heretical, he proceeds to a fecond Difputation with Simon; who being more afraid of an open Foil, would have gone away almoft at the beginning; but was retain'd by Peter's prudent management. The Difpute then turns upon the Nature and Origin of Evil, and upon the Freedom of human Actions, as necessary to a future Judgment. Peter propofes to difcourfe of the True Prophet, and that by his Authority all fuch Doubts are to be finally determin'd. But Simon avoids this Difcourfe, and brings on another; yet foon takes his leave, with a very few that now follow'd him, as referving what he had to fay farther to another day. Peter arifes early; and having explain'd all over again more clearly in private to his own Followers, he then goes to the third Difputation. Where having fpoken of the regular Method of debating and difcourfing in order to Mens real Benefft and Inftruction, he argues about the Juftice and Goodness of God, and about the Immortality of the Soul; 'till Simon has a great mind to fhrink away again: But being again retain'd by Peter's Prudence, he is at laft put to open Shame, and in a manner forc'd to confefs himself a Cheat and a Magician before all the People. Yet does he foon fall into a ftrain of vaunting, what a great Being he is; til at laft the People, out of Indignation at him, turn him out of the Place, with only one Follower. When he is gone, Peter perfuades them to bear ill Men with Patience, as God does, till the Judgment. So he bleffes the People, and difmilles them. The next Morning Peter, as ufual, arifes early, and gives his own Followers many private Inftructions and Explications of their Questions: as about Simon's ftrange Works'; Freedom of Will; the Good and the Bad, with

their Princes; how Salvation is to be fought af
ter; the Ten oppofite Pairs or Inftruments of
God and the Devil; the nature and diftinction
of true and falfe Miracles, efpecially as to the
cafes of Pharaoh and Simon; and of a devout
Mind. After this Simon's last Companion is intro-
duc'd as coming from him in a miferable State,
and informing Peter of his late Pranks, and
that he was fled away, and pretended to be go-
ing to Rome. Peter informs the People of all
this, and determines after fome time to follow
him, that he might stop the Mischief he might
otherwife do in the feveral Cities through which
he fhould pafs. Accordingly he ordains the Peo-
ple of Cafarea, Zacheus for their Bishop, with
twelve Presbyters, and four Deacons. He re
folves to ftay three Months to inftruct them for
Baptifm; and gives them a full account of that
Ordinance. And when he was retir'd, he fend's
away Twelve of those with him to follow Simon,
and give him an account of his Progrefs; retain-
ing with him Clement, Niceta, and Aquila. He
comforts and exhorts the People from the con-
fideration of God's Providence, and our Obliga-
tion always to obey his Will. On a Festival
day above ten thousand are baptiz'd: And when
the Twelve fent before had inform'd him, by
Letter, of Simon's Progrefs, he reads it to the
People. During these three Months of his ftay
at Cafarea, he gives fuch particular Inftructions
in private to his Followers, that Clement is en-
abled to fend an account of all this Preaching of
Peter to Fames the Bishop of Jerufalem, as he had
been enjoin'd to do; which he did in Ten Books':
the Contents of which are here recited. And
fo ends the Third Book of thefe Recognitions.

1

In the Fourth Book, Peter and his Company leaving Cafarea, pafs thro Dora, Ptolomais, Tyre, Sidon, and Berytus; and informing the People that they fhould stay the approaching Winter at Tripoli, they come thither, being now a great Multitude; and Peter lodges with Maro: where he thinking to referve a Day to himself, is not able to do it, for the importunity of the Inhabitants. He then heals their Sick, and preaches to them of the true Worship of God, as it was at firft; of the degeneracy of Mankind, and its Punishment, the Deluge; of the Origin of Idolatry, from the Demons Deceits; of Predictions; of the Nature of Evil, and Freedom of the Will; of Zoroaftres, and his Introduction of Idolatry among the Perfians, and its Propagation thence to other Nations. He alfo exhorts them to leave their falfe Gods or Damons, and receive Chriftian Baptifm; as what will not only free them from the Snares of thofe Demons, but give them power over them; and that they must preferve their Baptifm unfpotted. After which Peter difmiffes the Company, and goes to rest. And fo ends the Fourth Book.

