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fainted; the serpent killed him, as also the domestic who was his accomplice, and coiled itself round his body. St. John arrives with the husband, and, to their astonishment, they find Callimachus alive. St. John orders the serpent to depart, and the serpent obeys. He asks the young limachus answered, that an angel had apman how he has been resuscitated. Cal

of Amarea, which is at least better known than that of the Myrmidons, came and said to the blessed Andrew, "I am so handsome, that my mother has conceived a passion for me. I abhorred so execrable a crime, and have fled. My mother, in her fury, accuses me, to the proconsul of the province, of having attempted to violate her. I can make no answer, for I would rather die than accuse my mo-peared to him, saying, "It was necessary ther." While he was yet speaking, the that thou shouldst die, in order to revive guards of the proconsul came and seized him. St. Andrew accompanied the son a Christian." He immediately asked to before the judge, and pleaded his cause.resuscitate Drusilla. The apostle having be baptized, and begged that John would The mother, not at all disconcerted, ac- instantly worked this miracle, Callimacused St. Andrew himself of having insti- { chus and Drusilla prayed that he would gated her son to the crime. The procon- also be so good as to resuscitate the dosul immediately ordered St. Andrew to mestic. The latter, who was an obstinate be thrown into the river; but, the apostle { Pagan, being restored to life, declared that having prayed to God, there came a great he would rather die than be a Christian, earthquake, and the mother was struck by and, accordingly, he incontinently died a thunderbolt. tree always bears bad fruit. again; on which St. John said, that a bad

After several adventures of the same sort, the author has St. Andrew crucified at Patras.

XI.

The Acts of St. James the Greater. The author has him condemned to death at Jerusalem by the pontiff, and, before his crucifixion, he baptizes the registrar.

XII.

which did him no harm. He resuscitated
was converted.
the two dead men, and the high-priest

Aristodemus, high-priest of Ephesus, though struck by such a prodigy, would "Allow me to poison you; and, if you not be converted; he said to St. John, do not die, I will be converted." The apostle accepted the proposal; but he chose that Aristodemus should first poison The Acts of St. John the Evangelist. Aristodemus immediately presented to two Ephesians condemned to death. The author relates that, at Ephesus-of them the poison, and they instantly exwhich place St. John was bishop-Dru-pired. St. John took the same poison, silla, being converted by him, desired no more of her husband Andronicus's company, but retired into a tomb. A young man named Callimachus, in love with her, repeatedly pressed her, even in her tomb, to consent to the gratification of his passion. Drusilla, being urged both by her husband and her lover, wished for death, and obtained it. Callimachus, when informed of her loss, was still more furious with love; he bribed one of Andronicus's domestics, who had the keys of the tomb; he ran to it, stripped his mistress of her shroud, and exclaimed, "What thou wouldst not grant me living, thou shalt grant me dead." A serpent instantly issued from the tomb; the young man

years, Jesus Christ appeared to him, and St. John having attained the age of 97 said, "It is time for thee to come to my table, and feast with thy brethren ;" and soon after the apostle slept in peace.

XIII.

Less, and the brothers Simon and Jude. The History of the Blessed James the These apostles went into Persia, and performed things as incredible as those related of St. Andrew.

XIV.

Evangelist. St. Matthew goes into Ethi-
The Acts of St. Matthew, Apostle and

opia, to the great town of Nadaver, where he restores to life the son of Queen Candace, and founds Christian churches.

XV.

The Acts of the Blessed Bartholomew in India. Bartholomew went first to the temple of Astaroth. This goddess delivered oracles, and cured all diseases. Bartholomew silenced her, and made sick all those whom she had cured. King Polimius disputed with him; the devil declared, before the king, that he was conquered; and St. Bartholomew consecrated King Polimius bishop of the Indies.

XVI.

The Acts of the Blessed Thomas, Apostle of India. St. Thomas entered India by another road, and worked more miracles than St. Bartholomew. He at last suffered martyrdom, and appeared to Xiphoro and Susani.

XVII.

The Acts of the Blessed Philip. He went to preach in Scythia. They wished to make him sacrifice to Mars; but he caused a dragon to issue from the altar, and devour the children of the priests. He died at Hierapolis, at the age of eighty-seven. It is not known what town this was, for there were several of the

name.

All these histories are supposed to have been written by Abdias, Bishop of Babylon, and were translated by Julius Afri

canus.

XVIII.

To these abuses of the Holy Scriptures was added one less revolting-one which did not fail in respect for Christianity, like those which have just been laid before the reader, viz. the Liturgies attributed to St. James, St. Peter, and St. Mark, the falsehood of which has been shown by the learned Tillemont.

XIX.

