IN the Land of Palestine stood a Village call­ed Bethsaida, formerly an obscure and in­considerable place, belonging to the Tribe of [Page 2] Nepthali, but lately re-edified, and greatly enlarged by Phillip the Tetrarch, and by him advanced to the Place and Dignity of a City, replenished with many Inhabitants, and strongly Fortified with Power and Strength, which Augustus Caesar, in honour of his Daugh­ter, called Julias. It was scituated upon the Sea of Galilee, and had a Wilderness upon the other side thence, called, The Desert of Bethsaida. But for as great as its Splendor was at this time, late Travellers assures, that now it is become a most desolate and contemp­tible Village, consisting of a few Cottages of Moors and Wild Arabs: And later Travel­lers have since assured us, that even these are dandled away into one poor Cottage at this day. So fatally does Sin undermine the greatest and goodliest pleces; so heavily did our Saviours old Predict (one for their con­tempt of the Gospel) light on them.

Next to the Honour that this place had by our Saviours presence, who living most in these parts, did often resort hither. It had nothing greater to recommend it to the No­tice of Posterity, then that (besides some other of the Apostles) it was the Birth-place of St. Peter; a Person how inconsiderable soever in his private Fortunes, yet of great Note and Eminency, as one of the prime Am­bassadors of the Son of God, to whom both Sacred and Ecclesiastical Stories gives high [Page 3]and Eminent Elogies among the Apostles.

We are much in the dark as to the particu­lar time of his Birth, no probable Foot-steps nor intimations of it being found in Antiquity; yet in the general, we may conclude him at least, to have been about Ten Years Elder then his Master; his Marryed Condition and settled course of Life when he first came to Christ, and the great Authority and respect which the Gravity of his Person did procure him amongst the rest of the Apostles, with other such Circumstances, can speak him no less: But for any thing more positive and particular in this matter, we cannot affirm for a certain truth, though one positively tells us, that he was Born three Years before the Mo­ther of our Lord, and just Seventeen Years before the Incarnation.

Being Circumcised according to the rites of the Mosaick Law, the Name given him at his Circumcision, was Simon, or Simeon; a Name common among the Jews, especially in their latter times. This Name was afterward not abolished by our Saviour, but additioned with the Title of Cephas, which in the Syri­ack, which was the Vulgar Language of the Jews at that time, did signifie a Stone, or Rock, was thence derived unto the Greek Word Petros, rendred in the English Langu­age Peter.

[Page 4] His Father was Jonah, probably a Fisher­man of Bethsaida; the Sacred Story taking no further notice of him, then by the bare mention of his Name. Brother he was to St. Andrew the Apostle, and there is some question among the Ancients, which of the two was the Elder Brother; Epiphanius clearly adjudges it to St. Andrew: St. Chrysostom upon the other hand, saith ex­presly, That though Andrew came later into Life then Peter, yet he brought him first to the knowledge of the Gospel. But 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, much advantaged herein by the Neighbourhood of the Lake of Gene­sareth (on whose Banks it stood) called also the Sea of Galilee, and the Sea of Tiberius, according to the Mode of the Hebrew Lan­guage, wherein all confluences of Waters are called Seas. It was an hundred Fur­longs in length, and forty in breadth; the Waters of it most clear, sweet, and most fit to drink; stored with several sorts of Fish, [Page 5]and those different both in kind and taste, from those in any other place.

Here it was that St. Peter closly follow­ed the exercise of his Calling, from whence it seems, he afterward 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 it is said, that Heben the Mother of Constantine, built a Temple in Honour of St. Peter. This place was advantageous for the managing of his Trade, standing on the entrance of Jordan into the Sea of Galilee; and where he might as well reap the Fruits of an honest and industrious Di­ligence. It's true, it was a mean and ser­vile course of life; for besides the great pains and labour it required, he was by it exposed to the injuries of Wind and Weather, to the Storms of the Sea, the darkness and Tem­pestuousness of the Night, and all to make a mean and very small return; but mean­ness is no Bar in Gods way: Nay; our Lord seems to cast a peculiar Honour upon that Profession; When afterwards calling him, and some others of the same Trade, from catching of Fish, to be Fishers of Men.

And now to reflect a little upon the Wise and Admirable Methods of Divine Providence, it is Wonderful to behold it in its Methods, in Propagating the Christian Faith in the [Page 6]World; that such low and mean Men should be armed with such Divine Power to the run­ning down the Kingdom of Satan: The vile Apostate Julian thought this a reasona­ble Exception against the Prophets of the Old Testament, that they were a Company of Rude and Illiterate Men; but here lay 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.

We find not whether Peter, before his com­ing to Christ, was Ingraffed in any of the Sects at that time in the Jewish Church; yet is it greatly probable, that he was One of the Disciples of John the Baptist, for it is certain that his Brother Andrew was so; and we can hardly think these Two Brothers should draw two contrary ways, or that he who was so ready to bring his Brother the early Tydings of the Messiah, should not be as solicitous to bring him under the Discipline and Influence of John the Baptist, the Day-Star that went before him. As also 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.

St. Peter was introduced into Christ's Ac­quaintance [Page]by means of his Brother Andrew; at which time our Lord gave him the Title of Cephas. What passed further between them, and whether these two Brothers henceforward Personally attended our Saviours Motions in the number of his Disciples, we cannot cer­tainly determine; it seems probable that they stayed with him for some time till they were In­structed in the first Rudiments of his Doctrine, and by his leave departed home; for we may reasonably suppose that our Lord being unwil­ling, at this time especially, to Awaken the Iealousie of the State by a Numerous Re­tinue, might dismiss his Disciples for some time, and Peter and Andrew amongst the rest; who, hereupon, returned home to the Ex­ercise of their Calling, where they continued somewhat more than a Year; at which time our Lord came along one Morning where they had been all Night at their Work, but taught nothing; but at his desire the Net be­ing let down, there was a miraculous draught of Fish caught; whereupon Peter presently leaving all, followed him: the first Way he went was to Capernaum, where Christ heal­ed Peter's Wifes Mother.

Our Lord being to Elect some Peculiar Persons as his Immediate Vicegerents up­on Earth, withdrew himself over-Night to a solitary Mountain: early the next Morning [Page]his Disciples came to him, out of whom he made Choice of Twelve to be his Apostles; in the ennumeration of which, the Evangel­ists place Simon Peter in the Front: And St. Matthew expresly tells us, that he was The First, that is, he was the first that was called to be an Apostle; his Age also, and the Gravity of his Person, more particularly qua­lifying him for a Primate of Order among the rest of the Apostles, as that without which no Secresie of Men can be managed or main­tained.

It may be here enquired, When and by whom the Apostles were Baptized? That they were is unquestionable, being themselves appointed to Conferr it upon others. Nice­phorus tells us, That of all the Apostles, Christ Baptized none but Peter with his own Hands, alledging Evodius, Peter's immedi­ate Successor in the See of Antioch, for his Author; and that Peter Baptized Andrew, and the Two Sons of Zebedee, and the rest of the Apostles: But Baronius confesses that this Epistle of Evodius is altogether unknown to the Antients.

Amongst these Twelve our Lord Chose a Triumvirate to be his more intimate Com­panions, whom he admitted, more familiarly than the rest, unto all the more secret passa­ges and transactions of his Life: the Three [Page 9]were Simon Peter and the Two Sons of Zebedee; these were with him at the Rais­ing of Jairus his. Daughter, as also at his Transfiguration upon the Mount, where Pe­ter desired our Lord that he might let them Build Three Tabernacles in memory of these great Transactions: One tells us, That in pursuance of this Petition of Peters, there were afterward Three Churches Built upon the top of this Mountain, which in after times were had in great Veneration; which possibly might give some foundation to that re­port which one makes, That in his Time there were shewed the Ruines of these Three Tabernacles, which were Built according to St. Peter's desire.

After that our Lord had entered Jerusalem in Triumph, he soon retired to Bethany, whence he dispatched Peter and John to make Preparation for the Pasfeover; accordingly they found the Person whom he had describ­ed to them, whom they followed home to his House; Whether this was the House of John the Evangelist, seituate near Mount Sion, or of Simon the Leper, or of Nicodemus, or of Joseph of Arimathea, is not certain.

These Three also accompanied him to the Garden, where he laboured under his Agony; to this Garden, Eusebius tells us, That Christians, even in his time, were wont to [Page]come Solemnly to offer up their Prayers: where also, another tells us, there was a fair and stately Church Built to the Honour of the Virgin Mary.

The Lord being Ascended into Heaven, and having fulfilled his Promise of sending the Holy Ghost, the Apostles and Disciples continued a while at Jerusalem, being tossed only with gentle Storms; but now a more violent Tempest overtook them upon the oc­casion of Stephen's Death, which dispersed the Disciples, one of which, to wit, Phillip the Deacon, went to Samaria, where he Preached the Gospel with great success, con­firming the same with Miracles: In this place was one Simon, who by Magick and Diabolical Sorceries sought to advance him­self into a great Fame and Reputation with the People, insomuch that they general­ly beheld him as the Great Power of God, for so the Antients tell us he used to Stile himself, giving out himself to be the first and Chiefest Deity, that is, That he was that which in every Nation is accounted the Su­pream Deity. The Apostles who were yet at Jerusalem, hearing of Phillip's success, sent Peter and John to his assistance, who when they came thither, laid their Hands upon these new Converts, whereupon they present­ly received the Holy Ghost; which when Si­mon [Page 11]saw, he offered them Money if they would conferr this Power upon him: Peter per­ceiving his vile intentions, scornfully reject­ed his impious offer, telling him, That it concerned him to Repent of so great and hei­nous a Wickedness.

Not long after, Peter wrought a mira­culous Cure upon one Aeneas, who had been a Cripple for a long time, and another soon after at Joppa upon one Tabitha; where he tarried till Cornelius called him.

It was now about the end of Caligula's Reign, when Peter after his Visitation be­ing returned to Jerusalem, not long after Herod-Agrippa, Grand-Child to Herod the Great, having attained the Kingdom, the bet­ter to ingratiate himself with the People, had put St. James to Death, and finding that this gratified the vulgar, resolved to send Pe­ter the same way after him; in order where­unto, he is Apprehended and cast in Prison, and set strong Watches to guard him, but the Lord by his Angel carried him out of the Prison the Night before the intended Execu­tion, so that he escaped: But before this, he is said to have gone down to Antioch, where he Planted the Christian-Faith, and there Founded a Church, and to have been the first Bishop of that See. This Eusebius and o­thers expresly declare.

[Page 12] What became of Peter after his Deliver­ance out of Prison is not certainly known, probably he might have Preached in some parts a little farther distant from Judea, as we are told he did at Bizantium, and in the Countries thereabout. After this he resolved upon a Iourney to Rome, where most agree, he arrived about the Second Year of the Em­peror Claudius: A Learned Author tells us, That coming to Rome he brought Prosperi­ty along with him to the City; for besides several other extraordinary advantages which at that time happened to it, this was not the least observable, That Camillus Scrivo­nianus Governour of Dalmatia, Soliciting the Army to Rebel against the Emperour, the Eagles, their Military Standard, remained so fast in the Ground, that no power nor force was able to pluck them up; with which un­usual accident, th [...] minds of the Souldiers were so amazed and startled, that turning their Swords against the Author of the Sedi­tion, continued firm and loyal in their Obe­dience, whereby a dangerous Rebellion was prevented, likely enough otherwise to have bro­ken out.

It is not to be doubted but that at his ar­rival he disposed himself among the Jews his Countrymen, who ever since the time of Au­gustus, dwelt in the Region beyond Tyber; [Page 13]but when afterward he began to Preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, he was forced to change his Lodging, and was taken in by one Pudens, a Senator, lately Converted to the Faith; here he closely plyed his Main-Office and Imployment to Establish Christi­anity in that place. Here, we are told, he met with Philo the Iew, who was lately come upon his Second Embassy to Rome in the behalf of his Country-Men at Alexan­dria, and to have contracted an intimate Friendship and Acquaintance with him: and now it was, that Peter being mindful of the Churches which he had lately Founded in Pon­tus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bythinia, and Asia the less, Wrote his First Epistle to them. Next to the Planting Religion at Rome, he took care to Propagate it in the Western parts, and to that end he sent abroad Dis­ciples into several Provinces. It happened that after St. Peter had been several Years at Rome, Claudius the Emperour taking advantage of some Seditions and Tumults raised by the Jews, by a Publick Edict, Ba­nished them out of Rome, in the Number of whom (it is said) St. Peter departed thence, and returned back to Jerusalem, and was present at the Great Apostolical Synod, where the Controversie about Mosaical-Rites was Debated and Decided; what became of [Page 14]him after this, we cannot certainly deter­mine; We are told by some that he came to the Western parts, yea, that he was parti­cularly in Brittain, where he Converted ma­ny to the Faith; but, where ever he was, it is certain that toward the latter end of Nero's Reign he returned to Rome, where he found the Peoples minds strangely be­witched and hardned against the imbracing the Christian Religion by the Subtilties and Magick-arts of Simon Magus whom he had formerly Baffled at Samaria: This Simon was Born at Gitton a Village of Samaria, Bred up in Arts of Sorcery and Divinati­on, and by the help of the Diabolical Pow­ers performed many strange Feats and won­ders of activity, insomuch that the People generally looked upon him as some Deity come down from Heaven; but being discovered by St. Peter at Samaria, he left the East and fled to Rome, where by Witch-craft and Sorceries he insinuated himself into the Fa­vour of the People, and at last became very acceptable to the Emperours themselves, in­somuch that no Honour nor veneration was too great for him, especially Nero, who was the Patron of Magitians, and all who main­tained Secret ways of Commerce with the Infernal Powers, had a singular Respect to him: With him St. Peter thought fit in the [Page 15]first place to encounter, and to undeceive the People by discovering the Impostures and Delusions of the Wretched Man. Which he did thus;

There was at this time at Rome an E­minent young Gentleman, and a Kinsman of the Emperours, lately Dead; the Fame which Peter had for raising of Dead persons to Life, perswaded his Friends to send for him; others also prevailing that Simon the Magitian might be sent for: Simon glad of the occasion, to magnifie himself before the People, propounded to Peter, That if he raised the Gentleman to Life, then Peter, who had provoked the Great Power of God, should lose his Life; but if Peter prevailed, he himself would submit to the same Fate: Peter accepted the terms, and Simon began his Charms and Inchantments, whereat the Dead Gentleman seemed to move his Hand. The People that stood by presently cryed out that he was alive, and that he Talked with Simon; whereupon they began to fall foul upon Peter, the Apostle intreated their pati­ence, told them that all this was but a Phantasm and appearance, that if Simon was but removed from the Bed-side, that all this Pageantry would soon evanish; who being accordingly removed, the Body re­mained without the least sign of Motion: [Page 16] Peter standing at a good distance from the Bed, silently made his address to Heaven, and then before them all Commanded the young Gentleman, in the Name of the Lord Iesus, to Arise; who immediately did, so spoke, walked, and eat, and was by Peter restored to his Mother. The People who saw this, suddenly changed their opinion, and fell upon Simon Magus, with an intent to have Stoned him; but Peter begged his Life, and told them, It would be Punish­ment enough for him to see, that in despite of his Malice, the Kingdom of Christ should in­crease and Flourish.

