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A.D. 58. mong the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:

17 Neither went I up to Jerufalem, to them which were apofles before me, but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damafcus.

made my Application to no Man, to none of the Apofties for their Warrant or Inftructions how to perform my Office.

17. I addreffed myself to none of the Apostles at Jerufalem, who were ordain'd to that Office before me; but from Damafcus, the place of my Converfion, I retired into Arabia, and returned thither again, and preached the Gofpel, without any Order or Authority from any of their College. 18 Then after three

years I went up to
Jerufalem, to fee Pe-
ter, and abode with
him fifteen days.

18. Indeed about three Years after my Converfion I went to Jerufalem, where Barnabas brought me to Peter, who readily own'd me for his fellow Apofile, upon the Account I gave him of the Manner and Circumstances of my Call to that Office; and with him I stayed, not to receive any Authority from him, but only to Converfe with him, for about fifteen Days.

19 But other of the apoftles faw I none, fave James the Lord's

brother.

19 The only Perfon of Note I faw, befides Peter, was James the fuft, our Lord's Kinfman, and Bishop of Jerufalem. So that I

could not be fuppofed to derive my Commiffion from the Apoftolical College.

zo Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lye not.

21

Afterwards I

20. (And for the Truth of these Facts I appeal to God, the Author of Truth itself.)

21. After this short Stay at Jecame into the regions rufalem, I went upon the Exercise of Syria and Cilicia, of my Office into Syria, and preached at Cefarea (A&ts xxii. 17, 18.) and at Troas in Cilicia (Acts ix. 30.) xxii. 3) 1.

22 And was un

known by face unto
the churches of Ju-
dea, which were in
23 But

Christ.

22. All which Time neither the Churches of Jerufalem, or of the reft of Judea, they nor their Apoftolical Minifters, had ever feen, or had any perfonal Knowledge of me. 23. All

23 But they had heard only, That he which perfecuted us in times paft, now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed,

24 And they glorified God in me.

23. All they knew of me was by A.D. 58. Accounts they had from abroad, that the great Perfecutor Paul was turned a Preacher of the very GoSpel he had fo perfecuted.

24. For which marvelous Converfion in me they rejoiced, and bleffed God.

CHA P. II.

The ARGUMENT.

He proceeds further to clear himself of the Imputation of ever having preached up the Neceffity of Circumcifion and the Ceremonial Law. And to vindicate his Apoftolical Commiffion. Proving both thofe Points * from his next Journey to Jerufalem, his Management of Titus, his Reception from the Apoftles, his Behaviour there, and at Antioch with Peter, and from the Inconfiftency of fuppofing He should preach fuch a Do

Erine.

T

HEN fourteen years after I went up again to Jerufalem with Barnabas, and took Titus

with me alfo.

which is fourteen went thither along with me.

I.

•T

* See the

Preface.

8, 18.

O fhow you ftill further the Falfity of their Suggestions, Chap. i. and the immediate Authority of Acts xv. my Apoftleship, let me remember you, That eleven Years after my former Journey to Jerufalem, Years after my firft Converfion, I again, and took Barnabas and Titus

2 And I went up 2. I then went by the special

by revelation, and

Appointment of God, and gave the communicated unto Apoftles that were there a full Acthem that gofpel count of the Doctrines || I had been | Acts xv. which I preach among preaching to the idolatrous as well as vately to them which profelyte Gentiles, as I received them

pri

were

B 4

from

4. 12.

I gave

A.D. 58. were of reputation, from Jefus Chrift, and of the Sucleft by any means I cefs of my Miniftry among them. fhould run, or had this Account only to fome of run in vain. the chief Apoftles and Governours of that Church, and to them too in private, not out of any diftruft of my Doctrine and Behaviour, or want of their Information; but only to prevent the fcandalous Reports the Judaizing Faction might raise upon me, to the difparagement and hindrance of the further Succefs of my Miniltry For thefe Zealots, even of the Converted Jews, were not as yet in any temper to hear of Chriflianity being preached to the idolatrous Gentiles.

| Acts xv.

3 But neither Titus, who was with me, be ing a Greek, was compelled to be circum

cifed:

3. And in this whole Affair I was fo confiftent with myself, and just to my own Principle, that though Ti

tus that went with me was a Gentile born; yet at his Converfion to Chriftianity, and his Ordination to the Ministry, I never infifted on his being Circumcifed; nor did the Apostles, to whom I carried him, require any fuch thing; which, 'tis plain, both they and I fhould have done, had we thought the obfervation of the Ceremonial Law neceffary to the Juftification of a converted idolatrous Gentile.

