prove, that the picture is not exaggerated. The extreme wickedness of the Jews is graphically delineated by their own historian, and is not denied by any. What but the influence of God, and an out-pouring 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 all wickedness to all goodness, 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 inference which follows of the divine authority of Christ, and of 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 or 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 praise-worthy 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 system of gov

ernment which then prevailed. We have seen two persons of the imperial family,* and one of uncommon genius and endowments, but scarce any more of the same sort, connected with christianity. We should not then be surprised, that christians are so little noticed by Tacitus and Josephus, intent only as they were on sublunary politics, and scarce deigning to think of any as existing in an individual capacity. Nor is this itself a small exemplification of the genius of this religion, destined to form men for the next life, and not for this.

In doctrine 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 worship by the very office of baptism performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And the whole 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 agreed 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 century. The first impressions made by the out-pouring 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, rises afresh, particularly in the next generation. Hence the disorders of schism

Clemens and Domitilla. VOL. I.

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† St. Paul.

Sec Jude's Epistle.

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, and 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 christian 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, cach did considerable mischief; but it was the less because christians carefully kept themselves distinct from the heretical, 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 as plainly void of 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 ideas of christians by wholesale grow fashionable, opposites are mixed, the form of the gospel stands, and its power is denied. But let us not anticipate; these scenes appeared not in die est entury.

CENTURY II.

CHAPTER 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 account 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.

There is an account of his persecution in his correspondence with Pliny the governor of Bithynia, a man well known in classical history. The two Epistles between the master and the servant deserve to be transcribed at length;* they seem to have been written in 106 or 107.

C. Pliny to Trajan Emperor health.

"It is my usual custom, Sir, to refer all things, of "which I harbour any doubts, to you. For who can "better direct my judgment in its hesitation, or instruct

my understanding in its ignorance? 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 object either of

Pliny's Epistles, x. 97, 98.

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"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 twice afresh, 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 a sullen and obstinate inflexibility called "for the vengeance of the magistrate. Some there 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. In the course "of this business, informations pouring in, as is usual "when they are encouraged, more cases occurred. An

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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 repeated after "me an invocation of the gods and of your image, which "for this purpose I had ordered to be brought with the images of the deities, performed sacred rites with wine "and frankincense, and execrated 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 desisted some three years "ago, others still longer, some even twenty years ago. "All of them worshipped your image, and the statues "of the gods, and also execrated Christ. And this was "the account which they gave me of the nature of the