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Table of Contents

CHAPTER I.

1 The Parentage of Mary.

7 Joachim her father, and Anna her mother,

go to Jerusalem to the feast of the dedication.

9 Issachar, the high priest, reproaches Joachim

for being childless.

THE blessed and ever glorious

Virgin Mary, sprung from

the royal race and family of David,

was born in the city of Nazareth,

and educated at Jerusalem, in the

temple of the Lord.

2 Her father's name was Joachim,

and her mother's Anna.

The family of her father was of

Galilee and the city of Nazareth.

The family of her mother was of

Bethlehem.

3 Their lives were plain and

right in the sight of the Lord,

pious and faultless before men;

for they divided all their substance

into three parts;

4 One of which they devoted to

the temple and officers of the

temple; another they distributed

among strangers, and persons in

poor circumstances; and the third

they reserved for themselves and

the uses of their own family.

5 In this manner they lived for

about twenty years chastely, in the

favour of God, and the esteem of

men, without any children.

6 But they vowed, if God should

favour them with any issue, they

would devote it to the service of

the Lord; on which account they

went at every feast in the year to

the temple of the Lord.

7 And it came to pass, that

when the feast of the dedication

drew near, Joachim, with some

others of his tribe, went up to

Jerusalem, and at that time,

Isachar was high-priest;

8 Who, when he saw Joachim

along with the rest of his

neighbours, bringing his offerings,

despised both him and his offerings,

and asked him,

9 Why he, who had no children,

would presume to appear among

those who had? Adding, that his

offerings could never be acceptable

to God, who was judged by him

unworthy to have children; the

Scripture having said, Cursed is

every one who shall not beget a

male in Israel.

10 He further said, that he ought

first to be free from that curse by

begetting some issue, and then

come with his offerings into the

presence of God.

11 But Joachim being much

confounded with the shame of such

reproach, retired to the shepherds

who were with the cattle in their

pastures;

12 For he was not inclined to

return home, lest his neighbours,

who were present and heard all

this from the high-priest, should

publicly reproach him in the same

manner.

CHAPTER II.

1 An angel appears to Joachim,

9 and informs him that Anna shall conceive and

bring forth a daughter, who shall be called Mary,

11 be brought up in the temple,

12 and while yet a virgin, in a way unparalleled,

bring forth the Son of God:

13 Gives him a sign,

14 and departs.

BUT when he had been there for

some time, on a certain day

when he was alone, the angel

of the Lord stood by him with

a prodigious light.

2 To whom, being troubled at

the appearance, the angel who had

appeared to him, endeavouring to

compose him, said:

3 Be not afraid, Joachim, nor

troubled at the sight of me, for

I am an angel of the Lord sent by

him to you, that I might inform

you that your prayers are heard,

and your alms ascended in the

sight of God.

4 For he hath surely seen your

shame, and heard you unjustly

reproached for not having children:

for God is the avenger of sin,

and not of nature;

5 And so when he shuts the

womb of any person, he does it for

this reason, that he may in a more

wonderful manner again open it,

and that which is born appear to

be not the product of lust, but the

gift of God.

6 For the first mother of your

nation, Sarah, was she not barren

even till her eightieth year: and

yet even in the end of her old age

brought forth Isaac, in whom the

promise was made of a blessing to

all nations.

7 Rachel, also, so much in

favour with God, and beloved so

much by holy Jacob, continued

barren for a long time, yet

afterwards was the mother of Joseph,

who was not only governor of

Egypt, but delivered many nations

from perishing with hunger.

8 Who among the judges was

more valiant than Sampson, or more

holy than Samuel? And yet both

their mothers were barren.

9 But if reason will not convince

you of the truth of my words, that

there are frequent conceptions in

advanced years, and that those

who were barren have brought forth

to their great surprise; therefore

Anna your wife shall bring you a

daughter, and you shall call her

name Mary;

10 She shall, according to your

vow, be devoted to the Lord from

her infancy, and be filled with the

Holy Ghost from her mother's

womb;

11 She shall neither eat nor

drink any thing which is unclean,

nor shall her conversation be

without among the common people,

but in the temple of the Lord;

that so she may not fall under any

slander or suspicion of what is bad.

12 So in the process of her

years, as she shall be in a

miraculous manner born of one that

was barren, so she shall, while yet

a virgin, in a way unparalleled,

bring forth the Son of the most

High God, who shall, be called

Jesus, and, according to the

signification of his name, be the

Saviour of all nations.

13 And this shall be a sign to

you of the things which I declare,

namely, when you come to the

golden gate of Jerusalem, you

shall there meet your wife Anna,

who being very much troubled

that you returned no sooner, shall

then rejoice to see you.

14 When the angel had said this,

he departed from him.

CHAPTER III.

