"apoftles, left the city, and diftributed themselves in "every direction. It is faid to have been along (xara) "the regions of Judea and Samaria. Thus they either "chose their directions, or had them pointed out to "them. Luke continues their hiftory in a following "verfe: They then who had difperfed themfelves, went "through the land preaching the word."

Viewing this paffage then as a whole, the following appears to have been the real extent of that perfecution, which has fo frequently been reprefented by Independents as completely difperfing that Chriftian church.

"On the same day in which Stephen was killed *, "many, relying on the protection of the Jewish rulers, or acting under their authority, began to offer outrage to the minifters of the gospel, who were preaching the word. The fury of the former was fo great, though "not faid to terminate in blood, that all the latter either left the city, or fo entirely disappeared as to justify "the hiftorian in saying, They were all scattered abroad. "In the mean time, which shews the perfecution was "not general, devout men, without moleftation, carried

Stephen to his burial, and made a great lamentation "over him. As for Saul, he carried the perfecution "farther than his companions, for entering into the "houfes of private families, which were probably the " receptacles of those who preached the doctrine of "Chrift, he dragged both men and women to prison †. "This would cause any few minifters who might have "concealed themfelves, alfo to leave the city. As "Chriftians would make no resistance to their perfecu

* See Robertfon's Remarks, p. 36.

↑ Kara TOUS OIXous, which is rendered by our translators (Acts, · viii. 3.)" into every house," as properly fignifies" into the houses.' "This perfecution, moreover, might be ftyled a great perfecution, which, for a time, deprived the faints at Jerufalem of so many "faithful pastors."

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tors, fo all might pass without exciting fuch confufion as to draw the attention of the Roman governor. It “farther appears, that the hottest persecution was car“ried on by Saul: He made havock of the church. But "wherein did that confift? Not in shedding ftreams of "blood. To that length, fupported as he was by the "Jewish council, he durft not proceed: But entering "into fome of the houses of the Chriftians, he commit❝ted a few men and women to prison. That either "the Jews fhould have purposed to imprison the great "body of Christian converts, or that all these should "have left the city for the imprisonment of a few, are "ideas too abfurd to need any answer."

But if fuch only was the amount of the perfecution which is here related, it is plain that the members whom it took from that church (if it removed from it any) could not be confiderable: and the lofs which was fuftained, we have reafon to believe, was fpeedily compenfated, and more than compenfated, by the numerous converts that were added in their stead. We are told, that after the perfecution raised by Herod, in which only one perfon was put to death, "the word of God 66 grew and multiplied:" Acts xii. 24. And fuch was its fuccefs, that we are informed by James (Acts xxi. 20.), that it numbered among its followers at Jerusalem "many myriads, or ten thousands of Jews." This expreffion, indeed, Mr. Ewing, together with the ancient Independents, afferts "to be indefinite." "We rejoice," alfo adds he, p. 31. "in admitting that it fignifies very many. But the paffage does not neceffarily imply, “that James and the elders were speaking of the num"bers of believers in the city of Jerufalem, but rather

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* The words in the original are very strong: "Thou feeft, "brother," faid James to Paul," how many ten thousands of Jews "there are which believe, oras pugiades.”

"of the numbers of believers of the Jewish nation *.” Here it may be observed, that though we should grant that muga is sometimes understood by the facred writers in an indefinite sense, so as to signify a number less than ten thoufand, yet it does not hold with regard to pugias, the word here employed. The latter, in. Acts xix. 19. Luke xii. 1. Heb. xii. 22. Jude 14. and Rev. v. 11. which are all the places where it occurs in the New Teftament, cannot mean less than the literal number, and in fome of them evidently, if taken indefinitely, muft fig nify more t. Befides, according to the interpretation

*It is fomewhat remarkable, that while this gentleman profeffes his joy at the great number of Jews who believed in Jerufalem, he attempts to make it as fmall as poffible. And it is very extraordinary, that while Independents endeavour to prove, against infidels, the divinity of Christianity from its astonishing success in the early ages, they should virtually ftrengthen the hands of these infidels, by endeavouring to fhew that in a city which, for almost thirty years, had witnessed more of the miracles, and enjoyed more of the ablest preaching of the gospel, than any other place, no more converts were found among those who were its inhabitants than could easily affemble for worship, or government, in a fingle congregation !!!

