sebius, there being nothing in the letters themselves that may justly shake their credit and authority, with much more to this purpose, transcribed (as he tells us) out of the records of that city, and by him translated out of Syriac into Greek, which may give us some account why none of the ancients before him make any mention of this affair, being generally strangers to the language, the customs, and antiquities of those eastern countries.

4. Our Lord having spent somewhat more than three years in the public exercise of his ministry, kept his last passover with his, apostles; which done, he instituted the sacramental supper, consigning it to his church as the standing memorial of his death, and the seal of the evangelical covenant, as he appointed baptism to be the federal rite of initiation, and the public Tessera or badge of those that should profess his religion. And now the fatal hour was at hand. Being betrayed by the treachery of one of his own apostles, he was apprehended by the officers and brought before the public tribunals. Heavy were the crimes charged upon him, but as false as spiteful. The two main articles of the charge were blasphemy against God, and treason against the emperor and though they were not able to make them good by any tolerable pretence of proof, yet did they condemn and execute him upon the cross, several of themselves vindicating his innocency, that he was a righteous man, and the Son of God. The third day after his interment he rose again, appeared to and conversed with his disciples and followers, and having taken care of the affairs of his church, given a larger commission, and fuller instructions to his apostles, he took his leave of them, and visibly ascended into Heaven, and sat down on the right hand of God, as head over all things to the church, angels, authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

5. The faith of these passages concerning our Saviour, are not only secured to us by the report of the evangelical historians, and that justified by eye-witnesses, the evidence of miracles, and the successive and

uncontrolled consent of all ages of the church, but (as to the substance of them) by the plain confession of Heathen writers, and the enemies of Christianity. Tacitus tells us, that the author of this religion was Christ, who under the reign of Tiberius was put to death by Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea: whereby, though this detestable superstition was suppressed for the present, yet did it break out again, spreading itself not only through Judea, the fountain of the mischief, but in the very city of Rome itself, where whatever is wicked and shameful meet together, and is greedily advanced into reputation. Eusebius assures us, that after our Lord's ascension, Pilate according to custom, sent an account of him to the emperor, which Tiberius brought before the senate, but they rejected it under pretence that cognizance had been taken of it before it came to them; it being a fundamental law of the Roman state, that no new god could be taken in without the decree of the senate; but that however Tiberius continued his good thoughts of Christ and kindness to the Christians. For this he cites the testimony of Tertullian, who in his apology presented to the Roman powers affirms, that Tiberius, in whose time the Christian religion entered into the world, having received an account from Pilate out of Palestine in Syria concerning the truth of that divinity that was there, brought it to the senate with the prerogative of his own vote: but that the senate, because they had not before approved of it, would not admit it; however the emperor continued of the same mind, and threatened punishment to them that accused the Christians. And before Tertullian, Justin Martyr speaking concerning the death and sufferings of our Saviour, tells the emperors, that they might satisfy themselves in the truth of these things from the acts written under Pontius Pilate. It being customary not only at Rome to keep the acts of the senate and the people, but for he governors of provin

h

f Annal. I. 15. c. 44 p. 319.

g H. Eccl. 1. 2 c. 2. p. 40. vid. Oros. adv. pag. 1. 7. c. 4. fol. 292. h Apolog. c. 5. p. 6. & c. 21. p. 26.

i Apolog. II. p. 76,

sebius, there being nothing in the letters them that may justly shake their credit and authority much more to this purpose, transcribed (as he to out of the records of that city, and by him tra out of Syriac into Greek, which may give us s count why none of the ancients before him m mention of this affair, being generally strang language, the customs, and antiquities of tho

countries.

4. Our Lord having spent somewhat three years in the public exercise of his mi his last passover with his, apostles; which instituted the sacramental supper, consigni church as the standing memorial of his de seal of the evangelical covenant, as he ap tism to be the federal rite of initiation, a Tessera or badge of those that should pro gion. And now the fatal hour was at han trayed by the treachery of one of his ov was apprehended by the officers and bro public tribunals. Heavy were the crime him, but as false as spiteful. The two ma charge were blasphemy against God, and the emperor and though they were them good by any tolerable pretence c they condemn and execute him upon t of themselves vindicating his innocen righteous man, and the Son of God. ter his interment he rose again, app versed with his disciples and follower care of the affairs of his church, give sion, and fuller instructions to his a leave of them, and visibly ascender sat down on the right hand of God, a to the church, angels, authorities a subject unto him.

5. The faith of these passages viour, are not only secured to us evangelical historians, and that nesses, the evidence of miracles,

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approach r crucified Ives. And employment, might attend they devoted ly necessary to t course religion nverts were daily arising upon St. church out of Jeruvantage in the event is means the sooner r countries. The apose persecution, remained then despatching some and settle the plantations, e necessities of the church continued for near twelve himself having commanded m and the parts thereabouts, cension, as the ancient tradiApollonius, and 'Clemens AlexAnd now they thought it high es to the full execution of that ist had given them, to go teach and Accordingly having settled the cernments of the church, they bethe several provinces of the Gentile he gospel to every nation under heaven, iteral sense, their sound went into all eir words unto the ends of the world. udes of people in all cities and countries ius) like corn into a well filled granary,

636, vid. Life of St. Peter, Sect. 11. num, 5.

ces to keep account of what memorable things hap pened in their government, the acts whereof they transmitted to the emperor. And thus did Pilate during the procuratorship of his province. How long these acts remained in being, I know not but in the controversy about Easter, we find the Quartodecimans justifying the day on which they observed it from the acts of Pilate, wherein they gloried that they had found the truth. Whether these were the acts of Pilate, to which Justin appealed, or rather those acts of Pilate drawn up and published by the command of Maximinus, Dioclesian's successor, in disparagement of our Lord and his religion, is uncertain, but the latter of the two far more probable. However, Pilate's letter to Tiberius (or, as he is there called Claudius) at this day extant in the Anacephalæosis" of the younger Egesippus, is of no great credit, though that author challenges greater antiquity than some allow him, being probably contemporary with St. Ambrose, and by many, from the great conformity of style and phrase, thought to be St. Ambrose himself, who with some few additions compiled it out of Josephus. But then it is to be considered, whether that Anacephalæosis be done by the same, or (which is most probable) by a much later hand. Some other particular passages concerning our Saviour are taken notice of by Gentile writers, the appearance of the star by Calcidius, the murder of the infants by Macrobius, the eclipse at our Saviour's passion by Phlegon Trallianus (not to speak of his miracles frequently acknowledged by Celsus, Julian, and Porphyry) which I shall not insist upon.

6. Immediately after our Lord's ascension (from whence we date the next period of the church) the apostles began to execute the powers intrusted with them. They presently filled up Judas's vacancy by the election of a new apostle, the lot falling upon Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Being next endued with power from on high (as our Lord had promised

k Ap. Epiph. Hæres. L. p. 182. 1 Euseb. H. Eccl. 1. 9. c. 5. p. 350. m Ad calcem 1. de Excid urb. Hieros, p. 683.