Owen - Houston-Packer Collection BT768 .O9 1654

A Preface to the Reader. ney and travel for the propagationof the Gofpel,he fcemes in all places to have been follow- ed almoftat the heeles , by the profetfing`Pharifees, who impofed the neceffity acheob- fervation ofMofaical ceremonies upon his new Converts : for inflantly upon his returne to Antioch, whereduring his abfence , probably they had much prevailed , be falls into ä:fpure wan them , chap : a g. v. a: and that hewas not concerned in this controverfy, only upon the Account of the Church ofAntioch , himfelfe informes us , Gal: 2. 4 : affirming that the faIle Brethren,which caufed thofe difputes & diffentions,crept in to fpyout his liberty, in hispreaching theGofpel among theGentiles,2.v:that is in theplaces before mentioned through- out a great part ofAfaa. For the appealingofthis difference, and the eftablithingof the foules of the difcipleswhich weregrievioullyperplesed,with the impofition oftheMofaical yoake, It is determined that the cafe thould be refolved by the Apoftles,e..41l: 1 g. z : partly becaufe of their Authority in all the Churches, wherein thofe who contended withTau/ would becorn- pelled to acquiefce,&partly becaufethofeJadenzingTeacherr ,pretended the commitiìonof the ApoRles for theDodrine they preached, as is evidentfrom the difclaimure made by them, of any rush commillion or command, v: 24, UponPaul's returne from the Affembly at Jere- falem, wherein the great controverfyabout Jevoifh Ceremonies was Rated , and determined,af- ter he had in the fief' place delivered the decree , and Apollolical falutation by Spiflle to the Church at Antioch, hegoes with them alto to the Churches in Syria and Cilicia ,espreffed in the letter by name,as alto to thofe in Pamphilia,Piidia,Derbe,Lyfira,lcanium cl-c.chap:s 6. v: r, 2, 3 4 : and all the Churches whichhe had gathred and planted in his travells through Ifta,whereunto hewas commanded by the Holy Cyhofl,A11 3.I.z.Things being thus hated, it neceffarily followes, that theApoRles had inftituted Diocefan and Metropolitan Bithops. For though the Churches werefo fmail , and thin , and few in number , that 7 yeares after this may we believeour Dolour, the ApoRles had not inftituted or appointed anyElders or Presbyters in them.viz:when Paul wrote his Epiftle to the Philippians,which was when he was. Prifoner inRome, as appeares, cap: r, 7, 13, 14:chap:4,22: about the third yeare of25(ero,yet that he had fully built and fetled the Hierarchical fabrickcontended for , who oncedares queftion ' 4udacia Creditar âmulriafiducia. But if this will not do , yet Ignatiuo hits the nayfe on the head ; and is readyat hand to make good, whatfoever the Dollour will have him fay, and his Teftimonie takes up the fenfe of the z nextfollowing Sellions, whereof the firftis asfollowes. Hine dilli Ignatiani ratioconftat in Epiflolâ adRomanos obi ille Antiochia Epifcopue fe 4 â Sreít ¿s Ano at eau Irm, paflorem Ecclefta quaeft inSyria appellee , cúm ad Antiochiam,fci : nt cad Metropolis foam tota Syriapertineret. Sic & Author Epiolead Antiochenos, óux.r,aaít 9ci 1rapoaé5:f À fuoiu ri Û'aeneAsis, Eam inferibens totam,Syriam ejrumaeynuar ere concludit. But yet I fearethe Dollourwill find he bath need ofother weapons, and othermanner of Alfiftance to makegood the carafe he hath undertaken. Thewords of Ignatiau in that Epiftle to the Romans are,µeseweivaaa cr añ 5%iúteovlwMeta ?xuunaíar ins árß sµsi Vol/API X,n "aua linelF, Betaufehe recommends to them that particular Church in Syria, which by his imprifonment was deprived ofit's Pallor , therefore wihoueldoubthe was a Metropolitical Arch-Benoit; Tytere topattelat c: But theDollour is refolved to carry hiscarafe, and therefore being forfaken ofall fair and honeft meanes, from whence he might hope for affi lance or fuccelfe, he tryes (as Saul the Witch of ender) the counterfeit , fpurious Title, of a coun- terfeit Epiftleto the Antiochians, to fee if that will fpeak anycomfortable words for his relief or no.And tomake lure worke,hecaufes this gentleman fo to fpeak,as if heintended.to make us believe that Syria was inAntioch,not Antioch in Syria,as in tome remote parts ofthe world, they fay they enquire whether London be in England , or England in London. What other feule can be made ofthe words as by theDolleur tranfcribed?issrnui s venco s&on Sueeaai ce'Aratcye+t. To the Church ofGod dwelling in Syria which is in &Antioch : now if thisbe fo,f Rtall confers it is potlible we may be in more errours thenone, and that we much want the Learned 'Doil our's afïiftance for our information ; the words themfelvesas they are ufed by the worfhipful writer of that Epiftle will fcarce furnith us with this learned and rarenotion, theyare at length, 'ayedasl i rÿ eoo¢6p«y- ( for fo he firft openshis mouth with a lye) vrxAn- elt ñr.is1síen iauò . sÿ , ;010,6y140V áE )(en; zafrawíon he 4ueit, s, u r an Xesschn muds 7,a(sú64 'Araaowt. What is here more espreffed , then that the latter paffage, ire eílntioch,is reftriiive ofwhat went &before wasfpoken of it's refedence in Syria , with reference to the nameof Chriflieaa, firft given to the Difciples in that place, I know not: and therefore it ismot ceri Caine

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