OF The CATECHISM. F what Parentage and Country was A. He was born, as fome imagine, at Capernaum, or, according to others, at Bethfaida in Galilee, and was the Son of Zebedee, a Fisherman of fome Credit and Repute. Q. Was he any ways related to our bleffed Saviour? A. Yes; his Mother Salome was Coufin German to the Virgin Mary. Q. When did St. James and his Brother John become our Saviour's Difciples? A. At the Time when JESUS law them mending their Nets in the Sea of Galilee, Q. What Name or Title did JESUS give them, after their Admiffion to the Apoftoli cal Office ? A. That of Boanerges, or Sons of Thunder. Q. What did our Saviour feem to allude to by that Denomination? A. Their extraordinary Warmth and Zerl in the Delivery of their Doctrines. Q. Was that Heat of their Difpofition approv'd of, and commended by him? A. No; on the contrary, be rebuked them for it, as being repugnant to the mild and gentle Nature of the Gospel Difpenfation. Q. Did they meet with his Reproof for other Act of Indifcretion? any A. Yes; for their being over-follicitous of Preferment in his Service. Q. Where did St. James preach after our Saviour's Afcenfion? A. In Judea, and the Parts adjacent. Q. Where did he exercise his Apoftolical Function towards the latter End of his Life? A. At Jerufalem. Q. What Treatment did he meetwith there? A. He was, on the Accufation of one falfe Witness only, caused to be apprehended by Herod, then Governour of that City, and was afterwards, by his exprefs Order, imprifon'd and bebeaded. Q. How did he behave himfelf at the Time of his Trial? A. With unshaken Constancy and Refolution. Q. What was the Confequence thereof? A. His Accufer, confcious of his own Guilt, and the Apostle's Innocence, begged for Forgiveness. Q. Did St. James forgive him at his first Request? A. Yes; and embracing him, faid, Peacebe unto thee. Q. What fupernatural Influence had that condefcending Goodness over him? A. He became an immediate Convert, and publickly profeffing himself a Christian, was bebeaded with him. LES LESSON IX. The Life of St. Philip. Aint Philip was born at Bethfaida in Galilee, a Town fituate near the Sea of Tiberias. Who his Parents were, or what Employment he principally purfu'd, can't juftly be determin'd, fince the Gofpel is filent in both these Particulars; 'tis generally conjectured, however, that he was a Fisherman by Profeffion, as most of the Inhabitants of that Place were. He had the peculiar Privilege of being firft called by our Saviour to the Office or Dignity of the Apoftolate; with which Command he readily complied, notwithstanding he had feen no Miracle to convince him that JESUS was the expected Meffiab. What Part of the World fell by Allotment to the Care and Government of this Apoftle, we have no very certain or authentic Account; but 'tis a very probable Conjecture, that Upper Afia was his peculiar Province. There, as we are inform'd, he was indefatigable in the Propagation of the Gofpel; and by the Power of his Preaching, and the Miracles he wrought, prevailed on a great Number of the Inhabitants to become. Converts to the Chriftian Faith. Towards the latter End of his Life, he remov'd from thence thence to Hierapolis, a rich and populous City of Phrygia; where the Natives were fo ftupid, and funk fo far into Idolatry, as to pay divine Adoration to a Serpent or Dragon of a prodigious Bignefs: St. Philip, however, by his ardent Prayers to Heaven on that Occafion, either accomplishing the total Deftruction of that famous Idol, or at leaft procuring its abfolute Difappearance, convinced great Numbers of the Sin and Folly of their blind and fuperftitious Worship, and prevailed on them, by his pious Difcourfes, to embrace his Doctrines. The Magiftrates of Hierapolis were incens'd to the last Degree at the Succefs Chriftianity met with amongst the People; and in Order to put a Stop to the Progrefs of it, determin'd to put Philip to death. As a preliminary Punishment, they caufed him to be feverely fcourg ed; and to compleat their Refentment, either crucify'd him immediately afterwards; or, as fome Hiftorians affert, hung him up by the Neck against a Pillar. He left no Writings in Reality behind him; for the Gofpel which the Gnoftics afcrib'd to him, was a fpurious Piece of their own forging, in Order to give a Sanction to their vile Principles, and more abominable Practices. The CATECHISM. QF what Parentage and Country was St. Philip? A. He A. He was born at Bethfaida in Galilee ; but who his Parents were, or what Profeffion be followed, is not eafily to be determin'd; fince the Golpel is filent in both Refpects. Q. What peculiar Privilege had he above the reft of the Apostles? A. To be the first called by our Saviour to the Honour and Dignity of the Apoftleship. Q. Did St. Philip readily accept of our LOR D's Invitation? A. Yes; notwithstanding he had feen no Miracle to convince him that Jesus was the Meffias. Q. What Part of the World fell by Allotment to the Share of this Apostle? A. The upper Afia, where he was indefatigable in the Propagation of the Gofpel; and by the Prevalence of his Preaching, and his Miracles be converted great Numbers to the Chriftian Faith. - Q. To what Place did he remove towards the latter End of his Life? A. To Hierapolis in Phrygia. Q. How did he employ his Time there? A. In making Profelites of the Inhabitants. who were shamefully addicted to Idolatry. Q. Did he work any Miracle as a Motive to their Conviction? A. Yes; by his ardent Prayers to Heaven, be either procur'd the Deflruction of their favourite Idol, or its total Difappearance. Q. What was that Idol ? |