2 surrection, and ascension; especially if we consider that they could not then be received as Christians, till they had undergone several examinations. Persons of riper years, who flocked daily into the church during the three first centuries, were obliged to pass through many repeated instructions, and give a strict account of their proficiency, before they were admitted to baptism. And as for those who were born of Christian parents and had been baptized in their infancy, they were, with the like care, prepared and disciplined for confirmation, which they could not arrive at till they were found upon examination to have made a sufficient progress in the knowledge of Christianity. We must further observe, that there was not only in those times this religious conversation amongst private Christians but a constant correspondence between the churches that were established by the apostles of their successors, in the several parts of the world. If any new doctrine was started, or of any fact reported our Saviour, a strict inquiry was made amongst the churches, especially those planted by the apos tles themselves, whether they had received any such doctrine or account of our Saviour, from the mouths of the apostles, or the tradition of the Christians who had preceded the present members of the churches, which were thus consulted. By this means, when any novelty was published, it was immediately detected and censured. St. John, who lived so many years after our Saviour, was appealed to in those emergencies, as the living oracle of the church; and as his oral testimony lasted the first century, many have observed, that, by a particu lat providence of God, several of cur Saviour's disciples, and of the early converts of his religion, lived to a very great age, that they might personally convey the truth of the gospel to those times, which were very remote from the first publication of it. Of these, besides St. John wo have a remarkable instance in Simeon, who was one of the seventy sent forth by our Saviour, to publish the gospel before his crucifixion, and near kinsmarn to our Lord. This venerable person, who had probably heard with his own cars, our Saviour's prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem, presided over the church established in that city, during the time of its memorable siege, and drew his congregation out of those dreadful and unparalleled calamities which befell his countrymen, by following the advice our Saviour had given, when they should see Jerusalem encompassed with armies, and the Roman standards, or abomination of desolation, set up. He lived till the year of our Lord 107, when he was martyred under the emperos Trajan. Irenæus very aptly remarks, that those barbarous nations, who in his time were not possessed of the written gospels, and had only learned the history of our Saviour from those who had converted them to Christianity before the gospels were written, had amongst them the same accounts of our Saviour, which are to be met with in the four evangelists; an incontestable proof of the harmony and concurrence between the Holy Scripture and the tradition of the churches in those early times of Christianity. Thus we see what opportunities the learned and inquisitive Heathens had of informing themselves of the truth of our Saviour's history, during the three first centuries, especially as they lay nearer one than another to the fountain-head; besides which there were many uncontroverted traditione, records of Christianity, and particular histeries, that then threw light into these matters but are now entirely lost. We cannot omit that which appears to us a standing miracle in the three first centuries, namely, that amazing and supernatural courage or patience which was shewn by innumerable multitudes of martyrs, in those slow and painful torments that were inflicted on them. We cannot conceive a man placed in the burning iron chair at Lyons, amidst the insults and mockeries of a crowded amphitheatise and still keeping his seat; or stretched upon a grate of iron, over coals of fire, and breathing out his soul amongst the exquisite sufferings of such a tedious execution, rather than renounce his religion, or blaspheme his Saviour. Such trials seem to us above above the strength of human nature, and able to overbear duty, reason, faith, conviction, nay, and the most absolute certainty of a future state. Humanity unasisted in an extraordinary manner, must have shaken off the present pressure, and have delivered itself out of such a dreadful distress, by any means that could have been suggested to it. We can easily imagine, that many persons, in so good a cause, might have laid down their lives at the gibbet, the stake, or the block: but to expire leisurely amongst the most exquisite tortures, when they might come out of them, even by a mental reservation or an hypocrisy, which was not without a possibility of being followed by repentance and forgiveness, has something in it so far beyond the force and natural strength of mortals, that one cannot but think there was some miraculous power to support the sufferer. We find the church