went about not only publishing their opini ons, but collecting profelytes, and forming regular focieties of profelytes, they should meet with oppofition in their attempts, or that this oppofition fhould fornetimes proceed to fatal extremities. Our history details examples of this oppofition, and of the fufferings and dangers which the emiffaries of the religion underwent, perfectly agreeable to what might reasonably be expected, from the nature of their undertaking, compared with the character of the age and country in which it was carried on.

IV. Fourthly; The records before us fupply evidence of what formed another member of our general propofition, and what, as hath already been obferved, is highly probable, and almost a neceffary confequence of their new profeffion, viz. that, together with activity and courage in propagating the religion, the primitive followers of Jefus affumed, upon their converfion, a new and peculiar course of private life. Immediately after their mafter was withdrawn

from

from them, we hear of their " continuing with one accord in prayer and fupplication;" of their " continuing daily with one accord in the temple † ;" of " many being gathered together praying." We know what ftrict injunctions were laid upon the converts by their teachers. Wherever they came, the first word of their preaching was, "Repent!" We know that these injunctions obliged them to refrain from many species of licentioufnefs, which were not, at that time, reputed criminal. We know the rules of purity, and the maxims of benevolence, which Chriftians read in their books; concerning which rules, it is enough to obferve, that, if they were, I will not fay, completely obeyed, but in any degree regarded, they would produce a fyftem of conduct, and, what is more difficult to preferve, a difpofition of mind, and a regulation of affections, different from any thing to which they had hitherto been accustomed, and different from what they would fee in others. The change

* Acts i. 14. † Acts ii. 46. H 3

↑ Acts xii. 12.

and

and diftin&tion of manners, which refulted from their new character, is perpetually referred to in the letters of their teachers. "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trefpaffes and fins, wherein in times past ye walked, according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the fpirit that now worketh in the children of difobedience; among whom alfo we had our conversation in times past, in the lufts of our flesh, fulfilling the defires of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."—" For the time paft of our life may fuffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, luft, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries, wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the fame excess of riot." St. Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, after enumerating, as his manner was, a catalogue of vicious characters, adds, " Such were fome

Eph. ii. 1-3. fee alfo Tit. iii. 3. † Pet. iv. 3, 4.

of

of you, but ye are washed, but ye are fanctified *. In like manner, and alluding to the fame change of practices and fentiment, he afks the Roman Chriftians "what fruit they had in those things whereof they are now ashamed+?", The phrafes which the same writer employs to describe the moral condition of Chriftians, compared with their condition before they became Chriftians, fuch as "newness of life," being "freed from fin," being "dead to fin;"" the destruction of the body of fin, that, for the future, they should not ferve fin ;" "children of light and of the day," as oppofed to "children of darkness and of the night," fleeping as others," imply, at least, a new fyftem of obligation, and, probably, a new series of conduct, commencing with their converfion.

not

The teftimony which Pliny bears to the behaviour of the new fect in his time, and which teftimony comes not more than fifty

* I Cor. vi. II.

H 4

+ Rom. vi. 21.

years

years after that of St. Paul, is very applicable to the fubject under confideration. The character which this writer gives of the Chriftians of that age, and which was drawn from a pretty accurate enquiry, because he confidered their moral principles as the point, in which the magiftrate was interested, is as follows:-He tells the emperor, "that fome of those who had relinquifhed the fociety, or who, to fave themselves, pretended that they had relinquished it, affirmed that they were wont to meet together, on a stated day, before it was light, and fung among themfelves alternately a hymn to Chrift as a God; and to bind themselves, by an oath, not to the commiffion of any wickedness, but that they would not be guilty of theftor robbery, or adultery; that they would never falfify their word, nor deny a pledge committed to them, when called upon to return it." This proves that a morality, more pure and strict than was ordinary, prevailed at that time in Christian societies. And to me it appears, that we are authorised to carry this testimony back to the age of

the