Page:Life and voyages of the Apostle Paul.pdf/18

Rh rudiments of Christianity, and John’s baptism, yet he taught with great courage, and a most powerful zeal. After being fully instructed in the faith by Aquila and Priscilla, he passed over into Achaia, being furnished with recommendatory letters by the churches of Ephesus and Corinth. He was of the greatest service in Achaia, in watering what Paul had planted, confirming the disciples, and convincing the Jews, that Jesus was the true Messiah, promised in the Scriptures.

While Apollos was thus employed, St. Paul returned to Ephesus, where he fixed, his abode for three years, bringing with him Gaius of Derbe, Aristarchus, a native of Thessalonica, Timotheus and Erastus of Corinth, and Titus. The first thing he did after his arrival was to examine certain disciples, Whether they had received the Holy Ghost since they believed? To which they answered, “That the doctrine they had received promised nothing of that nature, nor had they ever heard that such an extraordinary spirit had of late been bestowed upon the church.”

This answer surprised the apostle, who asked them, in what name they had been baptized? since, in the Christian form, the name of the Holy Ghost was always expressed. They replied, that they had only received John’s baptism; upon which the apostle informed them, that though John’s baptism commanded nothing but repentance, yet it tacitly implied the whole doctrine of Christ and the Holy Ghost. When they heard this, they were baptized according to the form prescribed by Christ himself, that is, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and after the apostle had prayed and laid his hands upon them, they received the gift of tongues, and other miraculous powers.

After this, he continued for three months to dispute with the Jews, endeavouring to convince them of the truth of the Christian religion. But on account of their obstinacy and infidelity, he departed from their synagogue, and went to the school of one Tyrannus, where he preached the gospel for two whole years. During this time, the Almighty was pleased to testify the doctrine which St. Paul delivered by many miracles, several of which were of a peculiar nature; for he not only healed those that came to him, but if napkins were simply touched by him, and applied to the sick, their diseases instantly vanished, and evil spirits departed out of those that were possessed by them.

About this time the apostle wrote his epistle to the Galatians, in which he reproves them with some necessary severity for suffering themselves to be so easily seduced by the artifices of several impostors, who had found admittance into the