Fabricius places among the apocryphal writings the Homily (attributed to St. Augustine) on the manner in which the Symbol was formed. But he certainly does not mean to insinuate that this Symbol or Creed, which we call the Apostles',

is the less true and sacred. It is said in this Homily, in Rufinus and afterwards in Isidorus, that ten days after the Ascension, the apostles being shut up together for fear of the Jews, Peter said, "I believe in God the Father Almighty;" Andrew," and in Jesus Christ his only son;" James, "who was conceived by the Holy Ghost ;" and that thus, each apostle having repeated an article, the Creed was completed.

This story not being in the Acts of the Apostles, our belief in it is dispensed with

but not our belief in the Creed, of which the apostles taught the substance. Truth must not suffer from the false ornaments in which it has been sought to array her.

XX.

The Apostolical Constitutions. The Constitutions of the Holy Apostles, which were formerly supposed to have been digested by St. Clement the Roman, are now ranked among the apocryphal writings. The reading of a few chapters is sufficient to show that the apostles had no share in this work.

In the eleventh chapter, women are ordered not to rise before the ninth hour.

In the first chapter of the second book, it is desired that bishops should be learned: but in the time of the apostles there was no hierarchy-no bishop attached to a single church. They went about teaching from town to town, from village to village; they were called apostles, not bishops; and, above all things, they did not pride themselves on being learned.

In the second chapter of the second book it is said, that a bishop should have but one wife, to take great care of his household; which only goes to prove that at the close of the first, and the commencement of the second century, when the hierarchy was beginning to be established, the priests were married.

Through almost the whole book, the bishops are regarded as the judges of the faithful; but it is well known that the apostles had no jurisdiction.

It is said, in chapter xxi., that both

parties must be heard; which supposes an established jurisdiction.

In chapter xxvi. it is said, "The bishop is your prince, your king, your emperor, your God upon earth." These expressions are somewhat at variance with the humility of the apostles.

In chapter xxviii., "At the feasts of the Agape, there must be given to the deacon double of that which is given to an old woman; and to the priest double the gift to the deacon, because the priests are the counsellors of the bishops and the crown of the Church. The reader shall have a portion, in honour of the prophets, as also the chanter and the door-keeper. Such of the laity as wish to receive anything, shall apply to the bishop through the deacon.'

This was the first time that the Christians admitted the verses of the Sibyls, which they continued to do for more than three hundred years.

In chapter v. of the eighth book, are these words :-" O God Almighty, give to the bishop, through Christ, the participation of the Holy Spirit."

In chapter iv., "Commend yourself to God alone, through Jesus Christ;" which does not sufficiently express the divinity of our Lord.

In chapter xii., is the Constitution of James the brother of Zebedee.

In chapter xv., the deacon is to say aloud, "Incline yourselves before God through Christ."

At the present day, these expressions are not very correct.

XXI.

The apostles never used any term answering to laity, or marking the difference The Apostolical Canons. The sixth between the profane and the priesthood. canon ordains that no bishop or priest shall In chapter xxxiv., "You must rever-separate himself from his wife on pretence ence the bishop as a king, honour him as of religion; if he do so, he is to be exa master, and give him your fruits, the communicated; and if he persist, he is to works of your hands, your first fruits, your be driven away. tenths, your savings, the presents that are made to you, your corn, your wine, your oil, your wool," &c. This is a strong article.

In chapter lvii., "Let the church be long; let it look towards the East; let it resemble a ship; let the bishop's throne be in the middle; let the reader read the books of Moses, Joshua, Judges, Kings, Chronicles, Job," &c.

In chapter xvii., of the third book"Baptism is administered for the death of Jesus; oil for the Holy Ghost. When we are plunged into the water, we die; when we come out of it, we revive. The Father is the God of all. Christ is the only son of God, his beloved son, and the lord of glory. The Holy Spirit is the Paraclete, sent by Christ the teacher, preaching Christ Jesus."

This doctrine would now be explained in more canonical terms.

In chapter vii. of the fifth book, are quoted some verses of the Sibyls, on the coming of Jesus, and the Resurrection.

The Seventh-that no priest shall ever meddle with secular affairs.

The nineteenth-that he who has married two sisters, shall not be admitted into the clergy.

The twenty-first and twenty-secondthat eunuchs shall be admitted into the priesthood, excepting such as have cas{trated themselves. Yet, Origen was a priest, notwithstanding this law.

The fifty-fifth-that if a bishop, a priest, a deacon, or a clerk, eat flesh which is not clear of blood, he shall be displaced.

It is quite evident that these canons could not be promulgated by the apostles.

XXII.

The Confessions of St. Clement to James, brother of the Lord, in ten books, translated from Greek into Latin, by

Rufinus.

