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did not survive the destruction of Jerusalem, or that he was then very old, and ' emeritus,' and not likely to write a long and laboured epistle.

It has been said that Barnabas and Clemens Romanus speak not of miracles as being performed in the church in their time. Suppose it to be true, the same thing might be observed of some epistles in the New Testament, particularly of the epistle to the Hebrews, which were written before the destruction of Jerusalem, when St. Paul and some other apostles were living, and preaching the gospel in various places, the Lord working with them, and,' as we may justly suppose, confirming the word with signs follow,

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Barnabas, ch. xii. says, ἐποίησε γὰρ πάντα ὄφιν δάκνειν αὐτούς. that is: “God caused all sorts of serpents to bite the people of Israel in the wilderness.' I have sometimes thought that it should be πυρόεντα ὄφιν. Num. xxi 6. • Misit Dominus in populum serpentes urentes, Seraphim; ignitos, as Jerom renders it. The LXX indeed has Javaτοῦντας. We translate it fiery serpents. Πυρόεντα ὄφιν, in the singular, for fiery serpents,' would be an Hebraism, as ver. 7. • Ora ut tollat a nobis serpentem: but the emendation is uncertain. Justin Martyr, speaking of the same thing, says απήντησαν αὐτοῖς ἰοβόλα θηρία, ἐχιδιαίτε καὶ ἀσπίδες, καὶ ὀφέων τῶν γένος, ὁ ἐθανάτου τὸν λαόν. Apoli. § 60, which favours the received reading in Barnabas. One would almost think that Justin took his πᾶν γένος from Barnabas. Le Clerc thinks that he has found a remark in Justin's Apology borrowed from Barnabas. Bibl. Chois. ii. 391. The Benedictin editor of Justin is of the same opinion, Addend. p. 603.

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Valentinus, who made his appearance as a teacher, perhaps about A. D. 140, says; Εἷς δέ ἐστιν ἀγαθὸς οὗ παρ' ῥησίᾳ ἡ διὰ τοῦ ὑιοῦ φανέρωσις· καὶ δι' αὐτοῦ μόνου δύναιτο ἂν ἡ καρδία καθαρὰ γενέσθαι, παντὸς πονηροῦ πνεύματος ἐξωθουμένου τῆς καρδίας πολλὰ γὰρ ἐνοικοῦντα αὐτῇ πνεύ ματα οὐκ ἐσ καθαρεύειν ἕκαστον δὲ αὐτῶν, τὰ ἴδια ἐκτελεῖ ἔργα, πολλαχώς ενυβριζόντων ἐπιθυμίαις οὐ προσηκούσαις καὶ μοι δοκεῖ ὅμοιόν τι πάσχειν τῷ παιδοχείῳ ἡ καρδία· καὶ

d But see Massuet's Dissertation concerning him in Irenæus, in which he places him somewhat earlier.

γὰρ ἐκεῖνο κατατιτραταί τε καὶ ὀρύττεται, καὶ πολλάκις κότ πρου πίμπλαται, ανθρώπων ἀσελγώς ἐμμενόντων, καὶ μηδε μίαν πρόνοιαν ποιουμένων του χωρίου, καθάπερ αλλοτρίου καθεστώτος. τὸν τρόπον τοῦτον καὶ ἡ καρδία, μέχρι μὴ προς νοίας τυγχάνει, ἀκάθαρτος οὖσα, πολλῶν οὖσα δαιμόνων οἰκητήριον· ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἐπισκέψηται αὐτὴν ὁ μόνος ἀγαθὸς Πατὴρ, ἡγίασται, καὶ φωτὶ διαλάμπει καὶ οὕτω μακαρίζεται ὁ ἔχων τὴν τοιαύτην καρδίαν, ὅτι ὄψεται τὸν Θεόν. • Est autem unus Bonus, cujus fiduciâ est ea quæ fit per Filium manifestatio, et per eum solum potest cor fieri mundum, ejecto ex corde omni maligno spiritu. Multi enim in co habitantes spiritus, id mundum esse non sinunt. Unusquisque autem eorum propria efficit opera, sæpe non convenientibus insultans cupiditatibus. Ac mihi quidem videtur cor non esse absimile diversorio: illud enim perforatur et effoditur, et stercore saepe repletur, cum homines se petulanter gerant, et locum nihil omnino curent, ut qui sit alienus. Eodem modo cor quoque : cum, quamdiu nulla ejus providentia geritur, sit immundum et multorum dæmonum habitaculum: postquam autem id inviserit, qui solus est bonus Pater, sanctificatum est, et luce resplendet, et sic qui tali est corde præditus, beatur, quoniam Deum videbit.'

