and India, on the Ganges, as in the western; in Africa, at Alexandria and other places; and in Europe, in Ma cedonia, Greece, nay even at Rome, at that time the metropolis of the world. Thus, at the end of the first century, that small unknown fountain, the parent community at Jerufalem, was become a stream, which had spread itself over every part of the known globe.

Thefe Chriftian communities formed and fupported themselves, notwithftanding the oppofition of the whole then exifting world. The Jews arose against their members, who taught the abolition of that law which they almoft idolized, and reprefented him whom they had crucified, as the teacher and Saviour of the world. They were then, as at prefent, difperfed over all the regions of the known earth. and wherever the Chriftians came, there they found powerful, enraged, and

cruel

cruel enemies. To complete their mifery, the Emperour Nero declared himfelf also against them, and put many of them to death by means the most terrible. Thus oppreffed and perfecuted on all fides, they could neither confefs and practice their religion openly, nor establish any external union among themselves; but every feparate com- . munity was neceffitated to endeavour to govern and to fupport itself in the beft manner it was able. Even in this infant ftate of Chriftianity, there arose a formal fchifm among themselves: the difciples, who had been formerly Jews, infifted on retaining their paternal law, and mixed with Chriftianity the ceremonies of Judaifm; while the gentile converts confidered the abolition of the law of Mofes to be an effential article of the new religion, and would be guided by the doctrine of Jefus Chrift alone".

m Acts xv. Rom. xiv.

SECT.

SECT. II.

The Apoftolical Fathers.

THIS want of external union was fupplied in a certain degree by different writings, circulated among them by their teachers, of which the greater part is now loft. Only five works, which make pretenfions to that early age, are come down to us; and thefe bear the names of five men, at that time very celebrated-Barnabas, Clement, Hermas, Ignatius, and Polycarp. They are called apoftolical fathers", because

The most complete and accurate edition of these works is that which was edited by John Baptift Cotelier, under the title-S. S. Patrum, qui temporibus Apoftolorum floruerunt, Barnabæ, Clementis, Hermæ, Ignatii, Polycarpi, opera vera et fuppofititia. Una cum Clementis, Ignatii, Polycarpi Actis atque Martyriis; to which he has added very learned annotations and differtations. The last and best edition is

that of Amfterdam, 1724, 2 vol. fol. published under the inspection of John Le Clerc. Befides the annota

because they were the immediate difciples of the Apoftles. Their high antiquity, and still more their perfect acquaintance with the Apostles, render them particularly important to us in our prefent inquiry.

1. Barnabas.

BARNABAS was appointed, in conjunction with St. Paul the most eminent of the firft preachers of Chriftianity, to publifh the religion of Chrift among the Gentiles, after they had made many thoufand converts among the Jews and Samaritans ; and is not only placed on a perfect equality with him, but is alfo exprefsly ftiled an

tions of the editor, it contains a variety of new and important additions, which are mentioned in the title. Le Clerc himself has pointed out the advantages of this edition in the Biblioth. ancienne et mod. tom. xxi. part 2. p. 237. feq. An useful abridgement of these writings is to be found in Röfler's Library of the Ecclefiaftical Fathers.

o Acts xiii. 2, 3.

P Acts xiii. 2. 3. 46. 47. I Corinth. ix. 4-7.

D

Apoftle.

Apostle

He left behind him an epiftle, which, according to Clement of Alexandria', Origen', Eufebius', and Jerom", was held in the greatest esteem by the ancients. But whether the work, which we now have under this name ", be the very fame which Barnabas wrote, and the above-mentioned men read,

9 Acts xiv. 14.-Comp. verse 4.

Lib. v.

Stromata Lib. ii. cap. 20. p. 490. cap. 8. p. 677. cap. 10. p. 683. 84. Potter's Edit. Oxford, 715 fol. In thefe places Clement cites whole paffages from the Epiftle of Barnabas, which are likewife found in that which we have at present.

De principiis Lib. iii. cap. 4. p. 140, and contra Celfum Lib. i. cap. 63. p. 378. Charles De la Rue, and Charles Vincent De la Rue, have edited at Paris all

which are still extant, The passages pointed out

the genuine works of Origen, 1733-1759. iv. vol. fol.

above are in tom. i.-For an account of this edit. of Origen, fee Ernesti theol. Biblioth. Vol. vii. p. 371.

t Hiftor. Eccles. Lib. vi. cap. 13, 14. p. 272.73vol. i. edit. Guilielmi Reading, who has edited toge ther the ecclefiaftical hiftories of Eufebius, Socrates, Sozomen, Theodoret, Evagrius, Philoftorgius, and Theodorus-Cambridge, 720, iii. vol. fol.

" De Vir. illuftr. cap. 6.

w See Coteler. Patr. Apostolic. vol. i. p. 15.-66.