people; but, by the apostles and elders, as the only conftituent members of that council.

Nothing now remained, but that the letter, propofed by James, and acceded to by his fellow judges, fhould be framed, in fuch a manner as might recommend the decree itself to the approbation and acceptance of all concerned.

OBSERVATION. VI.

That two of the commiffioners from Antioch, joined by two from Judea, were immediately dispatch ed with letters to the Gentile-converts, containing an account of the Synodical judgment, to which the former obfervation had a refpect.

Though the church or brethren had no hand in the fentence pronounced, nor pretended to interpofe any authority for enforcing obedience to it; they feem to have joined with the apoftles and elders in delegating certain perfons, to accompany Paul and Barnabas,-bear their epiftles to Syria,

and viva voce, to illuftrate and confirm the doctrines contained in them." Then (fays the "hiftorian) it pleafed the apostles and elders, with "the whole church, to fend chofen men, of their " own company, to Antioch, with Paul and Bar"nabas, namely, Judas, firnamed Barfabas, and "Silas, chief men among the brethren,” A&ts xv.

22.

1

To eftablish a confiftency, between this part of the history and what hath already been faid,-may not the following hypothefis be admitted?

That the apoftles and elders, as upon a former occafion, "called the multitude of the difciples uns to them, and faid, Brethren, look ye' out from " among you two men of honeft report, full of the M 6

"Holy

"Holy Ghoft and wisdom, whom we may appoint" to negotiate" this" important" bufinefs," Acts vi, 2, 3.

Upon this hypothefts which is neither unnatural, nor in the least improbable, as Judas and Silas, were of their own company, and chief men among them; they were first chofen, by the fuffrages of the difciples; and afterwards impowered, by the apoftles and elders. And,

If we may reafon, by anology, from the precedent taken notice of before, this hypothefis will admit of a moft ferious apology.

When, for example, the multitude 'were called to chufe feven men, it was in confequence of the fphere, in which thefe delegates were to move, having been determined by the apostles, namely, to ferve tables, ibid. That fervice had an immediate refpect to the Grecians or Gentiles, ibid. The whole appointment was occafioned by murmurings, which could not otherwife have been quelled, ibid. And, then, the end propofed by thofe officers in the church was happily and effectually reached, verf.

7.

All these circumftances apply fo naturally to the cafe before us, that to fuppofe an illuftration needful, would be a reflection upon the understanding of illiterate hearers,-an inexcufable infult upon your's.

The terms, in which this famous epiftle was conceived, fall next under view. Though the Gentile converts did not act as parties in the caufe, yet, fince they exclufively were concerned in its iffue, the letters from Judea were addreffed-" Unto the brethren, of the Gentiles, in Antioch, Syria, and "Cilicia," Acts xv. 23.-.

With regard to the fuperfcription, by the brethren at Jerufalem, as well as "the apostles and elders,

ibid. It would feem-either, that two diftinct letters were wrote, the one, by that collective body, -and the other, by the apoftles and elders alone; or if one letter only, that the former part of it was from them all, and the latter from none but the apoftles and elders.

According to this hypothefis, the apostles, elders, and brethren, may be fuppofed in one conjunct body to fay :

"Forafmuchas, we have all heard, by commif"fioners from Syria, that certain men, which went "out from us, have troubled you with words, fub

verting your fouls, faying, ye must be circumcifed "and keep the law, to whom we," the brethren by election, or the apostles and elders, by ordination,

66

gave no fuch commandment :-It feemed good "unto us, being," pro re nata, "affembled with

one accord, to fend chosen men unto you, with” your own paftors, even our beloved Barnabas "and Paul;-men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jefus Christ."

"We" the brethren, by nomination, and the apostles and elders, by appointment,-" have fent, therefore, Judas and Silas; who fhall alfo tell 66 you the fame things by mouth," Acts xv. 24, -28.

For illuftrating and justifying this interpretation of the paffage-let it, only for a moment, be fuppofed, that a letter to the Grecians and Hebrews between whom there were difputes about the application of public charity, chap. vi. i had been judged neceffary-and you will find, it behoved to have been conceived in terms precifely fimilar.

"The apostles and brethren greeting-To the "Grecian and Hebrew widows in the church at "Jerufalem.-Forafmuchas, we have heard that "the Grecians have murmured against the Hebrews, " because

"because their widows have been neglected in "the daily miniftrations, concerning whom we "gave no fuch commandment;-It feemed good "unto us, being affembled with one accord, to "chufe and ordain Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, "Nicanor, Timon, Parmonas, and Nicolas, for managing that bufinefs; who fhall also tell you "the fame things by mouth," verf. 27.

Such an epiftle might have bore the fuperfcripti on of apostles and brethren-though, from the paffage itfelf, it is evident, that, in fetting apart thefe men, one province was peculiar to the brethren and another to the apoftles.

But though the brethren, as well as the apostles and elders, fuperfcribed the letter under view;according to the hypothefis upon which we reafon, as well as from the very nature of the thing,-none but the apostles and elders alone, exclufive of the brethren intirely, can be confidered as faying:

"For it feemed good to the Holy Ghoft, and to us, to lay upon you no geater burthen than thefe "neceflary things;-That ye abstain from meats "offered to idols, and from blood, and from things "ftrangled, and from fornication from which "if ve keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye "well," verf 28, 20.

The laying upon the Gentile converts the burthen of fo many neceffary things, fuppofeth a power, on the one part, to enact; and an obligation, on the o ther, to obey. Nay, the words feem to infinuate, that though more, than what was abfolutely neceffary, had been enacted, the former would not have exceeded their powers, nor the latter been exeemed from their obedience. For," it seemd good (fays "the epiftle before us) to lay upon you no greater "burthen."

To

To whom did this feem good?-To the Holy Ghoft, fays the hiftorian.

From the terms in which Peter and James delivered their fentiments, we fee they had reafon to know, that fuch a judgment would be, every way, agreeable to the will of God. Though they acted habitually under the influence of immediate infpira+ tion; yet, that their form of proceeding, in this caufe, might be a proper original for ordinary officebearers, in the church, to copy after, they were influenced by arguments arifing from the word and providence of God alone, as the only criterions of his will. And, because it seemed good to the Holy Ghoft, it is added:

"And to us".-To the brethren, as well as apostles and elders ?-Then, we fhould have found them marked in the federunt of court. But, upon looking back, you will find, that the apostles and elders themselves met to confider of this matter," verf. 6.

If to the brethren, then, we fhould have heard fome one or other of them reasoning upon the cause, and giving judgment in it,-especially, as many of them were also prophets, verf. 32. But, Peter and James are the only fpeakers condefcended on :-nor is there the leaft mention of the whole church inter fering, until the business was over, and the fentence to be carried into execution.

And, if to the brethren, in the quality of judges, -when the hiftorian came to fpeak of the fentence itfelf, as diftinguished from the letter, which was only an intimation of it, he would, more than probably, have taken notice of fuch a material circumftance, and called it, "the decree of the apoftles and " elders,” Acts xvị. 55 and brethren.

Had there been any foundation for this, might he not as naturally have omitted either of the two former