roperly signifies a messenger or person sent by another upon some business; and hence, by way of eminence, denotes one of the disciples commissioned by Jesus Christ to preach the gospel.

Our blest Lord selected twelve out of the number of his disciples to be invested with the apostleship. Their names were Simon Peter, Andrew, James the greater, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Thomas, Matthew, James the less, Jude surnamed Lebbeus or Thaddaeus, Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot. Of these Simon, Andrew, James the greater, and John, were fishermen; and Matthew a publican, or receiver of the public revenues: of what profession the rest were, we are not told in Scripture; though it is probable they were fishermen.

There are various conjectures as to the reason of our Saviour's making choice of twelve apostles. The most probable is, that it might be in allusion to the twelve patriarchs, as the founders of their several tribes; or to the twelve chief heads or rulers of those tribes, of which the body of the Jewish nation consisted. This opinion seems to be countenanced by what our Saviour tells his apostles, that, "when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, they also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

Our Lord's first commission to his apostles was in the third year of his public ministry, about eight months after their solemn election; at which time he sent them out by two and two. They were to make no provision of money for their subsistence in their journey, but to expect it from those to whom they preached. They were to declare, that the kingdom of heaven, or the Messiah, was at hand; and to confirm their doctrine by miracles. They were to avoid going either to the Gentiles or to the Samaritans, and to confine their preaching to the people of Israel. In obedience to their Master, the apostles went into all the parts of Palestine inhabited by the Jews, preaching the gospel, and working miracles. The evangelical history is silent as to the particular circumstances attending this first preaching of the apostles; and only informs us, that they returned, and told their Master of all that they had done.

Their second commission, just before our Lord's ascension into heaven, was of a more extensive and particular nature. They were now not to confine their preaching to the Jews, but to "go and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Accordingly they began publicly, after our Lord's ascension, to exercise the office of their ministry, working miracles daily in proof of their mission, and making great numbers of converts to the Christian faith. This alarmed the Jewish Sanhedrim; whereupon the apostles were apprehended, and, being examined before the high-priest and elders, were commanded not to preach any more in the name of Christ. But this injunction did not terrify them from persisting in the duty of their calling; for they continued daily, in the temple, and in private houses, teaching and preaching the gospel.

After the apostles had exercised their ministry for twelve years in Palestine, they resolved to disperse themselves in different parts of the world, and agreed to determine by lot what parts each should take. According to this division, St Peter went into Pontus, Galatia, and those other provinces of the Lesser Asia. St Andrew had the vast northern countries of Scythia and Sogdiana allotted to his portion. St John's was partly the same with Peter's, namely the Lesser Asia. St Philip had the Upper Asia assigned to him, with some parts of Scythia and Colchis. Arabia Felix fell to St Bartholomew's share. St Matthew preached in Chaldaea, Persia, and Parthia. St Thomas preached likewise in Parthia; as also to the Hyrcanians, Bactrians, and Indians. St James the Less continued in Jerusalem, of which church he was bishop. St Simon had for his portion Egypt, Cyrene, Libya, and Mauritania; St Jude Syria and Mesopotamia; and St Matthias, who was chosen in the room of the traitor Judas, Cappadocia and Colchis. Thus, by the dispersion of the apostles, Christianity was very early planted in a great many parts of the world. We have but very short and imperfect accounts of their travels and actions.

In order to qualify the apostles for the arduous task of converting the world to the Christian religion, they were, in the first place, miraculously enabled to speak the languages of the several nations to whom they were to preach; and, in the second place, were endowed with the power of working miracles, in confirmation of the doctrines they taught; gifts which were unnecessary, and therefore ceased, in the after ages of the church, when Christianity came to be established by the civil power.

The several apostles are usually represented with their respective badges or attributes; St Peter with the keys; St Paul with a sword; St Andrew with a cross; St James the Less with a fuller's pole; St John with a cup, and a winged serpent flying out of it; St Bartholomew with a knife; St Philip with a long staff, whose upper end is formed into a cross; St Thomas with a lance; St Matthew with a hatchet; St Matthias with a battle-ax; St James the Greater with a pilgrim's staff, and a gourd-bottle; St Simon with a saw; and St Jude with a club.

The Jews also had their apostles, by which they meant officers, sent into several parts, by way of visitors or commissaries, to receive the moneys collected for the... the reparation of the temple, and the tribute payable to the Romans. The name was likewise given, in the primitive church, to bishops; and a bishop's fee was called apostolica sedes.

APOSTLES Creed: A formula, or summary, of the Christian faith, drawn up, according to Rufinus, by the apostles themselves; who, during their stay at Jerusalem, soon after our Lord's ascension, agreed upon this creed, as a rule of faith, and as a word of distinction by which they were to know friends from foes. Baronius, and some other authors, conjecture, that they did not compose it till the second year of the reign of Claudius, a little before their dispersion. As to their manner of composing it, some fancy, that each apostle pronounced his article, which is the reason of its being called symbolum apostolicum, it being made up of sentences jointly contributed, after the manner of persons paying each their club (symbolum) or share of a reckoning.

But there are reasons which may induce us to question whether the apostles composed any such creed as this. For, first, neither St Luke in the Acts, nor any other ecclesiastical writer before the 5th century, make any mention of an assembly of the apostles in order to the composing of a creed. Secondly, the fathers of the three first centuries, in disputing against the heretics, endeavour to prove that the doctrine contained in this creed was the same which the apostles taught; but they never pretend, that the apostles composed it. Thirdly, if the apostles had made this creed, it would have been the same in all churches, and in all ages; and all authors would have cited it after the same manner. But the case is quite otherwise. In the second and third ages of the church, there were as many creeds as authors, and one and the same author sets down the creed after a different manner in several places of his works; which is an evidence, that there was not at that time any creed which was reputed to be the apostles. In the 4th century, Rufinus compares together the three ancient creeds of the churches of Aquileia, Rome, and the East, which differ very considerably in the terms. Besides, these creeds differed not only in the terms and expressions, but even in the articles, some of which were omitted in one or other of them, such as those of the distinct into bell, the communion of the saints, and the life everlasting. From these reasons it may be gathered, that tho' this creed may be said to be that of the apostles in regard to the doctrines contained therein, yet it is not to be referred to them as the authors and first composers of it. Who was the true author of it, is not so easy to determine; tho' its great antiquity may be inferred from hence, that the whole form, as it now stands in the English liturgy, is to be found in the works of St Ambrose and Rufinus, the former of whom flourished in the 3rd century, and latter in the 4th century.

The primitive Christians, in regard they always concealed this and their other mysteries, did not publicly recite the creed, except at the times of baptism; which, unless in cases of necessity, were only at Easter and Whitsuntide. The constant repeating it was not introduced into the church till the end of the 5th century; about which time Petrus Gnapheus, bishop of Antioch, prescribed the recital of it every time divine service was performed.