〈◊〉 whatsoever things and not whatsoever persons so that though it bee true indeed that Jewes and Gentiles are loosed henceforward one to the communion of another yet the proper object of this loosing that is loosed by Peter was that Law or doctrine that tied them up and so concerning the eating of those things that had been prohibited it is true indeed that the Jewes were let loose henceforward to the use of them in diet and to eate what they thought good but this loosing was not so properly of the men as the loosing of that prohibition that had bound them before And this could bee no way but doctrinally by teaching that Christian libertie that was given by the Gospel Now though Peter onely and none but hee had the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven yet had all the Apostles the power of binding and loosing as well as hee and so have all the Ministers of the Gospel as well as they and all in the lame sense namely doctrinally to teach what is bound and loose or lawfull and unlawfull but not in the same kinde for the Apostles having the constant and unerring assistance of the holy Ghost did nullifie by their doctrine some part of Moses Law as to the use of it as Circumcision Sacrifices Puâ—ifyings and other legall Rites which could not have been done by men that had not had such a spirit for there must bee the same spirit of Prophecy to abrogate a Law which had set it in force This matter therefore of Cornelius his calling in as the first-fruits of the Gentiles is a thing that deserves very high regard and consideration as in which are included and involved so many things of note as have been mentioned and divers others that might bee added thereunto and in the consideration of the matter the time of it is not to bee neglected which to the serious and considerate Reader and weigher of things in the ballance of judgement will appeare to bee in this yeare in which wee have laid it especially that being concluded upon which before wee proved undeniable that the Famine was in the second yeare of Claudius And this time is the rather to bee looked upon because that some doe foolishly misconstrue a clause in Daniel 9.27 by missing of the right time of this occurrence of Cornelius For looking no further into the text then in our English translation which there hath not spoken the minde of the Originall they conceive that Christ dyed in the midst of the last seven yeares of the seventy sevens namely when three yeares and an halfe of the seven were gone and that at the end of the other three and an halfe Cornelius was converted and so they will make those seventies to end in that his conversion and not in Christs death which were scarcely worth answering though wee had time and season to doe it seeing it riseth from a mistake in the Text and sets in a mistake of the time Ver. 30. Foure dayes agoe I was fasting c. The Greeke hath it From the fourth day untill this houre I was or have been fasting by which it seemeth that Cornelius had now been fasting foure dayes together as Paul was three dayes at his conversion Chap. 9.9 But it is not much materiall whether wee understand it so or as it is commonly understood of his fasting foure dayes since till such an houre of that day as it was now of this day when he is speaking to Peter unlesse we will make any thing of it that the Jewes especially upon their solemn dayes used to taste nothing till noone and Cornelius herein follows their custome and that it was about noone when Peter comes to Cornelius as it was about noone when Cornelius messengers came to Peter And so the distance betwixt Caesarea to bee a days journey and an half Vers. 36. The Word which God sent Bezâ— supposeth that this verse ought to bee referred and joyned to the verse that went before and they two together to bee construed to this sense Now I know that God is no respecter of Persons but in every Nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him which is the very doctrine which God sent among the children of Israel by Moses and the Prophets preaching peace by them by Iesus Christ. And one maine induction that hee hath to this construction is because otherwise it would bee improper for Peter to say Cornelius and his friends knew this word when it was Peters very errand to instruct them in it and teach it to them But the words are to bee read and taken in the sense that our English hath wel made of them namely as following the word ye know For all the Country knew that Iesus preached and preached peace and the like and thousands though they knew that hee preached and what hee preached yet did they not beleeve that hee was the Messias nor that hee was risen from the dead and these two last things it was that Peter came to teach Cornelius and not to tell him that Iesus of Nazareth had preached for that hee and all his friends knew Ver. 44. The holy Ghost fell on all them that heard the Word This was a second confirmation of the entertainment of the Gentiles to the Gospel or a miracle added by God to the doctrine preached by Peter that