ers to his religion, the Jews had not the body to produce: but were obliged to meet the teftimony of the apoftles by an anfwer, not containing indeed any impoffibility in itself, but abfolutely inconfiftent with the fuppofition of their integrity; that is, in other words, inconfiftent with the fuppofition, which would resolve their conduct into enthusiasm.

CHAP. IX.

The Propagation of Chriftianity.

IN this argument, the first confideration is the fact; in what degree, within what time, and to what extent, Christianity actually was propagated.

The accounts of the matter, which can be collected from our books, are as follows: A few days after Chrift's disappearance out of the world, we find an affembly of difciples at Jerufalem, to the number of " about one hundred and twenty ;" a which hundred and twenty were, probably, a little affociation of believers, met together, not merely as believers in Chrift, but as perfonally connected with the apoftles, and with one another. Whatever was the number of believers then in Jerufalem, we have no reafon to be furprised that fo fmall a company fhould affemble; for there is no proof that the followers of Chrift were yet formed into a fociety, that the fociety was reduced into any order, that it was at this time even underftood that a new religion (in the sense which that term conveys to us) was to be fet up in the world, or how the profeffors of that religion were to be diftinguished from the rest of mankind. The death of Chrift had left, we may suppose, the generality of his difciples in great doubt, both as to what they were to do, and concerning what was to follow.

This meeting was held, as we have already said, a few days after Chrift's afcenfion; for ten days after that event was the day of Pentecoft, when, as our hiftory relates, upon a figual difplay of divine agency attending the perfons of the apostles, there were added to the fociety "about three thousand fouls." c But here, it is not, I think, to be taken, that these three thoufand were all converted by this fingle miracle; but rather that b Acts ii. 1. c Ib. ii. 41.

a Acts i. 5.

many, who were, before believers in Chrift, became now profeffors of Chriftianity; that is to fay, when they found that a religion was to be established, a fociety formed and fet up in the name of Christ, governed by his laws, avowing the belief in his miffion, united amongst themselves and feparated from the reft of the world by visible distinctions, in pursuance of their former conviction, and by virtue of what they had heard and seen and known of Chrift's history, they publickly became members of it.

We read in the fourth chapter of the Acts, that foon after this, "the number of the men," i. e. of the society openly profeffing their belief in Chrift," was about five thousand." So that here is an increase of two thoufand within a very short time. And it is probable that there were many, both now and afterwards, who, although they believed in Chrift, did not think it neceffary to join themselves to this fociety; or who waited to fee what was likely to become of it. Gamaliel, whofe advice to the Jewish council is recorded Acts iv. 34. appears to have been of this defcription; perhaps Nicodemus, and perhaps alfo Jofeph of Arimathea. This clafs of men, their character and their rank, are likewife pointed out by St. John, in the twelfth chapter of his gofpel, "nevertheless among the chief tulers alfo many believed on him; but because of the Pharifees they did not confefs him, left they should be put out of the fynagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." Perfons fuch as these, might admit the miracles of Chrift, without being immediately convinced that they were under obligation to make a public profeffion of Chriftianity, at the rifk of all that was dear to them in life, and even of life itfelf."

La Verfe 4.

b« Befide thofe who profeffed, and those who rejected and opposed Chriftianity, there were, in all probability, multitudes between both, neither perfect Chriftians, nor yet unbelievers. They had a favourable opinion of the gospel, but worldly confiderations made them unwilling to own it. There were many circumftances which inclined them to think that Chriftianity was a divine revelation, but there were many inconveniences which attended the open profeffion of it ; and they could not find in themfeives courage enough to bear them, to difoblige their friends and family, to ruin their fortunes, to lofe their reputation, their liberty and their life, for the fake of the new religion. Therefore they were willing to hope, that if they endeav

Chriftianity, however, proceeded to increase in Jerufalem by progrefs equally rapid with its first fuccefs; for, in the nexta chapter of our hiftory, we read that "believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." And this enlargement of the new fociety appears in the first verse of the fucceeding chapter, wherein we are told, that, "when the number of the difciples was multiplied, there arofe a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews becaufe their widows were neglected;" and, afterwards in the fame chapster, it is declared exprefsly, that "the number of the difciples multiplied in Jerufalem greatly, and that a great company of the priefts were obedient to the faith."

C

This I call the first period in the propagation of Christianity. It commences with the afcenfion of Chrift; and extends, as may be collected from incidental notes of time, to fomething more than one year after that event. During which term the preaching of Chriftianity, fo far as our documents inform us, was confined to the fingle city of Jerufalem. And how did it fucceed there? The firft affembly which we meet with of Christ's difciples, and that a few days after his removal from the world, confifted of "one hundred and twenty." About a week after this "three thoufands were added" in one day; and the number of Chriftians, publickly baptized, and publickly affociating #together, were very foon increafed to "five thoufands." "Mul'titudes both of men and women continued to be added:" " difciples multiplied greatly," and "many of the Jewish priesthood, as well as others, became obedient to the faith;" and this within a fpace of lefs than two years from the commencement of the inflitution.

