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23. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or

unbelievers, will they not say that ye are

mad?

23. And verily, you ought to A. D. 57; be cautious how you exercise thefe Gifts in publick, for your own and the Church's Credit. For fuppofe a Heathen Stranger fhould come into any of your Congregations, and hear you teaching and praying, what neither he nor your own People understand a Word of; would not the Man and think your Religion ridiculous

take you to be mad,
and enthufiaftical?
24. But if all pro-
phefie, and there come
in one that believeth
not, or one unlearned,
he is convinced of all,
he is judged of all.
25. And thus are.
the fecrets of his heart
made manifeft; and
fo falling down on his
that God is in you of a truth.

26. How is it then, brethren when ye come together, every one of you hath a pfalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath

an interpretation. Let

all things be done to edifying.

now give you, viz.

27. If any man fpeak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the moft by three, and that by course; and let one

interpret.

24 & 25. Whereas if you took Care to have ail fuch infpired Difcourfes understood or interpreted, the Man might be so affected and ftruck by the Power and Prevalency of them, as to be converted, and own and declare your Religion to be undoubtedly true. face, he will worship God, and report

26. In fine, therefore, to pre-
vent all Inconveniences, and to
attain the true Ends of your spi-
ritual Endowments, I advise you,
that when you affemble together,
one prepared with one Kind of
Gift, another with another, you

do not exercife them in a con-
fufed or vain-glorious Manner
but obferve the particular Rules I

27. Let not above two or three Perfons fpeak in an unknown Language at one Meeting; let them fpeak each in his Turn, and each have an Interpreter to explain his Meaning to the Congregation.

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29. Let the prophets fpeak two or three, and let the other judge.

28. And he that has Nobody prefent able to interpret his Language for him, ought to be filent for that Time; let him utter himself privately between God

and himself.

29. Of fuch as are infpired to expound any prophetical Passages, let not above two or three expound at one Meeting; and let the reft that are fo infpired, fit to judge and examine what they say.

30. If any thing be
revealed to another
that fitteth by, let the
firft hold his peace.
let him ftay till the

31. For ye may
all
prophefie one by one,
that all may learn, and
all may be comforted.

32. And the fpirits of the prophets are fubject to the prophets.

30. And if any of them be infpired with a still more full and compleat Sense of the Paffage the Preacher is fpeaking upon; yet other has finished his Difcourfe.

31. And thus you may all regularly take your Turns, and the Church will lofe none of your Inftructions and Exhortations.

32. A Method you may eafily conform to; for the Infpirations of the Holy Ghoft are not like thofe diabolical Poffeffions of the Heathen Priests, raging, enthufiaftick, and ungovernable; but calm and fober, and capable of a regular Restraint by such as are actuated by them,

33. For God is not the author of confufion, but of peace, as in all churches of the

33. (For the Spirit that infpires you, is the Spirit of that God who is the God of Peace and Order, but never the Author of Confufion) and that you may exercise his Gifts in this orderly Manner, is plain from the like Ex

faints.

ercife

* Ver. 30. O real© arya¶w, Let the first bold his Peace, i. e. Let him finish before the new Prophet begin. Which feems a much more agreeable Sense than what our Translation feems to fuggeft to the Reader. And the following Verfe confirms it.

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ercise of them in all other * Chriftian Churches, as I A. D. 57. have accordingly appointed them to do.

34. Let your women keep filence in the churches for it is not permitted unto them to fpeak; but they are commanded to be under obedience,

as also faith the law.

Law of God and

35. And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a fhame for women to speak in the church.

34. Let your Women be permitted only to tfing infpired Hymns, or utter infpired Prayers in the Affemblies of Worship, and not preach or difpute with any Body there by way of Inftruction; for that is not agreeable to their State of Subjection by the Nature.

+ Gen. iii. 35. And if they have a Mind 16. to argue upon any Thing that is spoken in publick, for their further Information, let them do it with their Husbands or Teachers at home, for it is very indecent for a Woman to ufurp the Office

of Men in the publick Congregation.

36. What came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only ?

36. And I would have those among you that practise contrary to these my Injunctions, and to the Methods of other Churches, remember they are no Standards to the reft of the Chriftian World; the reft of the Churches were not beholden to Corinthian Teachers for their Chriftianity, but they to fome of them, viz. to the Churches of Judæa.