This fragment is preserved by Clemens Alexandrinus Strom. ii. p. 489. where he stands up for human liberty against the Valentinians, who were a sort of Fatalists, or Predestinarians, and thought themselves to be the only elect. Observe that Valentinus bears witness to the autho rity of the New Testament, for he takes passages or expressions from it to insinuate and recommend his own doctrines, as ὑιου φανέρωσις—δαιμόνων οἰκητήριον ἐπισκέ ψηται μόνος ἀγαθὸς Πατὴρ φωτὶ διαλάμπει μακαρίζει ται, &c.-όψεται Θεόν. See 1 Tim. iii. 16. Rev. xviii. 2. Luke vii. 16. Mat. xix. 17. Luke xi. 36. Mat. v. 8.

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He also seems upon the whole to imitate Barnabas, who says, Πρὸ τοῦ ἡμᾶς πιστεῦσαι τῷ Θεῷ, ἂν ἡμῶν τὸ οἰκητής ριον τῆς καρδίας φθαρτον καὶ ἀσθενὲς ὅτι ἦν πλήρης μὲν εἰδωλολατρείας, καὶ ἦν οἶκος δαιμόνων - Διὸ ἐν τῷ κατοικητη ρίῳ ἡμῶν ἀληθῶς ὁ Θεός· κατοικεῖ ἐν ἡμῖν· πῶς ; ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τῆς πιστεως - Antequam nos Deo crederemus, erat nostrum cordis habitaculum interitui obnoxium et imbecillum-quia erat quidem plenum cultu idolorum, et erat

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domus dæmonum,-Quare in domicilio nostre vere Deus existit: habitat in nobis. Quomodo? Verbum ejus fidei—’

CLEMENS ROMANUS is an author on whom I made some remarks, Disc. VI. p. 121. I have only this to add: Clemens Epist. i. 4. says, Διὰ ζῆλον ὁ πατῆς ἩΜΩΝ Ἰακας ἀπέδρα -Propter æmulationem pater noster Jacobus aufugit-whence, I find, some persons have lately discovered and concluded that Clemens was a Jew. I think the passage will not prove it. Theophilus ad Autol. iii. 23.— τα γράμματα του θείου νόμου, τοῦ διὰ Μωσέως ἡμῖν δι Sousou. The law was given to us, says Theophilus; and δομένου. yet he had been converted from Paganism to Christianity. Therefore when any antient Christian writers use such expressions, it is not to be inferred thence, with any kind of certainty, that they were of Jewish extraction, or even that they had been proselytes to Judaism. Indeed nothing is more natural than for Christians to speak as if they were Abraham's children; as if the law, and the prophets, and the patriarchs belonged to them as well as to the Jews. In the same book, § 24. Theophilus says, 'Abpadu αTEIάρχης ἡμῶν. 94. Δαυὶδ ὁ πρόγονος ἡμῶν. 27. Αβρααμ του προπάτορος ἡμῶν.

HERMAS is cited by Irenæus, who was born about A. D. 120. He is also observed to have made no mention of mira, cles; but he had nothing to lead him to it, and his book is taken up with visions and revelations. I offered a conjecture concerning it, that it was a parable. Disc. VI. on the Christ. Rel.

He mentions a vision of a formidable beast threatening to devour him, from which he was preserved; and he interprets this of a great tribulation which was to come upon the Christians, and which some have applied to Domitian's persecution. L. i. Vis. ii. § 2, 3. p. 77. Vis. iv. p. 82.

POLYCARP, of whose epistle I have taken notice, p. 47. suffered martyrdom under Marcus Aurelius with exemplary courage and constancy. His death is said to have been honoured with some miracles, which are of such a kind, and attended with such circumstances, that there is some

reason to pause, and to doubt of them. But this shall perhaps be considered in its proper place.

THE Recognitions and the Homilies of CLEMENS, written, as it is thought, in the second century, contain as much truth as Lucian's True History, Aristeas, Gulliver's Travels, the Lives of several Monks, of Lazarillo, of David Simple, and of Gil Blas. It would not be a reasonable request to desire any man to confute this work. It is sufficient to refer the reader to the judgment of Cotelerius, p. 607.

