The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-10-11

argument.
A separate essay is devoted by the Rcv. J. H.
Bernard to 1.-THE apocryphal gospels" by which
name are described number Of extant books
written in the early century with the intention
OF improving on the picture Of the lifo OF Jesus
drawn by the Evangelists. and OF embodying q
| collection OF legends which from timo to time
| had grown up. OF course. these writings are
not to be COMPOUNDED with the npocryphal
books Of the Old Testament that are often
| bound UP with our Bibles. They are simply
| lives Of Jesus which acquired certain circu-
lation In the early centuries but which are OF
| uncertain authorship and possess no official
character. Many of these gospels" Gro
palpably forgerics. for they claim the names Of
authors to which It Is demonstrable that
they have no right. For example. the Gospel
Of Nicodemus was certainly not written by It's
nominal author, in its present form ut least,
nor could the Gospel of James havo been CON-
| posed by either OF the apostles OF that name.
etthese books are not behind-hand in putting
forward their authority to be heard. both the
| Arabic Gospel OF tho Infancy and the Prot
| evangel Of James making express claims to
its inspiration.
1t is noteworthy that none Of these apocry-
pllat gospels gives an account Of the public
ministry Of Jesus. for here 1t would have been
easy to test and demolish their pretensions by
comparison with the narratives of the genuine
Evangelists. They may be roughly divided into
two classes. those. namely. which deal with
our Lords infancy and with the family history
OF the Virgin Mother. and those which profess
to give some account OF our Lords descent to
Hades and tho underworld after His crlclnx-
ion. Scripture being almost silent on these
subjects the means OF detecting the f,tisehood
OF the legends were not 80 readily accessible.
Or the first rlass-the only class to which we
shall here refer-the most readable and in
teresting example is the Protevnngel OF James,
| written probably by Il Jew OF that name in the
second century. 1t Is the earliest repertory Of
ecclesiastical traditions respecting the Virgin
Mary. and is not unlike a modern novel on
sacred themes. Somewhat longer and more
fanciful. but also derived from traditional
sources. is the Gospel falsely attributed to Vt.
Matthew and with equal falsehood said to
have been translated by ST. Jerome from the
Hebrew. still later, though somewhat more
sober. rerension Of the same materials is the
Latin Gospel OF the Nativity Of Mary,
which was incorporated almost without
change into the Golden Legend OF the Middle
Ages. The influence which these writings have
exercised down to our own day is consider
able Mr. Bernard maintains that the Roman
Church. although eondemning them as spurl-
Gus. can yet point to no other authorities for
certain legends which are incorporated in the
Brcvlary. Thus the traditional names OF the
parents Of the Virgin Mary. Joachim and
Anna. are still venerated In the Church OF
Rome. and it may DO that the familiar coIoca-
ton OF Christian names. Mary Anne. is trace
able to the same source. The presentation OF
the Virgin when II child In the Temple an
\ D-~A
still commemorated in Catholic churches.
speaking generally. the three apocryphal Cos
lrls named are chiefly taken up with minute
details tending to n glorilcaton of the Virgin
Mother
Mr.. Bernard dwells on the surprising extent
to which these legends have Influenced sacred
art. For instance a subject which has more
than once occupied painters and which IL best
known from Peruginos famous picture, is the
Marriage Of tho Virgin The story on which
the pictures are founded il that. 1t having been
determined by the elders that Mary-who had
been dedicated to God by Anna should be- be-
trothed to some pious man. perpleNity arose rs
to the most appropriate sutton. Accordingly.
we real: The .n4el Of The Lord came to
Zacharas and said. Go forth. and call together
all the widowers among the people, and let
every one of them bring his rod: and hc by
whom the Lord shall show a sign shall
be the husband Of Mary. And the cryer
went out through all Judea. and the trnmpets
OF the Lord sounded. and all the people ran
and met together. Joseph also. throwing
away his axe. went out n meet them: and
when they came together they went to the high
priest, taking every man his rod. After tho
high priest had received their rods he went
into the Temple to pray; and when lie had An
ished his prayer. he took the rods and went
f.-A 4 II, III.
miracle attending them. The last rod was
taken by Joseph. and. behold. dove proceeded
out OF the rod and few upon the head OF Jo-
seph." who was accordingly selected as the
future guardian OF the Virgin. Mr.. Bernard
quotes this story to explain why. in the deline-
atoms OF the marriage OF the Virgin 80 COM
mon In medieval arts. Joseph Is depicted as an
old man with n green bouGh ana dove. while
the disappointed suitors are represented as
breHking their rods.
Another more familiar illustration OF the
influence eNcrted by such legends upon medi-
avail art is drawn by tho Gospel Of the Pseudo.
Matthew. In which tho scene Of the Lords ma.
tivity is depicted MS n cave which became
illuminated with celestial radiance through
the presence Of the light OF the world. On the
third day after His birth. according to the
apocrypal narrative. the Holy Family rc-
moved to stable where an OK and an ASS were
sheltered. whoreupon the animals in their
Of the infant Saviour fulfilled tho |
words Of the prophet: Tho OK knoweth his |
owner and the nss his masters crib" This |
legend. that an OK and an ass shared the samo |
roof with the infant Jesus, was constantly al |
luded to in medieval sermons; there is hardly |!
a picture. ancient or modern. ~ the scene Of |
tho nativity. which does not introduce these |
animals. and 10 this day they arc constantly |
represented on Christmas cards,
The traditions handed down In the Gospel OF |
the Pseudo Matthew seem sober and plausible
beside tho stories told OF our Lords boyhood
in tho so-cAlled Gospel Of tho Infancy which il
attributed to ~. Thomas the Apostle. This
false EvanRel is mentioned by Iren@us and
seems to have been written by Gnostic OF
the second century. whose purpose was to rep
resent the gradual growth Of wisdom imputed
to Jesus in the genuine Gospels rs quite un-
real. According to the Gnostlcs. Jesus from
tho outset exhibited the perfect wisdom OF tho
Godhead. and accordingly In the Gospel OF tho
Infancy the human nature and development Of
Iesus are entirely overshadowed by the super