow, be devoted to the Lord fromher infancy, and be filled with theHoly Ghost from her mother'swomb;11 She shall neither eat nor drink any thing which is unclean,nor shall her conversation bewithout among the common people, but in the temple of the Lord;that so she may not fall under anyslander or suspicion of what is bad.12 So in the process of her years, as she shall be in amiraculous manner born of one thatwas barren, so she shall, while yeta virgin, in a way unparalleled, bring forth the Son of the mostHigh God, who shall, be calledJesus, and, according to thesignification of his name, be theSaviour of all nations.13 And this shall be a sign toyou of the things which I declare,namely, when you come to thegolden gate of Jerusalem, youshall there meet your wife Anna,who being very much troubledthat you returned no sooner, shallthen rejoice to see you.14 When the angel had said this,he departed from him.CHAPTER III.1 The angel appears to Anna;2 tells her a daughter shall be born unto her,3 devoted to the service of the Lord in the temple,5, who, being a virgin, and not knowing man,shall bring forth the Lord,6 and gives her a sign therefore.8 Joachim and Anna meet, and rejoice,10 and praise the Lord.11 Anna conceives, and brings forth a daughter called Mary.AFTERWARDS the angel appearedto Anna his wife, saying;Fear not, neither think thatwhich you see is a spirit;2 For I am that angel who hathoffered up your prayers and alms before God, and am now sent toyou, that I may inform you, thata daughter will be born unto you,who shall be called Mary, andshall be blessed above all women.3 She shall be, immediatelyupon her birth, full of the grace of the Lord, and shall continue duringthe three years of her weaningin her father's house, and afterwards, being devoted to the service of the Lord,shall not depart from the temple,till she arrive to years of discretion.4 In a word, she shall thereserve the Lord night and day infasting and prayer, shall abstainfrom every unclean thing, andnever know any man;5 But, being an unparalleled instancewithout any pollution or defilement,and a virgin not knowing any man,shall ring forth a son, and a maidshall bring forth the Lord, who both by his grace and name and works,shall be the Saviour of the world.6 Arise therefore, and go up toJerusalem, and when you shallcome to that which is called thegolden gate (because it is gilt withgold), as a sign of what I have toldyou, you shall meet your husband,for whose safety you have been somuch concerned.7 When therefore you find thesethings thus accomplished, believethat all the rest which I have toldyou, shall also undoubtedly beaccomplished.8 According therefore to thecommand of the angel, both of them left the places where theywere, and when they came to the place specified in the angels prediction, they met each other.9 Then, rejoicing at each other'svision, and being fully satisfied inthe promise of a child, they gavedue thanks to the Lord, who exaltsthe humble.10 After having praised theLord, they returned home, andlived in a cheerful and assuredexpectation of the promise of God.11 So Anna conceived, and brought forth a daughter, and,according to the angel's command,the parents did call her name Mary.CHAPTER IV.1 Mary brought to the temple at three years old.6 Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle.8 Her parents sacrifice and return home.AND when three years wereexpired, and the time of her weaning complete, they broughtthe Virgin to the temple of theLord with offerings.2 And there were about thetemple, according to the fifteenPsalms of degrees, fifteen stairsto ascend.3 For the temple being built ina mountain, the altar of burnt-offering, which was without, couldnot be come near but by stairs;4 The parents of the blessedVirgin and infant Mary put her upon one of these stairs;5 But while they were puttingoff their clothes, in which they hadtravelled, and according to custom putting on some that were moreneat and clean,6 In the mean time the Virginof the Lord in such a manner wentup all the stairs one after another,without the help of any to lead her or lift her, that any one would have judged from hence, that she was of  perfect age.7 Thus the Lord did, in theinfancy of his Virgin, work thisextraordinary work, and evidence bythis miracle how great she was liketo be hereafter.8 But the parents having offeredup their sacrifice, according to thecustom of the law, and perfectedtheir vow, left the Virgin withother virgins in the apartments of the temple, who were to be broughtup there, and they returned home.CHAPTER V.2 Mary ministered unto by angels.4 The high priest orders all virgins of fourteenyears old to quit the temple and endeavour to bemarried.5 Mary refuses,6 having vowed her virginity to the Lord.7 The high-priest commands a meeting of thechief personsof Jerusalem,11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter.13 A voice from the mercy-seat.15 The high-priest obeys it by ordering all theunmarriedmen of the house of David to bring their rods tothe altar,17 that his rod which should flower, and on whichtheSpirit of God should sit, should betroth theVirgin.BUT the Virgin of the Lord, asshe advanced in years, increasedalso in perfections, and accordingto the saying of the Psalmist,her father and mother forsook her, but the Lord took care of her.
3
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...