Age, aliter tractemus hunc locum. Scriptum est in Evangelio quodam, quod dicitur secundum Hebræos; (si tamen placet alicui suscipere illud, non ad auctoritatem, sed ad manifestationem propositæ quæstionis ;) Dixit, inquit, ad eum alter divitum, Magister, quid bonum faciens vivam? Dixit ei, Homo, legem et prophetas fac respondit ad eum, Feci ; dixit ei, Vade, vende omnia quæ possides, et divide pauperibus, et veni, sequere me. Cœpit autem dives scalpere caput suum, et non placuit ei; et dixit ad eum Dominus, Quomodo dicis, legem feci et prophetas? quoniam scriptum est in lege, Diliges proximum tuum sicut teipsum ; et ecce multi fratres filii Abrahæ amicti sunt stercore, morientes præ fame, et domus tua plena est multis bonis, et non egreditur omnino c Stromat. lib. 2. p. 380. d Tom. 2. Comment. in Joan. p. 58. But let us treat this place a little otherwise: -It is written in a certain Gospel, which is entitled according to the Hebrews; (if any one be pleased to receive it, not as of any authority, but only for illustration of the present question;) A certain rich man (says that Gospel) said to Christ, Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may inherit life? He said to him, O man, keep the law and the prophets: he answered him, That I have done: he said to him, Go, sell all things that thou hast, and distribute among the poor, and come and follow me. The rich man hereupon began to scratch his head, and was displeased; and the Lord said to him, How can you say that you have kept the law and the prophets? seeing it is written in the law, Thou shalt love thy neigh e Hom. 8. in Matt. tom. 3. p. 21. Opp. Lat. aliquid ex ea ad eos. Et conversus, dixit Simoni discipulo suo, sedenti apud se, Simon, fili Joannæ, facilius est camelum intrare per foramen acus, quam divitem in regnum cœlorum. bour as thyself; but behold, many of thy brethren, children of Abraham, are clothed with nastiness, and ready to perish for hunger, while thy house abounds with all sorts of delicacies, and nothing is sent out of it to them. And turning about, he said to his disciple Simon, who sat by him, Simon, son of Joanna, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man, &c. I have not observed any other places besides these two, in Origen's works, where this Gospel is mentioned, though the former passage is indeed cited elsewhere f; and Jerome says, Origen cited this Gospel often: but in this either he was mistaken, or he means in some other books of Origen's not now extant. 6. By Eusebius h. Enumerating many of those apocryphal books which he calls vólovs, i. e. spurious, or forgeries, he adds, Ἤδη δ ̓ ἐν τούτοις τινὲς καὶ τὸ καθ' Εβραίους Εὐαγγέλιον κατέλεξαν, ᾧ μάλιστα Εβραίων οἱ τὸν Χριστὸν παραδεξάμενοι χαίρουσι. In this number some have placed the Gospel according to the Hebrews, with which they of the Jews, who profess Christianity, are very much delighted. 7. By the same, speaking of the Ebionites. Εὐαγγελίῳ δὲ μόνῳ τῷ καθ ̓ Ἑ‘Eβραίους λεγομένῳ χρώμενοι, τῶν λοιπῶν σμικρὸν ἐποιοῦντο λόγον. They made use only of that which is called, the Gospel according to the Hebrews, very little esteeming any others. speaking of Papias. He mentions another history concerning a woman accused of many crimes before our Lord, which is contained in the Gospel according to the Hebrews. i Ibid. c. 27. k Ibid. c. 39. This passage is generally understood, as though Eusebius had said, that Papias made use of this Gospel; so Usher, Simon, Pearson, Grabe, &c. But that this is a mistake, I shall shew hereafter. 