4

And that because of false brethren una wares brought in, who came in privily to fpy out our liberty, which we have in Chrift Jefus, that they might bring us into bondage.

4. I kept Titus Uncircumcifed, and carried him fo to the Apostles, on purpose to fhow my Sentiments were quite oppofite to thofe falfe Jewish Zealots that came to Antioch, and infinuated themselves into our Aflemblies there; with a defign to catch at, and oppose the Doctrine I preached, and to bring all you Gentile Chriftians to embrace the unneceffary Slavery of the Jewish Ceremonies. 5 To whom we gave place by subject ion, no not for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.

the

5. For tho' I am willing to yield to any indifferent thing, for the prefent, in compliance with Weaknefs and Prejudices of Men; in hopes the fooner to draw them off from them ; yet, to thefe falfe Zealots, that fo furioufly infifted upon the abfolute Neceffity of the Jewish Law, I never yielded an Inch,

but

but maintained the Chriftian Religion to be the fufficient A. D. 58. and only Condition of a Chriftian's Juftification and Hap

piness.

6 But of thefe, who feemed to be fome, what, whatsoever they

were maketh no matter to me, God accepteth no man's perfon) for they who feemed to be fome what, in conference added nothing to me.

6. Thus I behaved my felf to those Zealots. And as to the difparagement your falfe Teachers are pleased to caft upon me, and their setting up Peter*, James, or John, as Apoftles far greater than ; be they as great as they will, their eminency makes me neither greater nor lefs. God, who made us all equally his Apoftles,

looks not upon prefent and external Reputation in the Church. In the mean time, when I gave those eminent Men the account of my Doctrine, and Proceedings in my Miniftry with the Gentile Christians; they could find no Fault, pretended to correct nothing, nor to inftruct me in any Point that I did not know as well as themselves.

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7. But, on the contrary, upon the Teftimonies I gave them of as fufficient a Call to preach the Gospel to the Gentile World, as Peter in particular, or any of them had to preach it to the Jewish Nation, they highly approved of what I had done.

8. (And indeed well they might; for God had endowed me with as miraculous Powers and Evidences for the one, as he had them for the other.)

9. Accordingly thofe three leading Apoftles, being fully fatisfied both of my Office, and the Method and Succefs of my Preaching, did, with great refpect, own me and

* See Ver. 9. and fee the Paraphrafe on 1 Cor. ix. 20.

my

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my Fellow-Traveller Barnabas for Apostles, as fully commiffioned to convert the Gentiles, as they were to convert the Jews; and concluded, we ought to go on in that Ministry, in the fame manner as we had begun.

10. They prescribed no Rules to me, at parting; they only requefted of me to collect fome Charities the Converts I made, for the Relief of the poor

among

*See Acts Christians of Judea; a thing I was very ready to do.

xix. 21.

xxi. 4. 10,

11 But when Peter

11, 12, &c. was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he

1 Cor. xvi. 2 Cor. viii & ix.

was to be blamed.

II. Thus far Peter and I entirely agreed: And fo conftant and fteady was I to this Doctrine of the no neceffity of the Ceremonial Law to the Chriftian Converts; that when He would once have diffembled, and flinched from it at Antioch, I ftood my ground, and freely and boldly upbraided him with his Infincerity.

with the Gentiles; but
when they were come,
he withdrew, and fe.
parated himself, fear-
ing them which were
of the circumcifion.

12 For before that 12. For before thofe Jewish Acts xv. certain came from Zealots came to Antioch with a James, he did eat pretended Authority from James and the Apostles at Jerufalem, and cried up the Neceffity of the Jewish Law; Peter was as free and familiar with the Gentile Chriftians (who were Profelytes to the Jewish Worship of the True God, though not Circumcifed) as I myself was. But when they had spread their Notions, and poffeffed the Minds of fome People, He grew fhy, and avoided the Converfation of the Uncircumcifed Chriftians, for fear of disgusting the Jews, and thefe Zealots of the Jewish Converts.

13 And the other Jews diffembled likewife with him, infomuch that Barnabas alfo was carried away with their diffimula.

tion.

14 But

13. And by his Example, feveral other of thofe Converts did the fame ; and even Barnabas himself began to give in to that way of Diffimulation, to the great Difcouragement of the Gentile Chriftians.

14 Such

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