Hand of Power, in the Glory of the Father, that Acts vii. Acts vi. 5. Acts vi. CHAP. VI. SAINT STEPHEN.-DECEMBER 26. Q. WHAT Festival doth the Church celebrate this Day? A. That of the first Martyr, St. Stephen. Q. What Account is there of the Country and Kindred of this Holy Man? A. The Scripture gives us no particular Notice of either. That he was a Jew is unquestionable; he owns this in his Apology to the People; but whether born at Jerusalem, or among the dispersed in the Gentile Provinces, is impossible to determine. Antiquity reckoneth him, and that probably enough, among the seventy Disciples; and indeed his admirable Knowledge in the Christian Doctrine, and his singular Ability in proving Jesus to be the Messias, argue him to have been trained up under our Saviour's immediate Institutions for some considerable Time. Q. What Character do the Scriptures give us of St. Stephen? A. They describe him as a Man full of Faith and the Holy Ghost; which imply, that he had great Zeal and Piety, and that he was endowed with extraordinary Measures of that Divine Spirit that was lately shed upon the Church, and thereby peculiarly qualified for that Place of Honour and Usefulness he was advanced to. Q. What Function did St. Stephen exercise in the Church? A. The Office of a Deacon, which had its Original upon the Murmuring of the Grecians, who were probably Proselytes, Jews by Religion, and Gentiles by Descent, against the Hebrews, who were Jews both by Religion and Birth: That their Widows were Ver. 1. neglected in the daily Ministration, when Believers had all Things in common, and were supplied out of one Treasury: To prevent any Mismanagement for the future, the Apostles appointed seven Men of honest Ver. 3. Report, full of the Holy Ghost and of Wisdom, to superintend the Necessities of the Poor, to make daily Provision for their public Feasts, and to keep and distribute the Treasure of the Church, of which St. Stephen was one: whereby the Apostles had more Leisure to attend those Affairs that were more immediately serviceable to the Souls of Men. Q. Though the Care of the Poor was a main Part of the Deacon's Office, was it the whole? A. No: For had this been all, the Apostles needed not to have been so exact in their Choice of Persons, nor have used such solemn Rites of Consecration to ordain them to it. But the serving Tables implied also their Attendance at the Table of the Lord's Supper; for in those Days their Agape, or Love Feasts, where Rich and Poor sat down together, were at the same Time with the holy Eucharist, and both administered every Day; so that their Ministration respected the one and the other, and thus we find it was the Practice in the Primitive Church afterwards; besides, they were allowed to preach and Acts viii. baptize, as is plain by Philip the Deacon, who did 12. both. Q. How were the first Deacons ordained to their Office. A. Seven Men of good Report, full of Wisdom and the Holy Ghost, were by the People presented Acts vi. 5. to the Apostles; who first made their Address to Heaven for a Blessing upon their Undertaking, and then laid their Hands upon them; an ancient Symbolic Rite of Investiture and Consecration to any extraordinary Office. Q. Who were those that opposed and disputed with St. Stephen? Ver. 9. Ver. 10. Ver. 11. Ver. 13. 14. Acts vii. Ver. 37. A. Several of the Members of five Synagogues, of which there were very many at Jerusalem, established for expounding the Law, and for Prayer. In some Apartments joining to these, were Schools or Colleges for the Instruction and Education of Youth, which being built by Jews, who were Foreigners, were called after the Name of their Countries. But notwithstanding their Subtilty and Learning, they were not able to resist the Wisdom and the Spirit by which he spake. Q. Being baffled in this Attempt, what Method did they take to suppress the Doctrine he taught? A. They suborned Men of profligate Consciences to undermine him by false Accusations; that so he might fall a Sacrifice to their Spite and Malice, and that by the Hand of public Justice. Q. What did these false Witnesses depose against him? 4. That they had heard him speak blasphemous Words against Moses, and against God; that he should threaten the Ruin of the Temple, and the Abolition of the Mosaic Rites; and blasphemously affirm, that Jesus of Nazareth should take away that Religion, which had been established by Moses, and by God himself. Q. What was the Sum of St. Stephen's Defence? A. That if they looked back to their Forefather Abraham, they would