1 The angel appears to Anna;

2 tells her a daughter shall be born unto her,

3 devoted to the service of the Lord in the temple,

5, who, being a virgin, and not knowing man,

shall bring forth the Lord,

6 and gives her a sign therefore.

8 Joachim and Anna meet, and rejoice,

10 and praise the Lord.

11 Anna conceives, and brings forth a daughter called Mary.

AFTERWARDS the angel appeared

to Anna his wife, saying;

Fear not, neither think that

which you see is a spirit;

2 For I am that angel who hath

offered up your prayers and alms

before God, and am now sent to

you, that I may inform you, that

a daughter will be born unto you,

who shall be called Mary, and

shall be blessed above all women.

3 She shall be, immediately

upon her birth, full of the grace of

the Lord, and shall continue during

the three years of her weaning

in her father's house, and afterwards,

being devoted to the service of the Lord,

shall not depart from the temple,

till she arrive to years of discretion.

4 In a word, she shall there

serve the Lord night and day in

fasting and prayer, shall abstain

from every unclean thing, and

never know any man;

5 But, being an unparalleled instance

without any pollution or defilement,

and a virgin not knowing any man,

shall ring forth a son, and a maid

shall bring forth the Lord, who

both by his grace and name and works,

shall be the Saviour of the world.

6 Arise therefore, and go up to

Jerusalem, and when you shall

come to that which is called the

golden gate (because it is gilt with

gold), as a sign of what I have told

you, you shall meet your husband,

for whose safety you have been so

much concerned.

7 When therefore you find these

things thus accomplished, believe

that all the rest which I have told

you, shall also undoubtedly be

accomplished.

8 According therefore to the

command of the angel, both of

them left the places where they

were, and when they came to the

place specified in the angels

prediction, they met each other.

9 Then, rejoicing at each other's

vision, and being fully satisfied in

the promise of a child, they gave

due thanks to the Lord, who exalts

the humble.

10 After having praised the

Lord, they returned home, and

lived in a cheerful and assured

expectation of the promise of God.

11 So Anna conceived, and

brought forth a daughter, and,

according to the angel's command,

the parents did call her name Mary.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Mary brought to the temple at three years old.

6 Ascends the stairs of the temple by miracle.

8 Her parents sacrifice and return home.

AND when three years were

expired, and the time of her

weaning complete, they brought

the Virgin to the temple of the

Lord with offerings.

2 And there were about the

temple, according to the fifteen

Psalms of degrees, fifteen stairs

to ascend.

3 For the temple being built in

a mountain, the altar of burnt-

offering, which was without, could

not be come near but by stairs;

4 The parents of the blessed

Virgin and infant Mary put her

upon one of these stairs;

5 But while they were putting

off their clothes, in which they had

travelled, and according to custom

putting on some that were more

neat and clean,

6 In the mean time the Virgin

of the Lord in such a manner went

up all the stairs one after another,

without the help of any to lead her

or lift her, that any one would have

judged from hence, that she was of

perfect age.

7 Thus the Lord did, in the

infancy of his Virgin, work this

extraordinary work, and evidence by

this miracle how great she was like

to be hereafter.

8 But the parents having offered

up their sacrifice, according to the

custom of the law, and perfected

their vow, left the Virgin with

other virgins in the apartments of

the temple, who were to be brought

up there, and they returned home.

CHAPTER V.

2 Mary ministered unto by angels.

4 The high priest orders all virgins of fourteen

years old to quit the temple and endeavour to be married.

5 Mary refuses,

6 having vowed her virginity to the Lord.

7 The high-priest commands a meeting of the chief persons

of Jerusalem,

11 who seek the Lord for counsel in the matter.

13 A voice from the mercy-seat.

15 The high-priest obeys it by ordering all the unmarried

men of the house of David to bring their rods to the altar,

17 that his rod which should flower, and on which the

Spirit of God should sit, should betroth the Virgin.

BUT the Virgin of the Lord, as

she advanced in years, increased

also in perfections, and according

to the saying of the Psalmist,

her father and mother forsook her,

but the Lord took care of her.

2 For she every day had the

conversation of angels, and every

day received visitors from God,

which preserved her from all sorts

of evil, and caused her to abound

with all good things;

3 So that when at length she

arrived to her fourteenth year, as

the wicked could not lay any thing

to her charge worthy of reproof,

so all good persons, who were

acquainted with her, admired her

life and conversation.

4 At that time the high-priest

made a public order, That all the

virgins who had public settlements

in the temple, and were come to

this age, should return home, and,

as they were now of a proper

maturity, should, according to the

custom of their country, endeavour

to be married.

5 To which command, though

all the other virgins readily yielded

obedience, Mary the Virgin of the

Lord alone answered, that she

could not comply with it,

6 Assigning these reasons, that

both she and her parents had

devoted her to the service of the

Lord; and besides, that she had

vowed virginity to the Lord,

which vow she was resolved never

to break through by lying with a

man.