In the first of these paffages, the fum at which the books of the Ephefians were valued, is faid to be as mugiadis agyugiou, which is literally "five myriads," or, according to our tranflators, "fifty thousand pieces of filver," where evidently the expreffion cannot be understood as fignifying less than ten thousands. In the fecond of them, believers are faid, in the original, to come to an affembly" of myriads of angels," na pugiau ayyɛλwv; and in the third, it is declared that when the Lord comes to judgment, he will be attended" by myriads of his faints," or rather "holy "ones," μugia'ayiais. And in both of these places, it is no less obvious that it cannot fignify lefs than ten thousands of these spirits ; and if it be fuppofed to be taken in an indefinite acceptation, it must denote even more. Compare fimilar expreffions in a defcription, at least emblematic, of the universal judgment: Dan. vii. 9, 10. And in the last of these passages, confidering the reprefentation which is there given of the numbers who crowded to witness

of this very gentleman, it is obvious that it cannot fignify less than many ten thousands in the paffage in queftion, for it includes, according to him, not merely the number of believers in the city of Jerufalem, but the number of believers from the whole Jewish nation. Certainly, confidering the time during which the gospel had been preached, and the fuccefs which it had obtained in many countries before the period which is here mentioned, many ten thousands of Jews muft have been comprehended among its followers. But allowing that the word pugiades here properly means, that there were many ten thousands of Jews at this time in that city," they are ❝ not affirmed," fays Mr. Ewing, p. 32. "to be all "members of the church at Jerufalem; and very many "of them were moft likely believing Jews, affembled "from various quarters at Jerufalem, at the day of "Pentecoft. For the probability of this fuppofition "we may appeal to the hafte made by Paul, if poffible, "to be at Jerufalem on the day of Pentecoft, and to the "increasing number of fellow-travellers who joined com66 pany with him on the road, as appears from chap. 66 xx. 16. and xxi. 16." On this however it may be remarked, that no argument can be adduced from the number of those who went up with Paul at this time to Jerufalem, to fhew that they were travelling thither to obferve this folemnity. It is not said, in the last of these texts, that those whom he met going up to Jerufalem were going thither with that defign, or that their number was fuch as one would naturally expect, had there been a general convocation to the feast of Pentecoft. All that is mentioned is fimply this, "That there went up with

the miracles of Jefus, it seems to be equally manifest that it cannot mean less than its ftrict fignification, for we may well suppose that more than one myriad of spectators would be collected, and that they might even amount to twenty or thirty thousand. See alfo Rev. v. II.

"Paul and Luke from Cefarea, alfo certain of the difciples "of Cefarea, and with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an "old difciple." Had there been a general affemblage to this facred festival, would not the number of Jews, who went from Cefarea, have been represented as much greater? It has been queftioned moreover, and upon very good grounds, as is obferved by the venerable Westminster Affembly, whether Paul arrived at Jerufalem before the day of Pentecoft: And even admitting that he was prefent, it by no means appears that by the many ten thousands of believing Jews of whom James fpeaks, are intended the whole number of believing Jews, as Mr. Ewing afferts, who had come up to this feast from the various quarters of the Gentile world. It was before evinced, that the Jews in general, who lived among the Gentiles, were neither bound nor accuftomed to refort to Jerufalem from every part in the earth to obferve this folemnity, which lafted for a fingle day only, and which could not with propriety be kept by many of them, as their harvest at this period was not yet begun. The number then of fuch Jews, from other countries, must have been comparatively fmall. In fine, whatever number of thefe Jews might have been prefent at the feast, they do not feem to be included among the myriads of Jews who were pointed out to Paul by the apoftle James. The latter are all reprefented as ftrangers to Paul, and as being informed fimply by the teftimony of others (ver. 21.), "that he taught all "the Jews which were among the Gentiles to forfake "Mofes"-on account of which it is declared that they were offended. As there were few places however in the Gentile world where Paul had not either before this preached, or fent others to preach under his direction, it is obvious that those myriads who were displeased with thefe unjuft reprefentations of his doctrine, and had heard of it merely by the teftimony of others, muft have