METHOD Of Settling the CANONICAL AUTHORITY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. WHEREIN All the antient Testimonies concerning this Argu- VOL. II. By the late Reverend Mr. JEREMIAH JONES. An Alphabetical INDEX is added to each VOLUME. LONDON: Printed for J. CLARK and R. HETT at the CHAP. lis di sqm) The Letter of Abgarus to Chrift, with b Chrift's Answer to m Greek and English. Abgarus The Ac Ephra counts of the Antients, viz. Eufebius, VOL. II. B Ephraem Syrus, &c. relating to them. The Sentiments of modern Writers concerning them. They have been rejected by moft, but efteem'd as genume by feveral learned Men in England. Num. I. The EPISTLE of JESUS CHRIST to AB GARUS KING of EDESSA. HAT there were formerly feveral Writings afcrib'd to our Saviour, as well as his Apoftles, I have obferv'd in the preceding Volume (viz. Part II. Ch. XIV. XV.) Thofe are all loft, but were undoubtedly fpurious and fuppofititious Picces, as I have there largely endeavour'd to prove. But befides thefe there is now extant a Letter under the Name of Chrift to an Arabian King, which, tranflated out of Syriack into Greek, is preferv'd in the Writings of Eufebius. It has been efteem'd by many learned Men after Eufebius to be truly genuine, and confequently must be one of the most valuable and antient Monuments of the Chriftian Religion. It deferves therefore a very ftrict Enquiry, which I fhall attempt with all the Brevity and Clearnefs I can; and in order to that, firft produce the Letter itself, with that of Abgarus to our Saviour, which occafion'd it, or to which it is an Anfwer. Both in-, deed have appear'd before now in English, viz. in the English Edition of Eufebius, and the prefent Archbishop of Canterbury's Prefatory Difcourfe to his Tranflation of the Apoftolick Fathers, (Ch. IX. P. 137.) and elsewhere b; but I judg'd it notwithftanding needful to infert a Tranflation of them, for the Sake of thofe, who neither having feen these Books, nor understanding the Greek Language, may have the Curiofity of defiring to fee any Thing which is by fo many learned Men fuppos'd to be written by Chrift himself. Αντίγραφον Επισολης A Copy of a Letter written by King Abgarus to Jefus, and fent to him by Ananias, his Footman, to Jerufalem, ABYαngs TоTaрyns EABgarus, King of E- δέα της Ιησε σωτηρία a The common People in England have it in their Houfes, in many Places, fix'd in a Frame with our Saviour's Picture be deffa, to Jefus the good Saviour, who appears at Jerufalem, Greeting. I have been inform'd concerning you and your Cures, which are perform'd without the Ufe of Medicines and Herbs. For 'tis reported, that you caufe Blind to Lame to walk, do both See, the cleanfe Lepers, and caft out unclean Spirits and Devils, and reftore them to Health who have been fore it, and they generally with much Honefty and Devotion regard it as the Word of God and the genuine Epistle of Chrift. |