7 The high-priest being hereby

brought into a difficulty,

8 Seeing he durst neither on the

one hand dissolve the vow, and

disobey the Scripture, which says,

Vow and pay,

9 Nor on the other hand

introduce a custom, to which

the people were strangers, commanded,

10 That at the approaching feast

all the principal persons both of

Jerusalem and the neighbouring

places should meet together, that

he might have their advice, how

he had best proceed in so difficult

a case.

11 When they were accordingly

met, they unanimously agreed to

seek the Lord, and ask counsel

from him on this matter.

12 And when they were all

engaged in prayer, the high-priest

according to the usual way, went

to consult God.

13 And immediately there was

a voice from the ark, and the mercy

seat, which all present heard, that

it must be enquired or sought out

by a prophecy of Isaiah, to whom

the Virgin should be given and be

betrothed;

14 For Isaiah saith, there shall

come forth a rod out of the stem of

Jesse, and a flower shall spring

out of its root,

15 And the Spirit of the Lord

shall rest upon him, the Spirit of

Wisdom and Understanding, the

Spirit of Counsel and Might, the

Spirit of Knowledge and Piety,

and the Spirit of the fear of the

Lord shall fill him.

16 Then, according to this

prophecy, he appointed, that all

the men of the house and family

of David, who were marriageable,

and not married, should bring their

several rods to the altar,

17 And out of whatsoever

person's rod after it was brought,

a flower should bud forth, and on

the top of it the Spirit of the Lord

should sit in the appearance of a

dove, he should be the man to

whom the Virgin should be given

and be betrothed.

CHAPTER VI.

1 Joseph draws back his rod.

5 The dove pitches on it. He betroths Mary and

returns to Bethlehem.

7 Mary returns to her parents' house at Galilee.

AMONG the rest there was a

man named Joseph of the

house and family of David, and a

person very far advanced in years,

who kept back his rod, when every

one besides presented his.

2 So that when nothing appeared

agreeable to the heavenly voice,

the high-priest judged it proper to

consult God again.

3 Who answered that he to

whom the Virgin was to be

betrothed was the only person of

those who were brought together,

who had not brought his rod.

4 Joseph therefore was betrayed.

5 For, when he did bring his

rod, and a dove coming from

Heaven pitched upon the top of

it, every one plainly saw, that the

Virgin was to be betrothed to him.

6 Accordingly, the usual

ceremonies of betrothing being over,

he returned to his own city of

Bethlehem, to set his house in

order, and make the needful

provisions for the marriage.

7 But the Virgin of the Lord,

Mary, with seven other virgins of

the same age, who had been weaned

at the same time, and who had

been appointed to attend her by

the priest, returned to her parents'

house in Galilee.

CHAPTER VII.

7 The salutation of the Virgin by Gabriel, who explains to her

that she shall conceive, without lying with a man, while a Virgin,

19 by the Holy Ghost coming upon her without the heats of lust.

21 She submits.

NOW at this time of her first

coming into Galilee, the

angel Gabriel was sent to her

from God, to declare to her the

conception of our Saviour, and

the manner and way of her

conceiving him.

2 Accordingly going into her,

he filled the chamber where she

was with a prodigious light, and

in a most courteous manner saluting

her, he said,

3 Hail, Mary! Virgin of the

Lord most acceptable! O Virgin

full of grace! The Lord is with

you. You are blessed above all

women, and you are blessed above

all men, that have been hitherto

born.

4 But the Virgin, who had

before been well acquainted with

the countenances of angels, and

to whom such light from heaven

was no uncommon thing,

5 Was neither terrified with the

vision of the angel, nor astonished

at the greatness of the light, but

only troubled about the angel's

words,

6 And began to consider what

so extraordinary a salutation should

mean, what it did portend, or what

sort of end it would have.

7 To this thought the angel,

divinely inspired, replies;

8 Fear not, Mary, as though

I intended anything inconsistent

with your chastity in this salutation:

9 For you have found favour

with the Lord, because you made

virginity your choice.

10 Therefore while you are a

Virgin, you shall conceive without

sin, and bring forth a son.

11 He shall be great, because

he shall reign from sea to sea, and

from the rivers even to the ends of

the earth?

12 And he shall be called the

Son of the Highest; for he who is

born in a mean state on earth,

reigns in an exalted one in heaven.

13 And the Lord shall give him

the throne of his father David, and

he shall reign over the house of

Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom

there shall be no end.

14 For he is the King of Kings,

and Lord of Lords, and his throne

is forever and ever.

15 To this discourse of the

angel the Virgin replied, not, as

though she were unbelieving, but

willing to know the manner of it.

16 She said, How can that be?

For seeing, according to my vow,

I have never known any man, how

can I bear a child without the

addition of a man's seed.