nothing now was to be accounted common or unclean for when God had powred the holy Ghost upon the uncircumcision as well as upon the circumcised it was evidence sufficient that now God made no difference betwixt them How these extraordinary gifts of the Spirit had been confined hitherto onely to the Nation of the Jewes it is not onely cleare by scripture but it is upon that cleerenesse thought by the Jewes that it must be confined thither ever and that neither any Gentile at all nor hardly any Jew out of the Land of Canaan could be capable of them and therefore when they here see the same measure and fulnesse and freenesse of the Spirit upon the Gentiles as had been upon the Jews they cannot but conclude that the difference was in vanishing and that God was setting up a Church among them when hee bestowed the spirit of Prophecy upon them Ver. 47. Can any man forbid water c. Peters thoughts in these words looke backe to those words of our Saviour Goe teach all Nations and baptize them Mat. 28.19 where he meaneth not that none should bee baptized but those that are capable of teaching but his meaning is this that whereas his Disciples had hitherto been limited and confined onely to preach to the Jews to go to none but to the lost sheep of Israel now had the Jews by the murdering of Christ shewed themselves unworthy and had forfeited the benefit of the Gospel and therefore Christ now inlargeth his Apostles and Disciples to goe now and to teach all Nations and to baptize them to preach to the Heathens and to bring them
universall Bishopship that hee was invested withall but rather because hee was the most singular minister of the Circumcision for his bringing in of the Gentiles would stop the mouth of the Judaizing beleevers the more Eighthly and for this thing hee had a speciall ingagement and deputation from our Saviour a good while agoe as hee himselfe speaketh Act. 15.7 And that was when Christ giveth him the keyes of the kingdome of heaven Matth. 16.19 that is putteth into his hand the peculiar priviledge to open the doore of faith and the Gospel to the Gentiles and giveth him power withall to bind and to loose the use of Moses Law among the Heathens when hee brought the Gospell among them some of it to fall and some to stand according as the Spirit should direct him and accordingly it should bee ratified in heaven And that this is the genuine proper and onely meaning of that so much disputed place will bee undeniable to him that shall consider what is the proper meaning of the kingdome of heaven in Scripture and loosingâ—n â—n Jewish authors from whom that Phrase is taken Vers. 1. In Caesarea Called of old Turris Stratonis Stratons Tower but new built by Herod the great and named Caesarea in honour of Augustus It lay upon the Sea shore betwixt Ioppa and Dorae saith Iosephus Antiq. lib. 15. cap. 13. where hee describeth it at large Sect. The Italian band Not to spend time in inquiring what Italian band this was whether Ferrata or Dives or Voluntariorii or the like it seemeth to me that the consideration of the place it selfe where Cornelius was will help â—o understand what Luke intendeth by it For Caesarea was the place where the Roman Governor or Proconsull resided as appeareth Act. 23.23 24. and 24.6 and that partly for the bravery of the Citie and chiefly for the commodiousnesse of the haven Now this Italian band may very properly bee understood of that band that attended the Governours person or were his life-guard and which had come out of Italy for this purpose to bee his defence and the defence of the Citie where hee lay Vers. 2. A devout man c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A man that worshipped the true God and followed not Idolatry And a man that feared Good indeed as well as hee worshipped him in profession Sect. Which gave much almes to the people To the Jewes to whom almes was not uncleane though given by a heathen to which thing our Saviour seemeth to allude in that speech Luk. 11.41 But rather give almes of such things as yee have and behold all things are cleane unto you And upon this respect it is like that almes are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousnesse so commonly among the Jewish authors and used by the Syriack and Arabick here because they lost not their nature or qualitie of cleannesse or puritie and righteousnesse though they came even from an uncleane yea a heathen person Sect. And prayed to God alway Beza hath made this clause the beginning of the next verse and that as hee saith with the warrant of one copy The Arabick doth the like They thinke they mend the sense with it in which they mistake because they mind not the scope For it is the intent of the holy Ghost to shew the constant carriage of Cornelius in his devoutnesse as Vers. 4. and not his devoutnesse as occasion of his vision Vers. 3. Hee saw in a vision evidently The word evidently or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is added to shew that he saw it waking and with his bodily eyes for there were visions in dreames