{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_6509/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_6509","id":"gutenberg_6509","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6509","summary":null,"tags":["Apocryphal books (New Testament)","Category: History - Religious","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality"],"text":"This eBook was produced by David Widger <widger@cecomet.net>\nAdditional proofing was done by Curtis A. Weyant\n\n\n\n\n\n                                  THE\n                              SUPPRESSED\n                          GOSPELS AND EPISTLES\n                            OF THE ORIGINAL\n                             NEW TESTAMENT\n                                   OF\n                            JESUS THE CHRIST\n\n          AND OTHER PORTIONS OF THE ANCIENT HOLY SCRIPTURES.\n                       NOW EXTANT, ATTRIBUTED TO\n                  HIS APOSTLES, AND THEIR DISCIPLES,\n       AND VENERATED BY THE PRIMITIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DURING\n                       THE FIRST FOUR CENTURIES,\n                 BUT SINCE, AFTER VIOLENT DISPUTATIONS\n                            FORBIDDEN BY THE\n                     BISHOPS OF THE NICENE COUNCIL,\n                IN THE REIGN OF THE EMPEROR CONSTANTINE\n             AND OMITTED FROM THE CATHOLICS AND PROTESTANT\n            EDITIONS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, BY ITS COMPILERS\n\n         TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL TONGUES, WITH HISTORICAL\n                   REFERENCES TO THEIR AUTHENTICITY,\n\n                                  BY\n                            ARCHBISHOP WAKE\n                               AND OTHER\n                            LEARNED DIVINES\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                          THE FIRST GOSPEL OF\n                      THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\n     1 Caiphas relates that Jesus, when in his cradle,\n     informed his mother that he was the Son of God.\n     5 Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem to be taxed, Mary's\n     time of bringing forth arrives, and she goes into a cave.\n     8 Joseph fetches in a Hebrew woman. The cave filled with\n     great lights.\n     11 The infant born,\n     17 and cures the woman.\n     19 Arrival of the shepherds.\n\nTHE following accounts we found\nin the book of Joseph the\nhigh-priest, called by some\nCaiphas:\n\n2  He relates, that Jesus spake\neven when he was in the cradle,\nand said to his mother:\n\n3  Mary, I am Jesus the Son of\nGod, that word, which thou didst\nbring forth according to the\ndeclaration of the angel Gabriel to\nthee, and my father hath sent me\nfor the salvation of the world.\n\n4  In the three hundred and\nninth year of the era of Alexander,\nAugustus published a decree that\nall persons should go to be taxed\nin their own country.\n\n5  Joseph therefore arose, and\nwith Mary his spouse he went to\nJerusalem, and then came to Bethlehem,\nthat he and his family might be taxed\nin the city of his fathers.\n\n6  And when they came by the cave,\nMary confessed to Joseph that her\ntime of bringing forth was come,\nand she could not go on to the city,\nand said, Let us go into this cave.\n\n7  At that time the sun was very\nnear going down.\n\n8  But Joseph hastened away,\nthat he might fetch her a midwife;\nand when he saw an old Hebrew\nwoman who was of Jerusalem, he\nsaid to her, Pray come hither,\ngood woman, and go into that cave,\nand you will there see a woman\njust ready to bring forth.\n\n9  It was after sunset, when the\nold woman and Joseph with her\nreached the cave, and they both\nwent into it.\n\n10  And behold, it was all filled\nwith lights, greater than the light\nof lamps and candles, and greater\nthan the light of the sun itself.\n\n11  The infant was then wrapped\nup in swaddling clothes, and sucking\nthe breasts of his mother St.\nMary.\n\n12  When they both saw this\nlight, they were surprised; the\nold woman asked St. Mary, Art\nthou the mother of this child?\n\n13  St. Mary replied, She was.\n\n14  On which the old woman\nsaid, Thou art very different from\nall other women.\n\n15  St. Mary answered, As there\nis not any child like to my son,\nso neither is there any woman like\nto his mother.\n\n16  The old woman answered,\nand said, O my Lady, I am come\nhither that I may obtain an\neverlasting reward.\n\n17  Then our Lady St. Mary\nsaid to her, Lay thine hands upon\nthe infant, which, when she had\ndone, she became whole.\n\n18  And as she was going forth,\nshe said, From henceforth, all the\ndays of my life, I will attend upon\nand be a servant of this infant.\n\n19  After this, when the shepherds\ncame, and had made a fire, and they\nwere exceedingly rejoiceing, the\nheavenly host appeared to them,\npraising and adoring the supreme God.\n\n20  And as the shepherds were\nengaged in the same employment,\nthe cave at that time seemed like\na glorious temple, because both\nthe tongues of angels and men\nunited to adore and magnify God,\non account of the birth of the Lord\nChrist.\n\n21  But when the old Hebrew\nwoman saw all these evident miracles,\nshe gave praises to God, and\nsaid, I thank thee, O God, thou\nGod of Israel, for that mine eyes\nhave seen the birth of the Saviour\nof the world.\n\n\n\nCHAP. II.\n\n     1 The child circumcised in the cave,\n     2 and the old woman preserving his foreskin or navel-string in a\n     box of spikenard, Mary afterwards annoints Christ with it.\n     5 Christ brought to the temple;\n     6 He shines,\n     7 and angels stand around him adoring.\n     8 Simeon praises Christ.\n\nAND when the time of his\ncircumcision was come: namely,\nthe eighth day, on which the\nlaw commanded the child to be\ncircumcised; they circumcised\nhim in the cave.\n\n2  And the old Hebrew woman\ntook the foreskin (others say she\ntook the navel-string), and preserved\nit in an alabaster-box of old oil\nof spikenard.\n\n3  And she had a son who was a\ndruggist, to whom she said, Take\nheed thou sell not this alabaster-\nbox of spikenard-ointment, although\nthou shouldst be offered three\nhundred pence for it.\n\n4  Now this is that alabaster-\nbox which Mary the sinner procured,\nand poured forth the ointment out\nof it upon the head and the feet\nof our Lord Jesus Christ, and wiped\nthem off with the hairs of her head.\n\n5  Then after ten days they\nbrought him to Jerusalem, and on\nthe fortieth day from his birth\nthey presented him in the temple\nbefore the Lord, making the proper\nofferings for him, according\nto the requirement of the law of\nMoses: namely, that every male\nwhich opens the womb shall be\ncalled holy unto God.\n\n6  At that time old Simeon saw\nhim shining as a pillar of light,\nwhen St. Mary the Virgin, his\nmother, carried him in her arms,\nand was filled with the greatest\npleasure at the sight.\n\n7  And the angels stood around\nhim, adoring him, as a king's\nguards stand around him.\n\n8  Then Simeon going near to\nSt. Mary, and stretching forth his\nhands towards her, said to the\nLord Christ, Now, O My Lord,\nthy servant shall depart in peace,\naccording to thy word;\n\n9  For mine eyes have seen thy\nmercy, which thou hast prepared\nfor the salvation of all nations;\na light to all people, and the glory\nof thy people Israel.\n\n10  Hannah the prophetess was\nalso present, and drawing near,\nshe gave praises to God, and\ncelebrated the happiness of Mary.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\n     1 The wise men visit Christ. Mary gives them\n     one of his swaddling clothes.\n     3 An angel appears to them in the form of a star.\n     4 They return and make a fire, and worship the\n     swaddling cloth, and put it in the fire where it\n     remains unconsumed.\n\nAND it came to pass, when the\nLord Jesus was born at Bethlehem,\na city of Judaea, in the time of Herod\nthe King;--the wise  men came from the\nEast to Jerusalem, according to the\nprophecy of Zoradascht,[Zoroaster]\nand brought with them offerings:\nnamely, gold, frankincense, and myrrh,\nand worshipped him, and offered to him\ntheir gifts.\n\n2  Then the Lady Mary took one\nof his swaddling clothes in which\nthe infant was wrapped, and gave\nit to them instead of a blessing,\nwhich they received from her as a\nmost noble present.\n\n3  And at the same time there\nappeared to them an angel in the\nform of that star which had before\nbeen their guide in their journey;\nthe light of which they followed\ntill they returned into their own\ncountry.\n\n4  On their return their kings\nand princes came to them inquiring,\nwhom they had seen and done?\nWhat sort of journey and return\nthey had?  What Company\nthey had on the road?\n\n5  But they produced the swaddling\ncloth which St. Mary had given\nthem, on account whereof they kept\na feast.\n\n6  And having, according to the\ncustom of their country, made\na fire, they worshipped it.\n\n7  And casting the swaddling\ncloth into it, the fire took it\nand kept it.\n\n8  And when the fire was put out,\nthey took forth the swaddling cloth\nunhurt, as much as if the fire had\nnot touched it.\n\n9  Then they began to kiss it,\nand put it upon their heads and\ntheir eyes saying, This is certainly\nan undoubted truth, and it is really\nsurprising that the fire could not\nburn it, and consume it.\n\n10  Then they took it, and with\nthe greatest respect laid it up\namong their treasures.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\n     1 Herod intends to put Christ to death.\n     3 An angel warns Joseph to take the child\n     and his mother into Egypt.