likewise being made, there were chosen "seven men to attend the daily ministration," ch. vi. Beside the numerous church at Jerusalem, there were also in a short time several churches of the faithful gathered in other parts; in Judea, in Galilee, and Samaria, ch. ix. 31. And on those who believed were bestowed the gifts of the Holy Ghost, by prayer and the laying on of the hands of the apostles, ch. viii. 14—17. This beginning and progress had the doctrine of the gospel, notwithstanding many hardships and sufferings endured by the apostles and the believers of every rank. When this doctrine had been planted in the minds of great numbers of Jews and Samaritans, it was preached by Peter, ch. x. and then by others, to Gentiles, men uncircumcised, in the land of Judea, and in the neighbouring countries and among them were converts made, upon whom also were bestowed gifts of the Holy Ghost. In the mean time Saul, called also Paul, who had been of the sect of the pharisees, educated by Gamaliel, a celebrated doctor among the Jewish people, and who had been a warm and violent opposer and persecutor of the disciples of Jesus, was converted to the same faith by an extraordinary appearance, Acts xxii. 3-10. Who received the full knowledge of the doctrine of the gospel by special revelation, and was appointed an apostle by Jesus Christ himself, without the interposition of any of those who had been apostles before, Gal. i. 1, 12. Eph. iii. 3. As the other apostles had done, he also spoke with tongues, wrought miracles in great variety and abundance, and conferred gifts of the Holy Ghost upon his converts. Paul together with Barnabas and his fellow-workers in the gospel, taught, as Peter had done before, that God had raised up Jesus from the dead, exhorted men to repent, and believe in him whom God had sent, Acts xiii. 16-41. To the Gentiles he declared, that they should turn from idols to the worship of God that made the heaven and the earth, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance, or, live in the practice of virtue: "forasmuch as God had appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he has ordained, whereof he has given assurance unto all men, in that he has raised him from the dead," Acts xvii. He moreover strenuously asserted the acceptance of the Gentiles, and their right to all the privileges of the church and people of God, without the observation of the rites of the law of Moses. In preaching this doctrine he also had great success, and formed churches of christians in many places, consisting of men converted from idolatry and vice to the worship of God, a faith in Jesus, and the practice of virtue. The converts of each city, having been first baptized, were formed into religious societies and churches, which met together for the performance of religious worship: in which assemblies they worshipped God by prayers and praises, had discourses and exhortations, and readings of sacred writings, and celebrated the memory of the death of Jesus Christ, by eating together bread, and drinking wine in a solemn manner. And they were directed by the apostles to pray for kings,' and governors, and "all who are in authority." These assemblies were ordinarily held at least every first day of the week, called the Lord's day,' in memory of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead: on which day, they were directed also to " lay by in store, as God had prospered them," for the relief of their necessitous brethren. 6 And that the worship of these assemblies might be performed in an orderly and decent manner, for general profit, and instruction in the principles and practice of piety; and that the necessities of each member might be duly provided for, and true religion preserved among them in a flourishing condition; there were at the very time of forming such societies, or soon after, appointed in them officers and ministers, called bishops, or elders, or pastors, or teachers; and deacons men who had been before approved, as persons of integrity and capacity for the work to which they were appointed, 1 Tim. iii. 10. The peculiar work" of the former of whom was to preach the word, and feed the flock, of which they were overseers, with wholesome and sound doctrine and instruction; "to reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine." Of the latter, the peculiar work, according to the primitive institution, was the "serv a Acts ii. 41. viii. 12. Rom. vi. 3. 1 Cor. 1. 13-16. b Gal. i. 2. "to the churches of Galatia." 1 Cor. xiv. 33. " as in all the churches of the saints." xvi. 19, the "churches of Asia salute you." 2 Cor. viii. "the churches of Macedonia," and many other places. c Acts i. 14, 24. ii. 42. vi. 1 Cor. xiv. throughout. Acts xviii. 11. xx. e Coloss. iv. 16. 1 Thess. v. 27. 8 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2. h Acts k 1 Cor. xvi. 2. 1 See Whitby's 4. 1 Cor. xiv. 14-17. 7. Gal. vi. 6. Hebr. xiii. 7. Acts ii. 42. xx. 7. 1 Cor. xi. 23. i Rev. i. 10. xx. 7. Annotations on 1 Cor. xiv. 32. Gal. vi. 3. and the Paraphrase on 1 Thess. after Mr. Locke's manner; the note on chap. v. 12. m "To all the saints which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." Philip. i. 1. "See Acts xx. 28. the epistles to Timothy and Titus. 