PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS REFERRED TO IN THE PRECEDING LIFE. N TO. I. pag. 7. Stirred up the most zealous members of the fo reign fynagogues in Jerufalem. Vitringa, de Syn. Vet. lib. 1. p. 1. c. 14. tells us from Jewish authors, that there were 480 fynagogues in Jerufalem. And learned men fuppofe, that of thefe, a number were compofed of Jews from the provinces, who chose to worship God in their native language. Lightfoot (Exercit. Acts vi. 9.) obferves, that Jewish authors exprefsly mention a fynagogue which the Alexandrian Jews had at Jerufalem.-With refpect to the fynagogue of the Libertines, there are facts in hiftory which thew who they were. Libertinus or Libertine, is a Latin word, which fignifies a flave who hath obtained his freedom: Alfo the fon of fuch a perfon.. From Philo we learn that the 8000 Jews, who, as Jofephus (Ant. xvii. 13. initio) tells us, joined at Rome the embaffy which came from Judea, to petition Auguftus against Archelaus, were mostly of this denomination. For he expressly affirms, that the Jews at Rome were generally fuch as had been taken captives, but were made free by their Roman mafters. Tacitus likewife fpeaks of the Jews, when he tells us, Ann. ii. 85. that 40co of the Libertine race were tranfported into Sardinia. Belides, Suetonius (Tib. c. 36.) and Jofephus (Antiq. xviii. 4. fine.) exprefsly calls them Jews who were thus transported. * The Jewith Libertines being fo numerous at Rome, and in Italy, it is probable that like other foreign Jews, they had a fynagogue in Jerufalem.-The members of all these foreign fynagogues, being generally very zealous, were moft fit inftru * Actum et de facris Ægyptiis Judaicifque pellendis: factumque Patrum confultum, ut quatuor millia Libertini generis ea fuperftitione infecti, quîs idonea ætas, infulam Sardiniam veherentur, coercendis illic latrociniis, et fi ob gravitatem cœli interiffent, vile damnum; cæteri cederent Italia, nifi certam ante diem profanos ritus exuiffent. 7 ments ments to be employed in oppofing the difciples of Christ. Accordingly they difputed with great vehemence against Stephen. Acts. vi. 9. Then there arofe certain of the fynagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Afia, difputing with Stephen. 10. And they were not able to refit the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake. 11. Then they fuborned men, which faid, We have heard him speak blafphemous words against Mofes, and against God. 12. And they Airred up the people, &c. No. II. pag. 8. It feems the fynagogues in foreign parts had a jurifdiction over their own members. In all the provinces of the Roman empire, the Jews were governed by a fenate of their own: and where they were numerous, they had a chief magiftrate, elected by themselves, who was fometimes called Alabarch, and fometimes Ethnarch. Of the nature and extent of that feparate government, which the Jews exercised over thofe of their own race, we have the most authentic account, in a decree concerning the Jews of Sardis, of which Jofephus has preferved a copy. Antiq. xiv. c. 10. 17. Gen. edit. page 487. and which deferves a place here. It is as follows, "Lucius Antonius, fon of Mark, pro"quæftor and proprætor, to the magistrates, fenate, and peo"ple of Sardis, greeting. The Jews which are our citizens, have fhewn me, that they have always had an affembly of "their own, according to the laws of their country, and a "place of their own, in which they decide the affairs and dif"ferences which concern themselves. Having defired of me, "that it may be lawful for them fo to do, I have decreed that this (right) be preserved and permitted to them." Wherefore, Paul had reafon to blame the Chriftians at Corinth, for going to law with one another before the unbelievers, Cor. vi. 5, 6.) fince they might have decided thefe differences by their own judges. Jofephus has alfo preferved an edict of Claudius, published in favour of the Jews, in the beginning of his reign. In that edict Claudius obferves, as a precedent, "That when a Jewish Ethnarch died, Auguftus did not forbid "the creation of a new Ethnarch, willing that all men should "remain fubject to him, but in the obfervation of their own "cuftoms." And Strabo, in a paffage not now in his works, but cited by Jofephus, Ant. xiv. c. 7. § 2. fays, "A good "part of Alexandria is inhabited by this people, (the Jews). "They have likewife an Ethnarch, who adminifters their af"fairs, decides caufes, prefides over contracts and mandates, "as if he were the governor of a perfect republic." The The Jews in all the provinces of the Roman empire, being thus allowed to live according to their own cuftoms, they regulated their conduct in every thing by the law of Moses; at least as far as it was poffible for them to do it out of Judea. And as the high-prieft, and elders at Jerufalem, were regarded by all the Jews, as the interpreters and adminiftrators of the law, the foreign Jews confidered themselves as actually under their jurifdiction. And therefore in all countries, they implicitly obeyed the mandates fent them from the council at Jerufalem; juft as in after times, the clergy of the Romish communion in every country of Europe obeyed implicitly the mandates of the Pope and conclave at Rome, No. III. pag. 9. Saul arofe from the earth, and with his bo dily eyes beheld Jefus fanding in the way. We are abfolutely certain, that, on this or on fome other occafion, Saul faw Jefus with the eyes of his body. For he hath twice affirmed that he faw Jefus in that manner. I Cor. xi. 1. Am I not an apoftle.-Have I not feen Jefus Christ our Lord? Chap. xv. 8. Last of all, (oon napas) He was feen of me alfo, as of an abortive apofle. Now it is to be observed, That this appearance of Jefus, Paul places among his other appearances to the reft of the apoftles, which without all doubt, were perfonal appearances. Befides, if Saul had not feen Jefus, in the body, after his refurrection, he could not have been an apostle; whose chief business it was, as an eye witnefs, to bear teftimony to the refurrection of Jefus from the dead.-I acknowledge, that if we were to form our opinion of this matter, folely upon the account which Luke hath given of it, (Acts ix. 3.