The Magician was inwardly Tormented with this Defeat, and vex'd to see this. Tri­umph of the Apostle, and therefore mustering up all his Powers, Summoned the People and told them, That he was offended at the Galilaeans, whose Protector and Guardian he had been, and therefore set them a Day when they should see him flee up to Heaven: at the time appointed he went up to the Mount of the Capitol, and throwing himself from the top of the top of the Rock, began his Flight; a sight which the People entertain­ed with great Wonder and Veneration, af­firming that this must be the Power of God, not of Men. Peter standing in the Crowd, Prayed to God that the People might be un­deceived, [Page 17]and that the vanity of the Impostor might be discovered in such a way, as he himself might be sensible of it. Immediately the Wings which he had made himself, began to fail him, and he fell to the Ground, miserably bruised and wounded with the fall; whence being car­ried to a neighbouring Village he soon after died: But the death of this miserable man, coming to the Emperors ears, no doubt, hast­ned Peters ruin. The Emperor probably had been before displeased with Peter; not only upon the account of the general disagreement, and inconformity of Religion, but because he had so strictly pressed Temperance, and Chastity; and reclaimed so many women in Rome from a dissolute and vicious life; whereby crossing that Lascivious and Wanton temper, to which that Prince was so immoderate a Slave; and being now by his means robbed of his dear Fovourite and Companion, he resolved upon revenge, commanded St. Peter (as al­so St. Paul, who was at this time at Rome) to be apprehended, and cast into his Mamer­tine Prison, where they spent their time in the exercise of Religion especially in Preach­ing to the prisoners, and those who resorted to them: and here we may suppose it was, that Peter wrote his second Epistle to the dispersed Jews; wherein he indeavours to con­ [...]m them in the belief of Christianity, and [Page 18]to fortify them against those pernicious Prin­ciples, and Practises, which even then began to break in upon the Christian Churth.

Hero returning from Achaia, and enter­ing Rome with a great deal of Triumph and Pomp; resolved now that the Apostle should fall as a Victim to his reveng and cruelty: While the fatal stroak was daily expected, the Christians at Rome, did, by daily, and ear­nest prayers solicite Peter to make his escape, and to reserve himself for the use and service of the Church. This at first he rejected, as that would ill reflect upon his constancy and cou­rage; but the prayers and tears of the peo­ple, overcame him, and made him yield. At cordingly the next night, having prayed with and taken his farewell of the Bretheren, he got over the Prison Wall, and coming to the City-Gate, he is there said to have me [...] with our Lord, who was just entering the City: Peter asked him, Lord, whether art thou going? from whom he presently received this answer; I am come to Rome to be Cruci­fied the second time. By which answer, Pe­ter apprehended himself to be reproved, and that our Lord meant it of his death, that he was to be Crucified in his Servant; whereupon he went back to the Prison, and delivered himself into the hands of his Keeper, shew­ing himself most ready and chearful to acqui­ess [Page 19]in the will of God. And we are told, that in the Stone whereon our Saviour stood while he talked with St. Peter, he left the impression of His feet; which Stone has been preserved ever since, as a very Sacred Relique; and after several Transtations, was at length fixed in the Church of St. Sebastian the Mar­tyr; where it is kept and visited with great Expressions of Reverence and Devotion at this day. Before his suffering he was scourg­ed according to the manner of the Romans, who were wont first to whip those Malefac­tors, who were adjudged to the most Severe and Capital punishments. Having saluted his Bretheren, and especially having taken his last farewel of St. Paul, he was brought out of the Prison, and lead to the top of the Vatican Mount near to Tybur, the place designed for his execu­tion. The heath he was adjudged to, was Cruci­fication, as of all others accounted the most shame­ful, so the most severe and terrible. But he in­treated the favour of the Officers, that he might not be Crucified in the ordinary way, but might suffer with his head downwards, and feet up to Heaven; affirming, that he was unworthy to suf­fer in the same posture wherein his Lord had suf­fered hefore him: his body being taken down from the Cross, is said to have been Embalmed by Mar­cellinus the Presbyter after the Iewish manner, & was then buried in the Vatican near the Tri­umphal [Page 20]way. Over his grave, a small Church was soon after erected, which being destroyed by Heliogabalus, his body was removed to the Ce­meterce, in the Appian way two Miles from Rome, where it remained till the time of Pope Cornelius, who conveyed it back again to the Vatican, where it rested somwhat obscurely untill the Reign of Constantine, who out of the mighty reverence he had for the Christi­an Religion, caused many Churches to be built at Rome; but especially rebuilt and en­larged the Vatican to the honour of St. Pe­ter; in the doing whereof, himself is said to have been the first that began to dig the foun­dation, and to have carryed thence twelve Bas­kets of rubbish with his own hands, in ho­nour (as it should seem) of the twelve Apo­stles. It is said, that amongst other Reliques, here is kept that very wooden Chair wherein St. Peter sat when he was at Rome; by the only touching whereof, many Miracles are said to be performed.

Having ran through the various passages of St. Peters life, from his Birth till his Martyrdome; it may not be amiss in the next place to survey a little his Person and Temper. His Body is said to have been somwhat Slender of a middle size, but rather inclining to Tallness; his Complexion very pail and almost white; the Hair of his Head [Page 21]and Beard Curled and Thick, but withal Short; his Eyes black, but speckt with red, which one will have to have proceeded from his frequent Weeping; his Eye-Brows thin, or none at all.

Let us next look inward, and view the Iewel 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, sharpened his Soul for all bold and generous undertakings; it was this that 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-Priest's 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.

This temper he owed in a great manner to the Genius and temper of his Country, of which Josephus gives us this true character, that it naturally bred in men a certain fierce­ness and animosity, whereby they were fear­lesly carryed out upon any Action, and in all things shewed a mighty strength and courage, both of minde and body: the Galileans being fighters from their Childhood, the men being as seldom taken with cowardize, as their Coun­try [Page 22]with want of men; and yet notwithstand­ing all this, his fervor had its Intervalls; witness his passionate crying out, when he was upon the Sea in danger of his Life, and his fearful deserting of his Master in the Gar­den. But he was in danger, and passion pre­vailing over his understanding, made him in­tent upon nothing but the present safety of his life; so dangerous it is to be left to our selves, and to have our natural passions let loose upon us.

Yet consider him as a Disciple and a Christi­an, and we shall find him eminently exampla­ry in the great instances of Religion. His humility, and lowliness of minde, was singu­lar; with what a passionate earnestness, upon the conviction of a miracle, did he begg of our Saviour to depart from him; when our Lord by that wonderful condecension stoopt to wash his Apostles feet, he could by no means be perswaded to admit it, untill our Lord was in a manner forced to threaten him into obe­dience; with how much candour and humility does he treat the inferior 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 upon [Page 23]the great estdangers, & exposing himself to the most eminent hazards of Life; telling the Iews with great plainness at every turn to their Faces, that they were the Murtherers and Crucifiers of the Lord of Glory; Nay, with what an Vndaunted Courage, and Heroick Greatness of Mind, did he tell the very San­hedrim that had Sentenced and Condemned him, that they were guilty of his murther, and that they could never be saved any other way, than by this very Iesus whom they had Crucified and put to death.

Consider him also as an Apostle, and Guid of Souls, and you will find him faithful and diligent in his Office, with an infinite zeal indeavouring to instruct the Ignorant, reduce the Erroneous, to strengthen the Weak, and confirm the Strong; we find him taking all opportunities of Preaching to people, Convert­ing many thousands at once: How many Voy­ages and Travels did he undergo? with what unconquerable patience did he indure all Con­flicts and Tryals, and surmount all difficul­ties and oppositions, that he might plant and propagate the Christian Faith; not thinking much to lay down his own Life to promote and further it; nor did he only do his duty him­self, but as one that was sencible of the value and worth of Souls, he was care­ful to put others in mind of theirs; earnesty [Page 24]pressing and perswading the Governours and Rulers of the Church to feed the Flock of God, to take upon them the Ruling and In­spection of it; freely and willingly, not out of a sinister end, meerly of gaining advantage to themselves, but out of a sincere design of doing good to Souls; that they would treat them mildly and gently, be themselves exam­ples of Piety and Religion to them, as the best way to make their Ministery succesful and effectual.

But to conclude what we are to Remark in this great Apostles Life, we are in the last place to consider him in his several relations; that he was married, is without all contro­versy, the sacred story making mention of his Wives Mother: His Wife (as some alledg) was the daughter of Aristobolus, Brother to Barnabas the Apostle, whom St. Jerom saith he left behind him, together with his Nets, when he forsook all to follow Christ; but Cle­mens Alexandrinus saith, that Peter seeing his wife going towards Martyrdome, exceed­ingly rejoyced that she was called to so great an honour; and that she was now returning home, encouraging, and earnestly exhorting her, and calling her by her name, bid her be mindful of the Lord. By her, some say, he had a daughter called Petronella.

ST. Paul was born at Tarsus the Metro­polis of Cilicia, a City infinitely Rich and Populous; and what was more to the fame [Page 26]and honour of it, an Academy furnished with Schools of learning, where the Schol­lars so closely plyed their Studies, that (as Strabo tells us) they excelled in all the Arts of polite Learning and Phylosophy; those of other places, yea even of Alexandria, and A­thens it self, and, that even Rome was be­holden to it for many of its best Professors: It was a Roman Municipium or free Cor­poration invested with many priviledges by Ju­lius Caesar, and Augustus; who granted to the Inhabitants of it, the honours and immu­nities of Cityzens of Rome. In which respect St. Paul owned and asserted it as the Pri­viledg of his Birthright, that he was a Ro­man, and thereby free from being bound or beaten.

His Parents were Jews, and that of the Ancient stock; not entring in by the gate of Proselytisme, but, originally descended of that Nation; they belonged to the Tribe whose Foun­der was the youngest Son of the Old Patri­arch Jacob, who thus prophesied of him: Ben­jamin shall ravin as a Wolfe, in the morn­ing he shall devour the Prey, and at night devide the Spoile. This prophetical character, Tertullian, and others after him, will have to be accomplished in our Apostle; As a rave­ning Wolfe, in the Morning devouring the prey. That is, as a persecuter of the Church [Page 27] [...]n the first part of his life, destroying the Flock [...]f God; in the Evening deviding the Spoil. That is, in his declining and reduced age, as Doctor of the Nations, feeding, and destri­ [...]uting to Christs Sheep.

We find him described by two names in Scripture; one Hebrew, and the other Latine; probably referring both to his Jewish and Ro­man Capacity and Relation: The one Saul, a name common in the Tribe of Benjamin, ever since the first being of Israel, who was of that name, was chosen out of that Tribe; in memory whereof, they were wont to give their children that name at their Circumcision. His other was Paul, assumed by him, as some think, at his Conversion, to denote his humi­lity; as others, in memory of his converting Sergius Paulus the Roman Governor, in imi­tation of the Generals and Emperors of Rome, who were wont (from the Places and Nati­ons which they conquered) to assume the name, as an additional honour and title to them­selves; but this seems no wayes consistent with the great humility of the Apostle. More probable therefore it is, that others think that he had a double name given him at his Cir­cumcision: Saul relating to his Iewish Ori­ginal, and Paul relating to the Roman Cor­poration where he was born: or, if it was ta­ken up by him afterward, probable it was done [Page 28]at his Conversion according to the custom an [...] manner of the Hebrews; who used many time [...] upon solemn and eminent occasions, especiall [...] upon their entring upon a more Strict an [...] Religious course of Life, to change their names, and assume one which they had not be­fore.

In his Youth he was brought up in the Schools of Tarsus, fully instructed in all the Liberal Arts and Sciences, whereby he be­came admirably acquainted with all Forreign Authors; together with which he was brought up to a particular Trade, and course of Life, according to that great Maxim and Principle of the Iewes, That he who teaches not his Son a Trade, teacheth him to be a Thief. They thought it not only fit, but a necessary part of Education, for the Wisest and most Learn­ed Rabbins to be brought up to a Trade, where­by if occasion was, they might be able to maintain themselves; hence nothing more com­mon in their writings, than to have them de­nominated from their Callings; Rabbi Jose the Tanner, Rabbi Jochanan the Shoomaker­ker, Rabbi Juda the Baker, &c. A custom, taken up by the Christians, especially the Monks of the primitive times; who, together with their strict professions, and almost incredible exercises of devotion, each took upon him a particular Trade, whereat he daily wrought; and by his [Page 29]own hand-labour maintained hemself: The Trade our Apostle was put to, was Tent­making, whereat he wrought for some particu­lar reasons, even after his being called to the Apostolat.

Having at Tarsus laid foundations of hu­mane learning, he was by his Parents sent to Jerusalem, to be perfected in the Study of the Law, and put under the Tuterage of Rabban Gamaliel; this Gamaliel was the Son of Rabban Simeon (probably supposed to be the same Simeon who came into the Tem­ple and took Christ in his arms,) President of the Court of the Sanhedrim; he was a Doc­tor of the Law, a Person of great Wisdom and Prudence; and Head at that time of one of the Families of Schools at Jerusalem; a Per­son of Chief Eminence and Authority in the Iewish Sanhedrim: He it was that made the wise and excellent Speech in the Sanhedrim, in favour of the Apostles & their Doctrine; nay, he himself is said to have been a Christian, and his sitting in the Senate to have been connived at by the Apostles, that he might he the better friend to their Affairs: At the Feet of this Gamali­el St. Paul tells us he was brought up; al­luding to the custom of the Iewish Masters, who were wont to sit, while their Disciples and Schollars stood at their feet; which honorary custom was continued till the [Page 30]death of this Gamaliel, and then left off.

Vnder the Tuition of this great Maste [...] St. Paul was educated, in the knowledg o [...] the Law, wherein he made such quick an [...] vast improvement, that he soon out-striped a [...] his fellow Disciples; amongst the variou [...] Sects at that time in the Iewish Church, h [...] was especially educated in the Principles an [...] Institutions of the Pharisees, of which Se [...] were both his Father and his Master.

This Sect was excessively proud and insolent censuring whoever was not of their way, a [...] Villains and Reprobates: All Religion an [...] Kindness with them was bound within th [...] confines of their own Party; & the first Printi [...] ples wherewith they inspired their new con­verts, were, That none but they were th [...] Godly party, and that all others were Sons of the Earth.

