Grotius, likewife thought, that (g) this other difciple could not be John, or any one of the Twelve, but rather fome believer, an inhabitant of Ferufalem, and, poffibly, the person, at whofe house our Lord had eat the pafchal supper.

Lampe (b) hefitates. And at length allegeth the fentiment of a learned writer, who conjectured, that this other difciple was Judas, the traitor. For Judas, he thinks, was foon touched with remorfe for what he had. done. And he might follow Jefus to the High-Priest's hoping, that by fome means he might efcape out of the hands of thofe, to whom he had betrayed him. Judas being there himself, might be very willing to let in Peter. Whether this conjecture be fpecious, or not, I cannot fay. But it does not seem to me very likely, that St. John fhould characterise Judas, by the title of another difciple, after he had betrayed his Lord and Master.

After all, I am not able to determine this point. At first reading this place of St. John, we are naturally enough led to think, that by the other difciple fhould be meant himself. But upon farther confideration there arife difficulties, that may induce us to hefitate.

Whether he followed Jefus to the Hall of Caiaphas, or not, we are af fured, that he attended the crucifixion, and seems to have been the only one of the Twelve, that did fo.

John xix. 25... 27. Now there stood by the croffe of Jefus his mother. When Jefus therefore faw his mother, and the difciple standing by, whom be loved, he faith unto his mother: Woman, behold thy fon. Then faith he to the difciple: Behold thy mother. And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. There might be feveral reasons for that determination: as John's being a relation, the fweetneffe of his temper, and his having fomewhat of his own. He had been the beloved difciple, or friend of Jefus. And therefore was the most proper to be thus truft

ed.

(g) Et fane non eft probabile, aut ipfum Johannem hic intelligi: (cur enim Galilæus cum effet, minus interrogaretur ab adftantibus, quam Petrus?) aut aliquem ex Duodecim, fed alium quendam Hierofolymitanum, non æque manifeftum fautorem Iefu: quales multi erant in urbe, ut fupra didicinius. xii. 42. Valde mihi fe probat conjectura exiftimantium, hunc effe eum, in cujus domo Iefus cœnaverat, ob id quod legitur. Matt. xxvi. 18. Grot. ad Job. xviii. 15.

(b) Scripferam hæc, cum J. Cafp. Merhenii Obfervat. Crit. in Paff. J. C. confulens, novam ab co hypothefin proponi deprehenderem, .'. . quæ notatu non indigna eft. Ipfum fiquidem Judam proditorem pro hoc difcipulo habet, quem Joannes nominatu poft turpiffimum proditionis crimen indignum cenfuit.... Id autem quod potiffimum in rem fpectare videtur, neque a noftra fententia, quam de confilio Jude in prodendo fervatore fovemus, abludit, ita habet: Judam poft commiffum fcelus pudore fuffufum pedetentim cohortem fuiffe fecutum, atque in Petrum ita incidiffe, cui fcelus juum excufare, quin negare potuit, fe ea mente Chrifto ofculum dediffe, ut Chriftum proderet, fed ut periculum imminens ei fubindicaret. Nos fane de eo vix dubitamus, Judam pœnitentiâ fceTeris jam tum fuiffe tactum, atque confcientiæ ftimulis ea propter agitatum facile potuiffe eo confilio Iefum captum fequi, ut refciret, annon aliquâ ratione, pro folito, lefus manus captorum evafurus effet. Liberam jam lectori optionem relinquimus. Lampe in Evang. Joann. cap. xviii, Tom. 3. p. 523. net. (f).

ad. And doubtless this defignation was perfectly agreeable to our Lord's mother.

John faw his Lord expire on the croffe. And ftill farther. One of the foldiers with a spear pierced his fide. And forthwith came thereout blood and water. And be that faw it bore witnesse. And bis record is true. ch. xix. 34. 35.

And undoubtedly he also ftaid afterwards, and faw the body of Jefus laid in the fepulchre, and the ftone placed at the mouth of it: as related by himself. xix. 38... 42. Comp. Matt. xxvii. 53. . . 60. Mark xv. 45. Luke xxiii. 50... 56.

