Many of the foregoing remarks may be applied to the defence made afterwards by our Apostle before king Agrippa and Feftus ‡ I think it unneceffary therefore to cite it. It will fuffice to obferve, or rather to repeat, that, afferting the doctrine of the refurrection in general, and particularly that of Jefus Chrift, St. Paul at one and the fame time infinuates himself into the good graces of fuch as were pharifaically difpofed; and points to a fact, the admiffion of which, upon full and difpaffionate enquiry, muft lead all that heard him, all the Jews at least into a train of conclufions, neceffarily comprehending the great truths of the Gospel. And that this was a much more judicious mode of conviction than the direct or pofitive affertion of all, or any of those truths could have been, I prefume, I need not stay to prove.

When St. Paul fome time after this expounded and teftified the kingdom of God to the Jews at Rome, perfuading them concerning Jefus both out of the law of Mofes, and out of the

prophets, we cannot fay with any precision how much of the whole scheme of Chriftianity he laid before them. Moft probably his usual discretion directed him to deal tenderly with them at firft; though when he declared to the unbelieving part of them that the falvation of God was fent unto the Gentiles, the expreffion has evident reference to that scheme; as, fuitably hereto, the hiftory of the Apoftolical Acts concludes with an account of his receiving all that came in unto him for two whole years, and preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jefus Chrift.

This minute and circumstantial furvey of the history of the Acts of the Apofiles, so far as it is connected with our prefent fubject, will, I apprehend, throw much light upon the fame. And it will receive additional luftre from the following confideration: that, as in the Holy Scriptures, fo in the writings of the Apoftolical Fathers, the leading truths of Chriftianity are incidentally mentioned, or

1 Acts xxviii. 23, 31.

alluded

alluded to, and not fyftematically, but uniformly taught. The doctrine of thefe Fathers is delivered in the fpirit of fimplicity; it appears plainly to have been the standing doctrine of the Church; nor is there a single circumstance that will incline us to fufpect them of a design to obtrude their own private opinions, or conceits, upon the Christian world. This to me feems demonftrable from a very obfervable particular; which is, that in their writings they do not cite all, or the principal texts which are adduced in maintenance of the doctrine of the Trinity, but affert the fame in other terms, and in language fully equivalent. They evidently confidered it, not as requiring proof, but deferving illuftration. Ignatius, in the introduction to his Epistle to the Ephesians, salutes them according to the will of the Father, "and Jefus Chrift our GOD." The fame Father wishes the Romans to " permit him to "imitate the paffion of his GOD;" or, of Chrift his GOD, as it stands in the Original. In the above-mentioned Epistle to the Ephefians, he takes occafion thus to express him

"

felf.

1

felf. There is one phyfician, both fleshly "and fpiritual; made and not made; GOD "INCARNATE; true life in death; both of Mary and of God; first paffible, then impaffible; even Jefus Christ our Lord." (2) In the conclufion of his Epiftle to the Magnefans, he injoins them to "be subject to "their bishop, as Jefus Chrift to the Father, according to the flesh, and the Apostles "both to Chrift, and to the Father, and to "the Holy Ghoft." This inversion is a very -remarkable one. In his Epistle to Polycarp he exhorts him "to confider the times, and "expect him who is above all time, eternal, "invisible, &c." Were there occafion, much more to the fame purpose might be extracted from this venerable Father.

Polycarp in his Epiftle to the Philipians, wishes them to be " fubject to the Priests,

"&c. as unto God and Chrift."

In St. Clement's first epiftle to the Corinthians these paffages occur.

+ Romans i. 3.

The fceptre of

"the

66

"the majesty of GoD, our Lord Jefus Chrift, "came not in the fhew of pride," &c. &c. The second section of the fame epistle proceeds in the terms following. "Ye were "all of you humble-minded, &c. defiring "rather to be subject than to govern, &c. being content with the portion GOD had dispensed to you, and hearkening diligently to HIS word, ye were enlarged "in your bowels, having HIS SUFFERINGS always before your eyes." This paffage is not unfimilar to part of St. Paul's difcourfe at Miletus to the elders of the church of Ephefus, before fubmitted to your confideration. Let us fee now what this Father fays in his other epistle to the Corinthians. The exordium of it is this" Brethren, we ought "fo to think of Jesus Christ as of God &c.”. In the third paragraph he quotes these words of our bleffed Saviour; Whosoever shall confefs me before men, him will I confess before my Father. But, continues he, "Wherein "muft we confefs him? Namely, in doing "those things which he faith, &c. by worshipping him, not with our lips only, but " with