But though this appears to have been the gr [...] neral temper of that Party, yet doubtless ther [...] were some among them of better and mor [...] honest Principles than the rest; in which number, we have Iust reason to reckon our Apostle, who yet was deeply leavened with the ac­tive and fiery Genius of this sect, not able t [...] brook any opposite Party in Religion, especially if late and Novel; insomuch, that when th [...] Iews were resolved to do execution upon Stephen, he stood by and kept the cloaths o [...] [Page 31]them that did it: whether he was any further engaged in the death of this innocent and holy man, we do not find; however this was enough Loudly to proclaim his approbation and consent.

The Storm thus begun, increased apace, and a violent Persecution began to arise, which miserably afflicted and dispersed the Christians at Jerusalem; in which our Apostle was a prime Minister and Agent, being imployed by the High Priest to hunt and find out these new upstart Hereticks, who Preached against the Law of Moses (as they thought); accor­dingly having made strange havock at Jerusa­lem, he addressed himself to the Sanhedrim, and there took out a Warrant to go down and ransack the Synagogues at Damascus, whether many of the poor dispersed Christi­ans had fled; but God who had designed him for work of another Nature, stopt him in his Journey, drawing him back with a strong hand: The particulars of which are at large set down in the Holy Story.

Now for his Travels in Palestine and the adjacent Countries, as also his acts & sufferings in that fearful and dangerous voyage to Rome, being they are recorded particularly in the Acts of the Apostles; we shall not trouble the reader with it, but shall begin where it ends, and so meet him at Rome, whether he was sent [Page 32]upon his appealing to Caesar.

The first thing that he did after his arri­val at Rome, was, to summon the heads of the Iewish Consistory there, whom he acquaint­ed with the cause and manner of his coming; that though he had been guilty of no violati­on of the Laws of their Religion; yet had he been delivered by the Jews, into the hands of the Roman Governours, who would have acquitted him once and again, as innocent of any capital Offence; but by the perversness of the Iewes, he was forced (not with an in­tention to charge his own Nation) to make his Appeal to Caesar; that being come, he had sent for them, to let them know, That it was for his constant Asserting the Resurrec­tion, the hope of every true Israelite, that he was thus dealt with. They replyed, that they received no addice concerning him; but for his Religion, they desired to be somwhat in­formed about it, it being every where decry­ed, both by Jewes and Gentiles. According­ly upon a day appointed, he discoursed to them from Norning till Night, concerning the Doc­trine of the Holy Jesus; but his Discourse succeed­ing not with all alike, some persisting in their infidelity, he told them plainly, That henceforth he should turn his Preaching to the Gentiles, who would be glad to accept, what they had scornfully rejected.

[Page 33] It seems it was not long after this that he was brought to have his first hearing before the Emperor, where those Friends which he expected should stand by him, plainly deserted him; but God stood by him, and encouraged him. Two years he dwelt at Rome, in a house which he had hired for his own use, wherein he constantly imployed himself in Preaching, and writing for the good of the Church: Convert­ing some of all Ranks and Qualities; yea some belonging to the Court it self, among which was Torpes, an Officer of prime note in Ne­roes Court, and afterward a Martyr for the Faith; as also one of Neroes Concubines cal­led Pappea Chrisostome, also adds Neroes Cup­bearer.

Amongst others of our Apostles converts at Rome, was one Onesimus, who had former­ly been servant to Philemon, an eminent per­son in Colosse, but had run away from his Master, and taken things of some value with him: Having rambled as far as Rome, he was now Converted by St. Paul, and by him returned, with recommendatory Letters to his Master Philemon, to beg his pardon, and to be received again into his favour.

The Christians at Philippi, having heard of St. Pauls Imprisonment at Rome, and not knowing what straits he might be reduced to, raised a contribution for him, and sent it by [Page 34]the hands of Epaphroditus, who was now come to Rome, with whom, when he return­ed back, Paul writ his Epistle to the Philip­pians.

Our Apostle being now after two years Imprisonment, perfectly restored to his Liber­ty, remembring that he was the Apostle of the Gentiles, and had therefore a larger Dio­cess than Rome, accordingly prepared himself for a greater Circuit, though which way he direct­ed his Course, is not absolutly certain; by some he is said to have returned back to Greece, and the parts of Asia; by others that he Preach­ed both in the Eastern and Western parts, which is not inconsistent with the time he had after his departure from Rome: Clemens, who was his Cotemporary in his Epistle to the Corinthians, expresly tells them, that, be­ing a Preacher in both the East and West, he taught Righteousness to the whole world, and went to the utmost bounds of the West; probable it is, that he went into Spain, a thing which he himself tells us, he had formerly, once and again resolved upon: certain it is that the ancients do generally assert it, with­out seeming in the least to doubt it. Theo­doret and others, tells us, that he Preached not only in Spain, but that he went also to other Nations, and brought the Gospel to the Isles of the Sea: by which they undoubtedly [Page 35]mean Brittain; and therefore elsewhere reckons the Gauls and Brittains, which the Apostles, and particularly the Tent-maker, perswaded to imbrace the Law of Christ; nor is he the on­ly man that has said it, others also giving their Suffrage in this case.

To what other Parts of the World our Apostle brought▪ the tidings of the Gospel, we have no certain, nor probable footsteps in An­tiquity, nor any further mention of him till his return to Rome, which probably might be about the eighth or ninth year of Neroes Reign. Here he met with Peter, and were [...]oth together thrown into Prison; no doubt [...]pon the Persecution raised against the Christi­ [...]ns, under the pretence that they had fired the City: But besides this general cause, we may [...]robably suppose, that there were other more [...]articular causes for his Imprisonment; some [...] the Antients make him engaged with Peter [...] procuring the fall of that miserable wretch [...]mon Magus, and that that did cause the [...]mperors implacable fury and rage upon [...]m: Another gives us this account of it, That having converted one of Neroes Concu­ [...]nes, a Woman of whom he was infinitly [...]nd, and reduced her to a life of great strict­ [...]ss and chastity (who formerly had been [...]voted to all kind of lasciviousness, and [...]odness); so that now she altogether refused [Page 36]to comply with the Emperors wanton, and impure Imbraces: The Emperor finding this, stormed exceedingly, calling the Apostle a Villain, and Imposter, a wretched Perver­ter, and Debaucher of others; giving Orders that immediatly he should be cast into Pri­son; but understanding, that for all this he still persisted to perswade the Lady to con­tinue her Chast and Pious resolution; he commanded him forthwith to be put to death.

How long he remained in Prison is not cer­tainly known; at last his Execution was re­solved on, that his preparitory treatment was whether scourged, as malefactors were won [...] to be in order to their death, we cannot tell As a Roman Citizen, by the Valerian an [...] Parsian Law, he was exempted from it; thoug [...] by the Law of the Twelve Tables, notoriou [...] malefactors were first to be scourged, and then put to death. An Antient writer also tells u [...] That in the Church of St. Mary, beyond t [...] Bridg in Rome, the Pillars are yet extan [...] to which both Peter and Paul were bou [...] when they were scourged.

As he was led to Execution, he is said [...] have converted three of the Souldiers th [...] were sent to Conduct and Guard him, wh [...] within few dayes after by the Emperors co [...] ­mand, became Martyrs for the Faith. Bei [...] come to the place which was the Agnae S [...] ­viae, [Page 37]three miles from Rome; after some solemn preparations, he chearfully gave his Neck to the fatal stroak; as a Roman, he might not be put upon the Cross, too infa­mous a death for any, but the worst of Slaves and Malefactors; and therefore was Behead­ed, accounted a more noble kind of death, not among the Romans only, but among other Nations, as being fitter for Persons of bet­ter Quality, and more ingenious Education; and from this Instrument of his Execution, no doubt first arose that in all Images and Pictures of the Apostle, he is constantly repre­sented with a Sword in his right hand.

Tradition reports (which many of the Fa­thers do justifie) that when he was Behead­ed, a Liquor more like Milk than Blood, flow­ed from his Veins, and spurted upon the Cloaths of his Executioner, which St. Chri­sostome saith, became the mean of his Conver­sion, with many others, to the Faith.

The same Father adds, that the Apostle suffered Bartyrdom about the Sixty eighth year of his Age. But some question there is, whether he suffered at the same time with Pe­ter. Many of the Antients positively affirm, that both suffered upon the same day and year; but others, though allowing the same day, tells [...]us, that St. Paul suffered not till the year after; nay, some also go the length to inter­pose [Page 38]the distance of several years; amongst whom is a manuscript, of the lives and travels of Peter and Paul, brought amongst many o­ther venerable Pieces of Antiquity out of Greece; will have Paul to have suffered five years after Peter, which he justifies by no less than the Authority of Justine Martyr and I­reneus; but what credit is to be given to this nameless Author, we see not; and therefore can lay no weight upon it, nor think it fit to be put into the Ballance, with the testimo­nies of undoubted Antiquity; certainly if he suffered not at the very same time with St. Peter, it could not be long after, not above a year at most; the best of it 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 Martyrs of the Christian Faith.

He was buried in a certain place called Via Ostiensis about the space of two miles from Rome, over whose Grave, about the year three hundred and eighteen, Constan­tine the Great, at the instance of Pope Syl­vester built a most fair and stately Church with in a Farm, which one Lucina, a noble and famous Christian Matron of Rome, had long before Settled upon that Church; he adorned i [...] with an hundred of the best Marble Columns, [Page 39]and also Beautifyed it with most exquisite workmanship: The many precious Gifts of all sorts, which this Great and Worthy Prince bestowed upon it, are very particularly set down in the life of Sylvester.

This being thought too narrow and little, for the honour of so great an Apostle; the Em­peror Valentinian by a rescript directed to Sa­lustius Prefect of the City, caused it to be taken down, and began to build a more stately and spacious Church in the place of it; but Va­lentinian not living to see it finished, Theo­dosius his Successor did perfect it in great splendor, which, as Historians tell us, was fur­ther Beautified (as appears by an antient In­scription) by Placida the Emperess, at the perswasion of Leo Bishop of Rome; what o­ther additions of Wealth, Honour, and State­liness it hath since received, both by Popes, Emperors, and other Benefactors, were too tedious here to relate; neither is it my pro­vince to enquire into it.

As for St. Paul's Person, we find him thus described, He was of a little Stature, and somwhat Stooping, his Complection fair, his Countenance grave, his Head small, his Eyes carrying a kind of sweetness & beauty 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, mixt with Gray Hairs.

[Page 40] But how mean soever the Cabinet was, there was an unvaluable Treasure within: for as to his Natural indowments, he seems to have had a clear and solid Iudgment, quick In­vention, a prompt and ready Memory; all which were abundantly improved by Art, and the advantages of a more liberal Education, which raised him to a mighty reputation, both for Parts and Learning.

Yet all these were but a shadow to that Divine Temper of Mind that was in him, which discovered it self through the whole course of his Life; he was humble to the Lowest step of condescention: Great was his Tem­perance and Sobriety, so far from going be­yond the bounds of regularity, that he a­bridged himself of the conveniencies of a lawful and necessary accommodation. His Kindness and Charity was truly admirable, having a compassionate tenderness for the Poor, and a quick sense of the wants of others, both in their Souls and Bodies. His Zeal most ar­dent and hot, Warning, Reproving, Intreat­ing, Perswading by Night and by Day, by Sea and by Land; Preaching in Season and out of season. The Sum is, He was a Man in whom the Divine Life did eminently mani­fest, and display it self; being alwayes careful to keep a Conscience void of offence, both to­wards God and Man.

THe Sacred Story, which has hitherto been very larg and copious, in describing the [Page 42]Acts of the two first Apostles, is hencefor­wards very sparing in its accounts, giveing us only now and then a few accidental re­marks concerning the rest, and some of them no further mentioned, than the meer recor­ding of their names.

Amongst the Apostles that succeed, we first take notice of St. Andrew; he was born at Bethsaida, a City of Galilee, Son to John or Jonas, a Fisherman of that Town, and Brother to Simon Peter; he was brought up to his Fathers Trade, whereat he wrought till our Lord called him to another kind of Fishing.

John the Baptist, having lately risen up in the Iewish Church; great Multitudes flock­ed to him, to hear his discourses; besides, he had also a number of select Disciples, who wait­ed more particularly upon him: In the num­ber of which, was our Apostle, who was with him about Jordan; when our Lord came that way, upon his approach, the Baptist told them, that this was the Messiah; whereupon Andrew, and another Disciple follow our Sa­viour to the place of his abode. After some discourse with him, Andrew goes and ac­quaints his brother Simon, and both together came to Christ; yet stayed they not long with him, but returned home, and exercised their Calling for more then a year, till our Lord [Page 43]passing through Galilee, fully satisfied them of his Divinity, and commanded them to fol­low him, which they did immediatly: shortly after, St. Andrew, together with the rest, was chosen to be one of those that were to be Christ's immediate Vicegerents for planting and pro­moting the Christian Faith; little else is par­ticularly recorded of him in the Sacred Story, being comprehended in the general account of the rest of the Apostles.

Our Lord being Ascended, and the Apo­stles gone out to their work all the World o­ver; St. Andrew went to Scythia, where some of the Antients say he continued a con­siderable time, going from Plate to Place, Preaching the Gospel, and Settling Churches, meeting with a great deal of opposition in ma­ny places: Hence in process of time, he came to Byzantium (since called Constantinople), where he instructed them in the knowledg of the Christian Religion, and founded a Church. After this he Travelled over Thrace, Mace­donia, and Achaia, where for many years he Preached, and Propagated Christianity; at last he came to Patrae, a City of Achaia, where he gave his last, and great Testimony to it, by laying down his Life for it; the manner of his Martyt [...]m one describeth thus.

Aaegaas Proconsus of Achaia, coming to Patrae, and observing many of the people im­brace [Page 44]Christianity, he endeavoured by all means to reclaim them, whereupon the Apo­stle went to him, and expostulated with him about the matter; but the Proconsul derided him, as the Propagator of that Religion, whose Author the Iews had infamously put to death upon the Cross.

The Apostle from this took occasion to dis­course more fully of Christ; but the other told him plainly, that he might perswade them so that would believe him; for his part, if he would not do Sacrifice to the Gods, he would make him suffer upon the same Cross which He so much extolled. Afterwards he was committed to Prison again.

The next day, he was again brought before the Proconsul, where they began to intreat one another: The Proconsul the Apostle, that he might not foolishly forgo the pleasures of this Life: The Apostle the Proconsul, that he might not wickedly throw away his Soul.

This so inraged the Proconsul, that he told the Apostle, he must either forsake that new Re­ligion, or resolve to be tortured severely. He replyed, that he feared not his torture, he might do his worst; and that if he had one torture great­er than another, he might heap that upon him.

The Proconsul first commanded him to be Scourged by seven Li [...]ors, successively whipping [Page 45]his naked Body: But seeing his great patience, commanded him to be Crucified, but not to be fastened to the Cross with Nails, but Cords, that so his death might be more lingering and tedious.

