Forbidden Gospels and Epistles, Volume 7, Barnabas

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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TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TONGUES, WITH HISTORICAL
REFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,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 GENERAL EPISTLE OF BARNABAS.

CHAPTER I.

Preface to the Epistle.

ALL happiness to you my sons
and daughters, in the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who
loved us, in peace.

2 Having perceived abundance
of knowledge of the great and
excellent laws of God to be in you,
I exceedingly rejoice in your blessed
and admirable souls, because ye
have so worthily received the
grace which was grafted in you.

3 For which cause I am full of
joy, hoping the rather to be saved;
inasmuch as I truly see a spirit
infused into you, from the pure
fountain of God:

4 Having this persuasion, and
being fully convinced thereof,
because that since I have begun to
speak unto you, I have had a more
than ordinary good success in the
way of the law of the Lord, which
is in Christ,

5 For which cause brethren, I
also think verily that I love you
above my own soul; because that
therein dwelleth the greatness of
faith and charity, as also the hope
of that life which is to come.

6 Wherefore considering this,
that if I shall take care to
communicate to you a part of what
I have received, it shall turn to
my reward, that I have served such
good souls. I gave diligence to
write in a few words unto you;
that together with your faith, your
knowledge also may be perfect.

7 There are therefore three
things ordained by the Lord; the
hope of life, the beginning, and
the completion of it.

8 For the Lord hath both
declared unto us, by the prophets,
those things that are past; and
opened to us the beginnings of
those that are to come.

9 Wherefore, it will behove us,
as he has spoken, to come more
holily, and nearer to his altar.

10 I therefore, not as a teacher
but as one of you, will endeavour
to lay before you a few things by
which you may, on many accounts,
become the more joyful.

CHAPTER II.

That Clod has abolished the legal sacrifices,
to introduce the spiritual righteousness of the Gospel.

SEEING then the days are
exceedingly evil, and the
adversary has got the power of this
present world we ought to give the
more diligence to inquire into the
righteous judgments of the Lord.

2 Now the assistants of our
faith are fear and patience; our
fellow-combatants, long suffering
and continence.

3 Whilst these remain pure
in what relates unto the Lord,
wisdom, and understanding, and
science, and knowledge, rejoice
together with them.

4 For God has manifested to us
by all the prophets, that he has no
occasion for our sacrifices, or
burnt-offerings, or oblations:
saying thus; To what purpose is
the multitude of your sacrifices
unto me, saith the Lord.

5 I am full of the burnt-offerings
of rams, and the fat of fed beasts;
and I delight not in the blood of
bullocks, or of he-goats.

6 When ye come to appear
before me, who hath required
this at your hands? Ye shall no
more tread my courts.

7 Bring no more vain oblations,
incense is an abomination unto me
your new moons and sabbaths,
and the calling of assemblies
I cannot bear with, it is iniquity,
even the solemn meeting; your
new moons and your appointed
feasts my soul hateth.

8 These things therefore hath
God abolished, that the new law
of our Lord Jesus Christ, which
is without the yoke of any such
necessity, might have the spiritual
offering of, men themselves.

9 For so the Lord saith again
to those heretofore; Did I at all
command your fathers when they
came out of the land of Egypt
concerning burnt-offerings of
sacrifices?

10 But this I commanded them,
saying, Let none of you imagine
evil in your hearts against his
neighbour, and love no false oath.

11 Forasmuch then as we are
not without understanding, we
ought to apprehend the design of
our merciful Father. For he
speaks to us, being willing that
we who have been in the same
error about the sacrifices, should
seek and find how to approach
unto him.

12 And therefore he thus
bespeaks us, The sacrifice of God
(is a broken spirit,) a broken and
contrite heart--God will not despise.

13 Wherefore brethren, we ought
the more diligently to inquire
after those things that belong
to our salvation, that the
adversary may not have any
entrance into us, and deprive
us of our spiritual life.

14 Wherefore he again speaketh
to them, concerning these things;
Ye shall not fast as ye do this day,
to make your voice to be heard on high.

15 Is it such a fast that I have
chosen? A day for a man to affict
his soul? Is it to bow down his
head like a bulrush, and to spread
sackcloth and ashes under him?
Wilt thou call this a fast, and an
acceptable day to the Lord?