.47.

Early in the morning, on which our Lord rose from the dead, Marie Magdalen, and other women, came to the fepulchre, and faw that it was open, the ftone having been taken away. Marie Magdalen knowing where she could find the two Apostles, Peter and John, went back to the city, and told them, that they had taken away the Lord out of the fepulchre: and, fays the, we know not where they have laid him. So they ran both toge ther, to the fepulchre. And by what they faw there, they were led to the perfuafion, that Jefus was rifen from the dead. As related John xx

I... IO.

John was prefent with the other difciples, when Jefus fhewed himself to them in the evening of the day, on which he arose, and likewise eight days after. ch. xx. 19. . . 29.

He has also particularly related the hiftorie of our Lord's fhewing himself to several difciples at the fea of Tiberias: when they had an extraordinarie draught of fishes, in number one hundred and fifty three. There were present at that time Simon Peter, Thomas, Nathanael, the fons of Zebedee, and two other difciples. ch. xxi. I... 23. Befide other things, which I omit, our Lord having had discourse with Peter, and having foretold his martyrdom: Peter put to him a queftion, concerning John, faying: Lord, what shall this man do? Jefus faith unto him: If I will, that be tarry, till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou me. Then went

this faying abroad among the brethren, that that difciple should not die. Yet Jefus faid not unto him: He fhall not die. But if I will, that he tarry, till I come, what is that to thee? Thus checking, as I apprehend, Peter's curiofity. However, it has been fuppofed by judicious Commentators, that here is an intimation, that John fhould not die before the deftruction of Jerufalem. Nor is there any doubt, but he survived that event, which few or none of the other Apoftles did. Though (i) our Lord's words may be understood to contain only an obscure intimation, that whereas Peter's days would be shortened by martyrdom, this difciple fhould be preferved, till he died in the ordinarie courfe of nature.

From all which we perceive, that (k) St. John was present at most of

the

(i) Ita obfcure fignificat, Johannem, non, ut Petrum morte violenta moriturum, fed tali, qua fine hominum vi folveretur, ubi Chriftus tempus idoneum judicaffer. Quod et contigit, ut Veterum plures confentiunt. Grot, ad Joan. xxi: 22.

(4) Ex ipfa hiftoria evangelica Joannis probabile fit, omnibus eventibus, itineribus, miraculis, concionibus fervatoris noftri ipfum interfuiffe... cum probabile fit, illum fuiffe inter difcipulos duos Joannis Baptifta, a quibus col

lectionis

the things related by him in his Gofpel: and that he was an eye and ear-witneffe of our Lord's labours, journeyings, difcourfes, miracles, his low abasement even to an ignominious death, and his being alive again, and then afcending to heaven.

Having (1) been prefent with the reft of the Apoftles at the Lord's afcenfion, he (m) returned with them from mount Olivet to Jerufalem, and continued with them, joyning with them in their devotions, and in the choice of another, to fupply the place of Judas: and (2) partook in the plentiful effufion of the Holy Ghoft upon the Apoftles and their companie on the day of Pentecoft next enfuing.

Peter and John, who often accompanied each other, healed the lame man at the temple, and upon that occafion preached to the people, who affembled about them. For which they were brought before the Jewish Council, and after fome debates were difmiffed with orders, not to preach any more in the name of Jefus. Acts iii. and iv. I... 22.

Some while after this, the number of believers ftill encreasing in ferufalem, John and the rest of the Apostles were apprehended, and put into the common prifon. But they were the fame night delivered by an angel, who commanded them to go and speak in the temple to the people. Which they did early in the morning. Whereupon they were again taken up, and brought before the Council, who confulted how they might put them to death. But by the advice of Gamaliel that defign was laid afide. And when they had beaten them, they commanded, that they should not speak in the name of Jefus, and let them go. Whereupon the Apostles departed from the prefence of the Council, rejoicing. . . And daily in the temple, and from houfe to houfe, they ceafed not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

Afterwards, there being a violent perfecution at Jerufalem, many were scattered abroad. Philip, one of the feven, went down to Samaria, and preached to them, and wrought many miracles, infomuch that great numbers believed. When the Apoftles, who were at Jerufalem, heard of this, they fent unto them Peter and John, that they might receive the Holy Ghoft. Having performed that fervice, they returned to Jerufalem. And in their way preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. Acts viii. 5... 25.

