th century it came to be applied to a list
of books contained in the Septuagint, or Greek translation of
the Old Testament, but not in the Palestinian, or Hebrew
Canon. Hence, by theological or bibliographic purists, these
books were not regarded as genuine Scripture. That view was
adopted by the early Greek Church, though the Western Church
was divided in opinion. They appeared as a separate section in
Coverdale's English Bible in 1538, and in Luther's German
Bible in 1537. The Council of Trent in 1546 admitted them as
canonical, except the First and Second Esdras and the Prayer
of Manasses--a view rejected after the Reformation by
Protestants, who recognised only the Palestinian Record as
canonical. The Westminster Confession declared that they were
only to be made use of as "human writings," and the Sixth
Article of the Church of England states that they are "to be
read for example of life and instruction of manners, but not
to establish doctrine." As the result of a violent controversy
in Scotland and America between 1825 and 1827, the Apocrypha
was deleted from the copies of the Holy Scriptures issued by
the British and Foreign Bible Society. The controversy was
revived in 1862 when a quotation was engraved on the Prince
Consort's Memorial in Kensington Gardens from the Wisdom of
Solomon: "He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a
long time. For his soul pleased the Lord: Therefore hasted He
to take him away from among the wicked." All the books bear
evidence of having been written long after the date to which
they are ascribed.

FIRST ESDRAS

And Josias held the feast of the Passover in Jerusalem unto his Lord,
the 14th day of the first month of the 18th year of his reign, and
ordered the Levites, the holy ministers of Israel, to hallow themselves
unto the Lord, and set the Holy Ark of the Lord in the house that King
Solomon had built. And there were offered in sacrifices to the Lord on
the altar 37,600 lambs and kids, and 4,300 calves. And they roasted the
Passover with fire: as for the sacrifices, they sod them in brass pots
and pans with a good savour, and set them before all the people. And
such a Passover was not kept in Israel since the time of the Prophet
Samuel. And the works of Josias were upright before his Lord with an
heart full of godliness.

Now, after a