16 But to us he saith on this
wise: Is not this the fast that I
have chosen, to loose the bands of
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens,
and to let the oppressed go free:
and that yo break every yoke?

17 Is it not to deal thy bread
to the hungry, and that thou bring
the poor that are cast out to thy
house? When thou seest the naked
that thou cover him, and that thou
hide not thyself from thy own
flesh.

18 Then shall thy light break
forth as the morning, and thy
health shall spring forth speedily;
and thy righteousness shall go
before thee; the glory of the Lord
shall be thy reward.

19 Then shalt thou call and
the Lord shall answer; thou shalt
cry and he shall say, Here I am;
if thou put away from the midst of
thee the yoke; the putting forth
of the finger, and speaking vanity;
and if thou draw out thy soul to
the hungry; and satisfy the
afflicted soul.

20 In this, therefore, brethren,
God has manifested his foreknow-
ledge and love for us; because the
people which he has purchased to
his beloved Son were to believe
in sincerity; and therefore he has
shown these things to all of us,
that we should not run as
proselytes to the Jewish Law.

CHAPTER III.

The prophecies of Daniel concerning the ten kings,
and the coming of Christ.

WHEREFORE it is necessary
that searching diligently into
those things which are soon to
come to pass, we should write to
you what may serve to keep you
whole.

2 To which end, let us flee from
every evil work and hate the errors
of the present time, that we may
be happy in that which is to come.

3 Let us not give ourselves the
liberty of disputing with the wicked
and sinners; lest we should chance
in time to become like unto them.

4 For the consummation of sin
is come, as it is written, as the
prophet Daniel says. And for this
end the Lord hath shortened the
times and the days, that his
beloved might hasten his corning
to his inheritance.

5 For so the prophet speaks;
There shall ten kings reign in
the heart, and there shall rise last
of all another little one, and he
shall humble three kings.

6 And again Daniel speaks in
like manner concerning the kingdoms;
and I saw the fourth beast dreadful
and terrible, and strong exceedingly;
and it had ten horns. I considered
the horns, and behold there came up
among them another little horn,
before which were three of the first
horns plucked up by the roots.

7 We ought therefore to understand
this also: And I beseech you, as one
of your own brethren, loving you all
beyond my own life, that you look
well to yourselves, and be not like
to those who add sin to sin, and say;
That their covenant is ours also.
Nay, but it is ours only: for they
have forever lost that which Moses
received.

8 For thus saith the Scripture
And Moses continued fasting forty
days and forty nights in the Mount;
and he received the covenant from
the Lord, even the two tables of
stone, written by the hand of God.

9 But having turned themselves
to idols they lost it; as the Lord
also said to Moses; Moses, go
down quickly, for thy people which
thou hast brought forth out of
Egypt, have corrupted themselves,
and turned aside from the way
which I commanded them. And
Moses cast the two tables out of
his hands; and their covenant was
broken; that the love of Jesus
might be sealed in your hearts,
unto the hope of his faith.

10 Wherefore let us give heed
unto the last times. For all the
time past of our life and our faith,
will profit us nothing; unless we
continue to hate what is evil, and
to withstand the future temptations.
So the Son of God tells us; Let us
resist all iniquity and hate it.

11 Wherefore consider the works
of the evil way. Do not withdraw
yourselves from others as if you
were already justified; but coming
altogether into one place, inquire
what is agreeable to and profitable
for the beloved of God. For the
Scripture saith; Woe unto them
that are wise in their own eyes;
and prudent in their sight.

12 Let us become spiritually a
perfect temple to God. As much
as in us lies let us meditate upon
the fear of God; and strive to the
utmost of our power to keep his
commandments; that we may rejoice
in his righteous judgments.

13 For God will judge the world
without respect of persons and
everyone shall receive according
to his works.

14 If a man shall be good, his
righteousness shall go before him
if wicked, the reward of his
wickedness shall follow him.

15 Take heed therefore lest
sitting still now, that when we are
called, we fall asleep in our sins;
and the wicked one getting the
dominion over us, stir us up, and
shut us out of the kingdom of the
Lord.

16 Consider this also: although
you have seen so great signs and
wonders done among the people
of the Jews, yet this notwithstanding
the Lord hath forsaken them.

17 Beware, therefore, lest it
happen to us; as it is written
There may be many called, but
few chosen.

CHAPTER IV.