of Smyrna in that admirable letter which gives an account of the death of Poycap their beloved bishop, mentioning the cruel torments of other early martyrs of Christianity, are of opinion, that our Saviour stood by them in a vision, and personally conversed with them, to give them strength and comfort during the bitterness of their long continued agonies; and we have the story of a young man, who having suffered many tortures, escaped with life, and told his fellow Christians, that the pain of them had been rendered tolerable, by the presence of an angel who stood by him wiped off the tears and sweat, which ran down his face whilst he lay under his fufferings. We are assured, at least, that the first martyr for Christianity was encouraged in his last moments, by a vision of that divine Person, for whom he suffered, and into whose presence he was then hastening. * There are predictions of our Saviour recorded by the evangelists, which were not completed till after their deaths, and had no likelihood of being so, when they were pronounced by the blessed Saviour. Such was that wonderful notice he gave them, that they should be brought before governors and kings for his sake, for a a testimony against them and the Gentiles, tiles, Mat. *. 18. with the other like prophecies, by which he foretold that his disciples were to be persecuted. Origen insists with great strength, on that wonderful prediction of our Saviour concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, pronounced at a time as he observes, when there was no likelihood nor appearance of it. This has been taken notice of and inculcated by so many others, that we shall refer you to what this father has said on the subject in his first book against Celsus. And as to the accomplishment of this remarkable prophecy, shall only observe, that whoever reads the account given as by Josephus, with. out knowing his character, and compares it with what our Saviour foretold, would think the historian had nothing else in view but to adjust the event to the prediction. The ancient Christians were so entirely persuaded of the force of our Saviour's prophecies and of the punishment which the Jews had drawn upon themselves, & upon their children: for the treatment which the Messiah had received at their hands, that they did not doubt they would always remain an abandoned & dispersed people, & hissing and an astonishment amongst the nations, as they are to this day. In short, that they had lost their peculiarity of eing God's people, which was now transferred to the body of Christians, and which preserved the church of CHRIST amongst all the conflicts, difficulties, and persecutions in which it was engaged, as it had preserved the Jewish government and economy for so many ages, whilst it had the same truth and vital principle in it, notwithstanding it was so frequently in danger of being utterly abolished and destroyed. Origen, in his fourth book against Celsus, mentioning their being cast out of Jerusalem, to which their worship was annexed, deprived of their temple and sacrifice, their religious rites and solemnities, and scatterd over the face of Coc Burril WoodworthJohn Gager, jr. Nathaniel Hyde Harvey Morgan Abner Fargo FARMINGTON. Parnal Douglass Abel Root Martin Cowls Seth Cowls Gad Cowls GROTON. Ebenezer Camps Ansil Brown, 200 Ralph Hurlbut Ebenezer Morgan Eleazer Avery, jr. Daniel Brown Vine Stoddard Rufus Chapman. Mary Crocker William Lyman. MIDDLETOWN. Clarissa Davey John Southmayd Horace Porter Rev. Geo. Phippen Nehemiah Hubbard Hez. C. Simmons Benjamin Williams Charles Cooley Wm. Trowbridge Jehial Johnson Benjamin Tuel. NORWICH. Theophilus Yale Solomon Williams Nath. Herrick, jr. John De Witt Eliab Hyde Sarah Hyde Eliphalet Baldwin John Hyde William Bebee Ebenezer Hyde,jr. Thos. H. Bushnell William Callyhan Mary Hill David Gilson Samuel Manning David N. Bentley Eliab Rogers Maria Brewster Joseph Chester Joshua Maples Peter Richards R. W. Parkin Nancy Maniere Richard Douglass Abby Leeds NEW-LONDON Nathaniel Ledyard Lucy Douglass George Chapman Stephen PeckJohn Ferguson, jr. Ann Frink NEW HAVEN. Timothy Chittlern Daniel Trowbridge Elizabeth Myers Joshua McKee Amos Goodsel John Austin Abigail Whitman Russel Hotchkiss Amos Benedict Thomas Atwater William Munson Almyra French Jacob Wall Freeman Bassett William Price George E. Brown Luther Bush Daniel V. Ross Nicholas Dami Andrew Kitson John Davis. Rebecca Atwater Bartlett Elihu Sanford PROVIDENCE, (R. I.) Samuel C. Tobey Oliver Ca in Thomas Caprons Lynda Shaw Benjamin Hebbard Louisa Thornton Samuel Pearsons Elizabeth Rogers A.B. Arnold Henry Swift Sarah Jenckes Mrs. Richardson Mrs. Ives Ashael Tuttle Daniel Collis Thomas B Mitchel Harvey Scott Eliza Arnold Joseph Fuller Richard M. Field Thomas Clark M. D. Gladding Caleb Bowers WINDHAM. 95Eleazer Welch Jacob Flint Jonathan Walcott J. Huntington Joseph Allen Charles Spencer Eliab Hills. John A. Smith.. Lucius C. Frink Sally Hartshorn Samuel Lee Justin Blackman Jabez Dyer Orria Ormsby Sanford Kingsbury Dan Lincoln Eunice Stoddard Festus Reed Dillicena Millard Charlotte Mainard Thomas Bingham E. W. Howard .1 : |