5 56 The Evidences of the 'Truth 'r)i: as Peter, and john ; or giving them up ro the Roman Power, as.t'b_y. did lames and Peter to Herod ; Paul to Gáls'fo, Fìelìx, and- Fellua, and Lift of all to Nero. And (hall killycu. St. Luke faith Jame of you ;, for of othershe faith, that not a hair of their head fhould fall to the graind. Thus Stephèn was'kfll'dt by a popular Tumult ; and the two yames's were put to Death utidci' co'our of a judicial Procefs ; the one (toned by the Councel of the yews, and the other put to Death by Thro Andye (hall be hated of all Nations for my name's fake. Which began ue,- der Nero, who, charging the Chriftians with the burning of the City, as Ta- citus tells us, when himfelf had fet it on fire, tortur'd many of them as guilty of the Fait. For my namesfake. This was exaaly fulfih'd, in that the Chri- ilians were fo miferably Perfecuted for no other caufe, but for being call'd Chritlians. They did not punifh them for oppofing their Idolatry, for that the Yews did as well as the Chriflians, who yet cfcapcd their Malice nor could they lay any other Crime to their charge. Hence was that common fay ing among the Heathens, vir lonas Caius Sejoes ; tantum modo gr,àd ChriJli- anss. Fifthly, And upon this Perfecution, theApoftafie of many from Chrifia: nity. Per. to. Then fhall many he offended; that is, fall off from Chriftianity becaufe of thefe Perfecutions ; as we read feveral did, Demos, Herrnogenes, Phygellus, and probably feveral others. And they /hall betray one another, and hate one another. Which was remark- ably fulfill'd, in the Se& of the Gnoflicks, who did not only decline Perfecu- tion themfelves, but joyned with thofe that Perfecuted the Chri(tians, as Ec- clefiaftical Hiltory cells us. Sixthly, That likewife upon this occafion of Perfecution many falfe Pro- phetsfhould arife, and deceive many, ver, 1 r. which feems to refer to Simon Magus, who gavehimfelf out to be thepower of God ; and to the other heads Of the Gioflick Se&. Per. 12. And the love of many fhall grow cold, becaufe iniquity fhall abound.: Which feems to refer likewife to theGnoflicks, of whom Sr. John in his firft Epiftle Both fo frequently make mention of their name ; as he that faith 1know him, and keepeth not his Commandments, &c. and of whom he Both fo much complain for want of love to their Brethren. Per. 13. But he that (hall endure to the end, (Ball befaved ; that is, he that fhall continue conftant in the Profeffion of the Faith, notwithftanding thefe Perfecutions and Apoftafres, and falfe Teachers that (hall arife, fhall be fa- ved. Seventhly, That there fhould be an univerfal Publication of the Gofpel, before this great Defolation Ihould happen, ver. 14. And this Gofgel of the Kingdom fhall be preached in all the world, for a witnefs unto all Nations. And this was accomplifh'd before the Deftru&ion of yerufalem : for the Gofpel was publifh'd all over the Roman Empire before that time ; and that is it which is here meant by the World, in the fame fenfe that Augu/las is find by St. Luke, to have taxed all the world. And this is the very Phrafe which the Romans conftantly ufed, calling the Roman Empire Imperium orlis ¡erratum. And that the Gofpel was thus Publifh'd, we may eafily believe, if we con- fider howmany were Pent forth for this purpofe, and what indefangabie pains they took in this work, efpecially St. Paul, who preached from Jçrufa- lem to Illiricum, which according to the account which he gives oi the Journey, is computed to be no lefs than a000 Miles, and yet he made corìf1- derable Stays in many places. For a witnefs unto all Nations ; that is, that all Nations might be convinced of the unreafonable obftinacy of the Jews, before God brought thofe dread;, ful Calamities upon that Nation. And
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