The Apostolical History, Chapter 6 · Section 4
v. … Num Spiritum Sanctum accepistis?] i. e. Dona illa eximia Spiritûs Sancti ex quibus colligeretur vos ad ſanctum miniſterium divinitus vocari, ſcilicet donum linguatum & Prophetiae. Nam etſi iſta dona omnibus credentibus & baptizatis tunc temporis non erant communia, nec neceſſaria, tamen cum hi diſcipuli Johannis deſtinabantur ad docendum in Eccleſià & haud dub…e zelo ferverunt, (ut Apollo, itidem Johannis diſcipulus, cap. 18.24.), requirebantur in illis hujus modi dona, in quibus pateret, ipſos divinitus ad ſacrum miniſterium vocatos eſſe.v. 5 Breviter indicat Paulus diſcrimen baptiſmi Johannis à praeſenti baptiſmo; quod Johannes quidem baptizavit in venturum Meſſiam ac populum juſſit in eum credere; ipſi vero bapt…zabant in exhibitum, paſſum, & glorificatum; ſimulque eos proculdubio de totâ ſacrâ …rtade, & myſterio Chriſti, plane inſtituebant. Audientes verò] i. e. qui ex populo hanc Johannis concionem audierunt ſideque acceperunt, ii baptizati ſunt ab illo, ſcil. Johanne. Sic Streſo & Glaſſius.SECT. IV.
THE Apoſtle after this private inſtruction of theſe Twelve Diſciples, having a long time to ſtay at Epheſus, for the firſt three months he preached the Goſpel in the Synagogue of the Jews, labouring to convince them; but when inſtead of being convinced, he ſaw them remain obdurate and refractory, and not only not to embrace the Goſpel, but to oppoſe it, and ſpeak contumeliouſly of it, and vehemently to contend with him for preaching of it (which as ſome conceive he calls, his fighting with beaſts (a)See note on 1 Cor. 15.32.at Epheſus, 1 Cor. 15. v. 32.), he left them, and ſeparated the Chriſtians of that place from them, whom with others that came to hear him he daily inſtructed in a certain place, called the(b)Verus cultus N T. non quaerit differentiam locorum ſ… in omni loco vult exerreri. …ulus non re…ormidat Scholâ Philoſophica Evangelium docere. Vide Ioh. 4.20.21. 1 Tim. 2.8. School of Tyrannus; and this he did for the ſpace of two years: ſo that the ſweet ſavour, and report of the Goſpel was ſpread abroad thorow all Aſia, properly ſo called (namely, which lyes about Epheſus), both among Jews and Gentiles [1 Cor. 16.9.]. And it pleaſed the Lord greatly to confirm the Doctrine of the Goſpel here preached by the Apoſtle, by enabling him to work many Miracles(c)…iracula, Eccleſiae non ſunt ſemp…r neceſſaria, adeo ut illa Eccleſia quae d…num miraculorum non habet, ca… ſi no Characte…tico unde agnoſc…tur eſſe vera …. Nam 1. Nulla eſt promiſſio. …la enim quae eſt, Mat. 16.1…. 1 Cor. ….28. non eſt perpetua, ſed … 2. Miracula exige … d…matur Joh. 4.48. 1 Cor. 1.…2. 3. Vetamur miraculis fidere fine Scripturâ aut quae fiunt ad conſi …andum doctrinam Scripturae cont…ari…m, Deut. 13. 4. Miracula ultimorum temporum declarantur eſſe ſigna Antichriſti. 2 Theſ. 2.9.10. in this place. For he did not only cure thoſe that came to him, but by his touching linnen clothes and ſending them to thoſe that were ſick, or poſſeſſed with Devils, they were thereupon immediately cured. Some Jewiſh exorciſts(d)Exor…iſmus ſignificat vehementem obteſtationem quâ in nomine Domini aliquem obligamus ut hoc vel illud faciat vel dicat, vid. Numb. 5.19. 1 Reg. 22.16, Math. 26.63. 1 Theſ 5.27. In veteri Teſtamento nihil legitur de Exorciſtis ſicut neque de obſeſſis, ſed circa Chriſti tempora Diaboli inter Judaeos licentioſe & evidenter graſſabantur, & corpora hominum variis mod… …ffligebant, quod eo fine potiſſimum à Deo conceſſum eſt, ut gloria Chriſti tanto magis fieret per p…cua. Chriſtus igitur, poteſtate ſuâ divinâ uſus, plurima daemonia ejecit, & Apoſtolis quoque ſuis hauehave po…eſtatem conceſſit. Luc. 10.17, 18, 19. Verum quod Chriſtus & Apoſtoli ſecerunt, verè ex poteſtate divinâ cui cedere Diaboli cogebantur, id quidam Judaei ex foreign Chriſti & Apoſtolorum fecerunt praeſtigio…è, quibus Satan cedebat non coactus, ſed volens, ut eos in ſuperſtitione confirmaret & quoties obdurandis in malitiâ hominibus conſultum eſſe videret. Tales fu… runt hi, & tales quoque videntur fuiſſe illi Judaeorum filii de quibus Chriſtus, Mat. 12.27. qui nomine Chriſti hypocriticè utebantur, ſicut illi de quibus, Mar. 9.38., the Sons of*One of the 24 Heads of the Families of Prieſts, See 1 Chron. 