9. By Epiphanius, who has preserved large fragments of this Gospel; most of which are collected by Dr. Grabe. I shall endeavour to produce all the places. The first is1, Ἔχουσι δὲ τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον πληρέστατον Εβαϊστί· παρ' αὐτοῖς γὰρ σαφῶς τοῦτο, καθὼς ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐγράφη, Εβραϊ κοῖς γράμμασιν ἔτι σώζεται. Οὐκ οἶδα δὲ, εἰ καὶ τὰς γενεαλογίας τὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ ̓Αβραὰμ ἄχρι Χριστοῦ περιεῖλον. 10. By the Καὶ δέχονται μὲν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὸ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον τού τῳ γὰρ καὶ αὐτοὶ, ὡς καὶ οἱ κατὰ Κήρινθον, χρῶνται μόνῳ· καλοῦσι δὲ αὐτὸ κατὰ Ἑβραίους, ὡς τὰ ἐληθῆ ἐστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ματθαῖος μόνος Εβραϊστὶ καὶ Ἑβραϊκοῖς γράμμασιν ἐν τῇ κοινῇ διαθήκῃ ἐποιήσατο τὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἔκ θεσίν τε καὶ κήρυγμα. They (i. e. the Nazarenes) have They (i. e. the Ebionites) also 11. By the same n. Ἐν τῷ γοῦν παρ ̓ αὐτοῖς Εὐαγγε- In that Gospel which they (i. e. 66 66 about thirty n Ibid. §. 13. τὴν οἰκίαν Σίμωνος τοῦ ἐπικληθέντος Πέτρου, καὶ ἀνοίξας τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, εἶπε· Παρερχόμενος παρὰ τὴν λίμνην Τιβεριάδος, ἐξελεξάμην Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον υἱοὺς Ζεβε δαίου, καὶ Σίμωνα, καὶ ̓Ανδρέαν, καὶ Θαδδαῖον, καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν Ζηλωτὴν, καὶ Ἰούδαν τὸν Ισκαρι ώτην, καί σε τὸν Ματθαῖον, καθε ζόμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ τελωνίου ἐκάλεσα, καὶ ἠκολούθησάς μοι. Ὑμᾶς οὖν βούλομαι εἶναι δεκαδύω ἀποστόλους εἰς μαρτύριον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Καὶ ἐγένετο Ιωάννης βαπτίζων, καὶ ἐξῆλθον πρὸς αὐτὸν φαρισαῖοι, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθησαν, καὶ πᾶσα Ἱεροσό λυμα· Καὶ εἶχεν ὁ Ἰωάννης ἔνδυμα ἀπὸ τριχῶν καμήλου, καὶ ζώ νην δερματίνην περὶ τὴν ὀσφῦν αὐ τοῦ, καὶ τὸ βρῶμα αὐτοῦ, φησὶ, μέλι ἄγριον, οὗ ἡ γεῦσις· ἦν τοῦ μάννα, ὡς ἐγκρὶς ἐν ἐλαίῳ. Ἵνα δῆθεν μεταστρέψωσι τὸν τῆς ἀλη θείας λόγον εἰς ψεῦδος, καὶ ἀντὶ ἀκρίδων ποιήσωσιν ἐγκρίδας ἐν μέλιτι. Ἡ δὲ ἀρχὴ τοῦ παρ' αὐτοῖς εὐαγγελίου ἔχει. Ὅτι ἐγένετο ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡρώδου του βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἦλθεν Ἰωάννης βαπτίζων βάπτισμα μετανοίας ἐν τῷ Ἰορδάνῃ ποταμῷ, ὃς ἐλέγετο εἶναι ἐκ γένους Ααρὼν τοῦ Ἱερέως, παῖς Ζαχαρίου καὶ Ἐλισάβετ, καὶ ἐξήρχοντο πρὸς αὐτὸν πάντες. Καὶ μετὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν πολλὰ, ἐπι φέρει, ὅτι τοῦ λαοῦ βαπτισθέντος ἦλθε καὶ Ἰησοῦς, καὶ ἐβαπτίσθη ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰωάννου· καὶ ὡς ἀνῆλθεν σε Gospel) was wild honey, the "taste of which was like manna, "or as cakes made with honey " and oil." Thus they change the true account into a falsehood, and for locusts put cakes made with oil and honey. The beginning of their Gospel was this; "It came "to pass in the days of Herod, “ the king