Discourses on Divers Texts of Scripture, Discourses 1 · Sermon 3
ACTS 17. 4.Acts 17. 4.
There associated themselves to Paul and Silas of the worshipping Greeks a great multitude.
PAul and Silas preaching in the Jewish Synagogue at Thessalonica, & proving out of the Scriptures, that Me…siah, or Christ, was to suffer, and to rise again from the dead, and that Iesus was that Christ, it is said, That some of them which heard, beleeved; and that there associated themselves to them a great multitude foreign, of the worshipping Greeks. Of these foreign, there is elsewhere mention in the Acts of the Apostles more then once; But what they were, our Commentators do not fully inform us; Nor can it be understood, without some delibation of Jewish Antiquity. The e…plication whereof will give some light not to this passage onelyonly, but to the whole Story of the Primitive Conversion of the Gentiles to the Faith, recorded in that Book.
We must know therefore, that of those Gentiles, which imbraced the worship of the God of Israel, (commonly term'd Proselytes) there were two sorts: One of such as were circumcised, and took upon them the observation of the whole Law of Moses. These were accounted as Jews, (to wit, facti, non nati) bound to the like observances with them, conversed with, as freely, as if they had been so born; neither might the one eat, drink, or keep company with a Gentile, more then the other, le…t they became unclean. They worshipped in the same Court of the Temple, where the Israelites did, whither others might not come. They were partakers with them in all things, both divine and humane; In a word, they differed nothing from Jews, but onelyonly that they were of Gentile race.
This kinde the Jewish Doctors call foreign, Proselyti …stiti…, or foreign, Proselyti f…d…ris, namely, because they took upon them the signe thereof, Circumcision. In the New Testament they are called simply, Proselytes, without addition. Of which Order was Vriah the Hittite, Achior, in the Book of Iudith, Herod the Idumae…n, Onkelos the Ch…ld… Paraphrast, and many others both before and in our Saviours time.
But besides these there was a second kinde of Gentiles, admitted likewise to the worship of the true God, the God of Israel, and the hope of the life to come; which were not circumcised, nor conformed themselves to the Mosaicall rites, and ordinances; but were onelyonly tied to the observation of those precepts, whch the Hebrew Doctors call the precepts of the sons of Noah; namely, such as all the sons of Noah were bound to observe.
These precepts are in number seven, recorded in the aGemata Sanhedrin, in Perek foreignTalmud, bMaiem. Hal. Melachim. c. 9. vide Shick. de jure Regio Hebraeoru p. 128, 129Maymonides and others, under these following titles. First, the precept foreign, to renounce Idols, and all Idolatrous worship. Secondly, foreign, to worship the true God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth. Thirdly, foreign, Bloodshed; to wit, to commit no murder. Fourthly, foreign, detectio nuditatum, not to be defiled with fornication, incest, or other unlawfull conjunction. Fiftly, foreign, Rapina, against theft and robbery. Sixtly, foreign, concerning administration of Justice: The seventh, foreign, Membrum de vivo, so they call the Precept, of not eating the flesh with the blood in it, given to Noah, when he came out of the Ark; as Maymonides expresly expounds it, and addes besides. Quicunque haec sep tem praecepta exequenda susceperit, ecce is est, foreign, ex piis gentium mundi, habetque partem in seculo futuro. Note that he saith [ex piis Gentium,] for this kinde were still esteemed Gentiles, and so called, because of their uncircumcision; in respect whereof (though no Idolaters) they were, according Act. 10. 28. 11. 3.to the Law, unclean, and such as no Jew might converse with; wherefore they came not to worship into the Sacred Courts of the Temple, whither the Jews, and circumcised Proselytes came; but onelyonly into the outmost Court, called Atrium Gentium & immundorum, which, in the second Temple, surrounded the second, or great Court, whereinto the Israelites came, being divided there-from by a low wall of stone made battlement-wise, not above three Cubits high, called (saith Iosephus, from whom I have it) in the Hebrew Dialect foreign, in the Greek foreign, that is, Lorica, close by which De Billo Judaico lib. 6. ca. 6. Graec. 1.stood certain little pillars, whereon was written in Latin and Greek Letters, foreign. In atrium sanctum transire alienigenam non debere; And this I make no question, is that which Saint Paul, Ephes. 2. alluded unto, when he saith, That Christ had broken down the foreign, the partitionwall, (namely, that Lorica, which separated the Court of the Gentiles from that of the Circumcision) and so laying both Courts into one, hath made the Jews and Gentiles Intercommoners; whereby those that were sometime far off, were now made nigh, and as near as the other, unto the Throne of God. But in Solomons Temple, this Court of the Gentiles seems not to have been, but in the second Temple onelyonly; the Gentiles formerly worshipping without at the door, and not coming within the Septs of the Temple at all. This second kinde of Proselytes, the Talmudists call foreign, Proselyti portae, or foreign, Proselyti inquilini; because they were under the same condition, with those Gentile strangers which lived as inquilini in the land of Israel. For all Gentiles dwelling within the Gates of Israel, whether they were as servants, taken in war, or otherwise, were bound to renounce vid. Lev. 17.their false Gods, and to worship the God of Israel; but not to be circumcised, unlesse they would, nor farther bound to keep the Law of Moses, then was contained in those precepts of the sons of Noah. These are those mentioned (as often elsewhere in the Law, so) in the fourth Commandment by the name of the Stranger within thy gates; whereby it might seem probable, that the observation of the Sabbath day (so far as concerneth one day in seven) was included in some one or other of those precepts of the sons of Noah; namely, in that, of worshipping for their God, the Creator of heaven and earth, and no other; whereof this consecration of a seventh day, after six dayes labour, was a badge or livery; according to that, The sabbath is a signe between me and you, that I Iehovah am your God; because in six dayes the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: vide Exod. 31. 16, 17. Ezek. 20. 20. From the example of these inquilini, all other Gentiles, wheresoever living, admitted to the worship of the God of Israel upon the same terms, were called foreign, or foreign, Proselyti Portae, or Proselyti inquilini; of which sort there were many in all Cities and places of the Gentiles, where the Jews had Synagogues; and used to frequent the Synagogues with them, (though in a distinct place) to hear the Law and the Prophets read and expounded.
