390 The NEW and COMPLETE LIFE of our BLESSED LORD ordination. Here they preached to the Jews in their fynagogue ; but meéting with blafphemous oppofition, they told them plainly, that they thought it reafonable to preach the gofpel firfl to them ; but as they had fo unthankfully rejebled it, they would nowmake the fame offers of falvation to the Gentiles, according to the command- ment of God, by his prophets : but the exafperated Jews flirred up fome of the principal citizens to perfecute them, and force them to leave the city ; whereupon they departed from Antioch, and came to Iconium, the metropolis of Lycaonia, where they continued a confiderable time, preaching in the fynagogues withgreat fuc- cefs : but, at lait, the old fpirit of Jewifh rage and malice prevailed againft them, and obliged them, in order to avoid the madnefs of the multitude, toretire to Derbe, a city of Lycaonia. They returned from Derbe. to Lyftra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pifidia, confirm- ing the fouls of the difciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith; and that we m4fl, through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. After a fhort flay, they again vifited the churches of Pam - phylia, Perga, and Attalia, where they took fhip and failed to Antioch in Syria, the place from whence they firft fet out. Prefently after their arrival, they called the church of this city together, and gave them an account of their travels, and of the great fuccefs which had attended their preaching in the Gentile world. They had not long continued in this city, before their Affiance was required to compofe a difference in this church, occa- fioned by force of the Jewifh converts, who endeavoured to perfuade the Gentiles, that they were bound to obferve the law of Mofes, as well as that of CHRtsr ; and be circumcifed as well as baptized. Barna- bas endeavoured to perfuade the zealots from prefling fuch unneceffary obferva- tions ; but all his endeavours proving in- effeEtual, he was deputed with St. Paul and others, to go to the church at Jerufa- 3 lem, to fubmit the queftion to be deter- mined there in a full affembly. During their flay at Jerufalem, Mark, in all probability, reconciled himfelf to his uncle Barnabas, and returned with him and St. Paul to Antioch, after they had fucceeded in their bufinefs at Jerufalem, and obtained a decree from the fynod there, that the Gentile converts fhould not have circumcifion and other Mofaic rites impofed upon them, as they were now under the gofpel difpenfation. The minds ofthe Gentiles were greatly quieted and comforted by this determina- tion ; neverthelefs it did not prevent the bigottedJews from keeping up a feparation from them ; and that with fo much obfti- nacy, that when St. Peter force time after came to Antioch, he, for fear of offending them, contradifted his former praBice, and late fpeech and vote in the fynod of Jerufalem, by refraining from all kind of communion with the Gentiles; and Barna- bas himfelf, though fo great and good a man, was induced, by the authority of his example, to commit the fame error; though, doubtlefs, on being reproved by St. Paul, they both took more courage, and walked according to that true liberty and freedom which the gofpel imparts. After this tranfaftion, Paul made a pro- pofal to Barnabas, that they fhould repeat their late travels amongft the Gentiles, and fee how the churches they had planted in- creafed in their numbers, and improved in the dofrines they had taught them. Barnabas very readily complied with the propofal, but defined they might take with them his reconciled nephew, John-Mark. This Paul abfolutely refufed, becaufe in their former voyage, Mark had not (hewn the conftancy of a faithful minifter of CHRIST, but confulted his own eafe at a dangerous junfture, departed from them without leave at Pamphylia, and returned to Jerufalem. Barnabas íäll infifted on taking him, and the other continuing as refolute to oppofe it, a fhort debate arofe, which terminated in a rupture ; whereby there
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