tian world. The controversies founded upon it chiefly relate to the age of Joseph at the birth of Christ, and to his being a widower, with children, before his marriage with the Virgin. It seems material to remark that the legends of the latter ages affirm the virginity of Joseph, notwithstanding Epiphanius, Hilary, Chrysostom, Cyril, Euthymius, Theopyhlact, Oecumenius, and indeed all the Latin Fathers till Ambrose, and the Greek Fathers afterward, maintain the opinions of Joseph's age and family, founded upon their belief in the authenticity of this book. It is supposed to have been originally composed in Hebrew. Postellus brought the manuscripts of this gospel from the Levant, translated it into Latin, and sent it to Oporinus, a printer at Basil, where Bibliander, a Protestant divine, and the Professor of Divinity at Zurich, caused it to be printed in 1552. Postellus asserts that it was publicly read as canonical in the Eastern churches, they making no doubt that James was the author of it. It is, nevertheless, considered apocryphal by some of the most learned divines in the Protestant and Catholic churches.

The latter part of Chapter ix contains the story of the Virgin as follows:

CHAPTER IX.

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. 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 favored by God, why hast thou done this?

9. Why hast thou thus debased thy soul, who was 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 away 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 privily 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 shown him such favor, and preserved the Virgin.

CHAPTER XL

1. 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.

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 has not made your sins evident, neither do I condemn you.

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

CHAPTER XII.

1. 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 Judea. 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 had 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.

10. And he went again across the way, and Mary said to Joseph, Take me down from the ass, for that which is in me presses to come forth.

11. But Joseph replied, Whither shall I take thee? for the place is desert. 12. Then said Mary again to Joseph, Take me down, for that which is within me mightily presses me.

13. And Joseph took her down.

14. And he found there a cave, and let her into it.

CHAPTER XIII.

1. And leaving her and his sons in the cave, Joseph went forth to seek a Hebrew midwife in the village of Bethlehem.

2. But as I was going (said Joseph) I looked up into the air, and I saw the clouds astonished, and the fowls of the air stopping in the midst of their flight. 3. And I looked down towards the earth, and saw a table spread, and working people sitting around it; but their hands were upon the table, and they did not

move to eat.

4. They who had meat in their mouths did not eat.

5. They who lifted their hands up to their heads did-not draw them back. 6. And they who lifted them up to their mouths did not put anything in.

7. But all their faces were fixed upward.

8. And I beheld the sheep dispersed, and yet the sheep stood still.

9. And the shepherd lifted up his hand to smite them, and his hand continued up.

10. And I looked unto a river, and saw the kids with their mouths close to the water, and touching it, but they did not drink.

CHAPTER XIV.

1. Then I beheld a woman coming down from the mountains, and she said to me, Where art thou going, O man?

2. And I said to her, I go to inquire for a Hebrew midwife.

3. She replied to me, Where is the woman that is to be delivered?

4. And I answered, In the cave, and she is betrothed to me.

5. Then said the midwife, Is she not thy wife?

6. Joseph answered, It is Mary, who was educated in the Holy of Holies, in the house of the Lord, and she fell to me by lot, and is not my wife, but has conceived by the Holy Ghost

7. The midwife said, Is this true?

8. He answered, Come and see.

9. And the midwife went along with him, and stood in the cave.

10. Then a bright cloud overshadowed the cave, and the midwife said, This day my soul is magnified, for mine eyes have seen surprising things, and salvation is brought forth to Israel.

11. But on a sudden the cloud became a great light in the cave, so that their eyes could not bear it.

12. But the light gradually decreased, until the infant appeared, and sucked the breast of his mother Mary.

13. Then the midwife cried out, and said, How glorious a day is this, wherein mine eyes have seen this extraordinary sight!

14. And the midwife went out from the cave, and Salome met her.

15. And the midwife said to her, Salome, Salome, I will tell you a most prising thing which I saw.

16. A virgin hath brought forth, which is a thing contrary to nature.

17. To which Salome replied, As the Lord my God liveth, unless I receive particular proof of this matter, 1 will not believe that a virgin hath brought forth.

18. Then Salome went in, and the midwife said, Mary, show thyself, for a great controversy has risen concerning thee.

19. And Salome received satisfaction.

20. But her hand was withered, and she groaned bitterly.

21. And said, Wo to me, because of mine iniquity; for I have tempted the living God, and my hand is ready to drop off.

22. Then Salome made her supplication to the Lord, and said, O God of my fathers, remember me, for I am of the seed of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. 23. Make me not a reproach among the children of Israel, but restore me sound to my parents.

24. For thou well knowest, O Lord, that I have performed many offices of charity in thy name, and have received my reward from thee.

25. Upon this an angel of the Lord stood by Salome, and said, The Lord God hatlı heard thy prayer; reach forth thy hand to the child, and carry him, and by that means thou shalt be restored.

26. Salome, filled with exceeding joy, went to the child, and said, I will touch · him.

27. And she purposed to worship him, for she said, This is a great king, which is born in Israel.

28. And straightway Salome was cured.

29. Then the midwife went out of the cave, being approved by God.

30. And lo! a voice came to Salome, Declare not the strange things which thou hast seen, till the child shall come to Jerusalem.

51. So Salome also departed, approved by God.

THE FIRST GOSPEL OF THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.— Mr. Henry Sike, Professor of Oriental Languages at Cambridge, first translated and published this gospel in 1697. It was received by the Gnostics, a sect of Christians in the second century, and several of its relations were credited in the following ages by other Christians, viz., Eusebius, Athanasius, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, etc. Sozomen says he was told by many, and he credits the relations, of the idols in Egypt falling down on Joseph and Mary's flight thither with. Christ, and of Christ making a well to wash his clothes in a sycamore tree, from whence balsam afterward proceeded.