§ 11. The Greeks are regarded, by most writers, as continuing to hold the first rank in learning and philosophy. There were among them, at that time especially at Athens, acute and eloquent men, who, besides teaching the precepts of philosophy, as held by the ancient sects founded by Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Epicurus, instructed youth in the principles of eloquence and polite literature. So that such as were eager for learning, resorted in great numbers to Greece from all quarters. Nor was there a smaller supply of Greek philosophers and rhetoricians to be found at Alexandria, in Egypt; which caused a similar concourse to that place, as if to a mart of liberal arts.

§ 12 Among the Romans in this age every branch of learning and science was cultivated. The children of good families were, from their earliest years, instructed especially in Grecian learning and eloquence; they next applied themselves to philosophy and jurisprudence; lastly, they sought in Greece the higher branches of intellectual cultivation. Among the philosophers, none were more acceptable to the Romans than the Epicureans and Academics, whom the leading men followed in great numbers, in order to spend life in pleasure without fear of consequences. While Augustus lived, cultivators of elegant literature were in high credit. But after his death, the succeeding emperors being more intent on the arts of war than those of peace, these studies generally sank into neglect.

§ 13. The other nations, as the Germans, Celts, and Britons, were certainly not destitute of men distinguished for their genius and acumen. In Gaul, the inhabitants of Marseilles had long been much famed for their attention to learning2: and they had, doubtless, diffused knowledge among the neighbouring tribes. Among the Celts, the Druids, who were priests, philosophers, and legislators, were renowned for their wisdom; but the accounts of them now extant are not sufficient to acquaint us with the nature of their philosophy.3 The Romans more

Historiam Philos. Hebræorum; and the writers named by Wolfius, Bibliotheca Hebraica, tom. iii. [but, especially Brucker's Hist. Crit. Philos. tom. ii. period ii. pt. i. l. ii. c. i. p. 652. Schl.]

France, par des Religieux Bénédictins,
Diss. prelim. p. 42., &c.

3 Ja. Martini, Religion des Gaulois, liv. i. cap. 21, p. 175; and various others who have written concerning the Druids. [This work of Martin is said to be far inferior to the following: viz. Histoire des Celtes et particulièrement des Gaulois et des Germains, par Sim. Pelloutier, augmentée par M. de Chiniac, Paris, 1771, * See the Histoire littéraire de la 8 vols. 12mo, and 2 vols 4to also

See Paganini Gaudentii liber de Philosophiae apud Romanos initio et progressu, in the 5th vol. of the Nova variorum scriptorum collectio, Halle, 1747, 8vo. 2d edition.

2

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over introduced literature and philosophy into all the countries which they brought under their subjection, with a view of softening the popular manners, and gradually bringing about civilization.4

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE TEACHERS, AND OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.

§ 1. Necessity of teachers in the church.-§ 2. Extraordinary teachers. — § 3. Authority of the Apostles.-§ 4. The seventy disciples.—§ 5. Christ nowhere determined the form of his church. Constitution of the church of Jerusalem.— § 6. Rights of the people. Contributions for the public expense. -§ 7. Equality of the members. Rights of initiation. Catechumens and the faithful.-§ 8. Order of rulers. Presbyters.-§ 9. Prophets.-§ 10. Deacons of the church at Jerusalem. Deaconesses.-§ 11. Bishops. - § 12. Character of episcopacy in this century. § 13. Origin of dioceses, and rural bishops. - § 14. Whether there were councils and metropolitans in the first century.-§ 15. The principal writers; the apostles. § 16. Time of completion of the canon. -§ 17. Apocryphal writings and pseudepigrapha.-§ 18. Clemens Romanus.-§ 19. Writings falsely ascribed to him.§ 20. Ignatius of Antioch. -§ 21. Polycarp, Barnabas, Hermas. —§ 22. Character of the apostolic fathers.

§ 1. As it was our Saviour's will to collect a society for himself out of all the nations in the earth, which too should continually keep increasing, he necessarily began by choosing certain individuals to act as his ambassadors to the human race, and as extraordinary teachers. After these had established religious bodies everywhere, it was needful for him to provide for placing ordinary teachers, and interpreters of his will, in the societies that had been formed, who should not only repeat the doctrines which were learnt from the extraordinary ones, but also keep the people to their faith and practice. For any religion will gradually be corrupted and become extinct, unless there are persons continually at hand, who shall explain and inculcate it.

Fréret, Obss. sur la nature et les dogmes de la relig. Gauloise; in the Histoire de l'Acad. des Inscrip. tome xviii.—and his Obss. sur la relig. des Gaulois, &c. in the Mémoires de Littérature, tirés des régistres de l'Acad. des Inscrip. tome xxiv. Paris,

1756. - Also the introductory part of Alsatia Illustrata, autore J. Dan Schoepflino, tom. i. § 96. Colmar. 1751, fol. Tr.]

Juvenal, Satyra xv. 110-113.

