APOCRYPHAL

APOCRYPHAL, something set aside that comes from an uncertain Author, whereon much credit cannot be reposed. Thus we say, an Apocryphal Book, Passage, History, etc., meaning, such as are of suspected Authority—In Matters of Doctrine, the Writings of Heretics, Schismatics, etc. are held apocryphal.

Vossius observes, that with regard to the sacred Books none are to be accounted apocryphal, except such as have neither been admitted into the Synagogue, nor the Church so as to be added to the Canon and read in public. See CANON, SCRIPTURE, etc.



The Word is derived from ἀποκρύπτω (apokrypto), to hide, because the origin of such Books was unknown, or because they contained some Mysteries not fit to be known—for this reason, the Books of the Sibyls were anciently called apocryphal, as being committed to the Trust of the Decemviri alone; and for the like reason, the Annals of the Egyptians and Lydians were called by the same Name. See SIBYL, DECEMVIR.

Before the Septuagint Version, the Books of the Old Testament were all Apocryphal in this sense—But in the process of time, the sense of the Word was changed, and only those Books alone were called apocryphal, which were of doubtful or suspected Authority.

In the original meaning of the Word, all the Writings deposited in the Temple were called apocryphal; by reason they were kept secret from the People.

When the Jews published their sacred Books, they only gave the appellations of Canonical and Divine to such as they thus made public; and such as were still retained in their Archives, they called Apocryphal, for no other reason, but because they were not public; so that they might be really Sacred and Divine, though not promulgated as such.

Thus, in respect of the Bible, all Books were called apocryphal, which were not inserted in the precisely Canon of Scripture; and it is in this sense St. Epiphanius is to be understood, when he says, That the apocryphal Books are not put in the ark among the other inspired Writings. See ARK.

There has been a great Dispute between the Romanists and the Reformed, about the Authority of those Books now called, by the latter, apocryphal; as, Judith, Tobit, Esdras, Maccabees, &c. the one having the Opinions of many of the Primitive Fathers for their Vouchers, and the others, the Tradition of their Church.

M. Simon contends, that they must have been read, in Greek, even by the Apostles themselves; which he infers from divers Passages in their Writings——He adds, that the Church received them with the other Books of Scripture, from the Hellenist Jews; and that if the Churches of Palestine never admitted them, ’twas not for their accounting them Apocryphal in the sense the Word is now used, but because they read none but what were written in Hebrew.

To this, we oppose the Authority of a great number of Ecclesiastical Writers, particularly among the Greeks; who make a precise Distinction between the Books now called Apocryphal, and those contained in the Jew Canon——St. Jerome, in particular, is very full upon the Head; and even speaks of his Opinion as the common Opinion of the Church at that time.

APOCRYPHAL