as Gen. 20.3 and 28.12 Iob 4.13 Sect. About the ninth houre The houre of the evening sacrifice three a clocke after noone compare Dan. 5.21 Cornelius though hee were not yet proselyted by circumcision to the Jewish Church yet followed hee their manner and forme of worship Vers. 9. To pray about the sixt houre About twelve a clocke or high noone and this was the time of the Mincha gedolah as the Jewes called it or the very beginning of it And so doe they expound Dan. 6.10 and Psal. 55.17 accordingly Daniel prayed three times a day that is say R. Saadias and R. Solomon Morning Evening and at the Minchah And Evening and Morning and at noone will I pray R. Sol. Evening Morning and at Minchah the three times of prayer Now this Minchah time is described by their Doctors thus Minchah gedolah is the beginning of the time of the daily sacrifice betweene the two evenings when the Sun begins to decline which is from the sixth houre and forward untill night some say from the sixth houre and an halfe which was according to our phrase in hand about the sixth houre Now this their accounting was not for that they alwayes began to fall about their evening sacrifice at twelve a clock or half an houre after but because that it was lawfull then to begin to fall about it for when there were additionall sacrifices besides the daily as the Passeover or the like then it was necessary for them to begin to prepare the sacrifices from that time that it was lawfull to begin about them which from that time of the day it was all the time from thence forward till night being 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 between the evenings according to the letter of the Law Exod. 12.6 Numb 28.4 And to this sense speaketh the Text 1 King 18.29 When noonetide was passed and they had now prophecied till the offering of the Minchah not till the very time of the firing of the sacrifice for that the verses following deny but to the time of the Minchah in that sense that wee have in hand and to this purpose the difference of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 36. is very remarkable So that Peter in this practise of praying about the sixth houre imitated the custome of the Jewes and though hee had so long been a Convert to the Gospell yet doth hee not forsake their manner of worship no more did the other Disciples as hath been shewed elsewhere 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An extasie fell upon him and so Chap. 22.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I was in an extasie This was the highest and excellentest way of all other of revelations when a man was rapt even from himselfe into heaven for so Paul calls it 2 Cor. 12.2 and was wholly in the spirit for so Iohn calls it Rev. â— 10 being for the time as it were out of the body and in the very next degree to soules departed enjoying God Seven manner of extraordinary wayes did God use to reveale himselfe and his will to his people in ancient times 1. By dreames 2. By apparitions when they were awake 3. By visions when they were asleepe 4. By voyce from heaven 5. By Vrim 6. By inspiration or revealing of the eare 7. By rapture or extasie and this last the excellentest as to him
that did injoy it And of this should I understand that deep sleepe that fell upon Adam Gen. 2.21 Vers. 12. Fourfooted beasts and wild beasts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beasts tame and wild for so doth the Scripture most frequently distinguish them Vers. 15. That call not thou common Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Do not thou pollute that is do not thou call or account polluted Vers. 28. For so is the use of Scripture very frequently to speake as in an effective or active sense and to intend onely a declarative as Gen. 41.13 Me hee restored to my office but him hee hanged Ezek. 43.3 When I came to destroy the Citie The Priest did make cleane or make uncleane the Leper Lev. 13.6.8 c. which was onely pronouncing cleane or uncleane as our English hath well rendred it or teaching what was cleane and what unclean as Chap. 14.57 And in the very same sense is the binding and loosing to bee understood Matth. 16.19 and 18.18 for teaching what is bound and what loose what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Jewes speake or what lawfull what unlawfull Vers. 28. Yee know how that it is a◠unlawfull thing for a man that is a Iew to keepe company c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By which words is not to bee understood as if a Jew might have no dealing at all with a Gentile for they might walke and talke and traffick with them and it was within a little of impossible to doe otherwise they living exceeding many of them in heathen Cities And Gentiles came continually in way of trade to Ierusalem Neh. 13.16 But the unlawfulnesse of their conversing with the Gentiles was conversing in neere and more close societie as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth and that especially in these two things not to eate with them and not to goe into their