Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Volume 2, The Protevanglion

A >> Archbishop Wake >> Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Volume 2, The Protevanglion

Pages:
1 | 2

This eBook was produced by David Widger

THE
SUPPRESSED
GOSPELS AND EPISTLES
OF THE ORIGINAL
NEW TESTAMENT
OF
JESUS THE CHRIST

AND OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ANCIENT HOLY SCRIPTURES.
NOW EXTANT, ATTRIBUTED TO
HIS APOSTLES, AND THEIR DISCIPLES,
AND VENERATED BY THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DURING
THE FIRST FOUR CENTURIES,
BUT SINCE, AFTER VIOLENT DISPUTATIONS
FORBIDDEN BY THE
BISHOPS OF THE NICENE COUNCIL,
IN THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE
AND OMITTED FROM THE CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANT
EDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, BY ITS COMPILERS

TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TONGUES, WITH HISTORICAL
REFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,

BY
ARCHBISHOP WAKE
AND OTHER
LEARNED DIVINES

THE GOSPEL CALLED
THE PROTEVANGELION;

Or, an Historical Account of the BIRTH of CHRIST, and the perpetual
VIRGIN MARY, his Mother, by JAMES THE LESSER, Cousin and Brother
of the Lord Jesus, chief Apostle and first Bishop of the Christians in
Jerusalem.

CHAPTER I.

1 Joachim, a rich man,
2 offers to the Lord,
3 is opposed by Reuben the high priest,
because he has not begotten issue in Israel,
6 retires into the wilderness and fasts
forty days and forty nights.

IN the history of the twelve
tribes of Israel we read there
was a certain person called
Joachim, who being very rich, made
double offerings to the Lord God,
having made this resolution:
My substance shall be for the
benefit of the whole people, that
I may find mercy from the Lord
God for the forgiveness of my sins.

2 But at a certain great feast
of the Lord, when the children of
Israel offered their gifts, and
Joachim also offered his, Reuben the
high-priest opposed him, saying,
it is not lawful for thee to offer
thy gifts, seeing thou hast not
begot any issue in Israel.

3 At this, Joachim being
concerned very much, went away to
consult the registries of the twelve
tribes, to see whether he was the
only person who had begot no
issue.

4 But upon inquiry he found
that all the righteous had raised
up seed in Israel;

5 Then he called to mind the
patriarch Abraham, How that God
in the end of his life had given him
his son Isaac; upon which he was
exceedingly distressed, and would
not be seen by his wife:

6 But retired into the wilderness,
and fixed his tent there, and
fasted forty days and forty nights,
saying to himself,

7 I will not go down either to
eat or drink, till the Lord my
God shall look down upon me, but
prayer shall be my meat and drink.

CHAPTER. II.

1 Anna, the wife of Joachim mourns her barrennes,
6 is reproached with it by Judith her maid,
9 sits under a laurel tree and prays to the Lord.

IN the mean time his wife Anna
was distressed and perplexed
on a double account, and said,
I will mourn both for my widowhood
and my barrenness.

2 Then drew near a great feast
of the Lord, and Judith her maid,
said, How long will you thus
afflict your soul? The feast of
the Lord is now come, when it is
unlawful for any one to mourn.

3 Take therefore this hood
which was given by one who
makes such things, for it is not
fit that I, who am a servant should
wear it, but it well suits a person
of your greater character.

4 But Anna replied, Depart
from me, I am not used to such
things; besides, the Lord hath
greatly humbled me.

5 I fear some ill-designing person
hath given thee this, and thou
art come to reproach me with my sin.

6 Then Judith her maid answered,
what evil shall I wish you,
when you will not hearken to me?

7 I cannot wish you a greater
curse than you are under, in that
God hath shut up your womb, that
you should not be a mother in
Israel.

8 At this Anna was exceedingly
troubled, and having on her wedding
garment, went about three o'clock
in the afternoon to walk in her
garden.

9 And she saw a laurel-tree and
sat under it, and prayed unto the
Lord, saying,

10 O God of my fathers, bless
me and regard my prayer, as thou
didst bless the womb of Sarah;
and gavest her a son Isaac.

CHAPTER III.

1 Anna perceiving a sparrow's nest in the
laurels bemoans her barrenness.

AND as she was lookin towards
heaven she perceive a spar-
row's nest in the laurel,

2 And mourning within herself,
she said, Wo is me, who begat
me? and what womb did bear
me, that I should be thus
accursed before the children of
Israel, and that they should
reproach and deride me in the
temple of my God: Wo is me,
to what can I be compared?

