414 An Expofataon upon Chap. io . or as fume think both Jew and Gen - or not inhabited ;But it is certain that No nine. dies) heard? it is an obje &ion made by fome Jew in behalf of the Jewes to ex- cufe them, that they could not beleeve, becaufe they heard not, and faith corn - meth by hearing. Seeing then they had no faith, it was a figne they had not heard. Unto which the Apoftle an- fwereth,that theGofpell was then 'pub - lifhed to the whole world, therefore the Jewes mutt needes have heard ; for how could the Ifraelites be without hearing, feeing the Gentiles ( even all the whole world befide ) had heard i as it is here proved by the Apofle out of the 19. Ppd. verle 4. T 1 m. But David fpealles of the creatures, and the natural/ knowledge got by beholding the heavens, as in verse 1. Solution. S i L. It is true, he fpeakes of the voyer or preaching of the creature hi- ftorically, yet by the way he prophefies of the voyce and preaching of the Apo - files; for of one and the fame fenfe, there may be fundry applications; for it is but an allufion to that place,thus and in this manner : as once God taught the whole world to know him by the line and voyce of the heavens, which was a loude found to proclaims his eternall Godhead and power : fo now h e hath univerfally made himfelfe knowne by the Apofiles do &rive. Or he argueth either ( a pari) of the like, thus: As God would have himfelfe publikely let forth by the dumbe preaching heavens, fo by the lively founding voyce of the Go- fpell : or (a minori) of the lefle,thus: If the naturall knowledge of God being leffe precious and profitable, be pub - lifhed abroad, then much more that knowledge which is by the Gofpell ought to be fo, being farre more cleare and health -full: this may be received as fitteD, yet all good. T 1 wt. But how (hould this be, Teeing, asyet there be fundry people to which the Gofpell was never preached, as Japonica, Brafilica, and other barbarous people mat a few, as appeares by their captives which were of them, and be- wray an utter ignorance of Chrift. S I L. Thefe Conntries in the Apo- files time,might either beun difcovered, Doubt. Doubt. even afore the Apoflles death, Chrift was preached to all nations knowne, and Countries which were dwelt in, ei- ther by the perfon of Preachers, or by fame of their do&rins:as the fame of the deliverance of/liar!, and deftru&ion of the Egyptians came to Jericho, for Ea- hab heard of it. This point may be pro- ved : firft, by Chrifts commandement, which was not in vaine, Matth. x8.19. Gor teach all Nations, er. alto Marke 1.6.1I. Xis I. 18. Secondly, Paul wit - neffeth that in his time this commande- ment was fulfilled, as Col. 1.6. 23. Thirdly, if one Apoffle could fpread it from Jerufalem to Spaine, Rom. r5. 19.' how likely is it that all the reD might preach the Gofpell to the known parts of the world. Fourthly, many, yea molt of the Fathers are of this opinion. Hila- ry upon Matth.24.14. affirmeth that the Gofpell was preached in the müverfali world,before the overthrow of Jerufa- lem : Chryfoffome faith, that in (pace of thirty yeares, the Gofpell was preached to all. Eufebius, Jerome, Theophylaa, and Ambrofe, teach the fame truth; of his time Jerome faith,that no nation was ig- norant of Chrift. T 1 M. What profit is to be made of this point ? S r L. It confutes the Jefifites, Pere - rius, Bellarmine, and Rhemiffs in Matth. 24. who yet fay the Gofpell is not gene- rally preached, but fhall be before the end of the world : this is to croft, au- thority of Scripture,and opinion of the learned ; as Auguffine read, fhall be preached, for had been preached. Se- condly, it reproves the Popifh Hiftori- ans of falfehood in writing,t hat theBri- taines received not the faith till Auftine the Monkes time: whereas they were even in theApoftles times converted to the faith by Simon Zelotes, as Necepho- rus writeth : and in King Lucius time (which was two hundred yeares afore Auffine) preachers were fent from Eleu- therius the Bifhop of Home, to inftrn& the Britaines in the Chriflian faith ; allo by good Dories it will appeare, that Au ffinebrought in Komifh tyranny and dome of note in the world, but within 40. years altre the panon of Chrill, received the;corpel, faith vfr. .,t v.ftat broughr ie rather ty- rannical( Sublet/ion to ehe Pbpe then pare religion Perry MO. ti,. J fu erttition, ____--
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