faw them and used them as the most facred concealed Record of Christianity; and that the Author of the Synopfis facra Scriptura, contemporary with Origen, as I fuppofe, knew of thefe Clementines, as Apocriphal or concealed, but in Part inspired Books of the New Testament. Of both which last fee the Collection of Authentick Records, Page 695, and 703-707. That when the Churches of Ethiopia were fettled in the Days of Athanafius, they were then eight Books, as they are now, and in the fame Order as they are now: See Primitive Christianity Reviv'd, Vol. III. Page 520-564. That when Didymus, or whoever was the Author of the Counterfeit Works of Dionyfius the Areopagite, wrote his Books; they were then a Book also, is they now are; but ftill a Book concealed with the Bishops, and only epitomiz'd for the Ufe of the People. See the fame Volume, Page 564-580. That when the Difpute happened between the Church and the Audians, in the Days of Epiphanius, they were a Book, frequently acknowledged by both Parties, to be really Apoftolical, and in those Parts feem to have been a publick Book alfo. See the fame Volume, Page 585-604. That yet it was 150 Years or more after that Time, before it became a publick Book in other Parts of the Chriftian World; or was freely cited as fuch by any Writers now extant: All which appears by the Evidence refer'd to. So that the main Question with me is plainly this; not whether thefe Conftitutions be really genuine, canonical, and apoftolical, which feems to me perfectly undeniable: But how it

has

has come to pass that fuch important Records, for certain genuine, canonical, and apoftolical, fhould be transmitted down, not as a publick Record, but rather as private or concealed Books of the New Teftament. Of which true State of this Matter, fee what I have faid in St. Clement's and St. Irenæus's Vindication of thefe Conftitutions, Page 43-48, and chiefly in the Collection of Authentick Records, Page 88-92.

N. B. It may not be improper to give an Account here of a Converfation I had with Bishop Burnet, foon after the Publication of my four Volumes; concerning the third of thofe Volumes, wherein I afferted and proved thefe Conftitutions to be really genuine and apoftolical; Mr. Benjamin Hoadley (now Bishop) had informed me, that the Bishop was furprized, that one of my Sagacity should believe fo: Whereupon I waited on the Bishop, and defired to know his Reasons against them: His Lordship replied, that he had some Reasons against them, but did not now remember them. However, he foon recollected one of thofe Reafons, viz. the Drynefs and Dulness of the Prayers. To which I anfwered, that his Lordship greatly furprized me by faying fo: Since I thought all that perused them allowed they were among the best Prayers now in the World. The Bishop faid farther, in Excufe for his prefent Unacquaintedness with fuch Matters of Antiquity, (which Mr. Hoadley had hinted to me already,) that 'twas thirty Years ago fince he read ! over the three first Centuries; which well agrees with his Notes, which I have by me, on the first

and

..

and fecond Canons of the Apostles, printed A. D. 1673; and with his Son's Account of his Life; where he informs us, that for four Years and a half at Glasgow, from 1669, to 1673, he, every other Thursday, " Explained fome Portion of the "Ritual and Conftitution of the Primitive Church; "making the Apoftolical Canons his Text, and reducing every Article of Practice under the "Head of one of those Canons."

N. B. As a Poftfcript to my Account of the Convocation's Proceedings, I made this Year 1711, A Reply to the Confiderations on my Hiftorical Preface, written by Dr. Knight, of St. Sepulchre's, a learned and pious Man. And to the Premonition to the Reader thereto prefixed, written by the not lefs pious, but much more learned and judicious Dr. Lee, 8vo, Price of the whole Pamphlet 1 s.

The fame Year, 1711, a little before the Publica tion of my four Volumes, I printed an half Sheet, intituled Animadverfions on the New Arian Reprov'd, which had been publifhed by Dr. Smallbroke; it is to be found among my Collection of small Tracks, belonging to my five Volumes.

Before this Year, 1711 was out, I published my principal Work, Primitive Chriftianity Reviv'd, in four Volumes 8vo.

Vol. I. Containing the Epiftles of Ignatius, both larger and smaller, in Greek and English.

Vol. II. The Apoftolical Conftitutions, in Greek and English.

Vol. III.

!

Vol. III. An Effay on thofe Apoftolical Conftitutions, to prove them genuine.

Vol. IV. An account of the Primitive Faith, concerning the Trinity and Incarnation. Price 1 l. 8 s. Vol. I. The Epiftles of Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, both larger and smaller, in Greek and in Englih: With the various Readings from all the MSS. [divided now into Verfes.]

To which is prefixed an Hiftorical Preface, including the Accounts of the Universities and Convocations Proceedings with Relation to the Author. With a Supplement, and Poftfcript. As also a Preliminary Differtation, proving that the Larger Copies of Ignatius's Epiftles are alone genuine : And the smaller only Heretical Extracts from them, made in the fourth Century. To which Preface is prefixed the Apologetick of Eunomius intire, in English.

N. B. The Name of each Epiftle is to be added at the top of each Page hereafter.

Vol. II. The Conftitutions of the Holy Apoftles by Clement, in Greek and English: With the various Readings from all the MSS. [divided now into Verses.]

N. B. The Number of the Books is wanting at the top of each Page, till the VIIth Book: Nor are the Breadths of the Greek and English Columns well adjufted to one another. The Greek being usually a little too narrow, and the English a little too wide; which may be prevented, with a little Care, in fucceeding Editions. O

N. B..

N. B. We have in Conftitutions V. 17. An Aftronomical Determination of the Place of the Vernal Equinox, when the fecond Rule for finding Eafter was promulgated; viz. That it then fell on the 22d. of Dyftrus or March; which within about 134 Years, or rather the greater Part of them only, determine it to have been about A. D. 135. Which was the firft proper Time when this Rule could take Place, upon the Deftruction of the Church of the Jews at Jerufalem, by Adrian; when the Equinox was leaving the 2 3d, and coming upon the 22d Day of March. As the Aftronomical Observations, and Tables agree. Now fince the firft Rule belonging to the original Copies of the Conftitutions, ftill preferv'd in Epiphanius, was wond pórepov, much ancienter than this fecond Rule; as we learn from Eufebius and Epiphanius; that first Rule, and the Conftitutions to which it belonged, must have been much ancienter than A. D. 135, or before the fecond Century began. But what ftrongly confirms this Rule as really Apoftolical, or rather as really deriv'd from our Lord himself, is the Denomination which the learned Anatolius gave it, when about A. D. 270. he ftiles its Contents in the plaineft Words as poffible Κυριακας Αποδείξεις The Lords own Demonftrations; tho' none of the Tranflators or Criticks durft fo understand them: For had they fo done they must have confeffed that the latest of these Conftitutions was not only of Apoftolical, but of Divine Authority, in the Opinion of Anatolius.

III. An

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