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Of the Letter supposed to be sent by Jesus Christ to King Agbarus, and of that of Agbarus to Jesus Christ.

EUsebius gives us an Account in the first Book of his History, of a certain King of Edessa a 1.1, named Agbarus b 1.2, who having heard the report of the Miracles that were wrote * 1.3 by Jesus Christ, sent a Letter to him, the purport whereof was, To intreat him to Cure a Distemper with which he was afflicted: And that our Saviour did not then grant his Request, but wrote a Letter back to him, wherein he promised to send one of his Disciples to heal him: and lastly, that St. Thomas the Apostle, immediately after the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, deputed Thaddeus one of the 72 Disciples, who went and performed the Promise that had been made by our Saviour to Cure his Disease, and at the same time Converted him, together with his whole Family. Eusebius grounds this Story upon the Letters of Jesus Christ and Agbarus, which were taken out of the Archives of the Church of Edessa, which he likewise produ∣ceth Translated out of Syriack into Greek. Now it is probable, that Eusebius credited those Re∣cords that were exhibited to him too easily, as also, that these Letters are forged, and that this whole History is fabulous. For first, how can it 〈◊〉〈◊〉 imagined that the King of Edessa, upon the bare re∣hearsal of the Miracles of Jesus Christ, should address himself to him, as one that was convinced of his Divinity, and instructed in the Principles of his Religion: Having heard (says he) of the Mira∣cles which thou hast wrought, I am persuaded that thou art God, or the Son of God. It is evident, that these words could not be written but by a Person already perswaded and trained up in the Doctrine of Christianity, who makes Agbarus speak almost the same Expressions as he himself would have used on the like occasion. The following Words that are likewise attributed to this King; viz. That be∣ing informed, that the Jews laid Sna••rs for Jesus Christ, he designed to molest them, and invited him to come to his City, which, although it were small, might be sufficient for them both, more clearly demon∣strate the falshood of this Letter: For who can believe, that a King should offer the Moiety of his Kingdom at once to a Man that was altogether unknown to him?

Neither is it more difficult to discover the forging of the other Letter that is attributed to Jesus Christ, beginning with these words; Thou art happy, Agbarus, for having believed in me, without see∣ing me; for it is written of me, That they that see me shall not believe in me, to the end, that they that believe on me without seeing me may receive Eternal Life. To what purpose are these Words written? Is it not apparent, that he that composed this Letter alludes to the expression of Jesus Christ to St. Thomas, Happy are they that have not seen and yet have believed? Which Words being not spoken by our Saviour till after his Resurrection, nor written till a long time after, it evidently appears that this Letter is counterfeit.

The History, which is afterwards produced concerning these two Letters, and taken from the same Archives, is no less fabulous. It is reported that Jude the Apostle c 1.4, who is also called Thomas, sent Thaddeus the Apostle, one of the 72 Disciples, to King Agbarus: That this Prince, being in∣formed that there was a Man in his City that wrought many Miracles, and doubting whether he were not the Disciple whom Jesus Christ had promised to send, gave orders to one named Tobias to bring him into his Presence: And that he had no sooner seen him, but his Countenance seeming to him to be Divine, he prostrated himself at his Feet to worship him, desiring to know, whether he were that Disciple whom Jesus Christ had promised to send to cure his Distemper. Thaddeus having answered that he was, and that if he believed in Jesus Christ he should be saved, Agbarus replied, I have be∣lieved so firmly in him, that I included to pr•…•… War against the Jews who Crucified him, and utterly to destroy that Nation; if the fear of the Roman Empire had not deterred me from this Undertaking. Certainly the Person (whosoever he be) that caused this petty Prince of Edessa to utter these Words, was endued with very little judgment, in ascribing to him a Design so extravagant as this; for is it not an egregious piece of folly to imagine, that a Prince only of one single City should undertake to maintain a War against a Nation so powerful as that of the Jews, and should hope to destroy it, to revenge the Death of a Man, whom he knew only by hear-say. What probability is there, that no∣thing but the fear of the Romans was able to divert him from so rash an Attempt? I shall not pro∣ceed to make any Reflection on the other Circumstances of this Relation, which appear to be no less fabulous than those that we have even now recited: I shall only add, that the time wherein it is affirmed that those Occurrences happened, shews this whole History to be Supposititious. They take notice at the end of this Record, that these Things were Translated in the 430th Year of the Edes∣senian Aera, now the 430th Year of the Edessenians is the 15th of Tiberius, in which the Ancients be∣lieved that Jesus Christ died and rose again. And we must say according to this Epocha, and what we find recorded in the Acts, that this happened immediately after our Saviour's Resurrection, and that Agbarus, and several other Gentiles of Edessa, received the Gospel before Cornelius, which is plainly contrary to the Acts of the Apostles; and consequently we may be certain that this History is false, and that these Letters are forged. The Authority of Eusebius is not to be regarded in this case, since it is evident, that he hath too rashly given credit to the Memorials that were transmitted to him, taken from the Archives of the Church of Edessa. And none can be ignorant, that this sort of Records ought not too much to be relied on, especially with respect to Histories of such a nature.

But in regard that these Fables are always augmented in process of time, it hath been likewise feigned that Jesus Christ, in writing to Agbarus, sent him his Picture drawn on an Handkerchief. Evagrius is the first that makes mention of this Effigies in Book IV. Chap. 27. of his History, rely∣ing on the Authority of Procopius, who nevertheless takes no notice of this Relation. However since the time of Evagrius, the Defenders of Image Worship have often cited it, and the modern Greeks so firmly believed it, that they keep a Festival on the 16th of August in Commemoration thereof.

Notes

• a 1.1

  EDessa.] This is a famous City, situated be∣yond the River Euphrates, between Syria and Mesopotamia.
• b 1.2

  Named Agbarus.] Others read Abgarus, and he is so called in some ancient Medals; but it is writ∣ten Agbarus in the most correct Manuscripts, and it is pronounced so in Arabick.
• * 1.3

  The Letters of Jesus Christ and Agbarus.
• c 1.4

  That Jude the Apostle, who is also called Tho∣mas] Thomas the Apostle was not sirnamed Jude, but Didymus, and Jude the Apostle was not called Thomas; which is a farther Proof of the Falshood of this History.