that is in Christ. I am jealous over you with a godly jealousie as he told the Church of Corinth An affection of all others the most active and vigilant and which is wont to inspire men with the most passionate care and concernment for the good of those for whom we have the highest measures of love and kindness Nor was his charity to men greater than his zeal for God endeavouring with all his might to promote the honour of his Master Indeed zeal seems to have had a deep foundation in the natural forwardness of his temper How exceedingly zealous was he while in the Jews Religion of the Traditions of his Fathers how earnest to vindicate and assert the Divinity of the Mosaick dispensation and to persecute all of a contrary way even to rage and madness And when afterwards turned into a right chanel it ran with as swift a current carrying him out against all opposition to ruine the kingdom and the powers of darkness to beat down idolatry and to plant the World with right apprehensions of God and the true notions of Religion When at Athens he saw them so much over-grown with the grossest superstition and idolatry giving the honour that was alone due to God to Statues and Images his zeal began to ferment and to boil up into Paroxysms of indignation and he could not but let them know the resentments of his mind and how much herein they dishonoured God the great Parent and Maker of the World 6. THIS zeal must needs put him upon a mighty diligence and industry in the execution of his office warning reproving entreating perswading preaching in season and out of season by night and by day by Sea and Land no pains too much to be taken no dangers too great to be overcome For five and thirty years after his Conversion he seldom staid long in one place from Jerusalem through Arabia Asia Greece round about to Illyricum to Rome and even to the utmost bounds of the Western-world fully preaching the Gospel of Christ Running says S. Hierom from Ocean to Ocean like the Sun in the Heavens of which 't is said His going forth is from the end of the Heaven and his circuit unto the ends of it sooner wanting ground to tread on than a desire to propagate the Faith of Christ. Nicephorus compares him to a Bird in the Air that in a few years flew round the World Isidore the Pelusiot to a winged husbandman that flew from place to place to cultivate the World with the most excellent rules and institutions of life And while the other Apostles did as 't were chuse this or that particular Province as the main sphere of their ministry S. Paul over ran the whole World to its utmost bounds and corners planting all places where he came with the Divine doctrines of the Gospel Nor in this course was he tired out with the dangers and difficulties that he met with the troubles and oppositions that were raised against him All which did but reflect the greater lustre upon his patience whereof indeed as Clement observes he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a most eminent pattern and exemplar enduring the biggest troubles and persecutions with a patience triumphant and unconquerable As will easily appear if we take but a survey of what trials and sufferings he underwent some part whereof are briefly summed up by himself In labours abundant in stripes above measure in prisons frequent in deaths oft thrice beaten with rods once stoned thrice suffered shipwrack a night and a day in the deep In journeyings often in perils of waters in perils of robbers in perils by his own Country-men in perils by the Heathen in perils in the City in perils in the Wilderness in perils in the Sea in perils among false Brethren in weariness in painfulness in watchings often in hunger and thirst in fastings often in cold and nakedness And besides these things that were without that which daily came upon him the care of all the Churches An account though very great yet far short of what he endured and wherein as Chrysostom observes he does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 modestly keep himself within his measures for had he taken the liberty fully to have enlarged himself he might have filled hundreds of Martyrologies with his sufferings A thousand times was his life at stake in every suffering he was a Martyr and what fell but in parcels upon others came all upon him while they skirmished only with single parties he had the whole Army of sufferings to contend with All which he generously underwent with a Soul as calm and serene as the morning-Sun no spite or rage no fury or storms could ruffle and discompose his spirit Nay those sufferings which would have broken the back of an ordinary patience did but make him rise up with the greater eagerness and resolution for the doing of his duty 7. HIS patience will yet further appear from the consideration of another the last of those virtues we shall take notice of in him his constancy and fidelity in the discharge of his place and in the profession of Religion Could the powers and policies of Men and Devils spite and oppositions torments and threatnings have been able to baffle him out of that Religion wherein he had engaged himself he must have sunk under them and left his station But his Soul was steel'd with a courage and resolution that was impenetrable and which no temptation either from hopes or fears could make any more impression upon than an arrow can that 's shot against a wall of marble He wanted not solicitation on either hand both from Jews and Gentiles and questionless might in some degree have made his own terms would he have been false to his trust and have quitted that way that was then every-where spoken against But alas these things weighed little with our Apostle who counted not his life to be dear unto him so that he might finish his course with joy and the ministry which he had received of the Lord Jesus And therefore when under the sentence of death in his own apprehension could triumphingly say I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith and so indeed he did kept it inviolably undauntedly to the last minute of his life The summ is He was a man in whom the Divine life did eminently manifest and display it self he lived piously and devoutly soberly and temperately justly and righteously carefull alway to keep a conscience void of offence both towards God and Man This he tells us was his support under suffering this the foundation of his confidence towards God and his firm hopes of happiness in another World This is our rejoycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the World 8. IT is not the least instance of his care and fidelity in his office that he did not
are those Jewish Chronologists who say that the Sect of the Pharisees arose in the times of Tiberius Caesar and Ptolomy the Aegyptian under whom the Septuagint translation was accomplished as if Ptolomy Philadelphus and Tiberius Caesar had been Contemporaries between whom there is the distance of no less than CCLX years But when ever it began a bold and daring Sect it was not fearing to affront Princes and persons of the greatest quality crafty and insinuative and who by a shew of great zeal and infinite strictness in Religion beyond the rate of other men had procured themselves a mighty reverence from the people so strict that as a Learned man observes Pharisee is used in the Talmudick writings to denote a pious and holy man and Benjamin the Jew speaking of R. Ascher says he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a truly devout man separate from the affairs of this world And yet under all this seeming severity they were but Religious villains spiteful and malicious griping and covetous great oppressors merciless dealers heady and seditious proud and scornful indeed guilty of most kinds of immorality of whose temper and manners I say the less in this place having elsewhere given an account of them They held that the Oral Law was of infinitely greater moment and value than the written Word that the Traditions of their fore-Fathers were above all things to be embraced and followed the strict observance whereof would entitle a man to Eternal Life that the Souls of men are Immortal and had their dooms awarded in the Subterraneous Regions that there is a Metempsuchosis or Transmigration of pious Souls out of one Body into another that things come to pass by fate and an inevitable necessity and yet that Man's will is free that by this means men might be rewarded and punished according to their works I add no more concerning them than that some great men of the Church of Rome say with some kind of boasting that such as were the Pharisees among the Jews such are the Religious they mean the Monastical Orders of their Church among Christians Much good may it do them with the comparison I confess my self so far of their mind that there is too great a conformity between them 23. NEXT the Pharisees come the Sadducees as opposite to them in their temper as their principles so called as Epiphanius and some others will have it from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 justice as pretending themselves to be very just and righteous men but this agrees not with the account given of their lives They are generally thought to have been denominated from Sadock the Scholar of Antigonus Sochaeus who flourished about the year of the World MMMDCCXX CCLXXXIV years before the Nativity of our Saviour They pass under a very ill character even among the writers of their own Nation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impious men and of very loose and debauched manners which is no more than what might be expected as the natural consequence of their principles this being one of their main dogmata or opinions that the Soul is not Immortal and that there is no future state after this life The occasion of which desperate principle is said to have been a mistake of the doctrine of their Master Antigonus who was wont to press his Scholars not to be like mercenary Servants who serve their Masters merely for what they can get by them but to serve God for himself without expectation of rewards This Sadock and Baithos two of his disciples misunderstanding thought their Master had peremptorily denied any state of future rewards and having laid this dangerous foundation these unhappy superstructures were built upon it that there is no Resurrection for if there be no reward what need that the Body should rise again that the Soul is not Immortal nor exists in the separate state for if it did it must be either rewarded or punished and if not the Soul then by the same proportion of reason no spiritual substance neither Angel nor Spirit that there is no Divine Providence but that God is perfectly placed as beyond the commission so beyond the inspection and regard of what sins or evils are done or happen in the World as indeed what great reason to believe a wise and righteous Providence if there be no reward or punishment for vertue and vice in another life These pernicious and Atheistical opinions justly exposed them to the reproach and hatred of the people who were wont eminently to stile them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Hereticks Infidels Epicureans no words being thought had enough to bestow upon them They rejected the Traditions so vehemently asserted by the Pharisees and taught that men were to keep to the Letter of the Law and that nothing was to be imposed either upon their belief or practice but what was expresly owned and contained in it Josephus observes that they were the fewest of all the Sects 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but usually men of the better rank and quality as what wonder if rich and great men who tumble in the pleasures and advantages of a prosperous fortune be willing to take sanctuary at those opinions that afford the greatest patronage to looseness and debauchery and care not to hear of being called to account in another World for what they have done in this For this reason the Sadducees ever appeared the greatest sticklers to preserve the peace and were the most severe and implacable Justicers against the Authors or fomenters of tumults and seditions lest they should disturb and interrupt their soft and easie course of life the only happiness their principles allowed them to expect 24. THE Essenes succeed a Sect probably distinct from either of the former Passing by the various conjectures concerning the derivation of their name which when dressed up with all advantages are still but bare conjectures they began about the times of the Macchabees when the violent persecutions of Antiochus forced the Jews for their own safety to retire to the Woods and Mountains And though in time the storm blew over yet many of them were too well pleased with these undisturbed solitudes to return and therefore combined themselves into Religious societies leading a solitary and contemplative course of life and that in very great numbers there being usually above four thousand of them as both Philo and Josephus tell us Pliny takes notice of them and describes them to be a solitary generation remarkable above all others in this that they live without Women without any embraces without money conversing with nothing but Woods and Palm-trees that their number encreased every day as fast as any died persons flocking to them from all quarters to seek repose here after they had been wearied with the inquietudes of an improsperous fortune They paid a due reverence to the Temple by sending gifts and presents thither but yet worshipped God at home and used their own Rites and Ceremonies Every seventh day they
and about Athens in his days as Monuments of that eminent deliverance 7. BUT whatever the particular cause might be hence it was that S. Paul took occasion to discourse of the true but to them unknown God For the Philosophers had before treated him with a great deal of scorn and derision asking what that idle and prating fellow had to say to them Others looking upon him as a propagator of new and strange Gods because he preached to them Jesus and Anastasis or the Resurrection which they looked upon as two upstart Deities lately come into the World Hereupon they brought him to the place where stood the famous Senate-house of the Areopagites and according to the Athenian humour which altogether delighted in curious novelties running up and down the Forum and places of publick concourse to see any strange accident or hear any new report a Vice which their own great Orator long since taxed them with they asked him what that new and strange Doctrine was which he preached to them Whereupon in a neat and elegant discourse he began to tell them he had observed how much they were over-run with superstition that their zeal for Religion was indeed generous and commendable but which miserably over shot its due measures and proportions that he had taken notice of an Altar among them Inscribed To the unknown God and therefore in compassion to their blind and misguided zeal he would declare unto them the Deity which they ignorantly worshipped and that this was no other than the great God the Creator of all things the Supreme Governor and Ruler of the World who was incapable of being confined within any Temple or humane Fabrick That no Image could be made as a proper Instrument to represent him that he needed no Gifts or Sacrifices being himself the Fountain from whence Life Breath and all other blessings were derived to particular Beings That from one common original he had made the whole Race of Mankind and had wisely fixed and determined the times and bounds of their habitation And all to this end that Men might be the stronglier obliged to seek after him and sincerely to serve and worship him A duty which they might easily attain to though otherwise sunk into the deepest degeneracy and overspread with the grossest darkness he every where affording such palpable evidences of his own being and providence that he seemed to stand near and touch us It being intirely from him that we derive our life motion and subsistence A thing acknowledged even by their own Poet that We also are his Off-spring If therefore God was our Creator it was highly unreasonable to think that we could make any Image or Representation of Him That it was too long already that the Divine patience had born with the manners of Men and suffered them to go on in their blind Idolatries that now he expected a general repentance and reformation from the World especially having by the publishing of his Gospel put out of all dispute the case of a future judgment and particularly appointed the Holy Jesus to be the Person that should sentence and judge the World By whose Resurrection he had given sufficient evidence and assurance of it No sooner had he mentioned the Resurrection but some of the Philosophers no doubt Epicureans who were wont to laugh at the notion of a future state mocked and derided him others more gravely answered that they would hear him again concerning this matter But his discourse however scorned and slighted did not wholly want its desired effect and that upon some of the greatest quality and rank among them In the number of whom was Dionysius one of the grave Senators and Judges of the Areopagus and Damaris whom the Ancients not improbably make his Wife 8. THIS Dionysius was bred at Athens in all the learned Arts and Sciences at five and twenty Years of Age he is said to have travelled into Egypt to perfect himself in the study of Astrology for which that Nation had the credit and renown Here beholding the miraculous Eclipse that was at the time of our Saviour's Passion he concluded that some great accident must needs be coming upon the World Returning to Athens he became one of the Senators of the Areopagus disputed with S. Paul and was by him converted from his Errours and Idolatry and being thoroughly instructed was by him as the Ancients inform us made the first Bishop of Athens As for those that tell us that he went afterwards into France by the direction of Clemens of Rome planted Christianity at and became Bishop of Paris of his suffering Martyrdom there under Domitian his carrying his Head for the space of two Miles in his Hand after it had been cut off and the rest of his Miracles done before and after his Death I have as little leisure to enquire into them as I have faith to believe them Indeed the foundation of all is justly denied viz. that ever he was there a thing never heard of till the times of Charles the Great though since that Volumes have been written of this controversie both heretofore and of later times among which J. Sirmondus the Jesuit and Monsieur Launoy one of the learned Doctors of the Sorbon have unanswerably proved the Athenian and Parisian Dionysius to be distinct Persons For the Books that go under his name M. Daillé has sufficiently evinced them to be of a date many Hundred Years younger than S. Denys though I doubt not but they may claim a greater Antiquity than what he allows them But whoever was their Author I am sure Suidas has over-stretched the praise of them beyond all proportion when he gives them this character 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that whoever considers the elegancy of his discourses and the profoundness of his notions and speculations must needs conclude that they are not the issue of any humane understanding but of some Divine and Immaterial Power But to return to our Apostle SECT IV. Of S. Paul's Acts at Corinth and Ephesus S. Paul ' s arrival at Corinth The opposition made by the Jews The success of his Preaching upon others His first Epistle to the Thessalonians when written His Arraignment before Gallio The second Epistle to the Thessalonians and the design of it S. Paul 's voyage to Jerusalem His coming to Ephesus Disciples baptized into John ' s Baptism S. Paul ' s preaching at Ephesus and the Miracles wrought by him Ephesus noted for the study of Magick Jews eminently versed in Charms and Inchantments The Original of the Mystery whence pretended to have been derived The ill attempt of the Sons of Sceva to dispossess Daemons in the name of Christ. S. Paul ' s doctrine greatly successful upon this sort of men Books of Magick forbidden by the Roman Laws S. Paul ' s Epistle to the Galatians why and when written Diana ' s Temple at Ephesus and its great stateliness and magnificence The mutiny against S. Paul
Apostle suffered in the sixty eighth Year of his Age. Some question there is whether he suffered at the same time with Peter many of the Ancients positively affirm that both suffered on the same day and Year but others though allowing the same Day tell us that S. Paul suffered not till the Year after nay some interpose the distance of several Years A Manuscript writer of the Lives and Travels of Peter and Paul brought amongst other venerable Monuments of Antiquity out of Greece will have Paul to have suffered no less than five Years after Peter which he justifies by the authority of no less than Justin Martyr and Irenaeus But what credit is to be given to this nameless Author I see not and therefore lay no weight upon it nor think it fit to be put into the balance with the testimonies of the Ancients Certainly if he suffered not at the very same time with Peter it could not be long after not above a Year at most The best is which of them soever started first they both came at last to the same end of the race to those Palms and Crowns which are reserved for all good Men in Heaven but most eminently for the Martyrs of the Christian Faith 10. HE was buried in the Via Ostiensis about two Miles from Rome over whose Grave about the Year CCCXVIII Constantine the Great at the instance of Pope Sylvester built a stately Church within a Farm which Lucina a noble Christian Matron of Rome had long before settled upon that Church He adorned it with an hundred of the best Marble columns and beautified it with the most exquisit workmanship the many rich gifts and endowments which he bestowed upon it being particularly set down in the Life of Sylvester This Church as too narrow and little for the honour of so great an Apostle Valentinian or rather Theodosius the Emperor the one but finishing what the other began by a Rescript directed to Sallustius Praefect of the City caused to be taken down and a larger and more noble Church to be built in the room of it Further beautified as appears from an ancient Inscription by Placidia the Empress at the perswasion of Leo Bishop of Rome What other additions of Wealth Honour or stateliness it has received since concerns not me to enquire SECT VIII The Description of his Person and Temper together with an Account of his Writings The Person of S. Paul described His infirm constitution His natural endowments His ingenuous Education and admirable skill in humane Learning and Sciences The Divine temper of his mind His singular humility and condescension His temperance and sobriety and contempt of the World Whether he lived a married or a single life His great kindness and compassion His charity to mens Bodies and Souls His mighty Zeal for Religion His admirable industry and diligence in his Office His unconquerable Patience The many great troubles he underwent His constancy and fidelity in the profession of Christianity His Writings His style and way of Writing what S. Hierom 's bold censure of it The perplexedness and obscurity of his Discourses whence The account given of it by the Ancients The Order of his Epistles what Placed not according to the time when but the dignity of Persons or Places to which they were written The Subscriptions at the end of them of wat value The writings fathered upon S. Paul His Gospel A third Epistle to the Corinthians The Epistle to the Laodiceans His Apocalypse His Acts. The Epistles between him and Seneca 1. THOUGH we have drawn S. Paul at large in the account we have given of his Life yet may it be of use to represent him in little in a brief account of his Person Parts and those Graces and Virtues for which he was more peculiarly eminent and remarkable For his Person we find it thus described He was low and little of stature and somewhat stooping his complexion fair his countenance grave his head small his eyes carrying a kind of beauty and sweetness in them his eye-brows a little hanging over his nose long but gracefully bending his beard thick and like the hair on his head mixed with grey hairs Somewhat of this description may be learnt from Lucian when in the person of Trypho one of S. Paul's disciples he calls him by way of derision the high-nosed bald-pated Galilean that was caught up through the Air unto the third Heaven where he learnt great and excellent things That he was very low himself plainly intimates when he tells us they were wont to say of him that his bodily presence was weak and his speech contemptible in which respect he is styled by Chrysostom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man three cubits or a little more than four foot high and yet tall enough to reach Heaven He seems to have enjoyed no very firm and athletick constitution being often subject to distempers S. Hierom particularly reports that he was frequently afflicted with the head-ach and that this was thought by many to have been the thorn in the flesh the messenger of Satan sent to buffet him and that probably he intended some such thing by the temptation in his flesh which he elsewhere speaks of Which however it may in general signifie those afflictions that came upon him yet does it primarily denote those diseases and infirmities that he was obnoxious to 2. BUT how mean soever the Cabinet was there was a treasure within more precious and valuable as will appear if we survey the accomplishments of his mind For as to his natural abilities and endowments he seems to have had a clear and solid judgment quick invention a prompt and ready memory all which were abundantly improved by Art and the advantages of a more liberal Education The Schools of Tarsus had sharpned his discursive faculty by Logick and the Arts of reasoning instructed him in the Institutions of Philosophy and enriched him with the furniture of all kinds of humane Learning This gave him great advantage above others and ever raised him to a mighty reputation for Parts and Learning insomuch that S. Chrysostom tells us of a dispute between a Christian and a Heathen wherein the Christian endeavoured to prove against the Gentile that S. Paul was more Learned and Eloquent than Plato himself How well he was versed not only in the Law of Moses and the writings of the Prophets but even in Classick and Foreign writers he has left us sufficient ground to conclude from those excellent sayings which here and there he quotes out of Heathen Authors Which as at once it shews that 't is not unlawful to bring the spoils of Egypt into the service of the Sanctuary and to make use of the advantages of Foreign studies and humane literature to Divine and excellent purposes so does it argue his being greatly conversant in the paths of humane Learning which upon every occasion he could so readily
