and SAVIOUR; JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, &C. 393 demands were therefore unnecelfary _ and impertinent ; and that it was an indication of great weaknefs in him, after three years education under his difcipline and inflitu- tión, to appear fo ignorant with regard to thefe particulars. We are told by the ancients, that in the diftribution made -by the aponles öf the feveral regions of the world, the Upper Afta fell to the (hare of St. Philip, where he applied hirnfalf with an indefatigable diligence and induffry, to turn the children of men from the paths of wickednefs which lead to defiruElion; to ways that terminate in eternal felicity : and by the conflancy and power of his preaching, and the effi- cacy of his miracles, he gained numerous converts, whom he baptized into the Chrif- tian faith, curing at once their bodies of infirmities and diflempers, and their fouls of error and idolatry. He continued with them a confiderable time in fettling churches, and appointing them fpiritual guides and miniflers. Having feveral years fuccefsfully exer- cifed hii apoflolical office in all thofe parts, he came at lull to Ilierapolis in Phrygia, a city remarkably rich and populous, but at the fame time over-run with the moll enormous idolatry : amongfl the many vain and trifling deities, to whom they paid re- ligious adoration, was a ferpent or dragon, of an enormous Magnitude, which they worfhipped with the molt foletrtn reverence and devotion. Being grieved to fee the people fo wretchedly enflaved by error and fuperlli- tion, St. Philip continually offered his ad- reffes to heaven, till by his prayers, and soften calling upon the name ofCrtxtsr, he procured the death, or, at leali, the vanillt- ing of this famous and beloved ferpent. Having thus demolifhed their deity, he dc- monftrated to them, how ridiculous and unjufi it was for them to pay divine honours to fuch odious creatures, (hewed them that God alone was to be worfhipped as the great Parent of all the world, who, in the beginning, made man after his glorious No. 33. image, and when fallen from that innocent and happy [late, fent his own Son into the world to redeem him ; that, in order to perform this glorious work, he died on the crofs, and rote again from the dead, and at the end of the world will come again to raife all the fons of men from the cham- bers of the dull; and fentcnce them to everlafting rewards and puuifhments, ac- cording to their works. This difcourfe routed them from their lethargy ; fo that great numbers were afl.amed of their late idolatry, and embraced the doEtrines of the gofpel with earnefinefs and fincerity. The great enemy of mankind, being provoked at this fuerefs, had rccourfe to his old methods, cruelty and perfccution. The magiflratcs of the city feized the apo[lle, and having thrown him into prifon, caufed him to be feverely fcourged. When this preparatory cruelty was over, he was led to execution, and being bound, was hanged again[i a pillar; or, according to others, crucified : but Omnipotence did not behold this frene of cruelty without teftifying his anger ; for when this indefa- tigable spodle was expiring, the earth be- gan fuddenly to quake, and the ground whereon the people flood to fink under them ; but, on their confidering it as a mark of the divine vengeance, and im- ploring pardon for their crime, it fud- denly flopt, and returned to it's former potation. The apoflle being dead, his body was taken down by St. Bartholomew, his fellow labourer in the gofpel, and Ma- riamne, St. Philip's filler, the confiant com- panion of his travels, and decently buried; after which they confirmed the people in the faith of CHRIST, and departed from thofe parts. The ancient writers unanitnoufly agree that he was a married man ; and Clemens of Alexandria, that lie had daughters, whom he difpofed of in marriage : but he, not carefully di[linguifhing between Philip the deacon, who lived at Cefarea, with his three virgin daughters, as mentioned in the aéîs of the apofiles, has caufed fome 5 C confufion
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