Being come within sight of the Cross, he heartily saluted it, saying, That he long desired, and expected that happy hour wherein he might shew an honourable Testimony to his Glorious and Renowned Master. After having prayed and exhorted the people to constancy in that Faith, which he delivered to them, he was fast­ned to the Cross, whereon he hung two days, Teaching, and Instructing the people all the time, and Exhorting them to suffer chearful­ly for Christ and his Truth, when-ever they should be called to it. And when great impor­tunities, in the mean time were used by some to the Proconsul in his behalf, he earnestly beg­ged of our Lord, at this time, he might Seal the Truth with his Blood. God heard his fervent prayer, and he immediatly expired on the last of November, though in what year, no certain account can be recovered.

JAmes surnamed the Great, (either because of his Age, or for some peculiar honours, which our Lord conferred upon him), [Page 47]was a Galilean born, the Son of Zebede a Fish­erman; his Mothers name was Mary, surnam­ed Salome; his Education was in the Trade of Fishing, which Trade his Father also follow­ed; in the exercise of which, our Saviour found him, when he passed by the Sea of Ga­lilee, where he called them to be his Disciples; which Call, they readily obeyed, leaving their aged Father with the Servants to manage the Trade.

It was not long after his first calling, till he was called from the station of an or­dinary Disciple, to the Apostolical Office; and not only so, but honoured with some peculi­ar Acts of Favour beyond most of the Apo­stles; being one of the three whom our Lord usually made choice of, to admit to the more intimate Transactions of his Life.

Thus with Peter, and his brother John, he was taken to the Miraculous raising of Jairus his daughter; admitted to Christs glo­rious Transfiguration upon the Mount; taken along with him into the Garden, to be a specta­tor of his bitter, and terrible Agonies.

Nor was it the least instance of that par­ticular honour which our Lord conferred up­on these Apostles, that at his calling of them, he gave them a new Name and Title.

The Lord setting forward in His Iourney to Jerusalem, in order to his Crucifixion; and [Page 48]the better to prepare the minds of his Apo­stles, for his departure from them; he told them, he was to suffer, and yet after all, he should rise again; but they, whose minds were big; yet with the expectation of a Temporal Power, and Monarchy, understood not well the meaning of his discourse: However James and his Brother supposing the Resurrection, which he spoke of, would be the time when his Power and Greatness would commence; Prompted their Mother to put up a Petition for them; she after leave, modestly asked for her Address, beg'd of him, That when he took possession of his Kingdom, her two Sons might have the Principal places of Honour and Dignity, next his own Person. Our Lord di­recting his discourse to the two Apostles, told them, they quite mistook the nature of his Kingdom, which did not consist in External Grandeur, but in Inward Life and Power; that they would do well, to consider, whether they were able to undergo what he was to undergo. They probably not understanding the force of his reasoning, answered, They were a­ble to do all this; but He not taking advan­tage of their rash and inconsiderable Reply, told them, That as for suffering, they would indeed undergo it as well as he; but for any peculia [...] [...]onour or dignity, he would not by any absolute and peremptory favour of his [Page 49]own, dispose of it any otherwise then accord­ing to those Rules and Instructions, which he received from his Father. The rest of the Apostles were offended with this Ambitious request; but our Lord, to Calm their pas­sion, discoursed to them at large of the na­ture of the Evangelick State, and its diffe­rence from the Kingdoms of the World; with which discourse the storm blew over, and their exorbitant passions began on all hands, to be allayed and pacified.

What became of St. James, after our Saviours Ascension, we have no certain ac­count either from the Sacred, or Ecclesiastick Stories: some affirm, that after the Martyr­dome of Stephen, when the Christians were dispersed, he came to the Western parts of the world, even to Britain and Ireland; and having planted Christianity amongst them, went back again to Jerusalem; but this seems improbable upon several accounts, and therefore its safest to confine his Ministry to Judea, and the parts there abouts, and to seek for him at Jerusalem, where we are sure to find him.

Herod-Agrippa, Son of Aristobolus, being great in favour where the Emperour Claudius was setled, and confirmed by him in all that his Grand-Father Herod the great enjoyed, and seeing that this most pro­bable [Page 50]way to gain the affection of the Iews, was to fall heavy upon the Christians; he resolves accordingly to do it: Finding St. James Vigorous in contending for the Truth, Him he commands to be apprehended and cast in prison, and sentence of death to be passed upon him; as he was Led forth to the place of Martyrdome, The Soldier that had guar­ded him to the Tribunal, having been con­vinced by that mighty courage, and constan­cy which St. James shewed at the time of his Tryal, repented of that he had done, came and fell down at the Apostles feet, and heartily begged pardon for what he had done against him. The Holy man after a little Surprize at the thing, raised him up and kis­sed him: Whereupon before them all, he pub­lickly professed himself to be a Christian, and so both were beheaded at one and the same time. Thus fell St. James, Chearfully taking that most bitter Cup, which formerly he told his Lord he was most ready to drink of.

His death was not long unrevenged upon Herod, the account of it is thus: Shortly af­ter St. James his Martyrdom, Herod re­moved to Cesarea, while he was there, he proclaimed Solemn Sights, and Festival enter­ments to be held in Honour of Caesar: Ear­ly in the morning, the second day, he came [Page 51]with great State into the Theater, to make in Oration to the people, having on a most Sumptuous Robe, Curiously wrought with Silver and Gold; the Luster of which, so dazled the eyes of the people, that they cryed out it was some Deity; and that he who spake, must be somthing above the ordinary Standard of Humanity. This impious ap­plause he received without any token of dis­like. But a sudden Accident Changed the scene, and turned the Comick part to a black and fatal Tragedy. Looking up he espyed an Owle sitting over his head, which he presently beheld as the fatal Messenger of his eminent, and inevitable ruine by the just Iudgment of God; an incurable Melancho­ly immediately seized upon his mind, as Exquisite Torments did upon his Bowels: Behold, said he, turning to those about him; The Deity whom you admired, and your selves evidently convinced of flattery and falsehood: see me here by the Laws of fate condemned to die, whom just now you styled Immortal. Being removed into the Palace, his pains still increased upon him; and though the people mourned, and wept, fasted and prayed for his life and health, yet his accute Torments got the upper hand, and after five days put a period to his miserable life.

ST. John was a Galilean, the Son of Zebedee, and Salome younger bro­ther to St. James, together with whom he [Page 53]was brought to the Trade of Fishing: Before his coming to Christ, he seems for some­time, to have been Disciple to John the Bap­tist, being probably that other Disciple that was with Andrew, when they left the Baptist to follow our Saviour; so particularly does he relate all Circumstances of the Transactions, though modestly, as in other parts of his Gospel, concealing his own name.

There is not much spoken concerning him in the Sacred story, more than what is re­corded of him in Conjunction with his bro­ther James. He was peculiarly dear to his Lord and Master, being the Disciple whom Jesus loved; witness his lying in our Savi­ours bosom, at the Paschal Supper; as also when Peter was desirous to know which of them our Saviour meant, when he told them, one of them should betray him, and durst not himself propound the question, he made use of St. John, to ask our Lord. Indeed, when our Lord was first apprehended, he fled with the other Apostles: it not being with­out probability of reason, that the Ancients conceive him to have been that Young man, that followed after Christ having a Linen Cloath cast about his naked body, whom when the Officers laid hold upon, he left the Linnen Cloath, and fled naked from them. But though he sled, at present to avoid that sud­den [Page 54]violence that was offered to him, yet h [...] soon recovered himself, and returned bac [...] to seek his Master, and waited upon him through the several passages of his Tryal [...] till his Crucifixion. Here it was that our Saviour appointed him Guardian of his Mo­ther, and made her apart of his charge, and care. At the first news of our Lords resur­rection, he accompanyed Peter to the Sepul­cher, these two Apostles having a more mu­tual intimary then any of the rest, having run many hazards together, and adhering Close to one another, for the most part.

The Antients say, that after the death of our Lords Mother, John went to- Asia, where he applyed himself wholly to the propa­gating of Christianity. Having planted seve­ral famous Churches there. Having spent some years there, he was at length accused to Domitian, as a Subverter of the Religi­on of the Empire, by whose command the Pro­consul of Asia sent him bound to Rome, where he was put into a Cauldron of boyl­ing Oyl: but the Divine providence brought this holy man out of this (one would thought) unavoidable destruction: The Cruel Empe­rour not being satisfied with this, presently orders him to be banished into Patmos, a dis­consolate Island in the Archipelago, where he remained several years, instructing the inhabi­tants [Page 45]in the faith of Christ. Here it was a­bout the latter end of Domitian's Reign, that he writ the book of the Revelations.

Cruel Domitian being taken out of the way, Coccecus Nerva succeeded in the Empire, who being of a milder tempee, rescinded the odious acts of his predecessor, recalling the ba­nished; whereupon St. John left Patmos, and returned to Asia, fixing his residence at Ephe­sus, where it is said he wrote his Gos­pel.

He lived till the time of Trajan: about the beginning of whose Reign, he de­parted this life, about the Ninety eighth, or Ninty nineth year of his life, as is generally thought. But others think that he dyed a Martyr, upon no other ground, then of that our Saviour told him and his brother: That they should drink of the cup, and be Baptized with the Baptism wherewith he was Baptized, which was indeed Literally verified of his brother James. Yet for him though (as. one observes) he was not put to death, yet may he be truly stylled a Mar­tyr, his being put in a Vessel of Boiling Oil, his many years banishment, and other sufferings in the cause of Christ, Iustly Challenging the Title, it being not want of good will either in him, or his enemies; but the divine providence Immediately over­ruling [Page 56]the powers of nature, that kept the Malice of his enemies from its full execution.

Others deny that he dyed at all, but is still alive; the foundation of which error, was foun­ded upon what passed between our Lord and Peter, concerning this Apostle: for Christ having told Peter, what was to be his own fate, Peter enquires what would become of St. John. To whom the Lord answered, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee; which was mis-understood by the A­postles; though St. John himself, who re­cords that passage, inserts a causion, That Je­sus did say he should not die. From the same Original also sprang this report, That he on­ly lay sleeping in his grave at Ephesus; which report, was for a long time current.

He seems to have always led a single life; and so the Antients tells us, that all the A­postles were marryed, except St. John and St. Paul: He was polished by no arts of learning, but his want of it was made up abundantly in his Excellent Temper of mind, and the furniture of divine gra­ces, which he was adorned withall: His Humility was admirable, studiously concealing his own Worth and Honour.

He shewed a mighty care to the souls of men, unwearied by spending himself in the service of the Gospel; Travelling from [Page 57]East to West, to leaven the world with the principles of that Holy Religion, which he was sent to propagate. He was infinitely Vigilant against Hereticks, Countermining there Artifices, Antidoting against the poyson of their errors, and shuning all communion and conversation with their persons.

OF all parts of Palestine, Galilee seems to to have passed under the greatest character of Ignominy & Reproach; therefore called Ga­lilee [Page 59]of the Gentiles: both Jew and Gentile conspiring in this, that they thought they could not fix a greater title of reproach upon our Saviour and His followers, than that of Gali­lean. But to confute this, our Lord chose hence, those excellent Persons, whom he made the great instruments to Convert the World; some of which we have already given account of, and more are yet behind.

Of this number was Philip, born at Beth­saida, a Town near the Sea of Tiberias: Of his Parents, and way of Life, the Histo­ry of the Gospel takes no notice; though pro­bably he was a Fisherman, the common Trade of that place: He had the honour to be the first called to be Christs Disciple; which came thus to pass. Our Lord, after His return from the Wilderness, having met with Andrew, and his brother Peter, after some short dis­course parted from them; and the next day passing through Galilee, he found Philip, whom he commanded presently to follow him, which he accordingly did.

No sooner had Religion taken possession of his mind, then away he goes, and Finds Na­thaniel, acquaints him with the tydings of the new-found Messiah, and conducts him to Him: After his call to the Apostleship, there is not much recorded of him in the Holy Story. It was to him that the Lord propounded the question, [Page 60]what they should get in the Wilderness, as would feed so vast a multitude; To which he an­swered, That so much was not easily to be had. It was to him, that the Gentile Prosylites that came up to the Passover, addressed them­selves, when they desired to see our Saviour. It was with him that our Lord discoursed concerning himself, a little before the last pas­chal Supper. The Lord Iesus had been forti­fying their minds with fit considerations a­gainst his departure from them: He told them, That no man could come to the Father, but by Him. Philip not duely understanding the force of our Saviours reasonings, begged of him, that he would shew them the Father. Our Lord gently reproved his ignorance, that after so long attendance upon his instructions, he should not know that he was the Image of his Father; the express character of his infi­nite Wisdom, Power and Goodness appear­ing in him; that he said, and did nothing, but by his Fathers appointment, which if they did not believe, his Miracles were a sufficient evi­dence; that therefore such demands were un­necessary, and impertinent, and that it argu­ed great weakness after more than three years education under his discipline and instruction, to be so unskilful in those matters.

In the distribution of the several Regions of the World made by the Apostles; some think [Page 61]that the upper Asia was the Province which was assigned to Philip, where he applyed him­self with an indefatigable diligence and in­dustry, to recover men out of the snare of the Devil, to the imbraceing and acknow­ledgment of the Truth, by constancy of his Preaching, and Efficacy of his Miracles, he gained numerous Converts, whom he Bap­tized to the Christian Faith; at once Curing both Souls and Bodies: their Souls of Er­ror and Idolatry, their Bodies of Infirmities and Distempers; healing Diseases, dispossessing Daemons; settling Churches, and appointing them Pastors and Teachers.

Having for many years succesfully manag­ed his Apostolical Office in those parts, he came, towards the latter part of his life, to Hierapolis in Phrygia, a Rich and Populous, but most Idolatrous Place: Amongst the many Vain and Trifleing Deities, to whom they payed Religious Worship, was a Ser­pent or Dragon, which they Worshipped with great and solemn Veneration: the Apostle was grieved to see them so grosely inslaved to Er­ror; and therefore continually solicited Heaven, till by Prayer he had protured the death (at least vanishing) of this Famed Creature: Which done, he told them how unbecoming it was, to give Divine honours to such odious creatures; and thence took occasion to discourse at large of [Page 62]Christianity. The success was, That the Peo­ple were ashamed of their gross Idolatry; and many broke loose from their Chains of Ido­latry, and ran over to Christianity; whereup­on the great enemy of Mankind, betook him­self to his old Methods, Cruelty and Perse­cution; the Magistrates of the City seized the Apostle, and having put him into Prison, caus­ed him to be severely Scourged. This prepa­ratory Cruelty passed, he was led to Execu­tion; and being bound, was hanged up by the Neck against a Pillar, though others tell us that he was Crucified; the Apostle being dead, his body was taken down by St. Bar­tholomew his fellow Sufferer, and his own Sister, who is said to have been the constant companion of his travels, and decently buried; after which, having Confirmed the people in the Faith of Christ, they departed from thence.