in the paths of Piety and Vertue In the Infancy of the World he taught men by the Dictates of Nature and the common Notices of Good and Evil 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Philo calls them the most Ancient Law by lively Oracles and great Examples of Piety He set forth the Holy Patriarchs as Chrysostom observes as Tutors to the rest of Mankind who by their Religious lives might train up others to the practice of Vertue and as Physicians be able to cure the minds of those who were infected and overrun with Vice Afterwards says he having sufficiently testified his care of their welfare and happiness by many instances of a wise and benign Providence towards them both in the land of Canaan and in Egypt he gave them Prophets and by them wrought Signs and Wonders together with innumerable other expressions of his bounty At last finding that none of these Methods did succeed not Patriarchs not Prophets not Miracles not daily Warnings and Chastisements brought upon the World he gave the last and highest instance of his love and goodness to Mankind he sent his only begotten Son out of his own bosom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Physician both of Soul and Body who taking upon him the form of a Servant and being born of a Virgin conversed in the World and bore our sorrows and infirmities that by rescuing Humane Nature from under the weight and burden of Sin he might exalt it to Eternal Life A brief account of these things is the main intent of the following Discourse wherein the Reader will easily see that I considered not what might but what was fit to be said with respect to the end I designed it for It was drawn up under some more disadvantageous circumstances than a matter of this nature did require which were it worth the while to represent to the Reader might possibly plead for a softer Censure However such as it is it is submitted to the Readers Ingenuity and Candor W. C. IMPRIMATUR THO. TOMKYNS Ex Aed Lambeth Feb. 25. 1674. AN APPARATUS OR DISCOURSE INTRODUCTORY TO THE Whole WORK concerning the Three Great Dispensations OF THE CHURCH PATRIARCHAL MOSAICAL and EVANGELICAL SECT I. Of the PATRIARCHAL Dispensation The Tradition of Elias The three great Periods of the Church The Patriarchal Age. The Laws then in force natural or positive Natural Laws what evinced from the testimony of natural conscience The Seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah Their respect to the Law of Nature Positive Laws under that dispensation Eating Bloud why prohibited The mystery and signification of it Circumcision when commanded and why The Laws concerning Religion Their publick Worship what Sacrifices in what sence natural and how far instituted The manner of God's testifying his acceptance What the place of their publick Worship Altars and Groves whence Abraham's Oak its long continuance and destruction by Constantine The Original of the Druids The times of their religious Assemblies In process of time Genes 4. what meant by it The Seventh Day whether kept from the beginning The Ministers of Religion who The Priesthood of the first-born In what cases exercised by younger Sons The state of Religion successively under the several Patriarchs The condition of it in Adam 's Family The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel and their different success whence Seth his great Learning and Piety The face of the Church in the time of Enosh What meant by Then began Men to call upon the Name of the Lord. No Idolatry before the Floud The Sons of God who The great corruption of Religion in the time of Jared Enoch 's Piety and walking with God His translation what The incomparable sanctity of Noah and his strictness in an evil Age. The character of the men of that time His preservation from the Deluge God's Covenant with him Sem or Japhet whether the Elder Brother The confusion of Languages when and why Abraham 's Idolatry and conversion His eminency for Religion noted in the several instances of it God's Covenant with him concerning the Messiah The Piety of Isaac and Jacob. Jacob 's blessing the twelve Tribes and foretelling the Messiah Patriarchs extraordinary under this dispensation Melchisedeck who wherein a type of Christ. Job his Name Country Kindred Quality Religion Sufferings when he lived A reflection upon the religion of the old World and its agreement with Christianity GOD who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son For having created Man for the noblest purposes to love serve and enjoy his Maker he was careful in all Ages by various Revelations of his Will to acquaint him with the notices of his duty and to shew him what was good and what the Lord did require of him till all other Methods proving weak and ineffectual for the recovery and the happiness of humane nature God was pleased to crown all the former dispensations with the Revelation of his Son There is among the Jews an ancient Tradition of the House of Elias that the World should last Six Thousand Years which they thus compute 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two Thousand Years empty little being recorded of those first Ages of the World Two Thousand Years the Law and Two Thousand the Days of the Messiah A Tradition which if it minister to no other purposes does yet afford us a very convenient division of the several Ages and Periods of the Church which may be considered under a three-fold Oeconomy the Patriarchal Mosaical and Evangelical dispensation A short view of the two former will give us great advantage to survey the later that new and better dispensation which God has made to the World 2. THE Patriarchal Age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call it the days of emptiness commenced from the beginning of the World and lasted till the delivery of the Law upon Mount Sinai And under this state the Laws which God gave for the exercise of Religion and the Government of his Church were either Natural or Positive Natural Laws are those innate Notions and Principles whether speculative or practical with which every Man is born into the World those common sentiments of Vertue and Religion those Principia justi decori Principles of fit and right that naturally are upon the minds of Men and are obvious to their reason at first sight commanding what is just and honest and forbidding what is evil and uncomely and that not only in the general that what is good is to be embraced and what is evil to be avoided but in the particular instances of duty according to their conformity or repugnancy to natural light being conversant about those things that do not derive their value and authority from any arbitrary constitutions but from the moral and intrinsick nature of the things themselves These Laws as being the results and dictates of right reason are especially as
Patron and Benefactor and was therefore obliged to pay to him some Eucharistical Sacrifices as a testimony of his grateful acknowledgment that he had both his being and preservation from him But when sin had changed the scene and Mankind was sunk under a state of guilt he was then to seek for a way how to pacifie God's anger and this was done by bloudy and expiatory sacrifices which God accepted in the sinners stead And as to these it seems reasonable to suppose that they should be founded upon a positive Institution because pardon of sin being a matter of pure grace and favour whatever was a means to signifie and convey that must be appointed by God himself first revealed to Adam and by him communicated to his Children The Deity propitiated by these atonements was wont to testifie his acceptance of them by some external and visible sign Thus Cain sensibly perceived that God had respect to Abel's sacrifice and not to his though what this sign was it is not easie to determine Most probably it was fire from Heaven coming down upon the Oblation and consuming it For so it frequently was in the Sacrifices of the Mosaick dispensation and so we find it was in that famous Sacrifice of Abraham a Lamp of Fire passed between the parts of the Sacrifice Thus when 't is said God had respect to Abel and to his offering Theodotion renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he burnt it and to this custom the Psalmist alludes in that Petition Remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt Sacrifice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let thy burnt-offering be reduced into ashes 8. WHERE it was that this Publick Worship was performed is next to be enquired into That they had fixed and determinate Places for the discharge of their religious Duties those especially that were done in common is greatly probable Nature and the reason of things would put them upon it And this most think is intended in that phrase where it is said of Cain and Abel that they brought their oblations that is as Aben-Ezra and others expound it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the place set apart for divine worship And this probably was the reason why Cain though vexed to the heart to see his Brother preferred before him did not presently set upon him the solemnity and religion of the Place and the sensible appearances of the Divine Majesty having struck an awe into him but deferred his murderous intentions till they came into the Field and there fell upon him For their Sacrifices they had Altars whereon they offered them contemporary no doubt with Sacrifices themselves though we read not of them till after the Floud when Noah built an Altar unto the Lord and offered burnt-offerings upon it So Abraham immediately after his being called to the worship of the true God in Sichem built an Altar unto the Lord who appeared unto him and removing thence to a Mountain Eastward he built another Altar and called on the Name of the Lord as indeed he did almost in every place where he came Thus also when he dwelt at Beersheba in the Plains of Mamre he planted a Grove there and called on the Name of the Lord the everlasting God This no doubt was the common Chappel or Oratory whither Abraham and his numerous Family and probably those whom he gained to be Proselytes to his Religion were wont to retire for their publick adorations as a Place infinitely advantageous for such Religious purposes And indeed the Ancient devotion of the World much delighted in Groves in Woods and Mountains partly for the conveniency of such Places as better composing the thoughts for divine contemplations and resounding their joynt-praises of God to the best advantage partly because the silence and retiredness of the Place was apt to beget a kind of sacred dread and horror in the mind of the Worshipper Hence we find in Ophrah where Gideon's Father dwelt an Altar to Baal and a Grove that was by it and how common the superstitions and idolatries of the Heathen-world were in Groves and High-places no Man can be ignorant that is never so little conversant either in prophane or sacred stories For this reason that they were so much abused to idolatry God commanded the Israelites to destroy their Altars break down their Images and cut down their Groves and that they should not plant a Grove of any Trees near unto the Altar of the Lord lest he should seem to countenance what was so universally prostituted to false worship and idolatry But to return to Abraham He planted a Grove 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tree which the Ancients generally make to have been a large spreading Oak and some foundation there is for it in the sacred Text for the place where Abraham planted it is called the Plain of Mamre or as in the Hebrew he dwelt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Oaks of Mamre and so the Syriack renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The House of the Oak The name whereof Josephus tells us was Ogyges and it is not a conjecture to be despised that Noah might probably inhabit in this place and either give the name to it or at least derive his from it Ogyges being the Name by which he is usually described in foreign Writers This very Oak S. Hierom assures us and Eusebius intimates as much was yet standing till the time of Constantine and worshipped with great superstition And Sozomen tells us more particularly that there was a famous Mart held there every Summer and a Feast celebrated by a general confluence of the neighbouring Countries and persons of all Religions both Christians Jews and Gentiles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every one doing honour to this Place according to the different Principles of their Religion but that Constantine being offended that the Place should be prophan'd with the superstitions of the Jews and the idolatry of the Gentiles wrote with some severity to Macarius the Bishop of Jerusalem and the Bishops of Palestine that they should destroy the Altars and Images and deface all Monuments of Idolatry and restore the Place to its ancient Sanctity Which was accordingly done and a Church erected in the Place where God was purely and sincerely worshipped From this Oak the ordinary place of Abraham's worship and devotion the Religion of the Gentiles doubtless derived its Oaks and Groves and particularly the Druids the great and almost only Masters and Directors of all Learning and Religion among the Ancient Britains hence borrowed their Original who are so notoriously known to have lived wholly under Oaks and in Groves and there to have delivered their Doctrines and Precepts and to have exercised their Religious and mysterious Rites that hence they fetched their denomination either from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Ancients generally thought or more probably from the old Cetlic word Deru both signifying an Oak and which
the Welch the Descendants of the Ancient Britains still call Derw at this day But of this enough 9. FROM the place where we proceed to the times when they usually paid their Devotions And seeing Order is necessary in all undertakings and much more in the actions of Religion we cannot think that Mankind was left at a roving uncertainty in a matter of so great importance but that they had their stated and solemn times of Worship especially when we find among all Nations even the most rude and unpolished Heathens times peculiarly set apart for the honour of their gods and the publick solemnities of Religion And so no question it was in the more early Ages of the World they had fix'd and appropriate Seasons when they met together to do homage unto God and to offer up their joynt-acknowledgments to Heaven Thus we read of Cain that he brought his oblation in process of time 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at the end of days at one of those fixed and periodical returns when they used to meet in the Religious Assemblies the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoting not simply an end but a determinate and an appointed end I know many with great zeal and eagerness contend that the Sabbath or Seventh Day from the Creation was set apart and universally observed as the time of Publick Worship and that from the beginning of the World But alas the foundation upon which this opinion is built is very weak and sandy having nothing to rely on but one place where it is said that God resting on the Seventh Day from all his Works blessed the Seventh Day and sanctified it Which words are reasonably thought to have been set down by Moses by way of Prolepsis as it was in his time if they relate at all to the Sabbath and are not rather to be understood of God's blessing and sanctifying the Seventh Day as having then completed all his Works in the creating of Man and in whom as in the crown and glory of the Creation he would sanctifie himself For that it should be meant of a Weekly Sabbath hath as little countenance from this Text as it hath from the practice of those times there being no footsteps or shadow of any such Sabbath kept through all the Patriarchal periods of the Church till the times of Moses which besides the evidence of the story is universally owned by the Ancient Jews and very many of the Fathers do expresly assert it 10. THE last circumstance concerns the Persons by whom the Publick Worship was administred Impossible it is that any Society should be regularly managed where there are not some peculiar Persons to superintend direct and govern the affairs of it And God who in all other things is a God of Order is much more so in matters of Religion and therefore no doubt from the beginning appointed those whose care and business it should be to discharge the publick parts of Piety and Devotion in the name of the rest Now the Priesthood in those times was vested in the Heads of Tribes and in the first-born of every Family To the Patriarch or Head of every Tribe it belonged to bless the Family to offer Sacrifice to interceed for them by Prayer and to minister in other solemn acts of Religion And this Office hereditarily descended to the first-born who had power to discharge it during the life of his Father for it was not necessary that he who was Priest by vertue of his primogeniture should be also the eldest of the House Jacob who succeeded in his Brother 's right offered Sacrifices in the life of his Father Isaac and Abraham was a Priest though Sem the Head of the Family and ten degrees removed from him in a direct line was then alive yea survived Abraham as some learned men think near Forty Years Every first-born had three great Prerogatives a double portion of the Paternal inheritance a Lordship and Principality over his Brethren and a right to the Priesthood to instruct them in the knowledge of Divine things and to manage the common Offices of Religion So that in those times there was a particular Priesthood in every Family the administration whereof was usually appropriate to the first-born Thus Noah Abraham and Isaac offered Sacrifices and Job who lived about that time or not long after both for his Children and his Friends Thus Esau was a Priest by his primogeniture and that goodly Raiment of her son Esau which Rebeccah put upon Jacob when he went in to his Father is by many not improbably understood of the Sacerdotal Vestments wherein as first-born he was wont to execute his Office Of these Priests we are to understand that Place Let the Priests which come near to the Lord sanctifie themselves This could not be meant of the Levitical Priests the Aaronical Order not being yet instituted and therefore must be understood of the Priesthood of the first-born and so Jarchi's gloss expounds it Thus when Moses had built an Altar at the foot of the Mountain he sent young men of the children of Israel which offered burnt-offerings and sacrificed peace-offerings unto the Lord. Where for young men the Chaldee Paraphrase and the Hierusalem Targum have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the first-born of the children of Israel so has that of Jonathan who expresly adds this reason for unto that very Hour the worship remained among the first-born the Tabernacle of the Covenant not being yet made nor the Aaronical Priesthood set up So when Jacob bequeathed his blessing to Reuben Reuben thou art my first-born my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power the same Jewish Paraphrasts tell us that there were three things in this blessing conveyed and confirmed to Reuben the Birth-right the Kingdom and the Priesthood but that for his enormous and unnatural sin they were transferred to others the primogeniture to Joseph the Kingdom to Judah and the Priesthood to Levi. But though the Sacerdotal function ordinarily belonged to the first-born yet was it not so wholly invested in them but that it might in some cases be exercised by younger Brothers especially when passing into other Families and themselves becoming Heads of Tribes and Families Abraham we know was not a first-born and it 's highly probable that Sem himself was not Noah's eldest Son Moses was a Priest yea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jews call him the Priest of Priests and yet was but Amram's second Son and Aaron's younger Brother So that the case in short seemed to lie thus The Patriarch or surviving Head of every Tribe was a kind of High-Priest over all the Families that were descended from him the first-born in every Family was the ordinary Priest who might officiate in his Father's stead and who after his decease succeeded in his room the younger Brethren when leaving their Father's house and themselves becoming heads of Families and their seats removed
Will commanded them to worship God adjuring them by the bloud of Abel their usual and solemn oath that they should not descend from the holy Mount to hold any correspondence or commerce with Cain or his wicked faction And then breathed his last A command say my Authors which they observed for seven generations and then came in the promiscuous mixtures 13. TO Seth succeeded his Son Enos who kept up the glory and purity of Religion and the honour of the holy Line Of his time it is particularly recorded then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. The ambiguity of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying sometimes to prophane sometimes to begin hath begotten various apprehensions among learned men concerning this place and led them not only into different but quite contrary sences The words are by some rendred thus Then men prophaned in calling upon the name of the Lord which they thus explain that at that time when Enos was born the true worship and service of God began to sink and fail corruption and idolatry mightily prevailing by reason of Cains wicked and apostate Family and that as a sad memorial of this corrupt and degenerate Age holy Seth called his son's name Enosh which not only simply signifies a man but a poor calamitous miserable man And this way go many of the Jews and some Christian writers of great name and note Nay Maimonides one of the wisest and soberest of all the Jewish writers begins his Tract about Idolatry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the times of Enosh referring to this very passage he tells us that men did then grievously erre and that the minds of the wise men of those days were grown gross and stupid yea that Enos himself was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among those that erred and that their Idolatry consisted in this That they worshipped the Stars and the Host of Heaven Others there are who expresly assert that Enosh was the first that invented Images to excite the Spirit of the Creatures 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that by their mediation men might invocate and call upon God But how infirm a foundation this Text is to build all this upon is evident For besides what some have observed that the Hebrew phrase is not tolerably reconcileable with such a sence if it were yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as one of the Rabbins has well noted that there wants a foundation for any such exposition no mention being made in Moses his story of any such false Gods as were then worshipped no footsteps of Idolatry appearing in the World till after the Floud Nor indeed is it reasonable to suppose that the Creation of the World being yet fresh in memory and Divine Traditions so lately received from Adam and God frequently communicating himself to men that the case being thus men could in so short a time be fallen under so great an apostasie as wholly to forget and renounce the true God and give Divine honours to senseless and inanimate creatures I can hardly think that the Cainites themselves should be guilty of this much less Enosh and his Children The meaning of the words then is plainly this That in Enosh his time the holy Line being greatly multiplied they applied themselves to the worship of God in a more publick and remarkable manner either by framing themselves into more distinct societies for the exercise of publick worship or by meeting at more fixed and stated times or by invocating God under more solemn and peculiar rites than they had done before And this probably they did the rather to obviate that torrent of prophaneness and impiety which by means of the sons of Cain they saw flowing in upon the World This will be further confirmed if we take the words as by some they are rendred then men began to be called by the name of the Lord that is the difference and separation that was between the children of Seth and Cain every day ripening into a wider distance the posterity of Seth began to take to themselves a distinctive title that the World might the better distinguish between those who kept to the service of God and those who threw off Religion and let loose the reins to disorder and impiety And hereof we meet with clear intimation in the story of those times when we read of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sons of God who doubtless were the pious and devout posterity of Seth calling themselves after the name of the Lord whom they constantly and sincerely worshipped notwithstanding the fancy of Josephus and the Fathers that they were Angels or that of the Jewish Paraphrasts that they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sons of great men and Princes in opposition to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sons of men the impure and debauched posterity of Cain who made light of Religion and were wholly governed by earthly and sensual inclinations And the matching of these sons of God with the daughters of men that is those of the Family of Cain and the fatal consequences of those unhappy marriages was that which provoked God to destroy the World I have no more to add concerning Enosh than that we are told that dying he gave the same commands to his Children which he had received of his Father that they should make Religion their great care and business and keep themselves pure from society and converse with the Line of Cain 14. AFTER Enosh was his son Kenan who as the Arabian Historian informs us ruled the people committed to him by a wise and excellent government and gave the same charge at his death that had been given to him Next Kenan comes Mahaleleel who carries devotion and piety in his very name signifying one that praises God of whom they say that he trained up the people in ways of justice and piety blessed his Children at his death and having charged them to separate from the Cainites appointed his son Jared to be his successor whose name denotes a descent probably either because of the notable decrease and declension of piety in his time or because in his days some of the Sethites descended from the holy Mountain to mix with the posterity of Cain For so the Oriental writers inform us that a great noise and shout coming up from the Valley an hundred of the holy Mountaineers agreed to go down to the sons of Cain whom Jared endeavoured to hinder by all the arts of counsel and perswasion But what can stop a mind bent upon an evil course down they went and being ravished with the beauty of the Cainité-women promiscuously committed folly and lewdness with them from whence sprang a race of Giants men of vast and robust bodies but of more vicious and ungovernable tempers who made their Will their Law and Might the standard and rule of Equity Attempting to return back to the holy Mount Heaven had shut up their way the stones of the