of Judea, that John "came baptizing with the bap"tism of repentance in the river "Jordan; who was reported to "be of the family of Aaron, the 66 ple went out after him.” And They read the word ἐγκρίδας instead of ἀκρίδας, Matt. iii. 4. after several other things, it is said in this Gospel, "That the "people being baptized, Jesus "also went and was baptized by "John; and as he ascended out "of the water, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Holy 66 Spirit of God in the form of a "dove descending and entering " into him, and a voice was made "from heaven, saying, Thou art 66 my beloved Son, in whom I am "well pleased; and then another, "I have this day begotten thee; "and suddenly there shone around "the place a great light; which "when John saw, (says this Gos 66 ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος, ἠνοίγησαν οἱ οὐ ρανοὶ, καὶ εἶδε τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ ἅγιον ἐν εἴδει περιστερᾶς και τελθούσης καὶ εἰσελθούσης εἰς αὐτ τόν. Καὶ φωνὴ ἐγένετο ἐκ τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ λέγουσα· Σύ μου εἶ ὁ υἱὸς ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐν σοὶ ηὐδόκησα. Καὶ πάλιν, Ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννημα σε. Καὶ εὐθὺς περιέλαμψε τὸν τόπον φῶς μέγα, ὃν ἰδὼν, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰωάννης λέγει αὐτῷ, Σὺ τίς εἶ, κύριε ; καὶ πάλιν φωνὴ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητὸς, ἐφ ̓ ὃν ηὐδόκησα. Καὶ τότε, φησὶν, ὁ Ἰωάννης προσπεσών αὐτῷ ἔλεγε, Δέομαί σου, κύριε σύ με βάπτισον. Ὁ δὲ ἐκώλυεν αὐτῷ, λέγων, ἄφες, ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶ πρέπον πληρωθῆναι πάντα. Ὅρα δὲ τὴν παρ' αὐτοῖς παραπεποιημένην πανταχόθεν διδασκαλίαν, πῶς πάν τα χωλὰ, λοξὰ, καὶ οὐδεμίαν ὀρ θότητα ἔχοντα. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Κή ρινθος καὶ Καρποκρᾶς τῷ αὐτῷ χρώμενοι δῆθεν παρ' αὐτοῖς εὐαγ γελίῳ, ἀπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον Εὐαγγελίου διὰ τῆς γεthings should be fulfilled." See how their false doctrine appears νεαλογίας βούλονται παριστᾷν ἐκ σπέρματος Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Μαρίας εἶναι every where, how all things are imperfect, disordered, and withτὸν Χριστόν. Οὗτοι δὲ ἄλλά τινα διανοοῦνται· παρακόψαντες γὰρ out any truth or order! So also Cerinthus and Carpocrates, using τὰς παρὰ τῷ Ματθαίῳ γενεαλοthis same Gospel of theirs, would γίας, ἄρχονται τὴν ἀρχὴν ποιεῖprove from the beginning of that σθαι, ὡς προεῖπον, λέγοντες· ὅτι Gospel according to St. Matthew, ἐγένετο, φησὶν, ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἡviz. by the genealogy, " that ρώδου βασιλέως τῆς Ἰουδαίας. "Christ proceeded from the seed "of Joseph and Mary." But they (viz. the Ebionites) have quite other sentiments; for they have taken away the genealogy from Matthew, and accordingly begin their Gospel, as I above said, with these words: It came to pass in the days of Herod, king of Judaa, &c. pel,) he said to him, Who art "thou, Lord? and then another "voice from heaven came to him, "This is my beloved Son, in whom "I am well pleased. Hereupon "(according to this Gospel) John "fell down before him, and said, "O Lord, I pray thee, baptize me: but he hindered him, say 66 66 σε ing, That it is so fit, that all σε |