cifirion. 19 Joseph proposes to get them to relate the mysteries of their resurrection. 21 They are sought and found, 22 brought to the synagogue, 23 privately morn to secrecy, 25 and undertake to write what they had seen. WHEN THIEN the chief priests and Levites heard all these things, they were astonished, and fell down with their faces on the ground as dead men, and crying out to one another, said, What is this extraordinary sign which is come to pass in Jerusalem? We know the father and mother of Jesus. 2 And a certain Levite said, I know many of his relations, religious persons, who are wont to offer sacrifices and burnt-offerings to the God of Israel, in the temple, with prayers. 3 And when the high priest Simeon took him up in his arms, he said to him, 'Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people: a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. 4 Simeon in like manner blessed Mary the mother of Jesus, and said to her, I declare to thee concerning that child; He is appointed for the full and rising again of many, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. 5 Yea, a sword shall pierce through thine own soul also, and the thoughts of many hearts shall be revealed. 6 Then said all the Jews, Let us send to those three men, who said they saw him talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet. 'Luke, ii 29. Charinus and Lenthius, 7 After this, they asked them what they had seen; who answered with one accord, In the presence of the God of Israel we affirm, that we plainly saw Jesus talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet, and ascending up to heaven. 8 Then Annas and Caiaphas took them into separate places, and examined them separately; who unanimously confessed the truth, and said, they had seen Jesus. 9 Then Annas and Caiaphas said "Our law saith, By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established”2 10 But what have we said! The blessed Enoch pleased God, and was translated by the word of God; and the burying-place of the blessed Moses is known. 11 But Jesus was delivered to Pilate, whipped, crowned with thorns, spit upon, pierced with a spear, crucified, died upon the cross, and was buried, and his body the honorable Joseph buried in a new sepulchre, and he testifies that he saw him alive. 12 And besides, these men have declared, that they saw him talking with his disciples in Mount Olivet, and ascending up to heaven. 13 Then Joseph rising up, said to Annas and Caiaphas, Ye may be justly under a great surprize, that you have been told, that Jesus is alive, and gone up to heaven. 14 It is indeed a thing really surprising, that he should not only himself arise from the dead, but also raise others from their graves, who have been seen by many in Jerusalem. 15 And now hear me a little We all knew the blessed Simeon, the high-priest, who took Jesus when an infant into his arms in the temple. 16 This same Simeon had two sons of his own, and we were all present at their death and funeral. 17 Go therefore and see their tombs, for these are open, and they are risen: and behold, they are in the city of Arimathæa, spending their time together in offices of devotion, 18 Some, indeed, have heard the sound of their voices in prayer, but they will not discourse with any one, but they continue as mute as dead men. 19 But come, let us go to them, and behave ourselves towards them with all due respect and caution. And if we can bring them to swear, perhaps they will tell us some of the mysteries of their resurrection. 20 When the Jews heard this, they were exceedingly rejoiccd. 21 Then Annas and Caiaphas, Nicodemus, Joseph, and Gamaliel, want to Arimathæa, but did not find them in their graves; but walking about the city, they found them on their bended knees at their devotions: 22 Then saluting them with all respect and deference to God, they brought them to the synagogue at Jerusalem and having shut the gates, they took the book of the law of the Lord, 23 And putting it in their hands, swore them by God Adonai, and the God of Israel, who spake to our fathers by the law and the prophets, saying, If ye believe him who raised you from the dead, relate his descent to hell. to be Jesus, tell us what we have seen, and how ye were raised from the dead. 24 Charinus and Lenthius, the two sons of Simeon, trembled when they heard these things, and were disturbed, and groaned; and at the same time looking up to heaven, they made the sign of the cross with their fingers on their tongues, 25 And immediately they spake, and said, Give each of us some paper, and we will write down for you all those things which we have seen. And they each sat down and wrote, saying, CHAP. XIII. The narrative of Charinus and Lenthius commences. 3 A great light in hell. 7 Simeon arrives, and announces the coming of Christ. LORD Jesus and Father, who art God, also the resurrection and life of the dead, give us leave to declare thy mysteries, which we saw after death, belonging to thy cross; for we are sworn by thy name. 2 For thou hast forbid thy servants to declare the secret things, which were wrought by thy divine power in hell. 3 When we were placed with our fathers in the depth of hell, in the blackness of darkness, on a sudden there appeared the colour of the sun like gold, and a substantial purplecoloured light enlightening the place. 4 Presently upon this, Adam, the father of all mankind, with all the patriarchs and prophets, rejoiced and said. That light who rose with Christ, NICODEMUS. relates his descent to hell. the author of everlasting light, who hath promised to translate us to everlasting light. 5 Then Isaiah the prophet cried out, and said,1 This is the light of the Father, and the Son of God, according to my prophecy, when I earth. was alive upon 6 The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim beyond Jordan, a people who walked in darkness, saw a great light; and to them who dwelled in the region of the shadow of death, light is arisen. And now he is come, and hath enlightened us who sat in death. 