yet that he would bear with them CXX Years longer in order to their reformation So loth is God to take advantage of the sins of men not willing that any should perish but that all should come unto Repentance In the mean time righteous Noah found favour with Heaven a good man hath a peculiar guardianship and protection in the worst of times and God orders him to prepare an Ark for the saving of his House An Hundred Years was this Ark in building not but that it might have been finished in a far less time but that God was willing to give them so long a space for wise and sober considerations Noah preaching all the while both by his doctrine and his practice that they would break off their sins by repentance and prevent their ruine But they that are filthy will be filthy still the hardned World persisted in their impieties till the wrath of God came upon them to the uttermost and destroyed the World of the ungodly God shut up Noah his Wife his three Sons and their Wives into the Ark together with provisions and so many Creatures of every sort as were sufficient not only for food but for reparation of the kind Miracles must not be expected where ordinary means may be had and then opened the Windows of Heaven and broke up the Fountains of the Deep and brought in the Floud that swept all away Twelve months Noah and his Family continued in this floating habitation when the Waters being gone and the Earth dried he came forth and the first thing he did was to erect an Altar and offer up an Eucharistical Sacrifice to God for so remarkable a deliverance some of the Jews tell us that coming out of the Ark he was bitten by a Lion and rendred unfit for Sacrifice and that therefore Sem did it in his room he did not concern himself for food or a present habitation but immediately betook himself to his devotion God was infinitely pleased with the pious and grateful sense of the good man and openly declared that his displeasure was over and that he would no more bring upon the World such effects of his severity as he had lately done and that the Ordinances of Nature should duly perform their constant motions and regularly observe their periodical revolutions And because Man was the principal Creature in this lower World he restored to him his Charter of Dominion and Soveraignty over the Creatures and by enacting some Laws against Murder and Cruelty secured the peace and happiness of his life and then established a Covenant with Noah and all Mankind that he would no more drown the World for the ratification and ensurance whereof he placed the Rain-bow in the Clouds as a perpetual sign and memorial of his Promise Noah after this betook himself to Husbandry and planting Vineyards and being unwarily overtaken with the fruit of the Vine became a scorn to C ham one of his own Sons while the two others piously covered their Fathers shame Awaking out of his sleep and knowing what had been done he prophetically cursed Cham and his Posterity blessed Sem and in Japhet foretold the calling of the Gentiles to the worship of God and the knowledge of the Messiah that God should enlarge Japhet and that he should dwell in the Tents of Shem. He died in the DCCCCL Year of his Age having seen both Worlds that before the Floud and that which came after it 16. SEM and Japhet were the two good Sons of Noah in the assigning whose primogeniture though the Scripture be not positive and decretory yet do the most probable reasons appear for Japhet especially if we compute their Age. Sem was an Hundred Years old two Years after the Floud for then he begat Arphaxad now the Floud happened just in the DC Year of Noah's Age whence it follows that Sem was born when his Father was Five Hundred and Two Years old But Noah being expresly said to have begotten Sons in the Five Hundreth Year of his Age plain it is that there must be one Son at least two Years Elder than Sem which could be no other than Japhet Cham being acknowledged by all the Younger Brother And hence it is that Sem is called the Brother 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Japhet the Greater or as we render it the Elder They were both pious and devout Men having been brought up under the religious Institutions not only of their Father Noah but their Grand-father Lamech and their Great-grand-father Methuselah who had for some Hundreds of Years conversed with Adam The holy story records nothing concerning the state of Religion in their days and little heed is to be given to the Eastern Writers when they tell us of Sem that according to the command of his Father he took the Body of Adam which Noah had secretly hidden in the Ark and joyning himself to Melchisedeck they went and buried it in the heart of the Earth an Angel going before and conducting them to the place with a great deal more with little truth and to as little purpose As for the Patriarchs born after the Floud little notice is taken of them besides the bare mention of their names Arphaxad Salah Eber. Of this last they say that he was a great Prophet that he instituted Schools and Seminaries for the advancement and propagation of Religion and there was great reason for him to bestir himself if it be true what the Arabian Historians tell us that now Idolatry began mightily to prevail and men generally carved to themselves the Images of their Ancestors to which upon all occasions they addressed themselves with the most solemn veneration the Daemons giving answers through the Images which they worshipped Heber was the Father of the Jewish Nation who from him are said to have derived the title of Hebrews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Josephus tells us though there want not those who assign other reasons of the name and that the Hebrew Language was preserved in his family which till his time had been the mother-tongue and the common Language of the World To Eber succeeded his son Peleg a name given him out of a Prophetical foresight of that memorable division that hapned in his time For now it was that a company of bold daring persons combining themselves under the conduct and command of Nimrod resolved to erect a vast and stupendous Fabrick partly to raise themselves a mighty reputation in the World partly to secure themselves from the Invasion of an after-deluge and probably as a place of retreat and defence the better to enable them to put in practice that oppression and tyranny which they designed to exercise over the World But whatever it was God was displeased with the attempt and to shew how easily he can baffle the subtillest Councils and in a moment subvert the firmest projects on a sudden he confounded the Language of these foolish Builders so that they were forced to
enemies had taken him away by a most bitter and cruel death had guarded and secured his Sepulchre with all the care power and diligence which they could invent And yet he rose again the third day in triumph visibly conversed with his Disciples for forty days together and then went to Heaven By which he gave the most solemn and undeniable assurance to the World that he was the Son of God for he was declared to be the Son of God with power by the Resurrection from the dead and the Saviour of mankind and that those doctrines which he had taught were most true and did really contain the terms of that solemn transaction which God by him had offered to men in order to their eternal happiness in another World 11. THE last instance I shall note of the excellency of this above the Mosaical Dispensation is the universal extent and latitude of it and that both in respect of place and time First it 's more universally extensive as to place not confined as the former was to a small part of mankind but common unto all Heretofore in Judah only was God known and his name was great in Israel he shewed his Word unto Jacob his Statutes and his Judgments unto Israel but he did not deal so with any other Nation neither had the Heathen knowledge of his Laws In those times Salvation was only of the Jews a few Acres of Land like Gideon's Fleece was watered with the dew of Heaven while all the rest of the World for many Ages lay dry and barren round about it God suffering all Nations in times past to walk in their own ways the ways of their own superstition and Idolatry being aliens from the Common-wealth of Israel strangers from the Covenants of promise having no hope and without God in the World that is they were without those promises discoveries and declarations which God made to Abraham and his Seed and are therefore peculiarly described under this character the Gentiles which knew not God Indeed the Religion of the Jews was in it self incapable to be extended over the World many considerable parts of it as Sacrifices First-fruits Oblations c. called by the Jews themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 statutes belonging to that land being to be performed at Jerusalem and the Temple which could not be done by those Nations that lay a considerable distance from the Land of promise They had it 's true now and then some few Proselytes of the Gentiles who came over and imbodied themselves into their way of worship but then they either resided among the Jews or by reason of their vicinity to Judaea were capable to make their personal appearance and to comply with the publick Institutions of the Divine Law Other Proselytes they had called Proselytes of the Gate who lived dispersed in all Countries whom the Jews call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the pious of the Nations Men of devout minds and Religious lives but these were obliged to no more than the observation of the Seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah that is in effect to the Precepts of the Natural Law But now the Gospel has a much wider sphere to move in as vast and large as the whole World it self it is communicable to all Countries and may be exercised in any part or corner of the Earth Our Lord gave Commission to his Apostles to go into all Nations and to Preach the Gospel to every Creature and so they did their sound went into all the Earth and their words unto the ends of the World by which means the grace of God that brings salvation appeared unto all men and the Gospel was Preached to every Creature under Heaven So that now there is neither Jew nor Greek neither bond nor free neither male nor female but we are all one in Christ Jesus and in every Nation he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him The Prophet had long since foretold it of the times of Christ that the House of God that is his Church should be called an House of Prayer for all People the Doors should be open and none excluded that would enter in And the Divine providence was singularly remarkable in this affair that after our Lord's Ascension when the Apostles were going upon their Commission and were first solemnly to proclaim it at Jerusalem there were dwelling there at that time Parthians Medes Elamites c. persons out of every Nation under Heaven that they might be as the First-fruits of those several Countries which were to be gathered in by the preaching of the Gospel which was accordingly done with great success the Christian Religion in a few years spreading its triumphant Banners over the greatest part of the then known World 12. AND as the true Religion was in those Days pent up within one particular Country so the more publick and ordinary worship of God was confined only to one particular place of it viz. Jerusalem hence called the Holy City Here was the Temple here the Priests that ministred at the Altar here all the more publick Solemnities of Divine adoration Thither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. Now this was not the least part of the bondage of that dispensation to be obliged thrice every Year to take such long and tedious Journies many of the Jews living some Hundreds of Miles distance from Jerusalem and so strictly were they limited to this place that to build an Altar and offer Sacrifices in any other place unless in a case or two wherein God did extraordinarily dispense although it were to the true God was though not false yet unwarrantable worship for which reason the Jews at this day abstain from Sacrifices because banished from Jerusalem and the Temple the only legal place of offering But behold the liberty of the Gospel in this case we are not tied to present our devotions at Jerusalem a pious and sincere mind is the best Sacrifice that we can offer up to God and this may be done in any part of the World no less acceptably than they of old sacrificed in the Temple The hour cometh when ye shall neither in this Mountain Mount Gerizim nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth as our Lord told the Woman of Samaria in spirit and in truth in spirit in opposition to that carnal and Idolatrous worship that was in use among the Samaritans who worshipped God under the representation of a Dove in truth in opposition to the typical and figurative worship of the Jews which was but a shadow of the true worship of the Gospel The great Sacrifice required in the Christian Religion is not the fat of Beasts or the first-fruits of the Ground but an honest heart and a pious life and a grateful acknowledgment
against all pretence of reason would understand of his entring into eternal life Besides S. Hierom Cassian Bede and others are for S. Peter being elder Brother expresly ascribing it to his Age that he rather than any other was President of the Colledge of Apostles However it was it sounds not a little to the honour of their Father as of Zebedee also in the like case that of but twelve Apostles two of his Sons were taken into the number In his Youth he was brought up to Fishing which we may guess to have been the staple-trade of Bethsaida which hence probably borrowed its name signifying an house or habitation of Fishing though others render it by Hunting the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 equally bearing either much advantaged herein by the Neighbourhood of the Lake of Gennesareth on whose banks it stood called also the Sea of Galilee and the Sea of Tiberias according to the mode of the Hebrew Language wherein all greater confluences of Waters are called Seas Of this Lake the Jews have a saying that of all the seven Seas which God created he made choice of none but the Sea of Gennesareth which however intended by them is true only in this respect that our blessed Saviour made choice of it to honour it with the frequency of his presence and the power of his miraculous operations In length it was an hundred furlongs and about XL. over the Water of it pure and clear sweet and most fit to drink stored it was with several sorts of Fish and those different both in kind and taste from those in other places Here it was that Peter closely followed the exercise of his calling from whence it seems he afterwards removed to Capernaum probably upon his marriage at least frequently resided there for there we meet with his House and there we find him paying Tribute an House over which Nicephorus tells us that Helen the Mother of Constantine erected a beautiful Church to the honour of S. Peter This place was equally advantageous for the managery of his Trade standing upon the Influx of Jordan into the Sea of Galilee and where he might as well reap the fruits of an honest and industrious diligence A mean I confess it was and a more servile course of life as which besides the great pains and labour it required exposed him to all the injuries of wind and weather to the storms of the Sea the darkness and tempestuousness of the Night and all to make a very small return An employment whose restless troubles constant hardships frequent dangers and amazing horrors are for the satisfaction of the learned Reader thus elegantly described by one whose Poems may be justly stiled Golden Verses receiving from the Emperor Antoninus a piece of Gold for every Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But meanness is no bar in God's way the poor if virtuous are as dear to Heaven as the wealthy and the honourable equally alike to him with whom there is no respect of persons Nay our Lord seemed to cast a peculiar honour upon this profession when afterwards calling him and some others of the same Trade from catching of Fish to be as he told them Fishers of men 5. AND here we may justly reflect upon the wise and admirable methods of the Divine Providence which in planting and propagating the Christian Religion in the World made choice of such mean and unlikely instruments that he should hide these things from the wise and prudent and reveal them unto babes men that had not been educated in the Academy and the Schools of Learning but brought up to a Trade to catch Fish and mend Nets most of the Apostles being taken from the meanest Trades and all of them S. Paul excepted unfurnished of all arts of learning and the advantages of liberal and ingenuous education and yet these were the men that were designed to run down the World and to overturn the learning of the prudent Certainly had humane wisdom been to manage the business it would have taken quite other measures and chosen out the profoundest Rabbins the acutest Philosophers the smoothest Orators such as would have been most likely by strength of Reason and arts of Rhetorick to have triumph'd over the minds of men to grapple with the stubbornness of the Jews and baffle the finer notions and speculations of the Greeks We find that those Sects of Philosophy that gain'd most credit in the Heathen-world did it this way by their eminency in some Arts and Sciences whereby they recommended themselves to the acceptance of the wiser and more ingenious part of mankind Julian the Apostate thinks it a reasonable exception against the Jewish Prophets that they were incompetent messengers and interpreters of the Divine will because they had not their minds cleared and purged by passing through the Circle of polite arts and learning Why now this is the wonder of it that the first Preachers of the Gospel should be such rude unlearned men and yet so suddenly so powerfully prevail over the learned World and conquer so many who had the greatest parts and abilities and the strongest prejudices against it to the simplicity of the Gospel When Celsus objected that the Apostles were but a company of mean and illiterate persons sorry Mariners and Fishermen Origen quickly returns upon him with this answer That hence 't was plainly evident that they taught Christianity by a Divine power when such persons were able with such an uncontrouled success to subdue men to the obedience of the Word for that they had no eloquent tongues no subtil and discursive heads none of the refin'd and rhetorical Arts of Greece to conquer the minds of men For my part says he in another place I verily believe that the Holy Jesus purposely made use of such Preachers of his Doctrine that there might be no suspicion that they came instructed with Arts of Sophistry but that it might be clearly manifest to all the World that there was no crafty design in it and that they had a Divine power going along with them which was more efficacious than the greatest volubility of expression or ornaments of speech or the artifices which were used in the Graecian compositions Had it not been for this Divine power that upheld it as he elsewhere argues the Christian Religion must needs have sunk under those weighty pressures that lay upon it having not only to contend with the potent opposition of the Senate Emperors People and the whole power of the Roman Empire but to conflict with those home-bred wants and necessities wherewith its own professors were oppressed and burdened 6. IT could not but greatly
vindicate the Apostles from all suspicion of forgery and imposture in the thoughts of sober and unbyassed persons to see their Doctrine readily entertained by men of the most discerning and inquisitive minds Had they dealt only with the rude and the simple the idiot and the unlearned there might have been some pretence to suspect that they lay in wait to deceive and designed to impose upon the World by crafty and insinuative arts and methods But alas they had other persons to deal with men of the acutest wits and most profound abilities the wisest Philosophers and most subtil disputants able to weigh an argument with the greatest accuracy and to decline the force of the strongest reasonings and who had their parts edg'd with the keenest prejudices of education and a mighty veneration for the Religion of their Country a Religion that for so many Ages had governed the World and taken firm possession of the minds of men And yet notwithstanding all these disadvantages these plain men conquered the wise and the learned and brought them over to that Doctrine that was despised and scorned opposed and persecuted and that had nothing but its own native excellency to recommend it A clear evidence that there was something in it beyond the craft and power of men Is not this says an elegant Apologist making his address to the Heathens enough to make you believe and entertain it to consider that in so short a time it has diffused it self over the whole World civilized the most barbarous Nations softned the roughest and most intractable tempers that the greatest Wits and Scholars Orators Grammarians Rhetoricians Lawyers Physicians and Philosophers have quitted their formerly dear and beloved sentiments and heartily embraced the Precepts and Doctrines of the Gospel Upon this account Theodoret does with no less truth than elegancy insult and triumph over the Heathens He tells them that whoever would be at the pains to compare the best Law-makers either amongst the Greeks or Romans with our Fishermen and Publicans would soon perceive what a Divine vertue and efficacy there was in them above all others whereby they did not only conquer their neighbours not only the Greeks and Romans but brought over the most barbarous Nations to a compliance with the Laws of the Gospel and that not by force of Arms not by numerous bands of Souldiers not by methods of torture and cruelty but by meek perswasives and a convincing the World of the excellency and usefulness of those Laws which they propounded to them A thing which the wisest and best men of the Heathen-world could never do to make their dogmata and institutions universally obtain nay that Plato himself could never by all his plausible and insinuative arts make his Laws to be entertained by his own dear Athenians He farther shews them that the Laws published by our Fishermen and Tent-makers could never be abolished like those made by the best amongst them by the policies of Caius the power of Claudius the cruelties of Nero or any of the succeeding Emperors but still they went on conquering and to conquer and made Millions both of Men and Women willing to embrace flames and to encounter Death in its most horrid shapes rather than disown and forsake them whereof he calls to witness those many Churches and Monuments every where erected to the memory of Christian Martyrs no less to the honour than advantage of those Cities and Countries and in some sence to all Mankind 7. THE summ of the Discourse is in the Apostles words that God chose the foolish things of the world to confound the wise the weak to confound those that are mighty the base things of the world things most vilified and despised yea and things which are not to bring to nought things that are These were the things these the Persons whom God sent upon this errand to silence the Wise the Scribe and the Disputer of this World and to make foolish the wisdom of this World For though the Jews required a sign and the Greeks sought after wisdom though the preaching a crucified Saviour was a scandal to the Jews and foolishness to the learned Graecians yet by this foolishness of preaching God was pleased to save them that believed and in the event made it appear that the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God stronger than men That so the honour of all might intirely redound to himself so the Apostle concludes that no Flesh should glory in his presence but that he that glorieth should glory in the Lord. SECT II. Of S. Peter from his first coming to Christ till his being call'd to be a Disciple Peter before his coming to Christ a Disciple probably of John the Baptist His first approaches to Christ. Our Lord's communication with him His return to his Trade Christ ' s entring into Peter ' s Ship and preaching to the people at the Sea of Galilee The miraculous draught of Fishes Peter ' s great astonishment at this evidence of our Lord's Divinity His call to be a Disciple Christ 's return to Capernaum and healing Peter 's Mother-in-Law THOUGH we find not whether Peter before his coming to Christ was engag'd in any of the particular Sects at this time in the Jewish Church yet is it greatly probable that he was one of the Disciples of John the Baptist. For first 't is certain that his brother Andrew was so and we can hardly think these two brothers should draw contrary ways or that he who was so ready to bring his brother the early tidings of the Messiah that the Sun of righteousness was already risen in those parts should not be as solicitous to bring him under the discipline and influences of John the Baptist the Day-star that went before him Secondly Peter's forwardness and curiosity at the first news of Christ's appearing to come to him and converse with him shew that his expectations had been awakened and some light in this matter conveyed to him by the preaching and ministry of John who was the voice of one crying in the wilderness Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths straight shewing them who it was that was coming after him 2. HIS first acquaintance with Christ commenced in this manner The Blessed Jesus having for thirty years passed through the solitudes of a private life had lately been baptized in Jordan and there publickly owned to be the Son of God by the most solemn attestations that Heaven could give him whereupon he was immediately hurried into the wilderness to a personal contest with the Devil for forty days together So natural is it to the enemy of mankind to malign our happiness and to seek to blast our joys when we are under the highest instances of the Divine grace and favour His enemy being conquered in three set battels and fled he returned hence and came down to Bethabar a beyond Jordan where John was baptizing his