That Christ was to suffer is proved
from the prophecies concerning him.

For this cause did our Lord
vouchsafe to give up his body
to destruction, that through the
forgiveness of our sins we might
be sanctified; that is, by the
sprinkling of his blood.

2 Now for what concerns the
things that are written about him,
some belong to the people of the
Jews, and some to us.

3 For thus saith the Scripture;
He was wounded for our transgressions,
he was bruised for our iniquities,
and by his blood we are healed.
He was led as a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before
his shearers is dumb, so he
opened not his mouth.

4 Wherefore we ought the more
to give thanks unto God, for that
he hath both declared unto us
what is passed, and not suffered
us to be without understanding of
those things that are to come.

5 But to them he saith; The
nets are not unjustly spread for
the birds.

6 This he spake, because a man
will justly perish, if having the
knowledge of the way of truth, he
shall nevertheless not refrain
himself from the way of darkness.

7 And for this cause the Lord
was content to suffer for our souls,
although he be the Lord of the
whole earth; to whom God said
before the beginning of the world,
Let us make man after our own
image and likeness.

8 Now how he suffered for us,
seeing it was by men that he
underwent it, I will shew you.

9 The prophets having received
from him the gifts of prophecy,
spake before concerning him:

10 But he, that he might
abolish death, and make known the
resurrection from the dead, was
content, as it was necessary, to
appear in the flesh, that he might
make good the promise before given
to our fathers, and preparing
himself a new people, might
demonstrate to them whilst he was
upon earth, that after the
resurrection he would judge
the world.

11 And finally, teaching the
people of Israel, and doing many
wonders and signs among them,
he preached to them, and shewed
the exceeding great love which
he bare towards them.

12 And when he chose his apostles,
which were afterwards to publish
his Gospel, he took men who had
been very great sinners; that
thereby he might plainly shew
That he came not to call the
righteous but sinners to
repentance.

13 Then he clearly manifested
himself to be the Son of God.
For had he not come in the flesh,
how should men have been able to
look upon him, that they might be
saved?

14 Seeing that if they beheld
only the sun, which was the work
of his hands, and shall hereafter
cease to be, they are not able to
endure stedfastly to look against
the rays of it;

15 Wherefore the Son of God
came in the flesh for this cause,
that he might fill up the measure
of their iniquity, who have
persecuted his prophets unto
death. And for the same reason
also he suffered.

16 For God hath said of the
stripes of his flesh, that they were
from them. And, I will smite the
shepherd, and the sheep of the
flock shall be scattered.

17 Thus he would suffer, because
it behoved him to suffer upon the
cross.

18 For thus one saith,
prophesying concerning him;
Spare my soul from the sword.
And again, My flesh trembleth
for fear.

19 And again, the congregation
of wicked doers rose up against
me, (They have pierced my
hands and my feet).

20 And again he saith, I gave
my back to the smiters, and my
face I set as a hard rock.

CHAPTER V.

The subject continued.

And when he had fulfilled the
commandment of God, What
says he? Who will contend with
me? Let him stand against me
or who is he that will implead
me? Let him draw near to the
servant of the Lord. Woe be to
you! Because ye shall all wax
old as a garment, the moth
shall eat you up.

2 And again adds the prophet,
He is put for a stone of
stumbling. Behold I lay in Zion
for a foundation, a precious
stone a choice corner-stone;
an honourable stone. And what
follows? And he that hopeth
in him shall live for ever.

3 What then? Is our hope built
upon a stone? God forbid. But
because the Lord hath hardened
his flesh against sufferings, he
saith, I have put me as a firm
rock.

4 And again the prophet adds;
The stone which the builders
refused has become the head of
the corner. And agan he saith
This is the great and wonderful
day which the Lord hath made.
a I write these things the more
plainly to you that ye may
understand: I For indeed I
could be content even to die
for your sakes.

5 But what saith the prophet
again; The counsel of the wicked
encompassed me about. They
came about me, as bees about the
honey-comb: and, Upon my vesture
they cast lots.

6 Forasmuch then as our Saviour
was to appear in the flesh and
suffer, his passion was hereby
foretold.

7 For thus saith the prophet
against Israel: "Woe be to their
soul because they have taken
wicked counsel against themselves,
saying; let us lay snares for the
righteous, because he is
unprofitable to us."