\n     6 Consternation on their arrival.\n     13 The idols fall down.\n     15 Mary washes Christ's swaddling clothes, hangs them to\n     dry on a post, and the son of a priest puts one on his head;\n     16 And being possessed of devils they leave him.\n\nNOW Herod perceiving that the\nwise men did delay and not return\nto him, called together the priest\nand wise men, and said, Tell me in\nwhat place the Christ should be born.\n\n2  And when they replied, in\nBethlehem,--a city of Judaea, he\nbegan to contrive in his own mind\nthe death of the Lord Jesus Christ.\n\n3  But an angel of the Lord\nappeared to Joseph in his sleep,\nand said, Arise, take the child and\nhis mother, and go into Egypt as soon\nas the cock crows. So he arose,\nand went.\n\n4  And as he was considering\nwith himself about his journey,\nthe morning came upon him.\n\n5  In the length of the journey\nthe girts of the saddle broke.\n\n6  And now he drew near to a great\ncity, in which there was an idol,\nto which the priests of the other\nidols and gods of Egypt brought\ntheir offerings and vows.\n\n7  And there was by this idol a\npriest ministering to it, who, as\noften as Satan spoke out of that\nidol, related the things he said to\nthe inhabitants of Egypt, and those\ncountries.\n\n8  This priest had a son three\nyears old, who was possessed with\na great multitude of devils, who\nuttered many strange things and\nwhen the devils seized him, walked\nabout naked with his clothes torn,\nthrowing stones at those whom\nhe saw.\n\n9  Near to that idol was the inn\nof the city, into which when Joseph\nand St. Mary were come, and had\nturned into that inn, all the\ninhabitants of the city were\nastonished.\n\n10  And all the magistrates and\npriests of the idols assembled\nbefore that idol, and made inquiry\nthere, saying, What means all this\nconsternation, and dread, which\nhas fallen upon all our country?\n\n11  The idol answered them,\nThe unknown God is come thither,\nwho is truly God; nor is there any\none besides him, who is worthy of\ndivine worship for he is truly the\nSon of God.\n\n12  At the fame of him this\ncountry trembled, and at his\ncoming it is under the present\ncommotion and consternation, and\nwe ourselves are afrighted by the\ngreatness of his power.\n\n13  And at the same instant this\nidol fell down, and at his fall all\nthe inhabitants of Egypt, besides\nothers ran together.\n\n14  But the son of the priest,\nwhen his usual disorder came upon\nhim going into the inn, found\nthere Joseph and St. Mary, whom\nall the rest had left behind and\nforsook.\n\n15  And when the Lady St. Mary\nhad washed the swaddling clothes\nof the Lord Christ, and hanged\nthem out to dry upon a post, the\nboy possessed with the devil took\ndown one of them, and put it upon\nhis head.\n\n16  And presently the devils\nbegan to come out of his mouth,\nand fly away in the shape of crows\nand serpents.\n\n17  From that time the boy was\nhealed by the power of the Lord\nChrist and he began to sing\npraises, and give thanks to the\nLord who had healed him.\n\n18  When his father saw him\nrestored to his former state of\nhealth, he said, My son, what has\nhappened to thee, and by what\nmeans wert thou cured?\n\n19  The son answered, When the\ndevils seized me, I went into the\ninn, and there found a very handsome\nwoman with a boy, whose swaddling\nclothes she had just before washed,\nand hanged out upon a post.\n\n20  One of these I took, and put\nit upon my head, and immediately\nthe devils left me, and fled away.\n\n21  At this the father exceedingly\nrejoiced, and said, My son,\nperhaps this boy is the son of the\nliving God, who made the heavens\nand the earth.\n\n22  For as soon as he came\namongst us, the idol was broken,\nand all the gods fell down, and\nwere destroyed by a greater power.\n\n23  Then was fulfilled the prophecy\nwhich saith, Out of Egypt I have\ncalled my son.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\n     1 Joseph and Mary leave Egypt.\n     3 Go to the Haunts of robbers,\n     4 Who hearing a mighty noise,\n     as of a great army flee away.\n\nNOW Joseph and Mary when\nthey heard that the idol was\nfallen down and destroyed, were\nseized with fear and, trembling,\nand said, When we Were in the\nland of Israel, Herod, intending\nto kill Jesus, slew for that purpose\nall the infants at Bethlehem, and\nthat neighbourhood.\n\n2  And there is no doubt but\nthe Egyptians if they come to\nhear that this idol is broken and\nfallen down, will burn us with fire.\n\n3  They went therefore hence to\nthe secret places of robbers, who\nrobbed travellers as they pass by,\nof their carriages and their clothes\nand carried them away bound.\n\n4  These thieves upon their\ncoming heard a great noise such\nas the noise of a king with a great\narmy, and many horse and the\ntrumpets sounding at his departure\nfrom his own city, at which they\nwere so affrighted, as to leave\nall their booty behind them and\nfly away in haste.\n\n5  Upon this the prisoners arose,\nand loosed each other's bonds,\nand taking each man his bags,\nthey went way, and saw Joseph\nand Mary coming towards them,\nand inquired, Where is that king,\nthe noise of whose approach the\nrobbers heard, and left us,\nso that we are now come off safe?\n\n6  Joseph answered, He will come\nafter us.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\n     1 Mary looks on a woman in whom Satan had taken\n     up his abode, and she becomes dispossesed.\n     5 Christ kissed by a bride made dumb by sorcerers,\n     cures her.\n     11 Miraculously cures a gentlewoman in whom Satan\n     had taken up his abode.\n     16 A leprous girl cured by the water in which he was\n     washed, and becomes the servant of Joseph and Mary.\n     20 The leprous son of a prince's wife cured in like manner.\n     37 Has mother offers large gifts to Mary, and dismisses her.\n\n\nTHEN they went into another\ncity where there was a woman\npossessed with a devil, and in\nwhom Satan, that cursed rebel,\nhad taken up his abode.\n\n2  One night, when she went to\nfetch water, she could neither\nendure her clothes on, nor to be\nin any house; but as often as they\ntied her with chains or cords, she\nbrake them, and went out into desert\nplaces, and sometimes standing\nwhere roads crossed, and in\nchurch yards, would throw stones\nat men.\n\n3  When St. Mary saw this\nwoman, she pitied her; where\nupon Satan presently left her, and\nfled away in the form of a young\nman, saying, Wo to me, because\nof thee, Mary, and thy son.\n\n4  So the woman was delivered\nfrom her torment; but considering\nherself naked, she blushed,\nand avoided seeing any man and\nhaving put on her clothes, went\nhome, and gave an account of her\ncase to her father and relations\nwho, as they were the best of the\ncity, entertained St. Mary and\nJoseph with the greatest respect.\n\n5  The next morning having\nreceived a sufficient supply of\nprovisions for the road, they went\nfrom them, and about the evening of\nthe day arrived at another town,\nwhere a marriage was then about\nto be solemnized; but by the arts\nof Satan and the practices of a\nsorcerers, the bride was become\nso dumb, that she could not so\nmuch as open her mouth.\n\n6  But when this dumb bride\nsaw the Lady St. Mary entering\ninto the town, and carrying\nLord Christ in her arms, she\nstretched out her hands to the\nLord Christ, and-took him in her\narms, and closely hugging him,\nvery often kissed him, continually\nmoving him and, pressing him to\nher body.\n\n7  Straightway the string of her\ntongue was loosed, and her ears\nwere opened, and she began to\nsing praises unto God, who had\nrestored her.\n\n8  So there was great joy among\nthe inhabitants of the town that\nnight, who thought that God and\nhis angels were come down among\nthem.\n\n9  In this place they abode\nthree days, meeting with the greatest\nrespect and most splendid entertainment.\n\n10  And being then furnished by\nthe people with provisions for the\nroad, they departed and went to\nanother city, in which they were\ninclined to lodge, because it was a\nfamous place.\n\n11  There was in this city a\ngentlewoman, who, as she went down\none day to the river to bathe, behold\ncursed Satan leaped upon her in the\nform of a serpent.\n\n12  And folded himself about her\nbelly, and every night lay upon\nher.\n\n13  This woman seeing the Lady\nSt. Mary, and the Lord Christ the\ninfant in her bosom, asked the\nLady St. Mary, that she would\ngive her the child to kiss, and\ncarry in her arms.\n\n14  When she had consented,\nand as soon as the woman had\nmoved the child, Satan left her,\nand fled away, nor did the woman\never afterwards see him.\n\n15  Hereupon all the neighbors\npraised the Supreme God, and the\nwoman reward them with ample,\nbeneficence.\n\n16  On the morrow, the same\nwoman brought perfumed water to\nwash the Lord Jesus; and when\nshe had washed him, she preserved\nthe water.\n\n17  And there was a girl there,\nwhose body was white with a\nleprosy, who being sprinkled with\nthis water, and washed, was\ninstantly cleansed from her leprosy.\n\n18  The people therefore said\nWithout doubt Joseph and Mary,\nand that boy are Gods, for they do\nnot look like mortals.\n\n19  And when they were making\nready to go away, the girl, who\nhad been troubled with the leprosy,\ncame and desired they would\npermit her to go along with them;\nso they consented and the girl went\nwith them till they came to a city\nin which was the palace of a great\nking, and whose house was not far\nfrom the inn.