Saviour telling him how infinitely they were pleased and delighted with their being there and to that purpose desiring his leave that they might erect three Tabernacles one for him one for Moses and one for Elias While he was thus saying a bright cloud suddenly over-shadowed the two great Ministers and wrapt them up out of which came a voice This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased hear ye him which when the Apostles heard and saw the cloud coming over themselves they were seized with a great consternation and fell upon their faces to the ground whom our Lord gently touched bad them arise and disband their fears whereupon looking up they saw none but their Master the rest having vanished and disappeared In memory of these great transactions Bede tells us that in pursuance of S. Peter's petition about the three Tabernacles there were afterwards three Churches built upon the top of this Mountain which in after times were had in great veneration which might possibly give some foundation to that report which one makes that in his time there were shew'd the ruines of those three Tabernacles which were built according to S. Peter's desire 6. After this our Lord and his Apostles having travelled through Galilee the gatherers of the Tribute-money came to Peter and asked him whether his Master was not obliged to pay the Tribute which God under the Mosaick Law commanded to be yearly paid by every Jew above Twenty Years old to the use of the Temple which so continued to the times of Vespatian under whom the Temple being destroyed it was by him transferred to the use of the Capitol at Rome being to the value of half a Shekel or Fifteen pence of our money To this question of theirs Peter positively answers yes knowing his Master would never be backward either to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's or to God the things that are God's Peter going into the house to give an account to his Master and to know his mind concerning it Christ prevented him with this question What thinkest thou Simon of whom do Earthly Kings exact Tribute of their own Children and Family or from other People Peter answered Not from their own Servants and Family but from Strangers To which our Lord presently replied That then according to his own argument and opinion both he himself as being the Son of God and they whom he had taken to be his Menial and Domestick Servants were free from this Tax of Head-money yearly to be paid to God But rather than give offence by seeming to despise the Temple and to undervalue that Authority that had settled this Tribute he resolves to put himself to the expence and charges of a Miracle and therefore commanded Peter to go to the Sea and take up the first Fish which came to his Hook in whose mouth he should find a piece of money a Stater in value a Shekel or half a Crown which he took and gave to the Collectors both for his Master and himself 7. OUR Lord after this discoursing to them how to carry themselves towards their offending Brethren Peter being desirous to be more particularly informed in this matter asked our Saviour How oft a man was obliged to forgive his Brother in case of offence and trespass whether seven times were not enough He told him That upon his Neighbours repentance he was not only bound to do it seven times but until seventy times seven that is he must be indulgent to him as oft as the offender returns and begs it and heartily professes his sorrow and repentance Which he further illustrates by a plain and excellent Parable and thence draws this Conclusion That the same measures either of compassion or cruelty which men show to their fellow Brethren they themselves shall meet with at the hands of God the Supreme Ruler and Justiciary of the World It was not long after when a brisk young man addressed himself to our Saviour to know of him by what methods he might best attain Eternal life Our Lord to humble his confidence bad him sell his Estate and give it to the poor and putting himself under his discipline he should have a much better treasure in Heaven The man was rich and liked not the counsel nor was he willing to purchase happiness at such a rate and accordingly went away under great sorrow and discontent Upon which Christ takes occasion to let them know how hardly those men would get to Heaven who build their comfort and happiness upon the plenty and abundance of these outward things Peter taking hold of this opportunity ask'd What return they themselves should make who had quitted and renounced whatever they had for his sake and service Our Saviour answers that no man should be a loser by his service that for their parts they should be recompenced with far greater priviledges and that whoever should forsake houses or lands kindred and relations out of love to him and his Religion should enjoy them again with infinite advantages in this World if consistent with the circumstances of their state and those troubles and persecutions which would necessarily arise from the profession of the Gospel however they should have what would make infinite amends for all Eternal life in the other World 8. OUR Saviour in order to his last fatal journey to Jerusalem that he might the better comply with the prophecy that went before of him sent two of his Apostles who in all probability were Peter and John with an Authoritative Commission to fetch him an Asse to ride on he had none of his own he who was rich for our sakes made himself poor he lived upon charity all his life had neither an Asse to ride on nor an House where to lay his head no nor after his death a Tomb to lie in but what the charity of others provided for him whereon being mounted and attended with the festivities of the people he set forward in his journey wherein there appears an admirable mixture of humility and Majesty The Asse he rode on became the meanness and meekness of a Prophet but his arbitrary Commission for the fetching it and the ready obedience of its owners spake the prerogative of a King The Palms born before him the Garments strew'd in his way and the joyful Hosannahs and Acclamations of the people proclaim at once both the Majesty of a Prince and the Triumph of a Saviour For such expressions of joy we find were usual in publick and festival solemnities thus the Historian describing the Emperor Commodus his triumphant return to Rome tells us that the Senate and whole people of Rome to testifie their mighty kindness and veneration for him came out of the City to meet him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 carrying Palms and Laurels along with them and throwing about all sorts of Flowers that were then in season In this manner our Lord being entred the City he soon after
threefold denial had given so much cause to question should now by a threefold confession give more than ordinary assurance of his sincere affection to his Master Peter was a little troubled at this frequent questioning of his love and therefore more expresly appeals to our Lord's omnisciency that He who knew all things must needs know that he loved him To each of these confessions our Lord added this signal trial of his affection then Feed my sheep that is faithfully instruct and teach them carefully rule and guide them perswade not compel them feed not fleece nor kill them And so 't is plain S. Peter himself understood it by the charge which he gives to the Guides and Rulers of the Church that they should feed the Flock of God taking the over-sight thereof not by constraint but willingly not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind Neither as being Lords over God's heritage but as examples to the flock But that by feeding Christ's Sheep and Lambs here commended to S. Peter should be meant an universal and uncontrollable Monarchy and Dominion over the whole Christian Church and that over the Apostles themselves and their Successors in ordinary and this power and supremacy solely invested in S. Peter and those who were to succeed him in the See of Rome is so wild an inference and such a melting down words to run into any shape as could never with any face have been offered or been possible to have been imposed upon the belief of mankind if men had not first subdued their reason to their interest and captivated both to an implicite faith and a blind obedience For granting that our Lord here addressed his speech only unto Peter yet the very same power in equivalent terms is elsewhere indifferently granted to all the Apostles and in some measure to the ordinary Pastors and Governours of the Church As when our Lord told them That all power was given him in Heaven and in Earth by vertue whereof they should go teach and baptize all Nations and preach the Gospel to every Creature That they should feed God's flock Rule well inspect and watch over those over whom they had the Authority and the Rule Words of as large and more express signification than those which were here spoken to S. Peter 5. OUR Lord having thus engaged Peter to a chearful compliance with the dangers that might attend the discharge and execution of his Office now particularly intimates to him what that fate was that should attend him telling him that though when he was young he girt himself lived at his own pleasure and went whither he pleased yet when he was old he should stretch forth his hands and another should gird and bind him and lead him whither he had no mind to go intimating as the Evangelist tells us by what death he should glorifie God that is by Crucifixion the Martyrdom which he afterward underwent And then rising up commanded him to follow him by this bodily attendance mystically implying his conformity to the death of Christ that he should follow him in dying for the truth and testimony of the Gospel It was not long after that our Lord appeared to them to take his last farewell of them when leading them out unto Bethany a little Village upon the Mount of Olives he briefly told them That they were the persons whom he had chosen to be the witnesses both of his Death and Resurrection a testimony which they should bear to him in all parts of the World In order to which he would after his Ascension pour out his Spirit upon them in larger measures than they had hitherto received that they might be the better fortified to grapple with that violent rage and fury wherewith both Men and Devils would endeavour to oppose them and that in the mean time they should return to Jerusalem and stay till these miraculous powers were from on high conferred upon them His discourse being ended laying his hands upon them he gave them his solemn blessing which done he was immediately taken from them and being attended with a glorious guard and train of Angels was received up into Heaven Antiquity tells us that in the place where he last trod upon the rock the impression of his feet did remain which could never afterwards be fill'd up or impaired over which Helena Mother of the Great Constantine afterwards built a little Chappel called the Chappel of the Ascension in the floor whereof upon a whitish kind of stone modern Travellers tell us that the impression of his Foot is shewed at this day but 't is that of his right foot only the other being taken away by the Turks and as 't is said kept in the Temple at Jerusalem Our Lord being thus taken from them the Apostles were filled with a greater sense of his glory and majesty than while he was wont familiarly to converse with them and having performed their solemn adorations to him returned back to Jerusalem waiting for the promise of the Holy Ghost which was shortly after conferred upon them They worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy They who lately were overwhelmed with sorrow at the very mention of their Lord's departure from them entertained it now with joy and triumph being fully satisfied of his glorious advancement at God's right hand and of that particular care and providence which they were sure he would exercise towards them in pursuance of those great trusts he had committed to them SECT VII S. Peter's Acts from our Lord's Ascension till the Dispersion of the Church The Apostles return to Jerusalem The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or upper-room where they assembled what Peter declares the necessity of a new Apostles being chosen in the room of Judas The promise of the Holy Ghost made good upon the day of Pentecost The Spirit descended in the likeness of fiery cloven tongues and why The greatness of the Miracle Peter's vindication of the Apostles from the slanders of the Jews and proving Christ to be the promised Messiah Great numbers converted by his Sermon His going up to the Temple What their stated hours of Prayer His curing the impotent Gripple there and discourse to the Jews upon it What numbers converted by him Peter and John seised and cast into Prison Brought before the Sanhedrim and their resolute carriage there Their refusing to obey when commanded not to preach Christ. The great security the Christian Religion provides for subjection to Magistrates in all lawful instances of Obedience The severity used by Peter towards Ananias and Saphirak The great Miracles wrought by him Again cast into Prison and delivered by an Angel Their appearing before the Sanhedrim and deliverance by the prudent counsels of Gamaliel 1. THE Holy Jesus being gone to Heaven the Apostles began to act according to the Power and Commission he had left with them In order whereunto the first thing they did after his Ascension was to fill up the
the body commanded her to arise and lifting her up by the hand presented her in perfect health to her friends and those that were about her by which he confirmed many and converted more to the Faith After which he staid some considerable time at Joppa lodging in the house of Simon a Tanner 3. WHILE he abode in this City retiring one morning to the house-top to pray as the Jews frequently did having thence a free and open prospect towards Jerusalem and the Temple it being now near Noon which was the conclusion of one of their stated times of Prayer he found himself hungry and called for meat but while it was preparing he himself fell into a Trance wherein was presented to him a large sheet let down from Heaven containing all sorts of Creatures clean and unclean a voice at the same time calling to him that he should rise kill freely and indifferently feed upon them Peter tenacious as yet of the Rites and Institutions of the Mosaick Law rejoyn'd That he could not do it having never eaten any thing that was common or unclean To which the voice replied That what God had cleansed he should not account or call common Which being done thrice the Vessel was again taken up into Heaven and the Vision presently disappeared By this symbolick representment though Peter at present knew not what to make of it God was teaching him a new lesson and preparing him to go upon an Errand and Embassy which the Spirit at the same time expresly commanded him to undertake While he was in this doubtful posture of mind three messengers knock'd at the door enquiring for him from whom he received this account That Cornelius a Roman Captain of a Band of Italian Souldiers at Caesarea a person of great Piety and Religion being a Proselyte of the Gate who though not observing an exact conformity to the Rites of the Mosaick Law did yet maintain some general correspondence with it and lived under the obligation of the seven Precepts of the Sons of Noah had by an immediate command from God sent for him The next day Peter accompanied with some of the Brethren went along with them and the day after they came to Caesarea Against whose arrival Cornelius had summoned his friends and kindred to his house Peter arriving Cornelius who was affected with a mighty reverence for so great a Person fell at his Feet and worshipped him a way of address frequent in those Eastern Countries towards Princes and great men but by the Greeks and Romans appropriated as a peculiar honour to the Gods Peter rejecting the honour as due only to God entred into the house where he first made his Apology to the Company that though they could not but know that it was not lawful for a Jew to converse in the duties of Religion with those of another Nation yet that now God had taught him another lesson And then proceeded particularly to enquire the reason of Cornelius his sending for him Whereupon Cornelius told him That four days since being conversant in the duties of Fasting and Prayer an Angel had appeared to him and told him that his Prayers and Alms were come up for a memorial before God that he should send to Joppa for one Simon Peter who lodged in a Tanner's house by the Sea side who should further make known his mind to him that accordingly he had sent and being now come they were there met to hear what he had to say to them Where we see that though God sent an Angel to Cornelius to acquaint him with his will yet the Angel was only to direct him to the Apostle for instruction in the Faith which no doubt was done partly that God might put the greater honour upon an institution that was likely to meet with contempt and scorn enough from the World partly to let us see that we are not to expect extraordinary and miraculous ways of teaching and information where God affords ordinary means 4. HEREUPON Peter began this discourse that by comparing things it was now plain and evident that the partition-wall was broken down that God had no longer a particular kindness for Nations or Persons that it was not the Nation but the Religion not the outward quality of the man but the inward temper of the mind that recommends men to God that the devout and the pious the righteous and the good man where-ever he be is equally dear to Heaven that God has as much respect for a just and a virtuous person in the Wilds of Scythia as upon Mount Sion that the reconciling and making peace between God and Man by Jesus Christ was the Doctrine published by the Prophets of old and of late since the times of John preached through Galilee and Judaea viz. that God had anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with Divine Powers and Graces in the exercise whereof he constantly went about to do good to men that they had seen all he had done amongst the Jews whom though they had slain and crucified yet that God had raised him again the third day and had openly show'd him to his Apostles and followers whom he had chosen to be his peculiar witnesses and whom to that end he had admitted to eat and drink with him after his Resurrection commanding them to preach the Gospel to Mankind and to testifie that he was the person whom God had ordained to be the great Judge of the World that all the Prophets with one consent bore witness of him that this Jesus is he in whose Name whosoever believes should certainly receive remission of sins While Peter was thus preaching to them the Holy Ghost fell upon a great part of his Auditory enabling them to speak several Languages and therein to magnifie the giver of them Whereat the Jews who came along with Peter did sufficiently wonder to see that the gifts of the Holy Ghost should be poured upon the Gentiles Peter seeing this told the Company that he knew no reason why these persons should not be baptized having received the Holy Ghost as well as they and accordingly commanded them to be baptized For whose further confirmation he staid some time longer with them This act of Peter's made a great noise among the Apostles and Brethren at Jerusalem who being lately converted from their Judaism were as yet zealous for the Religion of their Country and therefore severely charged Peter at his return for his too familiar conversing with the Gentiles See here the powerful prejudice of education The Jews had for several Ages conceived a radicated and inveterate prejudice against the Gentiles Indeed the Law of Moses commanded them to be peculiarly kind to their own Nation and the Rites and Institutions of their Religion and the peculiar form of their Commonwealth made them different from the fashion of other Countries a separation which in after-times they drew into a narrower compass Besides they were mightily puffed up with their external priviledges that
enriched the Church with Gifts and Ornaments which in every Age encreased in Splendor and Riches till it is become one of the wonders of the World at this day Of whose glories stateliness and beauty and those many venerable Monuments of antiquity that are in it they who desire to know more may be plentifully satisfied by Onuphrius Only one amongst the rest must not be forgotten there being kept that very wooden Chair wherein S. Peter sate when he was at Rome by the only touching whereof many Miracles are said to be performed But surely Baronius his wisdom and gravity were from home when speaking of this Chair and fearing that Hereticks would imagine that it might be rotten in so long a time he tells us that it 's no wonder that this Chair should be preserved so long when Eusebius affirms that the wooden Chair of S. James Bishop of Jerusalem was extant in the time of Constantine But the Cardinal it seems forgot to consider that there is some difference between three and sixteen hundred Years But of this enough S. Peter was crucified according to the common computation in the Year of Christ sixty nine and the thirteenth or as Eusebius the fourteenth of Nero how truly may be enquired afterwards SECT X. The Character of his Person and Temper and an Account of his Writings The description of S. Peter ' s person An account of his Temper A natural fervor and eagerness predominant in him Fierceness and animosity peculiarly remarkable in the Galileans The abatements of his zeal and courage His humility and lowliness of mind His great love to and Zeal for Christ. His constancy and resolution in confessing Christ. His faithfulness and diligence in his Office His Writings genuine and supposititious His first Epistle what the design of it What meant by Babylon whence it was dated His second Epistle a long time questioned and why Difference in the style no considerable objection Grotius his conceit of its being written by Symeon Bishop of Jerusalem exploded A concurrence of circumstances to entitle S. Peter to it Some things in it referred to which he had preached at Rome particularly the destruction of Jerusalem Written but a little before his death The spurious Writings attributed to him mentioned by the Ancients His Acts. Gospel Petri Praedicatio His Apocalypse Judicium Petri. Peter ' s married relation His Wife the companion of his Travels Her Martyrdom His Daughter Petronilla 1. HAVING run through the current History of S. Peter's Life it may not be amiss in the next place to survey a little his Person and Temper His Body if we may believe the description given of him by Nicephorus was somewhat slender of a middle size but rather inclining to tallness his complexion very pale and almost white The hair of his Head and Beard curl'd and thick but withall short though S. Hierom tells us out of Clemens his Periods that he was Bald which probably might be in his declining age his Eyes black but speckt with red which Baronius will have to proceed from his frequent weeping his Eye-brows thin or none at all his Nose long but rather broad and flat than sharp such was the Case and out-side Let us next look inwards and view the Jewel that was within Take him as a Man and there seems to have been a natural eagerness predominant in his Temper which as a Whetstone sharpned his Soul for all bold and generous undertakings It was this in a great measure that made him so forward to speak and to return answers sometimes before he had well considered them It was this made him expose his person to the most eminent dangers promise those great things in behalf of his Master and resolutely draw his Sword in his quarrel against a whole Band of Souldiers and wound the High-Priests Servant and possibly he had attempted greater matters had not our Lord restrained and taken him off by that seasonable check that he gave him 2. THIS Temper he owed in a great measure to the Genius and nature of his Country of which Josephus gives this true character That it naturally bred in men a certain fierceness and animosity whereby they were fearlesly carried out upon any action and in all things shew'd a great strength and courage both of mind and body The Galileans says he being fighters from their childhood the men being as seldom overtaken with cowardize as their Country with want of men And yet notwithstanding this his fervor and fierceness had its intervals there being some times when the Paroxysms of his heat and courage did intermit and the man was surprised and betrayed by his own fears Witness his passionate crying out when he was upon the Sea in danger of his life and his fearful deserting his Master in the Garden but especially his carriage in the High-Priests Hall when the confident charge of a sorry Maid made him sink so far beneath himself and notwithstanding his great and resolute promises so shamefully deny his Master and that with curses and imprecations But he was in danger and passion prevailed over his understanding and fear betrayed the succours which reason offered and being intent upon nothing but the present safety of his life he heeded not what he did when he disown'd his Master to save himself so dangerous is it to be left to our selves and to have our natural passions let ' loose upon us 3. CONSIDER him as a Disciple and a Christian and we shall find him exemplary in the great instances of Religion Singular his Humility and lowliness of mind With what a passionate earnestness upon the conviction of a Miracle did he beg of our Saviour to depart from him accounting himself not worthy that the Son of God should come near so vile a sinner When our Lord by that wonderful condescension stoopt to wash his Apostles feet he could by no means be perswaded to admit it not thinking it fit that so great a person should submit himself to so servile an office towards so mean a person as himself nor could he be induced to accept it till our Lord was in a manner forced to threaten him into obedience When Cornelius heightned in his apprehensions of him by an immediate command from God concerning him would have entertained him with expressions of more than ordinary honour and veneration so far was he from complying with it that he plainly told him he was no other than such a man as himself With how much candor and modesty does he treat the inferiour Rulers and Ministers of the Church He upon whom Antiquity heaps so many honourable titles stiling himself no other than their fellow-Presbyter Admirable his love to and zeal for his Master which he thought he could never express at too high a rate for his sake venturing on the greatest dangers and exposing himself to the most imminent hazards of life 'T was in his quarrel that he drew his Sword against a Band