This book commences with a doubt respecting the immortality of the soulUtrùmne sit mihi aliqua vita post mor tem, an nihil omnino posteà sim futurus St. Clement, disturbed by this doubt,

and wishing to know whether the world the presence of all the faithful; and that was eternal or had been created-he said to him, "Fail not to write to my whether there were a Tartarus and a brother James as soon as I am dead.” Phlegethon, an Ixion and a Tantalus, This letter seems to prove, that it was &c., resolved to go into Egypt to learn not then believed that St. Peter had sufnecromancy; but having heard of St. fered martyrdom, since it is probable that Bartholomew, who was preaching Chris- this letter, attributed to St. Clement, tianity, he went to him in the East, at the { would have mentioned the circumstance. time when Barnabas was celebrating a It also proves, that Cletus and Anacletus Jewish feast. He afterwards met St. were not reckoned among the bishops of Peter at Cæsarea with Simon the magi- Rome. cian and Zachæus. They disputed together, and St. Peter related to them all that had passed since the death of Jesus. { Clement turned Christian, but Simon remained a magician.

XXIV.

St. Clement's Homilies, to the number of nineteen. He says in his first homily, what he had already said in his confessions-that he went to St. Peter and St. Barnabas at Cæsarea, to know whether the soul was immortal, and the world eternal.

Simon fell in love with a woman named Luna; and, while waiting to marry her, he proposed to St. Peter, to Zachæus, to Lazarus, to Nicodemus, to Dositheus, and In the second homily, No. xxxviii. we to several others, that they should become find a much more extraordinary passage. his disciples. Dositheus answered him at St. Peter himself, speaking of the Old once with a blow from a stick; but the {Testament, expresses himself thusstick having passed through Simon's body "The written law contains certain as if it had been smoke, Dositheus wor-false things against the law of God, the shipped him and became his lieutenant; { Creator of heaven and earth: the devil after which Simon married his mistress, has done this, for good reasons; it has and declared that she was Luna herself, { also come to pass through the judgments descended from heaven to marry him.

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of God, in order to discover such as would listen with pleasure to what is written against him," &c. &c.

In the sixth homily, St. Clement meets with Appian, the same who had written against the Jews in the time of Tiberius. He tells Appian that he is in love with an Egyptian woman, and begs that he will write a letter in his name to his pretended mistress, to convince her, by the example of all the gods, that love is a duty. Appian writes a letter, and St. Clement an

XXV.

St. Peter's Letter to St. James, and St.swers it in the name of his pretended Clement's Letter to the same St. James, mistress; after which they dispute on the brother of the Lord, governor of the Holy nature of the gods. Church of the Hebrews at Jerusalem, and of all churches.-St. Peter's Letter contains nothing curious, but St. Clement's is very remarkable. He asserts that Peter declared him Bishop of Rome before his death, and his coadjutor; that he laid his hands upon his head, and made him sit in the episcopal chair, in

Two Epistles of St. Clement to the Corinthians. It hardly seems just to have ranked these epistles among the apocryphal writings. Some of the learned may have declined to recognise them because they speak of "the Phoenix of Arabia, which lives five hundred years,

"All the things which you have learned

and burns itself in Egypt in the city of{ Heliopolis." But there is nothing extra-from John are true: believe in them; ordinary in St. Clement's having believed this fable which so many others believed, nor in his having written letters to the Corinthians.

It is known that there was at that time a great dispute between the church of Corinth and that of Rome. The church of Corinth, which declared itself to have been founded the first, was governed in common: there was scarcely any distinction between the priests and the seculars, still less between the priests and the bishop; all alike had a deliberative voice; so, at least, several of the learned assert. St. Clement says to the Corinthians in his first epistle-"You have laid the first foundations of sedition; be subject to your priests,correct yourselves by penance,bend the knees of your hearts, learn to obey." It is not at all astonishing that a bishop of Rome should use these expressions.

In the second epistle we again find that answer of Jesus Christ, on being asked when his kingdom of heaven should come "When two shall make one, when that which is without shall be within, when the male shall be female, when there shall be neither male nor female."

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devoted Ignatius.

"You should console me, a neophite, and a disciple of your John. I have heard several wonderful things of your Jesus, at which I have been much astonished. I desire with all my heart to be informed of them by you, who always lived in familiarity with him, and knew all his secrets. Fare you well. Comfort the neophytes, who are with me from you and through you. Amen."

"The Holy Virgin's Answer to her dear Disciple Ignatius.

"The humble servant of Jesus Christ.

persevere in your belief; keep your vow of Christianity. I will come and see you with John, you and those who are with you. Be firm in the faith; act like a man; let not severity and persecution disturb you; but let your spirit be strengthened and exalted in God your Saviour. Amen."

It is asserted that these letters were written in the year 116 of the Christian era, but they are not therefore the less false and absurd. They would even have been an insult to our holy religion, had they not been written in a spirit of simplicity, which renders everything pardonable.

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The Visions, Precepts, and Similitudes of Hermas. Hermas seems to have lived about the close of the first century. They who regard his book as apocryphal, are nevertheless obliged to do justice to his morality. He begins by saying, that his foster-father had sold a young woman at Rome. Hermas recognised this young woman after the lapse of several years, and loved her, he says, as if she had been

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