3 I am not comparable to the
very beasts of the earth, for even
the beasts of the earth are fruitful
before thee, O Lord! Wo is me,
to what can I be compared?

4 I am not compared to the
brute animal, for even the brute
animals are fruitful before thee,
O Lord! Wo is me, to what am I
comparable?

5 I cannot be comparable to
these waters, for even the waters
are fruitful before thee, O Lord!
Wo is me, to what can I be com-
pared?

6 I am not comparable to the
waves of the sea; for these,
whether they are calm, or in motion,
with the fishes which are in them,
praise thee, O Lord! Wo is me to
what can I be compared?

7 I am not comparable to the
very earth, for the earth produces
its fruits, and praises thee, O Lord!

CHAPTER IV.

1 An Angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall conceive;
two angels appear on the same errand.
5 Joachim sacrifices.
8 Anna goes to meet him,
9 rejoicing that she shall conceive.

THEN an angel of the Lord
stood by her and said, Anna,
Anna, the Lord hath heard thy
prayer; thou shalt conceive and
bring forth, and thy progeny shall
be spoken of in all the world.

2 And Anna answered, As the
Lord my God liveth, whatever I
bring forth, whether it be male or
female, I will devote it to the Lord
my God and it shall minister to
him in holy things, during its
whole life.

3 And behold there appeared
two angels, saying unto her,
Behold Joachim thy husband is
coming with his shepherds.

4 For an angel of the Lord
hath also come down to him, and
said, The Lord God hath heard
thy prayer, make haste and go
hence, for behold Anna thy wife
shall conceive.

5 And Joachim went down and
called his shepherds, saying, Bring
me hither ten she-lambs without
spot or blemish, and they shall
be for the Lord my God.

6 And bring me twelve calves
without blemish, and the twelve
calves shall be for the priests and
the elders.

7 Bring me also a hundred
goats, and the hundred goats shall
be for the whole people.

8 And Joachim went down with
the shepherds, and Anna stood
by the gate and saw Joachim
coming with the shepherds.

9 And she ran, and hanging
about his neck, said, Now I know
that the Lord hath greatly blessed
me:

10 For behold, I who was as a
widow am no longer as awidow, and
I who was barren shall conceive.

CHAPTER V.

1 Joachim abides the first day in his house but
sacrifices on the morrow.
2 Consults the plate on the priests forehead,
3 and is without sin.
6 Anna brings forth a daughter,
9 whom she calls Mary.

AND Joachim abode the first
day in his house, but on the
morrow he brought his offerings,
and said,

2 If the Lord be propitious to
me let the plate which is on the
priests forehead make it manifest.

3 And he consulted the plate
which the priest wore, and saw it,
and behold sin was not found in
him.

4 And Joachim said, Now I know
that the Lord is propitious
to me, and hath taken away all
my sins.

5 And he went down from the
temple of the Lord justified,
and he went to his own house.

6 And when nine months were
fulfilled to Anna, she brought
forth, and said to the midwife,
What have I brought forth?

7 And she told her, A girl.

8 Then Anna said, The Lord
hath this day magnified my soul;
and she laid her in bed.

9 And when the days of her
purification were accomplished,
she gave suck to the child; and
called her name Mary.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Mary at nine months old, walks nine steps.
3 Anna keeps her holy.
4 When she is a year old, Joachim makes a great feast.
7 Anna gives her the breast, and sings a song to the Lord.

AND the child increased in
strength every day, so that
when she was nine months old, her
mother put her upon the ground,
to try if she could stand; and
when she had walked nine steps,
she came again to her mother's
lap.

2 Then her mother caught her
up, and said, As the Lord my God
liveth, thou shalt not walk again
on this earth, till I bring thee
into the temple of the Lord.

3 Accordingly she made her
chamber a holy place, and suffered
nothing uncommon or unclean to
come near her, but invited certain
undefiled daughters of Israel, and
they drew her aside.

4 But when the child was a year
old, Joachim made a great feast,
and invited the priests, scribes,
elders, and all the people of
Israel;

5 And Joachim then made an
offering of the girl to the chief-
priests, and they blessed her,
saying, The God of our fathers bless
this girl, and give her a name
famous and lasting through all
generations. And all the people
replied, So be it, Amen:

6 Then Joachim a second time
offered her to the priests, and they
blessed her, saying, O most high
God, regard this girl, and bless
her with an everlasting blessing.

7 Upon this her mother took
her up, and gave her the breast,
and sung the following song to the
Lord.

8 I will sing a song unto the
Lord my God, for he hath visited
me, and taken away from me the
reproach of mine enemies, and
hath given me the fruit of his
righteousness, that it may now be
told the sons of Reuben, that Anna
gives suck.

