A history of the work of redemption. Containing the outlines of a body of…

VIII. The next thing I would observe, is the institution of ecclesiastical councils, for deciding controversies, and ordering the affairs of the church of Christ, of which we have an account in the 15th chapter of Acts.

IX. The last thing I shall mention under this head, is the committing the New-Testament to writing. This was all written after the resurrection of Christ; and all written, either by the apostles, or by the evangelists who were companions of the apostles. All the new testament was written by the apostles themselves, excepting what was written by Mark and Luke, viz the gospels o• Mark and Luke, and the book of the Acts of the Apostles. He that wrote the gospel of Mark, is supposed to be he whose mother was Mary, in whose house they were praying for Peter, when he, brought out of prison by the angel, came and knocked at the door; of which we read. Acts xi•.12. "And when he had considered the thing, •e came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark▪ where many were gathered together, praying." He was the companion of the apostles Barnabas and Saul: Acts xv.37. "And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark." He was Barnabas's sister's son, and seems sometimes to have been a companion of the Apostle Paul: Col. iv.20. "Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas; touching whom ye received commandment: if he come unto you, receive him." The apostles seem to have made great account of him, as appears by those places, and also by Acts xii.25. "And Barnabas and Saul returned from ⟨p. 189⟩Jerusalem, and took with them John▪ whose surname was Mark;" and Acts xiii 5. "And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had also John to their minister;" and,