well as there, that our Saviour himself Áppointed his Brother James to be Bishop of Jerufalem. The fame Account is given in both of the State of Paradise, before the general Judgment: The fame Hiftory of the Origin of the firft Schifms and Herefies among the Jews and Chriftians: The fame Phrafe of Thirteen Apoftles, as including Paul. The fame Names of the firft Bithops of Cafarea and Tripoli. And the fame Account of the Concealment of the Myftical Doctrines of our Religion. We have alfo here a hint of Peter's going to Rome, after Simon Magus, according to the Conftitutions. We have the fame Account of Baptifm, and of the Faftings, and Anointing with Confecrated Oil beforehand, that is in the Conftitutions; the fame Account of the feveral Orders of the Church, Bifhops, Prefbyters, Deacons, Widows, Orphans, and the Poor, that is there; the fame Account of the Inftances of Matrimonial Chastity that are there. Nay thefe Accounts in the Recognitions are commonly fuch as are no where in the Scripture, no nor other Author fo early, but only in the Conftitutions, or the Books derived therefrom; and the References are fo worded fometimes, especially in the Epiftle Antiently prefix'd, that the very Conftitutions themfelves feem to have lain before this Author; as if himself were either a Bishop of one of the Apoftolical Churches, where they lay; or at leaft had the free ufe of the Conftitutions

tions from fome of them. So that as these Recognitions are undoubtedly a Work of the Second Century of Chriftianity,and generally own'd for fuch; fo are they plainly an Un deniable Atteftation to the Apoftolical Conftitutions and to their most facred Authority among Chriftians in the fame Second Century alfo.

N. B. Hitherto I have my felf intirely Read over all the Antient Authors, on purpofe to Collect their Teftimonies, Citations, and Allufions to the Conftitutions. If i fhould do the fame for the remaining Antient Writers, for Two or Three more Centuries, I perceive my Collection would fwell to too great a Bulk, and become vastly larger than the intire Conftitutions themfelves. So I fhall not need to put my felf to that endless Trouble: Since without any fuch nice and accurate enquiries, the Atteftations will be ftill fufficiently numerous and undeniable; thofe I mean which I and my Learned Friend have met with on a more occafional Review, or curfory Perufal. For we have, I believe, obferv'd the greatest part of the most material Paffages in the Four first Centuries; fo many however as are abundantly fufficient for the prefent design. And if any are fo curious as to enquire for the rest in the later Centuries, they have room left them for making their own larger Collections to the fame purpose.

XII. The next Witness which I fhall produce

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duce for the Genuine Antiquity and facred Authority of these Conftitutions, especially of the admirable Liturgy contain'd in the Eighth Book, fhall be an unexceptionable one; the famous firft Chriftian Philofopher, generally own'd for fuch, Justin Martyr, 4. D. 138 who tho' he was no Bishop, nor Clergy-man, and fo perhaps might never See the Conftitutions themselves, yet is as good a Witness as any for the Obfervance of the Rules therein contained,in the publick Affairs of the Church, and efpecially for the ufe of thofe Liturgick Forms of Devotion, and of the Adminiftration of Baptifm and the Lords Supper, which were common to all the Faithful, and par ticularly offer'd by the Clergy in the Naine, and Prefence, and with the Concurrence of the whole Body of the People, in their solemn Affemblies. I fhall diftinctly compare the feveral Pallages together here all along, for the Readers greater Satisfaction. This most Antient and Learned Chriftian Writer then offer'd a famous Apology to the Roman Emperors and Senate, in behalf of the Christians; about A. D. 138. with a defign to flop the violent Spirit of Perfecution which then rag'd in the World. And in order the better to prevail with them, he ventures farther than any other Chriftian of thofe Times, in the Defcription of the Solemn Affemblies and publick Worship among them, even to Heathens. But then it was to the Governors

them

themselves, who had a kind of Right to be inform'd about those Matters, fo far as our Religion would allow of the divulging them; it was in order to difwade them from Perfecuting fuch Innocent Perfons, whofe Exercife of Religious Worship was fo Inoffenfive, fo Noble, and Divine; and it was done with fuch Caution alfo, that the peculiar Myteries themselves, with their facred Rites and Devotions, were ftill in the main preferv'd from too direct and publick a discovery. However, Justin does give us fuch a defcription of the Lords Day Service, as abundantly affures us, when compar'd with the Rubricks and Forms themselves in the Conftitutions, that it was plainly the very fame which is therein Appointed, and which Fuftin delivers to the Emperors and Senate, not as the particular Custom or Practice of fome few particular Churches, but as the common Practice of the feveral Churches fpread over the Roman Empire. As 'tis on other Accounts very plain, and Accordingly well obferv'd by Bishop Pearfon fomewhere, that all the Remains we have of the Liturgies of the feveral moft diftant Churches mention'd in Antiquity do admit of very little difference, but appear ftill to be very agreeable to one another. The Original Standard being indeed plainly no other than that before us in the Conftitutions. This has been already obferv'd, as to fuftin Martyrs Ac

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count compar'd therewith, by that most diligent enquirer into the Monuments of the Church truly Primitive Dr. Grabe, in his Notes upon fuftins Apology. Take this Parallel under his and my own Obfervations together, as follows. (1) It is to be Observ'd Fuf. Mart. that both in Juftins Apology, and in this Apolog Liturgy of the Conftitutions, there appears a Conftitut. Church-Officer call'd a Reader, diftinct from L., c. 57, the Bishop or Presbyter who officiated, and from the Deacons also. (2) This Reader had P. 392, the very first part of the publick Service to 22, P. 408 his Share in both, and in both he begins Divine Worship with Lessons out of the Old or New Testament. (3) As foon as this Reader has ended his Leffons, the Bishop or Prefbyter who Officiates does in both Accounts Preach a Sermon to the People. Compare the Words of both: Εἶτα παυσαμένε το §.87.8.131 αναγινώσκοντος, ὁ προεςὡς διὰ λόγε τὴν νοθεσίαν, άκλησιν τῆς ν καλῶν τέτων μιμήσεως ποι , fays Juftin. Kai pel m'v jopnoir œccLavit, 6.5, σλαλησάτω τῷ λαῷ λόγες τακλήσεως,τον τῆς didaonanias nógov, fays the Liturgy, or its Rubrick, as we now fpeak. (4) The common Phrafes of Justin for God the Father, is ὅλων κύριο, της ὅλων Θεός, τῆς ὅλων δεσμεύτης, HS and the like agree fo exactly with those in this Liturgy, as if thence they became fo familiar to him. I need name no Places in particular, the careful Reader cannot fail to obferve them himself. (5) Baptifm is by

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