It is generally affirmed, that St. Philip was Married, and that he had Daughters, whom he disposed in Marriage; but though this be granted, as it is not improbable; yet the not carefully distinguishing between Philip the Dea­con, & Philip the Apostle; has bred some confusi­on among the Antients in this matter; insomuch that some have concluded them to be one and the same person; but with how little reason, will appear to any that shall consider, that Philip, who was chosen to be one of the Seaven [Page 63]Deacons, could not be one of the Apostolical Colledg; the Apostles declaring upon that oc­casion that they had affairs of a higher na­ture to attend upon: So then upon the Per­secution that arose, upon St. Stephens death, the Church was dispersed; they were all scattered abroad throughout the Regions of Judea and Samaria, (and Philip the Deacon, among the rest who went down to the City of Samaria) except the Apostles who tarried be­hind at Jerusalem; & when Philip had Convert­ed and Baptised a considerable number in that place, he was forced to send for two of the A­postles from Jerusalem, that so by their hands they might receive the Holy Ghost, which had been wholly needless, had he himself been of the twelve Apostles.

St. Philip was one of the Apostles, who left no sacred writings behind him; the grea­ter part of the Apostles, having little leasure to write Books, being imployed in the Mini­stry more immediately useful, and subservient to the happiness of Mankind.

IT is not questioned at all, but that S. Bartholomew was an Apostle; but the Holy Story, taking no further notice of him, [Page 65]then the bare mention of his name gave oc­casion to many both Antient and Modern, not without occasion to Suppose, that he lies conceal­ed under some other name, and that this can be no other than Nathaniel, one of the first Dis­ciples that came to Christ, accordingly we may observe that as some of the Evangelists, ne­ver mention Bartholomew in the number of the Apostles, so others take no notice of Nathaniel, propably. But that which renders the thing most specious, and probable is that we find Nathaniel, particularly reckoned up with the other Apostles, to whom our Lord appeared at the Sea of Tiberias.

This difficulty being cleared, we proceed to a more particular account of him: By some he is thought to have been a Syrian of a No­ble Extract, and to have derived his extract from the Ptolemes of Aegypt. But it is plain that he as the rest of the Apostles was a Galilean; and of Nathaniel we know it is particularly said, that he was of Cana in Galilee; the Scripture takes no notice of his Trade or way of life, though some Cir­cumstances might seem to intimate that he was a fusherman. At his first coming to Christ he was conducted by Philip, who told him that they had found the long-looked-for Messiah; and when he observed that the Messiah could not be born at Nazareth, Philip bids him [Page 66]come, and satisfie himself; at his first appea­rance, the Lord entertains him with the Character of a man of true simplicity, and Integrity: Surprized he was at our Lords Salutation, wondring how he could know him so well at first sight, whose face he had never seen before; But he was answered, that he had seen him, while he was under the Fig Tree, before Philip called him. Con­vinced with this instance of our Lords Di­vinity, he presently made his confessions, that now he was sure that Jesus was the promised Messiah the Son of God, whom he had appointed to be the King, and Gover­nour of his Church: Our Saviour told him, that if upon these inducements he could be­lieve him to be the Messiah, he should have far greater arguments to confirm his faith; yea, that err long he should behold the Heavens opened to receive him thither, and the An­gels Visibly appearing to wait; and attend upon him.

Concerning our Apostles Travels up and down the world, to propagate the Christian Faith, we shall present the reader with a brief account of them from Antiquity; that he went as far as India is owned by all, which must be meant, only of that part of India lying next to Asia; yet others say it was the India, bordering upon Aethiopia, [Page 67]and also tell us that here he left St. Mathews Gospel: The particular relation of which a famous Author giveth thus; that when Pan­tenus a man famous for his skill in Philo­sophy, and especially in the institutions of the stoicks, but much more for his hearty af­fection to Christianity, in a devout, and Zea­lous imitation of the Apostles, was inflamed with a desire to propagate the▪ Christian Re­ligion, unto the Eastern Countrys: He came as far as India it self, here among some, that yet retained the knowledge of Christ, he found St. Mathews Gospel written in He [...]re [...]; left here as the Tradition was by St. Bartholomew, one of the Twelve A­postles, when he Preached the Gospel to these Nations.

After his Labours in these parts of the world, he returned to the more Western, and Northern parts of Asia. At Herapolis in Phrygia we find him in company with Philip, instructing that place in the principles of Christianity, and convinceing them of the folly of their blind Idolators: Here, by the in­raged, he was at the same time with Phi­lip, designed for Martyrdom, in order there­unto, he was fastned upon the Cross, with intent to dispatch him; but upon a sudden Conviction, that the Divine Iustice would Re­venge their death, he was taken down and [Page 68]dismissed. Hence it is probable that he went to Lyconia. His last remove was to Albanople, in Armenia the great, a place miserably o­ver-grown with Idolatry, from which, while he sought to reclaim the people, he was by the Governour of the place, commanded to be Crucified, which he Chearfully under-went, comforting and confirming the convert-Gen­tiles to the last minute of his life; some add, that he was Crucified with his head down­ward, others that he was flead, and his skin first taken off, which might consist well e­nough with his Crucifixion; Exeoriation be­ing a punishment in use, not only in Egypt, but among the Persians; and from whom they might have borrowed this piece of Barba­rous Cruelty.

St. Mathew called also Levi, was, though a Ro­man officer, an Hebrew of the Hebrews, and probably a Galican; he was the Son of Alpheus, [Page 70]and Mary Sister or Kinswoman to the bles­sed Virgin. His way of life was that of a publican, or toll gatherer to the Romans, an office of bad report, among the Jews; in­deed, among the Romans, it was a place of power and credit, and Honourable [...]tati­on, not ordinarily conferred upon any b [...] Ro­man Knights. The Jews thought this Of­fice odious, upon these two accounts first that the persons, that managed it, were usu­ally covetous, and great exacters▪ which doubtless Zacheus was sensible of, wh [...]n af­ter his conversion he offered fourfold Resti­tutions to any man, from whom he had ta­ken any thing by fraud, and evil arts▪ and upon this account they became unfamous, e­ven among the Gentiles themselves. The other thing that made the Jewes detest them, was that this Tribute was not only a grievance to their purses, but an affront to the liberty, and freedom of their nations, for they looked upon themselves, as a free-born people in­vested in this priviledge immediately by God himself, and therefore looked upon this as a daily, and standing instance of their slavery.

Hereby Publicans, became Vniversally to be abhorred by the Jewish Nation, that it was accounted unlawful for them to shew such men any Courtesie or Common kind­ness. Of this Trade and Office was our [Page 71]St. Mathew, and it seems more particular­ly to have consisted in gathering the Customs of Commodities, that came by the Sea of Galilee; and the Tribute the Passengers were to pay, that went by water, a thing frequent­ly mentioned in the Jewish writings. For this purpose they kept their Office or Cu­stome-house by the Sea side, that they might always be near at hand; and here it was, that St. Mathew had his Tol-booth, where he sate at the receipt of Custom; Christ having lately cured a famous Paralitick, retired out of Capernaum to walk by the Sea-side; where he taught the people that flocked after him. Here he espyed Mathew sitting in his Cu­stome-Office, whom he called to come, and follow him; the man was rich, had a weal­thy and gainful Trade, but he overlooked all these considerations, left all his interests, and Relations to become our Lords Disciple; and to shew that he was not discontented with his choice, nor apprehended himself a looser by this bargain, he entertained our Lord, and his Disciples at a great dinner in his house, whether he invited his friends, especially those of his own profession.

After his Election to the Apostolate, he continued with the rest, tell our Lord's Ascen­sion, and then for the first eight years at least preached up and down Judea. After [Page 72]which, being to betake himself to the Conver­sion of the Gentile World, he was intreated by the Convert Iews to commit to Writing the History of our Lords Life and Actions, and to leave it among them, as a standing Re­cord of that he had Preached to them, which he did accordingly, and so composed his Gos­pel; little certainty can be had, what Tra­vels he underwent for the advancement of the Christian Faith. Some tell us that he went into Parthea, & having successfully plan­ted Christianity in those Parts, thence travel­led into Aethiopia, where by Preaching, and Miracles, he mightily Triumphed over Er­ror and Idolatry.

As to the manner of his death, it is re­lated by some, that he went into the Coun­try of the Canibals, where Christ appeared to him in the form of a beautiful Youth, and gave him a Wand, which he pitching in the ground, immediately it grew up into a Tree, that he also miraculously Converted the Prince of the Country, and after all, dyed in peace, and was most sumptuously buryed: But others of the Antients, with as much probility, af­firm that he suffered Martyrdom at a City in Aethiopia; but that kind of death is alto­gether uncertain.

He was a great instance of the power of Religion; how much a man may be b [...]o [...]ght [Page 73]off to a better temper, if we reflect upon his circumstances, while yet a stranger to Christ we shall find the world had very great advan­tages upon him, and yet notwithstanding, no sooner did Christ call, but without the least scruple or dissatisfaction, not only renounced his gain­ful incomes, but ran an immediate hazard of the displeasure of his Masters the Romans, that had imployed him for quitting their ser­vice, and leaving his accounss intangled and confured behind him.

The last thing remarkable in the Life of this Apostle, is, his Gospel Written at the intreaty of the Jewish converts, and as some say, at the command of the Apostles while he was yet in Palestine, eight years after the death of Christ, which St. Bartholomew took along with him into India, and left there: He wrot it in Hebrew, as primarily designed it for the use of his Country-men; it was without doubt, soon after translated into Greek, as some think by St. John; others attribute the translation of it to St. James the less.

After the Greek translation was enter­tained, the Hebrew Copy was chiefly owned, and used by the Nazarens, a middle Sect of men between Iewes and Christians; what the Christians, they believed in Christ, and im­braced his Religion; what the Iews, they adhered to the Rites and Ceremonies of the [Page 74] Mosaick Law, and hence this Gospel came to be styled the Gospel of the Hebrews, and the Gospel of the Nazarenes; by them it was by degrees interpolated several passages of the Evangelical History, which they heard from the Apostles; or those who had familiarly con­versed with them, being inserted; which the Antients Fathers frequently refer to in their writings: This Hebrew Copy was found in the Treasury of the Jewes at Tiberias, by Joseph a Iew, and after his Conversion a man of great Honour & Esteem; in the days of Con­stantine, one of the Antients assures us that there was another kept in the Library of Caesa­rea, in his time; and another by the Nazarenes at Berea, from whom he had the liberty to Tran­scribe it, and which he afterward Translated both into Greek and Latine: A Copy also of this Gospel was dug up and found in the Grave of Barnabas in Cyprus, Tran­scribed with his own hand, but these Copies are long since perished.

THe Jews used commonly (when Travel­ling into forreign Countries, or familiarly conversing with the Greeks and Romans) to [Page 76]assume to themselves a Greek or a Latine name, of affinity, and sometimes of the very same signification with that of their own Country. Thus our St. Thomas, according to the Syriacks importance of his name, was called Didimus, which is the same with his other name, expressed in different Languages. The History of the Gospel takes no particular notice, either of his Country or Kindred; that he was a Iew is certain, and in all proba­bility a Galileean; he was born (as some saith) of very mean Parents, brought up to the Trade of Fishing: He was afterwards, together with the rest, called to the Apostle­ship, where, not long after he gave an emi­nent instance of his hearty willingness to un­dergo the saddest Fate that might attend them, for when the rest of the Apostles, disswaded our Saviour from going to Judea, lest the Iewes should stone Him, as but a little be­fore they had attempted it: St. Thomas de­sires them not to hinder Christs Iourney thither, though it might cost them their Lives, proba­bly concluding, that instead of raising Laza­rus from the dead, they themselves should be sent with him to their own Graves; so that he made up, in pious a [...]fections, what he seem­ed to want in the quickness of his understand­ing, not readily apprchending some of our Lords discourses, nor overforward to believe more [Page 77]than himself had seen; when Christ, a little before his fatal sufferings, told his Disciples, that he was going to prepare for them that they might follow, and that they knew the place whether he was a going, and the way thither. Our Apostle Roundly replyed, that they knew it not: To which, our Lord gives this satisfactory answer, That he was the true Living Way.

Our Lord being dead, the Apostles were exceedingly distracted, between hope and dis­pair concerning his resurrection, which enga­ged him the sooner to hasten his appearance; wherefore, the very day in which he arose, he came into the house, in which they were, while for fear of the Jews the Dores were fast shut about them: At this Meeting St. Thomas was absent, having probably never recovered their company since their last dispersion in the Gar­den, where every owns Fears prompted him to Consult his own safety. At his return, they told him, That the Lord had appeared to them, but he obstinately refused to believe that it was he, except he might see the very prints of the Nails and feel, the Wounds in his Hands and Sides: But his compassionate master would not take advantage of the man's re­fractory unbelief; but upon that Day seven night came to them, as they were solemnly met at their Devotions, and calling Thomas, [Page 78]hade 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 thereby satisfy his Faith. The Man was quickly con­vinced of his Error, confessing, That he now acknowledged him to be his very Lord and Master.

Our Lord being Ascended, and having emi­nently given Gifts, and miraeulous Powers to the Apostles. St. Thomas moved thereto by divine Intimation, is said to have dispat­ched Thaddaeus, one of the Seventy Disciples to Abgaras, King of Edessa, whom he first Cured of an inveterate Distemper, and after­ward Converted him and his Subjects to the Faith. The Apostolical Assigned to St. Tho­mas, was Parthia, after which, some inform us, he preached the Gospel to the Medes, Per­sians, Carmans, Horcany, Bactrians, and the Neighbour Nations. One of the Anci­ents saith, That in Persia he met with the Wise Men, who came that long Io [...]eney 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 propagation of the Gospel; Hence he Prea­ched in, and passed through Aethiopia, and af­terward came to India, where we are told he was affraid to have ventured himself, until he was encouraged by a Vision, that assured [Page 79]him of the divine Presence to assist him. He Travelled a great way in these Eastern Na­tions, as far as the Country of the Brach­mans Preaching every where, where by mild and Gentle methods, he brought over the peo­ple from their grossest Superstition and Er­rors.

The Portugals tell us, that St. Thomas came first to Socotara, an Island in the A­rabian Sea; thence to Canyanor, where hav­ing converted many, he travelled farther into the East; and having successfully preached the Gospel, returned back to Carmandal, where he began to Erect a Place for Divine Wor­ship, till prohibited by the Priest and the Prince of the Country: But upon conviction of seve­ral Miracles, the work went on, and the Sa­gamo or King himself imbraced the Christian Faith. 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 its growing, 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, whether the Apostle was wont to re­tire to his Solitudes and private Devotions. Hither the Brachmans and their followers, persued him, and while he was intent at prayer, they first loaded him with Darts and [Page 80]Stones, till one of them coming nearer, ran him through with a Launce. His Body was taken up by his Disciples, and buried in the Church, which he had lately built.