From

lectionis difcipulorum initium Jefus fecit, uti L. i. cap. 2. §. ii. oftendimus, inde colligimus, Evangeliftam noftrum ftatim ab initio rebus, quæ fcribit, interfuiffe, et hanc effe veram rationem, cur non altius filum hiftoriæ fuæ inciperat. Ex omnibus quoque fequentibus narrationibus nulla eft, in qua abfentem Evangeliftam noftrum ftatuamus fuiffe, nifi forte excipere velis illa, qua in palatio Annæ et Caiaphæ acciderunt. Cap. xviii. 13... 17. De quibus tamen res eft dubia, quia definiri accurate nequit, annon difcipulus, qui Petrum in Palatium Caiaphæ introduxerit, ipfe Evangelifta nofter fuerit. Sed licet illa præfens non perceperit, a Petro tamen, focio intimo, ftatim proculdubio audivit. Et forte per ejus relationem excitatus eft, ut ad Prætorium Pilati fummo mane advolaret, atque ita cum reliquis mulieribus Jefum ad crucem fequeretur... Ex quo patet, quanta cum emphafi præ ceteris Apoftolis et Evangeliftis dicere potuit: Quæ audivimus, quæ vidimus. 1 Jo. i. 1. 2. Lamp. Proleg. 1. 2. cap. 4. num, vi.

(1) Mark xvi. 19. Luke xxiv. 50. . (m) Acts i. 12. 26.

...

53. Acts i. 1.
(n) Acts ii. 1... 13.

From what St. Paul fays in the second chapter of the epiftle to the Galatians we perceive, that John was prefent at the Council of Jerufalem: of which an account is given Acts xv. Which Council was held

in the year 49. or 50. or thereabout. And it may be reckoned probable, that till that time John had staid in the land of Ifrael, and had not been abroad in any Gentil countreys.

I would add, that though no miracles are related to be done by St. John, befide thofe, which have been here taken notice of; I reckon it very probable, that many miracles, befide thofe particularly mentioned by the hiftorian, were wrought by him, and other Apoftles, during their ftay in Judea. This may be inferred from general expreffions of St. Luke in feveral places. And many figns and wonders were done by the Apostles. Acts ii. 43. And with great power gave the Apostles witneffe of the refurrection of the Lord Jesus. ch. iv. 33. And by the hands of the Apostles were many figns and wonders wrought among the people. ch. v. 12. Comp. iv. 29.30.

From the book of the Revelation. ch. i. 9. we learn, that St. John was for a while in the island called Patmos, where he was favored with vifions and revelations.

Thus far we have endeavored to collect the hiftorie of this Apostle from the New Testament.

II. From ecclefiaftical hiftorie we learn, that St. John lived to a great Age, and that in the later part of his life he refided in Afia, particularly at Ephefus, the chief city of that countrey.

His Age.

Po

Concerning his abode in Afia we have divers teftimonies of good credit. Irenæus in (0) two places of his work against Herefies, both (p) cited by Eufebe, fays, that John the Apoftle lived in Afta till the time of Trajan. [Who fucceeded Nerva in the year of Chrift 98.] Eufebe (9) understands Clement of Alexandria to speak to the like purpose. Origen alfo fays, that (r) John having lived long in Afia, died at Ephefus. lycrates, Bishop of Ephefus about 196. is an unexceptionable witneffe, that (s) John was buried in that city. Jerome (t) in his book of Illuftrious Men, and in his books against Jovinian, fays, "that the Apostle John lived in Afia, to the time of Trajan. And dying at a great age, in the fixty-eighth year after our Lord's paffion, was buried near the city of Ephe fus." Suppofing our Lord to have been crucified in the year 32. of the vulgar æra, which (u) seems to have been Jerome's opinion, fixty eight years will reach to the year 100. or the third of Trajan. At which year of that Emperour the death of St. John is placed by Jerome in his (x) Chronicle.