§ 2. The extraordinary teachers, whom Christ employed in setting up his kingdom, were those intimate friends of his whom the Scriptures denominate apostles; and those seventy disciples, of whom mention was made above. To these, I apprehend, must be added those who are called evangelists; that is, as I suppose, those who were either sent forth to instruct the people by the apostles, or who, of their own accord, forsaking other employments, assumed the office of promulgating the truths which Christ taught.' And to these, we must further add those to whom, in the infancy of the church, God imparted ability to speak in foreign languages which they had never learned. For he on whom the divine goodness conferred the gift of tongues, was bound, in my judgment, to infer from the thing itself, that God designed to employ his ministry in propagating the Christian religion.2

§ 3. Many have undertaken to write the history of the apostles; although it is a theme replete with fables, doubts, and difficulties, when we take leave of the particulars that are found in the books of the New Testament, and in the more ancient writers of Christian affairs. Now, an apostle was a man divinely instructed and sent by Christ to mortals, with the power of making laws, coercing the guilty and depraved, when it should seem advisable, and of working miracles besides, when there should appear occasion for them. Thus he was to make known every where the divine will, and the way of salvation, separating such as obeyed God's voice from the remaining crowd, and binding them together by the tie of a society.4

§ 4. Our knowledge of the seventy disciples of Christ, is still more imperfect than that of the apostles; for they are but once mentioned in the New Testament. Catalogues of them, indeed, are extant; but these being made up by the later

See Eusebius, Hist. apostles, I have proceeded considerately,

1 Ephes. iv. 11. Eccles. lib. iii. c. 37. 2 1 Cor. xiv. 22, &c.

Writers of the lives of the apostles are enumerated by Casp. Sagittarius, Introductio ad historiam eccles. cap. i. p. 2; and by J. Fr. Buddeus, de Ecclesia Apostolica, p. 673, &c. [Some notices of their lives are given above, in notes and ", p. 58-60. Tr.]

7

See Fred. Spanheim, de Apostolis et Apostolatu, tom. ii. Opp. p. 289, &c. In ascribing legislative powers to the

and, as I think, on good grounds. I am aware that eminent men, at this day, deny them this power; but, perhaps they differ from me more in words than in reality. [Dr. Mosheim founded his opinion on Matt. x. 20; John xiii. 20; Luke x. 16; 1 Tim. iii. 1; 1 Cor. xi. 1-4, 34; and Titus i. 5. See his Instit. hist. Christ. majores, p. 158, &c. Schl.]

5 Luke x. 1.

Greeks, have little or no authority and credibility. mission was, as appears plain from the very words of Luke, solely to the Jewish nation. Yet it is very probable, that after the Saviour's ascension to heaven, they performed the duties of evangelists, and taught, in various countries, the way of salvation which they had learned from Christ.

§ 5. As to the external form of the church and the mode of governing it, neither Christ himself nor his apostles gave any express precepts. We are therefore to understand, that a very large portion of this thing is committed to the times, and to the prudence of those who direct public affairs in both their branches. If however, as no Christian doubts, the apostles of

Jesus Christ acted by divine command and guidance, then that form of the first Christian bodies, which found its way to all other churches from the one organized at Jerusalem by the very men who had been intimate with Christ, must be taken for divine. From this, however, you will not make out that it is eternal and immutable. Now, each Christian association, in those primitive times, was composed of the people, the presiding officers, and the assistants or deacons. These must be the component parts of every society. The highest authority was in the people, or the whole body of Christians; for even the apostles them-" selves inculcated by their example, that nothing of any moment was to be done, or determined on, but with the knowledge and consent of the brotherhood." And this mode of proceeding, both prudence and necessity required, in those early times.

§ 6. The assembled people, therefore, elected their own presiding officers and teachers, or freely approved such as came recommended by others. They also either repudiated laws, proposed by the presiding officers at their meetings, or voted for making them binding: they both excluded and re-admitted wicked and unworthy members; they decided the controversies and disputes that arose; they heard and determined the causes of presbyters and deacons; in a word, they did every thing which marks the parties invested with supreme power in any state. All these rights the people paid for, by supplying the funds necessary for supporting the teachers, the deacons, and

authority, and clothed with certain rights and privileges, above the other doctors of that assembly. This opinion has been embraced by many English divines of the first rank in the learned world; and also by many in other countries and communions. The fourth and last opinion is that of the presbyterians, who affirm that Christ's intention was, that the Christian doctors and ministers should all enjoy the same rank and authority, without any sort of pre-eminence or subordination, or any distinction of rights and privileges. The reader will find an ample account of these four different opinions with respect to church government, in Dr. Mosheim's larger history of the first century.-Tr.]

["The truth of the matter is, that Christ, by leaving this matter undetermined, has, of consequence, left Christian societies a discretionary power, of model

ling the government of the church in such a manner, as the circumstantial reasons, of times, places, &c. may require; and, therefore, the wisest government of the church, is the best and the most divine; and every Christian society has a right to make laws for itself, provided, that these laws are consistent with charity and peace, and with the fundamental doctrines and principles of Christianity." Macl.-This, it must be recollected, is a Presbyterian view. Ed.]

Ex populo, ex præfectis, et ex ministris, seu diaconis. Mosh. [Eusebius, (Demonstratio Evang. 1. vii. c. 2.) omits the deacons, unless he includes them among the rulers; for he divides a church into ἡγουμένους, πιστούς, and Kaтnxovμévous, the rulers, the faithful, and catechumens. Schl.]

9 Acts i. 15; vi. 3, xv. 4; xxi. 22.