-6.) we could not be fure that Saul now faw Jefus. Yet if we attend to the words of Ananias, both as recorded in this chap. ver. 17. The Lord Jefus whe appeared to thee (o ofis σo who was feen of thee) in the way, and as recorded, Acts xxii. 14. The God of our fathers hath chofen thee, that thou shouldeft-fee that just one, and shouldeft hear the voice of his mouth: Alfo if we confider the words of Chrift; 1 have appeared unto thee, for this very purpose, to make thee a minifter, and a witness of those things which thou haft feen: and that Barnabas declared to the apostles, how he had feen the Lord in the way, Acts ix. 27. I fay when all thefe expreffions are duly attended to, we shall have little doubt that Saul faw Jefus, standing before him in the way, (ver. 17.) when in obedience to his command he arofe from the ground. But, not being able to endure the fplendor of his appearance, or perhaps the better to express his reverence, he fell to the earth anew, and remained before him in that posture, till Christ ordered him to arife a fecond time, and go into the city; where it should be told him what he was to do. Acts ix. 6. Then it was, that on opening his eyes, he found himself abfolutely blind.—This, I fuppofe, is a better account of Saul's feeing Jesus, after kis refurrection, than with fome to affirm, that he faw him in his trance in the temple; or in his rapture into the third heaven. For on neither of these occafions, did Saul fee Jefus with his bodily eyes; the impreffion, at thefe times, having been made upon his mind by the power of Chrift, and not by means of his external fenfes; fo that he would not have been qualified by fuch a vifion, to attest Christ's refurrection from the dead.-I know that Paul had another corporeal fight of Jefus, namely after he had made his defence before the council, Acts xxiii. 11. But as the first epistle to the Corinthians, in which Paul affirmed that he had feen the Lord, was written before he was favoured with that fecond corporeal fight of Jefus, he cannot be thought, in that epistle, to have spoken of an event which had not then happened. No. IV. p. II. That thou mighteft receive thy fight, and be filled with the Holy Ghoft. From Ananias adminiftring baptism to Saul, Acts ix. 18. it would feem that he was one of the prophets, or teachers of the church of Damafcus. He may likewife have poffeffed the gift of healing diseases: and in that character, may have been fent to restore Paul's fight. But he ♦ɔld him likewise, he was fent that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost. Neverthelefs, from the other examples recorded in the Acts, and from the paffages in the epiftles, where the communication of the spiritual gifts is mentioned, and from Acts viii. 14, 15. 17. it appears, that none but apoftles had the power of conferring the Holy Ghost, on believers. For, when Philip had converted the Samaritans, the apostles at Jerusalem fent unto them Peter and John, that they might receive the Holy Ghoft. Wherefore, if Ananias, who was not an apostle, really conferred the Holy Ghoft on Saul, he did it by virtue of a fpecial commiffion; and having accomplished what was appointed him, his power ended with the fulfilment of his commiffion. From the hiftory, however, we cannot gather that any fuch commiffion was given to Ananias. And therefore we may interpret his words to Saul in this manner: The Lord Jefus hath fent me, that thou mighteft receive thy fight, and when thou haft received thy fight, that thou mightest, by an immediate illapfe, be filled with the Holy Ghoft. According to this way of understanding the matter, Saul received his fight, when Anauias fpake to him and put his hands on him, (Acts (Acts ix. 12.) But he did not receive the Holy Ghost till he was baptized; and then by some vifible fymbol, which Saul faw, the Holy Ghoft fell upon him, as upon the apostles at the beginning. So that he was not a whit behind the very greatest apostles, as he himself affirms; being baptized, not with water. only, but with the Holy Ghoft and with fire, according to John Baptift's prediction. Befides, if an inferior prophet, or even an apostle, had been employed to communicate the Holy Ghost to Saul, that circumstance would have been urged, as an argument to prove Saul an apostle of an inferior order. Whereas, in the manner we have fuppofed him to have received the Holy Ghoft, no argument could be drawn in preju dice of his authority. An ordinary prophet was fent to give Saul premonition of his being to receive the Holy Ghoft. This with the recovery of his fight, gave him the fulleft affurance that what had befallen him by the way, was no illufion, but a real appearance. To conclude, the fuppofition that the Holy Ghoft was communicated to Paul, by an immediate illapse, will appear ftill more probable, if the obfervation of many commentators is juft, that the phrafe filled with the Holy Ghost, is never applied in fcripture to those who received the Holy Ghoft by the impofition of the hands of men, but to those on whom the Holy Ghost defcended in fome vifible symbol. No. V. pag. 13. When Saul was about 34 years of age. The time of Saul's converfion may be determined, with a good degree of probability, in the following manner.-When the brethren at Jerufalem fent him forth to Tarfus, it is faid, Acts ix. 31. Then had the churches reft, throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified.-If this reft of the churches throughout all the land, which the hiftorian hath connected with Saul's going to Tarfus, was occafioned, as learned men and chronologers have thought, by the publication of the Emperor Caius's order to fet up his ftatue in the temple of Jeru falem, we can nearly determine the time of Saul's converfion. For Jofephus tells us, (Ant. xviii. 9. al. 11.) That, “Caius "greatly incenfed against the Jews for not paying him that re"fpect which others did, fent Petronius governor into Syria, "commanding him to fet up his ftatue in the temple, and if "the Jews oppofed it, to march into the country with an army, " and effect it by force. The fame hiftorian adds, (Bell. xi. "10. § 1.) That he enjoined him, if the Jews oppofed it, to put to death all who made any refiftance, and to make all the "rest of the nation flaves. Petronius, therefore, marched "from Antioch into Judea, with three legions, and a large ❝ body |