houses And this is that for which they of the Circumcision excepted at Peter upon his returne Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised and didst eate with them Chap. 11.3 Sect. But God hath shewed mee that I should not call any man common or uncleane This vision that Peter had when this satisfaction was given him to learne to call nothing common was onely of beasts and fowles and creeping things yet might hee learne that the lesson was also to bee understood of men because the distinction between men and men in regard of common and uncleane was first made and most strictly made by the difference betwixt meats and meats For the very first distinguisher that ever began to inclose Israel for a peculiar from other people was the not eating of the smew that shrank Gen. 32. Circumcision distinguished the seed of Abraham from other people but this began to distinguish Israel from the other seed of Abraham And it is observable that that ceremony or distinctive rite was first taken up when Iacob first received the name of Israel Now it is true indeed that their forbearing to eate the smew that shranke was not as if they accounted it common or uncleane but it was in regard of the honorable memoriall that they read upon it yet was that ceremony the first and proper distinguisher of an Israelite from all other people under heaven some hundreds of yeeres till more distinctive rites came in and more things were prohibited to bee eaten for the surer distinction There was distinction of cleane and uncleane beasts before the flood as appeareth Gen. 7.8 but this was in reference to sacrifice onely and not in reference to diet at all for till the flood they ate nothing but the fruits of the ground till God gave Noah libertie to eate flesh and to eate any thing that was wholesome for diet And in this libertie did the world continue till the Law given at Sinai save onely an Israelites not eating the smew that shranke And this libertie some Jewes themselves confesse shall be in the dayes of Messias which now first taketh place at this vision of Peter and forward And here doth Peter begin to put in use and ure that power of binding and loosing which Christ had put into his hands when hee put into his hands the keyes of the kingdome of heaven And this very place doth so cleerly expound and interpret that speech of our Saviour to him that it is a wonder that ever there should bee such scruple and controversie about it For 1. Here beginneth the kingdome of heaven when the Gentiles are received to savour and to the Gospell who had been so long cast off and laine in ignorance and idolatry and when no difference is made betwixt them and the Jewes any longer but of every nation they that feare God and worke righteousnesse are accepted of him as well as Israel This is the very first beginning or dawning to the kingdome of heaven and so it grew on more and more till Ierusalem was destroyed and then was the perfect day when the Gentiles onely were become the Church of Christ and no Church or Commonwealth of Israel to bee had at all but they destroyed and ruined Secondly here Peter hath the keyes of the Kingdome and unlocketh the doore for the Gentiles to come in to the faith Gospel which till now had bin shut and they kept out And Peter onely had the keys and none of the Apostles or Disciples but hee for though they from hence forward brought in Gentiles daily in to the Kingdome of Heaven by converting them to the Gospel yet it was hee that first and onely opened the doore and the doore being once opened was never shut nor ever shall be till the end of the world And this was all the priority that Peter had before the other Apostles if it were any priority and how little this concerneth Rome or the Papacy as to be any foundation of it a childe may observe 3. Peter here looseth the greatest strictnesse and what was the straitest bound up of any thing that was in all the policy of Moses and customes of the Jews and that was the difference of cleane and uncleane in the legall sense And this he looseth on earth and it is loosed in heaven for from heaven had hee an immediate warrant to dissolve it And this hee doth first declaratively shewing that nothing henceforward is to bee called common or uncleane and shewing his authoritie for this doctrine and then practically conforming himselfe to this doctrine that hee taught by going in unto the uncircumcised and eating with them Binding and loosing in our Saviours sense and in the Jewes sense from whose use hee taketh the phrase is of things and not of persons for Christ saith to Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whatsoever thou bindest and not whomsoever and to the other Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 18.18 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
