,this e,book was produced by ,david ,widger widgercecomet4net ,,the ,,suppressed ,,gospels ,,and ,,epistles ,,of ,,the ,,original ,,new ,,testament ,,of ,,jesus ,,the ,,christ ,,and ,,other ,,portions ,,of ,,the ,,ancient ,,holy ,,scriptures4 ,,now ,,extant1 ,,attributed ,,to ,,his ,,apostles1 ,,and ,,their ,,disciples1 ,,and ,,venerated ,,by ,,the ,,primitive ,,christian ,,churches ,,during ,,the ,,first ,,four ,,centuries1 ,,but ,,since1 ,,after ,,violent ,,disputations ,,forbidden ,,by ,,the ,,bishops ,,of ,,the ,,nicene ,,council1 ,,in ,,the ,,reign ,,of ,,the ,,emperor ,,constantine ,,and ,,omitted ,,from ,,the ,,catholics ,,and ,,protestant ,,editions ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament1 ,,by ,,its ,,compilers ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,original ,,tongues1 ,,with ,,historical ,,references ,,to ,,their ,,authenticity1 ,,by ,,archbishop ,,wake ,,and ,,other ,,learned ,,divines ,,the ,,order ,,of ,,all ,,the ,,forbidden ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament ,,with ,,their ,,proper ,,names1 ,,and ,,number ,,of ,,chapters ,,contents3 ,mary ,protevangelion ,i4 ,infancy ,,ii4 ,infancy ,nicodemus ,christ and ,abgarus ,laodiceans ,paul and ,seneca ,acts of ,paul and ,thecla ,i4 ,clement ,,ii4 ,clement ,barnabas ,ephesians ,magnesians ,trallians ,romans ,philadelphians ,smyrnaeans ,polycarp ,philippians ,i4 ,hermas--,visions ,,ii4 ,hermas--,commands ,,iii4 ,hermas--,similitudes ,,preface4 ,to uphold the right of private judgment1 and our ,christian liberty wherewith ,christ hath made us free2 to add fuel to the fire of investigation1 and in the crucible of deep inquiry1 melt from the gold of pure religion1 the dross of man's invention2 to appeal from the erring tribunals of a fallible ,priesthood1 and restore to its original state the mutilated ,testament of the ,saviour2 also to induce all earnest thinkers to search not a part1 but the whole of the ,scriptures1 if therein they think they will find eternal life2 ,i1 as an advocate of free thought and untrammelled opinion1 dispute the authority of those uncharitable1 bickering1 and ignorant ,ecclesiastics who first suppressed these gospels and epistles2 and ,i join issue with their ,catholic and ,protestant successors who have since excluded them from the ,new ,testament1 of which they formed a part2 and were venerated by the ,primitive ,churches1 during the first four hundred years of the ,christian ,era4 ,my opposition is based on two grounds2 first1 the right of every rational being to become a ,priest unto himself1 and by the test of enlightened reason1 to form his own unbiassed judgment of all things natural and spiritual3 second1 that the reputation of the ,bishops who extracted these books from the original ,new ,testament1 under the pretence of being ,apocryphal1 and forbade them to be read by the people1 is proved by authentic impartial history too odious to entitle them to any deference4 ,since the ,nicene ,council1 by a pious fraud1 which ,i shall further allude to1 suppressed these books1 several of them have been reissued from time to time by various translators1 who differed considerably in their versions1 as the historical references attached to them in the following pages will demonstrate4 ,but to the late ,mr4 ,william ,hone we are indebted for their complete publication for the first time in one volume1 about the year #ahbj2 which edition1 diligently revised1 and purified of many errors both in the text and the notes attached thereto1 ,i have re-published in numbers to enable all classes of the nation to purchase and peruse them4 ,as1 however1 instead of being called by their own designation ,apocryphal1 7which yet remains to be proved71 they were re-entitled ,,the ,,forbidden ,,books1 and1 from communications received1 appear to have agitated a portion of the great mass of ignorant bigotry which mars the fair form of ,religion in these sect-ridden dominions1 ,i have modified the title to its present shape with the hope that in spite of illiberal clerical influence1 my fellow ,christians will read and inwardly digest the sublime precepts they inculcate2--as pure1 as holy1 and as charitable as those principles of ,christianity taught in the ,scriptures they2 now read by permission2 although their minds may1 after mature reflection1 doubt the truth of the miraculous records therein given4 ,to