But in the New Testament they are found called by another name, to wit of foreign, or Worshippers, so often mentioned (though not observed) in the Acts of the Apostles. For first, these are those meant in that of the Acts 17. 4. alleadged at my entrance into this discourse, where it is said that foreign, a great number of the worshipping Greeks beleeved, and adhered to Paul and Silas; which the Vulgar rightly translateth, de colentibus Gentilibus multitudo magna, taking the name of Greeks, here, as elsewhere in the New Testament, to be put for Gentiles in generall. And this place will admit of no evasion: For that they were Gentiles, the name of foreign betokeneth expresly, being given them by way of distinction from the Jews, then and there present also. That they were worshippers of the true God, the God of Israel, their coming into the Synagogue, their name foreign, their capablenesse of S. Pauls discourse, (which was to prove out of the Scriptures, that Messiah was to suffer death, and that Iesus was he) argues sufficiently; yea, abundantly. For who could have profited by such a Sermon as this, but those who already had knowledge of the true God, and beleeved the reward of the life to come? This place therefore, may serve as a key to all the rest of the places in this Book, where these foreign are mentioned.
To that in the same Chapter, ver. 17. where it is said, that Saint Paul in the Synagogue at Athens, foreign, disputed with the Iews and the worshippers.
To that Acts 16. 14. where Saint Paul preaching the Gospel in the Jews Proseucha, or Oratory at Philippi, a woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the City Thyatira, foreign, A proselyte worshipper, was converted unto the faith, and baptized with all her houshold.
In the like manner, to Acts 18. 4. when S. Paul is said at Corinth, to have reason'd in the Synagogues every Sabbath, and to have perswaded the Jews and the Greeks: For these Greeks were foreign, what did they in the Synagogues else so regularly every Sabbath day? True, the name of foreign is here wanting; But it presently follows, when the Jews opposed Paul, (there testifying Jesus to be Christ) and blasphemed; that he shook his rayment, and said, Your blood be on your own heads: From henceforth I will go to the Gentiles. And he departed thence, saith the text, and entred into the house of one Iustus, foreign, a Gentile-worshipper, whose house joyned hard to the Synagogue.
But above all, that narration Acts 13. deserves our consideration and attention: There ver. 43. it is said, that Saint Paul having preached the Gospel in the Jews Synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia, there followed him foreign, many of the Jews and worshipping Proselytes; and vers. 42. That when the Jews were gone out of the Synagogue, the Gentiles, that is, the foreign, besought the Apostles, that the same things might be preached unto them the next Sabbath; which being accordingly done, and many of the other Gentiles (who were not foreign) upon the same of such a new Doctrine, unwontedly assembling with them, it is said, that the Iews when they saw the multitude, were filled with envy, contradicted and blasphemed. That then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said; It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken unto you, but seeing you put it from you, and judge your selves unworthy of eternall life; Lo, we turn to the Gentiles; as the Lord saith, I have set thee to be a light to the Gentiles, &c. 48. That when the Gentiles heard this they were glad, and glorified the word of God, foreign that is, the foreign, who were already in procinctu, and in the posture to eternal life. The Jews blasphemed; the rest of the Gentiles were uncapable; onelyonly the foreign, (who were already Candidati vitae aeternae, having been instructed in the worship of the true God, and hoping for the reward to come) they beleeved: Yet perhaps not all of them neither, (the words require not *For foreign is often put for foreign, and the sense then but indefinite.so much) but that none but such: And it follows, that the Jews found out some foreign, worshipping women, such as were of fashion (who yet perhaps had not been at the Apostles Sermon) by whose means they stirred up the chief men in the City, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas. This I take to be the true and genuine meaning of this passage, upon which no charge of Pelagianism can be fastened; nor needeth it any spinous Criticisms for its explication. The use of the word foreign, de acie & collocatione Militum, de ascriptione in ordinem vel classem, (in which signification the passive is most frequent) is well enough known: foreign, Xenophon: In cam classem me ascribo. Plutarch, in Solone; foreign, In pauperum ordinem se redigit, inter pauperes se numerat: foreign, dicuntur milites, unde & foreign appellantur: foreign, est in numerum virorum ascribi. Compare the 1 Cor. 16. 15. foreign. According to which sense and notion, the words might be rendred, Crediderunt, quotquot nomina suae dederant vitae aeternae, or, [per Ellipsin Participii] Qui de agmine & classe fuerant sperantium, vel contendentium ad vitam aeternam: otherwise, Qui in procinctussabant ad vitam aeternam: or most fitly, (sensu modò militari) Quotquot ordinati fuer ant ad vitam aeternam. De re tota judicent viri docti, & à studio partium alieni.