9 Then she put the child to rest
in the room which she had consecrated,
and she went out and ministered unto
them.

10 And when the feast was
ended, they went away rejoicing,
and praising the God of Israel.

CHAPTER VII.

3 Mary being three years old, Joachim causes certain virgins to
light each a lamp, and goes with her to the temple.
5 The high-priest places her on the third step of the altar, and
sits dances with her feet.

BUT the girl grew, and when
she was two years old, Joachim
said to Anna, Let us lead her
to the temple of the Lord,
that we may perform our vow,
which we have vowed unto the
Lord God, lest he should be angry
with us, and our offering be
unacceptable.

2 But Anna said, Let us wait
the third year, lest she should
be at a loss to know her father.
And Joachim said, Let us then
wait.

3 And when the child was
three years old, Joachim said,
Let us invite the daughters of the
Hebrews, who are undefiled, and let
them take each a lamp, and let
them be lighted, that the child
may not turn back again, and her
mind be set against the temple of
the Lord,

4 And they did thus till they
ascended into the temple of the Lord.
And the high-priest received her,
and blessed her, and said, Mary,
the Lord God hath magnified thy
name to all generations, and to the
very end of time by thee will the
Lord shew his redemption to the
children of Israel.

5 And he placed her upon the
third step of the altar, and the
Lord gave unto her grace, and she
dance with her feet, and all the
house of Israel loved her.

CHAPTER VIII.

2 Mary fed in the temple by angels.
3 When twelve years old the priests consult what to do with her.
6 The angel of the Lord warns Zacharias to call together all the
widowers, each bringing a rod.
7 The people meet by sound of trumpet.
8 Joseph throws away his hatchet, and goes to the meeting.
11 A dove comes forth from his rod, and alights on his head.
12 He is chosen to betroth the Virgin,
13 refuses because he is an old man,
14 is compelled,
16 takes her home, and goes to mind his trade of building.

AND her parents went away
filled with wonder, and praising God,
because the girl did not return back
to them.

2 But Mary continued in the
temple as a dove educated there,
and received her food from the
hand of an angel.

3 And when she was twelve
years of age, the priests met in a
council, and said, Behold, Mary is
twelve years of age, what shall we
do with her, for fear lest the holy
place of the Lord our God should
be defiled?

4 Then replied the priests to
Zacharias the high-priest, Do you
stand at the altar of the Lord, and
enter into the holy place, and make
petitions concerning her, and
whatsoever the Lord shall manifest
unto you, that do.

5 Then the high-priest entered
into the Holy of Holies, and taking
away with him the breast-plate of
judgment made prayers concerning her;

6 And behold the angel of the
Lord came to him, and said,
Zacharias, Zacharias, Go forth and
call together all the widowers
among the people, and let every
one of them bring his rod, and
he by whom the Lord shall shew
a sign shall be the husband of
Mary.

7 And the criers went out
through all Judaea, and the trumpet
of the Lord sounded, and all
the people ran and met together.

8 Joseph also throwing away
his hatchet, went out to meet
them; and when they were met,
they went to the high-priest;
taking every man his rod.

9 After the high-priest had
received their rods, he went
into the temple to pray;

10 And when he had finished
his prayer, he took the rods, and
went forth and distributed them,
and there was no miracle attended
them.

11 The last rod was taken by
Joseph, said behold a dove
proceeded out of the rod, and
flew upon the head of Joseph.

12 And the high-priest said,
Joseph, Thou art the person
chosen to take the Virgin of the
Lord, to keep her for him:

13 But Joseph refused, saying,
I am an old man, and have children,
but she is young, and I fear
lest I should appear ridiculous
in Israel.

14 Then the high-priest replied,
Joseph, Fear the Lord thy God,
and remember how God dealt with
Dathan, Korah, and Abiram, how
the earth opened and swallowed
them up, because of their
contradiction.

15 Now therefore, Joseph, fear
God lest the like things should
happen in your family.

16 Joseph then being afraid,
took her unto his house, and
Joseph said unto Mary, Behold, I
have taken thee from the temple
of the Lord, and now I will leave
thee in my house; I must go to
mind my trade of building. The
Lord be with thee.

CHAPTER IX.

1 The priests desire a new veil for the temple,
3 seven virgins cast lots for making different parts of it,
4 the lot to spin the true purple falls to Mary.
5 Zacharias, the high priest, becomes dumb.
7 Mary takes a pot to draw water, and hears a voice,
8 trembles and begins to work,
9 an angel Appears and salutes her, and tells her she
shall conceive by the Holy Ghost,
17 she submits.
19 Visits her cousin Elizabeth, whose child in her womb leaps.