ensure these ,gospels and ,epistles an unprejudiced and serious attention1 which they are entitled to1 equally with those now patronised by ,church authority1 ,i will briefly refer to that disgraceful epoch in ,roman ,ecclesiastical ,annals1 when the ,new ,testament was mutilated1 and priestly craft was employed for excluding these books from its pages4 ,,hone1 in the preface to his first edition of the ,apocryphal ,new ,testament1 so called1 without satisfactory grounds1 by the ,council of ,nice1 in the reign of the ,emperor ,constantine1 thus opens the subject3-- ,after the writings contained in the ,new ,testament were selected from the numerous ,gospels and ,epistles then in existence1 what became of the ,books that were rejected by the compilers8 ,this question naturally occurs on every investigation as to the period when and the persons by whom the ,new ,testament was formed4 ,it has been supposed by many that the volume was compiled by the first ,council of ,nice1 which1 according to ,jortin 7,rem4 on ,eccl4 vol4 ii4 p4 #agg71 originated thus3 ,alexander1 ,bishop of ,alexandria1 and ,arius1 who was a presbyter in his diocese1 disputed together about the nature of ,christ2 and the bishop being displeased at the notions of ,arius1 and finding that they were adopted by other persons1 was very angry4 ,he commanded ,arius to come over to his sentiments1 and to quit his own2 as if a man could change his opinions as easily as he can change his coat6 ,he then called a ,council of ,war1 consisting of nearly1 a hundred bishops1 and deposed1 excommunicated1 and anathematized ,arius1 and with him several ecclesiastics1 two of whom were bishops4 ,constantine sent a letter1 in which he reprimanded the bishops for disturbing the1 church with their insignificant disputes4 ,but the affair was gone too far to be thus composed4 ,to settle this and other points1 the ,nicene ,council was summoned1 consisting of about #cah bishops4 ,the first thing they did was to quarrel1 and to express their resentments1 and to present accusations to the ,emperor against one another4 ,the ,emperor burnt all their libels1 and exhorted them to peace and unity47,see ,mosheim's ,eccle4 ,hist47 ,these were the kind of spiritual shepherds of whom ,sabinus1 the ,bishop ,heraclea affirms1 that excepting ,constantine himself1 and ,eusebius ,pamphilus1 they were a set of illiterate creatures1 that understood nothing4 ,and now intelligent ,catholics1 especially ,protestants who are content to read only the books of the ,testament authorized by the ,council of ,nice1 and agreed to ever since by your own bishops1 although they and you profess to dissent from the ,papacy1 hear what ,pappus in his ,synodican to that ,council says of their crafty contrivance when they separated the books of the original ,new ,testament3--,he tells us1 that having promiscuously put all the books that were referred to the ,council for deliberation under the communion-table in a church1 they besought the ,lord that the inspired writings might get on the table1 while the spurious ones remained underneath2 and that it happened accordingly6 7,see ,com4 ,mace's ,n4 ,t4 p4 #hge47 ,therefore1 good reader1 every ,christian sect from the fourth century to the present period1 have been blessed with the books that climbed upon the communion-table1 and in consequence were deemed inspired and canonical2 at the same time have been forbidden to read the ,gospels and ,epistles herein published1 because they could not perform the same feat1 but remained under the table1 and were condemned accordingly1 as uninspired and apocryphal writings4 ,if you believe this popish legend1 you will not read the good books ,i lay before you1 but still continue to possess only ,,half ,,the ,,testament1 instead of the ,,perfect ,,one1 which will enable you to burst the trammels of priestcraft1 and by the light of ,god's whole truth become free4 ,in conclusion1 ,i implore you to examine for yourselves1 and observe the testimony of ,archbishop ,wake and other learned divines and historians appended thereto2 and subscribe myself1 ,your well-wisher1 ,,edward ,,hancock4 ,,forbidden ,,books ,,of ,,the ,,new ,,testament4 ,,the ,,gospel ,,of ,,the ,,birth ,,of ,,mary4 ,,chapter ,i4 #a ,the ,parentage of ,mary4 #g ,joachim her father1 and ,anna her mother1 go to ,jerusalem to the feast of the dedication4 #i ,issachar1 the high