\n\n20  Here they staid, and when\nthe girl went one day to the\nprince's wife, and found her in a\nsorrowful and mournful condition,\nshe asked her the reason of her\ntears.\n\n21  She replied, wonder not at\nmy groans, for I am under a great\nmisfortune, of which I dare not\ntell any one.\n\n22  But, says the, girl, if you\nwill entrust me with your private\ngrievance, perhaps I may find you\na remedy for it.\n\n23  Thou, therefore, says the\nprince's wife, shall keep the\nsecret, and not discover it to\nany one alive.\n\n24  I have been married to this\nprince, who  rules as king over\nlarge dominions, and lived long\nwith him before he had any child\nby me.\n\n25  At length I conceived by\nhim, but alas! I brought forth a\nleprous son; which, when he saw\nhim would not own to be his, but\nsaid to me,\n\n26  Either do thou kill him, or\nsend him to some nurse in such a\nplace, that he may be never heard\nof; and now take care of yourself;\nI will never see you more.\n\n27  So here I pine, lamenting\nmy wretched and miserable\ncircumstances. Alas, my son! alas,\nmy husband; Have I disclosed it\nto you?\n\n28  The girl replied I have found\na remedy for your disease, which\nI promise you, for I also was\nleprous, but God hath cleansed\nme, even he who is called Jesus\nthe son of the Lady Mary.\n\n29  The woman inquiring where\nthat God was, whom she spake\nof; the girl answered, He lodges\nwith you here, in the same house.\n\n30  But how can this be? says\nshe; where is he? Behold, replied\nthe girl, Joseph and Mary; and\nthe infant who is, with them is\ncalled Jesus; and it is he who\ndelivered me from my disease and\ntorment.\n\n31  But by what means, says she,\nwere you cleansed from your leprosy?\nWill not you tell me that?\n\n32  Why not? says the girl; I\ntook the water with which his\nbody had been washed, and poured\nit upon me, and my leprosy\nvanished.\n\n33  The prince's wife then arose\nand entertained them, providing a\ngreat feast for Joseph among a\nlarge company of men.\n\n34  And the next day took\nperfumed water to wash the Lord\nJesus, and afterwards  poured the\nsame water upon her son, whom\nshe had brought with her, and her\nson was instantly cleansed from\nhis leprosy,\n\n35  Then she sang thanks and\nunto God, and said, Blessed\nis the mother that bare thee,\nO Jesus!\n\n36  Dost thou thus cure men of\nthe same nature with thyself, with\nthe water with which thy body is\nwashed?\n\n37 She then offered very large\ngifts to the Lady Mary, and sent\nher away with all imaginable\nrespect.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\n     1 A man who could not enjoy his wife, freed from his disorder.\n     5 A young man who had been bewitched, and turned into a\n     mule miraculously cured by Christ being put on his back,\n     28 and is married to the girl who had been cured of leprosy.\n\n\nTHEY came afterwards to another\ncity, and had a mind to lodge there.\n\n\n2  Accordingly they went to a man's\nhouse, who was newly married\nbut by the influence of sorcerers\ncould not enjoy his wife.\n\n3  But they lodging at his house\nthat night, the man was freed of\nhis disorder.\n\n4  And when they were preparing\nearly in the morning to go forward\non their jouney, the new-married\nperson hindered them, and\nprovided a noble entertainment\nfor them.\n\n5  But going forward on the\nmorrow, they came to another\ncity, and saw three women going\nfrom a certain grave with great\nweeping.\n\n6  When St. Mary saw them, she\nspake to the girl who was their\ncompanion, saying, Go and inquire\nof them, what is the matter with\nthem, and what misfortune has\nbefallen them?\n\n7  When the girl asked them,\nthey made her no answer, but\nasked her again, Who are ye? and\nwhere are you going? For the day\nis far spent, and night is at hand.\n\n8  We are travellers, saith the\ngirl, and we are seeking for an inn\nto lodge at.\n\n9  They replied, Go along with\nus, and lodge with us.\n\n10  They then followed them,\nand were introduced into a new\nhouse, well furnished with all\nsorts of furniture.\n\n11  Now it was winter-time, and\nthe girl went into the parlour\nwhere these women were, and\nfound them weeping and lamenting\nas before.\n\n12  By them stood a mule, covered\nover with silk, and an ebony collar\nhanging down from his neck, whom\nthey kissed and were feeding.\n\n13  But when the girl said, How\nhandsome, ladies, that mule is!\nthey replied with tears, and said,\nThis mule, which you see, was our\nbrother, born of this same mother\nas we;\n\n14  For when our father died,\nand left us a very large estate, and\nwe had only this brother, and we\nendeavoured to procure him a suitable\nmatch, and thought he should\nbe married as other men, some\ngiddy and jealous women bewitched\nhim without our knowledge.\n\n15  And we one night, a little before\nday, while the doors of the house\nwere all shut fast, saw this our\nbrother was changed into a mule,\nsuch as you now see him to be:\n\n16  And we in the melancholy\ncondition in which you see us,\nhaving no father to comfort us,\nhave applied to all the wise men,\nmagicians, and diviners in the\nworld, but they have been of no\nservice to us.\n\n17  As often therefore as we find\nourselves oppressed with grief, we\nrise and go with this our mother\nto our father's tomb, where, when\nwe have cried sufficiently, we\nreturn home.\n\n18  When the girl had heard this\nshe said, Take courage, and cease\nyour fears, for you have a remedy\nfor your afflictions near at hand\neven amoung you and in the midst\nof your house.\n\n19  For I was also leprous; but\nwhen I saw this woman, and this\nlittle infant with her, whose name\nis Jesus, I sprinkled my body with\nthe water with which his mother\nhad washed him and I was\npresently made well.\n\n20  And I am certain that he is\nalso capable of relieving you under\nyour distress.  Wherefore arise,\ngo to my mistress Mary, and when\nyou have brought her into your\nown parlour, disclose to her the\nsecret, at the same time earnestly\nbeseeching her to compassionate\nyour case.\n\n21  As soon as the women had\nheard the girl's discourse, they\nhastened away to the Lady St.\nMary, introduced themselves to\nher, and sitting down before her,\nthey wept.\n\n22  And said, O our Lady St.\nMary, pity your handmaids, for\nwe have no head of our family, no\none elder than us; no father or\nbrother to go in or out before us.\n\n23  But this mule, which you\nsee, was our brother, which some\nwomen by witchcraft have brought\ninto this condition which you see:\nwe therefore entreat you to\ncompassionate us.\n\n24  Hereupon St. Mary was\ngrieved at their case, and taking\nthe Lord Jesus, put him upon the\nback of the mule.\n\n25  And said to her son, O Jesus\nChrist, restore (or heal) according\nto thy extraordinary power this\nmule, and grant him to have again\nthe shape of a man and a rational\ncreature, as he had formerly.\n\n26  This was scarce said by the\nLady St. Mary, but the mule\nimmediately passed into a human\nform, and became a young man\nwithout any deformity.\n\n27  Then he and his mother and\nthe sisters worshipped the Lady\nSt. Mary, and lifting the child\nupon their heads, they kissed him,\nand said, Blessed is thy mother,\nO Jesus, O Saviour of the world!\nBlessed are the eyes which are\nso happy to see thee.\n\n28  Then both the sisters told\ntheir mother, saying, Of a truth,\nour brother is restored to his former\nshape by the help of the Lord\nJesus Christ, and the kindness\nof that girl who told us of Mary\nand her son.\n\n29  And inasmuch as our brother\nis unmarried, it is fit that we\nmarry him to this girl their\nservant.\n\n30  When they had consulted\nMary in this matter, and she had\ngiven her consent, they made a\nsplendid wedding for this girl.\n\n31  And so their sorrow being\nturned into gladness, and their\nmourning into mirth, they began\nto rejoice, and to make merry,\nand sing, being dressed in their\nrichest attire, with bracelets.\n\n32  Afterwards they glorified and\npraised God, saying, O Jesus, son\nof David, who changest sorrow\ninto gladness, and mourning into\nmirth!\n\n33  After this Joseph and Mary\ntarried there ten days, then went\naway, having received great\nrespect from these people.\n\n34  Who, when they took their\nleave of them, and returned home,\ncried,\n\n35  But especially the girl.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\n     1 Joseph and Mary pass through a country infested by robbers.\n     3 Titus a humane thief, offers Dumachus, his comrade,\n     forty groats to let Joseph and Mary pass unmolested.\n     6 Jesus prophecies that the thieves Dumachus and Titus shall be\n     crucified with him and that Titus shall go before him into paradise.\n     10 Christ causes a well to spring from a sycamore tree, and Mary\n     washes his coat in it.\n     11 A balsam grows there from his sweat.  They go to Memphis, where\n     Christ works more miracles. Return to Judea.\n     15 Being warned, depart for Nazareth.\n\n\nIN their journey from hence they\ncame into a desert country and\nwere told it was infested with\nrobbers; so Joseph and St. Mary\nprepared to pass through it in the\nnight.\n\n2  And as they were going along,\nbehold they saw two robbers asleep\nin the road, and with them a great\nnumber of robbers, who were their\nconfederates, also asleep.\n\n3  The names of these two were\nTitus and Dumachus; and Titus\nsaid to Dumachus, I beseech thee\nlet these persons go along quietly,\nthat our company may not perceive\nanything of them.\n\n4  But Damachus refusing, Titus\nagain said, I will give thee forty\ngroats, and as a pledge take my\ngirdle, which he gave him before\nhe had done speaking, that he\nmight not open his mouth or make\na noise.