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These are the interpretations put on this word by some of the ancients. A certain modern professor, (whose opinion concerning those early compositions, we have had already occasion to quote*, and to whose testimony on this and other several points, we shall take the liberty of appealing in the course of the following pages) seems to have entertained an opinion, that those early narratives contained several idle stories, which might have prejudiced Theophilus against the Christian Religiont. What is the true import of this word we shall perhaps be better qualified to judge, after the whole sentence has been examined. Let us now then proceed to examine the remaining parts of this sentence.

The subsequent hints with which Luke has furnished us, respecting those early compositions, seem to relate to these three points: the arrangement observable in them, the nature of the contents, and the credibility of the persons, from whom the authors of those early compo-. sitions derived their information.

As to the first, Luke says επεχείρησαν αναταξσθαι διηγησιν. Now what else can he have meant by this, but that they endeavoured to set forth in order a declaration" of the facts, which they undertook to relate? The word avaTagala surely does not imply much less. The next particular which he has recorded of them is this, that the nynois which they undertook to arrange, was mig περι Το πεπληριστ Φορημένων - εν ημίν πραγμάτων ; and what does this mean, if not, that the things which they undertook to record, were the very things which were "most surely" believed by Christians in general, as having been said and done by our Lord. Some, we find, are inclined to doubt § whether Theophilus ought to be considered among the believers here spoken of: but as the Evangelist addresses himself to no other person but Theophilus, and uses the plural pronoun of the first person, why should we not think that he meant to include Theophilus in the number of those, who, together with himself, were firmly persuaded of the truth of their reports? The last * See note* Mag. for April. p. 247.

+ Michaelis Introduct. vol. iii. part 1 p.

Ad verbum de rebus quæ inter nos fuerunt prorsus certificatæ, vel certioratæ," neque enim possum Græcum vocabulum TangoPogeiobai, altero Latino explicare. BEZA. " Fullness of evidence, not confidence, with which they were believed." Doddridge. In this sense it occurs, 4 Tim. iv. 5.

§ Michaelis, vol. iii. p. 237, 253.

noticed,

circumstance which Luke has suggested, viz. xałwę wageSorav nivo, &c. seems to relate to each of those already δοσαν noticed, viz. that the particulars recorded by the many were those very things which the eye-witnesses had delivered to Luke, Theophilus, and Christians in general, and that they were arranged" even as" the eye-witnesses had delivered them. It moreover seems to intimate, that Luke considered the many as being on a level with himself, and that those things which they had undertaken to record, were the very same which had been previously communicated, either to believers in general, by the eye-witnesses and others, or, to the many in particular, as well as himself, by those who had been about the person of the Aoyos from the beginning. To believers in general, however, more probably, since it would perhaps deserve to be considered as rather a licentious way of interpreting scripture to understand the same number and case of the same personal pronoun here, and in the verse immediately preceding, in a different sense; that is, as denoting believers in general in the preceding part of the same sentence, and the order of Evangelists in particular in the subsequent part. But whether the pronoun is to be understood in the second instance, as denoting believers in general, as well as in the first, or only the collective body of Evangelists, it may be remarked, that on the former supposition,, it would not be very easy to assign a reason why Theophilus, to whom alone St. Luke addresses himself, should not be considered as one of the party; and on the latter, that all cause of distinction between Luke and the many, as far as the credibility of their respective performances is concerned, would, in the opinion of some, be pretty well removed.

This seems to be not far from the sum of all Luke has advanced, concerning those numerous early gospel writers. The subject was introduced merely with a view to introduce his own motive for writing, which, by means of this short preamble, is exhibited to his friend's notice in a proper light, if he derived any encouragement from the example of others. It relates only to the contents of the gospels written by the many; it would be absurd to suppose that any part of it has a direct reference to the contents of Luke's own gospel, and much more to his history of the acts of the Apostles. Indeed it. would have been unnecessary to observe this, if a mo

dern

dern commentator had not thus applied the meaning of the word πεπληροφορημένων *.

Aaye. The evangelist here speaks of those who had become απ' αρχής αυτοπται και υπηρεται το λογο. Now what else can he mean by this, but that they who had furnished himself and the many, with the materials which they had undertaken to arrange, had, from the beginning, been eyewitnesses of, and attendants on Christ? Surely, they were as certainly αυτοπται το λογs as υπήρεται το λογοτ. And yet we find Michaelis has positively asserted, that the word by no where occurs in the New Testament in this sense, except in the writings of St. Johnt.

EXTRACTS.

Some Account of the Protestant Missions in the East-Indies for the Year 1804. From the last Report of the Society "For promoting Christian Knowlege.

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INCE the publication of the last account, several letters have been received from the Missionaries, 'theleading particulars of which are included in the following abstracts.