priest1 reproaches ,joachim for being childless4 ,,the blessed and ever glorious ,virgin ,mary1 sprung from the royal race and family of ,david1 was born in the city of ,nazareth1 and educated at ,jerusalem1 in the temple of the ,lord4 #b ,her father's name was ,joachim1 and her mother's ,anna4 ,the family of her father was of ,galilee and the city of ,nazareth4 ,the family of her mother was of ,bethlehem4 #c ,their lives were plain and right in the sight of the ,lord1 pious and faultless before men2 for they divided all their substance into three parts2 #d ,one of which they devoted to the temple and officers of the temple2 another they distributed among strangers1 and persons in poor circumstances2 and the third they reserved for themselves and the uses of their own family4 #e ,in this manner they lived for about twenty years chastely1 in the favour of ,god1 and the esteem of men1 without any children4 #f ,but they vowed1 if ,god should favour them with any issue1 they would devote it to the service of the ,lord2 on which account they went at every feast in the year to the temple of the ,lord4 #g ,and it came to pass1 that when the feast of the dedication drew near1 ,joachim1 with some others of his tribe1 went up to ,jerusalem1 and at that time1 ,isachar was high-priest2 #h ,who1 when he saw ,joachim along with the rest of his neighbours1 bringrng his offerings1 despised both him and his offerings1 and asked him1 #i ,why he1 who had no children1 would presume to appear among those who had8 ,adding1 that his offerings could never be acceptable to ,god1 who was judged by him unworthy to have children2 the ,scripture having said1 ,cursed is every one who shall not beget a male in ,israel4 #aj ,he further said1 that he ought first to be free from that curse by begetting some issue1 and then come with his offerings into the presence of ,god4 #aa ,but ,joachim being much confounded with the shame of such reproach1 retired to the shepherds who were with the cattle in their pastures2 #ab ,for he was not inclined to return home1 lest his neighbours1 who were present and heard all this from the high-priest1 should publicly reproach him in the same manner4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 #a ,an angel appears to ,joachim1 #i and informs him that ,anna shall conceive and bring forth a daughter1 who shall be called ,mary1 #aa be brought up in the temple1 #ab and while yet a virgin1 in a way unparalleled1 bring forth the ,son of ,god3 #ac ,gives him a sign1 #ad and departs4 ,,but when he had been there for some time1 on a certain day when he was alone1 the angel of the ,lord stood by him with a prodigious light4 #b ,to whom1 being troubled at the appearance1 the angel who had appeared to him1 endeavouring to compose him1 said3 #c ,be not afraid1 ,joachim1 nor troubled at the sight of me1 for ,i am an angel of the ,lord sent by him to you1 that ,i might inform you that your prayers are heard1 and your alms ascended in the sight of ,god4 #d ,for he hath surely seen your shame1 and heard you unjustly reproached for not having children3 for ,god is the avenger of sin1 and not of nature2 #e ,and so when he shuts the womb of any person1 he does it for this reason1 that he may in a more wonderful manner again open it1 and that which is born appear to be not the product of lust1 but the gift of ,god4 #f ,for the first mother of your nation1 ,sarah1 was she not barren even till her eightieth year3 and yet even in the end of her old age brought forth ,isaac1 in whom the promise was made of a blessing to all nations4 #g ,rachel1 also1 so much in favour with ,god1 and beloved so much by holy ,jacob1 continued barren for a long time1 yet afterwards was the mother of ,joseph1 who was not only governor of ,egypt1 but delivered many nations from perishing with hunger4 #h ,who among the judges was more valiant than ,sampson1 or more holy than ,samuel8 ,and yet both their mothers were barren4 #i ,but if reason will not convince you of the truth of my words1 that there are frequent conceptions in advanced years1 and that those who were barren have brought forth to their great surprise2 therefore ,anna your wife shall bring you a daughter1 and you shall call her name ,mary2 #aj ,she shall1 according to your vow1 be devoted to the ,lord from her infancy1 and be filled with the ,holy ,ghost from her mother's womb2 #aa ,she shall neither