\n\n5  When the Lady St. Mary saw\nthe kindness which this robber did\nshew them, she said to him, The\nLord God will receive thee to his\nright hand and grant thee pardon\nof thy sins.\n\n6  Then the Lord Jesus answered,\nand said to his mother, When\nthirty years are expired, O mother,\nthe Jews will crucify me at\nJerusalem;\n\n7  And these two thieves shall\nbe with me at the same time upon\nthe cross, Titus on my right hand,\nand Dumachus on my left, and\nfrom that time Titus shall go before\nme into paradise;\n\n8  And when she had said, God\nforbid this should be thy lot, O\nmy son, they went on to a city in\nwhich were several idols; which,\nas soon as they came near to it,\nwas turned into hills of sand.\n\n9  Hence they  went to that\nsycamore tree, which is now called\nMatarea.\n\n10  And in Materea the Lord\nJesus caused a well to spring\nforth, in which St. Mary washed\nhis coat;\n\n11  And a balsam is produced,\nor grows, in that country, from\nthe sweat which ran down there\nfrom the Lord Jesus.\n\n12  Thence they proceeded to\nMemphis, and saw Pharoah, and\nabode three years in Egypt.\n\n13  And the Lord Jesus did very\nmany miracles, in Egypt, which\nare neither to be found in\nGospel of the Infancy nor in the\nGospel of Perfection.\n\n14  At the end of three years\nhe returned out of Egypt, and\nwhen he came near to Judea,\nJoseph was afraid to enter;\n\n15  For hearing that Herod was\ndead, and that Archelaus his son\nreigned in his stead, he was afraid.\n\n16  And when he went to Judea,\nan, angel of God appeard to\nhim, and said, O Joseph go\ninto the city of Nazareth, and\nabide there.\n\n17  It is strange indeed, that he,\nwho is the Lord of all countries,\nshould be thus carried backward and\nforward, through so many countries.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\n2 Two sick children cured by water\nwherein Christ was washed.\n\nWHEN they came afterwards\ninto the city of Bethlehem,\nthey found there several very\ndesperate distempers, which became\nso troublesome to children by seeing\nthem, that most of them died.\n\n2  There was there a woman who\nhad a sick son, whom she brought,\nwhen he was at the point of death,\nto the Lady St. Mary, who saw\nher when she was washing Jesus\nChrist.\n\n3  Then said the woman, O my\nLady Mary, look down upon this\nmy son, who is afflicted with most\ndreadful pains.\n\n4  St. Mary hearing her, said,\nTake a little of that water with\nwhich I have washed my son, and\nsprinkle it upon him.\n\n5  Then she took a little of that\nwater, as St. Mary had commanded,\nand sprinkled it upon her son,\nwho being wearied with his violent\npains, was fallen asleep; and after\nhe had slept a little, awaked\nperfectly well and recovered.\n\n6  The mother being abundantly\nglad of this success, went again to\nSt. Mary, and St. Mary said to\nher, Give praise to God, who hath\ncured this thy son.\n\n7  There was in the same place\nanother woman, a neighbour of\nher, whose son was now cured.\n\n8  This woman's son was afflicted\nwith the same disease, and his eyes\nwere now almost quite shut, and\nshe was lamenting for him day\nand night.\n\n9  The mother of the child which\nwas cured, said to her, Why do\nyou not bring your son to St. Mary,\nas I brought my son to her, when\nhe was in the agonies of death;\nand he was cure by that water,\nwith which the body of her son\nJesus was washed?\n\n10  When the woman heard her\nsay this, she also went, and having\nprocured the same water, washed\nher son with it, whereupon his\nbody and his eyes were instantly\nrestored to their former state.\n\n11  And when she brought her\nson to St. Mary, and opened his\ncase to her, she commanded her to\ngive thanks to God for the recovery\nof her son's health, and tell\nno one what had happened.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\n     1 Two wives of one man, each have a son sick.\n     2 One of them named Mary, and whose son's name was Caleb,\n     presents the Virgin with a handsome carpet, and Caleb is cured;\n     but the son of the other wife dies,\n     4 which occasions a difference between the women.\n     5 The other wife puts Caleb into a hot oven, and he is\n     miraculously preserved,\n     9 she afterwards throws him into a well,\n     and he is again preserved;\n     11 his mother appeals to the Virgin against the other wife,\n     12 whose downfall the Virgin prophecies,\n     13 and who accordingly falls into the well,\n     14 therein fulfilling a saying of old.\n\nTHERE were in the same city\ntwo wives of one man, who\nhad each a son sick. One of them\nwas called Mary, and her son's\nname was Caleb.\n\n2  She arose, and taking her son,\nwent to the Lady St. Mary, the\nmother of Jesus, and offered her a\nvery handsome carpet, saying, O\nmy Lady Mary accept this carpet\nof me, and instead of it give me a\nsmall swaddling cloth.\n\n3  To this Mary agreed, and\nwhen the mother of Caleb was\ngone, she made a coat for her son\nof the swaddling cloth, put it on\nhim, and his disease was cured;\nbut the son of the other wife died.\n\n4  Hereupon there arose between\nthem a difference in doing\nthe business of the family by turns,\neach her week;\n\n5  And when the turn of Mary\nthe mother of Caleb came, and she\nwas heating the oven to bake\nbread, and went away to fetch the\nmeal, she left her son Caleb by the\noven;\n\n6  Whom the other wife, her\nrival, seeing to be by himself,\ntook and cast him into the oven,\nwhich was very hot, and then went\naway.\n\n7  Mary on her return saw her\nson Caleb lying in the middle of\nthe oven laughing, and the oven\nquite as cold as though it had not\nbeen before heated, and knew that\nher rival the other wife had thrown\nhim into the fire.\n\n8  When she took him out, she\nbrought him to the Lady St. Mary,\nand told her the story, to whom\nshe replied, Be quiet, I am\nconcerned lest thou shouldest make\nthis matter known.\n\n9  After this her rival, the other\nwife, as she was drawing water at\nthe well, and saw Caleb playing\nby the well, and that no one was\nnear, took him, and threw him\ninto the well.\n\n10  And when some men came to\nfetch water from the well, they\nsaw the boy sitting on the\nsuperficies of the water, and\ndrew him out with ropes, and were\nexceedingly surprised at the child,\nand praised God.\n\n11 Then came the mother and\ntook him and carried him to the\nLady St. Mary, lamenting. and\nsaying, O my Lady, see what my\nrival hath done to my son, and\nhow she hath cast him into the\nwell, and I do not question but\none time or other she will be the\noccasion of his death.\n\n12  St. Mary replied to her, God\nwill vindicate your injured cause.\n\n13  Accordingly a few days after,\nwhen the other wife came to the\nwell to draw water, her foot was\nentangled in the rope, so that she\nfell headlong into the well, and\nthey who ran to her assistance\nfound her skull broken, and bones\nbruised.\n\n14 So she came to a bad end,\nand in her was fulfilled that saying\nof the author, They digged a well,\nand made it deep, but fell themselves\ninto the pit which they prepared.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\n     1 Bartholomew, when a child and sick, miraculously\n     restored by being laid on Christ's bed.\n\nANOTHER woman in that city\nhad. likewise two son's sick.\n\n2  And when one was dead, the\nother, who lay at the point of\ndeath, she took in her arms to the\nLady St. Mary, and in a flood of\ntears addressed herself to her,\nsaying,\n\n3  O my Lady, help and relieve\nme; for I had two sons, the one I\nhave just now buried, the other I\nsee is fast at the point of death\nbehold how I (earnestly) seek for\nyour from God, and pray to him.\n\n4 Then she said, O Lord, thou\nart gracious, and merciful, and\nkind; thou, hast given me two\nsons; one of them thou halt taken\nto thyself, O spare me this other.\n\n5  St. Mary then perceiving the\ngreatness of her sorrow, pitied her\nand said, Do thou place thy son in\nmy son's bed, and cover him with\nhis clothes.\n\n6  And when she had placed him\nin the bed wherein Christ lay,\nat the moment when his eyes were\njust closed by death; as soon as\never the small of the garments of\nthe Lord Jesus Christ reached the\nboy, his eyes were opened, and\ncalling with a loud voice to his\nmother, he asked for bread, and\nwhen he had received it, he sucked\nit.\n\n7  Than his mother said, O Lady\nMary, now I am assured that the\npowers of God do dwell in you, so\nthat thy son can cure children who\nare of the same sort as himself, as\nsoon as they touch his garments.\n\n8 This boy, who was thus cured,\nis the same who in the Gospel is\ncalled Bartholomew.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\n       A leprous woman healed by Christ's washing water.\n     7 A princess healed by it and restored to her husband.\n\n\nAGAIN, there was a leprous\nwoman who went to the Lady\nSt. Mary, the mother of Jesus,\nand said, O my Lady, help me.\n\n2  St. Mary replied, What help\ndoes thou desire? Is it gold or\nsilver, or that thy body be cured\nof its leprosy?\n\n3  Who, says the woman, can\ngrant me this?\n\n4  St. Mary replied to her, Wait\na little till I have washed my son\nJesus, and put him to bed.\n\n5  The woman waited, as she\nwas commanded; and Mary when\nshe had put Jesus in bed, giving\nher the water with which she had\nwashed his body, said, Take some\nof the water, and pour it upon thy\nbody;\n\n6  Which when she had done,\nshe instantly became clean, and\npraised God, and gave thanks to\nhim.