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Chap. XV,
* Rom. 1. 5.
T cas, word.
* Ch. 21.25. .17. 14.
and Syria, anil Cilicia.
The 4A
ſuſpicious, an! to root out pre-eonceived opinions, d The oe! ther of rhat Joſeph mentioned Chap. 1. 23. e Called Sylvan allo. f Noted for their Holy living, or great Knowledge, or Office ia the Church. s
23 And wrote letters by them after this manner g, The apoſttes, and elders, and brethren ſend greeting
unto the brethren which areofthe þ Gentiles in Antioch,
The Letter was wiote in the name of them all, that it might F4 - i =tte ,
| 4 W { ve the greater force, and better acceptance ; that ſo ſtrong a Cord |
might nor be broken by the falſe Apoſtles. þ Such as out of Gen- riliſm, ot Pageniſm, were converted unto Chriſt ; to whom the de- termination of this caſe was of greateſt concern : their right of be- Jonging unto Chriſt, and having any hopes of Salvation being que- Nioned, unleſs they would be Circumcited. : :
24 Foraſmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out 7 from us, have k troubled you with words/, {tbverting vour ſouls, ſaying, 7e muj7 be circumciſed, | and keep the law ; to whom we gave no /#c5 command- iNENt: |
; For, Perſe 1. theſe falſe Apoſtles were ſuch as came from Judea ; that is, from the Church there. It is Satan's great policy
to divide, that he may rule ; he will have at leaſt one ſhare where there is more than one. No ſuch fad diviſions, as Church-diviſions, when that ſome -of our fſclves Preach perverſe things, as Chap. 20.30. & As if ia the profefling of Chriſtianity there would be no Salvation, unleis Judaiſm be imbraced, and Circumciſion ad- mitted, No greater trouble to a conſiderate mind, than about the concern of Salvation, when they ſay, Where i thy Goa ? 1 Theſe they did we!l put together ; for by Circamciſion they ingaged to the obſervance of the whole Law of Moſes : And by the Decreeing the 9milſion, that whole Law of Ceremonies 15 declared void, and of no cf:&. What Truth and Unity build up, Diſcord and Error pul! down- h | :
25 It ſeemed good unto us, being aſſembled with -
ene accord, toſend choſen men unto you, with our be-
loved Barnabas and Paul ;
»» With one Mind, as if they had all but one Soul (they had but one Spirit, the Spirit of Truth ) as Chap. 2. r. and 5.12. Their Unanimity adding great ſtrength to the Decree they ſent.
26 » Men that have hazarded their lives for the
o * care of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
7 Becau!e that the falſe Apoſtles at .2ntioch had vilified Paul and Barnabas, and oppoſed their Do&rine and Prattice in admitting of the Gentiles by Baptiſm into the Church, the Council here at Feru- ſalem take occaſion to vindicate, and to commend them, eſpecially for their ſuffering ſo much for Chriſt, of which we read, Chap. 13. co. and 14. 19. It being moſt reaſonable to believe, that they had not done or tad any thing for their own ſakes, who had done and ſuffered ſo much for Chriſt and his Truths ſake. o For Chriſts Ho- Nour, 2nd the Truth of his Goſpe!,
25 We have ſent thereicre Judas and Silas, who ſhall ao tell yu p the ſame things by f munch.
> They thall inform you of the truch of whar is contained in this E»;/ile, that you may be more aflared,it isnot forged orcounterfeited. ©: rhe Nicn, vid. F.rje 22.
25 For it tzemed good q to the holy Ghoſt »,and unto us, tolay upon you no greaters burden than theſe z ne-
ell.ry things ;
q That is, unto us aſlifted by the Holy Ghoſt. The Holy Ghceſt ts delervedly firſt mentioned, that the Apoſtles might teſtifis that they dcfired ro fy, write, or do nothing in which they had nor the Spirit of God direQting of them : And they mention the Spirit, thar the ntiochians, unto whom they wrorte, might be afflured they were not tlaman inventions which they recommended.bur that they had the Authority of God for them. » As Miniſters, or Gods Stewards, who acquainted them with theſe things, in dif- charge of their dury, and that they might appear themielves to be faithtul. s The Yoke ſpoken of, Perſe ro. £ To be ſure ſevera} of: rhe things here ſpoken of, are not abſolutely necefliry unto Salva- rion ; or fimply, and in their own nature neceſſary, as to abſtain from Blood, tc. but though they are nor necetfary always, arid at all times, yer in this place, and ar this rime, they were neceflary for the pzace of rhe Church, and to avoid giving of offence to the converted 7ews, aid to nourith Brotherly love betwixt them and the Gent 7les,
29 * That v2 « abſt .in from meats offered to idols, and x * from blond, and from-things ſtrangled, and from 3 fornication; from which if ye keep your ſelves, ye ſhall do well. & Fare ye well.
r Of theſes Fre more Jargely, Yerſe 20. w They were wont to ca:ry bore, and Fealt rpon part of the Sacrifices they had off:red unto their tale gods ; nay, they did nor, withour reproach. eat of any greater Lealts (as Oxcn and Sheep ) but they always firſt offer- ed iome of ihem unto their Idols. And it wasaccounted no ſmall impierv to eat aJv7z Izeg, part of any Beaſts which they had not firſt citzred up ro {ome or other of their gods. x For this reaſon they might not eat cf any thing that dicd of its ſelf, as Dent. 14. 21. becauſethe Blood was not gone out of it. y Mentioned here,
becaule fo commonly prattifed amongſt the Gentiles, and yet not eſtcemed a fin. Hence alſo, 1 Thef 4.3. the Apoſtle lays a very great charge againſt 3t. z The ordinary Apprecation wherewith their Letters were ccncluded, in which rhey wiſhed health and ſtiengrh co the party they wrote unto; inſtead of which Word, tome ancient Copies read geeo,.cr e&v Tvivuan ap: which is
rendied, walk in the Help Ghoſt; or, the Holy Ghoſt carrying, or enabl.ng of you. A Wiſhor Prayer becoming theſe holy Men that made xt. + They who have tound the neceſſity of rhe Spirits
C34 aſſiſtance, deſire it above all things, for ſuch as they wiſh we unto. :
3o So when 4 they were diſmiſſed, they coma { " Me to