d all the Evangelists, in inculcating the true
doctrine of faith,--as that Christ has been given us, who takes away
our sin and saves us, as we shall hear.

Hence you may judge of all books and doctrines, what is Gospel or
not; for what is not set forth or written of in this manner, you may
safely decide to be false, however excellent in appearance. This
power to decide is one that all Christians possess,--not the Pope or
Councils, who boast that they only have the power to determine.--This
is sufficient introduction and preface. Let us now listen to the
Epistle.

THE FIRST EPISTLE GENERAL OF ST. PETER.

CHAPTER I.

V. 1, 2. _Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers
scattered abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Capadocia, Asia and Bithynia,
elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the
blood of Jesus Christ._

That is the superscription and subscription. Here you quickly
perceive that it is the Gospel. He calls himself an Apostle--that is,
one sent to declare a message; therefore it is correctly rendered in
Dutch, a messenger, or a twelfth-messenger,[1] because they were
twelve. But since it is generally understood what Apostle (the Greek
word) means, I have not rendered it in Dutch. But its peculiar
meaning is, one who bears a message by word of mouth; not one who
carries letters, but a capable man who presents a matter orally, and
advocates it,--of the class that in the Latin are called _Oratores_.
So he would now say, I am an Apostle of Jesus Christ,--that is, I
have a command from Jesus Christ that I, from Christ, am to proclaim.

[Footnote 1: _Tswolffbott_ in the original, for which we have no
equivalent English word.]

Observe, here, how promptly all those who teach human doctrine are
excluded. For _he_ is a messenger of Jesus Christ who presents that
which Christ has commanded; should he preach otherwise, he is not a
messenger of Christ, and therefore should not be listened to. But if
he does this, it is just as important as though you heard Christ
himself present.

_To the strangers scattered abroad._ This epistle was written to
lands which were formerly Christian but are now subject to the Turk,
yet it is possible some Christians might be found there even at this
day. Pontus is a large, broad region, lying on the sea. Capadocia is
in the same neighborhood, and borders on it. Galatia lies back of
t