8 Moses also in like manner
speaketh to them; Behold thus
saith the Lord God; Enter ye
into the good land of which the
Lord path sworn to Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, that he would
give it you, and possess it; a land
flowing with milk and honey.

9 Now what the spiritual meaning
of this is, learn; It is as if it
had been said, Put your trust in
Jesus, who shall be manifested to
you in the flesh. For man is the
earth which suffers: forasmuch
as out of the substance of the
earth Adam was formed.

10 What therefore does he mean
when he says, Into a good land
flowing with milk and honey?
Blessed be our Lord, who has
given us wisdom, and a heart to
understand his secrets. For so
says the prophet, "Who shall un-
derstand the hard sayings of the
Lord? But he that is wise, and
intelligent, and that loves his
Lord."

11 Seeing therefore he has
renewed us by the remission of our
sins, he has put us into another
frame, that we should have souls
like those of children, forming
us again himself by the spirit.

12 For thus the Scripture saith
concerning us, where it introduceth
the Father speaking to the Son;
Let us make man after our likeness
and similitude; and let them have
dominion over the beasts of the
earth, and over the fowls of the
air, and the fish of the sea.

13 And when the Lord saw the
man which he had formed, that
behold he was very good; he said,
Increase and multiply, and
replenish the earth. And this
he spake to his son.

14 I will now show you, how he
made us a new creature, in the
latter days.

15 The Lord saith; Behold I
will make the last as the first.
Wherefore the prophet thus spake,
Enter into the land flowing with
milk and honey, and have dominion
over it.

16 Wherefore ye see how we
are again formed anew; as also
he speaks by another prophet;
Behold saith the Lord, I will take
from them; that is, from those
whom the spirit I of the Lord
foresaw, their hearts of stone,
and I will put into them hearts
of flesh.

17 Because he was about to be
made manifest in the flesh and to
dwell in us.

18 For, my brethren, the
habitation of our heart is a 'holy
temple unto the Lord. For the prophet
saith again, In what place shall I
appear before the Lord my God,
and be glorified?

19 He answers I will confess
unto thee in the congregation in
the midst of my brethren; and will
sing unto thee in the church of
the saints:

20 Wherefore we are they whom
he has brought into that good land.

21 But what signifies the milk
and honey? Because as the child
is nourished first with milk, and
then with honey; so we being
kept alive by the belief of his
promises and his word, shall live
and have dominion over the land.

22 For he foretold before, saying,
increase and multiply, and have
dominion over the beasts, fishes,
and birds.

23 But who is there that is now
able to have this dominion over
the wild beasts, or fishes, or fowls
of the air? For you know that to
rule, is to have power; that a man
should be set over what he rules.

24 But forasmuch as this we
have not now, he tells us when we
shall have it; namely, when we
shall become perfect, that we may
be made the inheritors of the
covenant of the Lord.

CHAPTER VI.

The sacrifice of Jesus, and of a goat,
an evident type of Christ crucified.

UNDERSTAND then my beloved
children, that the good God hath
before manifested all things unto
us, that we might know to whom
we ought always to give thanks
and praise.

2 If therefore the Son of God
who is the Lord of all, and shall
come to judge both the quick and
dead, hath suffered, that by his
stripes we might live; let us
believe that the Son of God could
not have suffered but for us. But
being crucified, they gave him
vinegar and gall to drink.

3 Hear therefore how the priests
of the temple did foreshow this
also: the Lord by his command
which was written, declared that
whosoever did not fast the
appointed fast he should die the
death: because he also was himself
one day to offer up his body for
our sins; that so the type of
what was done in Isaac might be
fulfilled, who was offered upon the
altar.

4 What therefore is it that he
says by the prophet? And let
them eat of the goat which is
offered in the day of the fast for
all their sins. Hearken diligently,
(my brethren,) and all the priests,
and they only shall eat the inwards
not washed with vinegar.

5 Why so? because I know
that when I shall hereafter offer
my flesh for the sins of a new
people, ye will give me vinegar to
drink mixed with gall; therefore
do ye only eat, the people fasting
the while, and lamenting in
sackcloth and ashes.

6 And that he might foreshow
that he was to suffer for them,
hear then how he appointed it.

7 Take, says he, two goats, fair
and alike, and offer them; and let
the high priest take one of them
for a burnt offering. And what
shalt be done with the other? Let
it, says he, be accursed.

