cil, and reported what had passed to their companions; that this report, whilft it apprized them of the danger of their situation and undertaking, had no other effect upon their conduct, than to produce in them a general resolution to persevere, and an earnest prayer to God to furnish them with affiftance, and to inspire them with fortitude, proportioned to the increafing exigency of the fervice." A very fhort time after this, we read" that all the twelve apoftles were feized and caft into prifon t; that, being brought a fecond time before the Jewish Sanhedrim, they were upbraided with their disobedience to the injunction which had been laid upon them, and beaten for their contumacy; that being charged once more to defift, they were fuffered to depart; that however they neither quitted Jerufalem, nor ceased from preaching, both daily in the temple, and from houfe to houfe ; and that the twelve confidered themselves as fo entirely and exclufively devoted to this office, that they now * Acts iv. + Acts v. 18. + Acts v. trans transferred, what may be called the temporal affairs of the fociety, to other hands*. *I do not know that it has ever been infinuated, that the Christian miffion, in the hands of the apoftles, was a fcheme for making a fortune, or for getting money. But it may nevertheless be fit to remark upon this pasfage of their hiftory, how perfectly free they appear to have been from any pecuniary or interested views whatever. The most tempting opportunity which occurred, of making a gain of their converts, was by the cuftody and management of the public funds, when fome of the richer members, intending to contribute their fortunes to the common fupport of the fociety, fold their poffeffions, and laid down the prices at the apostles' feet. Yet fo infenfible, or undefirous, were they of the advantage which that confidence afforded, that, we find, they very soon disposed of the truft, by putting it into the hands, not of nominees of their own, but of ftewards formally elected for the purpose by the fociety at large. We may add also, that this excess of generofity, which caft private property into the public ftock, was so far from being required by the apoftles, or imposed as a law of Christianity, that Peter reminds Ananias that he had been guilty, in his behaviour, of an officious and voluntary prevarication; for whilst, says he, thy eftate remained unfold, "was it not thine own? and, after it was fold, was it not in thine own power?" Hitherto the preachers of the new religion feem to have had the common people on their fide; which is affigned as the reafon why the Jewish rulers did not, at this time, think it prudent to proceed to greater extremities. It was not long, however, before the enemies of the inftitution found means to reprefent it to the people as tending to fubvert their law, degrade their lawgiver, and dishonour their temple*. And thefe infinuations were difperfed with fo much fuccefs, as to induce the people to join with their fuperiors in the ftoning of a very active member of the new community. The death of this man was the fignal of a general perfecution, the activity of which may be judged of from one anecdote of the time: "As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every houfe, and haling men and women, committed them to prifon." This perfecution † raged at Jerusa *Acts vi. 12. + Acts viii. 3. lem lem with so much fury, as to drive * most of the new converts out of the place, except the twelve apoftles. The converts, thus "fcattered abroad," preached the religion wherever they came: and their preaching was, in effect, the preaching of the twelve; for it was fo far carried on in concert and correspondence with them, that, when they heard of the fuccefs of their emiffaries in a particular country, they fent two of their number to the place to complete and confirm the miffion. An event now took place of great importance in the future hiftory of the religion. The † perfecution which had begun. at Jerufalem, followed the Chriftians to other cities, in which the authority of the Jewish *Acts viii. 1. " And they were all scattered abroad;" but the term "all" is not, I think, to be taken strictly, or as denoting more than the generality; in like manner as in Acts ix. 35. "And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron faw him, and turned to the Lord." ་ Sanhedrim over thofe of their own nation was allowed to be exercised. A young man, who had fignalized himself by his hoftility to the profeffion, and had procured a commiffion from the council at Jerufalem to feize any converted Jews whom he might find at Damafcus, fuddenly became a profelyte to the religion which he was going about to extirpate. The new convert not only shared, upon this extraordinary change, the fate of his companions, but brought upon himself a double measure of enmity from the party which he had left. The Jews at Damascus, upon his return to that city, watched the gates night and day with so much diligence, that he escaped from their hands only by being let down in a basket by the wall. Nor did he find himself in greater safety at Jerusalem, whither he immediately repaired. Attempts were there alfo foon fet on foot to deftroy him, from the danger of which he was preferved by being fent away to Cilicia, his native country. For fome reafon, not mentioned, perhaps not |