eat nor drink any thing which is unclean1 nor shall her conversation be without among the common people1 but in the temple of the ,lord2 that so she may not fall under any slander or suspicion of what is bad4 #ab ,so in the process of her years1 as she shall be in a miraculous manner born of one that was barren1 so she shall1 while yet a virgin1 in a way unparalleled1 bring forth the ,son of the most ,high ,god1 who shall1 be called ,jesus1 and1 according to the signification of his name1 be the ,saviour of all nations4 #ac ,and this shall be a sign to you of the things which ,i declare1 namely1 when you come to the golden gate of ,jerusalem1 you shall there meet your wife ,anna1 who being very much troubled that you returned no sooner1 shall then rejoice to see you4 #ad ,when the angel had said this1 he departed from him4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 #a ,the angel appears to ,anna2 #b tells her a daughter shall be born unto her1 #c devoted to the service of the ,lord in the temple1 #e1 who1 being a virgin1 and not knowing man1 shall bring forth the ,lord1 #f and gives her a sign therefore4 #h ,joachim and ,anna meet1 and rejoice1 #aj and praise the ,lord4 #aa ,anna conceives1 and brings forth a daughter called ,mary4 ,,afterwards the angel appeared to ,anna his wife1 saying2 ,fear not1 neither think that which you see is a spirit2 #b ,for ,i am that angel who hath offered up your prayers and alms before ,god1 and am now sent to you1 that ,i may inform you1 that a daughter will be born unto you1 who shall be called ,mary1 and shall be blessed above all women4 #c ,she shall be1 immediately upon her birth1 full of the grace of the ,lord1 and shall continue during the three years of her weaning in her father's house1 and afterwards1 being devoted to the service of the ,lord1 shall not depart from the temple1 till she arrive to years of discretion4 #d ,in a word1 she shall there serve the ,lord night and day in fasting and prayer1 shall abstain from every unclean thing1 and never know any man2 #e ,but1 being an unparalleled instance without any pollution or defilement1 and a virgin not knowing any man1 shall ring forth a son1 and a maid shall bring forth the ,lord1 who both by his grace and name and works1 shall be the ,saviour of the world4 #f ,arise therefore1 and go up to ,jerusalem1 and when you shall come to that which is called the golden gate 7because it is gilt with gold71 as a sign of what ,i have told you1 you shall meet your husband1 for whose safety you have been so much concerned4 #g ,when therefore you find these things thus accomplished1 believe that all the rest which ,i have told you1 shall also undoubtedly be accomplished4 #h ,according therefore to the command of the angel1 both of them left the places where they were1 and when they came to the place specified in the angels prediction1 they met each other4 #i ,then1 rejoicing at each other's vision1 and being fully satisfied in the promise of a child1 they gave due thanks to the ,lord1 who exalts the humble4 #aj ,after having praised the ,lord1 they returned home1 and lived in a cheerful and assured expectation of the promise of ,god4 #aa ,so ,anna conceived1 and brought forth a daughter1 and1 according to the angel's command1 the parents did call her name ,mary4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 #a ,mary brought to the temple at three years old4 #f ,ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle4 #h ,her parents sacrifice and return home4 ,,and when three years were expired1 and the time of her weaning complete1 they brought the ,virgin to the temple of the ,lord with offerings4 #b ,and there were about the temple1 according to the fifteen ,psalms of degrees1 fifteen stairs to ascend4 #c ,for the temple being built in a mountain1 the altar of burnt- offering1 which was without1 could not be come near but by stairs2 #d ,the parents of the blessed ,virgin and infant ,mary put her upon one of these stairs2 #e ,but while they were putting off their clothes1 in which they had travelled1 and according to custom putting on some that were more neat and clean1 #f ,in the mean time the ,virgin of the ,lord in such a manner went up all the stairs one after another1 without the help of any to lead her or lift her1 that any one would have judged from hence1 that she was of perfect age4 #g ,thus the ,lord did1 in the