37. If any man think himself to be a prophet,

37. Let all your Teachers therefore that pretend to spiritual Gifts,

and

* Ver. 33. Ὡς ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις, As in_all Churches of the Saints, i. e. as may be seen (viz. That GoD is the God of Order) in all Churches-or elfe, Thus I appoint in all other Churches. I chufe the second rather than the firft; but I chufe to exprefs both in the Paraphrafe. And if the former be the Senfe, 'tis moft natural to refer it to the 32d Verfe, and include the first Branch of this Verfe in a Parenthefis.

+ Ver. 34. See Chap. xi. 5, 13. which is reconciled to this Place by the Paraphrafe.

A. D. 57. phet, or fpiritual, let
him acknowledge that
the things that I write
unto you, are the
commandments of
the Lord.

38. But if any man
be ignorant, let him
be ignorant.
and wilful Ignorance.

and would prefer themselves to others, be tried by this Rule, Whether or no they will own my Advice to be the true Will of Chrift.

38. He that will not, I have no more to fay to him; let him take the Effects of his obftinate

39. Wherefore,bre- 39. To conclude my Argument thren, covet to pro- then. Remember that though I phefie, and forbid not value all spiritual Gifts very much, to speak with tongues. and this of fpeaking divers Languages among the reft; yet, I fay, the only Way to make it useful is, to explain and interpret your Difcourses to the People. 40. Let all things be done decently, and in order.

40. Take my Advice, and perform all your publick Offices with Decency, Order, and Regularity.

CHAP. XV.

The CONTENTS.

The next Query, concerning the abfolute Certainty of the future State, and of the Refurrection of the Body. Some Jewish Converts were perplexed with Objections against the former by their Teachers, that had been of the Sadducaical Part. The Gentile Converts were attacked with Difficulties about the latter, by the Speculations of their philofophical Teachers. The Apoftle eftablishes the Truth of both thefe Points upon the Fact of Chrift's Refurrection, laying down the Evidences that prove it. The Disbelief of a future State, utterly inconfiftent with the Belief of Christ's Refurrection, and with the Nature and Defign of our Baptifmal Profeffion; and difannuls the Faith, and fruftrates all the Sufferings of Chriftian People. This against the Sadducaical Chriftians, to Verfe 35. Then be anfwers

the

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the philofophical Objections against the Refurrection of
the Body, to Verfe 45. where he turns to the Jewish
Objectors again, fhewing the Neceffity of believing this
Point, from the Analogy between the first and fecond
Adam, to Verfe 51. Then declares the glorious Change
the Bodies of good Chriftians fhall undergo at the Refur-
rection, in order to qualify them for the heavenly and
immortal State.

1. Moreover, bre

thren, I de

clare unto you the
gospel which I preach-
ed unto you, which
alfo you have receiv-
ed, and wherein ye

ftand;
first converted, and
2. By which also ye
are faved, if ye keep
in memory what I
preached unto you,
unless ye have be-
lieved in vain.

3. For I delivered
unto you first of all,
that which I alfo
received, how that
Chrift died for our
fins according to the

fcriptures.:
4. And that he was

I.

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S to the Disputes among 4. D. 57. you about the Certainty of the future State, and the Refurrection of the Body, I muft defire you to recollect and confider the main Points of Chriftianity I firft inftructed you in, on the Proof whereof you were at muft yet rely upon for Salvation.

2. Which if you have forgotten, or now disbelieve, you have loft the chief Foundation of your Chriftian Faith.

3 & 4. Now thofe chief † Ar-
ticles were thofe of the Death of
Chrift for our Redemption from
Sin and Death; his Burial and
Refurrection according to the Scrip-
ture Prophecies concerning the
MESSIAH. ‡

buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the
Scriptures:

5. And that he was feen of Cephas, then

of the twelve.

6. After

5 & 6. For Demonftration of which laft Article, I appealed to, thofe Eye-Witnesses that saw him

after

Ver. 2. Unless ye have believed in vain. 'Exlós ei μý-
But if not, ye have believed in vain.

† 'Ev @glois, First of all, or as the chief and principal

Points.

Ver. 4. The third Day according to the Scriptures. See
Bishop Chandler's Defence of Chriftianity, &c. Page 370.

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