partakers of Christ's fufferings.

Wherefore let them that fuffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well doing as unto a faithful Creator *”

What could all these texts mean, if there was nothing in the circumftances of the times which required patience, which called for the exercise of conftancy and resolution? or will it be pretended that these exhortations (which, let it be obferved, come not from one author, but from many) were put in, merely to induce a belief in after-ages, that the firft Chriftians were exposed to dangers which they were not exposed to, or underwent fufferings which they did not undergo? If these books belong to the age to which they lay claim, and in which age, whether genuine or fpurious, they certainly did appear, this fuppofition cannot be maintained for a moment; because I think it impoffible to believe, that paffages, which must

be deemed not only unintelligible but false, by the persons into whofe hands the books upon their publication were to come, should nevertheless be inferted, for the purpose of producing an effect upon remote generations. In forgeries which do not appear till many ages after that to which they pretend to belong, it is poffible that fome contrivance of that fort may take place; but in no others can it be attempted.

VOL. I.

F

CHAP.

CHAP. IV.

There is fatisfactory evidence that many, profeffing to be original witnesses of the Chrif tian miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers, and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they also fubmitted from the fame motives to new rules of conduct.

THE account of the treatment of the reli

gion and of the exertions of its firft preachers, as ftated in our fcriptures (not in a profeffed hiftory of perfecutions, or in the connected manner in which I am about to recite it, but dispersedly and occafionally, in the course of a mixed, general, hiftory, which circumftance alone negatives the fuppofition of any fraudulent defign), is the following: "That the founder of Christianity, from the commencement of his miniftry to the

time of his violent death, employed himself wholly in publishing the inftitution in Judea and Galilee; that, in order to affift him in this purpose, he made choice, out of the number of his followers, of twelve perfons, who might accompany him as he travelled from place to place; that, except a short abfence upon a journey, in which he fent them, two by two, to announce his miffion, and one, of a few days, when they went before him to Jerufalem, thefe perfons were statedly and conftantly attending upon him; that they were with him at Jerufalem when he was apprehended and put to death; and that they were commiffioned by him, when his own ministry was concluded, to publish his gospel, and collect disciples to it from all countries of the world." The account then proceeds to ftate, "That, a few days after his departure, thefe perfons, with fome of his relations, and fome who had regularly frequented their fociety, affembled at Jerufalem; that, confidering the office of preaching the religion as now devolved upon them, and one of their number having deserted the cause,

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cause, and, repenting of his perfidy, having destroyed himself, they proceeded to elect another into his place; and that they were careful to make their election out of the number of those who had accompanied their mafter from the first to the laft, in order, as they alledged, that he might be a witness, together with themselves, of the principal facts which they were about to produce and relate concerning him *; that they began their work at Jerufalem, by publicly afferting that this Jefus, whom the rulers and inhabitants of that place had fo lately crucified, was, in truth, the person, in whom all their prophecies and long expectations terminated; that he had been fent amongst them by God ; and that he was appointed by God the future judge of the human fpecies; that all, who were folicitous to fecure to themselves happiness after death, ought to receive him as fuch, and to make profeffion of their belief, by being baptized in his name t." The history goes on to relate, "that confiderable

Acts i. 21, 22. + Acts xi.

numbers