infancy of his ,virgin1 work this extraordinary work1 and evidence by this miracle how great she was like to be hereafter4 #h ,but the parents having offered up their sacrifice1 according to the custom of the law1 and perfected their vow1 left the ,virgin with other virgins in the apartments of the temple1 who were to be brought up there1 and they returned home4 ,,chapter ,v4 #b ,mary ministered unto by angels4 #d ,the high priest orders all virgins of fourteen years old to quit the temple and endeavour to be married4 #e ,mary refuses1 #f having vowed her virginity to the ,lord4 #g ,the high-priest commands a meeting of the chief persons of ,jerusalem1 #aa who seek the ,lord for counsel in the matter4 #ac ,a voice from the mercy-seat4 #ae ,the high-priest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried men of the house of ,david to bring their rods to the altar1 #ag that his rod which should flower1 and on which the ,spirit of ,god should sit1 should betroth the ,virgin4 ,,but the ,virgin of the ,lord1 as she advanced in years1 increased also in perfeetions1 and according to the saying of the ,psalmist1 her father and mother forsook her1 but the ,lord took care of her4 #b ,for she every day had the conversation of angels1 and every day received visitors from ,god1 which preserved her from all sorts of evil1 and caused her to abound with all good things2 #c ,so that when at length she arrived to her fourteenth year1 as the wicked could not lay any thing to her charge worthy of reproof1 so all good persons1 who were acquainted with her1 admired her life and conversation4 #d ,at that time the high-priest made a public order1 ,that all the virgins who had public settlements in the temple1 and were come to this age1 should return home1 and1 as they were now of a proper maturity1 should1 according to the custom of their country1 endeavour to be married4 #e ,to which command1 though all the other virgins readily yielded obedience1 ,mary the ,virgin of the ,lord alone answered1 that she could not comply with it1 #f ,assigning these reasons1 that both she and her parents had devoted her to the service of the ,lord2 and besides1 that she had vowed virginity to the ,lord1 which vow she was resolved never to break through by lying with a man4 #g ,the high-priest being hereby brought into a difficulty1 #h ,seeing he durst neither on the one hand dissolve the vow1 and disobey the ,scripture1 which says1 ,vow and pay1 #i ,nor on the other hand introduce a custom1 to which the people were strangers1 commanded1 #aj ,that at the approaching feast all the principal persons both of ,jerusalem and the neighbouring places should meet together1 that he might have their advice1 how he had best proceed in so difficult a case4 #aa ,when they were accordingly met1 they unanimously agreed to seek the ,lord1 and ask counsel from him on this matter4 #ab ,and when they were all engaged in prayer1 the high-priest according to the usual way1 went to consult ,god4 #ac ,and immediately there was a voice from the ark1 and the mercy seat1 which all present heard1 that it must be enquired or sought out by a prophecy of ,isaiah1 to whom the ,virgin should be given and be betrothed2 #ad ,for ,isaiah saith1 there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of ,jesse1 and a flower shall spring out of its root1 #ae ,and the ,spirit of the ,lord shall rest upon him1 the ,spirit of ,wisdom and ,understanding1 the ,spirit of ,counsel and ,might1 the ,spirit of ,knowledge and ,piety1 and the ,spirit of the fear of the ,lord shall fill him4 #af ,then1 according to this prophecy1 he appointed1 that all the men of the house and family of ,david1 who were marriageable1 and not married1 should bring their several rods to the altar1 #ag ,and out of whatsoever person's rod after it was brought1 a flower should bud forth1 and on the top of it the ,spirit of the ,lord should sit in the appearance of a dove1 he should be the man to whom the ,virgin should be given and be betrothed4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 #a ,joseph draws back his rod4 #e ,the dove pitches on it4 ,he betroths ,mary and returns to ,bethlehem4 #g ,mary returns to her parents' house at ,galilee4 ,,among the rest there was a man named ,joseph of the house and family of ,david1 and a person very far advanced in years1 who kept back his rod1 when every one besides presented