Jewish Sanhedrim and President of it at that very time when our Blessed Saviour was brought before it He lived to a great Age and was buried by Onkelos the Proselyte Author of the Chaldee Paraphrase one who infinitely loved and honoured him at his own vast expence and charge He it was that made that wise and excellent speech in the Sanhedrim in favour of the Apostles and their Religion Nay he himself is said though I know not why to have been a Christian and his sitting amongst the Senators to have been conniv'd at by the Apostles that he might be the better friend to their affairs Chrysippus Presbyter of the Church of Jerusalem adds that he was brothers son to Nicodemus together with whom he and his son Abib were baptized by Peter and John This account he derives from Lucian a Presbyter also of that Church under John Patriarch of Jerusalem who in an Epistle of his still extant tells us that he had this together with some other things communicated to him in a Vision by Gamaliel himself Which if true no better evidence could be desired in this matter At the feet of this Gamaliel S. Paul tells us he was brought up alluding to the custom of the Jewish Masters who were wont to sit while their Disciples and Scholars stood at their feet Which honorary custom continued till the death of this Gamaliel and was then left off Their own Talmud telling us That since old Rabban Gamaliel died the honour of the Law was perished Purity and Pharisaism were destroyed which the Gloss thus explains That whilest he lived men were sound and studied the Law standing but he being dead weakness crept into the World and they were forced to sit 6. UNDER the Tuition of this great Master S. Paul was Educated in the knowledge of the Law wherein he made such quick and vast improvements that he soon out-stript his fellow-Disciples Amongst the various Sects at that time in the Jewish Church he was especially Educated in the Principles and Institutions of the Pharisees Of which Sect was both his Father and his Master whereof he became a most earnest and zealous professor This being as himself tells us the strictest Sect of their Religion For the understanding whereof it may not be amiss a little to enquire into the Temper and Manners of this Sect. Josephus though himself a Pharisee gives this character of them That they were a crafty and subtil generation of men and so perverse even to Princes themselves that they would not fear many times openly to affront and oppose them And so far had they insinuated themselves into the affections and estimations of the populacy that their good or ill word was enough to make or blast any one with the People who would implicitly believe them let their report be never so false or malicious And therefore Alexander Jannaeus when he lay a dying wisely advised his Queen by all means to comply with them and to seem to Govern by their counsel and direction affirming that this had been the greatest cause of his fatal miscarriage and that which had derived the odium of the Nation upon him that he had offended this sort of men Certain it is that they were infinitely proud and insolent surly and ill-natured that they hated all mankind but themselves and censured whoever would not be of their way as a Villain and a Reprobate greatly zealous to gather Proselytes to their party not to make them more religious but more fierce and cruel more carping and censorious more heady and high-minded in short twofold more the children of the Devil than they were before All Religion and kindness was confined within the bounds of their own party and the first principles wherewith they inspired their new converts were That none but they were the godly party and that all other persons were slaves and sons of the Earth and therefore especially endeavoured to inspire them with a mighty zeal and fierceness against all that differed from them so that if any one did but speak a good word of our Saviour he should be presently excommunicated and cast out persecuted and devoted to the death To this end they were wont not only to separate but discriminate themselves from the herd and community by some peculiar notes and badges of distinction such as their long Robes broad Phylacteries and their large Fringes and Borders of their Garments whereby they made themselves known from the rest of men These dogged and ill-natured principles together with their seditious unnatural unjust unmerciful and uncharitable behaviour which otherwise would have made them stink above-ground in the nostrils of men they sought to palliate and varnish over with a more than ordinary pretence and profession of Religion but were especially active and diligent in what cost them little the outward instances of Religion such duties especially as did more immediately refer to God as frequent fasting and praying which they did very often and very long with demure and mortified looks in a whining and an affected tone and this almost in every corner of the streets and indeed so contrived the scheme of their Religion that what they did might appear above-ground where they might be seen of men to the best advantage 7. THOUGH this seems to have been the general temper and disposition of the party yet doubtless there were some amongst them of better and honester principles than the rest In which number we have just reason to reckon our Apostle who yet was deeply leavened with the active and fiery genius of the Sect not able to brook any opposite party in Religion especially if late and novel Insomuch that when the Jews were resolved to do execution upon Stephen he stood by and kept the cloaths of them that did it Whether he was any further engaged in the death of this innocent and good man we do not find However this was enough loudly to proclaim his approbation and consent And therefore elsewhere we find him indicting himself for this fact and pleading guilty When the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept the raiment of them that slew him God chiefly inspects the heart and if the vote be passed there writes the man guilty though he stir no farther 'T is easie to murder another by a silent wish or a passionate desire In all moral actions God values the will for the deed and reckons the man a companion in the sin who though possibly he may never actually joyn in it does yet inwardly applaud and like it The storm thus begun encreased a pace and a violent persecution began to arise which miserably afflicted and dispersed the Christians at Jerusalem In which our Apostle was a prime Agent and Minister raging about in all parts with a mad and ungovernable zeal searching out the Saints beating them in the Synagogues compelling many to blaspheme imprisoning others
Philo tells Caius the Emperor suffered the Jews to inhabit the Transtiberin Region and undisturbedly to live according to the Rites of their Institutions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also to have their Proseucha's and to meet in them especially upon their holy Sabbaths that they might be familiarly instructed in the Laws and Religion of their Countrey Such they had also in other places especially where they had not or were not suffered to have Synagogues for their publick worship But to return 4. AS they were going to this Oratory they were often followed by a Pythonesse a Maid-servant acted by a spirit of Divination who openly cried out That these men were the servants of the most high God who came to shew the way of Salvation to the World So easily can Heaven extort a Testimony from the mouth of Hell But S. Paul to shew how little he needed Satan to be his witness commanded the Daemon to come out which immediately left her The evil Spirit thus thrown out of possession presently raised a storm against the Apostles for the Masters of the Damsel who used by her Diabolical arts to raise great advantages to themselves being sensible that now their gainful Trade was spoil'd resolved to be revenged on them that had spoiled it Accordingly they laid hold upon them and drag'd them before the Seat of Judicature insinuating to the Governours that these men were Jews and sought to introduce different customs and ways of worship contrary to the Laws of the Roman Empire The Magistrates and People were soon agreed the one to give Sentence the other to set upon the Execution In fine they were stript beaten and then commanded to be thrown into Prison and the Jaylor charged to keep them with all possible care and strictness Who to make sure of his charge thrust them into the Inner-Dungeon and made their feet fast in the Stocks But a good man can turn a Prison into a Chappel and make a den of Thieves to be an house of Prayer Our feet cannot be bound so fast to the Earth but that still our hearts may mount up to Heaven At midnight the Apostles were over-heard by their fellow-prisoners praying and singing Hymns to God But after the still voice came the Tempest An Earthquake suddenly shook the foundations of the Prison the Doors flew open and their Chains fell off The Jaylor awaking with this amazing accident concluded with himself that the Prisoners were fled and to prevent the Sentence of publick Justice was going to lay violent hands upon himself which S. Paul espying called out to him to hold his hand and told him they were all there Who thereupon came in to them with a greater Earthquake in his own Conscience and falling down before them asked them What he should do to be saved They told him there was no other way of Salvation for him or his than an hearty and sincere embracing of the Faith of Christ. What a happy change does Christianity make in the minds of men How plain does it smooth the roughest tempers and instill the sweetest principles of civility and good nature He who but a little before had tyrannized over the Apostles with the most merciless and cruel usage began now to treat them with all the arts of kindness and charity bringing them out of the Dungeon and washing their stripes and wounds and being more fully instructed in the principles of Christianity was together with his whole Family immediately baptized by them Early in the morning the Magistrates sent Officers privately to release them Which the Apostles refused telling them That they were not only innocent persons but Romans that they had been illegally condemned and beaten that therefore their delivery should be as publick as the injury and an open vindication of their innocency and that they themselves that had sent them thither should fetch them thence for the Roman Government was very tender of the lives and liberties of its own subjects those especially that were free Denizens of Rome every injury offered to a Roman being look'd upon as an affront against the Majesty of the whole People of Rome Such a one might not be beaten but to be scourged or bound without being first legally heard and tried was not only against the Roman but the Laws of all Nations and the more publick any injury was the greater was its aggravation and the Laws required a more strict and solemn reparation S. Paul who was a Roman and very well understood the Laws and priviledges of Rome insisted upon this to the great startling and affrighting of the Magistrates who sensible of their error came to the Prison and intreated them to depart Whereupon going to Lydia's house and having saluted and encouraged the Brethren they departed from that place 5. LEAVING Philippi they came next to Thessalonica the Metropolis of Macedonia where Paul according to his custom presently went to the Jewish Synagogue for three Sabbath days reasoning and disputing with them proving from the predictions of the Old Testament that the Messiah was to suffer and to rise again and that the blessed Jesus was this Messiah Great numbers especially of religious Proselytes were converted by his preaching while like the Sun that melts wax but hardens clay it wrought a quite contrary effect in the unbelieving Jews who presently set themselves to blow up the City into a tumult and an uproar and missing S. Paul who had withdrawn himself they fell foul upon Jason in whose house he lodged representing to the Magistrates that they were enemies to Caesar and sought to undermine the peace and prosperity of the Roman Empire At night Paul and Silas were conducted by the Brethren to Beraea Where going to the Synagogue they found the People of a more noble and generous a more pliable and ingenuous temper ready to entertain the Christian Doctrine but yet not willing to take it merely upon the Apostles word till they had first compared his preaching with what the Scriptures say of the Messiah and his Doctrine And the success was answerable in those great numbers that came over to them But the Jewish malice pursued them still for hearing at Thessalonica what entertainment they had found in this place they presently came down to exasperate and stir up the People To avoid which S. Paul leaving Silas and Timothy behind him thought good to withdraw himself from that place 6. FROM Beroea he went to Athens one of the most renowned Cities in the World excelling all others says an Ancient Historian in Antiquity Humanity and Learning Indeed it was the great seat of Arts and Learning and as Cicero will have it the Fountain whence Civility Learning Religion Arts and Laws were derived into all other Nations So universally flocked to by all that had but the least kindness for the Muses or good Manners that he who had not seen Athens was accounted a Block he who having seen it was not in love with
it a dull stupid Asse and he who after he had seen it could be willing to leave it fit for nothing but to be a Pack-Horse Here among the several Sects of Philosophers he had more particular contests with the Stoicks and Epicureans who beyond all the rest seemed enemies to Christianity The Epicureans because they found their pleasant and jovial humour and their loose and exorbitant course of life so much checked and controlled by the strict and severe precepts of Christ and that Christianity so plainly and positively asserted a Divine providence that governs the World and that will adjudge to men suitable rewards and punishments in another World The Stoicks on the other hand though pretending to principles of great and uncommon rigour and severity and such as had nearest affinity to the doctrines of the Christian Religion yet found themselves aggrieved with it That meek and humble temper of mind that modesty and self-denial which the Gospel so earnestly recommends to us and so strictly requires of us being so directly contrary to the immoderate pride and ambition of that Sect who beyond all proportions of reason were not ashamed to make their wise man equal to and in some things to exceed God himself 7. WHILE S. Paul staid at Athens in expectation of Silas and Timothy to come to him he went up and down to take a more curious view and survey of the City which he found miserably overgrown with Superstition and Idolatry As indeed Athens was noted by all their own Writers for far greater numbers of Deities and Idols than all Greece besides They were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Strabo notes Not more fond of strangers and novelties in other things than forward to comply with novelties in Religion ready to entertain any foreign Deities and Rites of worship no Divinity that was elsewhere adored coming amiss to them Whence Athens is by one of their own Orators stiled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Summ and Center of Piety and Religion And he there aggravates the impiety of Epicurus in speaking unworthily and irreverently of the Gods from the place where he did it at Athens a place so pious so devoted to them Indeed herein justly commendable that they could not brook the least dishonourable reflexion upon any Deity and therefore Apollonius Tyanaeus tells Timasion that the safest way was to speak well of all the Gods and especially at Athens where Altars were dedicated even to Unknown Gods And so S. Paul here found it for among the several Shrines and places of Worship and Devotion he took more particular notice of one Altar inscrib'd To the Unknown God The intire Inscription whereof the Apostle quotes only part of the last words is thought to have been this TO the Gods of Asia Europe and Africa to the strange and UNKNOWN GOD. Saint Hierom represents it in the same manner onely makes it Gods in the plural number which because says he Saint Paul needed not he only cited it in the singular Which surely he affirms without any just ground and warrant though it cannot be denied but that Heathen Writers make frequent mention of the Altars of Unknown Gods that were at Athens as there want not others who speak of some erected there to an unknown God This Notion the Athenians might probably borrow from the Hebrews who had the Name of God in great secrecy and veneration This being one of the Titles given him by the Prophet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a hidden God or a God that hides himself Sure I am that Justin Martyr tells us that one of the principal names given to God by some of the Heathens was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one altogether hidden Hence the Egyptians probably derived their great God Ammon or more truly Amun which signifies occult or hidden Accordingly in this passage of S. Paul the Syriac Interpreter renders it the Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the hidden God The Jews were infinitely superstitious in concealing the Name of God not thinking it lawful ordinarily to pronounce it This made the Gentiles strangers at best both to the Language and Religion of the Jews at a great loss by what Name to call him only stiling him in general an uncertain unspeakable invisible Deity whence Caligula in his ranting Oration to the Jews told them that wretches as they were though they refused to own him whom all others had confessed to be a Deity yet they could worship 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their own nameless God And hence the Gentiles derived their custom of keeping secret the name of their Gods Thus Plutarch tells us of the Tutelar Deity of Rome that it was not lawful to name it or so much as to enquire what Sex it was of whether God or Goddess and that for once revealing it Valerius Soranus though Tribune of the People came to an untimely end and was crucified the vilest and most dishonourable kind of death Whereof among other reasons he assigns this that by concealing the Author of their publick safety 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not he only but all the other Gods might have due honour and worship paid to them Hence in their publick adorations after the Invocation of particular Deities they were wont to add some more general and comprehensive form as when Cicero had been making his address to most of their particular Gods he concludes with a Caeteros item Deos Deasque omnes imploro atque obtestor Usually the form was DII DEAEQUE OMNES. The reason whereof was this that not being assured many times what that peculiar Deity was that was proper to their purpose or what numbers of Gods there were in the World they would not affront or offend any by seeming to neglect and pass them by And this Chrysostome thinks to have been particularly designed in the erection of this Athenian Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they were afraid left there might be some other Deity besides those whom they particularly worshipped as yet unknown to them though honoured and adored elsewhere and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the more security they dedicated an Altar to the unknown God As for the particular occasion of erecting these Altars at Athens omitting that of Pans appearing to Philippides mentioned by Oecumenius the most probable seems to be this When a great Plague raged at Athens and several means had been attempted for the removal of it they were advised by Epimenides the Philosopher to build an Altar and dedicate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the proper and peculiar Deity to whom it did appertain be he what he would A course which proving successful no doubt gave occasion to them by way of gratitude to erect more shrines to this unknown God And accordingly Laertius who lived long after Paul's time tells us that there were such nameless Altars he means such as were not inscribed to any particular Deity in
Baptism and the Apostle laying his hands upon them they immediately received the Holy Ghost in the gift of Tongues Prophecy and other miraculous powers conferred upon them 4. AFTER this he entred into the Jewish Synagogues where for the first three months he contended and disputed with the Jews endeavouring with great earnestness and resolution to convince them of the truth of those things that concerned the Christian Religion But when instead of success he met with nothing but refractoriness and infidelity he left the Synagogue and taking those with him whom he had converted instructed them and others that resorted to him in the School of one Tyrannus a place where Scholars were wont to be educated and instructed In this manner he continued for two years together In which time the Jews and Proselytes of the whole Proconsular Asia had opportunity of having the Gospel preached to them And because Miracles are the clearest evidence of a Divine commission and the most immediate Credentials of Heaven those which do nearliest affect our senses and consequently have the strongest influence upon our minds therefore God was pleased to ratifie the doctrine which S. Paul delivered by great and miraculous operations and those of somewhat a more peculiar and extraordinary nature Insomuch that he did not only heal those that came to him but if Napkins or Handkerchiefs were but touched by him and applied unto the sick their diseases immediately vanished and the Daemons and evil Spirits departed out of those that were possessed by them 5. EPHESUS above all other places in the World was noted of old for the study of Magick and all secret and hidden Arts whence the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so often spoken of by the Ancients which were certain obscure and mystical Spells and Charms by which they endeavoured to heal Diseases and drive away evil Spirits and do things beyond the reach and apprehensions of common people Besides other professors of this black Art there were at this time at Ephesus certain Jews who dealt in the arts of Exorcism and Incantation a craft and mystery which Josephus affirms to have been derived from Solomon who he tells us did not only find it out but composed forms of Exorcism and Inchantment whereby to cure diseases and expel Daemons so as they should never return again and adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That this Art was still in force among the Jews Instances whereof he tells us he himself had seen having beheld one Eâ—â—azar a Jew in the presence of Vespasian his Sons and the great Officers of his Army curing Daemoniacks by holding a ring to their nose under whose Seal was hid the root of a certain Plant prescribed by Solomon at the scent whereof the Daemon presently took leave and was gone the Patient falling to the ground while the Exorcist by mentioning Solomon and reciting some Charms made by him stood over him and charged the evil Spirit never to return And to let them see that he was really gone he commanded the Daemon as he went out to overturn a cup full of water which he had caused to be set in the room before them In the number of these Conjurers now at Ephesus there were the seven Sons of Sceva one of the chief heads of the Families of the Priests who seeing what great things were done by calling over Daemoniacks the name of Christ attempted themselves to do the like Conjuring the evil Spirit in the name of that Jesus whom Paul preached to depart But the stubborn Daemon would not obey the warrant telling them he knew who Jesus and Paul were but did not understand what authority they had to use his name And not content with this forced the Daemoniack violently to fall upon them to tear their clothes and wound their bodies scarce suffering them to escape with the safety of their lives An accident that begot great terror in the minds of men and became the occasion of converting many to the Faith who came to the Apostle and confessed the former course and manner of their lives Several also who had traded in curious Arts and the mysterious methods of Spells and Charms freely brought their Books of Magick Rites whose price had they been to be sold according to the rates which men who dealt in those cursed mysteries put upon them would have amounted to the value of above One thousand Five hundred pounds and openly burnt them before the people themselves adjudging them to those flames to which they were condemned by the Laws of the Empire For so we find the Roman Laws prohibiting any to keep Books of Magick Arts and that where any such were found their Goods should be forfeited the Books publickly burned the persons banished and if of a meaner rank beheaded These Books the penitent converts did of their own accord sacrifice to the fire not tempted to spare them either by their former love to them or the present price and value of them With so mighty an efficacy did the Gospel prevail over the minds of men 6. ABOUT this time it was that the Apostle writ his Epistle to the Galatians For he had heard that since his departure corrupt opinions had got in amongst them about the necessary observation of the legal Rites and that several Impostors were crept into that Church who knew no better way to undermine the Doctrine he had planted there than by vilifying his person slighting him as an Apostle only at the second hand not to be compared with Peter James and John who had familiarly conversed with Christ in the days of his flesh and been immediately deputed by him In this Epistle therefore he reproves them with some necessary smartness and severity that they had been so soon led out of that right way wherein he had set them and had so easily suffered themselves to be imposed upon by the crafty artifices of seducers He vindicates the honour of his Apostolate and the immediate receiving his Commission from Christ wherein he shews that he came not behind the very best of those Apostles He largely refutes those Judaical opinions that had tainted and infected them and in the conclusion instructs them in the rules and duties of an holy life While the Apostle thus staid at Ephesus he resolved with himself to pass through Macedonia and Achaia thence to Jerusalem and so to Rome But for the present altered his resolution and continued still at Ephesus 7. DURING his stay in this place an accident happened that involved him in great trouble and danger Ephesus above all the Cities of the East was renowned for the famous Temple of Diana one of the stateliest Temples of the World It was as Pliny tells us the very wonder of magnificence built at the common charges of all Asia properly so called 220 Years elsewhere he says 400 in building which we are to understand of its successive rebuildings and reparations being often wasted and destroyed It was 425 Foot
