332 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD fecurity, hearing of the danger to which his brethren were expofed, was very de- firous of venturing after them, in order to fpeak in their behalf; but was at laft dif- fuaded from it, not only by the Chriftians, but alfo by the Gentile governors of the theatrical games, who were his friends, and affured him, that he would only endanger himfelf without refcuing his friends, or affording them any affslt- ance. The multitude were now prodigiou{ly clamorous and confufed, moil of them not knowing the reafon for which they were come together; and, therefore, fomecried one thing, and fome another. In this dif traetion, Alexander, a Jewifhconvert, was Jingled out by the multitude, and by the inftigation of the Jews was going to make his defence, in which, doubtlefs, he would have laid the whole blame upon Paul : but the multitude perceivinghim to be a Jew, and therefore fufpeaing he was one of Paul's affociates, raifed another outcry for near two hours together, wherein nothing could be heard but Great is Diana of the Epihefians. This confufion brought the town - clerk, who kept the regifter of the games, into the theatre, to fupprefs, if poffible, fo uncommon a tumult ; and having, with great difficulty, obtained filence, calmly and difcreetly told them, °° That the world was fufficiently acquaint- ed with the devotion paidby the Ephefians to the great goddefs Diana, and the image which fell down from Jupiter; and there- fore it was abfolutely needlefs for them to publifli it at that time ; that if Demetrius and his fraternity had any thing to allege again{ Paul and his companions, the courts were open, and they might bring their ac- cufation againft them; or, if they were queftioned with regard to the breach of any of their laws, the caufe ought to be heard in a regular affembly. That they would do well to confider this, and be quiet ; having already rendered themfelves obnoxious to the rlifpleafure of the ma- Orates, if they fhould think proper to a call them to an account for the tumult which theyhad that day occafioned. The multitude, onhearing this difcourfe, were convinced that they had ailed very improperly, and therefore repaired to their refpeftive habitations ; and Gaius, Arif_ tarchus, and Alexander, werereleafed with- out any hurt : but the efcape of Paul was fo very remarkable, that he mentions it as a miraculous deliverance. Wehad, Mays he, thefentence of death in ourfelves, that we fhould not truft in ourfelves, but in God which raifeth the dead, who delivered us from fo great a death. And in another place he tells us, he fought with bees at Eßhefus; alluding, either to the defign of the enraged multitude of throwing him to the wild beafts in the theatre, though their intention was riot executed ; or to the manners of the people, who fufficiently deferved the character of being favage and brutal in the firicteft fenfe of the words. Paul about this time, was informed of fome difturbances in the church of Corinth, hatched and fomented by a company of falfe teachers, crept in amongft them, who endeavoured to draw them into parties and factions, by perfuading'one company to be for Peter, another for Paul, and a third for Apollos ; as if the principal part of re- ligion confifted in being of this or that denomination, or in a warm active zeal to depreciate and oppofe whoever is not of our own narrow feet. It is a very weak and {lender claim, when a man holds his reli- gion by no better title than his having joined himfelf to fuch or fuch a feil or congregation, and is remarkably zealous to promote it ; to be childifhly and paf- lionately clamorous for fome perfon's par- ticular mode of adminifiration, or fome particular opinion ; as if religion rather confifted in curious difputes, or in fepa- rating from our brethren, than in righte- oufnefs, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghoft. By thefe means, fchifrns and factionsbroke into the Corinthian church, whereby many wild and extravagant opinions, and fome of them fuels as tended to undermine the fundamental
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