Eufebius alfo, that about A. D. 71. or soon after the Deftruction of Jerufalem, there was a fourth General Council of the Apoftles at Jerufalem, for the cautioning Chriftians against the Jewish Impofitions and Obfervances; and for the Ordination of Simeon the Son of Cleopas Bishop of Jerusalem_in the room of James the Lord's Brother. Eufebius's Account of this General Affembly or Council of the Apoftles is very full in thefe words : Μεζα τ ἰακώβε μας τυρίαν, καὶ αυτίκα γυομβύω ἅλωσιν ἢ ἱερεσαλήμ, λίγα κατέχει το Σποςόλων και το κυρία μαθήτρι τὰς εἰσέτι τῷ βίῳ λειπομλύες όπὶ τ ̓ αυτό πουταχό- ρ. 86, 87. δεν ζωωελθεῖν, ἅμα τις πρὸς κλύεις και Gρκα το κυρίες πλείες 8 και τέτων εις εἰσέτι τότε τῳ βίῳ βελών τε ομᾶ τες πάντας, πεὶ τῇ τίνα γεὴ * Ιακώβε διαδοχής Επικρίναι άξιον, ποιήσεις που Eufebius indeed takes no direct notice of any other business for the affembling of this great Council, befides the Choice and Ordination of a Succeffor to James in the See of Jeru falem. But fince fingle Apoftles, nay fingle Evangelifts did then fo frequently Ordain Bishops, even in the greateft Churches, this could hardly be all the bufinefs for which this famous Council was held. When therefore we learn from the Conftitutions, that after the Destruction of Jerufalem, there was fuch a great Council whofe Acts are therein extant, and were fent to the Churches by Titus, Luke, Lucius, Fafon, and L. VI. c.18. G Sofi-3 309 P. 349-360 Efd. Sofipater, it feems to me highly probable, that it was the very fame Council mentioned by Eufebius; tho' his accurate Obfervance of the antient Secrecy in fuch things, made him wave any particular Account of these other Matters. Which will be the more eafily believ'd, when we shall hereafter fee how frequently thefe very Acts, and the fending the Conftitutions from fuch a Council, after the Deftruction of Jerufalem, to the Gentile Churches, are hinted at in the other Writings of the fame Eufebius. And this Council feems enigmatically defcrib'd, according to the myftical Language of that Author, in the Second Book of Apo2/14. cryphal Efdras,as we fhall fee hereafter. Perhaps the Ethiopick and Coptick Records do mean thisCouncil,by that which they mention as Affembled for the ordering the Affairs of the Chriflian Church alfo; of which hereafter. Thus we know from the Conftitutions that there muft have been a Fifth Council at Jerufalem, or elsewhere, about A. D. 86. for the compleating the whole Body of the earlier Conftitutions, and putting the laft hand to them: As alfo for the extracting and adding the 85 Canons of the Apoftles, and probably for extracting alfo the Adam Bapraca from the former part of the seventh Book at the fame time; and all for the general Use of the Bishops, and of the Churches; which because they were not publick ly. ly to read and use the intire Body of the Conftitutions themselves, had the Advan-tage of thefe Two Extracts, with the larger one from the Catholic Doctrine of the firft. Six Books, contain'd in the Doctrine of the Apoftles fo often mentioned already,for their compleat Inftruction and Edification. For X. The Ecclefiaftical or Apoftolica! Canons are really Apoftolical, and were own'd as fuch