long 220 broad supported by 127 Pillars 60 Foot high for its antiquity it was in some degree before the times of Bacchus equal to the Reign of the Amazons by whom it is generally said to have been first built as the Ephesian Ambassadors told Tiberius till by degrees it grew up into that greatness and splendor that it was generally reckoned one of the seven wonders of the World But that which gave the greatest fame and reputation to it was an Image of Diana kept there made of no very costly materials but which the crafty Priests perswaded the People was beyond all humane artifice or contrivement and that it was immediately formed by Jupiter and dropt down from Heaven having first killed or banished the Artists that made it as Suidas informs us that the cheat might not be discovered by which means they drew not Ephesus only but the whole World into a mighty veneration of it Besides there were within this Temple multitudes of Silver Cabinets or Chappelets little Shrines made in fashion of the Temple wherein was placed the Image of Diana For the making of these holy shrines great numbers of Silver-smiths were employed and maintained among whom one Demetrius was a Leading-man who foreseeing that if the Christian Religion still got ground their gainful Trade would soon come to nothing presently called together the Men of his Profession especially those whom he himself set on work told them that now their welfare and livelihood were concerned and that the fortunes of their Wives and Children lay at stake that it was plain that this Paul had perverted City and Country and perswaded the People that the Images which they made and worshipped were no real Gods by which means their Trade was not only like to fall to the ground but also the honour and magnificence of the great Goddess Diana whom not Asia only but the whole World did worship and adore Enraged with this discourse they cried out with one voice that Great was Diana of the Ephesians The whole City was presently in an uproar and seizing upon two of S. Paul's Companions hurried them into the Theatre probably with a design to have cast them to the wild Beasts S. Paul hearing of their danger would have ventured himself among them had not the Christians nay some even of the Gentile Priests Governours of the popular Games and Sports earnestly disswaded him from it well knowing that the People were resolved if they could meet with him to throw him to the wild Beasts that were kept there for the disport and pleasure of the People And this doubtless he means when elsewhere he tells us that he fought with Beasts at Ephesus probably intending what the People designed though he did not actually suffer though the brutish rage the savage and inhumane manners of this People did sufficiently deserve that the censure and character should be fixed upon themselves 8. GREAT was the confusion of the Multitude the major-part not knowing the reason of the Concourse In which distraction Alexander a Jewish Convert being thrust forward by the Jews to be questioned and examined about this matter he would accordingly have made his Apologie to the People intending no doubt to clear himself by casting the whole blame upon S. Paul This being very probably that Alexander the Copper-smith of whom our Apostle elsewhere complains That he did him much evil and greatly withstood his words and whom he delivered over unto Satan for his Apostasie for blaspheming Christ and reproaching Christianity But the Multitude perceiving him to be a Jew and thereby suspecting him to be one of S. Paul's Associates began to raise an out-cry for near two Hours together wherein nothing could be heard but Great is Diana of the Ephesians The noise being a little over the Recorder a discreet and prudent Man came out and calmly told them That it was sufficiently known to all the World what a mighty honour and veneration the City of Ephesus had for the great Goddess Diana and the famous Image which fell from Heaven that therefore there needed not this stir to vindicate and assert it That they had seized Persons who were not guilty either of Sacriledge or Blasphemy towards their Goddess that if Demetrius and his Company had any just charge against them the Courts were sitting and they might prefer their Indictment or if the Controversie were about any other matter it might be referred to such a proper Judicature as the Law appoints for the determination of such cases That therefore they should do well to be quiet having done more already than they could answer if called in question as 't is like they would there being no cause sufficient to justifie that days riotous Assembly With which prudent discourse he appeased and dismissed the Multitude 9. IT was about this time that S. Paul heard of some disturbance in the Church at Corinth hatched and fomented by a pack of false heretical Teachers crept in among them who endeavoured to draw them into Parties and Factions by perswading one Party to be for Peter another for Paul a third for Apollos as if the main of Religion consisted in being of this or that Denomination or in a warm active zeal to decry and oppose whoever is not of our narrow Sect. 'T is a very weak and slender claim when a Man holds his Religion by no better a title than that he has joyned himself to this Man's Church or that Man's Congregation and is zealously earnest to maintain and promote it to be childishly and passionately clamorous for one Man's mode and way of administration or for some particular humour or opinion as if Religion lay in nice and curious disputes or in separating from our Brethren and not rather in righteousness peace and joy in the Holy Ghost By this means Schisms and Factions broke into the Corinthian Church whereby many wild and extravagant Opinions and some of them such as undermined the fundamental Articles of Christianity were planted and had taken root there As the envious Man never fishes more successfully than in troubled Waters To cure these Distempers S. Paul who had received an Account of all this by Letters which Apollos and some others had brought to him from the Church of Corinth writes his first Epistle to them Wherein he smartly reproves them for their Schisms and Parties conjures them to peace and unity corrects those gross corruptions that were introduced among them and particularly resolves those many cases and controversies wherein they had requested his advice and counsel Shortly after Apollos designing to go for Crete by him and Zenas S. Paul sends his Epistle to Titus whom he had made Bishop of that Island and had left there for the propagating of the Gospel Herein he fully instructs him in the execution of his Office how to carry himself and what directions he should give to others to all particular ranks and relations of men especially those who were to be advanced
more consented to the counsel which they gave him and taking the persons along with him to the Temple told the Priests that the time of a Vow which they had made being now run out and having purified themselves as the nature of the case required they were come to make their offerings according to the Law 6. THE seven days wherein those Sacrifices were to be offered being now almost ended some Jews that were come from Asia where probably they had opposed S. Paul now finding him in the Temple began to raise a tumult and uproar and laying hold of him called out to the rest of the Jews for their assistance Telling them that this was the fellow that every where vented Doctrines derogatory to the prerogative of the Jewish Nation destructive to the Institutions of the Law and to the purity of that place which he had prophaned by bringing in uncircumcised Greeks into it Positively concluding that because they had seen Trophimus a Gentile convert of Ephesus with him in the City therefore he had brought him also into the Temple So apt is malice to make any premises from whence it may infer its own conclusion Hereupon the whole City was presently in an uproar and seizing upon him they dragged him out of the Temple the doors being presently shut against him Nor had they failed there to put a period to all his troubles had not Claudius Lysias Commander of the Roman Garrison in the Tower of Antonia come in with some Souldiers to his rescue and deliverance and supposing him to be a more than an ordinary Malefactor commanded a double chain to be put upon him though as yet altogether ignorant either who he or what his crime was and wherein he could receive little satisfaction from the clamorous multitude who called for nothing but his death following the cry with such crouds and numbers that the Souldiers were forced to take him into their arms to secure him from the present rage and violence of the people As they were going up into the Castle S. Paul asked the Governour whether he might have the liberty to speak to him who finding him to speak Greek enquired of him whether he was not that Egyptian which a few Years before had raised a Sedition in Judaea and headed a party of Four Thousand debauched and profligate wretches The Apostle replied that he was a Jew of Tarsus a Free-man of a rich and honourable City and therefore begg'd of him that he might have leave to speak to the People Which the Captain readily granted and standing near the Door of the Castle and making signs that they would hold their peace he began to address himself to them in the Hebrew Language which when they heard they became a little more calm and quiet while he discoursed to them to this effect 7. HE gave them an account of himself from his Birth of his education in his youth of the mighty zeal which he had for the Rites and Customs of their Religion and with what a passionate earnestness he persecuted and put to death all the Christians that he met with whereof the High-Priest and the Sanhedrim could be sufficient witnesses He next gave them an entire and punctual relation of the way and manner of his conversion and how that he had received an immediate command from God himself to depart Jerusalem and preach unto the Gentiles At this word the patience of the Jews could hold no longer but they unanimously cried out to have him put to death it not being fit that such a Villain should live upon the Earth And the more to express their fury they threw off their Clothes and cast dust into the Air as if they immediately designed to stone him To avoid which the Captain of the Guard commanded him to be brought within the Castle and that he should be examined by whipping till he confessed the reason of so much rage against him While the Lictor was binding him in order to it he asked the Centurion that stood by whether they could justifie the scourging a Citizen of Rome and that before any sentence legally passed upon him This the Centurion presently intimated to the Governour of the Castle bidding him have a care what he did for the Prisoner was a Roman Whereat the Governour himself came and asked him whether he was a free Denizon of Rome and being told that he was he replied that it was a great priviledge a priviledge which he himself had purchased at a considerable rate To whom S. Paul answered that it was his Birth-right and the priviledge of the place where he was born and bred Hereupon they gave over their design of whipping him the Commander himself being a little startled that he had bound and chained a Denizon of Rome 8. THE next Day the Governour commanded his Chains to be knock'd off and that he might throughly satisfie himself in the matter commanded the Sanhedrim to meet and brought down Paul before them where being set before the Council he told them that in all passages of his life he had been careful to act according to the severest rules and conscience of his duty Men and Brethren I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day Behold here the great security of a good man and what invisible supports innocency affords under greatest danger With how generous a confidence does virtue and honesty guard the breast of a good man as indeed nothing else can lay a firm basis and foundation for satisfaction and tranquillity when any misery or calamity does overtake us Religion and a good conscience beget peace and a Heaven in the Man's bosom beyond the power of the little accidents of this World to ruffle and discompose Whence Seneca compares the mind of a wise and a good man to the state of the upper Region which is always serene and calm The High-Priest Ananias being offended at the holy and ingenuous freedom of our Apostle as if by asserting his own innocency he had reproached the justice of their Tribunal commanded those that stood next him to strike him in the Face whereto the Apostle tartly replied That GOD would smite him Hypocrite as he was who under a pretence of doing Justice had illegally commanded him to be punished before the Law condemned him for a Malefactor Whereupon they that stood by asked him how he durst thus affront so sacred and venerable a Person as Gods High-Priest He calmly returned That he did not know or own Ananias to be an High-Priest of God's appointment However being a Person in Authority it was not lawful to revile him God himself having commanded that no man should speak evil of the Ruler of the People The Apostle who as he never laid aside the innocency of the Dove so knew how when occasion was to make use of the wisdom of the Serpent perceiving the Council to consist partly of Sadducees and partly of Pharisees openly told them that
Patrae a City of Achaia where he gave his last and great testimony to it I mean laid down his own Life to ratifie and ensure it in describing whose Martyrdom we shall for the main follow the account that is given us in the Acts of his Passion pretended to have been written by the Presbyters and Deacons of Achaia present at his Martyrdom which though I dare not with some assert to be the genuine work of those persons yet can it not be denied to be of considerable antiquity being mentioned by Philastrius who flourished Ann. 380. and were no doubt written long before his time The summ of it is this 5. AEGEAS Proconsul of Achaia came at this time to Patrae where observing that multitudes were fallen off from Paganism and had embraced Christianity he endeavoured by all arts both of favour and cruelty to reduce the people to their old Idolatries To him the Apostle resolutely makes his address calmly puts him in mind that he being but a judge of men should own and revere him who was the supreme and impartial Judge of all that he should give him that Divine honour that was due to him and leave off the impieties of his false Heathen-worship The Proconsul derided him as an Innovator in Religion a propagator of that superstition whose Author the Jews had infamously put to death upon a Cross. Hereat the Apostle took occasion to discourse to him of the infinite love and kindness of our Lord who came into the World to purchase the Salvation of mankind and for that end did not disdain to die upon the Cross. To whom the Proconsul answered that he might perswade them so that would believe him for his part if he did not comply with him in doing sacrifice to the Gods he would cause him to suffer upon that Cross which he had so much extolled and magnified S. Andrew replied That he did sacrifice every day to God the only true and omnipotent Being not with fumes and bloudy offerings but in the sacrifice of the immaculate Lamb of God The issue was the Apostle was committed to prison whereat the people were so enraged that it had broken out into a mutiny had not the Apostle restrained them perswading them to imitate the mildness and patience of our meek humble Saviour and not to hinder him from that crown of Martyrdom that now waited for him 6. THE next day he was again brought before the Proconsul who perswaded him that he would not foolishly destroy himself but live and enjoy with him the pleasures of this life The Apostle told him that he should have with him eternal joys if renouncing his execrable idolatries he would heartily entertain Christianity which he had hitherto so successfully preached amongst them That answered the Proconsul is the very reason why I am so earnest with you to sacrifice to the Gods that those whom you have every where seduced may by your example be brought to return back to that ancient Religion which they have forsaken Otherwise I 'le cause you with exquisite tortures to be crucified The Apostle replied That now he saw it was in vain any longer to deal with him a person incapable of sober counsels and hardned in his own blindness and folly that as for himself he might do his worst and if he had one torment greater than another he might heap that upon him The greater constancy he shewed in his sufferings for Christ the more acceptable he should be to his Lord and Master Aegeas could now hold no longer but passed the sentence of death upon him and Nicephorus gives us some more particular account of the Proconsul's displeasure and rage against him which was that amongst others he had converted his wife Maximilla and his brother Stratocles to the Christian Faith having cured them of desperate distempers that had seized upon them 7. THE Proconsul first commanded him to be scourged seven Lictors successively whipping his naked body and seeing his invincible patience and constancy commanded him to be crucified but not to be fastned to the Cross with Nails but Cords that so his death might be more lingring and tedious As he was led to execution to which he went with a chearful and composed mind the people cried out that he was an innocent and good man and unjustly condemned to die Being come within sight of the Cross he saluted it with this kind of address That he had long desired and expected this happy hour that the Cross had been consecrated by the body of Christ hanging on it and adorned with his members as with so many inestimable Jewels that he came joyful and triumphing to it that it might receive him as a disciple and follower of him who once hung upon it and be the means to carry him safe unto his Master having been the instrument upon which his Master had redeemed him Having prayed and exhorted the people to constancy and perseverance in that Religion which he had delivered to them he was fastned to the Cross whereon he hung two days teaching and instructing the people all the time and when great importunities in the mean while were used to the Proconsul to spare his life he earnestly begged of our Lord that he might at this time depart and seal the truth of his Religion with his bloud God heard his prayer and he immediately expired on the last of November though in what year no certain account can be recovered 8. THERE seems to have been something peculiar in that Cross that was the instrument of his Martyrdom commonly affirmed to have been a Cross decussate two pieces of Timber crossing each other in the middle in the form of the letter X hence usually known by the name of S. Andrew's Cross though there want not those who affirm him to have been crucified upon an Olive Tree His body being taken down and embalmed was decently and honourably interred by Maximilla a Lady of great quality and estate and whom Nicephorus I know not upon what ground makes wife to the Proconsul As for that report of Gregory Bishop of Tours that on the Anniversary day of his Martyrdom there was wont to flow from S. Andrew's Tomb a most fragrant and precious Oil which according to its quantity denoted the scarceness or plenty of the following year and that the sick being anointed with this Oil were restored to their former health I leave to the Readers discretion to believe what he please of it For my part if any ground of truth in the story I believe it no more than that it was an exhalation and sweating forth at some times of those rich costly perfumes and ointments wherewith his Body was embalmed after his crucifixion Though I must confess this conjecture to be impossible if it be true what my Author adds that some years the Oil burst out in such plenty that the stream arose to the middle of the Church His Body was afterwards by Constantine the
that he tarry till I come Which doubtless our Lord meant of his coming so often mentioned in the New Testament in Judgment upon the Jews at the final overthrow of Jerusalem which S. John out-lived many years and which our Lord particularly intended when elsewhere he told them Verily I say unto you there be some standing here which shall not taste of death till they see the Son of man coming in his Kingdom 9. FROM the same Original sprang the report that he only lay sleeping in his Grave The story was currant in S. Augustines days from whom we receive this account though possibly the Reader will smile at the conceit He tells us 't was commonly reported and believed that S. John was not dead but that he rested like a Man asleep in his Grave at Ephesus as plainly appeared from the Dust sensibly boiling and bubling up which they accounted to be nothing else but the continual motion of his breath This report S. Augustine seems inclinable to believe having received it as he tells us from very credible hands He further adds out of some Apocryphal Writings what was generally known and reported that when S. John then in health had caused his Grave to be dug and prepared he laid himself down in it as in a Bed and as they thought only fell asleep Nicephorus relates the story more at large from whom if it may be any pleasure to entertain the Reader with these things we shall give this account S. John foreseeing his Translation into Heaven took the Presbyters and Ministers of the Church of Ephesus and several of the Faithful along with him out of the City carried them unto a Cemetery near at hand whither he himself was wont to retire to Prayer and very earnestly recommended the state of the Churches to God in Prayer Which being done he commanded a Grave to be immediately dug and having instructed them in the more recondite mysteries of Theologie the most excellent Precepts of a good Life concerning Faith Hope and especially Charity confirmed them in the practice of Religion commended them to the care and blessing of our Saviour and solemnly taking his leave of them he signed himself with the sign of the Cross and before them all went down into the Grave strictly charging them to put on the Grave-stone and to make it fast and the next day to come and open it and take a view of it They did so and having opened the Sepulchre found nothing there but the Grave-clothes which he had left behind him To all which let me add while my hand is in these things what Ephrem relates that from this Grave wherein he rested so short a time a kind of Sacred Oil or Unguent was wont to be gathered Gregory of Tours says 't was Manna which even in his time like flour was cast up from the Sepulchre and was carried up and down the World for the curing of diseases This report of our Apostles being yet alive some men made use of to wild and phantastick purposes Beza tells us of an Impostor in his time whom Postellus who vainly boasted that he had the Soul of Adam was wont to call his Brother who publickly professed himself to be our S. John and was afterwards burnt at Tholose in France Nor was this any more than what was done in the more early Ages of Christianity For Sulpitius Severus giving us an account of a young Spaniard that first professed himself to be Elias and then Christ himself adds That there was one at the same time in the East who gave out himself to be S. John So fast will Error like circles in the water multiply it self and one mistaken place of Scripture give countenance to an hundred stories that shall be built upon it I have no more to add but what we meet with in the Arabick writer of his life though it little agrees with the preceding passages who reports that there were none present at his burial but his disciple Phogsir probably Proghor or Prochorus one of the seven Deacons and generally said to have been John's companion and assistent whom he strictly charged never to discover his Sepulchre to any it may be for the same reason for which it is thought God concealed the Body of Moses to prevent the Idolatrous worshipping of his Reliques And accordingly the Turks who conceit him to be buried in the confines of Lydia pay great honour and veneration to his Tomb. 10. S. JOHN seems always to have led a single life and so the Ancients tell us nay S. Ambrose positively affirms that all the Apostles were married except S. John and S. Paul There want not indeed some and especially the middle Writers of the Church who will have our Apostle to have been married and that it was his marriage which our Lord was at in Cana of Galilee invited thither upon the account of his consanguinity and alliance But that being convinced by the Miracle of the Water turned into Wine he immediately quitted his conjugal relation and became one of our Lord's Disciples But this as Baronius himself confesses is trifling and the issue of fabulous invention a thing wholly unknown to the Fathers and best Writers of the Church and which not only has no just authority to support it but arguments enough to beat it down As for his natural temper he seems as we have observed in his Brother's Life to have been of a more eager and resolute disposition easily apt to be inflamed and provoked which his reduced Age brought to a more staid and a calmer temper He was polished by no study or arts of Learning but what was wanting in that was abundantly made up in the excellent temper and constitution of his mind and that furniture of Divine graces which he was adorned withall His humility was admirable studiously concealing his own worth and honour in all his Epistles as Eusebius long since observed he never puts down the honourable Titles of Apostle or Evangelist but only stiles himself and that too but sometimes Presbyter or Elder alluding probably to his Age as much as Office in his Gospel when he speaks of the Disciple whom Jesus loved he constantly conceals his own name leaving the Reader to conjecture who was meant Love and Charity he practised himself and affectionately pressed upon others our Lord 's great love to him seems to have inspired his Soul with a bigger and more generous charity than the rest 'T is the great vein that runs through his Writings and especially his Epistles where he urges it as the great and peculiar Law of Christianity and without which all other pretenses to Christian Religion are vain and frivolous useless and insignificant And this was his constant practice to his dying day When Age and Weakness grew upon him at Ephesus that he was no longer able to Preach to them he used at every publick Meeting to be led to the