his4 #b ,so that when nothing appeared agreeable to the heavenly voice1 the high-priest judged it proper to consult ,god again4 #c ,who answered that he to whom the ,virgin was to be betrothed was the only person of those who were brought together1 who had not brought his rod4 #d ,joseph therefore was betrayed4 #e ,for1 when he did bring his rod1 and a dove coming from ,heaven pitched upon the top of it1 every one plainly saw1 that the ,virgin was to be betrothed to him4 #f ,accordingly1 the usual ceremonies of betrothing being over1 he returned to his own city of ,bethlehem1 to set his house in order1 and make the needful provisions for the marriage4 #g ,but the ,virgin of the ,lord1 ,mary1 with seven other virgins of the same age1 who had been weaned at the same time1 and who had been appointed to attend her by the priest1 returned to her parents' house in ,galilee4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 #g ,the salutation of the ,virgin by ,gabriel1 who explains to her that she shall conceive1 without lying with a man1 while a ,virgin1 #ai by the ,holy ,ghost coming upon her without the heats of lust4 #ba ,she submits4 ,,now at this time of her first coming into ,galilee1 the angel ,gabriel was sent to her from ,god1 to declare to her the conception of our ,saviour1 and the manner and way of her conceiving him4 #b ,accordingly going into her1 he filled the chamber where she was with a prodigious light1 and in a most courteous manner saluting her1 he said1 #c ,hail1 ,mary6 ,virgin of the ,lord most acceptable6 ,o ,virgin full of grace6 ,the ,lord is with you4 ,you are blessed above all women1 and you are blessed above all men1 that have been hitherto born4 #d ,but the ,virgin1 who had before been well acquainted with the countenances of angels1 and to whom such light from heaven was no uncommon thing1 #e ,was neither terrified with the vision of the angel1 nor astonished at the greatness of the light1 but only troubled about the angel's words1 #f ,and began to consider what so extraordinary a salutation should mean1 what it did portend1 or what sort of end it would have4 #g ,to this thought the angel1 divinely inspired1 replies2 #h ,fear not1 ,mary1 as though ,i intended anything inconsistent with your chastity in this salutation3 #i ,for you have found favour with the ,lord1 because you made virginity your choice4 #aj ,therefore while you are a ,virgin1 you shall conceive without sin1 and bring forth a son4 #aa ,he shall be great1 because he shall reign from sea to sea1 and from the rivers even to the ends of the earth8 #ab ,and he shall be called the ,son of the ,highest2 for he who is born in a mean state on earth1 reigns in an exalted one in heaven4 #ac ,and the ,lord shall give him the throne of his father ,david1 and he shall reign over the house of ,jacob for ever1 and of his kingdom there shall be no end4 #ad ,for he is the ,king of ,kings1 and ,lord of ,lords1 and his throne is forever and ever4 #ae ,to this discourse of the angel the ,virgin replied1 not1 as though she were unbelieving1 but willing to know the manner of it4 #af ,she said1 ,how can that be8 ,for seeing1 according to my vow1 ,i have never known any man1 how can ,i bear a child without the addition of a man's seed4 #ag ,to this the angel replied and said1 ,think not1 ,mary1 that you shall conceive in the ordinary way4 #ah ,for1 without lying with a man1 while a ,virgin1 you shall conceive2 while a ,virgin1 you shall bring forth2 and while a ,virgin shall give suck4 #ai ,for the ,holy ,ghost shall come upon you1 and the power of the ,most ,high shall overshadow you1 without any of the heats of lust4 #bj ,so that which shall be born of you shall be only holy1 because it only is conceived without sin1 and being born1 shall be called the ,son of ,god4 #ba ,then ,mary stretching forth her hands1 and lifting her eyes to heaven1 said1 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord6 ,let it be unto me according to thy word4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 #a ,joseph returns to ,galilee1 to marry the ,virgin he had betrothed2 #d perceives she is with child1 #e is uneasy1 #g purposes to put her away privily1 #h is told by the angel of the ,lord it is not the work of man but the ,holy ,ghost2 #ab ,marries her1 but keeps chaste1 #ac removes with her to ,bethlehem1 #ae where she brings forth ,christ4 ,,joseph