276 Of the Vanity of Man' s .7udgment SERM. Judaifing teachers, and vain pretenders td XI. fcience and to oratory, join'd their utmof} " - efforts to raife a party in oppofition to hire, and leffen him in the efteem of the people, who by his means had received the gofpel, and were formed into a chriftian church. And fince the purity of his life was fuch as cut off all handle of calumny on that account, they reprefented his perfon and his fpeech in the molt difadvantageous light ; further in- finuating that he had ambitious afpiring views to eftablifh himfelf in a fuper- eminent authority, and bring others into a fervile fub- jedtion to him who were in feveral refpeEts his equals or fuperiors, and who therefore fet úp for an equal or fuperior leading in the church. By thefe means the apoftle was laid under the difagreeable neceffity of vindicating his own charadter, which he does particularly in this and the other epiftle to the Corinthians. He proves largely his calling to the apoflolic office by the evident figns of it in the il- luftrious miracles he wrought for the confir- mation of his dodtrine. He acknowledges, indeed, that his fpeech was not eloquent, and that he did not pretend to a high reputation for human learning, but infifts that this was fo far from being any juft objedtion againft his
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=