AND it came to pass, in a council
of the priests, it was said,
Let us make a new veil for the
temple of the Lord.

2 And the high-priest said,
Call together to me seven undefiled
virgins of the tribe of David.

3 And the servants went and
brought them into the temple of
the Lord, and the high-priest said
unto them, Cast lots before me
now, who of you shall spin the
golden thread, who the blue, who
the scarlet, who the fine linen, and
who the true purple.

4 Then the high-priest knew
Mary; that she was of the tribe of
David; and he called her, and the
true purple fell to her lot to spin,
and she went away to her own
house.

5 But from that time Zacharias
the high-priest became dumb, and
Samuel was placed in his room till
Zacharias spoke again.

6 But Mary took the true purple;
and did spin it.

7 And she took a pot, and
went out to draw water, and heard
a voice saying unto her, Hail thou
who art full of grace, the Lord
is with thee; thou art blessed
among women.

8 And she looked round to the
right and to the left (to see) whence
that voice came, and then trembling
went into her house, and laying
down the water-pot, she took
the purple, and sat down in her
seat to work it.

9 And behold the angel of the
Lord stood by her, and said, Fear
not, Mary, for thou hast found
favour in the sight of God.

10 Which when she heard, she
reasoned with herself what that
sort of salutation meant.

11 And the angel said unto her,
The Lord is with thee, and thou
shalt conceive:

12 To which she replied, What!
shall I conceive by the living God
and bring forth as all other
women do?

13 But the angel returned
answer, Not so, O Mary, but the
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee,
and the power of the Most High
shall overshadow thee;

14 Wherefore that which shall
be born of thee shall be holy,
and shall be called the Son of the
Living God, and thou shalt call his
name Jesus; for he shall save his
people from their sins.

15 And behold thy cousin Elizabeth,
she also hath conceived a son in her
old age.

16 And this now is the sixth
month with her, who was called
barren: for nothing is impossible
with God.

17 And Mary said, Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; let it be
unto me according to thy word.

18 And when she had wrought
her purple, she carried it to the
high-priest, and the high-priest
blessed her, saying, Mary, the
Lord God hath magnified thy name,
and thou shalt be blessed in all the
ages of the world.

19 Then Mary, filled with joy,
went away to her cousin Elizabeth,
and knocked at the door.

20 Which when Elizabeth heard,
she ran and opened to her, and
blessed her, and said, Whence is
this to me, that the mother of my
Lord should come unto me?

21 For lo! as soon as the voice
of thy salutation reached my ears,
that which is in me leaped and
blessed thee.

22 But Mary, being ignorant of
all those mysterious things which
the archangel Gabriel had spoken
to her, lifted up her eyes to heaven,
and said, Lord! What am I, that
all the generations of the earth
should call me blessed?

23 But perceiving herself daily
to grow big, and being afraid, she
went home, and hid herself from
the children of Israel; and was
fourteen years old when all these
things happened.

CHAPTER X.

1 Joseph returns from building houses, finds the Virgin
grown big, being six months gone with child,
2 is jealous and troubled,
8 reproaches her,
10 she affirms her innocence,
13 he leaves her,
16 determines to dismiss her privately,
17 is warned in a dream that Mary is with child by the Holy Ghost,
20 and glorifies God who had shewn him such favour.

AND when her sixth month was
come, Joseph returned from
his building houses abroad, which
was his trade, and entering into the
house, found the Virgin grown big:

2 Then smiting upon his face,
he said, With what face can I look
up to the Lord my God? or, what
shall I say concerning this young
woman?

3 For I received her a Virgin
out of the temple of the Lord my
God, and have not preserved her
such!

4 Who has thus deceived me?
Who has committed this evil in
my house, and seducing the Virgin
from me, hath defiled her?

5 Is not the history of Adam exactly
accomplished in me?

6 For in the very instant of his
glory, the serpent came and found
Eve alone, and seduced her.

7 Just after the same manner it
has happened to me.

8 Then Joseph arising from the
ground, called her, and said, O
thou who hast been so much
favoured by God, why hast thou
done this?

9 Why hast thou thus debased
thy soul, who wast educated in the
Holy of Holies, and received thy
food from the hand of angels?

10 But she, with a flood of tears,
replied, I am innocent, and have
known no man.

11 Then said Joseph, How
comes it to pass you are with
child?

12 Mary answered, As the Lord
my God liveth, I know not by what
means.

13 Then Joseph was exceedingly afraid,
and went ay from her, considering
what he should do with her;
and he thus reasoned with himself:

14 If I conceal her crime, I shall
be found guilty by the law of the
Lord;

15 And if I discover her to the
children of Israel, I fear, lest
she being with child by an angel,
I shall be found to betray the life
of an innocent person.