24.4. 2 Chron. 36.14. Math. 2.4. Sceva, who went about pretending to cure diſeaſes, and caſt out Devils; ſeeing what great miracles Paul wrought in the Name of Jeſus, they likewiſe attempted to caſt out a Devil out of a man poſſeſſed, by uſing the ſame name, though in Jeſus they believed not. But the Devil would not obey them(e)Diabolus hic fit concionator… Propheta, Angelus lucis, graviterque reprehendit exorciſtas qui tamen inſtinctu Diaboli omnia ſua agebant, idque non alio fine quam ut Pauli authoritatem & integritatem ſuſpectam redderet., as not having any authority from Jeſus as Paul had, though they us'd his Name: Nay, he was ſo far from obeying them, that he made the man that was poſſeſſed, fall violently on them, and tear off their Clothes and wound them; ſo that they were forced to run away. Which thing being once noiſed abroad, fear fell both upon Jews and Gentiles, and many were hereby brought to believe in Chriſt. And ſeveral that were thus wrought upon, came to the Apoſtles, and acquainted them with the actions and courſes of their former lives, and deſired advice and counſel from him. And many that had practiſed magick and ſorcery, & ſuch like wicked Arts, brought out, & publickly burnt their conjuring Books, though they were of very high value and price in that City, ſo much given to Magick; and if eſtimated by what they might have been there ſold for, the price would amount to about a Thouſand five hundred pounds of our money. So mightily the Goſpel prevail'd upon the Apoſtles preaching.
Act. 19. v. 8. And he went into the ſynagogue, and ſpake boldly for the ſpace of three months, diſputing and perſwading the things concerning the kingdom of God.
v. 9. But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but ſpake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and ſeparated the diſciples, diſputing daily in the ſchool of one Tyrannus.
v. 10. And this continued by the ſpace of two years, ſo that all they which dwelt in Aſia, heard the word of the Lord Jeſus, both Jews and Greeks.
v. 11. And God wrought ſpecial miracles by the hands of Paul,
v. 12. So that from his body were brought unto the ſick, handkerchiefs, or aprons, and the diſeaſes departed from them, and the evil ſpirits went out of them.
v. 13. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorciſts, took upon them to call over them which had evil ſpirits, the Name of the Lord Jeſus, ſaying, We adjure you by Jeſus, whom Paul preacheth.
v. 14. And there were ſeven ſons of one Sceva a Jew, and chief of the prieſts, which did ſo.
v. 15. And the evil ſpirit anſwered, and ſaid, Jeſus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?
v. 16. And the man in whom the evil ſpirit was, leapt on them, and overcame them, and prevailed againſt them, ſo that they fled out of that houſe naked, and wounded.
v. 17. And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks alſo dwelling at Epheſus, and fear fell on them all, and the Name of the Lord Jeſus was magnified.
v. 18. And many that believed, came, and confeſſed, and ſhewed their d…s.
v. 19. Many alſo of them which uſed curious arts, brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of th…m, and found it fifty thouſand pieces of ſilver.
v. 20. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed.