Roman historians are thus called in as witnesses of the truth of Christianity; and Josephus himself, were he present, and willing to authenticate his own writings, would be compelled to bear a reluctant testimony.

4. A fourth argument in favour of the authenticity of the Acts of the Apostles, may be drawn from the nature of the case itself; for, without this book there would be an important chasm, impossible to be filled up, in the history of Christianity. The Apostles were promised by our Saviour a divine assistance after his departure. "These things have I spoken unto you being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you'." Had not the descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost been recorded in this book, one of the most material events in the history of the religion of Jesus must have remained involved in impenetrable darkness. The followers of our Lord, who had been instructed in the history of the Gospels only, must have continued to expect a blessing, of which they could not have heard; and they who believed at all, must have believed in an imperfect Christianity. Besides, without the book of the Acts, the true origin of Church-government, its several orders and offices, the establishment of the first Churches, the

1 John xiv. 26.

first preaching of men immediately sent forth by Christ himself, endowed with supernatural powers, and offering terms of salvation to Jew and Gentile, to bondmen and free men, would have been, if not wholly concealed from, very imperfectly known to, all succeeding generations.

Corrupted as the world is, it would hardly have been remembered that there had ever existed a pure and unadulterated Church of Christ; that the faith of Christians, being founded on a rock of adamant, was productive of the most exemplary works; and that all which could have been expected from a religion purposely instituted for the eternal redemption of a world of sinners, had been happily realized in the lives of the first converts, and in the sufferings and deaths of the primitive confessors and martyrs.

It will considerably illustrate the view of Christianity, which is given in the history of the Acts of the Apostles, if we consider, in the last place, the state of society, both in a civil and moral capacity, in those countries where it first appeared, or which were soon after visited by the first preachers of the Gospel. A large portion of the then known world was subject to the Roman empire. Though a trace of original liberty might be discovered in the Senate of Rome, it was a slender trace indeed; for the real power of the state existed in the hand of a despotic master. The great monarchies of former days, the Persian, the Macedonian, and the Grecian, had sunk before her; and the different fragments of these large empires were now become

Roman provinces, and were ruled either by "Roman governors invested with temporary commissions, or by their own princes and laws, in subordination to the republic, whose sovereignty was to be acknowledged, and from which the conquered kings, that were continued in their dominions, derived their borrowed majesty'." Amongst these, we shall find Felix and Festus at Cæsarea, Sergius Paulus at Cyprus, and Gallio in Achaia; amongst the others, different branches of the family of Herod the Great. By this extraordinary arrangement of the nations of the earth, Divine Providence was preparing for an introduction of a new order of things, and a more easy diffusion of the extensive blessings of Christianity. To break down the barriers of hostile nations, and to promote a similitude of manners and opinions, by uniting all, as it were, under one head, was to clear the way for the profession of that universal religion which was designed, in due course of time, to supersede the predominant idolatry, and remove all the base arts of superstition.

If the civil government of the Roman empire was thus calculated to effect such important purposes, its moral state seemed clearly to require it. How shall the pure eye be directed to examine the Roman history at this period? How shall we desire the immaculate breast to be impressed with all the dreadful variety of crimes which distinguish the age of Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero;

1 Mosheim's Eccl. Hist. ch. i. § 1.

contemporaries with those holy men whose actions are recorded, and presented to us as amiable models, both of faith and virtues, in the innocent and interesting narrative of St. Luke? We shrink at the comparison; and readily allow that we find no recompence in the elegant language of the Roman historians, nor in the acute observations which some of them have made on the unworthy subjects of their pens, for the disclosure of such atrocious acts of wickedness, such disgusting delineations of vice.

But let it be remembered, and remembered with exultations of gratitude and joy, that, at such a period, it pleased "God to send his Son into the world, that he might destroy the works of the devil1." When darkness had covered the earth, and worse than darkness the people, then was the moment for the true light to shine.

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It may further be remarked, though the observation may be thought to imply a paradox, that even the debasing characters of the Emperors were not only no impediments to the diffusion of Christian principles, but, in some measure, were the negative causes of its success. This I shall explain in the words of a judicious critic. Christianity at first was more likely to prosper under bad, than under good Emperors, if these were tenacious of their religious rites and ceremonies. The bad Emperors had usually other crimes and other mischiefs in view, and no leisure to plague such a little sect when compared to Paganism. And accordingly,

1 1 John iii. 8.

from the death of Christ to Vespasian, for above the space of thirty-seven years, the Romans did not mind the progress of the Gospel. They were ruled by weak, or frantic, and vicious Emperors; the magistrates and senators, and every worthy man of any note, stood in continual fear for their own lives. Under Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, the empire was a scene of confusion, desolation, and misery. Nero indeed destroyed several Christians at Rome, but it was for a supposed crime of which all the world knew them to be innocent; so that this cruel treatment raised compassion, and rather did service than harm to the Christian cause, and the persecution was soon over 1." The persecution over1." was sufficient to stimulate the Christian, without destroying Christianity. So wonderful are the of Providence, and to be discovered only by the event!

ways

period, the characters complete contrast to

During the whole of this of true Christians were in those of the most polished subjects of the Roman government, and the infant Church of Christ (allowing for such deviations as arose from the corruption of human nature) might then justly be styled "a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle 2."

The prospect of this flourishing state of Christian principles at the introduction of Ecclesiastical History, is to us most comfortable and salutary. It shews us what an height of virtue, what an

Jortin's Rem. on Eccl. Hist. Vol. I. p. 7.

1