1 Pet. v. 1. ing tables," and making a prudent and faithful distribution of the stock of the society, Acts vi. 2. And these several officers were to be examples of all virtue to the rest of the christian societies, in which they presided and ministered: as these societies themselves were to be examples to the world around them. These apostles of Christ, (of whom we have particularly spoken,) together with their companions and fellow-labourers, evangelists, and others, had such success in the work of preaching the gospel, that before they left the world, they had erected societies, or churches of christians, in most parts of the Roman empire; in the countries of Judea, Cyprus, Crete, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, Greece, and Italy, in the cities of Jerusalem, Cæsarea, Antioch, Ephesus, Athens, Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Rome, and in other cities and countries: consisting, it is likely, for the most part, of persons of mean condition. But there were likewise among them men of learning, wealth, and power. By these means, and upon this foundation, was raised the church of Christ, which still subsists, and against which, according to his express assurance, no adverse power shall ever prevail, Matt. xvi. 16. This is the substance of the history of the New Testament, which being well known, needs not, I presume, to be drawn out here into a greater length. Of these several things I propose to collect the evidence, which there may be in ancient writers; whether christians or others. I begin with testimonies of christian writers, which will be placed in the following order. I. Their testimonies concerning the antiquity, genuineness, and authority of the books of the New Testament, in which is contained this history. II. Their testimonies concerning the facts, properly so called; the birth, miracles, death, resurrection of Jesus Christ; the mission of the apostles, their miracles, and suc cess. III. The doctrine and principles of belief and practice, delivered and taught by Christ and his apostles. • Some however are of opinion, that the seven men of the church of Jerusalem, who were appointed by the apostles for serving tables,' were quite different from the deacons, concerning whom Paul speaks in his epistles to Timothy and the Philippians, and who were known by the name of deacons in the primitive christian churches. They think, that the seven in the Acts were extraordinary ministers or assistants, chosen for a particular occasion, the like to which were not continued in the church. This opinion has been learnedly asserted by Vitringa de Synagog. Vet. l. 3. p. 2. cap. v. p. 920—934. IV. The worship appointed by Christ and his apostles. Which two last are to be considered as facts; that is, that those principles were delivered, and that worship here spoken of was appointed by Christ, and his apostles. All which testimonies to these several matters of fact may be confirmed, I believe, by some considerations, which will add weight to them, and very much increase their credibility. And if it should be needful, some objections to the validity of this evidence may be stated and considered. I now proceed to exhibit in the first place the testimonies of christian writers concerning the books of the New Tes tament. The Reigns of the Roman Emperors during the first Two Centuries of the Christian Era. Augustus having reigned from the death of Julius Claudius Nero Nero died Galba Otho Vitellius A. D. August 19. 14. August 19. 14. March 16. 37. January 24. 41. October 13. 54. June 9. 68. June 9. 68. Jan. 15. July 1. 69. June 24. 79. September 13. 81. December 31. 192. Didius Julianus Septimius Severus March 28. 193. and reigned to February 4. 211. THE PRINCIPAL FACTS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CONFIRMED, &c. PART II. CHAP. I. ST. BARNABAS. HIS HISTORY. BARNABAS was a Levite, of the country of Cyprus, and one of those christians, who, soon after the resurrection of Jesus, sold their goods and lands, and brought the money, and "laid it at the apostles' feet," Acts iv. 36, 37. He afterwards preached the gospel in divers parts, together with the apostle Paul, Acts xv. 36. But upon a dissension about the person that should accompany them in a journey they were undertaking, they separated from each other: though, it is likely, in friendship: or at least they were afterwards reconciled, as may be concluded from the honourable and affectionate mention which St. Paul makes of Barnabas," and Mark, the person about whom the dispute was, in some of his epistles. And Barnabas has this testimony given him by St. Luke, that he "was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith." There is little known of him, besides what is said in the New Testament; except that some of the ancients have supposed him to be one of Christ's seventy disciples, whom he employed in preaching in the land of Judea, in his own lifetime on earth. There is still extant an epistle, ascribed to St. Barnabas. It consists of two parts. The first is an exhortation and argument to constancy in the belief and profession of the christian doctrine; particularly, the simplicity of it without 1 Cor. ix. 6. Acts xi. 24. VOL. II. b Col. iv. 10. 2 Tim. iv. 11. Philem. 24. C |