were good. The idolatries, abominations, and ferocity of the Gentile world will be allowed to have been not less than they are described in the first chapter to the Romans : and the writings of Horace and Juvenal will prove, that the picture is not exaggerated. The extreme wickedness of the Jews is graphically delineated by their own historian, and is neither denied nor doubted by any one. What but the influence of God, and an EFFUSION of his Holy Spirit, the first of the kind since the coming of Christ, and the measure and standard for regulating our views of all succeeding ones,-can account for such a change? From the Acts of the Apostles and their Epistles, I have drawn the greatest part of the narrative; but the little that has been added from other sources is not heterogeneous. Here are thousands of men turned from the practice of every wickedness to the practice of every virtue; many, very suddenly, or at least in a short space of time, reformed in understanding, in inclination, in affection; knowing, loving, and confiding in God; from a state of mere selfishness converted into the purest philanthropists; living only to please God and to exercise kindness toward one another; and all of them, recovering really, what philosophy only pretended to,-the dominion. of reason over passion; unfeignedly subject to their Maker; rejoicing in his favour amidst the severest sufferings; and serenely waiting for their dismission into a land of blissful immortality. That all this must be of God, is demonstrative but the important inference, which teaches the divine authority of Christ, and the wickedness and danger of despising, or even neglecting him, is not always attended to by those who are most concerned in it. But the Christian Church was not yet in possession of any external dignity of political importance. No one NATION as yet was Christian, though thousands of individuals were so; but those chiefly of the middling and lower ranks. The modern improvements of civil society have taught men, however, that these are the strength of a nation; and that whatever is praiseworthy is far more commonly diffused among them, than among the noble and great. In the present age then, it should be no disparagement to the character of the first Christians, that the Church was chiefly composed of persons too low in life, to be of any weight in the despotic systems of government which then prevailed. We have seen one person* of uncommon genius and endowments, and two belonging to the Imperial family, but scarcely any more, either of rank or learning, connected with Christianity. We ought not then to be surprised, that Christians are so little noticed by Tacitus and Josephus: These historians are only intent on sublunary and general politics; they give no attention even to the eternal welfare of individuals. Nor is this itself a slight exemplification of the genius of that religion, which is destined to form men for the next life, and not for this. In doctrines the primitive Christians agreed: They all worshipped the one living and true God, who made himself known to them in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: Each of these they were taught to of the worship by the very office of baptism, performed in primitive the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Doctrines Christians. Ghost-And the whole economy of grace so constantly reminded them of their obligations to the Father who chose them to salvation, to the Saviour who died for them, and to the Comforter who supported and sanctified them, and was so closely connected with their experience and practice, that they were perpetually incited to worship the Divine Three in One. They all concurred in feeling conviction of sin, of helplessness, of a state of perdition: in relying on the atoning blood, perfect righteousness, and prevalent intercession of Jesus, as their only hope of heaven. Regeneration by the Holy Ghost was their common privilege, and without his constant influence they owned themselves obnoxious only to sin and vanity. Their community of goods, and their love-feasts, though discontinued at length,-probably because found impracticable,-demonstrated their superlative charity and heavenly-mindedness. Yet a gloomy cloud hung over the conclusion of the first century. The first impressions made by the effusion of the Spirit are generally the strongest and the most decisively distinct from the spirit of the world. But human depravity, overborne for a time, arises afresh, particularly in the next * Paul. + Clemens and Domitilla. See Jude's Epistle. generation. Hence the disorders of schism and heresy, Their tendency is to destroy the pure work of God. The first Christians, with the purest charity to the PERSONS of heretics, gave their ERRORS no quarter; but discountenanced them by every reasonable method. The heretics, on the contrary, endeavoured to unite themselves with Christians. If the same methods be at this day continued ;-If the heretic endeavour to promote his false religion by pretended charity, and the Christians stand aloof from him, without dreading the charge of bigotry, each act in character, as their predecessors did. The heretics by weakening men's attachment to Christ, and the schismatics by promoting a worldly and uncharitable spirit, each did considerable mischief; but it was the less, because Christians carefully kept themselves distinct from