While one of the Vice-Royes of Portugal resided in those parts, there were brought to him certain Brass Tables, whose Inscriptions none could read, till at last, by the help of a Iew, they were found to contain nothing but a donation made to St. Thomas of a piece of Ground for the building of a Church. They tell us also of a famous Cross found in St. Thomas his Chappel, wherein was an untelligible Character, which learned Dramin rendred to this effect: That Thomas a Divine person was sent in­to those Countries by the Son of God, in the days of King Sagamo, to instruct them in the knowledg of the true God, that he built a Church, and performed admirable Mira­cles, but at last, while upon his Knees at prayer, was thrust through with a Spear, and that the Cross stained with his blood was left as a memoral of these matters.

HE was the Son (as we may pro­bably conjecture) of Joseph, af­terward the Husband of the Blessed [Page 82]Virgin, by his first Wife. Hence re­puted our Lords Brother, in the same sense that he was reputed the Son of Joseph. One thing there is that seem to lye against this, that he is called the Son of Alpheus, but this may pro­bably mean no more than either that Joseph was so called by another name, or it may relate to his being a Disci­ple, of some particular Sect among the Iews, called Alpheans.

Of the place of his birth, the Sa­cred Story makes no mention. The Iews frequently style him a man of the Town of Sechania though, where that place was, we are not able to conjecture; what was his particular way and course of Life, before his being called to the Discipleship and Apostolate, we find no intimations of in the History of the Gospel, nor any distinct account concerning him, during our Saviours Life. After the resurrection, he was honoured with a particular appearance of our Lord to him, which, though silently passed over by the Evangelists, [Page 83]is recorded by Paul. One of the An­tients gives us a fuller account of it, which is, that St. James had solemnly sworn, That from the time that he had drank of the Cup at the Institution of the Supper, he would eat Bread no more, till he saw the Lord risen from the dead. Our Lord therefore being returned from the Grave, came and appeared to him, commanded Bread to be set before him, which he took, blessed, and beake, and gave to St James, saying, Eat thy Bread my Brother, for the Son of Man is truly risen from among them that Sleep.

His residence was for the most part at Jerusalem, being the Bishop and Pastor of it. To him we find St. Paul make his address, after his con­version. To him St. Peter sent the newes of his miraculous deliverance out of Prison. But he was princi­pally active in the Synod at Jerusalem, in the great controversie about the Mo­saick Rites.

[Page 84] He discharged his Office with all possible care and industry, omitting no part of a diligent and faithful Guide of Souls; strengthening the Weak, in­forming the Ignorant, reducing the Erroneaus, reproving the Obstinate; and by the constancy of his Preaching, conquering the stubbornness of that re­fractory and perverse Generation that he had to deal with; many of the No­bler and Better Sort being brought over to a complyance with the Christi­an Faith, which awakened the spite and malice of his enemies to conspire his ruin. Vexed they were that St. Paul (by appealing to Caesar) had es­caped their hands, and therefore now they turn their revenge upon St. James, which they not being able to affect un­der Festus's Government, they more effectually attempted under the Pro­curatorship of Albinus his Successor; resolving to dispatch him before the new Government could arrive: To this end a Council is hastily summon­ed, and the Apostle with others Ar­raigned [Page 85]and Condemned as Violators of the Law; but that the thing might be carried in a more platisible and po­pular way, they set the Scrives and Pharisees at work to insnare him; who coming to him, began with flat­tering Insinuations to set upon him: They tell him, that they all had a mighty Confidence in him, and that the whole Nation gave him the Testimony of a Iust Man; that therefore they desired he would Correct the Error, and false Opinion, which the People had of JESUS, whom they looked upon as the Messiah, and would take their Opportunity of their Vniversal Confluence to the paschal Solemnity, to set them right in their notions a­bout these things, and would to that end go up with them to the top of the Temple, where he must be seen and heard by all. Being advantage­ously placed upon a Pinacle or Wing of the Temple, they made this Ad­dress to him. Tell us, O Iustus, whom we have all the reason in the world [Page 86]to believe, that seeing the People are thus generally led away with the Doctrine of JESUS that was Crucified; tell us what is this Institution of the Cruci­fied JESUS? To which the Apostle answered with an audable voice, Why do ye inquire concerning JESUS the Son of Man? He sits in Heaven on the right Hand of the Majesty on high, and will come again in the Clouds of Heaven. The People be­low, hearing it, glorifi'd the Blessed Jesus. The Scribes and Pharisees Per­ceiving now, that they had overshot themselves, and that instead of reclaim­ing, they confirmed the People in their supposed Error, thought that there was no way seft, but presently to dispatch him, that by his sad fate, others might be warned not to believe him: Where­upon suddenly crying out, that Justus himself was seduced, and become an Impostor; they threw him down from the place where he stood, though brui­sed, he was not killed by the fall, but recovered so much strength, as to get [Page 87]upon his knees, and pray to Heaven for them; vexed that they had not done his work, they fell fresh upon the poor remainders of his Life; and while he was yet at prayer, and One stepping in, and intreating them to spare him; a Iust and Religious man, and who was then praying for them; they began to load him with a shower of stones, till one more mercifully cruel than the rest, with a Fullers Club beat out his Brains: Thus dyed this good man, in the Nintyeth year of his Age, and about Twenty four years after Christs Ascension; being taken away, to the great grief and regret of all good men; yea, of all Sober and Iust Persons, e­ven among the Jews; he was buri­ed upon Mount Olivet in a Tombe which he had built for himself, and therein he had buried Zacharias, and Old Simeon.

He was of exemplary and extraordi­nary Piety, educated under the strict­est Rules and Institutions of Religi­on, being (as is supposed) of the An­tient [Page 88]Order of the Rechabites. Prayer was his constant business and delight; he seemed to live upon it, and to trade in nothing but the frequent re­turns of Converse with Heaven: and was therefore wont to retire alone to the Temple to pray, which he al­wayes performed kneeling, and with the greatest Reverence, till by his De­votion his knees were become as hard and brawny as a Camels. Nor was his Charity towards Man, less than his Piety towards God; he did good to all, watched over mens Souls, and studied to advance their eternal interest: He was of a meek and humble temper; honouring what was excellent in o­thers, concealing what was valuable in himself: His Temperance was admira­ble, he wholly abstained from Flesh, nor drank neither Wine nor strong Drink: His holy and mortified mind was con­tent with the meanest accommodati­on; he went barefoot, and never wore other than Linnen Garments.

[Page 89] He wrote only one Epistle probably not long before his Martyrdom; he directed it to the Jewish Converts, dispersed up and down those Eastern Countries, to comfort them under Sufferings, and to confirm them a­gainst Error.

ST. Simon the Apostle was, as some think, one of the four Brothers of our Saviour, Sons of Joseph, by [Page 91]his former Marriage. In the Cata­ [...]gue of the Apostles, he is styled Si­ [...]on the Cananite: as also Simon [...]elotes, or the Zealot, probably from [...]s warm active temper, and Zealous [...]rwardness in some particular way [...]nd profession of Religion, before his [...]oming to our Saviour. But that [...]e may the better understand this we must know, that there was a distinct sect among the Jewes, called, the sect of the Zealors; they were mighty as­sertors of the honour of the Law, and of the strictness and purity of Religi­on; insomuch, that they took upon themselves to question notorious Of­fenders, without staying for the ordi­nary Formalities of the Law; yea, when the case required executing Ca­pital vengeance upon them, till at length, their Zeal degenerating unto all manner of licenciousness and ex­travagance, that they not only became the pests of the Common-Wealth at home, but opened a door for the Ro­mans to break in upon them, to their [Page 92]final and irrecoverable ruine. The [...] were continually prompting the Peo­ple to throw off the Roman Yoak 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 bewailes them as the great Plague of the Nation: Nay, when Jerusalem was straitly be­sieged by the Romans, they ceased not to create tumults, and factions with­in, and were indeed the main cause of the Jewes ill success in that fatal War. It is probable, that all who went un­der the notion of this Sect, were not of this wretched and ungovernable temper, but that some of them were of a more sober and peaceable dispo­sition; and as it is not to be doubted, but that our Simon was of that sect in general; so there is reason to believe he was of the better sort. However, this makes no more reflection upon [Page 93]his being called to the Apostleship, than it did for St. Mathew, who was before a Publican, or St. Paul's being a Pharisee, and so Zealously persecu­ting the Church of God.

Being invested in the Apostolical Office, no further mention appears of him in the History of the Gospel, con­taining what the Apostles did, till their dispersion up and down the World, he then applied himself to the execution of his charge. He is said to have di­verted his Iourney towards Aegypt, thence to Cyrene and Africk, and throughout Martania, and all Lybia, Preaching the Gospel to those remote and barbarous Countries: Nor could the coldness of the Climate benumb his Zeal, or hinder him from Ship­ing himself over into the Western Islands, yea even to Britain it self: Here he is said to have Preached and wrought many Miracles, and after in­finite troubles and difficulties which he underwent, suffered Martyrdom for the Faith of Christ, being Crucified [Page 94]by the Infidels, and buried among them.

Others indeed affirm, that after h [...] had Preached the Gospel in Aegypt he went into Mesopotamia, where h [...] met with St. Jude the Apostle, and together with him took his Iourney in to Persia, where having gained a con­siderable harvest to the Christian Faith they were both Crowned with Mar­tyrdom: but this is granted by al [...] Learned Men to be fabulous, wanting all clear Foundation in Antiquity to stand on.

THere are three several names by which this Apostle is described in the History of the Gospel, Jude, Thad­deus, [Page 96]and Lebbeus. It being usual in the Holy Volumes for the same Per­son to have more Proper Names than one; as for the first, it was a name common among the Jewes, re­commended to them, as being the name of one of the great Patriarks of their Nation. This name he seems afterwards to have changed for Thadde­us, a word of the very same import and signification, as some think from a particular dislike of the Name of Ju­dal among the Apostles, the bloody and Treasonable practices of Judas Iscariot, having rendred that name very odious and detestable to them; wherefore to put a difference, he of­ten styles himself, Judas the Brother of James; for his name Lebbeus it seems to have been derived from an Hebrew word, signifying a Lyon, and therein to have respect to old Jacobs Prophesie, That he should be as a Lyon, which probably might have a main stroke to fasten this name up­on St. Jude. From this Patriarchal [Page 97]Prophesie we are told, that one of the Schooles of Learned men among the Jews, took occasion to denominate them­selves Labij, as accounting themselves the Schollars and Descendants of this Lyon like Son of Jacob; and that St. Jude was of this Society, and because of his Eminency among them retain­ed the Title of Labius, or as it was corruptly pronounced Lebbeus.

For his descent and Parentage, he was of our Lords Kindred, the Son of Joseph, and the Brother of James the Less. We find not when he was cal­led to the Discipleship, not meeting with him, till we find him enumera­ted among the Catalogue of the A­postles, nor is any thing particularly recorded of him afterward, more than one question that he propounded to our Saviour: Who having told them what great things he and his Father would do, and what particular mani­festations, after his Resurrection, he would make of himself to his Disci­ples and followers; St. Jude (whose [Page 98]thoughts, as well as the rest, were taken up with the expectation of a Temporal Kingdom of the Messiah,) not knowing how that could consist with the Publick Solemnity of that Glorious State they looked for: ask­ed them what was the reason, that he would manifest himself to them, and not to the World. Our Lord replied, That the World were not capa­ble of those Divine Manifestations, as being a Stranger, and an Enemy to what should fit them for Heaven; that they were only good Men, Persons of a Divine temper of Mind, and Religious Observers of his Lawes, and will, whom God would honour with these familiar Converses.

Eusebius faith expresly, That soon after our Lords Ascension, St. Thomas dispatched Thaddeus the Apostle to Abgarius Governour of Idessa, where he healed diseases, wrought Miracles, expounded the Doctrine of Christia­nity, and Converted Abgarus and his People to the Faith; for all which [Page 99]pains when he offered him vast gifts and presents, he refused them with a noble scorn, telling him, They had little reason to receive from others, what they had relinquished themselves. Here he is said to have died peaceably, and to have been most Honourably Buried. But by the general consent of the Latin Church, He is said to have Travelled to Persia, where, after great success in his Apostolical Mini­stry for many years, he was at last, for his free and open reproving the superstitious rites and usages of the Magi, cruelly put to death.

That he was one of the Marryed Apostles, appears sufficiently from his Grand-Sons mentioned by Fusebius, of whom one gives this account. Domi­tian the Emperour, whose heinous Wickedness had awakened in him the quickest Iealousies, and made him sus­pect every one that looked like a cor­rival in the Empire, had heard that there were some of the Line of Da­vid, and Christs Kindred that did yet [Page 100]remain, Two Grand-Children of St. Jude, the Brother of Our Lord, were brought before him, having confessed, that they were of the Family and race of David, he asked them, what Possessions and Estates they had. They told him, that they had but a very few Acres of Land; out of the Im­provement thereof, they both payed him Tribute, and maintained them­selves with their own hard Labour, as by the hardness and brawniness of their hands (which then they shewed him) did appear. He then enquired of them concerning Christ, and con­cerning the State of his Kingdom, what kind of Empire it was, and when and where it would commence. To which they reply'd, That his King­dom was not of this World, nor of the Seiginories and Dominions of it; but Heavenly and Angelical, and would finally take place at the end of the World; when coming with great Glory, he would Judg the quick and the dead, and reward every one accor­ding [Page 101]to their deeds. At length looking upon the meanness and simplicity of the men, as below his Iealousies and Fears, He dismissed them without using any severities against them; who being now looked on, not only as Kinsmen, but as Martyrs of Our Lord, were honoured by all, and pre­ferred to great places of Authority, amongst the Christians, and lived till the time of Trajan.

St. Jude left only one Epistle of Ca­tholick and Vniversal Concernment, inscribed at large to all Christians; It was some time before it met with a general reception in the Church, or was taken notice of. The Author indeed stiles not himself an Apostle, no more doth St. James, St. John, nor sometimes St. Paul himself, and why should he fair the worse, for calling himself The Servant of Jesus Christ, when he might have added, not only an Apostle, but Brother of our Lord?

[Page 102] Being satisfied in the Canonical­ness of this Epistle, none but St. Jude could be the Author of it, for who but he could be the Brother of St. James, a Character by which he is described in the Evangelical story more than once. A Modern Writer indeed will needs have it Written by a yunger Jude, the Fifteenth Bishop of Jerusalem in the reign of Adrian. And finding that that passage (the Brother of James,) stood full in his way; He concludes (but without any reason) that it was added by some Transcriber. But this is too bold dealing with sacred things, no wise to be allowed. The design of the Epistle is to preserve the Christians from being infected by the Doctrine of the Gnosticks, the Loose and Debauched Principles ven­ted by Simon Magus, and his follow­ers, whose wretched Doctrines and Practices, he briefly and elegantly re­presents, perswading Christians hear­tily to avoid these pernicious Sedu­cers [Page 103]as pests and Firebeands, not to communicate with them in their sins, lest they perished with them in that terrible vengeance that was ready to overtake them.

