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Christ1. It is worthy of observation, that this important question was determined according to the opinion of St. James, who seems to have presided at this meeting as Bishop of Jerusalem, even in the presence of St. Peter, who, as we see, claimed no authority to pre-eminence over his brethren ". As chief leader amongst them, James confirms the opinion which Peter had declared, and settles it by a formal decree: Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God"." But, he goes on to say, it is expedient, as the present state of the Church is composed both of Jews and proselyted Gentiles, that we should still oblige these converts to certain things, as proper to keep them at a further distance from the idolatrous worship they have renounced'. He then proceeds to mention four things to be forbidden them, as giving peculiar scandal to the Jews, because Moses had signally marked them out as things contrary to the holiness of a people, and to their separation unto God: "Pollution of idols, fornication, things strangled, and blood." things strangled, the Canons understood any thing that died of itself, or that was not killed as it ought to be; for the Law had said, "Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself." The

Of

precept which commanded the abstaining from blood was enforced by the strongest penalties. The eating of things offered unto idols was also forbidden, as contrary to the worship of the true God. Fornication, both bodily and spiritual, was not only often regarded with indifference by the heathen, but the former was even practised sometimes as a part of their idolatrous worship. This being the reason of the case, the circumstances of the Christian Church at the time weighed with the Apostolical Council to require of the Gentile converts a compliance with these particulars of the Mosaic Law. It was one thing to be bound to observe the Law as matter essential, and another thing to comply with some parts of it; for, unless the Gentile converts complied with such particulars, as were reasonable in themselves to be required, the neglect would scandalize their Jewish brethren, and there must be an irreconcilable division in the Church of Christ, to the loss of that charity on which the Gospel sets so great a price'. This temperate decree, dictated indeed by the Holy Spirit, afforded a perfect model to all future general Councils, how to maintain the harmony and communion of the Catholic or Universal Church: and by this sage decree St. Paul appears to have governed the Churches which

8 Dr. Whitby.

' Mant and D'Oyly.

1

Bishop Sherlock.

he planted, showing the most considerate attention, even to prejudices in matters indifferent, and holding that all things were not at all times expedient to be required when not tending to edification 2.

SECT. CCX.-Paul returns to Antioch; he resists Peter.Acts xv. 30-35; Gal. ii. 9-21.

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ST. PAUL having obtained this favourable decision upon the point at issue in the Church, and having received "the right hand of fellowship" from the chiefs of the Apostles, and a distinct commission, on their part, that he should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision," returned to Antioch with Judas and Silas, who were sent back with them as "chosen men," who should corroborate the authenticity of the letters from the Council, which had been entrusted to them. If Paul and Barnabas had been alone the bearers of this decree, their opposers might have perhaps raised some suspicion of its authenticity and strict correctness. The Council, therefore, sent with them these two preachers of signal reputation and piety,-" men that had hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," who had never been engaged in the contest, and would therefore be unsuspected vouchers of the sentence pronounced to decide it'. It may be proper to remark, that the

' Dr. Hales.

3 Dean Howard.

'Dr. Graves.

doctrine preached by St. Paul, and continued in his Epistles, especially those to the Romans and Galatians, goes further than this decree of the Council of Jerusalem. He asserts broadly, that no persons, whether Jews or Gentiles, after they had embraced the Gospel, ought to consider the Mosaic Law as essential to their salvation, or as contributing to a greater degree of perfection 5.

The maintenance of the decree was however attended to with anxious care by St. Paul, who desired to impress upon his converts the formidable consequences which would follow upon setting it at nought, whilst he distinctly tells the Galatians, that giving way in this point to the Jewish pretensions would make their religion vain and, viewing with pain every concession, however slight, to Jewish prejudice, when Peter came afterwards to Antioch, and, for fear of the censorious remarks made by the Jews upon his eating with the Gentiles, "withdrew himself" from their society, and even induced Barnabas to do the like; St. Paul. did not hesitate to withstand that eminent Apostle "to the face," to show him that in this he was to be blamed. St. Peter, we may suppose, submitted himself to the reproof of his fellow Apostle, and felt grateful to him for having pointed out his error; for, in his second epistle, Bishop Tomline.

With

we find him speaking of the "wisdom of our beloved brother Paul," which affords a testimony that no estrangement ensued from this occurrence, or, at least, that if it had, it had given way to better feelings of reconcilement and affection". This public reprehension of St. Peter to his face added greater authority to St. Paul's preaching, and is a convincing argument that he and the rest of the Apostles did accord with him in the same doctrine'. regard to the arrangement that appears to have been come to at this time, that Paul "should go to the heathen, and James, Cephas, and John unto the circumcision," it seems right to understand that there is no reason to believe that the three latter Apostles entirely appropriated their preaching to the circumcision, nor, on the other hand, that Paul confined his to the Gentiles; for we shall often hear of his preaching to the Jews; and, indeed, wherever he came, he proposed the Gospel in the first place to them ®.

SECT. CCXI.-Paul and Barnabas part asunder.

Acts xv. 36-41.

WE have no reason to doubt from the history that the Apostles were "men of like passions with ourselves." Paul had proposed to Barnabas to "go again and visit the brethren in every city where they had preached the Word 'Bishop Fell.

0 Dean Howard.

Dr. Doddridge.