New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-05-28
NEW PUBLICATIONS..
THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS.

Companions. Translated from the original ton cues
illustrated from ancient paintings ana m.h,s
These arc the books, now extant. that were
finally rejected as uninspircd when the Canon OF
the New Testament was settled. When and BY
whom IL was settled is, Of course, one OF the moot
questions Of ecclesiastical history. The editor OF
this volume incines 10 the theory That the Council
of Nice, after compiling the books of the New Tes
lament substantially as we have them. issued
these apocryphal books in a separate volume
But this theory is too fantastic to merit serious
consideration. What we know is that during
the first two three centuries numerous writings
were circulated and read in the Christian Churches
The modern cast-iron theory of inspiration had
not then been invented, and these documents.
accepted on their face value without much critical
discrimination were esteemed because they were
supposed 10 be written by Apostles or the immedi-
ate disciples Of Apostles There no thought
at first of elevatng these writings TO the same
rank as the Old Testament writings. Bat grad
ualy this done; and then it became necessary
TO come TO some decision as to what particular
writings of the great number circulated should be
declared authoritative. When this question was
finally settled, the apocryphal or rejected books
gradually died out of general recognition, But
up that time it is interesting 70 remember that
many Christians looked upon them as equally
authoritative with the books in the present canon
The mind OF the Church in the first ages was very
fluent on the subject of Scriptures. What we
now call the Canon was in process of formation
not so much b. any formal or specific decisions OF
councils, as by the religious consciousness of the
age; and books which are now included in the
New Testament came to hold that position Of
honor, because the Church gradually came TO feel
that they embodied the Word of God in an es-
pccial degree AT the same time the other books
now reckoncd as apocpphal were referred to and
quoted as the utterances of men moved in GER
tain measure, by the spirit of God.
This volume is really the well-knOwn trans
lation of William Hone. though the publishers
carefully refrain from saying so for reasons
known only to themselves. The author, who was
q voluminous and noteworthy writer in his time,
was not only. as rule, against the Government
but against religion as by law established. He
had become deeply interested in the subject Of
the medieval miracle plays, and in 1920 issued
this translation Of the Apocryphal books OF the
New Testament to show how largely the miracle
plays were founded on the traditions in these
books. His Ancient MYSTERIES Described
previously published, furnishes most interest
ing evidence of this fact. and shows how much
tho folklore Of mediaeval England owes to these
now almost unknown books
Twenty-four books or writings given in
this volume; but the devout reader must not
jump TO the conclusion that there is any mystical
significance in this number, cas- il only happens 10
be the number of the Apocryphal books now eX-
tant 1t is most unfortunate that so maQy of
these books have persisted, for though most of
them had doubtless little intrinsic merit they
would throw a most interesting light on the
life Of the early Church. Those that now remain
TO us, do. indeed, serve that purpose most
a. oh bona do
inspired records they arc altogether beneath
serious consideration With few exceptions they
are mass of pucriliics and absurdities. and
few of Them were really written by the men who
are claimed 10 be the authors. 1t is impossible |
to believe, for instance, that James the Less |
wrote the Protevangelon, which contains such q
fantastic account of the birth of Christ or that
the Apostle Thomas wrote the second book of the
Infancy; or that Paul wrote the Epistles TO
Seneca; or that Nicodemus really wrote the
Gospel that goes under his name Modern criti-
cism with it's relentless scientific methods, makes
short work of the claims to genuneneSs and inspira
ton of these writings. 1t is impossible TO dream
o! accepting books like those of the Infancy which
represent Christ, in all good faith. cruel,
capricious and vindictive. 1t is. for instance,
related that time when Jesus going home
with His father, a boy ran against Him and threw
Him down, and that Jesus said to him, " AS thou
last thrown Ne down, so shalt thou fall nor
ever rise" And Immediately the boy fell down
and died. On another occasion, II is related,
Jesus was sent to a schOOlmaster, who for SOM
impertinence, lifted up his hand to whip Him,
when his hand at once wthered and he died
after telling which the writer adds Then said
Joseph TO St. Mary 'lIenceforth we will not
allow Him 10 go out Of the house; for every
one who displeascs Him is killed.
Ts,o o. ooIl tIo
light which they unconsciously throw on the
history OF the early Christian Church 1t may
be that they were not highly regarded by the
more intelligent Christians Of that age, though
the writings Of many of the early fathers which
have come down TO us would indicate general
acceptance of them 1t is absolutely certain,
however, that they must have been very popular
with the average Christians of the time much
more so in fact, than the writings that were
finally incorporated in the Canon. We know
from other quarters how strong the love of
thaumaturgy was among the Christians Of the
first few centuries They were not only ready
TO believe in wonders and miracles, but insisted
on having them as an integral purt Of their
religion To such people the orderly and
rational miracles Of the books composing tho
New Testament must have seemed very tame;
and TO all but the more learned the ddactic
Epistles of Paul must have seemed dull What
they craved the sort OF stories which these
Apocryphal books contain. in which not only are
tie ordinary laws Of nature violated, but the |
canons of ccmmon-sense are deicd They were
chidishy indifferent TO any questions Of prOba- |
bility, rules of evidence, and accepted with |
aydiy any relation or story for just what II
purported TO be. remembrance Of this fact |
will explain much that would otherwise puzzle |
US in the genesis Of our New Testament Scripture.
With our painfully acute sense Of the importance
OF external evidence. even for revelation, we may
wonder why more OF such evidence has not come
down 10 us. The reason is that the early Church |
attached no importance 10 evidence under |