certaine of the Iews and hee killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword The first words About that time relate to what went before in the preceding Chapter vers 28. and meaneth in the dayes of Claudius Caesar. Now what should bee the incentive of the spleene of Agrippa against the Church it is not specified it may well bee supposed it proceeded from that his Ceremoniousnesse and strict observance of Mosaick Rites which is mentioned by Iosephus Concerning the Martyrdome of Iames under this his spleene wee will content our selves with the words of the Text He killed Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword accounting all other additionall circumstances which may bee found in officious Authors to bee nothing else but gilded legends and fond inventions As that mentioned by Eusebius out of Clemens his Hypotyposeâ—n concerning his accuser that seeing his constancy to the death confessed the faith and was martyred with him That by Epiphanius that hee lived and dyed a virgin and that by Surius who is the bell-weather for old winter tales that telleth That his body after his martyrdome was shipped by Ctesiphon and his fellow-Bishops for Spaine that the Ship in six dayes was directed thither without Pilot or Compasse but onely by the influence of the Corpse that it carryed That at the landing the body was taken up into the aire and carryed neare the place of its buriall twelve miles off That Ctesiphon and his fellows were led to it by an Angel And more such trash that it is but labour lost either to read or mention Sect. II. The Apostles Creed The Creed was made upon this occasion saith Rabanus Maurus as our Ancestors have delivered unto Vs. The Disciples after the Ascension of our Saviour being inflamed with the holy Ghost c. And being chaâ—ged by the Lord to goe to all Nations for the preaching of the Gospel when they are to part one from another they fiâ—st make a common platforme among themselves for their future preaching Lest being severed in place divers and different things should bee preached to those that were invited to the faith of Christ. Being therefore together in one place and filled with the holy Ghost they compose a short platforme for their preaching conferring together what they thought And this they appoint to bee given to them that beleeve and to bee called Symbolum Thus hee and very many others with him conceiving that the Apostles supplyed not onely the matter of the Doctrine contained in the Creed but the very forme and words also For Peter said say they I beleeve in God the Father Almighty John The maker of Heaven and Earth James And I beleeve in Iesus Christ his onely Son our Lord. Andrew Which was conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Philip Suffered under Pontius-Pilate was crucified dead and buryed Thomas Hee descended into hell the third day hee rose againe from the dead Bartholomew Hee ascended into heaven sitteth at the right hand of God the father Almighty Matthew From thence shall he come to judge both the quicke and the dead James the sonne of Alpheus I beleeve in the holy Ghost the holy Catholick Church Simon Zelotes The communion of Saints the forgivenesse of sinnes Judas the brother of James The resurrection of the flesh Matthias The life everlâ—sting Amen Thus the hundred and fifteenth Sermon de Tempore that goeth under the name of Austen but apparent that it is noâ— his by this that here is â—eckoned the descent into hell which in his book de Fâ—de Symbolo is quite omitted Now were this tradition as true as it is punctuall it would readily plead for its owne place in Chronologie namely about this time at which wee now are before Iames his death for hee gave in his symbolum according to this tradition among the rest But that this opinion of the Apostles casting in every one his parcell is of no validity but a presumptuous and false surmise may bee evinced by these Arguments First Because the titlâ— of The Catholick Church is neither used in any of the Apostles writings nor is it likely that it came into use till after the Apostles dayes when the Church was dispersed into all parts of the earth Secondly because the Article Hee descended into hell is not owned or acknowledged at all by the Nicene Creed nor by any of the ancientest Fathers next the Apostles times in their reckoning up of the Articles of the Creed as see instances in abundance in Polanus his Syntagma lib. 6. cap. 21. Thirdly if the matter and words of the Creed had beene from the Apostles themselves why is it not then Canonicall Scripture as well as any of the sacred Writ Fourthly in the giving in of their severall symbols or parcellâ— after the manner opinionated before there is so great disproportion and inequality some giving so much and some so little that it maketh the contribution it selfe to bee very suspitious Fifthly the Summary Collection of the points of Christian religion taught by the Apostles and delivered by them to others to teach by consisteth of two heads faith and love 2 Tim. 1.13 But the Creed consisted of faith onely I rather thinke therefore saith Mr. Perkins that it is called the Apostles Creed because it doth summarily containe the chiefe and principall points of Religion handled and propounded in the doctrine of the Apostles and