whom he perfecuted, revealed himself to him, arrayed with glory brighter than the fun. To the heavenly vifion he was not disobedient, but was forthwith baptized, and adored that name, which before he blafphemed, and "preached the faith, which once he destroyed "."

Hitherto the church confifted of Jews, and of Jewish profelytes. That the Gentiles were to be converted to Chrift, the apostles well knew; but the terms of their admiffion remained a myftery, to be difclosed in due time; and that time, in God's gracious providence, was now at hand. The devout Cornelius was warned by an angel, to fend for Peter; and Peter was taught, by a vision from heaven, henceforth to call no man common or unclean. He repaired, without delay, to the house of the centurion, accompanied with fix brethren of the circumcifion, to be witneffes of the whole tranfaction; and Cornelius had, on his part, "called together his kinfmen, and near friends." While Peter was speaking, and preaching to them Jefus, the gift of the Holy Ghoft was poured out upon them, as it was on the apostles and others, at the beginning; and this miracu

P See A&t. ix.

9 Gal. i. 23. E 3

See Acts x. xi. lous

lous effufion, in no wife fuperfeding the neceffity of baptifm, but authorifing its ufe, the apostle, in confequence, "commanded them to be baptized, in the name of the Lord."

Having thus viewed the first planting of Christianity in the world, and remarked its growth, till the Gentiles were ingrafted into the fame ftock, and received life and vigour from the fame holy root; we may finish what remains, in more general reflexions.

It is an early tradition of the church, that our bleffed Lord, before his afcenfion, commanded his apostles to continue in Jerusalem twelve years. Whether it were from the injunction of their Mafter, or from their zeal for the falvation of their brethren, or from the fuggeftion of the Holy Spirit; the fact itself, that Jerufalem was, for a confiderable time, the place of their refidence, is evidently countenanced by the facred history of their Acts. We find fome of them occafionally fent from hence, to impart fpiritual gifts to thofe, who had received the word, by the preaching of fubordinate teachers ;

Apollonius in Eufebius, H. E. L. V. c. xviii. And fee Lardner's Suppl. to Credib. ch. vi,

and

and when they have fulfilled their their commiffion, and confirmed the brethren, they return to Jerufalem. To the fynod at Jerufalem was referred the great question, refpecting circumcifion; and "going to the apostles" feems, in one or two paffages, to be a fynonymous expreffion with "going up to Jerufalem "."

When at last they were about to depart from this city, which had killed the Prince of life, and ftoned his meffengers, and still was impenitent; whether as fome report, they determined by lot the parts of the world, into which they should severally go*; or whether, as others think, the Holy Ghoft, by imparting a particular language or dialect," directed each to his refpective charge'; we need not inquire. Whatever might be the mode of defignation, it was, doubtless, not without the guidance of heaven; and the main point, that such a partition was really made, seems to be confirmed by various paffages in the New Teftament. For it is inti

Acts xv.

Compare Acts xv. 33. with verse 2. of the fame chapter, aad with Gal. i. 17. Acts xvi, 4.

* Socrat. H. E. L. I. c. xix.

Chryfoft. Serm. II. in Pentecoft. T. V. p. 612. 1. 36.

mated, that no man interfered with another's province; that there was a certain measure, or line, marked out, beyond which (for the bounds were fufficiently ample!) they did not, in the ordinary discharge of their ministry, ambitiously stretch themselves". However, as well after, as before this separation, they appear, almost invariably, to have taken along with them one or more inferior minifters, to affift them in their labours. Of this their Lord himself had fet them an example, in sending them and the seventy, two and two. To this practice therefore they wifely adhered, not merely with a view to their own comfort, but that, in the mouth of two or three witneffes, every word might be established.

It has been before remarked, that almost from the very firft, the outlines of a regular church are obfervable, The word of life was taught by the apostles, the holy facraments were adminiftered, they prayed with one accord, and, as there was occafion, acts of difcipline were exercifed. Wherefoever the gofpel was afterwards published, these

z See 2 Cor. x. 13-16. Rom. xv. 20. and Dr. Tottie's second Charge, p. 349.

* See Acts viii. 14. xi. 25,26, xii. 25. xiii. 2. 43. 46. 50. xiv. 1. 20. XV. 2. 27. 39, 40.

points

points feem, in a particular manner, to have engaged the care of the apoftles. Elders were ordained, in every city; to whom the rest of the brethren are enjoined to submit themselves. It is exprefsly faid, "no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of GOD, as was Aaron"," and thofe, whom the apostles fet over the Lord's flock, are described as overfeers, made, or appointed, by the Holy Ghost. Some of thefe, we find, had authority, in the abfence of the apostles, to ordain others alfo to the work of the ministry.. The example of the churches very foon became, and is feveral times urged as, a forcible argument, for decency, uniformity, and order. And in the beginning of the third century, Tertullian appeals, in confutation of the heretics, to the apoftolical churches; in which the fucceffion of bifhops, either from fome of the apoftles themselves, or from one of their appointment, had been uninterrupted; whereas the heretics could not thus deduce their origin". Prove that

De Præfcript. Hæret. c. xx. xxi, xxxii. xxxvi.