\n\n7  Then she went away, after\nshe had abode with her three\ndays;\n\n8  And going into the city, she\nsaw a certain prince, who had\nmarried another princes daughter;\n\n9  But when he came to see her,\nhe perceived between her eyes the\nsigns of leprosy like a star, and\nthereupon declared the marriage\ndissolved and void.\n\n10  When the woman saw these\npersons in this condition, exceeding\nsorrowful, and shedding abundance\nof tears, she inquired of them\nthe reason of their crying;\n\n11  They replied, inquire not\ninto our circumstances; for we\nare not able to declare our\nmisfortunes to any, person,\nwhatsoever.\n\n12  But she still pressed and\ndesired them to communicate their\ncase to her; intimating, that she\nmight be able to direct them\nto a remedy.\n\n13  So when they showed the young\nwoman to her, and the signs\nof the leprosy, which appeared\nbetween her eyes;\n\n14  She said, I also whom ye\nsee in this place, was afflicted\nwith the same distemper, and going\non some business to Bethlehem, I\nwent into a certain cave, and saw\na woman named Mary, who had a\nson called Jesus.\n\n15  She seeing me to be leprous,\nwas concerned for me, and gave\nme some water with which she\nhad washed her son's body, with\nthat I sprinkled my body, and\nbecame clean.\n\n16  Then said these women, Will\nyou Mistress, go along with us,\nand show the Lady St. Mary to\nus?\n\n17  To which she consenting,\nthey arose and went to the Lady\nSt. Mary, taking with them very\nnoble presents.\n\n18  And when they came in and\noffered their presents to her,\nthey showed the leprous young woman\nwhom they brought with them to\nher.\n\n19  Then said St. Mary, The\nmercy of the Lord Jesus Christ\nrest upon you;\n\n20  And giving them a little of\nthat water, with which she had\nwashed the body of Jesus Christ,\nshe bade them wash the diseased\nperson with it, which when they\nhad done, she was presently\ncured;\n\n21 So they, and all who were\npresent, praised God; and being\nfilled with joy, they went back to\ntheir own city, and gave praises to\nGod on that account.\n\n22  Then the prince hearing that\nhis wife was cured, took her home\nand made a second marriage, giving\nthanks unto God for the recovery\nof his wife's health.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\n     1 A girl, whose blood Satan sucked receives one\n     of Christ's swaddling clothes from the Virgin,\n     14 Satan comes like a dragon, and she shews it to him;\n     flames and burning coals proceed from it and fall upon him;\n     19 he is miraculously discomfited, and leaves the girl.\n\nTHERE was also a girl, who\nwas afflicted by Satan,\n\n2  For that cursed spirit did\nfrequently appear to her in the shape\nof a dragon, and was inclined to\nswallow her up, and had so sucked\nout all her blood, that she looked\nlike a dead carcass.\n\n3  As often as she came to herself,\nwith her hands wringed about\nher head she would cry out, and\nsay, Wo, Wo is me, that there is\nno one to be found, who can deliver\nme from that impious dragon!\n\n4  Her father and mother, and\nall who were about her and saw\nher, mourned and wept over her;\n\n5  And all who were present\nwould especially be under sorrow\nand in tears, when they heard her\nbewailing and saying, My brethren\nand friends, is here no one who can\ndeliver me from this murderer?\n\n6  Then the prince's daughter,\nwho had been cured of her leprosy,\nhearing the complaint of that girl,\nwent upon the top of her castle,\nand saw her with her hands twisted\nabout her head, pouring out a flood\nof tears, and all the people that\nwere about her in tears.\n\n7  Then she asked the husband\nof the possessed person, Whether\nhis wife's mother was alive? He\ntold her, That her father and\nmother were both alive,\n\n8  Then she ordered her mother\nto be sent to her; to whom, when\nshe saw her coming, she said,\nIs this possessed girl thy daughter?\nShe moaning and bewailing said,\nYes madam I bore her.\n\n9  The prince's daughter answered,\nDisclose the secret of her case to me,\nfor I confess to you that I was leprous,\nbut the Lady Mary, the mother of\nJesus Christ, healed me.\n\n10  And if you desire your\ndaughter to be restored to her\nformer state, take her to Bethlehem,\nand inquire for Mary the mother\nof Jesus, and doubt not but your\ndaughter will be cured; for I do\nnot question but you will come\nhome with great joy at your\ndaughter's recovery.\n\n11  As soon as ever she had done\nspeaking, she arose and went with\nher daughter to the place appointed,\nand to Mary, and told her the case\nof her daughter.\n\n12  When St. Mary had heard\nher story, she gave her a little\nof the water with which she had\nwashed the body of her son Jesus,\nand bade her pour it upon the\nbody of her daughter.\n\n13 Likewise she gave her one of\nthe swaddling cloths of the Lord\nJesus, and said, Take this swaddling\ncloth, and shew it to thine\nenemy as often as thou seest him\nand she sent them away in\npeace.\n\n14  After they bad left that\ncity and returned home, and the\ntime was come in which Satan was\nwont to seize her, in the same\nmoment this cursed spirit appeared\nto her in the shape of a huge\ndragon, and the girl seeing him\nwas afraid,\n\n15  The mother said to her, Be\nnot afraid, daughter; let him alone\ntill he come nearer to thee! then\nshew him the swaddling cloth,\nwhich the Lady Mary gave us, and\nwe shall see the event.\n\n16  Satan then coming like a\ndreadful dragon, the body of the\ngirl trembled for fear.\n\n17  But as soon as she had put\nthe swaddling cloth upon her\nhead, and about her eyes, and\nchewed it to him, presently there\nissued forth from the swaddling\ncloth flames and burning coals,\nand fell upon the dragon.\n\n18  Oh! how great a miracle was\nthis, which was done: as soon as\nthe dragon saw the swaddling\ncloth of the Lord Jesus, fire went\nforth and was scattered upon his\nhead and eyes; so that he cried\nout with a loud voice, What have\nI to do with thee, Jesus, thou son\nof Mary? Whither shall I flee\nfrom thee?\n\n19 So he drew back much\naffrighted, and left the girl.\n\n20 And she was delivered from\nthis trouble, and sang praises and\nthanks to God, and with her all\nwho were present at the working\nof the miracle.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\n     1 Judas when a boy possessed by Satan, and brought up\n     by his parents to Jesus to be cured, whom he tries to bite,\n     7 but failing, strikes Jesus and makes him cry out.\n     Whereupon Satan goes from Jesus in the shape of a dog.\n\nANOTHER woman likewise\nlived there, whose son was\npossessed by Satan,\n\n2  This boy, named Judas, as\noften as Satan seized him, was\ninclined to bite all that were\npresent; and if he found no one else\nnear him, he would bite his own\nhands and other parts.\n\n3  But the mother of this miserable\nboy, hearing of St. Mary and her son\nJesus, arose presently and taking\nher son in her arms, brought him\nto the Lady Mary.\n\n4  In the meantime, James and\nJoses had taken away the infant,\nthe Lord Jesus, to play at a proper\nseason with other children;\nand when they went forth, they\nsat down and the Lord Jesus with\nthem.\n\n5  Then Judas, who was possessed,\ncame and sat down at the right hand\nof Jesus.\n\n6  When Satan was acting upon him\nas usual, he went about to bite\nthe Lord Jesus.\n\n7  And because he could not do\nit, he struck Jesus on the right\nside, so that he cried out.\n\n8  And in the same moment Satan\nwent out of the boy, and ran\naway like a mad dog.\n\n9  This same boy who struck\nJesus, and out of whom Satan went\nin the form of a dog, was Judas\nIscariot, who betrayed him to the\nJews.\n\n10  And that same side, on which\nJudas: struck him, the Jews\npierced with a spear.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\n     1 Jesus and other boys play together,\n     and make clay figures of animals.\n     4 Jesus causes them to walk,\n     6 also makes clay birds, which he causes to fly,\n     and eat and drink.\n     7 The children's parents alarmed,\n     and take Jesus for a sorcerer.\n     8 He goes to a dyer's shop, and throws all the\n     cloths into the furnace, and works a miracle therewith.\n     15 Whereupon the Jews praise God.\n\nAND when the Lord Jesus was\nseven years of age, he was\non a certain day with other boys\nhis companions about the same\nage;\n\n2  Who, when they were at play,\nmade clay into several shapes,\nnamely-asses, oxen, birds, and\nother figures;\n\n3  Each boasting of his work,\nand endeavouring to exceed the\nrest.\n\n4  Then the Lord Jesus said to\nthe boys, I will command these\nfigures which I have made to\nwalk.\n\n5  And immediately they moved,\nand when he commanded them to\nreturn, they returned.\n\n6  He had also made the figures\nof birds and sparrows, which,\nwhen he commanded to fly, did\nfly, and when he commanded to\nstand still, did stand still; and if\nhe gave them meat and drink, they\ndid eat and drink.\n\n7  When at length the boys went\naway, and related these things to\ntheir parents, their fathers said to\nthem, Take heed, children, for the\nfuture of his company, for he is a\nsorcerer; shun and avoid him, and\nfrom henceforth never play with\nhim.\n\n8  On a certain day also, when\nthe Lord Jesus was playing with\nthe boys, and running about, he\npassed by a dyer's shop, whose\nname was Salem.\n\n9  And there were in his shop\nmany pieces of cloth belonging to\nthe people of that city, which they\ndesigned to dye of several colours.\n\n10  Then the Lord Jesus going\ninto the dyer's shop, took all the\ncloths, and threw them into the\nfurnace.