the testimony of the witneffes both for, and against, him is given at large, and the expoftulations of Pilate with the Jews are recorded, with a minutenefs equal to their imagined importance. And as, in the genuine history of these transactions, the Roman governour is reported to have put a queftion of confiderable moment, to which our Saviour vouchfafed no anfwer,' or the Evangelifts have failed to record it, these falfifiers have thought proper to fupply fo effential a defect. Dicit ei Pilatus, quid eft veritas? Dicit Jefus, Veritas de cœlo eft. Dicit Pilatus: In terris ergo veritas non eft? Dicit Jefus Pilato: Intende veritatem effe in terrâ inter illos, qui, dum poteftatem habent judicandi, veritate utuntur, et judicia rectè faciunt*.

V. The genuine writings of the Apostles and Evangelists are certainly not to be valued for those graces, with which a knowledge of the rules of compofition, and a careful study of the best models, will enable a writer of taste and diligence to adorn his labours. They are not to be praised for the ftructure of the fentences, the flow of the periods,

*Evang. Nicod. c. 3.

periods, or the choice of the expreffions. But there is a bold negligence, an artless fimplicity in the facred volumes, which to a lover of truth and nature, are more interesting than the moft laboured effects of art. It is apparent, that they wish to represent facts, as they really occurred, and difcourfes, as they were really delivered: and though we frequently paufe in admiration of the fimple touches of nature, and the lively reprefentation of incidents, yet these are embellishments, which arife from the nature of the fubject, or the honeft warmth of the writer. There is no effort at ornament, under which they appear to fink, no aim at beauties, which they feem unable to attain. The expreffion is never at variance with the fubject. Bent upon relating facts, which no defcription could fully reach, they leave the reader fatisfied, that the most fimple defcription is likewise the most proper.

FAR different are the impreffions made upon a reader's mind, by the spurious productions, the spawn of artifice and errour.Sometimes finking into a poverty of style, and fometimes foaring to a bombast elevation, they are at times equally above, and below, that happy mediocrity,which is characteristic

It

racteristic of the Apoftolical hiftories. is fcarcely poffible to open a page in the Gospel of Nicodemus, without discovering a tenuity of style and manner, utterly unworthy any important narrative. Take a sample from that mass of abfurdities, which professes to relate our Saviour's transactions in Hades. Dominus autem tenens manum Adæ, tradidit Michaeli Archangelo, et omnes fancti fequebantur Michaelem Archangelum, et introduxit in Paradifo gratiâ gloriosâ, et occurrerunt eis obviàm duo viri vetusti dierum. Interrogati autem à fanctis: Qui eftis vos, qui nobifcum apud inferos nondum fuiftis, et in Paradifo corpore callocati eftis? Refpondens unus ex eis dixit: Ego fum Enoch, qui verbo tranflatus fum. Hic ifte, qui mecum eft, Elias Thesbites eft, qui curru igneo affumptus eft. Hic et ufque nunc non guftavimus mortem, fed in adventum Chrifti reverfuri fumus divinis fignis et prodigiis præcincti ad præliandum cum eo, et ab eo occidi in Jerufalem. Et poft triduum et dimidium dierum iterùm vivi in nubibus affumendi*.

AN inftance of the attempts at elevation of style, may be observed in the description

* Ev. Nic. c. 25.

of

of the prodigies, which are supposed to have taken place at the birth of our Saviour. Ἐγὼ δὲ (λέγει Ἰωσὴφ) περιπατῶν ἀνέβλεψα εἰς τὸν αέρα, καὶ εἶδον τὸν αέρα ἔκθαμβον, καὶ τὰ πέτεινα τὸ ἐρανᾶ ἠρεμέντα. Καὶ ἐπέβλεψα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ εἶδον σκάφην κειμένην, καὶ ἐργάτας ἀνακειμένες, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτῶν ἦσαν ἐπὶ τὴν σκάφην. Καὶ οἱ μασσόμενοι ἐκ ἐμάσσοντο· καὶ οἱ ἀναφέροντες ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς, ἐκ ἀνέφερον· καὶ οἱ προσφέροντες, τῷ ςόματι ἐ προσέφερον· ἀλλὰ πάντων ἦν τὰ πρόσωπα ἄνω βλέποντα. Καὶ εἶδον πρόβατα ἐλαυνόμενα, καὶ τὰ πρόβατα ἑςήκεισαν. Καὶ ἦρεν ὁ ποιμὴν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτῷ, πατάξαι αὐτὰ, καὶ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτῷ ἔςη ἄνω. καὶ ἔβλεψα εἰς τὸν χείμαρρον ποταμὸν, καὶ εἶδον τὲς ἐρίφες καὶ τὰ ςόματα αὐτῶν ἐπικείμενα τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ μὴ

πίνοντα*

BARRENNESS of invention is conspicuoufly marked in the productions of these Sophifts, fince with the greatest latitude of fiction, and the most flagrant violation of truth, they are perpetually borrowing incidents from other fources; from the pure ftream of facred truth, as well as the polluted current of heathen fiction. Elkanah and Hannah (1 Sam. c. i.) are the prototypes of Joachim and Anna, in the Prote

* Protevangel. Jacob. c. 18.

vangelium,

vangelium, which paffes under the name of St. James; and the circumstances, which really attended the birth of Samuel, are, with many abfurd and improbable additions, transferred to the nativity of Mary. In the fame Gospel, and in that which derives it's name from the birth of Mary (both of which are evidently written with a defign to raise her character) the descent of the Holy Spirit is combined with the budding of Aaron's rod, in order to furnish out a miracle of fufficient magnitude, to do honour to the Virgin's nuptials*. The scene of the incident (Protevangel. c. 11.) is probably borrowed from fome profane author; and a still more ftriking resemblance is discoverable between a pretended miracle of Chrift, and the alleged effects of witchcraft, in a story of Apuleius +. Indeed the implicit credit

which

* Compare Numbers xvii. 8. and Matt. iii. 16. with the Evangel. de Nat. Mar. capp. 7. and 8. and with the Protevangel. capp. 8. and 9.

+ Quodam etiam die, (fays the author of the Evangel. Infant. c. 44.) cùm Dominus Jesus verfaretur inter pueros, qui in tecto ludebant, quidam puerorum ex alto decidens confeftim expiravit. Diffugientibus verò cæteris pueris, Dominus Jefus folus in tecto remanfit, cúmque adveniffent propinqui iftius pueri, dicebant Domino Jefu: Tu filium noftrum ex tecto præcipitem dedifti. Illo autem id negante, vocife. rabantur dicentes: Filius nofter mortuus eft, et hic eft, qui illum interfecit. Quibus Dominus Jefus, Ne me, inquit, arguite facinoris, cujus neutiquam me convincere poteritis, fed

agite,