because the points of the Creed are conformable and agreeable to their Doctrine and writings Sect. III. Traditions With their framing of the Creed before their parting hath Baronius joyned alâ—o their delivery of Traditions Sicut symbolo saith hee ita etiam aliis absque Scripturâ traditionibus Ecclesiae impertitis diviserunt sibi ad quas singuli proficiscerentur orbis terrae provincias Having thus imparted the Creed and also traditions without Scripture to the Church they parted among themselves what Countrey every one of them should goe unto These Traditions the Councell of Trent divideth into those which were received by the Apostles from the mouth of Christ or delivered from hand to hand from the Apostles to our times the holy Ghost dictating them unto them And these those Fathers hold of equall authority with the Scriptures and the Councell curseth them that shall willingly and knowingly contemn them And well doe they deserve it if they did but certainly and assuredly knâ—w that they came from such hands Bellarmine hath stretched the name and peece oâ— traditions to one tainterhook higher For Traditions saith he are Divine Apostolicall and Ecclesiasticall Divine are those which were received from Christ himselfe teaching his Apostles and yet are not to bee found in the Scriptures such are those which concerne the matter and forme of the Sacraments Apostolicall are those which were instituted by the Apostles not without the assistance of the holy Ghost and yet are not to bee found in their Epistles Ecclesiasticall traditions are properly called
of so divine a gift For the Iews of the strange Nations and languages that perceived and understood that the Disciples did speak in their languages were amazed and said one to another What meaneth this Ver 12. But these other Jews Natives of Ierusalem and Iudea that understood onely their own Syriack and did not understand that they spake strange languages indeed these mocked and said These men are full of new or sweet wine grounding their accusation the rather because that Pentecost was a feasting and rejoycing time Deut. 16.11 And according to this conception it is observable that Peter begins his speech Ye men of Iudea Ver. 14. But Peter standing up with the eleven said c. Reason it self if the Text did not would readily resolve that it was not Peter alone that converted the 3000 that are mentioned after but that the rest of the Apostles were sharers with him in that worke For if Peter must bee held the onely Oratour at this time then must it needs bee granted that either the 3000 which were converted were al of one language or that the one language that he spake seemed to the hearers to be divers tongues or that hee rehearsed the same speech over and over againe in divers languages any of which to grant is senselesse and ridiculous and yet unlesse wee will runne upon some of these absurdities wee may not deny that the rest of the twelve preached now as well as Peter But the Text besides this gives us these arguments to conclude the matter to bee undoubted First it saith Peter stood forth with the eleven vers 14. Now why should the eleven be mentioned standing forth as well as Peter if they spake not as well as hee They might as well have sitten still and Peters excuse of them would as well have served the turn It was not Peter alone that stood forth to excuse the eleven but Peter and the eleven that stood forth to excuse the rest of the hundred and twenty Secondly it is said They were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles What shall we doe Vers. 37. Why should they question and aske counsell of the rest of the Apostles as well as Peter if they had not preached as well as hee Thirdly and it is a confirmation that so they did in that it is said Ver. 42. They continued in the Doctrine of the Apostles of the rest as well as Peter Fourthly iâ— that were the occasion that wee mentioned why they suspected the Apostles and the rest drunke then will it follow that Peter preached and spake in the Syriack tongue chiefly to those Jewes of Iudea and Ierusalem that would not beleeve because they could not understand that the Disciples spake strange languages but thought they canted some drunken gibberish And to give some probability of this not onely his preface Ye men of Iudea but also his â—aying flatly the murder of Christ to their charge Verse 22 23. doe helpe to confirme in and the conclusion of his Sermon and of the story in the Evangelist doth set it home that if Peter preached not onely to these Natives of Iudea yet that hee onely preached not at this time but that the others did the like with him in that it is said They that gladly received his words were baptizâ—d and then as speaking of another story hee saith there were added the same day about 3000 soules Now the reason why Peters Sermon is onely recorded and the story more singularly fixed on him we observed before Sect. Briefe observations upon some passages in Peters Sermon Vers. 15. It is but the third houre of the day And on these solemne Feastivall