the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among their secret Archives and Records in their Treasury at Tiberias where a Copy of it was found by one Joseph a Jew afterwards converted and whom Constantine the Great advanced to the honour of a Count of the Empire who breaking open the Treasury though he missed of money found 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Books beyond all Treasure S. Matthew and John's Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles in Hebrew the reading whereof greatly contributed towards his Conversion 16. BESIDES these our Apostle wrote three Epistles the first whereof is Catholick calculated for all times and places containing most excellent rules for the conduct of the Christian life pressing to holiness and purity of manners and not to rest in a naked and empty profession of Religion not to be led away with the crafty insinuations of Seducers antidoting Men against the poyson of the Gnostick-principles and practices to whom it is not to be doubted but that the Apostle had a more particular respect in this Epistle According to his wonted modesty he conceals his name it being of more concernment with wise Men what it is that is said than who it is that says it And this Epistle Eusebius tells us was universally received and never questioned by any anciently as appears by S. Augustin inscribed to the Parthians though for what reason I am yet to learn unless as we hinted before it was because he himself had heretofore Preached in those Parts of the World The other two Epistles are but short and directed to particular Persons the one a Lady of honourable Quality the other the charitable and hospitable Gaius so kind a friend so courteous an entertainer of all indigent Christians These Epistles indeed were not of old admitted into the Canon nor are owned by the Church in Syria at this Day ascribed by many to the younger John Disciple to our Apostle But there is no just cause to question who was their Father seeing both the Doctrine phrase and design of them do sufficiently challenge our Apostle for their Author These are all the Books wherein it pleased the Holy Spirit to make use of S. John for its Pen-man and Secretary in the composure whereof though his stile and character be not florid and elegant yet is it grave and simple short and perspicuous Dionysius of Alexandria tells us that in his Gospel and first Epistle his phrase is more neat and elegant there being an accuracy in the contexture both of words and matter that runs through all the reasonings of his discourses but that in the Apocalypse the stile is nothing so pure and clear being frequently mixed with more barbarous and improper phrases Indeed his Greek generally abounds with Syriasms his discourses many times abrupt set off with frequent antitheses connected with copulatives passages often repeated things at first more obscurely propounded and which he is forced to enlighten with subsequent explications words peculiar to himself and phrases used in an uncommon sence All which concur to render his way of Writing less grateful possibly to the Masters of eloquence and an elaborate curiosity S. Hierom observes that in citing places out of the Old Testament he more immediately translates from the Hebrew Original studying to render things word for word for being an Hebrew of the Hebrews admirably skill'd in the Language of his Countrey it probably made him less exact in his Greek composures wherein he had very little advantage besides what was immediately communicated from above But whatever was wanting in the politeness of his stile was abundantly made up in the zeal of his temper and the excellency and sublimity of his matter he truly answered his Name Boanerges spake and writ like a Son of Thunder Whence it is that his Writings but especially his Gospel have such great and honourable things spoken of them by the Ancients The Evangelical writings says S. Basil transcend the other parts of the Holy Volumes in other parts God speaks to us by Servants the Prophets but in the Gospels our Lord himself speaks to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but among all the Evangelical Preachers none like S. John the Son of Thunder for the sublimeness of his speech and the heighth of his discourses beyond any Man's capacity duly to reach and comprehend S. John as a true Son of Thunder says Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a certain greatness of speech peculiar to himself does as it were out of the Clouds and the dark recesses of wisdome acquaint us with Divine Doctrines concerning the Son of God To which let me add what S. Cyril of Alexandria among other things says concerning him that whoever looks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the sublimity of his incomprehensible notions the acumen and sharpness of his reason and the quick inferences of his discourses constantly succeeding and following upon one another must needs confess that his Gospel perfectly exceeds all admiration The End of S. John 's Life THE LIFE OF S. PHILIP St Philip After he had converted all Scythia he was at Hierapolis a City of Asia first crucified and then stoned to death Baron May. 10. St. Philip's Martyrdom Act. 5.30 Whom ye slew hanged on a tree Matth. 10.24 25. The disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as his Lord. Galilee generally despised by the Jews and why The honour which our Lord put upon it S. Andrew 's birth-place His being first called to be a Disciple and the manner of it An account of his ready obedience to Christ 's call What the Evangelists relate concerning him considered The discourse between our Lord and him concerning the knowledge of the Father His preaching the Gospel in the Upper Asia and the happy effects of his Ministry His coming to Hierapolis in Phrygia and successful confutation of their Idolatries The rage and fury of the Magistrates against him His Martyrdom Crucifixion and Burial His married condition The confounding him with Philip the Deacon The Gospel forged by the Gnosticks under his Name 1. OF all parts of Palestine Galilee seems to have passed under the greatest character of ignominy and reproach The Country it self because bordering upon the Idolatrous uncircumcised Nations called Galilee of the Gentiles the people generally beheld as more rude and boisterous more unpolished and barbarous than the rest not remarkable either for Civility or Religion The Galileans received him having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the Feast for they also went up unto the Feast as if it had been a wonder and a matter of very strange remark to see so much devotion in them as to attend the solemnity of the Passeover Indeed both Jew and Gentile conspired in this that they thought they could not fix a greater title of reproach upon our Saviour and his followers than
here by Preaching and Miracles he mightily triumphed over error and Idolatry convinced and converted Multitudes ordained spiritual Guides and Pastors to confirm and build them up and bring over others to the Faith and then finished his own course As for what is related by Nicephorus of his going into the Country of the Cannibals constituting Plato one of his followers Bishop of Myrmena of Christ's appearing to him in the form of a beautiful Youth and giving him a Wand which he pitching into the ground immediately it grew up into a Tree of his strange converting the Prince of that Country of his numerous Miracles peaceable Death and sumptuous Funerals with abundance more of the same stamp and coin they are justly to be reckoned amongst those fabulous reports that have no Pillar nor ground either of truth or probability to support them Most probable it is what an Ancient Writer affirms that he suffered Martyrdom at Naddaber a City in Aethiopia but by what kind of Death is altogether uncertain Whether this Naddaber be the same with Beschberi where the Arabick Writer of his Life affirms him to have suffered Martyrdom let others enquire he also adds that he was buried Arthaganetu Caesarea but where that is is to me unknown Dorotheus makes him honourably buried at Hierapolis in Parthia one of the first places to which he Preached the Gospel 5. HE was a great instance of the power of Religion how much a Man may be brought off to a better temper If we reflect upon his circumstances while yet a stranger to Christ we shall find that the World had very great advantages upon him He was become a Master of a plentiful Estate engaged in a rich and a gainful Trade supported by the power and favour of the Romans prompted by covetous inclinations and these confirmed by long habits and customs And yet notwithstanding all this no sooner did Christ call but without the least scruple or dissatisfaction he flung up all at once and not only renounced as S. Basil observes his gainful incomes but ran an immediate hazard of the displeasure of his Masters that employed him for quitting their service and leaving his accounts entangled and confused behind him Had our Saviour been a mighty Prince it had been no wonder that he should run over to his service but when he appeared under all the circumstances of meanness and disgrace when he seemed to promise his followers nothing but misery and suffering in this life and to propound no other rewards but the invisible encouragements of another World his change in this case was the more strange and admirable Indeed so admirable that Porphyry and Julian two subtil and acute adversaries of the Christian Religion hence took occasion to charge him either with falshood or with folly either that he gave not a true account of the thing or that it was very weakly done of him so hastily to follow any one that call'd him But the Holy Jesus was no common Person in all his commands there was somewhat more than ordinary Indeed S. Hierom conceives that besides the Divinity that manifested it self in his Miracles there was a Divine brightness and a kind of Majesty in our Saviour's looks that at first sight was attractive enough to draw Persons after him However his miraculous powers that reflected a lustre from every quarter and the efficacy of his Doctrine accompanied with the grace of God made way for the summons that were sent our Apostle and enabled him to conquer all oppositions that stood in the way to hinder him 6. HIS contempt of the World further appeared in his exemplary temperance and abstemiousness from all the delights and pleasures yea the ordinary conveniences and accommodations of it so far from indulging his appetite with nice and delicate curiosities that he refused to gratifie it with lawful and ordinary provisions eating no flesh his usual Diet being nothing but Herbs Roots Seeds and Berries But what appeared most remarkable in him and which though the least vertue in it self is the greatest in a wise Man's esteem and value was his humility mean and modest in his own conceit in honour preferring others before himself Whereas the other Evangelists in describing the Apostles by pairs constantly place him before Thomas he modestly places him before himself The rest of the Evangelists openly mention the honour of his Apostleship but speak of his former sordid dishonest and disgraceful course of life only under the name of Levi while he himself sets it down with all its circumstances under his own proper and common name Which as at once it commends his own candor and ingenuity so it administers to us this not unuseful consideration That the greatest sinners are not excluded the lines of Divine grace nor can any if penitent have just reason to despair when Publicans and sinners are taken in And as S. Matthew himself does freely and impartially record his own vile and dishonourable course of life so the two other Evangelists though setting down the story take notice of him only under another name to teach us to treat a penitent Brother with all modesty and tenderness If a man repent say the Jews 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let no man say to him remember thy former works which they explain not only concerning Israelites but even strangers and Proselytes It being against the rules of civility as well as the Laws of Religion when a Man hath repented to upbraid and reproach him with the errors and follies of his past life 7. THE last thing that calls for any remarks in the life of this Apostle is his Gospel written at the intreaty of the Jewish Converts and as Epiphanius tells us at the command of the Apostles while he was yet in Palestine about Eight Years after the death of Christ though Nicephorus will have it to be written Fifteen Years after our Lord's Ascension and Irenaeus yet much wider who seems to imply that it was written while Peter and Paul Preached at Rome which was not till near Thirty Years after But most plain it is that it must be written before the dispersion of the Apostles seeing S. Bartholomew as we have noted in his Life took it along with him into India and left it there He wrote it in Hebrew as primarily designing it for the use of his Country-men and strange it is that any should question its being originally written in that Language when the thing is so universally and uncontroulably asserted by all Antiquity not one that I know of after the strictest enquiry I could make dissenting in this matter and who certainly had far greater opportunities of being satisfied in these things than we can have at so great a distance It was no doubt soon after translated into Greek though by whom S. Hierom professes he could not tell Theophylact says it was reported to have been done by S. John but
his appearance that by the sensible manifestations of himself he might put the case beyond all possibilities of dispute The very day whereon he arose he came into the house where they were while for fear of the Jews the doors were yet fast shut about them and gave them sufficient assurance that he was really risen from the dead At this meeting S. Thomas was absent having probably never recovered their company since their last dispersion in the Garden when every ones fears prompted him to consult his own safety At his return they told him that their Lord had appeared to them but he obstinately refused to give credit to what they said or to believe that it was he presuming it rather a phantasm or mere apparition unless he might see the very prints of the Nails and feel the Wounds in his hands and sides A strange piece of infidelity Was this any more than what Moses and the Prophets had long since foretold had not our Lord frequently told them in plain terms that he must rise again the third day could he question the possibility of it who had so often seen him do the greatest miracles was it reasonable to reject the testimony of so many eye-witnesses ten to one against himself and of whose fidelity he was assured or could he think that either themselves should be deceived or that they would jest and trifle with him in so solemn and serious a matter A stubbornness that might have betrayed him into an eternal infidelity But our compassionate Saviour would not take the advantage of the mans refractory unbelief but on that day sevennight again came to them as they were solemnly met at their devotions and calling to Thomas bad him look upon his hands put his fingers into the prints of the Nails and thrust his hand into the hole of his side and satisfie his faith by a demonstration from sense The man was quickly convinced of his error and obstinacy confessing that he now acknowledged him to be his very Lord and Master a God omnipotent that was thus able to rescue himself from the powers of death Our Lord replied no more than that it was well he believed his own senses but that it was a more noble and commendable act of Faith to acquiesce in a rational evidence and to entertain the doctrines and relations of the Gospel upon such testimonies and assurances of the truth of things as will satisfie a wise and sober man though he did not see them with his own eyes 3. THE Blessed Jesus being gone to Heaven and having eminently given gifts and miraculous powers to the Apostles S. Thomas moved thereto by some Divine intimation is said to have dispatched Thaddaeus one of the Seventy Disciples to Abgarus Toparch of Edessa between whom and our Saviour the letters commonly said to have passed are still extant in Eusebius whom he first cured of an inveterate distemper and after converted him and his subjects to the Faith The Apostolical Province assigned to S. Thomas as Origen tells us was Parthia after which Sophronius and others inform us that he preached the Gospel to the Medes Persians Carmans Hyrcani Bactrians and the neighbour Nations In Persia one of the Ancients upon what ground I know not acquaints us that he met with the Magi or Wise men who came that long journey from the East to bring presents to our new-born Saviour whom he baptized and took along with him as his companions and assistants in the propagation of the Gospel Hence he preached in and passed through Aethiopia that is that we may a little clear this by the way the Asian Aethiopia conterminous to if not the same with Chaldaea whence Tacitus does not only make the Jews descendents from the Aethiopians as whose Ancestors came from Ur of the Chaldeans but Hesychius makes the inhabitants of Zagrus a mountain beyond Tygris 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a people of the Aethiopians this is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mentioned by Benjamin the Jew in his Itinerary the land of Cush or Aethiopia the inhabitants whereof are stiled by Herodotus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the oriental Aethiopians by way of distinction from those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who lived South of Aegypt and were under the same military Prefecture with the Arabians under the command of Arsames as the other were joyned with the Indians and in the same place are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Asian Aethiopians Having travelled through these Countries he at last came to India We are told by Nicephorus that he was at first unwilling to venture himself into those Countries fearing he should find their manners as rude and intractable as their faces were black and deformed till encouraged by a Vision that assured him of the Divine Presence to assist him He travelled a great way into those Eastern Nations as far as the Island Taprobane since called Sumatra and the Country of the Prachmans preaching every where with all the arts of gentleness and mild perswasives not flying out into tart invectives and furious heats against their idolatrous practices but calmly instructing them in the principles of Christianity by degrees perswading them to renounce their follies knowing that confirmed habits must be cured by patience and long forbearing by slow and gentle methods and by these means he wrought upon the people and brought them over from the grossest errors and superstition to the hearty belief and entertainment of Religion 4. IN want of better evidence from Antiquity it may not be amiss to enquire what account the Portugals in their first discoveries of these Countries received of these matters partly from ancient Monuments and Writings partly from constant and uncontrolled Traditions which the Christians whom they found in those parts preserved amongst them They tell us that S. Thomas came first to Socotora an Island in the Arabian Sea thence to Cranganor where having converted many he travelled futher into the East and having successfully preached the Gospel returned back into the Kingdom of Cormandel where at Malipur the Metropolis of the Kingdom not far from the influx of Ganges into the Gulph of Bengala he began to erect a place for Divine worship till prohibited by the Priests and Sagamo Prince of that Country But upon the conviction of several miracles the work went on and the Sagamo himself embraced the Christian Faith whose example was soon followed by great numbers of his friends and subjects The Brachmans who plainly perceived that this would certainly spoil their Trade and in time extirpate the Religion of their Country thought it high time to put a stop to this growing Novelism and resolved in Council that some way or other the Apostle must be put to death There was a Tomb not far from the City whither the Apostle was wont to retire to his solitudes and private devotions hither the Brachmans and their armed followers pursue the Apostle and while he
was intent at prayer they first load him with darts and stones till one of them coming nearer ran him through with a Lance. His Body was taken up by his Disciples and buried in the Church which he had lately built and which was afterwards improved into a fabrick of great stateliness and magnificence Gregory of Tours relates many miracles done upon the annual solemnities of his Martyrdom and one standing miracle an account whereof he tells us he received from one Theodorus who had himself been in that place viz. that in the Temple where the Apostle was buried there hung a Lamp before his Tomb which burnt perpetually without Oil or any Fewel to feed and nourish it the light whereof was never diminished nor by wind or any other accident could be extinguished But whether Travellers might not herein be imposed upon by the crafty artifices of the Priests or those who did attend the Church or if true whether it might not be performed by art I leave to others to enquire Some will have his Body to have been afterwards translated to Edessa a City in Mesopotamia but the Christians in the East constantly affirm it to have remained in the place of his Martyrdom where if we may believe relations it was after dug up with great cost and care at the command of Don Emmanuel Frea Governor of the Coast of Cormandel and together with it was found the Bones of the Sagamo whom he had converted to the Faith 5. WHILE Don Alfonso Sousa one of the first Vice Roys in India under John the Third King of Portugal resided in these Parts certain Brass Tables were brought to him whose ancient Inscriptions could scarce be read till at last by the help of a Jew an excellent Antiquary they were found to contain nothing but a donation made to S. Thomas whereby the King who then reign'd granted to him a piece of ground for the building of a Church They tell us also of a famous Cross found in S. Thomas his Chappel at Malipur wherein was an unintelligible Inscription which by a Learned Bramin whom they compelled to read and expound it gave an account to this effect That Thomas a Divine person was sent into those Countries by the Son of God in the time of King Sagamo to instruct them in the knowledge of the true God that he built a Church and performed admirable Miracles but at last while upon his Knees at Prayer was by a Brachman thrust through with a Spear and that that Cross stained with his bloud had been left as a memorial of these matters An interpretation that was afterwards confirmed by another grave and learned Bramin who expounded the Inscription to the very same effect The judicious Reader will measure his belief of these things by the credit of the Reporters and the rational probability of the things themselves which for my part as I cannot certainly affirm to be true so I will not utterly conclude them to be false 6. FROM these first plantations of Christianity in the Eastern India's by our Apostle there is said to have been a continued series and succession of Christians hence called S. Thomas-Christians in those Parts unto this day The Portugals at their first arrival here found them in great numbers in several places no less as some tell us than fifteen or sixteen thousand Families They are very poor and their Churches generally mean and sordid wherein they had no Images of Saints nor any representations but that of the Cross they are governed in Spirituals by an High-Priest whom some make an Armenian Patriarch of the Sect of Nestorius but in truth is no other than the Patriarch of Muzal the remainder as is probable of the ancient Selencia and by some though erroneously stiled Babylon residing North-ward in the Mountains who together with twelve Cardinals two Patriarchs and several Bishops disposes of all affairs referring to Religion and to him all the Christians of the East yield subjection They promiscuously admit all to the Holy Communion which they receive under both kinds of Bread and Wine though instead of Wine which their Country affords not making use of the juice of Raisons steep'd one Night in Water and then pressed forth Children unless in case of sickness are not baptized till the Fortieth day At the death of Friends their kindred and relations keep an Eight-days feast in memory of the departed Every Lord's day they have their publick Assemblies for Prayer and Preaching their devotions being managed with great reverence and solemnity Their Bible at least the New Testament is in the Syriack Language to the study whereof the Preachers earnestly exhort the People They observe the times of Advent and Lent the Festivals of our Lord and many of the Saints those especially that relate to S. Thomas the Dominica in Albis or Sunday after Easter in memory of the famous confession which S. Thomas on that day made of Christ after he had been sensibly cured of his unbelief another on the first of July celebrated not only by Christians but by Moors and Pagans the People who come to his Sepulchre on Pilgrimage carrying away a little of the red Earth of the place where he was interred which they keep as an inestimable treasure and conceit it soveraign against Diseases They have a kind of Monasteries of the Religious who live in great abstinence and chastity Their Priests are shaven in fashion of a Cross have leave to marry once but denied a second time No marriages to be dissolved but by Death These rites and customs they solemnly pretend to have derived from the very time of S. Thomas and with the greatest care and diligence do observe them at this Day The End of S. Thomas 's Life THE LIFE OF S. JAMES the Less S. JAMES Minor This Apostle being a Kinsman of our Lord and having Sate first Bishop of Hierusalem was cost down from the top of the Temple and after killed with a Fullers club Barou May 1 0 The Martyrdom of St. James the lesse Matth. 23.37 O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the prophets stonest them which are sent unto thee S. James the Less proved to be the same with him that was Bishop of Jerusalem His Kindred and Relations The Son of Joseph by a former Wife The Brethren of our Lord who His Country what Our Lord's appearance to him after his Resurrection Invested in the See of Jerusalem by whom and why His authority in the Synod at Jerusalem His great diligence and fidelity in his Ministry The conspiracy of his Enemies to take away his Life His Discourse with the Scribes and Pharisees about the Messiah His Martyrdom and the manner of it His Burial where His Death resented by the Jews His strictness in Religion His Priesthood whence His singular delight in Prayer and efficacy in it His great love and charity to Men. His admirable Humility His Temperance according to the rules of the Nazarite-Order The Love