\n\n11  When Salem came home, and\nsaw the cloths spoiled, he began to\nmake a great noise, and to chide\nthe Lord Jesus, saying,\n\n12  What hast thou done to me,\nO thou son of Mary? Thou hast\ninjured both me and my neighbours;\nthey all desired their cloths\nof a proper colour; but thou hast\ncome and spoiled them all.\n\n13  The Lord Jesus replied, I\nwill change the colour of every\ncloth to what colour thou desirest.\n\n14  And then he presently began\nto take the cloths out of the furnace,\nand they were all dyed of those same\ncolours which the dyer desired.\n\n15  And when the Jews saw this\nsurprising miracle, they praised\nGod.\n\n\n\nCHAP. XVI.\n\n     1 Christ miraculously widens or contracts the gates,\n     milk pails, sieves, or boxes, not properly made by Joseph,\n     4 he not being skilful at his carpenter's trade.\n     5 The King of Jerusalem gives Joseph an order for a throne.\n     6 Joseph works on it for two years in the king's palace,\n     and makes it two spans too short. The king being angry with him,\n     10 Jesus comforts him,\n     13 commands him to pull one side of the throne, while he\n     pulls the other, and brings it to its proper dimensions.\n     14 Whereupon the bystanders praise God.\n\nAND Joseph, wheresoever he\nwent in the city, took the\nLord Jesus with him, where he\nwas sent for to work to make\ngates, or milk-pails, or sieves, or\nboxes; the Lord Jesus was with\nhim, wheresoever be went.\n\n2  And as often as Joseph had\nanything in his work, to make\nlonger, or shorter, or wider, or\nnarrower, the Lord Jesus would\nstretch his hand towards it.\n\n3  And presently it became as\nJoseph would have it:\n\n4  So that he had no need to\nfinish anything with his own hands,\nfor he was not very skilful at his\ncarpenter's trade.\n\n5  On a certain time the King\nof Jerusalem sent for him, and\nsaid, I would have thee make me\na throne of the same dimensions\nwith that place in which I\ncommonly sit.\n\n6  Joseph obeyed, and forthwith\nbegan the work, and continued two\nyears in the king's palace before\nhe finished it.\n\n7  And when he came to fix it\nin its place, he found it wanted\ntwo spans on each side of the\nappointed messure.\n\n8  Which when the king saw,\nhe was very angry with Joseph;\n\n9  And Joseph afraid of the\nking's anger, went to bed without\nhis supper, taking not any thing\nto eat.\n\n10  Then the Lord Jesus asked\nhim, What he was afraid of?\n\n11  Joseph replied, Because I\nhave lost my labour in the work\nwhich I have been about these two\nyears.\n\n12  Jesus said to him, Fear not,\nneither be cast down;\n\n13  Do thou lay hold on one side\nof the throne, and I will the other,\nand we will bring it to its just\ndimensions.\n\n14  And when Joseph had done\nas the Lord Jesus said, and each\nof them had with strength drawn\nhis side, the throne obeyed, and\nwas brought to the proper\ndimensions of the place:\n\n15 Which miracle when they\nwho stood by saw, they were\nastonished, and praised God.\n\n16 The throne was made of the\nsame wood which was in being\nin Solomon's time, namely, wood\nadorned with various shapes, and\nfigures.\n\n\n\nCHAP. XVII.\n\n     1 Jesus plays with boys at hide and seek.\n     3 Some women put his playfellows in a furnace,\n     7 where they are transformed by Jesus into kids.\n     10 Jesus calls them to go and play, and they\n     are restored to their former shape.\n\nON another day the Lord Jesus\ngoing out into the street,\nand seeing some boys who were\nmet to play, joined himself to their\ncompany.\n\n2 But when they saw him, they\nhid themselves, and left him to\nseek for them;\n\n3 The Lord Jesus came to the\ngate of a certain house, and asked\nsome women who were standing\nthere, Where the boys were gone?\n\n4 And when they answered,\nThat there was no one there; the\nLord Jesus said, Who are those\nwhom ye see in the furnace?\n\n5 They answered, They were\nkids of three years old.\n\n6 Then Jesus cried out aloud,\nand said, Come out hither, O ye\nkids, to your shepherd;\n\n7 And presently the boys came\nforth like kids, and leaped about\nhim; which when the women saw,\nthey were exceedingly amazed, and\ntrembled,\n\n8 Then they immediately worshipped,\nthe Lord Jesus, and beseeched him,\nsaying, O our Lord Jesus, son of\nMary, thou art truly that good\nshepherd of Israel! have mercy\non thy handmaids, who stand before\nthee, who do not doubt, but that\nthou, O Lord, art come to save,\nand not to destroy.\n\n9  After that, when the Lord\nJesus said, the children of Israel\nare like Ethiopians among the\npeople; the women said, Thou,\nLord, knowest all things, nor is\nany thing concealed from thee:\nbut now we entreat thee, and\nbeseech of thy mercy, that thou\nwouldest restore those boys to\ntheir former state.\n\n10 Then Jesus said, Come hither,\nO boys, that we may go and\nplay; and immediately, in the\npresence of these women, the kids\nwere changed, and returned into\nthe shape of boys.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\n     1 Jesus becomes the king of his playfellows,\n     and they crown him with flowers;\n     4 miraculously causes a serpent who had\n     bitten Simon the Cananite, then a boy,\n     to suck out all the poison again;\n     16 the serpent bursts, and Christ restores the boy to health.\n\n\nIN the month Adar Jesus\ngathered together the boys, and\nranked them as though he had\nbeen a king.\n\n2  For they spread their garments\non the ground for him to sit\non; and having made a crown of\nflowers, put it upon his head, and\nstood on his right and left as the\nguards of a king.\n\n3  And if any one happened to\npass by, they took him by force,\nand said, Come hither, and worship\nthe king, that you may have a\nprosperous journey.\n\n4  In the mean time, while\nthese things were doing, there\ncame certain men, carrying a boy\nupon a couch;\n\n5  For this boy having gone with\nhis companions to the mountain to\ngather wood, and having found\nthere a partridge's nest, and put\nhis hand in to take out the eggs,\nwas stung by a poisonous serpent,\nwhich leaped out of the nest; so\nthat he was forced to cry out for\nthe help of his companions; who,\nwhen they came, found him lying\nupon the earth like a dead person.\n\n6  After which his neighbours\ncame and carried him back into\nthe city.\n\n7  But when they came to the\nplace where the Lord Jesus, was\nsitting like a king, and the other\nboys stood around him like his\nministers, the boys made haste to\nmeet him, who was bitten by the\nserpent, and said to his neighbours,\nCome and pay your respects to the\nking;\n\n8  But when, by reason of their\nsorrow, they refused to come, the\nboys drew them, and forced them\nagainst their wills to come.\n\n9  And when they came to the\nLord Jesus, he inquired, On what\naccount they carried that boy?\n\n10  And when they answered that\na serpent had bitten him, the Lord\nJesus said to the boys, Let us go\nand kill that serpent.\n\n11  But when the parents of the\nboy desired to be excused, because\ntheir son lay at the point of death;\nthe boys made answer, and said,\nDid not ye hear what the king\nsaid? Let us go and kill the serpent;\nand will not ye obey him?\n\n12  So they brought the couch\nback again, whether they would\nor not.\n\n13  And when they were come to\nthe nest, the Lord Jesus said to\nthe boys, Is this the serpent's\nlurking place? They said, It was.\n\n14  Then the Lord Jesus calling\nthe serpent, it presently came forth\nand submitted to him; to whom he\nsaid, Go and suck out all the poison\nwhich thou hast infused into that\nboy:\n\n15  So the serpent crept to the\nboy, and took away all its poison\nagain.\n\n16  Then the Lord Jesus cursed\nthe serpent, so that it immediately\nburst asunder, and died;\n\n17  And he touched the boy with\nhis hand to restore him to his\nformer health;\n\n18  And when he began to cry,\nthe Lord Jesus said, Cease crying\nfor hereafter thou shale be my\ndisciple;\n\n19 And this is that Simon the\nCanaanite, who is mentioned in\nthe Gospel.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\n     1 James being bitten by a viper,\n     Jesus blows on the wound and cures him.\n     4 Jesus charged with throwing a boy from\n     the roof of, a house,\n     10 miraculously raises the dead boy to acquit him;\n     12 fetches water for his mother, breaks the pitcher\n     and miraculously gathers the water in his mantle\n     and brings it home;\n     16 makes fish pools on the Sabbath,\n     20 causes a boy to die who broke them down,\n     22 another boy runs against him,\n     whom he also causes to die.\n\nON another day Joseph sent his\nson James to gather wood,\nand the Lord Jesus went with\nhim;\n\n2  And when they came to the\nplace where the wood was, and\nJames began to gather it, behold,\na venemous viper bit him, so that\nhe began to cry, and make a\nnoise.\n\n3  The Lord Jesus seeing him in\nthis condition, came to him, and\nblowed upon the place where the\nviper had bit him, and it was\ninstantly well.\n\n4  On a certain day the Lord\nJesus was with some boys, who\nwere playing on the house-top,\nand one of the boys fell down, and\npresently died.\n\n5  Upon which the other boys all\nrunning away, the Lord Jesus was\nleft alone on the house-top.\n\n6  And the boy's relations came\nto him and said to the Lord Jesus,\nThou didst throw our son down\nfrom the house-top.\n\n7  But he denying it, they cried\nout, Our son is dead, and this is\nhe who killed him.\n\n8  The Lord Jesus replied to\nthem, Do not charge me with a\ncrime of which you are not able to\nconvict me, but let us go and ask\nthe boy himself, who will bring\nthe truth to light.\n\n9  Then the Lord Jesus going\ndown stood over the head of the\ndead boy, and said with a loud\nvoice, Zeinunus, Zeinunus, who\nthrew thee down from the housetop?