dayes they used not to eate or drinke any thing till high noone as Baronius would observe out of Iosephus and Acts 10. Verse 17. In the last dayes The dayes of the Gospel because there is no way of salvation to bee expected beyond the Gospel whereas there was the Gospel beyond the law and the law beyond the light of the ages before it Vpon all flesh Upon the Heathens and Gentiles as well as upon the Iews Act. 10.45 contrary to the axiome of the Iewish Schooles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The divine Majesty dwelleth not on any out of the Land of Israel Vers. 20. Before the great and notable day of the Lord come The day of Ierusalems destruction which was forty yeares after this as was observed before so that all these gifts and all the effusion of the Spirit that were to bee henceforward were to bee within the time betwixt this Pentecost and Ierusalem destroyed And they that from hence would presage prophetick and miraculous gifts and visions and revelations to bee towards the end of the world might doe better to weigh what the expression The great and terrible day of the Lord meaneth here and elsewhere in the Prophets The blood of the Son of God the fire of the holy Ghosts appearance the vapour of the smoke in which Christ ascended the Sun darkned and the Moon made blood at his passion were all accomplished upon this point of time and it were very improper to looke for the accomplishment of the rest of the prophecy I know not how many hundreds or thousands of yeares after Vers. 24. Having loosed the paines of death or rather Having dissolved the paines of death meaning in reference to the people of God namely that God raised up Christ and by his resurrection dissolved and destroyed the pangs and power of death upon his owne people Vers. 27. Thou wilt not leave my soule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Thou wilt not give my soule up And why should not the very same words My God my God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be translated to the same purpose Why hast thou left me and given me up to such hands and shame and tortures rather then to intricate the sense with a surmise of Christs spirituall desertion In Hell Gr. Hades the state of soules departed but their condition differenced according to the difference of their qualities 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Piphilus apud Clem. Alex. Strom. 5. Vers. 38. Be baptized in the name of the Lord Iesus Christ. Not that their Baptism was not administred in the name of the Father and the holy Ghost also but that hee would specially worke them up to the acknowledgement of Christ. For the Father and the holy Ghost they acknowledged without any scrupling but to owne Christ for God whom they had crucified and to bee initiated into Jesus of Nazaret was the great worke that the Apostles went about to work upon them and therefore especially endeavour to enter them into Jesus and to have them baptized in his Name Bee baptized and yee shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Not that every one that was baptized was presently indued with these extraordinary gifts of tongues and prophecy for they were bestowed hence-forwaâ—d by imposition of the Apostles hands save onely
when they first fell from heaven upon the company of Cornelius to compleat that prophecy which now had its beginning I will poure out my Spirit upon all flesh but Peter inviteth them into Baptisme and then should they bee capable of those gifts and no doubt they were bestowed upon some of them by the Apostles hands Ver. 42. And in breaking of Bread The Syriack expresly understandeth this of partaking of the Lords Supper for hee useth the very Greeke word Eucharistia here And so divers take that to bee the meaning of this phrase both here and in some places else in the New Testament Yea even they that suppose that it meaneth partaking of their common meales and food yet doe they think that they had the Sacrament added to it as our Saviour added it to the Passeover And indeed the manner of speech doth signifie both the one and the other both ordinary meales and the receiving of the Sacrament as in Luke 24.35 Hee was known of them in breaking of bread here it meaneth a common Supper in the Inne at Emmaus 1 Cor. 10.16 The bread which we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ Here it betokeneth the receiving of the Sacrament But it may be conceived to intend the Sacrament the rather and chiefly if not onely First because the phrase of breaking of bread for common eating is very rare both in the Old Testament and Jewish Authors but eating of bread is the expression that speaketh that And 2ly because breaking of the bread in the Sacrament is a concomitant that cannot be parted frō it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee blessed and brake and said this is my body which is broken 1 Cor. 11.24 Ver. 44. And all that beleeved were together This Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is of frequent and of various use in the Septuagint