A new history of ecclesiastical writers containing an account of the authors of the several books of the Old and New Testament, of the lives and writings of the primitive fathers, an abridgement and catalogue of their works ... also a compendious history of the councils, with chronological tables of the whole / written in French by Lewis Ellies du Pin.

Of the Counterfeit Gospels.

NOthing more clearly evinceth the truth of this Maxim of Holy Scripture, That the Father of Lies often changes himself into an Angel of Light, than the great number of Books, that * 1.1 have been heretofore forg'd in imitation of the Sacred Writings. For as the Holy Ghost hath caused Gospels, Acts, Epistles, and a Revelation to be written, so in like manner the Devil to counterfeit the Truth, hath procur'd several Gospels, Acts, Revelations, and Epistles, to be devis'd by his Ministers, which have also been attributed to the Apostles. To begin with the

Gospels, besides the four that are Canonical and true, there were in the Primitive Ages of the Church several others that were fictitious and substituted in their room as well by the Hereticks as by some Catholicks.

Among these last, we may reckon the Gospel according to the Egyptians, and that according to the Hebrews which though spurious, yet have been quoted by Catholick Authors as Works compos'd by the Orthodox. The Gospel according to the Egyptians is cited by a 1.2 Clemens Alexandrinus, as also by Epiphanius b 1.3, who declares, that the Sabellians made use of this Gospel to confirm their Er∣ror, because it contain'd divers Mystical Expressions concerning Jesus Christ, some whereof might perhaps be applied by them to prove, that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost were but one Person.

The Gospel according to the Hebrews, written (as it is reported by St. Jerome) in the Syriack Tongue with Hebrew Characters is yet more remarkable among the Ancients; It is quoted by He∣gesippus c 1.4, by Ignatius d 1.5, by Clemens Alexandrinus e 1.6, and by Origen in several places, particularly in his Eighth Treatise on St. Matthew, where he produced a considerable Fragment out of it f 1.7. St. Jerome g 1.8 translated it into Greek and Latin, as he has often told us, observing likewise in one place, that some were of opinion, that this Gospel was the Original of St. Matthew's, which was reputed to have been written in Hebrew; nevertheless, it is certain, that the Gospel according to the Hebrews, was different from that of St. Matthew, as well on the account, that all those things which are related by the Ancient Writers concerning this Gospel, and among others the History of the Woman accused before Jesus Christ h 1.9 are not to be found in St. Matthew's Gospel, as in regard, that they are clearly distinguished by Eusebius and St. Jerome, who had a perfect knowledge of both those Gospels. Add to this, that St. Jerome translated the Gospel according to the Hebrews, whereas the Author of the Ver∣sion of St. Matthew's Gospel is unknown, and that in the Gospel according to the Hebrews, the Scri∣ptures of the Old Testament are cited according to the Hebrew Text, whereas St. Matthew in his hath followed the Translation of the Septuagint. This Gospel is not different from that which is called by Origen, the Gospel of the Twelve, nor from the Gospel of the Nazarenes, as appears from the Testimony of St. Jerome, by whom they are often confounded: Moreover the Ebionites made use thereof to prove their Doctrine.

Besides these two Gospels so often cited by the ancient Writers, that are lost, there is yet extant a Book, Entituled, Proto-Evangelium Jacobi, published by Neander, and inserted in the Orthodoxographa. This Book is full of idle Tales and frivolous Relations concerning i 1.10 the Nativity, Life, and Delivery of the Virgin Mary; The Gospel of Nicodemus likewise, annexed to that of St. James in the same

place, is equally full of Fables relating k 1.11 to the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, as the former is of those that belong to the Life of the Virgin Mary.

However, although those Gospels are unworthy of Credit because they are so foolish, yet they do not contain any gre••s E•…•…s, in those do that were forg'd by the Hereticks, no part whereof now remains in our possession; such were the Gospels a•…•…'d to St. Peter, to St. Thomas, and to St. Mat∣thias, mention'd by Eusebius, Book 3. Chap. 25. as also those of St. Bar•…•…ew, and of the Twelve Apostles, cited by St. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in his Preface to St. Matthew; The Gospel of Philip, which was that of the Gnosticks, (according to the Testimony of Epiphanius, Har. 26.) and was used by the Ebionites, Basilides, and Apelles. The Gospel of Jud•••• substituted by the G•…•…tes, who honour••d that Traitor, as St. Epiphanius and Theodoret assure us, when they speak of these Hereticks. And lastly, the Gos∣pels of Thaddeus, Barnabas, and Andrew, and those that were •…•…ted by Hesychius, together with a Book concerning the In••••ncy of Jesus Christ, and another relating to the Genealogy of the Virgin Mary, attributed to St. Matthew, and reckon'd by Gelas••••s in the number of Apocryphal Writings that were forg'd by Hereticks.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Counterfeit Gospels.
• a 1.2

