difcipline, were trained up in their schools, and profeffed the opinions they taught.

All these fects made it a maxim, not to disturb the popular worship, or established religion; but under thofe limitations they taught very freely whatever they pleased, and no religious opinions were more warmly fupported, than thofe they delivered were by their followers. The Chriftian religion at once overturned their several fyftems, taught a morality more perfect than theirs, and established it upon higher and much ftronger foundations, mortified their pride, confounded their learning, discovered their ignorance, ruined their credit. Against fuch an enemy what would they not do? Would they not exert the whole power of their rhetorick, the whole art of their logick, their influence over the people, their in-tereft with the great, to difcredit a novelty fo alarming to them all? If St. Paul had had nothing to trust to but his own natural faculties, his own understanding, knowledge, and eloquence, could he have hoped to be fingly a match for all theirs united against

him?

him? Could a teacher, unheard of before, from an obfcure and unlearned part of the world, have with food the authority of Plato, Ariftotle, Epicurus, Zeno, Arcefilaus, Carneades, and all the great names which held the firft rank of human wisdom? He might as well have attempted alone, or with the help of Barnabas and Silas, of Timotheus and: Titus,. to have erected a monarchy upon the ruins of all the several states then in the world,. as to have erected Christianity upon thedeftruction of all the feveral fects of phi-lofophy which reigned in the minds of the Gentiles, among whom he preached;. particularly the Greeks and the Romans.

Having thus proved (as I think) that in the work of converting the Gentiles, St. Paul could have no affistance, but was fure: on the contrary, of the utmost repugnance: and oppofition to it imaginable, from the ma-; giftrates, from the priests, from the people,. and from the philofophers; it neceffarily follows, that to fucceed in that, work he: muft have called in fome extraordinary aid,. fome ftronger power than that of reafon.

and.

and argument. Accordingly we find, he tells the Corinthians, that his Speech and preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonftration of the Spirit of power. 1 Cor. ii. 4. And to the Theffalians, he fays, Our Gofpel came not unto you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Ghoft. Theff. i. 5. It was to the efficacy of the Divine power that he afcribed all his fuccefs in those countries, and whereever else he planted the Gospel of Christ. If that power really went with him, it would enable him to overcome all thofe difficulties that obftructed his enterprize, but then he was not an impoftor: our enquiry therefore muft be, whether (fuppofing him to have been an impoftor) he could, by pretending to miracles, have overcome all thofe difficulties, and carried on his work with fuccefs.

Now to give miracles, falfely pretended to, any reputation, two circumstances are principally neceffary, an apt difpofition in those whom they are defigned to impofe, upon, and a powerful confederacy to carry

on,

on, and abet the cheat. Both thefe circumftances, or at least one of them, have always accompanied all the falfe miracles ancient and modern, which have obtained any credit among mankind. mankind. To both thefe was owing the general faith of the heathen world in oracles, aufpices, auguries, and other impoftures, by which the priests, combined with the magiftrates, fupported the national worship, and deluded a people prepoffeffed in their favour, and willing to be deceived. Both the fame caufes likewife co-operate in the belief that is given to Popish miracles among those of their own church. But neither of these affifted St. Paul. What prepoffeffions could there have been in the minds of the Gentiles, either in favour of him, or the doctrines he taught? or rather, what prepoffeffions could be ftronger than those, which they undoubtedly had against both? If he had remained in Judea, it might have been fuggested by unbelievers, that the Jews were a credulous people, apt to seek after miracles, nd to afford them an easy belief; and that

the

the fame of thofe faid to be done by Jefus' himself, and by his Apoftles, before Paul declared his converfion, had predifpofed' their minds, and warmed their imaginations to the admiffion of others fuppofed to be wrought by the fame power.

The fignal miracle of the Apoftles fpeaking with tongues on the day of Pentecoft*, had made three thousand converts; that of healing the lame man at the gate of the temple, five thousand more. Nay fuch was the faith of the multitude, that they brought forth the fick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the leaft the fhadow of Peter paling by might overShadow fome of them. Acts v. 15. Here was therefore a good foundation laid for Paul to proceed upon in pretending to fimilar miraculous works; though the priests and the rulers were hardened against them, the people were inclined to give credit to them, and there was reafon to hope for fuccefs among them both at Jerufalem and in all

* Acts ii. 14. iv. 4,

the