8 Consider how exactly this
appears to have been a type of
Jesus. And let all the congregation
spit upon it, and prick it; and
put the scarlet wool about its
head; and thus let it be carried
forth into the wilderness.

9 And this being done, he that
was appointed to convey the goat,
led it into the wilderness, and
took away the scarlet wool, and
put it upon a thorn bush, whose
young sprouts, when we find
them in the field, we are wont to
eat: so the fruit of that thorn
only is sweet.

10 And to what end was this
ceremony? Consider; one was
offered upon the altar, the
other was accursed.

11 And why was that which was
accursed crowned? Because they
shall see Christ on that day having
a scarlet garment about his body;
and shall say: Is not this he whom
we crucified; having despised him,
pierced him, mocked him? Certainly,
this is he, who then said,
that he was the Son of God.

12 As therefore he shall be
then like to what he was on
earth, so were the Jews heretofore
commanded, to take two goats fair
and equal; that when they shall
see (our Saviour) hereafter coming
(in the clouds of heaven), they may
be amazed at the likeness of the
goats.

13 Wherefore ye here again
see a type of Jesus who was to
suffer for us.

14 But what then signifies this,
That the wool was to be put into
the midst of the thorns?

15 This also is a figure of Jesus,
set out to the church. For as he who
would take away the scarlet wool
must undergo many difficulties,
because that thorn was very sharp,
and with difficulty get it: So,
says Christ, they that will see me,
and come to my kingdom, must
through many afflictions and
troubles attain unto me.

CHAPTER VII.

The red heifer, another type of Christ.

BUT what type do ye suppose
it to have been, where it is
commanded to the people of Israel,
that grown persons in whom sins
are come to perfection, should
offer an heifer, and after they had
killed it should burn the same;

2 But then young men should
take up the ashes and put them in
vessels; and tie a piece of scarlet
wool and hyssop upon a stick, and
so the young men should sprinkle
every one of the people, and they
should be clear from their sins?

3 Consider how all these are
delivered in a figure to us.

4 This heifer is Jesus Christ;
the wicked men that were to offer
it are those sinners who brought
him to death; who afterwards have
no more to do with it: for the
sinners have no more the honour
of handling it:

5 But the young men that performed
the sprinkling, signified those who
preach to us the forgiveness of
sins, and the purification of the
heart, to whom the Lord gave
authority to preach his Gospel:
being at the beginning twelve,
to signify the tribes, because
there were twelve tribes of Israel.

6 But why were there three
young men appointed to sprinkle?
To denote Abraham, and Isaac,
and Jacob, because they were
great before God.

7 And why was the wool put
upon a stick? Because the kingdom
of Jesus was founded upon the cross;
and therefore they that put their
trust in him, shall live for ever.

8 But why was the wool and
hyssop put together? To signify
that in the kingdom of Christ there
shall be evil and filthy days, in
which however, we shall be saved;
and because he that has any disease
in the flesh by some filthy humours,
is cured by hyssop.

9 Wherefore these things being
thus done, are to us indeed evident,
but to the Jews they are obscure;
because they hearkened not unto
the voice of the Lord.

CHAPTER VIII.

Of the circumcision of the ears and how in the
first institution of circumcision Abraham
mystically foretold Christ by name.

AND therefore the Scripture
again speaks concerning our
ears, that God has circumcised
them, together with our hearts.
For thus saith the Lord by the
holy prophet: By the hearing of
the ear they obeyed me.

2 And again, They who are afar
off, shall hear and understand
what things I have done. And
again, Circumcise your hearts,
saith the Lord.

3 And again be saith, Hear O
Israel! For thus saith the Lord
thy God. And again the Spirit of
God prophesieth, saying: Who is
there that would live for ever, let
him hear the voice of my Son.

4 And again, Hear, O Heavens,
and give ear O Earth! Because
the Lord has spoken these things
for a witness.

5 And again, he saith, Hear
the word of the Lord, ye princes
of the people. And again, Hear
O children! The voice of one
crying in the wilderness.

6 Wherefore he has circumcised
our ears, that we should hear his
word, and believe. But as for
that circumcision, in which the
Jews trust, it is abolished: for the
circumcision of which God spake,
was not of the flesh.

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