and SAVIOUR, JESUS CHRIST, and his APOSTLES, ßc. 395 reafons to prove this difference, the autho- rity of Eufebius, who never calls Simon bilhop of Jerufalem, an apoftle, but fays exprefsly, that the apoftolic age, ended with his death, who died before Simon bilhop ofJerufalem. It appears, that St. Simon continued in communion with the reft of the apoftles and difciples at Jerufalem ; and, at the feaft of Pentecoft, received the fame mira- culous gift of the Holy Ghoft: fo that he was qualified with the reft of his brethren for the apoftolic office, in propagating the gofpel of the Son of God ; and we cannot doubt of his exercifing his gifts with the fame zeal and fidelity, though in what part of the world, is uncertain. Some fay he went into Egypt, Cyrene, and Africa, preaching the gofpel to the inhabitants of thofe remote and barbarous countries : and others add, that after he had juft paffed through thofe burning waftes, he took chip; and vifited the frozen regions of the North, preaching the gofpel to the inhabitants the weflern parts, and even in Britain itfelf, where having converted great multitudes, and fuflained the greateft hardfhips and perfecutions, he was at length crucified, and buried in force part of Great -Britain, but the particularfpot cannot beafcertained. St. MATTHIAS, the APOSTLE. CT. Matthias not being an apofile of the 7 firft elefion, immediately called and chofen of the Sonof God himfelf, it cannot be expelled that any account of him can be found in the evangelical hiftory. He was one of. our Lord's difciples, probably one of the feventy, that had attended on him the whole time of his public miniflry, and after his death was eleled into the apoflo- late, to fupply the place of Judas, who, after betraying his great Lord and Mailer, laid violent hands on himfelf. As the defelion of Judas had made a vacancy in the apoftolic college, the firft thing the difciples did, after their return from Mount Olivet, when their great Maf- ter afcended to the throne of his glory, was, to fill up this vacancy with a proper perfon. Accordingly, Peter acquainted them, that Judas, according to the prophe- tical prediélion, being fallen from his mi- niftry, it was neceffary that another { hould be fubftituted in his room, and at the fame time requifite, that the perfon eleled fhould have been a confiant attendant on the bleffed JEsus, that he might be the better qualified for bearing witnefs to his life, death, refurrellion, afcenfion, and in- terceffion. 3 St. Peter having thus addreffed the af= fembly, two perfons were propofed, namely, Jofeph called Barfabas, and Matt? ias, both ofwhom were duly qualified for that import- ant office. The methodof'elelion wasby lots, a way common both amongft the Jews and Gentiles for determining doubt- ful and difficult cafes, efpecially in chttfing judges or magiftrates ; and this courfe feems to have been taken by the apoflles, becaufe the Holy Ghoft was not yet given, by whofe immediate diaates and infpira- tions they were afterwards chiefly guided. That the bufinefs might proceed with the greater alacrity and fuccefs, they firft folemnly made their addreffes to heaven, that the omnifcient Being who governed the world, and perfealy underftood the tempers and difpofitions of men, would immediately guide and dire& the choice, and {hew them which of the two he would appoint to take that part of the apoftolic charge, from which Judas was fo lately fallen. Theprayerbeing ended, thelots were drawn, by which it appeared that Matthias was the perfon, and he was numbered 'amongft the twelve apofties accordingly. Soon after this elelion the promifed powers of the Holy Ghoft were conferred upon
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