PArticular Remarks concerning St. Matthias, are not to be expected from the History of the Gospel, he [Page 105]not being an Apostle of the first electi­on. He was one of our Lords Disci­ples (and probably one of the Seventy) that had attended upon him the whole time of his Publick Ministry, and af­ter his Death, was Elected unto the A­postleship, upon this occasion: Judas Is­cariot who had been one of the Twelve immediately called by Christ to be one of his intimate Disciples, equally im­powered and commissioned with the rest to Preach and Work Mira­cles, and yet all this while, was a Man of Vile and Corrupt designes, branded with no meaner Character, than Thief and Murtherer, prostituting Religion, and the Honour of his place to Covetousness and evil Acts; This Covetous temper betrayed him, as in the Issue to the most fatal end; so to the most prodigious impiety that ever the Sun shone on, The betraying his innocent Lord, into the Hands of his cruel Enemies; but afterward awak­ned with the horrour of the Fact, his [Page 106]Conscience began to rouse and follow so close, that he was not able to bear up, under the furious revenges of his own mind never rested till he had dis­patched himself by a violent death: A vacancy being thus made in the Col­ledge of Aposties, the first thing they did after their return from Mount O­livet, (where our Lord took his leave of them to go to St. Johns House in Mount Zion) was to fill up the number with a fit proper Person; two were pro­pounded in order to the choice, Jo­seph called Barsabas, and Matthias; the way of Election was by Lots, a way frequently used amongst Jewes and Gentiles, in doubtful and difficult ca­ses: The Lots being put in, the now Matthias his Name was drawn out, and thereby installed in the Apostolick Office and Dignity.

Not long after, the promised pow­ers of the Holy Ghost were confer­red upon the Apostles, to fit them for that great and difficult Imployment, upon which they were sent, and a­mong [Page 107]the rest, St. Matthias betook [...]imself to his Charge and Province. The first Fruits of his Ministery he spent in Judea, where having reaped a considerable harvest, he betook him­self to other Provinces. One tells us, that he Preached the Gospel in Mace­donia, where the Gentiles, to make an experiment of his Faith and Integri­ty, gave him a poysonous and intoxi­cating Potion, which he chearfully drank off in the Name of Christ, with­out the least prejudice to himself; and that then the same Potion had depri­ved an hundred and fifty of these sight, he laying his hands upon them, restor­ed them to their sight again.

The Greeks, with more probability, report him to have travelled Eastward. He came, saies one, to the first; saies another, to the second, Ethiopia. The place whether he came, was very Wild and Barbatous, and his usage was accordingly: For here meeting with a People of a fierce and un­tractible temper, he was treated by [Page 108]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, in the sixty first year of our Lord; or as others, the sixty fourth.

Little certainty can be retrieved con­cerning the manner of his death: [...] Writer of great note, tells us, That he died at a place call'd Sebastople, and that he was buried near the Temple of the Sun. Another reports him to have been seized by the Jewes, and as a Blasphemer, to have been first ston­ed, and then beheaded. But the Greeks seconded herein by many antiquaries, tells 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 Helene the Mother of the great Constantine, to have been Transla­ted to Rome, where some parts of it [Page 109]are shewed with great Veneration this day; though others, with as great eagerness contend, that his Relicks were brought to, and are still preserved at Triers in Germany.

His memory is celebrated in the Greek Churches, August the Ninth; which appears not only from their Calendars, but from a Novel Consti­tution of Comnenus, appointing what holy dayes should be kept in the Church. But the Western Churches kept the twenty-fourth of February sacred to his memory, among many other Apocriphal Writings attributed to the Apostles, where was a Gospel Published under St. Matthias his Name, mentioned by Eusebius, and condemned with the rest, by Golasius 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, [Page 110]as under the pretended Patronage of his Name and Doctrine, the Marci­onites and Valentinians defended some of their most absurd and impious Opi­nions.

THough this great Evangelist car­ries something of Roman in his Name, without all question born of [Page 112] Jewish Parents, Originally descended of the Tribe of Levi, and the Priestly Line, and (if some of the Antients mistake not) Sisters Son to Peter; though others, without any shadow of reason, have confounded him with John Sirnamed Mark, the Son of Mary, and Mark's Sisters Son to Bar­nabas. The particular reason of his changing his Name from Jewish to Roman, is not clear from History; yet it is most probable, that he assumed the Roman Name Mark, upon some great change or accident of his Life; or (which was not unusual among the Jewes, then going to the European Provinces of the Roman Empire) ta­ken up at his going for Italy and Rome.

By the Antients, he is generally thought to have been one of the Se­venty Disciples; and some of them positively affirm, that he was one of them, who taking exceptions at our Saviours discourse of Eating his Flesh, and Drinking his Blood, went back, [Page 113]and walked no more with him, but was seasonably reduced and reclaimed by Peter; but others as confidently, and with as great Reason affirm, That he was no Hearer, nor Follower of Christ; and therefore could be none of them, who, upon that occasion, for­sook him. He was Converted by some of the Apostles, and probably by St. Pe­ter, who calls him his Son; from which some conclude, That Peter was his undertaker at his Baptism. He was indeed his constant Attendant and Follower all along 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 were the Interpretation of Tongues a Gift more peculiar to some than o­thers; this might probably be St. Mark's Talent, in expounding St. Peter's Dis­courses in word or writing, to those who understood not the Language wherein they were delivered. He ac­companied [Page 114]him in his Apostolical pro­gress, Preached the Gospel in Italy, and at Rome, where, at the request of the Christians in those parts, he Com­posed his Gospel. By St. Peter he was sent to Aegypt, to plant Christia­nity in that Country. He fixed his main Residence at Alexandria, and the places thereabouts, for a considerable time, where so great (as one of the Ancients writes) was the Success of his Ministry, that he Converted vast Multitudes, both of Men and Women, of all ranks and degrees, not only to the imbracing the Christian Faith, but to a more than ordinary strict Profes­sion of it: Insomuch, that Philo the Jew wrote a Book, which treats only of their particular. Rites, and way of Life; for which reasons, one of the Fathers reckons him among the Wri­ters of the Church. Philo did indeed write a Book, which is extant to this day, wherein he Treats of a sort of People, who (in many parts of the World, but especially in a pleasant [Page 115]place Scituated upon the Mardolick Lake in Aegypt, had formed themselves into Religious Societies, and gives a large Account of their Rites and Cu­stoms, their strict phylosophical and contemplative Course of Life: He fur­ther tells us, That when they did first enter upon this course of Life, they re­nounced all secular Interests and Im­ployments, and leaving their Estates to their Friends, retired into Groves and Gardens, and places devoted to Retirement and Contemplation; that they had their Houses or Colledges, not contigious, that so being free from noise and tumults, and such like incumbrances, they might the better minister to the Design 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, as their need required: in the middle of these Houses, there was an Oratory, wherein they dischar­ged the more secret and solenm parts [Page 116]of their Religion, divided in the mid­dle, by a partition Wall, three or four Cubits high; the one Appartment be­ing for the Men, the other for the Wo­men. Here they publickly met every Seventh Day, where being set accor­ding to their Seniority, and compo­sing themselves with great Decency and Reverence, the most aged Person a­mong them, and the best skilled in the Precepts and Principles of their In­stitution, came forth into the midst, gravely and soverly Discoursing of 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: They were al­so very careless of their Bodyes, be­ing wholly taken up with Religious Contemplations; they spent the Day entirely in Divine Meditations, and o­ther exercises of Devotion; they were also exceeding temperate, neither eat­ing nor drinking till Night. Any that would be further Satisfied about this [Page 117]People, let them peruse a book writ­ten by Philo the Jew, concerning them, which is extant to this Day.

Some of the Ancients have peremp­torily affirmed, That those excellent Persons were indeed Christians, con­verted and brought under these admi­rable Rules of a strict Conversation, by the Life and Doctrine of St. Mark, at his coming hither; but yet Philo's Account of them, being seriously weigh­ed, it will be found, he meant it of Jews, and not Christians; and be­sides, it seems not probable, that he being a Jewish Historian, would give such a great Character, and Commen­dation to Christians, who were so ve­ry hateful to the Jews over all the World; yea, further this Author speaks of this Institution, to have been some considerable standing, and therefore cannot take them for Christians; Chri­stianity being at that time even in the Bud, by means of St. Mark's mini­stry.

These, who took them for Christi­ans, [Page 118]might easily be led into this mi­stake, by observing the Conformity that was between the Primitive Chri­stians, who entred upon a more strict and severe course of Life: and these Therapeutae, an ordinary Fancy being able to draw a fair Parallel between them; and so it was, but removing them some Ages higher, and imagining them to have been Converted and Founded by St. Mark▪ and the Work was done. Indeed it is not to be doubted, but that Persons educated under these excellent Rules and Me­thods of Life, were more than ordi­narily prepared for the reception of Christianity, between which, and their Principles, and Rules of Life, there was so great an Affinity and Agreement, which must needs render our Evange­lists Success great in those parts, and open the way for men to come flocking over to the Faith. St. Mark did not confine▪ his Ministry to Alexandria, and the Oriential parts of Aegypt on­ly, but removed West-ward to the parts [Page 119]of Libia, going through the Countrys of Marmarica and Pentapelis, and o­thers thereabouts, where, though the people were both Barbarous in their Manners, and Idolatrous in their Worship, yet by his Preaching and Mi­racles, he made way for the entertain­ment of the Gospel, and left them not till he had not only gained them to, hut also confirmed them in the Profession of it. Returning to Alexandria, he Preached freely, and ordered, and dis­posed the Affairs of the Church, and wisely provided for Succession by Con­stituting Governours and Pastors of it: but the reffless Enemies of the Souls of men, would not sufter him long to live in quiet.

All was at the time of Easter, at the time the great Solemnities of Serapis, hapned to be Celebrated; When the Minds of the people being Passionate­ly Excited to a Vindication of the ho­nour of their Idol, broke in upon St. Mark when ingaged in the Solemn Celebration of divine Worship, and [Page 120]binding his feet with Cords, dragged him through the streets, and most craggy and stony places, to the Bouc­clus, a Precipice near the Sea; and for that night thrust him into Prison, where his Soul was by a Divine Vision, e­rected and encouraged under the Ru­ines of his shattered Body. Early the next morning, these bloudy hounds be­gan to Act their fatal tragedy; again, dragging him about in the same man­ner, till his Flesh being raked off, and his Blood run out in great Streams, all the way whereever they drew him; his Spirits failed him, and he Expi­red. But their Mallice ended not with his dayes; For a Father of very much Respect, Adds, That when he was Dead, they burnt his Body into Ashes; which Ashes the Christians carefully gathered together, and decently Bu­ried, near the place where he was wont to Preach. Afterwards it was with great Splendor removed from Alexan­dria to Venice, where it now lies Inter­red, and is Religiously Honoured by [Page 121]the Inhabitants. St. Mark being A­dopted to be the Tutelar Saint of that State, where he hath one of the stateliest, and most Magnificent Chur­ches Erected in honour of his Memo­ry, that the Universal World can boast of at this day.

He suffered Martyrdom upon the five and twentieth of April, though the certain year of his Sufferings is not precisely agreed upon by the Anci­ents. Some say, it was in the last year of the Emperor Claudius; others, place it in the eighth year of Nero. But another seemes extravagantly wide, where with great confidence Af­firms, That he suffered in the time of Trajan.

Among all these various conjectures, that which seems most probable, and carries most appearance of reason, with it, is, That this Holy Man suffer­ed about the end of Neroes Reign: For supposing him to have come to Rome with St. Peter, about the fifth or sixth Year of Nero; he might thence [Page 122]be dispatched to Alexandria, and spend the residue of his Life, and of that Emperours Reign, in Planting Christi­anity in those parts of the World. For it is beyond all debate, that Irineus affirmeth St. Mark, to have out-lived both St. Peter and St. Paul, and after their decease to have composed his Gospel, out of those things which he formerly had heard St. Peter Preach; nay, in many other passages of this Father's Writings, he supposed (whose Supposition certainly was not founded upon meer fancy and con­jecture) that St. Mark for some consi­derable time survived the Martyrdom of those two great Apostles. As to the Person of this great Evangelist, it may not be impertinent to trouble the Reader with a few words concerning it, taken from the same Authorities, from which we have borrowed the res [...] of his Life and Actions. As to his Person, he was of a middle size and Stature, of a comely and well proportioned body, and a wholesome con­stitution; [Page 123]his Nose long, his eye-brows turning back; his Eyes full of graceful­ness & amiableness; his Head, by reason of this great Age, very bald, his Beard long and Gray, his gate quick: in a word, he was indued with all the desi­rable qualities of a lovely Person.

His Gospel was, (as we obserd­ed above) written at the request of the Converts at Rome, who, not con­tent to have heard Peter Preach, pres­sed St. Mark▪ his Fellow-Labourer, to commit to Writing an account of these things which he Preached to them, & that by way of History; which he per­formed with exceeding great faithfulness and brevity, all which St. Peter peru­sed, and ratified with his Apostolical Authority, commanding it to be owned & preserved with the rest of the Canonical Books of the Scripture. And though some of the Fathers seemed inclinable to think it was Written after St. Peters Death; yet all that can be in­ferred from thence (taking it for truth) will be, that in it self, is a matter of [Page 124]no great moment and importance, that the Ancients were not fully agre­ed upon the exact time, when every particular Book of the Gospel were Published to the World. Some have been at great pains to prove the Gos­pel, not to have been St. Marks, but St. Peters; somtimes running to the Fathers, and finding no shelter there, they recur to Polemical debates of latter times, wherein they have shew­ed more wit and sharpness, than in­genuity and honesty. It is true, it was frequently stiled St. Peters Gospel, not so much because dictated by him to St. Mark, as because he principal­ly composed it of that account, which St. Peter usually delivered in his dis­courses to the People; which proba­bly is the reason, why a Learned Man doth observe, that he in his stile and manner of expression, delights to imi­tate St. Peter representing very much in a few words: This observation, though bold in some things, yet not in all; for though St. Matthew is larger in giv­ing [Page 125]the account of our Saviours Life, than he; yet in many places, he re­duces the story into a narrower com­pass than St. Mark.