great degeneracy and declension of manners coming on and that the purity of the Christian Faith began to be undermined by the loose doctrines and practices of the Gnosticks who under a pretence of zeal for the legal rites generally mixed themselves with the Jewes he beheld Libertinism marching on a-pace and the way to Heaven made soft and easie Men declaiming against good works as useless and unnecessary and asserting a naked belief of the Christian doctrine to be sufficient to salvation Against these the Apostle opposes himself presses Purity Patience and Charity and all the Vertues of a good Life and by undeniable Arguments evinces that that faith only that carries along with it obedience and an holy life can justifie us before God and intitle us to eternal Life Besides this Epistle there is a kind of preparatory Gospel ascribed to him published under the Name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 still extant at this Day containing the descent birth and first Originals of Christ and the Virgin Mary at the end whereof the Author pretends to have written it at a time when Herod having raised a great tumult in Jerusalem he was forced to retire into the Wilderness But though in many things consistent enough with the History of the Gospels yet has it ever been rejected as spurious and Apochryphal forged in that licentious Age when Men took the boldness to stamp any Writing with the Name of an Apostle The End of the Life of S. James the Less THE LIFE OF S. SIMON the Zealot S. SIMON S. Simon Zelotes preached in Aegypt Africa and Britaine and at length was crucified Niceph. l. 2. c. 40. Baron Oct. 28. St. Simon 's Martyrdom Matth. 10.16 Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves 1. Cor. 4.9 God hath set forth US the Apostles last as it were men appointed to death For we are made a spectacle to the world and to Angels and to men His Kindred Whence stiled the Cananite and the Zealot An enquiry into the nature and temper and original of the Sect of the Zealots among the Jews An account of their wild and licentious practices This no reflection upon our Apostle In what parts of the World he Preached the Gospel His planting Christianity in Africk His removal into the West and Preaching in Britain His Martyrdom there By whom said to have preached and suffered in Persia. The difference between him and Symeon Bishop of Jerusalem 1. SAINT Simon the Apostle was as some think one of the four Brothers of our Saviour Sons of Joseph by his former marriage though no other evidence appear for it but that there was a Simon one of the number too infirm a foundation to build any thing more upon than a mere conjecture In the Catalogue of the Apostles he is stiled Simon the Cananite whence some led by no other reason that I know of than the bare sound of the name have concluded him born at Cana in Galilee as for the same reason others have made him the Bridegroom at whose marriage our Lord was there present when he honoured the solemnity with his first Miracle turning Water into Wine But this word has no relation to his Country or the place from whence he borrowed his Original as plainly descending from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifie Zeal and denote a hot and sprightly temper Therefore what some of the Evangelists call Cananite others rendring the Hebrew by the Greek word stile Simon Zelotes or the Zealot So called not as Nicephorus thinks from his burning zeal and ardent affection to his Master and his eager desire to advance his Religion in the World but from his warm active temper and zealous forwardness in some particular way and profession of Religion before his coming to our Saviour 2. FOR the better understanding of this we are to know that as there were several Sects and Parties among the Jews so was there one either a distinct Sect or at least a branch of the Pharisees called the Sect of the Zealots They were mighty assertors of the honour of the Law and the strictness and purity of Religion assuming a liberty to themselves to question notorious offenders without staying for the ordinary formalities of Law nay when they thought good and as the case required executing capital vengeance upon them Thus when a blasphemer cursed God by the name of any Idol says Maimonides the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Zealots that next met him might immediately kill him without ever bringing him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before the Sanhedrim They looked upon themselves as the successors of Phineas who in a mighty passion for the honour of God did immediate execution upon Zimri and Cosbi An act which was counted unto him for righteousness unto all posterities for evermore and God so well pleased with it that he made with him and his seed after him the covenant of an everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for Israel In imitation whereof these Men took upon them to execute judgment in extraordinary cases and that not only by the connivance but with the leave both of the Rulers and the People till in after-times under a pretence of this their zeal degenerated into all manner of licentiousness and wild extravagance and they not only became the Pests of the Commonwealth at home but opened the door for the Romans to break in upon them to their final and irrecoverable ruine they were continually prompting the People to throw off the Roman yoke and vindicate themselves into their native liberty and when they had turned all things into hurry and confusion themselves in the mean while fished in these troubled Waters Josephus gives a large account of them and every where bewails them as the great plague of the Nation He tells us of them that they scrupled not to rob any to kill many of the prime Nobility under pretence of holding correspondence with the Romans and betraying the liberty of their Countrey openly glorifying that herein they were the benefactors and Saviours of the people They abrogated the succession of ancient Families thrusting obscure and ignoble persons into the High-Priests office that so they might oblige the most infamous villains to their party and as if not content to injure men they affronted Heaven and proclaimed defiance to the Divinity it self breaking into and prophaning the most holy place Stiling themselves Zealots says he as if their undertakings were good and honourable while they were greedy and emulous of the greatest wickednesses and out-did the worst of men Many attempts were made especially by Annas the High-Priest to reduce them to order and sobriety But neither force of arms nor fair and gentle methods could do any good upon them they held out and went on in their violent proceedings and joyning with the Idumeans committed all manner of out-rage slaying the
was the success of his Ministry that he converted Multitudes both of Men and Women not only to the embracing of the Christian Religion but to a more than ordinarily strict profession of it insomuch that Philo wrote a Book of their peculiar Rites and way of Life the only reason why S. Hierom reckons him among the Writers of the Church Indeed Philo the Jew wrote a Book 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 extant at this day wherein he speaks of a sort of Persons called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in many parts of the World but especially in a pleasant place near the Meraeotick Lake in Egypt had formed themselves into Religious Societies and gives a large account of their Rites and Customs their strict philosophical and contemplative course of life He tells us of them that when they first enter upon this way they renounce all secular interests and employments and leaving their Estates to their Relations retire into Groves and Gardens and Places devoted to solitude and contemplation that they had their Houses or Colleges not contiguous that so being free from noise and tumult they might the better minister to the designs of a contemplative life nor yet removed at too great a distance that they might maintain mutual society and be conveniently capable of helping and assisting one another In each of these Houses there was an Oratory call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherein they discharged the more secret and solemn Rites of their Religion divided in the middle with a Partition-wall three or four Cubits high the one apartment being for the Men and the other for the Women Here they publickly met every Seventh day where being set according to their seniority and having composed themselves with great decency and reverence the most aged Person among them and best skilled in the Dogmata and Principles of their Institution came forth into the midst gravely and soberly discoursing what might make the deepest impression upon their minds the rest attending with a profound silence and only testifying their assent with the motion of their Eyes or Head Their discourses were usually mystical and allegorical seeking hidden sences under plain words and of such an allegorical Philosophy consisted the Books of their Religion left them by their Ancestors The Law they compared to an Animal the Letter of it resembling the Body while the Soul of it lay in those abstruse and recondite notions which the external veil and surface of the words concealed from vulgar understandings He tells us also that they took very little care of the Body perfecting their minds by Precepts of Wisdom and Religion the day they intirely spent in Pious and Divine Meditations in reading and expounding the Law and the Prophets and the Holy Volumes of the ancient Founders of their Sect and in singing Hymns to the honour of their Maker absolutely temperate and abstemious neither eating nor drinking till Night the only time they thought fit to refresh and regard the Body some of them out of an insatiable desire of growing in knowledge and vertue fasting many days together What Diet they had was very plain and simple sufficient only to provide against hunger and thirst a little Bread Salt and Water being their constant bill of fare their clothes were as mean as their food designed only as a present security against cold and nakedness And this not only the case of men but of pious and devout Women that lived though separately among them that they religiously observed every Seventh Day and especially the preparatory Week to the great solemnity which they kept with all expressions of a more severe abstinence and devotion This and much more he has in that Tract concerning them 3. THESE excellent Persons Eusebius peremptorily affirms to have been Christians converted and brought under these admirable Rules and Institutions of Life by S. Mark at his coming hither accommodating all passages to the Manners and Discipline of Christians followed herein by Epiphanius Hierom and others of old as by Baronius and some others of later time and this so far taken for granted that many have hence fetched the rise of Monasteries and Religious Orders among Christians But whoever seriously and impartially considers Philo's account will plainly find that he intends it of Jews and Professors of the Mosaick Religion though whether Essenes or of some other particular Sect among them I stand not to determine That they were not Christians is evident besides that Philo gives not the least intimation of it partly because it is improbable that Philo being a Jew should give so great a character and commendation of Christians so hateful to the Jews at that time in all places of the World partly in that Philo speaks of them as an Institution of some considerable standing whereas Christians had but lately appeared in the World and were later come into Egypt partly because many parts of Philo's account does no way suit with the state and manners of Christians at that time as that they withdrew themselves from publick converse and all affairs of civil life which Christians never did but when forced by violent Persecutions for ordinarily as Justin Martyr and Tertullian tell us they promiscuously dwelt in Towns and Cities plowed their Lands and followed their Trades ate and drank and were clothed and habited like other men So when he says that besides the Books of Moses and the Prophets they had the Writings of the Ancient Authors of their Sect and Institution this cannot be meant of Christians for though Eusebius would understand it of the Writings of the Evangelists and Apostles yet besides that there were few of them published when Philo wrote this discourse they were however of too late an Edition to come under the character of ancient Authors Not to say that some of their Rites and Customs were such as the Christians of those days were mere strangers to not taken up by the Christian Church till many Years and some of them not till some Ages after Nay some of them never used by any of the Primitive Christians such were their religious dances which they had at their Festival Solemnities especially that great one which they held at the end of every Seven Weeks when their entertainment being ended they all rose up the Men in one Company and the Women in another dancing with various measures and motions each Company singing Divine Hymns and Songs and having a Precentor going before them now one singing and anon another till in the conclusion they joyned in one common Chorus in imitation of the triumphant Song sung by Moses and the Israelites after their deliverance at the Red Sea To all which let me add what a Learned Man has observed that the Essenes if Philo means them were great Physicians thence probably called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Healers though Philo who is apt to turn all things into Allegory refers it only to their
the Great He sat 23 Nicephorus says 28. years JERUSALEM THE Church of Jerusalem may in some sence be said to have been founded by our Lord himself as it was for some time cultivated and improved by the Ministery of the whole Colledge of Apostles The Bishops of it were as followeth I. S. James the Less the Brother of our Lord by him say some immediately constituted Bishop but as others more probably by the Apostles He was thrown off the Temple and knock'd on the head with a Fullers Club. II. Symeon the son of Cleopas brother to Joseph our Lord 's reputed Father He sat in this Chair 23. years and suffered martyrdom in the reign of Trajan in the one hundred and twentieth year of his Age. III. Justus succeeded in his room and sat 6. years IV. Zachaeus or as Nicephorus the Patriarch calls him Zacharias 4. V. Tobias to him after 4. years succeeded VI. Benjamin who sat 2. years VII John who continued the same space VIII Matthias or Matthaeus 2. years IX Philippus one Year next came X. Seneca who sat 4. years XI Justus 4. XII Levi or Lebes 2. XIII Ephrem or Ephres or as Epiphanius stiles him Vaphres 2. XIV Joseph 2. XV. Judas 2. Most of these Bishops we may observe to have sat but a short time following one another with a very quick succession Which doubtless was in a great measure owing to the turbulent unquiet humour of the Jewish Nation frequently rebelling against the Roman powers whereby they provoked them to fall heavy upon them and cut off all that came in their way making no distinction between Jews and Christians as indeed they were all Jews though differing in the Rites of their Religion For hitherto the Bishops of Jerusalem had successively been of the Circumcision the Church there having been intirely made up of Jewish converts But Jerusalem being now utterly laid waste and the Jews dispersed into all other Countries the Gentiles were admitted not onely into the body of that Church but even into the Episcopal chair The first whereof was XVI Marcus who sat 8. years XVII Cassianus 8. XVIII Publius 5. XIX Maximus 4. XX. Julianus 2. XXI Caianus 3. XXII Symmachus 2. XXIII Caius 3. XXIV Julianus 4. XXV Elias 2. I find not this Bishop mentioned by Eusebius but he is recorded by Nicephorus of Constantinople XXVI Capito 4. XXVII Maximus 4. XXVIII Antoninus 5. XXIX Valens 3. XXX Dulichianus 2. XXXI Narcissus 4. He was a man of eminent piety famous for the great miracles which he wrought but not being able to bear the aspersions which some unjustly cast upon him though God signally and miraculously vindicated his innocency he left his Church and retired into desarts and solitudes In his absence was chosen XXXII Dius who sat 8. years After him XXXIII Germanio 4. XXXIV Gordius 5. In his time Narcissus as one from the dead returned from his solitudes and was importuned by the People again to take the government of the Church upon him being highly reverenced by them both for his strict and Philosophical course of life and the signal vengeance which God took of his accusers And in this second administration he continued 10. years suffering martyrdom when he was near 120. years old To relieve the infirmities of his great Age they took in to be his Colleague XXXV Alexander formerly Bishop in Cappadocia who at that time had out of devotion taken a pilgrimage to Jerusalem the choice being extraordinarily designed by a particular revelation from Heaven He was an eminent Confessor and after having sat 15. Years died in Prison under the Decian Persecution By him Origen was ordained Presbyter He was a great Patron of Learning as well as Religion a studious preserver of the Records of the Church He erected a Library at Jerusalem which he especially furnished with the Writings and Epistles of Ecclesiastical Persons And out of this treasury it was that Eusebius borrowed a great part of his materials for the composing of his History XXXVI Mazabanes 9. years XXXVII Hymenaeus 23. XXXVIII Zabdas 10. XXXIX Hermon 9. He was as Eusebius tells us the last Bishop of this See before that fatal Persecution that rag'd even in his time XL. Macarius ordain'd Ann. Christ. CCCXV. He was present in the great Nicene Council He sat says Nicephorus of Constantinople 20. years but S. Hierom allows him a much longer time BYZANTIUM afterwards called CONSTANTINOPLE THAT this Church was first founded by S. Andrew we have shewed in his Life The succession of its Bishops was as followeth I. S. Andrew the Apostle He was crucified at Patrae in Achaia II. Stachys whom S. Paul calls his beloved Stachys ordained Bishop by S. Andrew he sat 16. years III. Onesimus 14. IV. Polycarpus 17. V. Plutarchus 16. VI. Sedecio 9. VII Diogenes 15. Of the last three no mention is made in Nicephorus of Constantinople but they are delivered by Nicephorus Callistus lib. 8. c. 6. p. 540. VIII Eleutherius 7. IX Felix 5. X. Polycarpus 17. XI Athenodorus 4. He erected a Church called Elea afterwards much beautified and enlarged by Constantine the Great XII Euzoius 16. Though Nicephorus Callistus allow but 6. XIII Laurentius 11. Years and 6. months XIV Alypius 13. XV. Pertinax a man of Consular dignity he built another Church near the Sea-side which he called Peace He sat 19. years which Nicephorus Callistus reduces to 9. XVI Olympianus 11. XVII Marcus 13. XVIII Cyriacus or Cyrillianus 16. XIX Constantinus 7. In the first year of his Bishoprick he built a Church in the North part of the City which he dedicated to the honour of Euphemia the Martyr who had suffered in that Place In this Oratory he spent the remainder of his life quitting his Episcopal Chair to XX. Titus who sat 35. years and 6. months though Nicephorus Callistus makes it 37. years After him came XXI Dometius Brother as they tell us to the Emperor Probus he was Bishop 21. years 6. months XXII Probus succeeded his Father Dometius and sat 12. Years As after him XXIII Metrophanes his brother who governed that Church 10. Years And in his time it was that Constantine translated the Imperial Court hither enlarged and adorned it called it after his own name and made it the seat of the Empire XXIV Alexander succeeded a man of great piety and integrity zealous and constant in maintaining the truth against the blasphemies of Arius He sat 23. years ALEXANDRIA THE foundations of this Church were laid and a great part of its superstructure rais'd by S. Mark who though not strictly and properly an Apostle yet being an Apostle at large and immediately commissionated by S. Peter it justly obtained the honour of an Apostolical Church Its Bishops and Governours are thus recorded I. S. Mark the Evangelist of whose Travels and Martyrdom we have spoken in his Life Nicephorus of Constantinople makes him to sit two years II. Anianus charactered by Eusebius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a man beloved of God and
Macedonia where the Gentiles to make an experiment of his Faith and Integrity gave him a poisonous and intoxicating potion which he chearfully drunk off in the name of Christ without the least prejudice to himself and that when the same potion had deprived above two hundred and fifty of their sight he laying his hands upon them restored them to their sight with a great deal more of the same stamp which I have neither faith enough to believe nor leisure enough to relate The Greeks with more probability report him to have travelled Eastward he came says Nicephorus into the first says Sophronius into the second Aethiopia and in both I believe it is a mistake either of the Authors or Transcribers for Cappadocia his residence being principally near the irruption of the River Apsarus and the Haven Hyssus both places in Cappadocia Nor is there any Aethiopia nearer those places than that conterminous to Chaldaea whereof before And as for those that tell us that he might well enough preach both in the Asian and African Aethiopia and that both might be comprehended under that general name as the Eastern and Western parts of the World were heretofore contained under the general title of the India's it's a fancy without any other ground to stand on than their own bare conjecture The place whither he came was very barbarous and his usage was accordingly For here meeting with a people of a fierce and intractable temper he was treated by them with great rudeness and inhumanity from whom after all his labours and sufferings and a numerous conversion of men to Christianity he obtained at last the crown of Martyrdom Ann. Chr. LXI or as others LXIV Little certainty can be retrieved concerning the manner of his death Dorotheus will have him to die at Sebastople and to be buried there near the Temple of the Sun An ancient Martyrologie reports him to have been seized by the Jews and as a blasphemer to have been first stoned and then beheaded But the Greek Offices seconded herein by several ancient Breviaries tell us that he was crucified and that as Judas was hanged upon a Tree so Matthias suffered upon a Cross. His Body is said to have been kept a long time at Jerusalem thence thought by Helen the Mother of the Great Constantine to have been translated to Rome where some parts of it are shewed with great veneration at this day Though others with as great eagerness and probably as much truth contend that his Reliques were brought to and are still preserved at Triers in Germany a controversie wherein I shall not concern my self His memory is celebrated in the Greek Church August the IX as appears not only from their Menologies but from a Novel constitution of Manuel Comnenus appointing what holy days should be kept in the Church while the Western Churches keep February XXIV sacred to his memory Among many other Apocryphal writings attributed to the Apostles there was a Gospel published under his name mentioned by Eusebius and the Ancients and condemned with the rest by Gelasius Bishop of Rome as it had been rejected by others before him Under his name also there were extant Traditions cited by Clemens of Alexandria from whence no question it was that the Nicolaitans borrowed that saying of his which they abused to so vile and beastly purposes as under the pretended patronage of his name and doctrines the Marcionites and Valentinians defended some of their most absurd and impious opinions The End of S. Matthias 's Life THE LIFE OF S. MARK the Evangelist The Evangelist St. Mark He having been the Coadiutor of St. Paul St. Peter severally at Alexandria planted governd a Church and there by the violence of the Pagan multitude suffered Martyrdom AD. 64. Baron Centur St. Mark 's Martyrdom Hebr. 11.35 Others were tortured not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection Of whom the world was not worthy His Kindred and distinction from others of the same Name Whether one of the Seventy His Conversion His attendance upon Peter and Preaching the Gospel in Italy and at Rome His planting Christianity at Alexandria and great success there An account of the Therapeutae mentioned by Philo and their excellent manners rules and way of Life These proved not to have been Christians by several arguments The Original of the mistake whence S. Mark 's Preaching in the Parts of Africk His return to Alexandria and diligence in his Ministry The manner of his Martyrdom The time of it enquired into The description of his Person His Gospel when and where written and why said to be Peter ' s. His great impartiality in his Relations In what Language written The Original whether extant at this Day 1. SAINT Mark though carrying something of Roman in his Name probably assumed by him upon some great change or accident of his Life or which was not unusual among the Jews when going into the European Provinces of the Roman Empire taken up at his going for Italy and Rome was doubtless born of Jewish Parents originally descended of the Tribe of Levi and the Line of the Priesthood and if Nicephorus say true Sister 's Son to Peter though by others against all reason confounded with John sirnamed Mark the Son of Mary and Mark Sisters Son to Barnabas By the Ancients he is generally thought to have been one of the Seventy Disciples and Epiphanius expresly tell us that he was one of those who taking exception at our Lord's discourse of eating his Flesh and drinking his Bloud went back and walked no more with him but was seasonably reduced and reclaimed by Peter But no foundation appears either for the one or for the other nay Papias Bishop of Hierapolis who lived near those times positively affirms that he was no hearer nor follower of our Saviour He was converted by some of the Apostles and probably by S. Peter who is said to have been his undertaker at his Baptism if I understand Isidore aright for no other reason I suppose than because he calls him his Son Indeed he was his constant attendant in his Travels supplying the place of an Amanuensis and Interpreter for though the Apostles were Divinely inspired and among other miraculous powers had the gift of Languages conferred upon them yet was the interpretation of Tongues a gift more peculiar to some than others This might probably be S. Mark 's Talent in expounding S. Peter's Discourses whether by word or writing to those who understood not the Language wherein they were delivered He accompanied him in his Apostolical progress Preached the Gospel in Italy and at Rome where at the request of the Christians of those Parts he composed and wrote his Gospel 2. BY Peter he was sent into Egypt to plant Christianity in those Parts fixing his main residence at Alexandria and the places thereabouts where so great says Eusebius