A In Afia, and the Parts adjacent, where he founded the Churches of Smyrna, Pergamus, Thyatira, &c. but his principal Place of Refidence was at Ephefus, whereof he was Bishop.

Q. Was there no Chriftian Church there before he came ?

A. Yes; St. Paul had planted one in that City long before, and ordained Timothy Bishop thereof.

Q. Did he make any further Progress in his Travels?

A. Yes; he removed from thence more Eastward, and preached the Gospel of Christ amongst the Parthians.

Q. Did he meet with no Oppofition there?

A. Yes; his Enemies reprefented him to the Emperor Domitian as an A beift, and a Subverter of the established Religion of the Empire.

Q. What was the Confequence of that malicious Accufation?

A. By Order of his Imperial Majefty, the Proconful of Afia fent him bound to Rome. Q. What Treatment did he meet with there?

A. The most barbarous that could poffibly be devised: He was cast into a Cauldron of boiling or burning Oyl.

Q. Did he not immediately expire on the Infiction of that Punishment?

A. No; he was miraculously preferved by Divine Providence, as the three Hebrew

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Cap

Captives were of old, from the Flames of a Fiery Furnace.

Q. How did the Emperor behave, after he faw his tyrannical Intentions frustrated ? A. He fhewed no Regard to the Miracle, but immediately banished him into the Ifle of Patmos.

Q. How did he employ his Time there? A. In inftructing, for many Years together, the Inhabitants thereof in the Grounds and Principles of the Chriftian Religion; and in writing his Apocalypfe or Revelations.

Q. Was he ever recall'd from his State of Panishment?

A. Yes; foon after the Death of Domitian, by a fpecial Edict of his Succeffor Cocceius Nerva.

Q. What Courfe did he take after his Deliverance?

A. He returned into Afia, and fixed his Refidence once more at Ephefus.

Q. Was he as indefatigable as before, in the Establishment of the Church?

A. Yes, Timothy the former Bishop being dead, he took upon kim (with proper _Affiftants) the Government of that Diocefe, and erected feveral Oratories or Churches within its furifdiction.

Q. When did he write his Gofpel?

A. About the Year of our LORD 96, at the Request of the Afian Bishops.

Q. How old was he at that Time?

A. About

A. About 100 Years of Age.
Q. How long did he live after?

A. Till the Beginning of the Reign of the Emperor Trajan, which was near 20 Years. Q. In what Manner did he depart this Life? A. Some fay be died a Martyr, and others that he never died at all; but that he was tranflated as Enoch and Elias were of old. Q. What Writings did this Apoftle leave

behind him?

A. Befides his Gospel and Revelations, he wrote three Epiftles, one antiently infcrib'd to the Parthians; a fecond to a Lady of great Honcur and Diftinction, styled the Elect Lady; and a third to Gaius, a very bofpitable Man, and peculiarly indulgent to all indigent Chriftians.

LESSON V.

The Life of St. Peter.

Imon, otherwife called Peter, was born was at Bethfaida, a City of Galilee, fituate on the Banks of the Lake of Gennefaretb: He was the Son of Jonah, a poor illiterate Fisherman of that Place, and the Brother of St. Andrew. At his Circumcifion he received the Name of Simon or Simeon; to which our Saviour afterwards added that of Cephas, a Syriac Term, which fignifies a Rock or Stone

Stone; and from this laft Peter became his moft ufual Name; whereby our Saviour feem'd to allude to the Firmnefs of Peter's Faith, and his indefatigable Labours in the Eftablishment of the Church. He was inur'd to Hard/hips from his Infancy, and before his Call to the Apostleship, followed the fame mean and laborious Profeffion as his Father did before him. Andrew his Brother, being first acquainted with our bleffed Saviour, introduc'd him into his Company and Converfation. However, neither he nor his Brother were commanded by Christ to follow him at that Time; nor were they made Fishers of Men, till they were Eye-Witneffes of the Miracle which he wrought of a great Draught of Fishes. In his first Sermon after the Defcent of the Holy Gheft, he converted, as we have before obferved, about three thousand Souls. Some Time after, he punifhed Ananias and Sapphira with immediate Death for their fhameful Covetoufnefs, and their Aggravation thereof, by lying to the Holy Ghoft. His firft Miffion was into Samaria, in Order to vifit and confirm thofe Chriftians who had been converted there by Philip the Deacon; and to communicate tothem the Gift of the Holy Ghoft, by the Impofition of Hands. Simon Magus, a Sorcerer, being very defirous of having that divine Favour conferred on himself, prefumptuoufly offered to treat with the Apoftles about the Purchase of it; but was repulfed

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by Peter with the utmost Difdain, and difmifs'd with this fevere Reprimand, Thy Money perish with thee. By the exprefs Orders of Herod, he was afterwards imprifoned, ftrictly guarded, and loaded with Fetters; however, the Night before his intended Execution, he was fet at Liberty by an Angel of the LOR D. Soon after this miraculous Deliverance, he withdrew to Antioch, where he employ'd his whole Time. and Strength in making Profelytes to the Chriftian Religion, and, according to Eufebius, was the firft Bishop of that Place. After his Departure from thence, as he was the Apoftle of the Circumcifion, he preached the Gofpel to the Jews who were fcatter'd and difperfed all over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, and Afia. Towards the latter End of his Life he went to Rome, where he labour'd likewife, without ceafing, in the Establishment of the Chriftian Doctrine principally amongst the Jews. About the Year of our LORD fixty-nine, he was crucify'd with his Head downwards, by the inhuman Order of the Tyrant Nero. After his Death, his Body is faid to have been embalmed by Marcellinus the Presbyter, after the fewish Manner, and then buried in the Vatican, near the Triumphal Way, where there was a Church erected to his pious Memory, which at this Time is one of the Wonders of the World. He left only two Epiftles behind him that are genuine, and conftitute a Part of the Sacred Canon. L3