\n\n10  Then the dead boy answered,\nthou didst not throw me down,\nbut such a one did.\n\n11  And when the Lord Jesus\nbade those who stood by to take\npresent praised God on account\nof that miracle.\n\n12  On a certain time the\nLady St. Mary had commanded\nthe Lord Jesus to fetch her some\nwater out of the well;\n\n13  And when he had gone to\nfetch the water, the pitcher, when\nit was brought up full, brake;\n\n14  But Jesus spreading his mantle\ngathered up the water again,\nand brought it in that to his\nmother;\n\n15  Who, being astonished at\nthis wonderful thing, laid up this,\nand all the other things which she\nhad seen, in her memory.\n\n16  Again on another day the\nLord Jesus was with some boys\nby a river, and they drew water\nout of the river by little channels,\nand made little fish-pools.\n\n17  But the Lord Jesus had\nmade twelve sparrows, and placed\nthem about his pool on each side,\nthree on a side.\n\n18  But it was the Sabbath day,\nand the son of Hanani a Jew came\nby, and saw them making these\nthings, and said, Do ye thus make\nfigures of clay on the Sabbath?\nAnd he ran to them, and broke\ndown their fish-pools.\n\n19  But when the Lord Jesus\nclapped his hands over the sparrows\nwhich he had made, they fled away\nchirping.\n\n20  At length the son of Hanani\ncoming to the fish-pool of Jesus\nto destroy it, the water vanished\naway, and the Lord Jesus said to\nhim,\n\n21  In like manner as this water\nhad vanished, so shall thy life\nvanish; and presently the boy\ndied.\n\n22  Another time, when the\nLord Jesus was coming home in\nthe evening with Joseph, he met\na boy, who ran so hard against\nhim, that he threw him down;\n\n23  To whom the Lord Jesus\nsaid, As thou hast thrown me\ndown, so shalt thou fall, nor ever\nrise.\n\n24 And that moment the boy\nfell down and died.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\n     4 Christ sent to school to Zaccheus to learn\n     his letters, and teaches Zaccheus.\n     13 Sent to another schoolmaster,\n     14 refuses to tell his letters, and the schoolmaster\n     going to whip him, his hand withers and he dies.\n\nTHERE was also at Jerusalem\none named Zaccheus, who\nwas a schoolmaster:\n\n2  And he said to Joseph, Joseph,\nwhy dost thou not send Jesus to me,\nthat he may learn his letters?\n\n3  Joseph agreed, and told St. Mary;\n\n4  So they brought him to that\nmaster; who, as soon as he saw\nhim, wrote out an alphabet for him,\n\n5  And he bade him say Aleph;\nand when he had said Aleph, the\nmaster bade him pronounce Beth.\n\n6  Then the Lord Jesus said to\nhim, Tell me first the meaning of\nthe letter Aleph, and then I will\npronounce Beth.\n\n7  And when the master threatened\nto whip him, the Lord Jesus\nexplained to him the meaning of\nthe letters Aleph and Beth;\n\n8  Also which were the straight\nfigures of the letters, which the\noblique, and what letters had\ndouble figures; which had points,\nand which had none; why one\nletter went before another; and\nmany other things he began to tell\nhim, and explain, of which the\nmaster himself had never heard,\nnor read in any book.\n\n9  The Lord Jesus farther said\nto the master, Take notice how I\nsay to thee; then he began clearly\nand distinctly to say Aleph, Beth,\nGimel, Daleth, and so on to the\nend of the alphabet.\n\n10  At this the master was so\nsurprised, that he said, I believe\nthis boy was born before Noah;\n\n11  And turning to Joseph, he\nsaid, Thou hast brought a boy to\nme to be taught, who is more\nlearned than any master.\n\n12  He said also to St. Mary,\nThis your son has no need of any\nlearning.\n\n13  They brought him then\nto a more learned master, who,\nwhen he saw him, said, say Aleph;\n\n14  And when he had sand Aleph,\nthe master bade him pronounce\nBeth; to which the Lord Jesus\nreplied, Tell me first the meaning\nof the letter Aleph, and then I\nwill pronounce Beth.\n\n15  But this master, when he did\nlift up his hand to whip him, had\nhis hand presently withered, and\nhe died.\n\n16 Then said Joseph to St. Mary,\nHenceforth we will not allow him\nto go out of the house; for every\none who displeases him is killed.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\n     [Compare Luke ii. 42, whose meagre account is deficient\n     of the sublime details here given of the subjects disputed upon.]\n\n     1 Disputes learnedly with the doctors in the temple,\n     7 on law,\n     9 on astronomy,\n     12 on physics and metaphysics.\n     21 Is worshiped by a philosopher,\n     28 and fetched home by his mother.\n\nAND when he was twelve years\nold, they brought him to\nJerusalem to the feast; and when\nthe feast was over, they returned.\n\n2  But the Lord Jesus continued\nbehind in the temple among the\ndoctors and elders, and learned\nmen of Israel; to whom he proposed\nseveral questions of learning,\nand also gave them answers:\n\n3  For he said to them, Whose\nson is the Messiah?  They answered,\nthe son of David.\n\n4  Why then, said he, does he in\nthe spirit call him Lord? When he\nsaith, The Lord said to my Lord,\nsit thou at my right hand, till I\nhave made thine enemies thy foot-\nstool.\n\n5  Then a certain principal Rabbi\nasked him, Hast thou read books?\n\n6  Jesus answered, be had read\nboth books, and the things which\nwere contained in books.\n\n7  And he explained to them the\nbooks of the law, and precepts,\nand statutes: and the mysteries\nwhich are contained in the books\nof the prophets; things which\nthe mind of no creature could\nreach.\n\n8  Then said that Rabbi, I never\nyet have seen or heard of such\nknowledge! What do you think\nthat boy will be?\n\n9  When a certain astronomer,\nwho was present, asked the Lord\nJesus, Whether he had studied\nastronomy?\n\n10  The Lord Jesus replied, and\ntold him the number of the spheres\nand heavenly bodies, as also their\ntriangular, square, and sextile\naspect; their progressive and\nretrograde motion; their size and\nseveral prognostications; and other\nthings which the reason of man\nhad never discovered.\n\n11  There was also among them\na philosopher well skilled in\nphysic and natural philosophy,\nwho asked the Lord Jesus, Whether\nhe had studied physic?\n\n12  He replied, and explained to\nhim physics and metaphysics.\n\n13  Also those things which were\nabove and below the power of nature;\n\n14  The powers also of the body,\nits humours, and their effects.\n\n15  Also the number of its members,\nand bones, veins, arteries,\nand nerves;\n\n16  The several constitutions of\nbody, hot and dry, cold and moist,\nand the tendencies of them;\n\n17  How the soul operated upon\nthe body;\n\n18  What its various sensations\nand faculties, were;\n\n19  The faculty of speaking, anger,\ndesire;\n\n20  And lastly the manner of its\ncomposition and dissolution; and\nother things, which the\nunderstanding of no creature\nhad ever reached.\n\n21  Then that philosopher arose,\nand worshipped the Lord Jesus,\nand said, O Lord Jesus, from\nhenceforth I will be thy disciple\nand servant.\n\n22  While they were discoursing\non these and such like things,\nthe Lady St. Mary came in, having\nbeen three days walking about\nwith Joseph, seeking for him.\n\n23  And when she saw him sitting\namong the doctors, and in his turn\nproposing questions to them, and\ngiving answers, she said to him,\nMy son, why hast thou done thus\nby us? Behold I and thy father\nhave been at much pains in\nseeking thee.\n\n24  He replied, Why did  ye seek\nme? Did ye not know that I ought\nto be employed in my father's\nhouse?\n\n25  But they understood not the\nwords which he said to them.\n\n26  Then the doctors asked Mary,\nWhether this were her son? And\nwhen she said, He was, they said,\nO happy Mary, who hast borne\nsuch a son.\n\n27  Then he returned with them\nto Nazareth, and obeyed them in\nall things.\n\n28  And his mother kept all these\nthings in her mind;\n\n29  And the Lord Jesus grew in\nstature and wisdom, and favour\nwith God and man.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\n     1 Jesus conceals his miracles,\n     2 studies the law,\n     3 and is baptized.\n\nNOW from this time Jesus began\nto conceal his miracles and\nsecret works,\n\n2  And gave himself to the study\nof the law, till he arrived to the\nend of his thirtieth year;\n\n3  At which time the Father publicly\nowned him at Jordan, sending\ndown this voice from heaven, This\nis my beloved son, in whom I am\nwell pleased;\n\n4  The Holy Ghost being also\npresent in the form of a dove.\n\n5  This is he whom we worship\nwith all reverence, because he gave\nus our life and being, and brought\nus from our mother's womb,\nGlory to God,\n\n6  Who, for our sakes, took a\nhuman body, and hath redeemed\nus, that so he might embrace\nus with everlasting mercy, and\nshew his free, large, bountiful\ngrace and goodness to us.\n\n7  To him be glory and praise,\nand power, and dominion, from\nhenceforth said for evermore.\nAmen.\n\n(The end of the whole Gospel of\nthe Infancy, by the assistance of\nthe Supreme God, according to\nwhat we found in the original.)