fion from idolatry is expreffed; nor are they exhorted to turn unto God," as the heathens at Lyftra are: but, being already turned unto God, when they are converted to chriftianity, are faid to be "turned unto the Lord." A like expreffion St. Luke ufes of Lydia a profelyte of the gate, that " the Lord opened "her heart ;" and acquaints us, that she said concerning herself, unto Paul and his company, ❝ if ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord "." a pro 4. St. James's argument agrees to the felytes of the gate alone. It is this: "For "Mofes hath in old time, in every city, them that preach him; being read in the fyna"gogues every fabbath day;" which is as much as to fay, "Let the profelyte converts abftain from things offered to idols, &c. after their converfion to christianity, as they did before their converfion: fince they will hear the law of Mofes read in the fynagogues after their converfion as they did before. And as they were under an obligation "to abstain from these things before their "converfion, in order to entitle themselves "to those privileges from the Jews, which they enjoy as profelytes of the gate, they "themselves would certainly wonder with 66 y Acts xiv. 15. a Ibid. xvi. 14. z Ibid. xi. 21. b Ver. 15. ❝reafon, 66 66 reafon, if they should, after their converfion "to christianity, be indulged in any of those "points which Mofes fo pofitively forbids "them. Nor would they alone be furprized "at fuch an indulgence; but thofe Jews alfo "(who used to allow them, among other "privileges, to join in fome parts of the tem"ple and fynagogue worfhip on these terms), "who will be highly incensed at it, on hearing the law of Mofes read and preached "every fabbath-day, in which thefe abfti“nences are so strictly enjoined; and at the fame time very much enraged againft "them for it, and against the christian religion, that should thus release the profelytes "of the gate from a civil obligation that they "were under to a law of a country where "they fometimes fojourn; and on which, "they are entitled to certain privileges there. "For that Mofes's law forbad the profelytes "of the gate eating things offered to idols, "blood, things ftrangled, and fornication, as "the condition of living or fojourning and enjoying certain privileges among them, I have "proved before." This is a paraphrafe of St. James's argument, that feems to me to be perfectly agreeable to his defign, and close to the words; whereas I have not feen any hitherto, that either agrees with St. James's intention here, or with the words in which he expreffes it. 66 T V. This V. This hypothesis alone agrees with fe veral things which occurr in the letter. The As, 1. with the address of the letter. addrefs of the letter is not in general to all the brethren which are of the Gentiles indefinitely; but to the "brethren of the Gen"tiles which are turned unto God, in Anti❝och, Syria, and Cilicia." Now in Antioch the brethren were all profelytes, as we have proved before; fo it is more than probable they were in other parts of Syria and Cilicia: for the Jews were not now fo ready to receive the gospel as the profelytes of the gate; and the profelytes of the gate were more numerous in Syria and Cilicia, countries bordering on Judæa, than elfewhere; and St. Paul fpent a confiderable time there foon after the converfion of Cornelius, before he and Barnabas turned to the Gentiles. The very direction of the letter plainly points it out to be written to the profelytes that had become chriftians in those parts. For otherwise, why was it not directed to Antioch only, where the queftion was debated? why to Syria and Cilicia, but that there were profelyted converts there in great number? why not to all the brethren in Lycaonia, Pamphylia, Pifidia, but that they were chiefly brethren of another fort, whom this question • Gal. i. 21. Acts xi. 25, 26. Ann. 42, 43. • Acts xiii. 46. Ann. 45, 46. did not concern? And though these converts to chriftianity had not hitherto taken the name of Brethren, but of Chriftians only, for reafons already mentioned; yet they, being acknowledged to be witneffed to by the Holy Ghost, and to be purified as well as they, are now owned as brethren by the church of Jerufalem, and addreffed to by them as fuch. I know it may be objected, that Paul and Silas are faid to deliver this decree" to the "churches in Lyftra and Derbe" (cities of Lyconia), "to be kept by them f:" and it may be faid, that that fhews it was intended for others, befides the brethren in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia; and that therefore this decree might be intended for the idolatrous Gentiles, as well as for the profelytes of the gate, if not for the idolatrous Gentiles only. And I agree thus far, that to be fure this decree was intended as a rule or advice to all profelytes of the gate converted to christianity, wherever they were; but was directed only to thofe profelytes of the gate that were converted to chriftianity in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia; because the greatest number of them was there, and there the question arose, and had been agitated: and therefore, if there were churches composed of profelytes of the f Acts xvi. 44 U VOL. II. gate gate converted to chriftianity in other parts, as perhaps particularly there might at Derbe and Lyftra (cities of Lycaonia, the very next country to Cilicia), it belonged to them, as well as to thofe in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. But I am apt to think that the churches to which Paul and Silas are faid to have "delivered the decrees to be kept," are the churches of Syria and Cilicia, through which we are told" they went ":" for otherwife we have no account of Paul and Silas's delivering the decree to the churches in Syria and Cilicia, to whom it was directed as well as to thofe of Antioch. And it would be fomething extraordinary, if so accurate an hiftorian as St. Luke fhould give no account of this letter's being delivered to the brethren in Syria and Cilicia, as well as at Antioch; fince it was directed to the former as well as to the latter. And it would be yet more extraordinary, if, after he had omitted to give us any account of this decree's being delivered to the brethren in Syria and Cilicia, to whom it was immediately addreffed, he fhould give us an account how it was delivered and received in Derbe and Lyftra, cities of Lycaonia, to whom it was not addreffed. And Acts xvi. 4, 5. agrees with Acts xv. 4 1, fuppofing them to belong to one another. For they will then & Acts xvi. 4. 41, |