in all the earlieft Ages of Chriftianity. This Propofition, how ftrange foever it may appear in our Days, is not only prov'd by all imaginable internal Characters in thefe Canons, as having no Marks later than the Apoftolick Age; I mean when a few grofs Interpolations of After-ages are corrected, of which hereafter; but is moft plainly de-c. infra monftrated by the original Teftimonies and References to them in all Antiquity. And when the very Learned Bifhop Beveridge undertook to prove that they belong'd to the fecond and third Centuries, as made by Councils of Bishops in thofe Ages, he is forced to demonftrate his Affertion by Manufcripts and Testimonies, not one of which, fay they were made fo late,or by fuch Coun cils; but which univerfally agree that they were made by the Apoftles or their Companions in the first Century. Take the Antienof thefe Teftimonies in order as follows; chiefly from the fame Bishop Beveridge,who has collected most of them to my hand. G 2 Difci Tertull.adtuor. Difciplina Ecclefia, & Pra-Canon.Apoft. L. l. 6. 1. p. fcriptio Apoftoli digamos non fi- XVII. nit prafidere. Alexand. Alex andrin.ap Theo Hip.Eccl. L. 1. c. 4 P. Ὅθεν καὶ συμβαίνει τινὰς τοῖς ΧΙΙΙ. doris. Η. γράμμασιν ἀνὴρ ὑπογράφοντας εἰς ἐκκλησίαν εἰσδέχεσθαι μεγίσης, ὡς οἶμαι, διαβολῆς Ἐπικειμώύης τοῖς το τολμασι (υλλειτεργους, της μήτε τὸν Σποςολικὸν κανόνα το το συγχωρεῖν. Eufeb. De Vits $9. p. 516. Δι ̓ ὧν αθήνει αλλοτρία μὶ ἄρα χιν. cong. L. II. c. xvi. ἐφ ̓ ᾧ * ερlώω πεπτίδιο μηδαμῶς ἐθέλειν μεταποιείας, θέση μῳ δ ̓ ἐκκλησίας τ8τον αἱρεως ποι μω μια ὃν αυτὸς ἀναδείξειεν ὁ κοινὸς 2. 63. 2. 518. ζ όλων (ωτήρ-ανέγνω πληρέ σα τα ἢ ὅπιςολίων καὶ τὸν κανόνα τῆς ἐκκλησιαςικῆς όλιςήμης εἰς ἀκρί βειαν φυλαθέντα κατενόησα, ἐμμέ νειν γεν τέτοις άπο ἀρες σε πω θεῷ καὶ τῇ ἀποςυλική «αδώσε Σύμφωνα φαίνε) άαγές — ἀλλ' ἡ ση (εύεσις ήγεν τας τε ἐντολὰς τῆ θεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἀποςολικὸς κανόνα, καὶ τῆς ἐκκλησίας φυλάττειν ἔγνωκεν — πα 165 1 519.520 εμβω το ουσεβία γράμματα τὸν θεσμὸν ἐκκλησίας μάλιςα φυλάττον τα ἐφαίνετο κανώς εν είχε είσαι ταῦτα & τῇ τῇ ἀποςόλων λαδότης σύμφωνα ἂν εἴη προδ ποιά των ευτρεπισθέντων δεήσει μ ἡ τεσις καὶ ὶ ἢ ἐκκλησίας او κανένα Ludolph. Hift. Eth L.III. c. 4. $27. &c. છે άδοσιν او κανόνα, καὶ ἢ ἀποςολικά τω ρυθμίσουν χειροτονίαν, ὡς ἂν ὁ † ἐκκλησιαςικῆς ἔπιςήμης υφηγή του λόγΘ. Novo Teftamento communiter annumerant [Habeffimi] volumen quod graco vocabulo Synodum, feu Librum Synodalem vocant. Continet antiquiffimas illas Conftitutiones que Apoftolorum vocantur; illi Præcepta nominant; necnon Canones,multos primavos ritus exponentes, opera Clementis confcriptos. Liber Mfs egregius continet TraEtatus fequentes,&c. cujus pars prima extat hoc titulo; Synodus San&torum Apoftolorum de Ordinanda Ecclefia Chriftiana; nec non omnia præcepta, decreta, Canones quos fcripfit Clemens difcipulus Petri. Canones duodecim Apoftolorum numeTo 127. [nimirum 71 ex Conftitutionibus feletti; & 56 Ecclefiaftici, omnes fere noftros 85 continentes.] fequuntur Canones Ecclefiaftici, quos tradiderunt Apoftoli, per Clementem, eófque miferunt primo.- Exponemus capita 56 Canonum, quos de Ecclefia Ordinanda ab Apo G-3 Holist |