7 And while we are all rejoic ing in the light which shone upon us our father Simeon cam among us and congratulating all the company, said, Glorify the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God. 2 12 And I John, when I saw Jesus coming to me, being moved by the Holy Ghost, I said, Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. 13 And I baptized him in the river Jordan, and saw the Holy Ghost descending upon him in the form of a dove, and heard a voice from heaven, saying, This is my bed Son, in whom I am well pleased. 13 And now while I was going before him, I came down hither to acquaint you, that the Son of God will next visit us, and, as the day-spring from on high, will come to us, who are in darkness and the shadow of death. CHAP. XIV. 1 Adam causes Seth to relate what he heard from Michael the archangel, when he sent him to Paradise to entrent God to anvint his head in his sickness. OUT when the first man our BUT 8 Whom I took up in my arms when an infant in the temple, and being moved by the Holy Ghost, said to him, any acknowledged, father Adam heard these That now me eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people a light to enlighten the Gentiles and the glory of thy People Israel. All the saints who were in the depth of hell, hearing this, rejoiced the more. 10 Afterwards there came forth one like a little hermit, and was asked by every one, who art Thou? To which he replied, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, John the Baptist, and the prophet of the Most High, who went before his coming to prepare his way, to give the knowledge of salvation to his people for the forgiveness of sins. Isai. xi. 1.; Matt. iv. 16. things, that Jesus was baptized in Jordan,3 he called out to his son, Seth, and said, 2 Declare to your sons, the patriarchs and prophets, all those things, which thou didst hear from Michael, the archangel, when I sent thee to the gates of Paradise, to entreat God that he would a noint my head when I was sick. 3 Then Seth, coming near to the patriarchs and prophets, said, I Seth, when I was praying to God at the gates of Paradise, beheld the angel of the Lord, Michael appear unto me saying, I am sent unto thee from the Lord; I am appointed to preside over human bodies. 4 I tell thee Seth, do not pray o God in tears, and entreat him for the oil of the tree of mercy wherewith to anoint thy father Adam for his head-ache; 5 Because thou canst not by any means obtain it till the last day and times, namely, till five thousand and five hundred years be past. 6 Then will Christ, he most merciful Son of God; come on earth to raise again the human body of Adam, and at the same time to raise the bodies of the dead and when he cometh he will be baptized in Jordan: of hell quarrel and said, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. 3 Besides he did many injuries to me and to many others; for those whom I made blind and lame and those also whom I tormented with several devils, he cured by his word; yea, and those whom I brought dead to thee, he by force takes away from thee. 4 To this the prince of hell replied to Satan, Who is that so powerful prince, and yet a man who is afraid of death? 5 For all the potentates of the eth are subject to my power, 7 Then with the oil of his mer-whom thou broughtest to subcy he will anoint all those who be-jection by thy power. lieve on him; and the oil of his mercy will continue to future generations, for those who shall be born of the water and the Holy Ghost unto eternal life. 6 But if he be so powerful in his human nature, I affirm to thee for truth, traat he is almighty in his divine nature, and no man can resist his power 7 When therefore she said he was afraid of death, he designed to ensnare thee, and unhappy it will be to thee for everlasting ages. 8 Then Satan replying, said to the prince of hell, Why didst thou express a doubt, and wast. afraid to receive that Jesus of Na zareth, both thy adversary and mine? 9 As for me, I tempted him and stirred up my old people the Jews with zeal and anger against him: 10 I sharpened the spear for his suffering; I mixed the gall and vinegar, and commanded that he should drink it; I prepared the cross to crucify him, and the nails to pierce through his hands, and 1 St. Jerome affirms that the soul of Christ went to hell 13 Who then is that Jesus of Nazareth that by his word hath taken away the dead from me without prayer to God? 14 Perhaps it is the same who took away from me Lazarus, after he had been four days dead, and did both stink and was rotten, and of whom I had possession as a dead person, yet he brought him to life again by his power. 15 Satan answering, replied to the prince of hell, It is the very same person, Jesus of Nazareth, 16 Which when the prince of hell heard, he said to him, I adjure thee by the powers which belong to thee and me, that thou bring him not to me. 17 For when I heard of the power of his word, I trembled for fear, and all my impious company were at the same disturbed; 18 And we were not able to detain Lazarus' but he gave himself a shake, and with all the signs of malice, he immediately went away from us; and the very earth, in which the dead body of Lazarus was lodged, presently turned him out alive. CHAP. XVI. 1 Christ's arrival at hell-gates; the confusion thereupon. into hell. A 10 lle descenda ND while Satan and the prince of hell were discoursing thus to each other, on a sudden there was a voice as of thunder and the rushing of winds, saying, Lift up your gates, O ye princes; and be ye lift up, O everlasting gates, and the King of Glory shall come in. 2 19 And I know now that he is Almighty God who could perform 1 John xi. 2 Psalm xxiv. 7, &c. 3 7 And the divine prophet David, creid out, saying, Did not I $ Psalm cvii. 15, &c. |