The Last Chapter of his Gospel (as St. Jerome informs us) at least a part of it was wanting in all the an­tient Greek Copies, being rejected, up­on the account of a pretended disa­greement with the other Gospels, though as this Father himself, there shews, they are very fairly consistent one with another; nor is there any disagree­ment in any passage of them. His great impartiality in his Relation doth most clearly appear from hence, that he is so far from concealing or alle­viating the shameful lapse, and denial of Peter his dear Tutor and Master, to whom he was so deeply ingaged in the bonds of Love; that he sets it down with some particular weighty Circumstances, and Aggravations; which the other Evangelists thought sit (for reasons known to themselves) [Page 126]though they could not but know it) to take no notice of it. Some dis­pute has been made (and kept on foot in the Church) in what Language this Gospel was Written; some affirm it to have been Written in the Latin Tongue Originally: that which seems to give most Countenance to this, is a Note which we find at the end of the Syriack Version of this Gospel; where it is said, That St. Mark Preached and Published his Holy Gos­pel at Rome, in the Roman or Latine Tongue. An Evidence that would un­doubtly carry the force of a Demon­stration with all reasonable men, were they assured, that this Note is of equal Value and Authority with that ancient Version, generally supposed to come very few Centuries short of the Apo­stolick Age. Besides, these Jews, which heard St. Mark preach, being but stran­gers at Rome, could understand but very little Latine; but upon the other hand, the Roman Converts could not [Page 127]but understand Greek, it being at that time the most fashionable and commu­nicative Language in the World; nor can any good Reason be assigned, why it should be more inconvenient for St. Mark, to write his Gospel in Greek for the use of the Romans, than that St. Paul should, in that very Language, write his Epistle to the Church.

The Original Greek Copy written, with St. Mark's own hand, is said to be extant at Venice at this Day. Writ­ten, as some Inform us, by him at A­quileja, and thence, after many Hun­dreds of Years, Translated to Venice, where it is still preserved to this very day, an ancient Monument, and worth keeping. The Letters of it are so worn out with length of time, that such, as to satisfy their Curiosity, obtain a sight of it are not capable to read a Sentence of it to purpose, though some words appear here and there in some parts of it; in others, nothing but a few Letters and Characters: so [Page 128]that this Generation is not a compleat judge of its Authentickness; not being capable, either to approve or disapprove it; but it being of no great weight, whe­ther it be the Original or not, it is not worth contending for.

SAint Luke was born at Antioch the Metropolis of Syria, a City celebra­ted for its extraordinary blessings and [Page 130]eminencies; the pleasantness of its Sci­tuation, the fertility of its Soil, the Ri­ches of its Traffick, the wisdom of its Senare, the learning of its Professors, the civility and politeness of its Inhabi­tants, by the pens of some of the most eloquent of their time: and yet a­bove all these, renowned for this one pe­culiar honour, That here it was, that the Disciples were first called Christians. It was an Vniversity replenished with Schooles of learning; wherein were professors of all Arts and Sciences, so that this Evangelist being born in the very lap of the Muses, he could not miss of a liberal & ingenious Education; his natural parts meeting with the advan­tages of great improvement. Nay, we are told by some, that he studied not only at Antioch, but at most Schooles both of Greece and Aegypt, whereby he be­came learned in all parts of Learning & humane Sciences. Being thus furnish­ed out with Skill, in all the preparato­ry institutions of Phylosophy; he more particularly applyed himself to the study [Page 131]of Physick, for which the Grecian Acade­mies were most famous. Hence some conclude him to have been of high birth & noble blood but their mistake is found­ed upon their not considering, that this noble act was in these times professed generally by such as were of no higher value then that of Servants: upon which account, a learned man conceives that St. Luke, though a Syrian by birth, to have been a servant at Rome, where he somtimes practised Physick; and being sent from thence, returned to his own Country: there probably he continued his Profession all the dayes of his life; it being fairly consistent with, and in many cases subservient to the work of the Ministery, and the care of souls. Besides, his knowledge in Physick, he is said to have been ex­pert in the art of Painting; and there are no less than three or four pieces of Painting still in being, said to have been of his drawing. There is also an antient Inscription to be seen in the Via Lactea at Rome, in an old Vault [Page 132]near the Church of St. Mary, suppos­ed to have been the place where St. Paul dwelt; wherein mention is made of the Picture of the Blessed Virgin, Being one of the Seven Painted by St. Luke.

He was a Iewish Proselite; Anti­och abounding with Men of that Nati­on, who had their Synagogues and Schooles of Education; so that we need not, as some do, send him to Jerusalem to be instructed in the Law. As for the Opinon of some great Men, That he was one of them who had shamefully forsaken his Lord & Master, for the unwelcome discourse he made to the People, and was reclaimed again by St. Paul, being also by them sup­posed to have been one of the seventy Disciples; it seems to be no other than a meer fiction; upon no better ground is it said, That he was one of the Two Disciples who were going to Emaus, to whom the Lord appeared in their way. For besides other Arguments which might be brought to evince the [Page 133]contrary to both, he himself confesseth plainly, That he was not from the Begining an eye Witness and Minister of the Word. It is therefore most probable, that he was converted by St. Paul during his abode at Antioch, when as the Apostles were of Catch­ers of Fish, become Fishers of Men; so he of a Physitian for the Body, be­came a Physitian for the Soul.

Some of the Antients will have this to have been done at Thebes, the Chief City of Baeotia about fourty Miles distance from Athens; but this seems to have a bad Foundation, for it doth not appear from any credible Author of that time, that ever St. Paul was at Thebes.

He became ever after his inseparable Companion, and Fellow-Labourer in the Work of the Ministry, especially after his going into Macedonia; from which time, in Recording the History of St. Pauls Travels, he alwayes (as occasion serves) speaketh of himself in his own Person. He atteneded St. [Page 134] Paul in all his dangers, was with him at his several Arraignments at Jerusa­lem, accompanied him in his most dan­gerous and desperate Voyage to Rome, where he most constantly attended upon him, to serve his necessaries, and sup­ply those Ministerial Offices, which the Apostles confinement, would not suffer him to undergo, especially in carrying messages to those Churches, wherein he had planted Christianity: This infi­nitely indeared him to St. Paul, who owned him for his Fellow-Labourer, called him the Beloved Phisitian, and the Brother, whose praise is in the Gospel, throughout all the Churches, which the Antients, especially St. Igna­tius apply to our Evangelist.

It is more than probable, that he did not leave St. Paul, untill that he had fi­nished his Course, and Crowned all his sufferings with Martyrdom; though some aver, that he left St. Paul at Rome, and returned back into the East, and Travelled into Aegypt, & the parts of Lybia; where he according to his [Page 135]Custom Preached the Gospel, wrought Miracles, Converted Multitudes, Con­stituted Ministers and Pastors in the Church; yea, that he himself took up­on him the Episcopal charge of the City of Thebais. Epiphanius gives us this account, That he Preached the Gospel first in Dalmatia and Galatia, (by which Latter, he means Gaul or France, where, in the Iudgment of others, he is very far mistaken) then in Italy and Macedonia, where he spared no pains, declined not the greatest and most threatning dangers that he might faithfully, and with sincerity of heart, discharge that great and important trust, which was committed to him.

The Antients are not very well a­greed, either about the time, or man­ner of his Death and Martyrdom; some of them assuring him to have di­ed in Aegypt; others say, with as great confidence, that he dyed in Greece. The Roman Martyrologie makes By­thinia the place of his Martyrdom. Do­rotheus is at a great deal of pains to [Page 136]prove, That all the former are in a mistake, and that St. Luke dyed at nei­ther of the forenamed places, but that he suffered, and payed his vowes at Ephesus. They also disagree as much as to the manner of his death, as they do as to the place. Some make him die a natural; others, a violent death. Indeed, neither Eusebius, nor St. Jerom takes any notice of it, whether because they wanted a certain or true ac­count of it, or for some other reason best known to themselves, let the Rea­der determine. Yet Nazianzen, Paulinus Bishop of Nola, with several others, ex­presly assert, That he was Honou­red with a Crown of Martyrdom; of which Nicephorus gives this parti­cular Account: That coming to Greece, he Successfully Preached and Bapti­zed many Converts into the Christian Faith, that the number of Believers did daily increase, and every thing, wherein his Ministry was concer­ned, did Successfully prosper; un­til, at length, the Lord thinking it [Page 137]time to call home his Servant, with his Commission (having no more Work for him among the Infidels) A party of Villains made Head against him, and layed hold on him; where, after they had Glutted their greedy and hellish Appetites with his Torture, they drag­ged him to Execution; but when they came to the place where they intended to Perpetrate the rest of their Villany, they could not find a Cross to fix him upon; whereupon being resolved, by any means, to dispatch him, they carried him a little further, where they ligh­ted upon an Olive Tree, which they thought meet for their purpose; upon which they Han­ged him the Eightyeth, say some; but others, the Eighty Fourth Year of his Age.

Kirstenius, from an Antient Arabick Wri­ter, labours to prove, that he suffered Martyr­dom at Rome; which he thinks might proba­bly be, after St. Paul's first Imprisonment there; when St. Luke being left behind, as his Deputy, to supply his place in the Work of the Ministry, was shortly after put to Death, which he thinks might be the reason why he did not further Prosecute the History of the Acts of the Apostles; which he would un­doubtedly have done, had he Lived any consi­derable time after St. Paul's departure.

His Body afterward, by the special com­mand of Constantine; or as others say, of [Page 138]his Son Constantius, was with great Solem­nity removed from Rome to Constantinople, and was Buried in that great and famous Church, built and dedicated to the Memory of the Apostles.

He Wrote two Books for the use and be­nefit of the Church; his Gospel, and the Histo­ry of the Acts of the Apostles; both which he Dedicated to Theophilus. Now it is deba­ted among the Ancients, what this Theophi­lus is, some conclude it to have been a feign­ed Name, made use of by St. Luke in this place, denoting no more than a Lover of God; a Title common to every Christian: But o­thers, with more appearance of Reason, con­clude it the proper Name of a particular Per­son; and that which satisfies them abundant­ly in their Iudgment, is, That the Title and Stile of Most Excellent, is bestowed upon him; which was, in those times, the particu­lar Title, and proper Form of Address to Princes, and great Men: Yea, some of the Primitive Fathers, do expresly term him a Man of Consular Dignity, and probably a Prince; and others are yet more particular in their Account of him, saying, That he was a Noble-man of Antioch, who was Con­verted by Peter; and who, upon his Con­version, gave his House to the Church, for the place of their publick and solemn Meeting.

[Page 139] But it may as probably be supposed, that this Theophilus might have been some Ma­gistrate, or a Chief Man in Authority, whom St. Luke had brought in to the Faith, and Baptized; and to whom he now dedicated these Books, not only as a Testimony of honoura­ble Respect, but also as a means of giving him further Light into the certainty and assurance of these things, wherein he had been in­structed by him.

As for his Gospel, St. Jerome, and some others, suppose it to have been Written in Arabia, during his Travels with St. Paul in those Parts, whose help he is generally said to have made use of, in Composing of it; and that this the Apostle primarily intends, when he so often speaks of his Gospel; but what­ever Assistance the Apostle might contribute to the Work, it is clear, that the Evangelist him­self tells us expresly, That he derived his In­telligence in those matters, from those who had, from the Beginning, been Eye-Witnes­ses and Ministers of the Word: Nor does it in the least detract from the Authority of his Relation, that he himself was not present at the doing of them; for if we consider who they were, from whom he derived his Intel­ligence of those things, it may give abundant Satisfaction, he had a Stock, both of Credit and Intelligence; to proceed upon the Authen­tickness [Page 140]and Sufficiency of which, is beyond Expectation: for he delivered nothing in his whole History, but what he had immediately recovered from Persons present at, and particu­larly concerned in the things which he has left upon Record.

The occasion of his Writing his Gospel, is conceived to have been partly, to prevent those false and scandalous Rumors and Re­ports, which, even at that time, began to be obtruded upon the World; and partly to sup­ply what was wanting in those two Evange­lists, that Wrote before him; which Supple­ment, is particularly noted throughout the whole History by some of the Primitive Fathers.

The subject Matter of the whole History is, an Account of what relates to Christ's Priest­ly Office; and though, when he Recordeth o­ther passages in the Evangelical Story, he is very particular in his Relation; yet we may easily observe, that it is always with a pecu­liar Respect to Christ's Preist-hood: upon which account the Ancients, in accommodating the four symbolical Representments in the Pro­phets Vision, to the four Evangelists, assign­ed the Oxe or Calf to St. Luke.

His History of the Apostolick Acts, was un­doubtedly written at Rome, at the end of St. Paul's two Years Imprisonment there, with which he concludes his Story: it contains the [Page 141]Actions, and sometimes the Sufferings of some of the greatest Apostles, but more par­ticularly of St. Paul; for besides that his acti­vity in the cause of Christ, and the Gospel, made him have a deeper share, both in doing and suffering; St. Luke was his constant Attendant, an Eye-witness of all the most famous transactions of his Life, after his Conversion; yea, was privy to his most secret Concerns; and therefore was capable of gi­ving a more accurat and satisfying Account and Relation of them, seeing no Evidence or Testimony in matters of Fact, is so convictive and rationally pungent, than his, who Re­ports nothing but what he hath heard and seen.

Among other things, he gives a particular and exact account of those great and wonder­ful Miracles, which the Apostles did Work, for the Confirmation of the Doctrine of the Gospel, which they daily Preached. And this (as one of the Fathers enformeth us) was the reason, why, in the primitive Times, the Book of the Acts, though containing those Actions of the Apostles, which were done af­ter Pentecost, were yet usually read in the Church, before it, in the space between that and Easter; when, as at all other times, those parts of the Gospel were Read, which were proper for the Season: It was (sayes he) [Page]because the Apostles Miracles were the grand Confirmation of the Truth of Christ's Resur­rection, and those Miracles were Recorded in that Book; it was therefore thought most proper, to be Read next to the Feast of the Resurrection.

In both these Books, his way of Wri­ting is exact and accurat, his Stile polite and elegant, sublime and lofty; and yet clear and perspituous, flowing with an easy and natural Grace and Sweetness, admirably accommoda­ted to an Historical Design; all along expres­sing himself in a Vein of purer Greek, than is to be found in the other Writers of the Ho­ly Story: Indeed, being Born and Educa­ted at Antioch (then which no place more fa­mous for Oratory and Eloquence) he could not but carry away a great share of the Na­tive Genius of that place, though his Stile is sometimes allayed with a mixture of the Sy­riak and Hebrew Dialect. It was observed of old (as St. Jerome tells us) that his Skill was greater in Greek, than in Hebrew; that therefore he always makes use of the Septua­gint Translation, and refuses sometimes to render words, when the Propriety of the Greek Tongue will not bear it.

To Conclude, As an Historian, he was Faithful in his Relations, Elegant in his Writings; As a Minister, careful and diligent [Page]for the good of Souls; As a Christian, devout and pious: And who Crowned all the rest, with the laying down his Life for the Testi­mony of that Gospel, which he had both Prea­ched and Published to the World.