17 To this the angel replied

and said, Think not, Mary, that

you shall conceive in the ordinary

way.

18 For, without lying with a

man, while a Virgin, you shall

conceive; while a Virgin, you

shall bring forth; and while a

Virgin shall give suck.

19 For the Holy Ghost shall

come upon you, and the power of

the Most High shall overshadow

you, without any of the heats of

lust.

20 So that which shall be born

of you shall be only holy, because

it only is conceived without sin,

and being born, shall be called the

Son of God.

21 Then Mary stretching forth

her hands, and lifting her eyes to

heaven, said, Behold the handmaid

of the Lord! Let it be unto me

according to thy word.

CHAPTER VIII.

1 Joseph returns to Galilee, to marry the Virgin

he had betrothed;

4 perceives she is with child,

5 is uneasy,

7 purposes to put her away privily,

8 is told by the angel of the Lord it is not the

work of man but the Holy Ghost;

12 Marries her, but keeps chaste,

13 removes with her to Bethlehem,

15 where she brings forth Christ.

JOSEPH therefore went from

Judaea to Galilee, with intention

to marry the Virgin who was

betrothed to him:

2 For it was now near three

months since she was betrothed

to him.

3 At length it plainly appeared

she was with child, and it could

not be hid from Joseph:

4 For going to the Virgin in a

free manner, as one espoused, and

talking familiarly with her, he

perceived her to be with child,

5 And thereupon began to be

uneasy and doubtful, not knowing

what course it would be best to take;

6 For being a just man, he was

not willing to expose her, nor

defame her by the suspicion of

being a harlot, since he was a

pious man:

7 He purposed therefore privately

to put an end to their agreement,

and as privately to send her away.

8 But while he was meditating

these things, behold the angel of

the Lord appeared to him in his

sleep, and said, Joseph, son of

David, fear not;

9 Be not willing to entertain

any suspicion of the Virgin's

being guilty of fornication, or to

think any thing amiss of her,

neither be afraid to take her to wife:

10 For that which is begotten

in her and now distresses your

mind, is not the work of man, but

the Holy Ghost.

11 For she of all women is that

only Virgin who shall bring forth

the Son of God, and you shall call

his name Jesus, that is, Saviour:

for he will save his people from

their sins.

12 Joseph thereupon, according

to the command of the angel,

married the Virgin, and did not

know her, but kept her in chastity.

13 And now the ninth month

from her conception drew near,

when Joseph took his wife and

what other things were necessary

to Bethlehem, the city from whence

he came.

14 And it came to pass, while

they were there, the days were

fulfilled for her bringing forth.

15 And she brought forth her

first-born son, as the holy

Evangelists have taught, even our

Lord Jesus Christ, who with the

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

lives and reigns to everlasting ages.

REFERENCES TO MARY'S GOSPEL

[In the primitive ages there was a Gospel extant bearing this name,

attributed to St. Matthew, and received as genuine and authentic by

several of the ancient Christian sects. It is to be found in the works

of Jerome, a Father of the Church, who flourished in the fourth century,

from whence the present translation is made. His contemporaries,

Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis, and Austin also mention a gospel under

this title. The ancient copies differed from Jerome's, for from one of

them the learned Faustus, a native of Britain, who became Bishop of Riez,

in Provence, endeavoured to prove that Christ was not the Son of God till

after his baptism; and that he was not of the house of David and tribe of

Judah, because, according to the Gospel he cited, the Virgin herself was

not of this tribe, but of the tribe of Levi; her father being a priest of

the name of Joachim. It was likewise from this Gospel that the sect of

the Collyridians established the worship and offering of manchet bread

and cracknels, or fine wafers, as sacrificed to Mary, whom they imagined

to have been born of a Virgin, as Christ is related in the Canonical

Gospels to have been born of her. Epiphanius likewise cites a passage

concerning the death of Zacharias, which is not in Jerome's copy, viz.:

"That it was the occasion of the death of Zacharias in the temple, that

when he had seen a vision, he, through surprise, was willing to disclose

it, and his mouth was stopped. That which he saw was at the time of his

offering incense, and it was a man standing in the form of an ass.

When he was gone out, and had a mind to speak thus to the people, Woe

unto you, whom do you worship? he who had appeared to him in the temple

took away the use of his speech. Afterwards when he recovered it, and was

able to speak, he declared this to the Jews; and they slew him. They add

(viz. the Gnostics in this book), that on this very account the

high-priest was appointed by their lawgiver (by God to Moses) to carry

little bells, that whensoever he went into the temple to sacrifice he,

whom they worshipped, hearing the noise of the bells, might have time

enough to hide himself, and not be caught in that ugly shape and figure."

The principal part of this Gospel is contained in the Protevangelion of

James which follows next in order.]