these Constitutions muft certainly belong to the first Century; nay not to the latter part of that Century neither; fince every individual Heretick therein nam'd appears to have been known as fuch for fome time in the first Century, and many of them before the Destruction of Jerufalem. Nay, upon that diligent fearch which my Learned Friend made on purpofe about this matter, it appear'd, that every individual Opinion, afcrib'd to thofe Hereticks in these Conftitutions, is by other Teftimonies found to belong to thofe of the firft Century, even that of Three Caeternal Beings, which is the most doubtful; and yet is certainly mention'd in L.VI..1o. the Apoftolical Canons alfo, as an Heresy dangerous to the Church of Chrift. And, by the way, thofe modern real Trinitarians who allow the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to be truly diftinct Perfons, or diftinct Beings, as the firft Chriftians certainly believ❜d them to be; and yet truly Coeternal to one another, had beft confider how little their opinion differs from that of these dangerous Hereticks, againft which fuch particular caution was given Chriftians in the first Ages.

Conftitut.

P. 339.

Can. 49'

XI. Thofe fenfible Poffeffions by the Devil, the Energumeni, or Demoniacks, with the miraculous gift for the cafting out the Evil Spirits, as well as for healing the Sick, do plainly appear in these Constitutions. Nay the original Prayer us'd for the Demoniacks

is there a part of the conftant daily Devotions of the Church. So that 'tis most evident that they must belong to those first times of Christianity, when thofe Poffeffions, and the miraculous Power for cafting out the Evil Spirits were frequent. And indeed that part of the prefent Conftitutions which begins the Eighth Book belongs directly to this Matter; and is a most serious and affecting Caution to those who had fuch miraculous gifts not to be proud of, or puff'd up with them; and this is done after fuch an unaffected and fincere manner as takes away the leaft fufpicion of its being a fpurious Piece, and is indeed the best Prefervative I ever faw against fuch fpiritual Pride, Conceitedness, and Vanity as uncom mon Abilities, or Difcoveries, or miraculous Operations are but too apt to raife in the Minds of thofe that are Poffeffors of them; and is for certain a most noble remains of that Humility and Modefty which Infpired Men themselves in the firft Ages of the Gospel were endued withal. Nor indeed can this pårt well belong to any other. Nay the earlier we fuppofe thefe Conftitutions the better does this Character agree to them.

XII. These Constitutions, at least as they appear'd in the Ancient Copies, have not any fign or footstep of a Multitude of Rules, Practices, and Ceremonies which yet were introduc'd in the Second Century of the Church. Such is that very Antient Practice

of

of feveral Sponsors or Sureties, and of fprink ling the Clinicks, both belonging to Baptifm; of frequent, not to fay fuperftitious croffings on all the occafions and circumftances of Life; of Cansea, or Fonts in Churches; of the Obfervation of Christmas Day, and the Epiphany; of the Clergy's meddling with Temporal Affairs, or ufing Temporal Intereft for Promotion; of Gaming, and frequenting Taverns; of Ufury; of leaving the Congregation before the Oblation, or Celebration of the Eucharift; and of other things mention'd in the Apoftolical Canons, even at the Conclufion of the first Century, and in the very next Monuments of Christian Antiquity. Thefe and the like matters, by the very nature of the Work it felf, could not have been all omitted here,had they then ordinarily had Place among Chriftians; of which yet we meet with not a Syllable in them. Nay indeed, there are plainly no Characters of this Nature in the Conftitutions later than in the known Books of the New Teftament themselves. And I think that all fuch genuine Marks of original Antiquity do as fully, and as conftantly appear therein, as in any of thofe unquestionable remains of the Apoftolical Age.

XIII. These Conftitutions appear not only to be Apoftolical, but of Divine Inspiration alfo, by their admirable Explication of the Antient Scriptures and Prophecies, and by

their exact Predictions of future Events; which, fo far as the Periods are past, have been fulfill'd accordingly. The former part of this Argument will not be fully underftood till Men come to a more careful Exa mination, and a more Chriftian Application of the Old Teftament, and its Predictions, than of late they have been acquainted with; or till we take thefe Conftitutions for our Guide, and begin to try how far the original Expofitions of the facred Books of the Jews, us'd and recommended by the Apostles and the firft Chriftians, will carry us; and what Satisfaction we fhall then reap from thofe Expofitions. So I fhall not at present infift any farther upon that Head. But then, the latter part of this Argument, from the Prediction of future Events afterwards accomplifh'd, muft needs be an affecting Demonftration indeed,if real,and not to be deny'd by any. To pafs over therefore the full and diftinct Prediction of the coming, the Chara&ter, and the Destruction of Antichrift; in LVII.8.320 exact Agreement with Paul and John; and P-372-373 with the Experience of the paft Ages, as to all but his Destruction; the time of which is not yet come; I fhall only mention Two other particular Predictions herein contain❜d, and already moft remarkably Accomplish'd. The firft is that concerning the Destruction of Jerufalem; not only directly foretold beforehand in general, but feeming to have the

Pre

Prediction of the very Day of the Conflagration of the Temple included in it. Hear the words, κ ~ κ νιῶ δεκάτῃ τὸ μηνὸς γορπι

αίς (μυαθροιζόμθμοι τες θρήνες ἱερεμίν αναγινώσε L. V. c. 20. κεσιν— καὶ ὅτιμ αναγνῶσι κόπον καὶ πρωσιν, ὡς Ρ 324,325. μὴ ἀυτοὶ νομίζεσι ἢ ἐρημίαν ἢ ὑπὸ ναβεχοδονόσορ Αρομύτων ὡς ἢ ἡ ἀλήθεια ἔχει, προοίμια ποιν ἄκοντες τὸ μέλλον@. αυτές καταλαμβάνειν πέντ 985. This Prophecy, hinting, as it feems, at the grand Day of the Deftruction of Jerufalem, I mean that of the Conflagration of the Temple, the 10th Day of the Macedonian or Afiatick Month Gorpiaus, call'd by others Lous, or of the Jewish Month Ab, was written about A..D. 67. at the lateft; and thefe Books are alluded to by Clement in his undoubted Epiftle to the Corinthians before that Destruction; nay, all is fuppos'd deliver'd by Chrift to his Eleven Apoftles, before his laft Afcenfion 37 Years before the fame Deftruction; and how exactly it came to pafs, let the famous De Bell. L. Jewith Hiftorian Jofephus informs us : Πα VII. c. 26. ρἰ δ ̓ ἡ εἱμαρμαίν χρόνων περιόδοις ἡμέρα, δε

το 957.

κάτη λώς μίωός, καθ ̓ ἣν καὶ τὸ πρότερον ὑπὸ τὰ των βαβυλωνίων βασιλέως [ὁ ναός] ἀετρήθη The fecond Prediction is very remarkable alfo, in the folemn farewel which the Apoftles and their Companions take of the Bifhops to whom the whole was intrusted, at the conclufion of all: Ταῦτα ἢ τὶ κειμόνων διαπετάλω ὑμῖν παρ' ἡμῖν, ὦ πίσοποι ὑμεῖς ἐμμέ