Besides, it will not be impertinent, as a Mantissa to these quotations for foreign, to note that the same persons are otherwise (namely, twice) characterised by the title of foreign As first of Cornelius, concerning whom there is no question but he was a Gentile worshipper: The Text saith, There was a man in Caesarea, called Cornelius, a Centurion of the Italian Band, foreign, (i.) foreign. Again in that 13. of the Acts (whereon we have dwelt so long) S. Paul speaking at first to that mixt multitude assembled in the Synagogue, consisting partly of Jews, and partly foreign, he compellates them, verse 16. both distinctly in these words, foreign By the former, meaning the Jews; by the latter, the foreign, or Gentile worshippers.
Of this kinde of Converts (as I have in part already intimated) were in our Saviour and his Apostles time, very many in every Nation and City, where the Jews lived and had their Synagogues; yea, far more in number, then of that other sort of Proselytes which were circumcised. The reason being, because it was the more easie condition, and not so prejudiciall to their outward liberty, as the other; in as much, as they might notwithstanding still live, and converse with their friends, kindred, and Countrymen, bear office and enjoy honours among them, (as Naaman the Syrian did, who was of this kinde) which the other might not do.
These impediments being out of the way, the hope of the Resurrection from the dead, and the reward of the life to come, were powerfull inducements to draw many to the worship of that God, who onelyonly among the Gods *For since then, the Devil hath been Gods Ape.at that time, promised this reward to such as worshipped and served him, and no other, which was the bait wherewith the Jews allured them, and that to their own no small emolument; this kinde, as it were to recompence their want of Circumcision, seeming to be very bountifull towards their Nation, as may be gathered both from Cornelius, who is said to have given much alms to the people, (namely of the Jews;) And the Story of that Centurion, Luke 7. whom the Jews besought our Saviour so instantly for, alledging that he loved their Nation, and had built them a Synagogue, and therefore deserved that favour they sued for, on his behalf.
Now, out of this discourse (besides the clearing of the passages afore-mentioned,) we may learn two things: One, how so many of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Apostles, could so soon and so readily be converted to the faith of Christ. It was because they had already embraced the principles which led thereunto. For we are to take notice, that the foundation of the Church among the Gentiles, was laid of these foreign, who had already embraced the worship of the true God, had knowledge of his promises, beleeved and hoped for the life to come. For was not S. Peter (to whom the instructions for this Embassage were first given) sent first to Cornelius a Centurion, a Gentile, the first of this order? wherefore? but that this might be for a pattern for them, with what kinde of men they were first to deal in this great work; namely, with such as were idonei Auditores Euangelii; those which were puri puti Gentiles, being not so; as who knew nothing of the principles requisite thereto. This will appear, if we consider well the tenor of the Apostles Sermons, to such Gentiles as they converted; which we shall observe to presuppose that they already knew the true God, and the promise of eternall life, to such as worshiped him, and so had no more to learn, but the way and means now revealed by God, for attainment thereof, which was by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The other thing we may learn, is, what was the true state of the Question, which the Apostles met to decide in the Councell at Jerusalem; whether the Gentiles which beleeved in Christ, were to be circumcised or not, and so bound to keep the whole Law? It was this, to resolve (that, whereas all such as embraced the worship of the God of Israel, conformed to one of these two kindes of Proselytes) to whether of them the Gentiles, which had or should receive the Gospel of Christ, were to conform themselves, whether to the Proselytes of the Covenant, or to the foreign, and Proselytes of the Gate. Saint Peter standing up in the Councell, demonstrates it to be the will of God, that they should conform to the latter, and not to the first; and that upon this ground; because that Cornelius, the first Christened Gentile, unto whom himself was sent by Divine Commission, was no circumcised Proselyte, but a Proselyte of the Gate, or a foreign onelyonly; yet received he no Commission to circumcise him: Yea, the holy Ghost, as he was Preaching, fell upon him and his houshold, being uncircumcised, as it did upon those of the Circumcision: whereby it appeared, that God would have the rest of the Gentiles, which embraced the faith, to be after the pattern of Cornelius; and to have no more imposed upon them, then He had. And accordingly the Councel defines, That no other burden should be laid upon them, but onelyonly to abstain from pollution of Idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication: and as some copies *Together with Irenaeus twise, Lib. 3. cap. 12. Cyprian. … Lib. 3. Tistimon. in sine.have, foreign To do as they would be done to; that is, they should as foreign, observe the praecepta Filiorum Nohae, which here [by a foreign] are briefly reckoned up.
foreign.