16 What therefore shall I do?
I will privately dismiss her.

17 Then the night was come
upon him, when behold an angel
of the Lord appeared to him in a
dream, and said,

18 Be not afraid to take that
young woman, for that which is
within her is of the Holy Ghost,

19 And she shall bring forth
a son, and thou shalt call his name
Jesus, for he shall save his people
from their sins.

20 Then Joseph arose from his
sleep, and glorified the God of
Israel, who had shewn him such
favour, and preserved the Virgin.

CHAPTER XI.

3 Annas visits Joseph, perceives the Virgin big with child,
4 informs the high priest that Joseph had privately married her.
8 Joseph and Mary brought to trial on the charge.
17 Joseph drinks the water of the Lord as an ordeal,
and receiving no harm, returns home.

THEN came Annas the scribe,
and said to Joseph, Wherefore
have we not seen you since
your return?

2 And Joseph replied, Because
I was weary after my journey, and
rested the first day.

3 But Annas turning about
perceived the Virgin big with child.

4 And went away to the priest,
and told him, Joseph in whom you
placed so much confidence, is
guilty of a notorious crime, in
that he hath defiled the Virgin
whom he received out of the temple
of the Lord, and hath privately
married her, not discovering it to
the children of Israel.

5 Then said the priest, Hath
Joseph done this?

6 Annas replied, If you send
any of your servants you will find
that she is with child.

7 And the servants went, and
found it as he said.

8 Upon this both she and Joseph
were brought to their trial, and
the priest said unto her, Mary,
what hast thou done?

9 Why hast thou debased thy
soul, and forgot thy God, seeing
thou wast brought up in the Holy
of Holies, and didst receive thy
food from the hands of angels, and
heardest their songs?

10 Why hast thou done this?

11 To which with a flood of
tears she answered, As the Lord
my God liveth, I am innocent in
his sight, seeing I know no man.

12 Then the priest said to Joseph,
Why hast thou done this?

13 And Joseph answered, As
the Lord my God liveth, I have
not been concerned with her.

14 But the priest said, Lie not,
but declare the truth; thou hast
privately married her, and not
discovered it to the children of
Israel, and humbled thyself under
the mighty hand (of God), that thy
seed might be blessed:

15 And Joseph was silent.

16 Then said the priest
(to Joseph), You must restore to
the temple of the Lord the Virgin
which you took thence.

17 But he wept bitterly, and the
priest added, I will cause you both
to drink the water of the Lord,
which is for trial, and so your
iniquity shall be laid open before
you.--[bitter water that causeth the curse]

18 Then the priest took the water,
and made Joseph drink, and sent him
to a mountainous place,

19 And he returned perfectly
well, and all the people wondered
that his guilt was not discovered.

20 So the priest said, Since the
Lord hath not made your sins
evident, neither do I condemn
you.

21 So he sent them away.

22 Then Joseph took Mary, and
went to his house, rejoicing and
praising the God of Israel.

CHAP. XII.

1 A decree from Augustus for taxing the Jews.
5 Joseph puts Mary on an ass, to return to Bethlehem,
6 she looks sorrowful,
7 she laughs,
8 Joseph inquires the cause of each,
9 she tells him she sees two persons,
one mourning and the other rejoicing.
10 The delivery being near, he takes her
from the ass, and places her in a cave.

AND it came to pass, that there
went forth a decree from
the Emperor Augustus, that all
the Jews should be taxed, who
were of Bethlehem in Judaea.

2 And Joseph said, I will take
care that my children be taxed;
but what shall I do with this young
woman?

3 To have her taxed as my wife
I am ashamed; and if I tax her as
my daughter, all Israel knows she
is not my daughter.

4 When the time of the Lord's
appointment shall come, let him do
as seems good to him.

5 And he saddled the ass, and
put her upon it, and Joseph and
Simon followed after her, and
arrived at Bethlehem within three
miles.

6 Then Joseph turning about
saw Mary sorrowful, and said
within himself, Perhaps she is in
pain through that which is within
her.

7 But when he turned about
again, he saw her laughing, and
said to her,

8 Mary, how happens it, that I
sometimes see sorrow, and sometimes
laughter and joy in thy countenance?

9 And Mary replied to him,
I see two people with mine eyes,
the one weeping and mourning,
the other laughing and rejoicing.

Pages:
1 | 2