\n\n\n\n\n                   REFERENCES TO THE FIRST GOSPEL OF\n                      THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST\n\n[Mr. Henry Sike, Professor of Oriental Languages at Cambridge, first\ntranslated and published this Gospel in 1697. It was received by the\nGnostics, a sect of Christians in the second century; and several of its\nrelations were credited in  the following ages by other Christians, viz.,\nEusebius, Athanasius, Epiphanius; Chrysostom. &c. Sozomen says, he was\ntold by many, and he credits the relations, of the idols in Egypt falling\ndown on Joseph, and Mary's flight thither with Christ; and of Christ\nmaking a well to wash his clothes in a sycamore-tree, from whence balsam\nafterwards proceeded; which stories are from this Gospel. Chemnitius, out\nof Stipulensis, who had it from Peter Martyr, Bishop  of Alexandria, in\nthe third century, says, that the place in Egypt where Christ  was\nbanished is now called Matarea, about ten miles beyond Cairo; that the\ninhabitants constantly burn a lamp in remembrance of it; and that there\nis a garden of trees yielding a balsam, which were planted by Christ when\na boy.  M. La Crosse cites a synod at Angamala, in the Mountain of\nMalabar, A. D.  1599, which shows this Gospel was commonly read by the\nNestorians in the country. Ahmed Ibu Idris, a Mahometan divine, says, it\nwas used by some  Christians in common with the other four Gospels; and\nOcobius de Castro mentions a Gospel of Thomas, which he says, he saw and\nhad translated to him by an Armenian Archbishop at Amsterdam, that was\nread in very many churches of Asia and Africa, as the only rule of their\nfaith. Fabricius takes it to be this Gospel. It has been supposed, that\nMahomet and his coadjutors used it in compiling the Koran. There are\nseveral stories believed of Christ, proceeding from this Gospel; as that\nwhich Mr. Sike relates out of La Brosse's Persic Lexicon, that Christ\npractised the trade of a dyer, and his working a miracle with the\ncolours; from whence the Persian dyers honour him as their patron, and\ncall a dye-house the shop of Christ. Sir John Chardin mentions Persian\nlegends concerning Christ's dispute with his schoolmaster about his ABC;\nand his lengthening the cedar-board which Joseph sawed too short.]\n\n\n\n        Note on the Miracles of Christ in the preceding Gospels.\n\nA great void in the early life of the Saviour is filled up by these\nGospels. In none of the Canonical Evangelists is any mention made of the\nchildhood of Jesus.  The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, more\nrapidly than satisfactorily, pass over the period intervening between His\nbirth and ministry. It is natural to suppose that the Infant Redeemer's\nearliest days were spent in the society of other young children, and it\nis quite consistent with every sincere Christians faith to  believe that\nHe had the power to perform the miracles here ascribed to him otherwise,\na limit will be set to His divine attributes, doubts raised against His\nperformance of the miracles related by the four Evangelists, in the\nauthorised version of the Testament, and a denial given of the\ndeclaration therein, \"With  GOD nothing is impossible!\"\n\n\n\n\n                 THE SECOND, OR ST. THOMAS'S GOSPEL OF\n                      THE INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n    An Account of the ACTIONS and MIRACLES of our Lord and Saviour\n                      JESUS CHRIST in his INFANCY.\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\n     2 Jesus miraculously clears the water after rain.\n     4 Plays with clay sparrows, which he animates\n     on the Sabbath day.\n\nI THOMAS, an Israelite, judged\nit necessary to make known to\nour brethren among the Gentiles,\nthe actions and miracles of Christ\nin his childhood, which our Lord\nand God Jesus Christ wrought\nafter his birth in Bethlehem in our\ncountry, at which I myself, was\nastonished; the beginning of which\nwas as followeth.\n\n2  When the child Jesus was\nfive years of age, and there had\nbeen a shower of rain, which was\nnow over, Jesus was playing with\nother Hebrew boys by a running\nstream; and the water running\nover the banks, stood in little\nlakes;\n\n3  But the water instantly became\nclear and useful again; he\nhaving smote them only by his\nword, they readily obeyed him.\n\n4  Then he took from the bank\nof the stream some soft clay, and\nformed out of it twelve sparrows;\nand there were other boys playing\nwith him.\n\n5  But a certain Jew seeing the\nthings which he was doing, namely,\nhis forming clay into the figures\nof sparrows on the Sabbath day,\nwent presently away, and told\nhis father Joseph, and said,\n\n6  Behold, thy boy is playing by\nthe river side, and has taken clay,\nand formed it into twelve sparrows,\nand profaneth the Sabbath.\n\n7  Then Joseph came to the\nplace where he was, and when he\nsaw him, called to him, and said,\nWhy doest thou that which it is\nnot lawful to do on the Sabbath\nday?\n\n8  Then Jesus clapping together\nthe palms of his hands, called to\nthe sparrows, and said to them\nGo, fly away; and while ye live\nremember me.\n\n9  So the sparrows fled away\nmaking a noise.\n\n10  The Jews seeing this, were\nastonished, and went away, and\ntold their chief persons what a\nstrange miracle they had seen\nwrought by Jesus.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\n     2 Causes a boy to wither who broke down his fish-pools;\n     6 Partly restores him.\n     7 Kills another boy.\n     16 causes blindness to fall on his accusers,\n     18 for which, Joseph pulls him by the ear.\n\nBESIDES this, the son of Annas\nthe scribe, was standing there\nwith Joseph, and took a bough\nof a willow tree, and scattered\nthe waters which Jesus had\ngathered into lakes.\n\n2  But the boy Jesus seeing what\nhe had done, became angry, and\nsaid to him, Thou fool, what harm\ndid the lake do thee, that thou\nshouldest scatter the water?\n\n3  Behold, now thou shalt wither\nas a tree, and shalt not bring forth\neither leaves, or branches, or fruit.\n\n4  And immediately he became\nwithered all over.\n\n5  Then Jesus went away home.\nBut the parents of the boy who\nwas withered, lamenting the\nmisfortune of his youth, took and\ncarried him to Joseph, accusing him,\nand said, Why dost thou keep a\nson who is guilty of such actions?\n\n6  Then Jesus at the request of\nall who were present did heal him,\nleaving only some small member\nto continue withered, that they\nmight take warning.\n\n7  Another time Jesus went\nforth into the street, and a boy\nrunning by, rushed upon his\nshoulder;\n\n8  At which Jesus being angry,\nsaid to him, Thou shalt go no\nfarther;\n\n9  And he instantly fell down\ndead:\n\n10  Which when some persons\nsaw, they said, Where was this\nboy born, that every thing which\nhe says presently cometh to pass?\n\n11  Then the parents of the dead\nboy going to Joseph, complained,\nsaying, You are not fit to live with\nus, in our city, having such a boy\nas that:\n\n12  Either teach him that he\nbless and not curse, or else depart\nhence with him, for he kills our\nchildren.\n\n13  Then Joseph calling the\nboy Jesus by himself, instructed\nhim, saying, Why doest thou such\nthings to injure the people so, that\nthey hate us and prosecute us?\n\n14  But Jesus replied, I know\nthat what thou sayest is not of\nthyself, but for thy sake I will\nsay nothing;\n\n15  But they who have said these\nthings to thee, shall suffer\neverlasting punishment.\n\n16  And immediately they who\nhad accused him became blind,\n\n17  And all they who saw it were\nexceedingly afraid and confounded,\nand said concerning him, Whatsoever\nhe saith, whether good or bad,\nimmediately cometh to pass and\nthey were amazed.\n\n18  And when they saw this action\nof Christ, Joseph arose, and\nplucked him by the ear, at which\nthe boy was angry, and said to\nhim, Be easy;\n\n19  For if they seek for us, they\nshall not find us: thou hast done\nvery imprudently.\n\n20  Dost thou not know that I\nam thine? Trouble me no more.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\n     1 Astonishes his schoolmaster by his learning.\n\nA CERTAIN schoolmaster\nnamed Zaccheaus, standing\nin a certain place, heard Jesus\nspeaking these things to his father.\n\n2  And he was much surprised,\nthat being a child he should speak\nsuch things; and after a few days\nhe came to Joseph, and said,\n\n3  Thou hast a wise and sensible\nchild, send him to me, that he may\nlearn to read.\n\n4  When he sat down to teach\nthe letters to Jesus, he began with\nthe first letter Aleph;\n\n5  But Jesus pronounced the\nsecond letter Mpeth (Beth) Cghimel\n(Gimel), and said over all the\nletters to him to the end.\n\n6  Then opening a book, he\ntaught his master the prophets\nbut he was ashamed, and was at a\nloss to conceive how he came to\nknow the letters.\n\n7  And he arose and went home,\nwonderfully surprised at so strange\na thing.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\n     1 Fragment of an adventure at a dyer's.\n\nAS Jesus was passing by a certain\nshop, he saw a young man dipping\n(or dyeing) some cloths and stockings\nin a furnace, of a sad colour, doing\nthem according to every person's\nparticular order;\n\n2  The boy Jesus going to the\nyoung man who was doing this,\ntook also some of the cloths ......\n\n(Here endeth the fragment of\nThomas's Gospel of the Infancy\nof Jesus Christ.)\n\n\n\n\n               REFERRENCE TO ST. THOMAS'S GOSPEL OF THE\n                        INFANCY OF JESUS CHRIST.\n\n[The original in Greek, from which this translation is made, will be\nfound printed  by Cotelerius, in his notes on the constitutions of the\nApostles, from a MS. in the French King's Library, No. 2279.--It is\nattributed to St. Thomas, and  conjectured to have been originally\nconnected with the, Gospel of Mary.  Unfortunately this ancient MS. was\nfound torn at the second verse of the  fourth chapter.]","title":"The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Volume 3, Infancy of Jesus Christ","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":13528}