The Rev. Mr. Pazold, in a letter dated 19th Feb. 1804, states that the Madras writers, having received an order to quit the college of Fort William at the expiration of that month, Lord Wellesley had directed that he should proceed with them to the presidency of Madras; and therefore that he was preparing for his departure. Government had promised to grant him a free passage; and he purposed to return again to his station in the Vepery

This refers not only to things believed, but also to things performed by Christ and his apostles. This first treatise being designed to meution the things which Jesus himself said or did. 1 Acts 1. as they were alivered by the Apostles, who had been with Christ from the beginning. John xv. 27. 1 Acts, 21, which the Seventy were not; his second, to declare the Acts of the Apostles, &c. Whitby.

Some bave conjectured, that Aoy here signifies Christ, &c. perhaps it may. Doddridge.

"If we except the writings of St. John, the word Aoy is no where used, either in the Old or New Testament, to denote a person.* Mich. vol. iii. p. 280.

mission

Mission, and recommence the Tamulian Divine service. He complains that the allowance to the Missionaries, who have no other means of support, is insufficient to supply their wants. The late Mr. Gerické, whom a kind Providence had blessed in a very extraordinary manner, with the goods of this world, had liberally supplied the wants of the poor, and of his colleagues in the Mission; and to him Mr. Pæzold acknowledges that he had been very greatly indebted for support, from time to time, to the utmost of his power. He prays God to comfort and strengthen him under all difficulties; and soon to raise up another faithful, and more able minister, for the enJargement of his kingdom.

Mr. Pæzold, in another letter dated at Vepery, 30th Sept. 1804, mentions his arrival at Vepery from Calcutta, after a long and unpleasant passage on the 16th of August, 1804; and that, contrary to expectation, he had found Mr. Rottler of Tranquebar, and his family, residing in the late Mr. Gerické's house, who had received both him and his family in the kindest manner. Mr. Rottler had immediately made room for them, and removed from that to another house, belonging to the widow of Mr. Gerické. Without delay, he began to assist Mr. Rottler in the Tamulian (Malabar), Portugueze, and English Congregations, and continued so to do. About two months before Mr. Pazold's return to Vepery, Mr. Rottler had been appointed secretary to the Orphan School, or Female Asylum, a station heretofore held by Mr. Gerické, with a salary of 201. sterling per month; which appointment, he apprehended, would most probably have been tendered to him, if it had been possible for him to return sooner. He again urges the society to take into consideration the circumstances of a Missionary, in those parts, who has only 1001. per annum to support him and his family, European articles, and the country provisions,were rising in price, year after year, and at an enormous rate. If Mr. Gerické had not left his property to the Church, the Ve pery Mission must soon have been given up; the interest of that property being still insufficient, although the sum paid every month, out of Mr. Gerické's estate, to the Mission servants, catechists and schoolmasters, charity children, widows, orphans, and other poor, amounted to 431. sterling, and consequently to 5161. per annum, agreeably to evidence in his hands.

Mr. John Hunter, the late Mr. Gerické's son-in-law, Vol. XI. Churchm. Mag. July 1806. F

had

had discharged Mr. Pazold's salary, to the end of the year 1803. The secretary's letter of that year to Mr. Gerické, enclosing the bill upon Government for the payment of the salaries, gratuities, &c. to the several Missionaries, had been opened at the Mauritius, whither the Indiaman taken by the French had been carried; but as those papers could be of no advantage to the French Government, they had very civilly sent them to Madras, with many other private letters. The stores and Missionaries allowances for the current year had not then been received; and apprehensions were entertained of their being captured by the French Admiral Linois, then cruising in the Bay of Bengal; by which rout, he feared, the stores might have been conveyed.

The annual salaries and gratuities having been continued to Mr. Pazold, during his absence at Calcutta from the Vepery Mission, and received on his return thither, the Society suspended the consideration of an increase of aliowance to a future time.

A letter from the Rev. Mr. John Peter Rottler, Missionary at Tranquebar, dated at Vepery, 29 Sep. 1804, details the circumstances which had determined him to continue at Vepery, since his arrival there in the preceding December, with the exception only of a short absence, in order to arrange some of his concerns at Tranquebar. The repeated demand of the destitute Congregation there, after the death of Mr. Gerické, when it was still uncertain whether Mr. Pæzold would leave Calcutta, and again take charge of the Vepery Mission, had determined his brethren, at the other Missions, to send him thither as the only one who could be spared to perform the necessary duties of the Mission. On his arrival at Vepery, he began to perform Divine Service in the Malabar Congregation, as well as in that of the Portugueze; and during the Christmas season, he had administered the Holy Sacrament in the former Congregation to 55 persons, and in the latter to 34. For the English service, he had had assistance from the Rev. Mr. Ball, Cone of the Hon. Company's Chaplains) who was then at Madras; and on his removal to Trichiuapally, he had himself read prayers and preached in English, for the first time, on the first Sunday in Lent He had likewise attended to the English and Malabar schools, and had preached at the Mount, baptized several children, and administered the Sacrament to 17 persons of the Malabar

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