CHAPTER VIII.

Interview the Fourth.-Peter at Antioch. -Deputies to Antioch from Jerusalem, Judas and Silas.— Paul disagrees with Peter and Barnabas, quits Antioch, and on a Missionary Excursion takes with him Silas. What concerns the Partition Treaty, down to this Period, reviewed.-Peter and the Apostles justified.

SECTION 1.

PAUL'S ACCOUNT OF THIS INTERVIEW QUOTED.— ACTS ACCOUNT OF WHAT FOLLOWED UPON IT.

We now come to the last of the four different and more or less distant occasions on which a personal intercourse, in some way or other, is recorded as having had place, between Paul on the one part, and the Apostles or some of them on the other, antecedently to that, on which Paul's history (so far as any tolerably clear, distinct, and material, information has descended to us) closes. Of this interview, the scene lies at Antioch Peter having, for some consideration no otherwise to be looked for than by conjecture, been led to pay a visit, to that place of Paul's then habitual abode, after, and, as seems probable, in consequence of, Paul's third recorded visit to Jerusalem-his Deputation Visit.

Let us now cast an eye on the documents. Respecting Paul's disagreement with Peter, the only one we have, is that which has been furnished us by Paul himself. It consists of the following passage in his Epistle to his Galatians.

GALATIANS ii. 11 to 16.

11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. -12. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.-13. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.—14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? 15. We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles,-16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.

Let us now see the account, given in the Acts, of what passed in Antioch, in relation to Paul, Barnabas and Silas, during a period, which seems to be either the same, or one in contiguity with it, probably antecedent to it.

ACTS xv. 35 to 41.

$7. And

35. Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also.36. And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren, in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. Barnabas determined to take with them John whose surname was Mark. 38. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.-39. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus ;-40. And Paul chose Silas and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.--41. And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

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With regard to Paul's separation from Barnabas, departure from Antioch, and taking Silas for a companion, we have nothing from Paul himself: nothing, from any other source, than, as above, the Acts.

In Paul's account however, may be seen a passage, (Gal. ii. 13.) by which some light is thrown upon the breach of Paul with Barnabas. In the Acts, though the "contention" is said to be "sharp," no cause is stated for it, other than a difference respecting the choice of a companion: namely, on an excursion, which they are represented as having agreed to make, in the company of each other, as before.

But, according to Paul, he had had cause of com

plaint, against his old friend Barnabas, on another account. Barnabas had sided with the Apostles: Barnabas had been "carried away with their dissimulation;" by the dissimulation of those Apostles of Jesus, the virtuous simplicity of the self-constituted Apostle (so he desires his Galatian disciples to believe) had been foiled.

SECTION 2.

PAUL DISAGREES WITH PETER-AND BARNABASQUITS ANTIOCH, TAKING SILAS FROM THE APOSTLES. IN no place can this man exist, but to exercise hostility or provoke it: with no man can he hold intercourse, without acting towards him, if not in the character of a despot, in that either of an open and audacious, or in that of a secret adversary, or both. Against Peter, at Jerusalem, in his Deputation visit, he is intriguing, while he is bargaining with him. With the same Peter, when arrived at Antioch, he quarrels: for, at Antioch, Peter was but a visiter-a stranger; Paul, with Barnabas for his constant supporter, was on his own ground: no betrayed rulers there to fear-no persecuted Christians. He quarrels-so he himself informs his Galatians-he quarrels with the chief of the Apostles: he "withstands him to his face." Why? because, forsooth, "he was to be blamed." In conclusion, to such a pitch, by the degree of success, whatever it was, which by this time he had experienced, -to such a pitch of intemperance, had his mind swelled-he quarrels even with Barnabas: with Barnabas-in all his three antecedent visits to Jerusalem, his munificent protector, and steady adherent: with that Barnabas, in whose company, and under whose wing, one of his missionary excursions had already been performed *.

*Acts xi. 19-27; also Ibid. xv. 2, 37–40.

At Antioch, the number of his competitors could not but be considerable: at Antioch, the number of years, which he appears to have passed in that city, considered,

the number of his enemies could not be small. He accordingly plans, and executes, a new missionary excursion. He stands now upon his own legs: no Barnabas now,-no necessary protector, to share with him. in his glory: to share with him, in equal or superior proportion, in the profit of his profession: in that profit, the image of which, in all its shapes, was flitting before his eyes, and which we shall accordingly see him gathering in, in such unequalled exuberance. He now looks out for a humble companion-an assistant: he finds one in Silas: that Silas, whom, with Judas Barsabas, we have seen come to Antioch, deputed by the Apostles and their disciples, to conclude, in that second metropolis, the negotiation, commenced in the first metropolis of the new Christian world. Deserter from the service in which he was sent, Silas enlists in that of the daring and indefatigable adventurer. Thus much, and no more, do we learn concerning him: for, in the picture drawn in the Acts, no character is given to him, except the being found in company with Paul, in some of the places which Paul visits: except this exercise of the loco-motive faculty, nothing is there to distinguish him from the common stock of still-life.

From this fourth recorded epoch in the intercourse between Paul and the Apostles, we now pass to that which stands fifth and last, to wit: that which was produced by his fourth and last visit to Jerusalem :— his Invasion Visit, A.D. 62.

In the interval, come four years,-occupied by a series of successive excursions and sojournments,-in the course of which, all mention of Silas is dropt, without remark: dropt, in the same obscure and inexplicit manner, in which the historian affords to the reader, (supposing him endowed with the requisite de

gree of attention) the means of discovering, (Acts xvi. 10) that not long after the commencement of this same period, the historian himself, whoever he was, was taken into the train of the self-constituted Apostle. To the reader is also left the faculty, of amusing himself in conjecturing, about what time, and in what manner, this latter event may have taken place; an event, from which such important consequences have resulted.

Of these portions of Paul's life, some view will come to be taken, in a succeeding chapter, under another head-under the head of Paul's supposed miracles: for, it is in the account given of his achievements and adventures, and of the transactions in which, in the course of this period, he was engaged,-it is in the course of this account, that we shall have to pick up, the supposed accounts of supposed miracles, which, in this part of the Acts history lie interspersed. This review must of necessity be taken, for the purpose of placing in a true light, the evidence, supposed to be thus afforded, in support of his claims to a supernatural commission.

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To this change of connexion on the part of Silas,— from the service of the Apostles of Jesus to that of the self-constituted Apostle, the character of defection on the part of Silas,-seduction on the part of Paul,— may here be ascribed without difficulty. By the Apostles, one Gospel was preached-the Gospel of Jesus: -we see it in the Evangelists. By Paul, another and different Gospel was preached :-a Gospel, later and better, according to him, than that which is to be seen in the Evangelists:-a Gospel of his own. If, even down to this time, mutual prudence prevented an open and generally conspicuous rupture, there was on his part, at any rate, an opposition. If, to men, whose conduct and temper were such as they uniformly appear to have been, any such word as party can, without disparagement, be applied, here were two parties. He,