find that God chose him to be a Father of the Faithful when he lived among Idolatrous Nations; and that he served God acceptably without those external Rites they laid so great Stress upon. And when he entered into Covenant with him, he made Use of no Ceremony but that of Circumcision; and that without any other fixed Rite but this, the succeeding Patriarchs worshipped God for several Ages, till the Time of Moses, who was appointed by God to conduct them out of the House of Bondage, who had foretold, that God would raise up to them a Prophet like unto him, and that they should hear him. That when their Fathers lapsed into Idolatry, God commanded Moses to set up a Tabernacle, as a place of public Worship; which, after some Years, gave Place to a standing Temple, designed by David, but built by Solomon; which, though stately, was not absolutely necessary, from the Nature of that infinite Being they worshipped. And that therefore there could not be that Necessity for those Mosaic Rites they pretended; especially since they were designed to last but for a Time; but that it was their refractory Humour, as it had been their Ancestors, to resist the Acts vii. 5. Holy Ghost, and to persecute and slay those Prophets that foretold the Coming of the Messias, the Holy One, of whom they had been the Betrayers and Murderers, without any Regard to that Law he came to fulfil. Q. How did the Judges bear his Defence? A. They expressed all Signs of Rage and Fury, their Consciences being stung with the Truths he delivered; which prevented the Application he designed to make. However, regardless of their Resentment, he fixed his Eyes and Thoughts upon Heaven, and saw the Glory of God, and Jesus stand-Ver. 56. ing at the Right Hand of God; the affirming of which made his Adversaries now take it for granted that he was a Blasphemer; and thereupon resolve his Death, without any farther Process. Q. How did St. Stephen suffer Martyrdom? A. He was stoned; which was one of the four Punishments among the Jews inflicted for great and enormous Crimes, as Blasphemy, Idolatry, &c. The Witnesses, whose Hands were to be first upon him, putting off, according to Custom, their upper Garments, laid them down at Saul's feet, while the ver. 58. holy Saint was upon his Knees, recommending his Soul to God, and praying for his Murderers, that Ver. 60. the Guilt of his Death might not be laid to their Charge; and in this Manner, copying the Example of his Master, he fell asleep. The miraculous Conversion of St. Paul was a Proof of the Efficacy of St. Stephen's dying Prayers; and of that gracious F Favour with which God was pleased to hear him. Q. What became of his Body? A. It was carried by devout Men to be buried: who, from a Sense of the Loss of so pious and good a Man, made great Lamentation for him. Q. What may we learn from the Observation of this Festival? A. That a firm Belief and Persuasion of another Life, is the great Support of a good Man under the Sufferings of this. That when Malice and Cruelty combine to deter Men from the Profession of the Truth, by inflicting the most barbarous Torments, the good Providence of God often makes them ineffectual, by assisting his faithful Servants with an extraordinary Communication of his Grace. That no Opposition or Calumny from bad Men should discourage Christians from doing all the Good they can That we ought to summon up all our Courage and Resolution, when we are engaged in the Defence of God's Cause, always remembering that Patience and Moderation best become the Advocates of Truth. That though good Men when they die, depart into a State of Happiness, yet they are a Loss to the World, which we may justly lament, being deprived of the Advantages of their edifying Example. That we should be ready to forgive all the Injuries and Affronts we receive from others, and by practising it in ordinary Provocations, to prepare ourselves for the Exercise of it in greater. That if we will distinguish ourselves to be the Disciples of Jesus, we must love our Enemies, bless them that curse us, and pray for them that despitefully use us, and persecute us, a Perfection of Charity peculiar to the Gospel Institution, in which St. Stephen copied the Example of his blessed Master, which we might have thought impossible to have been imitated, if the Saint of this Day had not convinced us of the contrary. Q. Since the Love of Enemies is a Duty peculiar to the Christian Institution, wherein does it consist? A. In bearing a sincere Affection towards our Enemies, though they are malicious and implacable |