By reafon of a perfecution raifed against the church at Jerufalem, the converts were driven from that city, and difperfed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Wherever they oured to observe the great precepts of morality, which Chrift had reprefented as the principal part, the fum and fubftance of religion; if they thought honourably of the gospel, if they offered no injury to the Chriftians, if they did them all the fervices that they could fafely perform, they were willing to hope that God would accept this, and that he would excufe and forgive the reft." Jortin's Dif. on the Christ. Rel. p. 91. ed. 4.

a Ib. v. 14.

b lb. vi. I.

c Vide Pearson's Antiq. 1. xviii. c. 7. Benfon's Hift. of Chrift. book d Ib. viii. £.

i. p. 148.

W

a

came, they brought their religion with them; for our hif torian informs us, that, "they that were scattered abroad, The effect of went every where, preaching the word."

this preaching comes afterwards to be noticed, where the hiftorian is led, in the course of his narrative, to observe, that then, (i. e. about three years pofterior to this) "the churches had reft throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, and were edified, and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the This was the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." work of the fecond period, which comprifes about four years.

Hitherto the preaching of the gospel had been confined to Jews, to Jewish profelytes, and to Samaritans. And I cannot forbear from setting down, in this place, an obfervation of Mr. Bryant's, which appears to me to be perfectly well founded :→→→→ "The Jews ftill remain, but how seldom is it that we can make a fingle profelyte! There is reafon to think, that there were more converted by the apoftles in one day, than have fince been won over in the last thousand years."c

It was not yet known to the apostles, that they were at liberty to propofe the religion to mankind at large. That myftery," as St. Paul calls it, and as it then was, was revealed to Peter by an especial miracle. It appears to have been about feven years after Chrift's afcenfion, that the gospel was preached to the Gentiles of Cefarea. A year after this, a great multitude of Gentiles were converted at Antioch in Syria. The expreffions employed by the hiftorian are these-"a great number believed and turned to the Lord;" "much people was added to the Lord;" "the apoftles Barnabas and Paul taught much people." Upon Herod's death, which happened in the next year, it is obferved, that "the word of God grew and multiplied." Three years from this time, upon the preaching of Paul at Iconium, the metropolis of Lycaonia, "a great multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed ;" and afterwards, in the course of this very progress, he is reprefented as "making many difciples" at Derbe, a principal city in the fame district. Three years after this, which brings us to fixteen after the as

a Ver. 4.

b Benfon, b. 1. p. 207.

Bryant on the truth of the Christian Religion, p. 112.

d Ephef. iii. 3-6.

f Ib. xi. 21, 24, 26.

e Benfon, b. II. p. 236.

& Benson, b. II. p. 289.

k Benfou's Hift. Chrift, b. III. p. 50.

tenfion, the apostles wrote a public letter from Jerufalem to the Gentile converts in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, with which letter Paul travelled through thefe countries, and found the churches established in the faith, and increafing in number daily." From Afia the apoftle proceeded into Greece, where, foon after his arrival in Macedonia, we find him at Theffalonica; in which city "fome of the Jews believed, and of the devout Greeks a great multitude." "b We meet alfo here with an accidental hint of the general progrefs of the Chriftian mission, in the exclamation of the tumultuous Jews of Theffalonica, "that they, who had turned the world upfide down, were come thither alfo." At Berea, the next city at which St. Paul arrives, the hiftorian who was prefent, informs us that " many of the Jews believed." "The next year and half St. Paul's minif try was spent at Corinth. Of his fuccefs in that city we receive the following intimations : "that many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized," and "that it was revealed to the apostle by Chrift, that he had much people in that city." Within less than a year after his departure from Corinth, and twen ty-fivef years after the afcenfion, St. Paul fixed his ftation at Ephefus, for the fpace of two years and fomething more. The effect of his miniftry in that city and neighbourhood, drew from the hiftorian a reflection, "So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." And at the conclufion of this period, we find Demetrius at the head of a party, who were alarmed by the progrefs of the religion, complaining, that "not only at Ephefus, but alfo throughout all Afia, (i. e. the province of Lydia, and the country adjoining to Ephefus) this Paul hath perfuaded and turned away much people." Befide these accounts, there occur, incidentally, mention of converts at Rome, Alexandria, Athens, Cyprus, Cyrene, Macedonia, Philippi.

This is the third period in the propagation of Christianity, fetting off in the feventh year after the afcenfion, and ending at the twenty-eighth. Now, lay these three periods together, and obferve how the progrefs of the religion by these accounts is reprefented. The inftitution, which properly began only after its author's removal from the world, before the end of thirty years, has spread itself throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria, almost