It sometimes betokeneth the meeting of persons in the same company as Iosh. 11.5 Iudg. 6.33 19.6 c. so of Beasts Deut. 22.10 Sometimes their concurring in the same action though not in the same company or place as Psal. 2.2 34.3 49.2 74.6 83.3 c. Sometimes their concurring in the same condition as Psal. 46.10 62.9 Esa. 66.17 Ier. 6.12 And sometimes their knitting together though in severall companies as Ioabs and Abners men though they sate at distance and the poole of Gibeon betweene them yet are they said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Sam. 2.13 And in this sense is the word to bee understood in this story For it is past all imagination or conceiving that all those thousands of beleevers that were now in Jerusalem should keepe all of one company and knot and not part asunder for what house would hold them But they kept in severall Companies or Congregations according as their languages nations or other references did knit them together And this joyning together because it was apart from those that beleeved not and because it was in the same profession and practise of the duties of Religion therefore it is said to bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 though it were in severall companies and Congregations And to such a sense doth Rabbi Solomon understand the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Deut. 25.5 as indeed it must of necessity bee understood not of brethren dwelling in the very same place but of brethren 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that are united in inheritance as these beleevers were now in the Gospel And so is the building of the Jews to bee understood Ezra 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in separation from the Samaritans and in joyning in the action though they were of severall companies in the building and those companies far distant one from another Neh. 3. per totum 4.19 Verse 46. Continuing daily with one accord in the Temple This is not to expresse that the Temple was their meeting place either for hearing of their Sermons or administring the Sacraments for neither of these would have been indured there as appeareth Chapt. 4.1 but this is to shew that they had not yet shaken off all the Worship of the Temple nor the observance of Moses but resorted thither to the duties of Religion at the houres of prayer as they had done before For many yeares after this the beleeving Jewes were still tenacious of the Law and reverentiall of the Temple Act. 21.20 which they might lawfully bee while the Temple stood if their observance of Moses did not destroy in them the doctrine and application of their justification by faith in Christ. And hence was it that the Apostles did so farre comply with them both in that place in Acts 21. and also in Acts 15. because Moses was to stand till the Temple fell those Rites not nullifying the death of Christ if rightly used ACTS CHAP. III. Vers. 1. Peter and Iohn went up together into the Temple IT may bee this was likewise on Pentecost day and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth signifie identity of time as it doth 2 Sam. 21.9 and in the Chaldee of Ionathan on Deut. 25.5 And the ninth houre mentioned here in reference to the third houre in preceding story Chap. 2.15 at nine a clock in the morning was that conversion of 3000 and at three a clock in the afternoone this of 5000. Howsoever whether it were on that day or no certainly it was on some solemne day either a Sabbath or Festivall as appeareth by the number that were then present in the Temple when so many of them were converted For ordinarily on the common dayes of the week the company that was in the Temple was very few besides the Priests and the Stationary men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they are called by the Rabbins which were a number of men chosen to bee constantly there to represent the whole Congregation in laying their hands on the heads of the Sacrifices in their behalfe This concourse of people on such a solemne day was a fit subject and opportunity for these Apostles to worke upon and that in all probability was the maine induction that brought them into the Temple at this time That they should goe thither to institute the Canonicall houres by their own example as Baronius dreameth is a fancy that farre better deserveth laughter then any answer Vers. 2. The gate of the Temple which was called Beautifull This was the Gate that entred into the second Court or out of the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of the Jews And there this Creeple lay begging of the Jews that came into the Temple but disdaining as it seemeth to beg of the Gentiles This seemeth to bee that gate that Iosephus calleth the Corinthiack Gate and which hee describeth to bee of so much gorgiousnesse and bravery de Bello Iud. lib. 5.14 and which we shall have occasion to describe in another worke fully and on set purpose Vers. 11. The porch called Solomons Not that the very porch built by Solomon was now standing for that was burnt and