Julian Pe- 2 And he killed James the brother of John with the Antioch. riod, 4756. sword. Vulgar Era, 43. council, when St. Paul went up to Jerusalem (Acts xxi. 17, 18.) The remarks of Mosheim on this point seem to be deficient in But it must be observed, that this authority was no more than must have devolved on James of course, in his apostolic character, in consequence of all the other apostles having quitted Jerusalem; and that therefore this testimony of St. Luke is by no means to be considered as conclusive evidence of his having been appointed to the office of bishop. Were we to admit of such kind of reasoning as this, the government of the Church of Jerusalem was vested in James, therefore he was its bishop; I do not see on what grounds we could refuse our assent, should Julian Period, 4756. Vulgar Æra, 43. 3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he pro- Antioch. it be asserted that all the twelve apostles were bishops of that If the unanimous testimony of Scripture and of the fathers Whitby, Cave, Lardner, and others, have asserted that James, the Lord's brother, was truly and strictly an apostle, being the same as James, the son of Alpheus, one of the twelve. Bishop Taylor, and I believe the great majority of the Protestant as well as Romanist divines, relying on the authority of Eusebius, consider him to have been a different person, and to have been elected bishop of Jerusalem, with the title of apostle. Dr. Lardner's reasoning on the question whether St. James, the Lord's brother, was the same as James, the son of Alpheus, one of the twelve, has left the point doubtful. Jerome calls this James the thirteenth apostle. The judicious Hooker was of opinion that the apostles were dispersed from Judea about this time, and that James was now elected bishop or permanent apostle of Jerusalem. He would attribute the public setting apart of St. Paul to the apostolic office, to make up again the number of the twelve, for the gathering in of the nations abroad. He supposes too that Barnabas was appointed apostle instead of St. James, who was killed by Herod; and Dr. Hales has approved the supposition. It is curious to observe that Dr. Lardner calls James the president, or superintendent, carefully avoiding the word bishop: and in another passage (vol. i. p. 293,) he observes," James abode in Jerusalem, as the apostle residentiary of that country." If he was president and apostle residentiary in Jerusalem, as the superintendent of the Church, which now consisted of many thousands and myriads of converts, it is difficult to imagine the reason why this learned anti-episcopalian should not have adopted the appellation of the fathers, and have called him bishop of the Church at Jerusalem. This, however, is by no means the only instance of disingenuousness on these subjects, on the part of Dr. Lardner. Neither was his amiable coadjutor, Dr. Doddridge, entirely free from censure in his mode of treating the questions of Church government. (a) See the references and quotations in Scott's Christian Life, folio edition, p. 475, chap. vii. part ii. a work once highly popular, for the singular union of fervent piety, sober judgment, extensive reading, and good principles.-Archbishop Potter's Church Government, p. 91. ceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days Antioch. of unleavened bread. 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers' to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And behold the angel" of the Lord came upon him, Mosheim on the affairs of the Christians before Constantine, vol. i. p. 229, 10 The German commentators, of the self-named liberal class, So completely, however, has the sceptical philosophy of the day pervaded society, that even among professed Christiaus, he would now be esteemed a visionary, who should venture to declare his belief in the most favourite doctrine of the ancient Church. The early fathers regarded the ministry of angels as a consoling and beautiful doctrine, and so much at that time was it held in veneration, that the founders of Christianity cautioned their early converts against permitting their reverence to degenerate into adoration. We now go to the opposite extreme, and seldom think of their existence; yet what is to be found in this belief, even if the Scriptures had not revealed it, which is contrary to our reason? We believe in our own existence, and in the existence of a God: is it utterly improbable, then, that be. tween us, who are so inferior, and the Creator who is so wonderful and incomprehensible, infinite gradations of beings should exist, some of whom are employed in executing the will of the Deity towards finite creatures? Does not God act even by human means in the visible government of the affairs of the earth? what absurdity, then, can be discovered in the opinion Julian Pe- and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on Antioch. riod, 4756. 43. Vulgar Era, that the spiritual nature of man should be funder the guardianship of spiritual beings? This, in fact, was a doctrine universally received; till it became perverted and degraded by vain and idle speculations, till it became so encumbered with absurdities, that the belief itself was rejected. Some writers on this subject went so far as to imagine they could ascertain the orders of a hierarchy, and could even assert the numbers in each rank. Others changed the office and ministry of angels, investing them with independent control over the works of God, an opinion strongly and justly reprobated by the most eminent authorities (a). And because in the original Hebrew that which executes the will of the Deity is sometimes called an "angel," whether it be winds or storms, fire or air; many again have transformed the angels in the Old Testament into obedient elements, accomplishing the designs of Providence. According to which hypothesis, the aged patriarch must have prayed that the blessing of an element might descend on his grandchildren. The Mes. siah must have been created a little lower than the winds and the floods, who in like manner were commanded to worship him; and again, when the superiority of Christ is declared, the passage must be rendered, to which of the elements said he at any time, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Leaving all such fantastic and unreasonable interpretations out of the question, let us turn to that interpretation of Scripture on this point, which has been acknowledged by all classes and divisions of Christians, from the time of the apostles to the present day. From the evidence of revelation, we have grounds for believing that angels are spirits,superior to mankind, some of whom have lost, while others have preserved the state of happiness in which they were primarily created, and that these are now opposed to each other. Of the precise cause of the fall of the evil angels we are not made acquainted. We know only that they retain the remembrance of their original condition; that they are powerful, though under restraint; that gradations of superiority and influence exist among them; that they acknowledge a superior head, and that they are destined to future punishment after some wonderful and miraculous display of the omniscience of the Deity. Of the good angels we learn, that they continue in their primeval dignity. They are endued with great power, and because they are employed in the constant execution of the decrees of Providence, they have received the name of messengers or angels. They are called the armies and the hosts of heaven; in innumerable companies they surround the throne of Deity; they are made partakers of his glory, and rejoice to fulfil his will. Their office as ministering angels to the sincere and accepted worshippers of our common God is more fully and accurately related. Through the whole volume of revelation we read of the agency of superior beings in the affairs of mankind. They were stationed at the tree of life in Paradise. In Jacob's vision of the ladder, they are represented as ascending and descending upon earth. They appeared to the patriarchs, to Abraham, to Lot, to Jacob, and they were made alike the ministers both of the vengeance and mercy of God. They were intrusted with the destruction of the cities of the plain. And the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp of Sennacherib an bundred and fourscore and five thousand. (2 Kings xix. 35.) God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it-who was seen between the earth and the heaven having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem. In the New Testament Jalian Pe- the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. Antioch. riod, 4756. And his chains fell off from his hands. Vulgar Era, 43. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals: and so he did. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel; but thought he saw a vision. 10 When they were past the first and second ward, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord: and they went out, and passed on through one street and forthwith the angel departed from him". they announced the birth of Christ, and of his forerunner; they (a) See Horsley's Sermon on the Watchers, vol. ii. last sermon, and 11 Schoetgen has shewn that the ancient Jews believed the angels sometimes assumed the form of a man, and has collected some curious instances to this effect. The Gentiles, as well as the Jews, thought that the gods |