In the Fifth Book Peter preaches a fecond Sermon to the People; and difcourfes to them of the mifchief of Ignorance, and neceffity of Examination and Inftruction; that Chrift is the True Prophet, foretold as the Expectation of the Gentiles: He exhorts them to embrace his Religion, and leave their Idols; whofe vanity he fhews: he explains to them the Machinations of the Demons against them, to keep them in Ignorance and Slavery; and fhews them there is but One God: expofes the ridiculous Deities of the Egyptians, and other Nations; and the Excufes for Idolatry: that doing Good to Men, and

not

not the Worship of Idols, is the right Honour to the Image of God: Why God does not immediately punish Idolaters; that yet all the Creatares do in fome way or other confpire to punish Sinners: of God's Providence: of the Excufes for Idolatry; and the Advantages of the Worfhip of the true God. After which Peter heals many of their Sick, and difmiffes the Multitude. And fo ends the Fifth Book,

In the Sixth Book Peter preaches a third Sermon to the Multitude at Tripoli. He exhorts them to a juft Indignation against their former Errors: informs them of the struggle between Vertue and Vice; and the Division Chrift's Gofpel muft occafion in the World: of the neceffity of Baptifm: of fome Obfervances relating to Chriftian Purity and Chastity: and of fome good Works common to Heathens and Chriftians. Peter spends three Months at Tripoli, and converts many. He orders Clement to faft, and be baptiz'd; and then baptizes the rest of the newly converted. He alfo ordains Maro for their Bishop, with twelve Presbyters and DeaCons; and fettles the Order of Widows, with the other inferior Orders of the Church, and fo goes away towards Antioch, At which Period ends the Sixth Book.

In the Seventh Book Peter and his Company pafs through Ortofias, and come to Antaradus, a City over against the Me Aradus. Whence he fends the Multitude before, with Niceta and Aquila, to go to the next City of Laodicea; and promifes to follow them in two or three days; but retains Clement with him. Clement is overjoy'd thereat, and unbofoms himself to him, and informs him of the Affairs of his Family, and of the ftrange Accidents and Calamities which

had

had befallen it. How his Father Fauftinianus and his Mother Matthidia, together with his two Brethren, Fauftinus and Fauftus, were all, as he fuppos'd, dead long ago, and he left alone. The design is here visible to introduce new Speakers, and new Subjects of Difcourfe; which the Author contrives after this manner. Matthidia, Clement's Mother, is fuppos'd to have been un lawfully lov'd by her Husband's Brother; but that being perfectly chafte, fhe had refus'd his follicitations. And that fearing to discover this wicked Paffion of the Brother to her Husband, and being not willing to difcompofe the Affairs of a noble Family, fhe refolv'd, by a Stratagem, to retire from Rome, for fome time, till the PafJon might wear off; and to take with her two of her Sons, leaving the third with her Husband. In order to which fhe frames this Story, that the had a Vifion appointing her to leave Rome, with her two eldest or twin Children, Fauftinus and Fauftus, and that for ten Years ; otherwife the and thofe her Children fhould miferably perish. Upon hearing this Story Fauftinianus her Husband confents, and fends them away for Athens, with Mony and Attendants fufficient; retaining only Clement at home, as the Vision permitted. --At the first Year's end he fends Perfons with more Mony to Athens to them, and to enquire of their welfare; but thefe Meffengers' never returned. The third Year he fends others, who returned the next, but without the leaft Tidings of them. So that at laft Fauftinianus was fo extremely troubled, that he went himself to the Sea-fide, to enquire of the Seamen whether he could hear any tidings of their dead bodies; as fuppofing them caft away in a Shipwreck: but hearing nothing certain, he was willing till to

hope