heretics, and thus set limits to the infection. It has been of unspeakable detriment to the Christian religion, to conceive that all who profess it, are believers of it, properly speaking. Whereas very many are Christians in NAME only, never attending to the NATURE of the Gospel at all. Not a few glory in sentiments subversive of its genius and spirit. And there are still more who go not so far in opposition to godliness; yet, by making light of the whole work of grace on the heart, they are found on a strict examination, to be as decidedly void of true Christianity. We have seen the first Christians individually converted: and, as human nature needs the same change still, the particular instances of conversion described in the Acts are models for us at this day. National conversions were then unknown; nor has the term any proper meaning. But when whole countries are supposed to become Christians merely because they are so termed; when conversion of heart is kept out of sight; and when no spiritual fruits are expected to appear in practice; -when such ideas grow fashionable, opposite characters are blended with each other; the form of the Gospel stands, and its power is denied. But let us not anticipate ; -These scenes appeared not in the first century. CENTURY II. CHAP. I. THE HISTORY OF CHRISTIANS DURING THE REIGN OF TRAJAN. THE master of the Roman world in the beginning of this century was the renowned Trajan. His predecessor Nerva had restored the Christian exiles, and granted a full toleration to the Church. Hence the last of the Apostles had recovered his station at Ephesus, and slept in the Lord, before the short interval of tranquillity was closed by the persecuting spirit of Trajan. Whatever explication may be given or conjectured of the cause of his dislike of Christians, he had a confirmed prejudice against them, and meditated the extinction of the name: nor does it appear that he ever changed his sentiments, or retracted his edicts against them. The 3d There is an account of his persecution in his correspondence with Pliny the governor of Bithynia, a character well known in classical history. The Persecution two epistles between the emperor and the governor deserve to be transcribed at length:* they seem to have been written in 106 or 107.† C. Pliny to Trajan Emperor. of the Christians: A. D. 106 or 107. refer all For who Pliny's "Health. It is my usual custom, Sir, to things, of which I harbour any doubts, to you. can better direct my judgment in its hesitation, or instruct my understanding in its ignorance? letter to I never had the fortune to be present at any examination of Christians, before I came into this province. I am therefore at a loss, to determine what is the usual * Pliny's Epistles, x. 97, 98. Trajan. + Or perhaps in 102 or 103 of the Vulgar æra. The reader will do well to keep in mind, that many disagreements in chronology are accounted for by considering that the Birth of our Saviour is placed by some of the best chronologers four years before our Vulgar æra. [Burton thinks A.D. cxi. See his Lectures, 2 Vols. p. 40. Second Edition.] object either of inquiry or of punishment, and to what length either of them is to be carried. It has also been with me a question very problematical,-whether any distinction should be made between the young and the old, the tender and the robust ;-whether any room should be given for repentance, or the guilt of Christianity once incurred is not to be expiated by the most unequivocal retractation—whether the name itself, abstracted from any flagitiousness of conduct, or the crimes connected with the name, be the object of punishment. In the mean time this has been my method, with respect to those, who were brought before me as Christians. I asked them, whether they were Christians: if they pleaded guilty, I interrogated them [a second and a third time] with a menace of capital punishment. In case of obstinate perseverance, I ordered them to be executed. For of this I had no doubt, whatever was the nature of their religion, that [stubbornness and inflexible obstinacy ought to be punished]. Some were infected with the same madness whom, on account of their privilege of citizenship, I reserved to be sent to Rome to be referred to your tribunal. [But this crime spreading (as is usually the case) while it was actually under prosecution, more cases soon occurred]. An anonymous libel was exhibited, with a catalogue of names of persons, who yet declared, that they were not Christians then, or ever had been; and they repeated after me an invocation of the gods and [offered worship with wine and frankincense to your image, which, for this purpose, I had ordered to be brought with the images of the deities: and [they likewise reviled] Christ,-none of which things I am told a real Christian can ever be compelled to do. On this account I dismissed them. Others named by an informer, first affirmed, and then denied the charge of Christianity; declaring that they had been Christians, but had ceased to be so, some three years ago, others still longer, some even twenty years ago. All of them worshipped your image, and the statutes of the gods, and also [reviled] Christ. And this was the account which they gave of the nature of the religion they once had professed, whether it deserves the name of crime or error,—namely that they were accustomed on a stated day to meet before daylight, and to |