  QUoted by St. Clemens.] Stromat. Lib. 3. pag. 452. St. Clement cites an Expression of Jesus Christ to Salome, taken from this Gospel: I am come to destroy the Works of the Woman, and by the Woman he understands Concupiscence. Moreover, in pag. 465, after having produced another passage on the same subject, cited by the Heretick Cassianus, he replies, first, that it is not found in the four Gospels that are ac∣knowledged by us, and afterward endeavours to apply a good sense to it.
• b 1.3

  By St. Epiphanius.] Haeres. 26. The Valenti∣nians likewise made use of this Gospel.
• c 1.4

  By Hegesippus.] In Eusebius, Lib. 4. chap. 22.
• d 1.5

  By St. Ignatius.] In this Epistle to the Inha∣bitants of Smyrna, where he cites two passages that are observed by St. Jerome; the first is, In carne eum post Resurrectionem vidi, & scioesse; I saw him in the flesh after his Resurrection, and I know that he is. The second is this, Palpate, quia non sam daemonium incorporale; Handle me, and you shall perceive that I am not a phantom without a body.
• e 1.6

  By St. Clement.] Stromat. Lib. 2. pag. 380. where we read this Sentence, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• f 1.7

  Wherein he produceth a considerable fragment.] It is a passage that contains the Answer of Jesus Christ to the rich young Man mention'd in St. Mark's Gos∣pel, chap. 10. and in St. Luke, chap. 18. expressed in other words. Moreover Origen in his Eleventh Tome upon St. John, cites another passage of this Gospel, wherein the Holy Ghost is call'd the Mother of Christ.
• g 1.8

  St. Jerome quotes it very often in his Catalog. Voce Ignat. & voce Jacobus, Lib. 2. in Matth. chap. 7. and 12. Lib. 3. contra Pelagianos.
• h 1.9

  The History of a Woman accused before Jesus Christ.] Eusebins, in Hist. Lib. 3. declares, that the History of the Adulterous Woman was recorded in this Gospel. Moreover St. Jerome affirms, that it was related there∣in, that Jesus Christ appear'd to St. James, who had bound himself with an Oath not to eat, until he had seen our Saviour risen from the dead; and in his Third Book against the Pelagians, he informs us, that it was written in this Gospel, that the Mother of our Lord, and of St. John the Baptist spoke to him thus: John the Baptist baptizeth for the remission of sins, let us go and be baptized; and that Jesus Christ replied to them, have I sinned, that I should go and be baptized?
• i 1.10

  This Book is full of idle Tales and frivolous Rela∣lations.] Here's a Specimen of the Fables contain'd in the Protevangelium Jacobi. Joachim was elected a∣mong the Nations of the Twelve Tribes, Renben admo∣nished him, that it was not lawful for him to offer sa∣crifice, because he had no incense, whereupon he retir'd for grief into the Wilderness, and fasted there 40 days. Anne mourned, and her Servant Judith advis'd her to take a Laurel Tree: therefore she went into a Garden, where she lamented, that she was not like unto a Bird that had a Nest in the Laurel Tree. The Angel appear'd unto her, and told her, that she should have a Son; This Angel descended and delivered the same thing to Joa∣chim; he beheld himself in the Plate, or in the Ephod of the High-Priest, and saw not that he had sinned. The Virgin was able to go when she was six months old; she was bred up by Angels in the Temple; she was Married to Joseph, because a Dove flew out of a little Staff, that was given to him by the High-Priest. St. Joseph having perceived that she was with Child, caused her to drink the Water of Jealousie according to the Law, &c.
• k 1.11

  Is equally full of fables.] Here's another Spe∣cimen of the Fables received in the Gospel of Nico∣demus. •…•…re sent for him by a Massenger, this Mas∣senger worshipped him; all the Soldiers did so he like 〈◊〉〈◊〉 against their wi•…•… and the ••nsign•• ••••••ed them∣selves twice before him. The History of the Evange∣lists is i•…•…'d with divers fables. Jesus Christ is made to answer Pilate's Question. What is Truth? Ni∣codemus is represented speaking as also those whom our Saviour had healed: and the Woman that was cured of the issue of Blood is called Ver••nica. Moreover the Author of this Gospel describes the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, adding many things concerning him; he introduceth the dead that were raised at his Resur∣rection, entertaining one another with absurd and im∣pertinent Discourses, declaring, that they made the sign of the Cross, he introduces the Devil reasoning very ridiculously concerning our Saviours descent in∣to Hell; And lastly, he feigns, that after his Resur∣rection, Pilate having commanded the Jewish. Books to be brought to him, they acknowledged that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, and rehearseth several other Tales of the like nature.