The abridgment of Eusebius Pamphilius's ecclesiastical history in two parts ... whereunto is added a catalogue of the synods and councels which were after the days of the apostles : together with a hint of what was decreed in the same / by William Caton.

The Life of Paul.

THough Paul was none of the Twelve A∣postles yet had he the Honour, of being an Apostle extraordinary, and to be imme∣diately Called in a way peculiar to himself, he justly deserves a place next Peter, for in their Lives they were pleasant and lovely, so at their deaths they were not devided, especially if it be true that they both suffered, not only for the same cause, but at the same time; Paul was born at Tarsus, the Metropolis of Cilicia, a City infinitely Rich and Popular, and what Contributed more to the Fame and Ho∣nour of it, an Academy, furnished with Schools of Learning, where the Scholars, so closly plyed their Studys, that as Strabo informs us, they excelled in all Arts of Politeck Learning and Philosophy, his Parence was Iews, and that of the Antients Stock, not entring in by the Gate of Proselitism, but Originally desended from that Nation, which surely he meanswhen he says, that he was an Hebrew of the Hebrews; his Parents belonged to the Tribe of Benjamin, whose Founder was the younger Son of the Old Pa∣triarch Iacob, who thus provisied of him; Ben∣jamen shall Raven as a Wolf, in the Morning he shall devour the prey, and at Night he shall de∣vide the Spoyl; this Prophetical Character Ter∣tullian and others will have to be accomplished in our Apostle, as a Ravening Wolf, in the Morning devouring his prey, that is as a Per∣secutor

of the Church, in the first part of his Life, destroying the Flock of God; in the E∣vening deviding the Spoyl, that is in his declin∣ing Age as Doctor of the Nation, feeding and distributing to Christ Sheep; we find him de∣scribed in Scripture by two Names, the one Saul, a name common in the Tribe of Ben∣jamen, his other was Paul asumed to him as some think at his Conversion, to denote his hu∣mility; in his youth he was brought up in the Schools of Tarsus, fully instructed in all the Liberal Arts and Sciences, whereby he came admirably aquainted with famous and exter∣nal Authors; having run through the whole Circle of the Sciences, and laid the sure foun∣dation of humain Learning at Tarsus, he was by his Parance sent to Ierusalem to be per∣fected in the Study of the Law; it is said when Stephen was Executed Paul stood by, and kept the Clothes of them that did it, whether he was any farther conserned in the death of this innocent Man, we do not find; however it was enough loudly to Proclaim his approbation and consent, and therefore we find him indicting himself for this Fact, and pleading Guilty, when the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting unto his death, and kept the Raiment of them that Slew him, Acts 22. 20. God chiefly in∣spects the Heart, and if the Vote be passed there, writes the man Guilty, though he stur no farther in all moral Actions, God values the will for the deed; the storm thus increased apace, and a violent persecution began to arise

in which our Apostle was a prime Agent and Minister, Raging about in all Parts, with a mad and ungoverned Zeal, searching for the Saints, beating some, imprisoning others, and procuring them to be put to death; indeed he was a kind of Inquisitor, imployed to hunt and find out these upstart Hereticks; accordingly took a Warrant and Commission to go down to Damascus, in fury and a misguided Zeal, whether many of those persecuted Christians had fled for shelter, but God who had de∣signed him for a work of another nature, and separated him from his Mother's womb, to the Preaching of the Gospel, stopt him in his jour∣ney as Acts 22. 9. and he fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying, Saul, Saul, why Persecutest thou me, and he went to Damascus another man, from a Persecutor he became one of the Persecuted; from hence he Traveled to Arabia and spent three years in the Ministery there, and then retunned to Damascus, a great and populus City, from hence he went to Ie∣rusalem and converst with Peter and Iames; it was at Antioch about the beginning of Clau∣dious's Reign, ten years after Christ's Ascension, where the Desiples was first called Christians, be∣ing usually stiled before Nazarens; from Jeru∣salem he set Sail to Cyprus and planted Christiani∣ty there, and now the Old Spirit of the Iews did begin to hunt and persue them, who coming from Antioch and Iconium, exaspera∣ted and stired up the multitude, and they who just before accounted them as Gods, used them not only worse then men but slaves, for in a

mighty Rage, they fell upon Paul, stoned him, and as they thought Dead, and then drag'd him out of the City, where the Christians of that place coming probable to Inter him, he suddenly Revived and Rose up among them, and the next day went hence to Debe, and so Traveled to several places to Confirm the new planted Church, he was Imprisoned and Ill∣used at Phylippi.

His Parents were Tent Makers by Trade, Preaching Christ at Jerusalem, Italy, Spain, Labouring much among the Gentiles, suffered at Rome under Nero; as he was leading to Execution it is said Three of the Soulders that Guarded him, seeing his Courage, become Christians, and suffered Death, he kneeled down and his head strucken off with a Sword, as some write in the 68 year of his Age, and was buried with Peter.

The description of his Person.

He was a Man said to be of Low and tittle Stature, and somewhat stooping, his Com∣plection fair, his Countenance grave, his head small, his Eyes carried a kind of beauty and sweetness in them, that he was Low himself plainly intimates, when he tells us they were wont to say of him, that his bodily person was weak, and his speech contemptable, in which respect he is stiled by Chrysostom a Man Three Cubits (or a little more than four Foot,) high, and yet tall enough to reach Heaven.