not known, but probably connected with the civil history of the Jews, or with fome danger* which engroffed the public attention, an intermiffion about this time took place in the sufferings of the Christians. This happened, at the most only seven or eight, perhaps only three or four, years after Chrift's death. Within which period, and notwithstanding that the late perfecution occupied part of it, churches, or focieties of believers, had been formed in all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria; for we read that the churches in these countries " had now reft, and were edified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghoft, were multiplied †." The original preachers of the religion did not remit their * Dr. Lardner (in which he is followed alfo by Dr. Benfon) afcribes this ceffation of the perfecution of the Chriftians to the attempt of Caligula to set up his own ftatue in the Temple of Jerufalem, and to the consterration thereby excited in the minds of the Jewish people; which confternation for a season fufpended every other conteft. + Acts ix. 31. labours labours or activity during this feason of quietnefs; for we find one, and he a very principal perfon amongst them, paffing throughout all quarters. We find also thofe who had been before expelled from Jerusalem by the perfecution which raged there, travelling as far as Phoenice, Cyprus, and Antioch and laftly, we find Jerufalem again the centre of the miffion, the place whither the preachers returned from their feveral excurfions, where they reported the conduct and effects of their ministry, where queftions of public concern were canvaffed and fettled, from whence directions were fought, and teachers fent forth. The time of this tranquillity did not, however, continue long. Herod Agrippa, who had lately acceded to the government of Judea, "ftretched forth his hand to vex certain of the churcht." He began his cruelty by beheading one of the twelve original apostles, a kinfman and conftant compa * Acts xi. 19. + Acts xii. 1. nion of the founder of the religion. Perceiving that this execution gratified the Jews, he proceeded to feize, in order to put to death, another of the number; and him, like the former, affociated with Chrift during his life, and eminently active in the fervice fince his death. This man was, however, delivered from prifon, as the account ftates*, miraculously, and made his escape from Jerufalem. These things are related, not in the general terms under which, in giving the outlines of the history, we have here mentioned them, but with the utmost particularity of names, persons, places, and circumstances; and, what is deferving of notice, without the smallest discoverable propensity in the historian to magnify the fortitude, or exaggerate the fufferings of his party. When they fled for their lives, he tells us. When the churches had reft, he remarks it. When the people took their part, he does not leave *Acts xii. 3-17. it it without notice. When the apostles were carried a fecond time before the Sanhedrim, he is careful to obferve that they were brought without violence. When milder councils were fuggefted, he gives us the author of the advice, and the fpeech which contained it. When, in confequence of this advice, the rulers contented themselves with threatening the apoftles, and commanding them to be beaten with ftripes, without urging at that time the persecution farther, the hiftorian candidly and diftinctly records their forbearance. When, therefore, in other inftances, he states heavier perfecutions, or actual martyrdoms, it is reafonable to believe that he ftates them because they were true; and not from any wish to aggravate, in his account, the fufferings which Chrif tians fuftained, or to extol, more than it deferved, their patience under them. Our history now pursues a narrower path. Leaving the reft of the apoftles, and the original associates of Christ, engaged in the propagation of the new faith (and who there is not the leaft reason to believe abated in * their diligence or courage), the narrative proceeds with the feparate memoirs of that eminent teacher, whofe extraordinary and fudden converfion to the religion, and correfponding change of conduct, had before been circumftantially defcribed. This perfon, in conjunction with another, who appeared amongst the earliest members of the fociety at Jerufalem, and amongst the immediate adherents of the twelve apostles, fet out from Antioch upon the express business of carrying the new religion through the various provinces of the leffer Asia. During this expedition we find, that in almost every place to which they came, their persons were infulted, and their lives endangered. After being expelled from Antioch in Pifidia, they repaired to Iconium . At Iconium an attempt was made to ftone them. At Lyftra, whither they fled from Iconium, one of them actually was ftoned, and drawn out of the city for dead §. These two men, though not themselves original apoftles, were acting * Acts iv. 36. + Acts xiii. 50. + Acts xiii. 2. Acts xiv. 5. in |