What was John's age, when called by Chrift, we are not informed. Baronius

(0) Iren, adv. Haer. 1. 2. cap. 22. n. v. p. 148. ed. Mass, et 1. 3. cap. 3• p. 178.

(p) Eufeb. H. E. 1. 3. cap. 23. in.

(q) Vid. Eufeb. Ibid.

(s) Ap. Eufeb. 1. v. cap. 24. in.

(t) See Credib. Vol. x. p. 10c. and 101.
(u) Vid. Bafnag. Ann. 101. num.
(x) P. 165, ex ed. Scalig.

VOL. II.

ii.

I

Baronius (y) thought he might then be about 22 years of age. Having been with Chrift three years, he was about 25 years of age when our Lord was crucified. Tillemont (z) fuppofes St. John to have been about 25 or 26 years of age when called to be an Apoftle. Lampe (a) thinks, that he was about the fame age with our Saviour. For my part, I can not perfuade myself, that any of Chrift's Apoftles, when called to attend upon him, that they might be his witneffes to the world, were much under the age of thirty. If it hence follows, that John was a hundred years of age, or thereabout, when he died, it is not at all incredible, nor unlikely.

III. As it is an allowed point, that John dwelt in Afia in When be left Judea. the later part of his life; we may be reasonably defirous to know, when he settled in that countrey. And for determin ing this, the books of the New Teftament may afford good hints. For (b) in all St. Luke's hiftorie of the preaching and travels of Paul, parti cularly in Afia, no mention is made of John. Which may induce us to think, that he was not there at that time. Nor are there any falutations fent to John in any of St. Paul's epiftles, writ at Rome: feveral of which were fent to Ephefus, or other places, not very remote from it: as the epiftle to the Ephefians, the fecond epistle to Timothie, probably, at Ephefus, the epiftle to the Coloffians, and the epiftle to Philemon, at Coloffe

I will now observe the opinions of fome learned moderns. Baronius thought, that (c) this Apoftle did not come to refide in Afia, until after the death of St. Peter, and St. Paul. Du Pin fays: We (d) do not exactly know, when he came into Afia. Perhaps it was about the year 70. Tillemont was of opinion, that (e) St. John did not come to refide in Afia, till about the year 66. But he fuppofeth, that upon fome occafion, he had before that been in that countrey, without making a stay there. Which laft, as I apprehend, is faid without any good authority. Mr. Lampe was of opinion, that (f) John did not leave Judea, till after the death of James, called the Lefs, and but a fhort time only, before the deftruction of Jerufalem.

To me it seems not unlikely, that St. John came into Afia, about the time that the war broke out in Judea, in the year 66. or a short time be

(y) Ann. 101. num. ix.

fore,

(z) S. Jean. l'Evangelifle, art. x. et note xv. Mem. Tom. i. (a) Quare nihil impedit, quo minus ejufdem ferme ætatis cum fervatore noltro fuerit. Prolegom. in Jo. l. i. cap. 2. num. i. not. (a).

(6) In the divifion of provinces, which the Apoftles made among themfelves, Afia fell to his fhare, though he did not prefently enter into his charge. Otherwife, we must have heard of him in the account, which St. Luke gives of St. Paul's feveral journeys into, and refidence in those parts. ** Cave's Life of St. John. §. iv.

(c) A. d. 97. num. ii.

(d) Du Pin Diff. Prel. I. 2. cb. 2. §. vi.

(e) St. Jean. art. iv.

(/) Poft ejus (Jacobi Minoris) exceffum neminem ex Tv dádixa grege et conftantius et diutius Hierofolymis fubftitiffe noftro Apoftolo: ita ut vix exiguo ante exordium intervallo, inde fe avelli pateretur. Proleg. i. cap. 2. n. xv. p. 29.