I shall only produce one passage, and none of the worst, for a specimen. Peter is introduced saying, Quod cum vidisset Gamaliel princeps populi, qui latenter frater noster erat in fide, sed consilio nostro inter eos erat'-i. 65.

Here this knave of a forger makes Peter, or Lord Peter, as he commonly calls him, and the rest of the apostles, mere politicians, who persuade Gamaliel to dissemble his religion, and to act the part of a spy and a hypocrite.

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In the Recognitions, ii. 13. Simon Magus is introduced speaking thus: Pueri incorrupti et violenter necati animam adjuramentis ineffabilibus evocatam adsistere mihi feci, et per ipsam fit omne quod jubeo.' Dr. Middleton thus translates it: Simon Magus confessed to one of his companions, that he wrote all his amazing works by the help of the soul of a healthy young boy, who had been violently put to death for that purpose, and then called up from the dead by ineffable adjurations, and compelled to be his assistant.' Inquiry into the Miraculous Powers, &c. p. 67.

Pueri incorrupti animam.' In the Greek it was, I suppose, Παιδὸς ἀδιαφθόρου ψυχήν. Justin Martyr calls such children αδιαφθόρους, and Socrates the historian αφθόρους παῖδας. Justin Apol. i. p. 27. Νεκυομαντεῖαι μὲν γὰρ, nai αἱ ἀδιαφθόρων παίδων ἐποπτεύσεις. Necyomantiæ enin, et incorruptorum puerorum inspectiones.'-Socrates iii. 13. Καὶ τελετάς τινας συνίστασαν, ὡς καὶ σπλαγχνοσκοπού μενοι παῖδας καταλύειν ἀφθόρους—which Valesius translates, Quin etiam nefanda quædam mysteria ab illis excogitata sunt; ita ut pueros impuberes immolarent, extaque eorum inspicerent

I once told Dr. Middleton, that I was inclined to think that in this place incorruptus' meant impubis' rather than

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sanus.' 'Ahopes, aplocos, incorruptus,' mean properly 'impollutus, expers veneris;' and they are used for 'impubis, because children are usually impolluti.' waïda or népny dia Bhelps is stuprare.' "AC6ogos, impubes, imκόρην pollutus, incorruptus, imberbis,' say the Lexica. opos Tals, puer imberbis,' Diosc. ii. c. 102. Kal NZO THES καὶ πολλαὶ, ἑξηκοντοῦται καὶ ἑβδομηκοντοῦται, οἱ ἐκ παίδων ἐμαθητεύτησαν τῷ Χριστῷ, ἄφθοροι διαμένουσι. Et multi sexus utriusque, et sexaginta et septuaginta nati annos, qui a pueris disciplinam Christi sunt assectati, incorrupti permanent.' Justin Apol, i. 22. ed. Th. poor, impolluti, expertes veneris, etiam legitimæ. Qui inviolati corporis virginitate perpetua fruuntur,' says Minucius, c. xxxi.

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Concerning such magical rites, see Broukhusius on Tibullus i. 11. 45. and Fabricius Bibl. Antiqu. p. 417. 419. and Havercamp's Tertullian, Apol. 23. 'Si pueros in eloquium oraculi elidunt.' Junius thinks that this relates to the sacri ficing of children, which kind of divination was called Bezpopartía, padomaniia.

AMONGST the apostolical writers some have placed the author of the Epistle to Diognetus, which has been usually ascribed to Justin Martyr: see Fabric. Bibl. Gr. v. 58. Tillemont (Hist. Eccl. ii. p. 493.) first declared that he was inclined for some reasons to think it more antient, and written before A. D. 70. He says also that a learned man, whom he names not, had been of that opinion. The last editor of Justin thinks that they are mistaken, as to the antiquity of this epistle, and is in doubt whether it should be ascribed to Justin, or not. Præf. p. lxxiv. Baratier gives it to Clemens Romanus, and Mr. Whiston to Timothy. In this epistle there are many allusions to the New Testament, which Mr. Whiston has marked in the margin of his translation, and there is nothing said concerning any miraculous powers and gifts amongst Christians. It is opus eximium et præstantissimum,' says the Benedictin editor; and Baratier and Mr. Whiston are of the same opinion. Diognetus, who is called neário Tos, was, we may suppose, if he really existed, a man of some rank. His Honour wanted to be informed of the nature of Christianity; and why this new religion was not made known sooner; and for what reasons the Christians

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