therefore went from ,judaea to ,galilee1 with intention to marry the ,virgin who was betrothed to him3 #b ,for it was now near three months since she was betrothed to him4 #c ,at length it plainly appeared she was with chid1 and it could not be hid from ,joseph3 #d ,for going to the ,virgin in a free manner1 as one espoused1 and talking familiarly with her1 he perceived her to be with child1 #e ,and thereupon began to be uneasy and doubtful1 not knowing what course it would be best to take2 #f ,for being a just man1 he was not willing to expose her1 nor defame her by the suspicion of being a harlot1 since he was a pious man3 #g ,he purposed therefore privately to put an end to their agreement1 and as privately to send her away4 #h ,but while he was meditating these things1 behold the angel of the ,lord appeared to him in his sleep1 and said1 ,joseph1 son of ,david1 fear not2 #i ,be not willing to entertain any suspicion of the ,virgin's being guilty of fornication1 or to think any thing amiss of her1 neither be afraid to take her to wife3 #aj ,for that which is begotten in her and now distresses your mind1 is not the work of man1 but the ,holy ,ghost4 #aa ,for she of all women is that only ,virgin who shall bring forth the ,son of ,god1 and you shall call his name ,jesus1 that is1 ,saviour3 for he will save his people from their sins4 #ab ,joseph thereupon1 according to the command of the angel1 married the ,virgin1 and did not know her1 but kept her in chastity4 #ac ,and now the ninth month from her conception drew near1 when ,joseph took his wife and what other things were necessary to ,bethlehem1 the city from whence he came4 #ad ,and it came to pass1 while they were there1 the days were fulfilled for her bringing forth4 #ae ,and she brought forth her first-born son1 as the holy ,evangelists have taught1 even our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who with the ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 lives and reigns to everlasting ages4 ,,references ,,to ,,mary',s ,,gospel ,in the primitive ages there was a ,gospel extant bearing this name1 attributed to ,st4 ,matthew1 and received as genuine and authentic by several of the ancient ,christian sects4 ,it is to be found in the works of ,jerome1 a ,father of the ,church1 who flourished in the fourth century1 from whence the present translation is made4 ,his contemporaries1 ,epiphanius1 ,bishop of ,salamis1 and ,austin also mention a gospel under this title4 ,the ancient copies differed from ,jerome's1 for from one of them the learned ,faustus1 a native of ,britain1 who became ,bishop of ,riez1 in ,provence1 endeavoured to prove that ,christ was not the ,son of ,god till after his baptism2 and that he was not of the house of ,david and tribe of ,judah1 because1 according to the ,gospel he cited1 the ,virgin herself was not of this tribe1 but of the tribe of ,levi2 her father being a priest of the name of ,joachim4 ,it was likewise from this ,gospel that the sect of the ,collyridians established the worship and offering of manchet bread and cracknels1 or fine wafers1 as sacrificed to ,mary1 whom they imagined to have been born of a ,virgin1 as ,christ is related in the ,canonical ,gospels to have been born of her4 ,epiphanius likewise cites a passage concerning the death of ,zacharias1 which is not in ,jerome's copy1 viz43 ,that it was the occasion of the death of ,zacharias in the temple1 that when he had seen a vision1 he1 through surprise1 was willing to disclose it1 and his mouth was stopped4 ,that which he saw was at the time of his offering incense1 and it was a man standing in the form of an ass4 ,when he was gone out1 and had a mind to speak thus to the people1 ,woe unto you1 whom do you worship8 he who had appeared to him in the temple took away the use of his speech4 ,afterwards when he recovered it1 and was able to speak1 he declared this to the ,jews2 and they slew him4 ,they add 7viz4 the ,gnostics in this book71 that on this very account the high-priest was appointed by their lawgiver 7by ,god to ,moses7 to carry little bells1 that whensoever he went into the temple to sacrifice he1 whom they worshipped1 hearing the noise of the bells1 might have time enough to hide himself1 and not be caught in that ugly shape and figure4 ,the principal part of this ,gospel is contained in the ,protevangelion of ,james which follows next in order4