this chain (and it might then easily have been proved, had it been true) prove that this chain had ever been broken, or that these churches had been governed, not by one individual, but by feveral rulers of equal authority; and the whole of his reasoning, which is so masterly on the foot where he places it, falls at once to the ground'.

k

From St. Paul's exhortation to Timothy, to "hold faft the form of found words *;" and from other intimations of like nature, it is highly probable, that as there was from the first an appointed miniftry, fo was there likewise a prescribed form of worship. Many parts of our liturgy we are able to trace up to the apoftolic age, yet without discovering the particular authors of them'. This is therefore a prefumption, that they were, as to fubftance at leaft, in ufe from the beginning.

These remarks, on the mode, in which the gospel was established in the world, ap

i Vide Dodwell, Differt. I. in Iren. §. xliii.

*See 2 Tim. i. 13, 14. Comp. 1 Tim. i. 16. vi. 20. Rom. vi. 17. A&t. iv. 24. xvi. 25. 1 Cor. xiv. 26. xi. 15. Eph. v. 18-20. Col. iii 16. Rom. xv. 6.

1 Vide Smith de Vet. Gr. Ecclef. Hymnis, Cave Hift. Lit. Vol. II. Differt. II. p. 40. 42. and the Writers on the Common Prayer.

pear

pear to be well founded; but as to its extenfive and swift propagation, the fact is indifputable, from the concurring teftimony of inspired and uninspired historians.

Among the hearers of St. Peter, on the day of Pentecoft, were men from the parts about Cyrene. The Ethiopian eunuch was foon afterwards converted; and St. Mark, the evangelift, was conftituted the first bishop of Alexandria ". These circumstances, if there were no other, fhew, fufficiently for our purpose, the publication of the gospel among the nations of Africa. Parthians and Medes were likewise present, on the day of Pentecoft; and St. Thomas is reported to have diffeminated the word of life and falvation, in more diftant countries of the eaft".

Of the labours and fuccefs of all the apoftles, what may we, or rather what may we not, infer, when St. Paul alone fully preached the gospel, almost throughout the wole Roman empire? from Arabia to Damafcus, from thence to Illyricum; in Italy and Spain? Scarcely a city of eminence in Afia

m Cave. Hift. Lit. Vol. I. p. 14.

n Vide Euf. H. E. L. III. c. i. et not.

See Gal. i. 17. Rom. xv. 19. 24. 28. igas autov año Iepɣσαλημ εἰς Ισπανίαν τρέχοντα· εἰ δε εις τοσέτον μέρος της οικόμενης

κατέλαβεν,

Minor, in Macedonia, or Greece, that was not honoured with the presence, and enlightened with the doctrine, of this great teacher of the Gentiles. In Rome itself he bore witness of the truth; and in the palace of the emperor he was not without his con

verts P.

Whether He, or whether any of the twelve apostles, visited Britain, cannot perhaps be determined with certainty ; but Claudia, whom he mentions, was moft probably born in this ifland; and that the gofpel was preached here in the time of the apoftles, is allowed on all hands; and in the beginning of the third century, Tertullian informs us, that even those parts of the ifland, which the Romans had not conquered, were, however, fubject to Christ'.

Of the number of converts, in the apoftolic age, it is vain to form an estimate. But if, as we know, in a very fhort time, there

κατέλαβεν, εννόησον και οι λοιποι ποσα ειργάσαντο. Chryfoft. Hom. 75. in Matt. T. II. p. 469. 1. 32.

P See Phil. i. 13. iv. 22. and Chryfoft. T. IV. p. 867. 1. 39. 92 Tim. iv. 21.

• Vide Usher Brit. Ecclef. Antiq. c. i. iii. Spelman Concil. Orbis Britann. p. 1. &c.

$ Britan norum inacceffa Romanis loca, Chrifto verò fubdita. Adv. Jud. c. vii.

were

were many thousands of believing Jews'; we may well fuppofe the whole multitude of the faithful to have been great indeed, and without number. The heavenly feed was fown in a good foil, and it brought forth fruit an hundred fold. On a lofty mountain, on the mountain of the height of Ifrael, was planted a branch, a tender one; it took root, and grew up, and was a goodly cedar; and in the fhadow of its branches lodged all fowl of every wing". From mount Sion iffued forth an overflowing ftream, and lo! the ftream became a river, and the river became a fea*; the waters are the waters of life, and whofoever drinketh thereof fhall live.

Here then we have, upon the records of history, an undeniable fact, that the religion of Jefus Chrift did, in the space of forty years, overfpread the earth, and in every people, and nation, get a poffeffion". It is alfo

true, that this came to pass, in exact conformity with the antecedent declarations of the Jewish scriptures. Had therefore not one miracle been wrought in proof of the gospel,

i Acts xxi, 20.

× See Ecclus. xxiv. 31.

" See Ezek. xvii. 22, 23.

▾ See Ezek. xlvii. 9. Rev. xxii. 1,2, 17.

z Eccluf. xxiv. 6.

whereas

whereas thousands were performed; had no spiritual bleffings gone along with the preaching of it, whereas they were, in fact, every where bestowed; ftill it is certain, that it ought to be received, as the work of GOD, by all who believe the ancient prophecies. It is that very difpenfation, that very religion, which Jehovah, the GoD of Ifrael, there foretold, and acknowledged for his own; that new law, which he would write in the hearts, not of the Jews only, but of the Gentiles. alfo, who fat in darkness, and the shadow of death.

In faying this, I mean not, in the smallest degree, to difparage the miracles, which were wrought by our Lord, and his bleffed apostles. GOD forbid! They were expedient, and even neceffary, for various reafons; and for this, among others, because they were foretold, as a diftinguishing mark, whereby the Meffiah fhould be known.

Nor, again, do I abandon, as untenable, the fortrefs, which the church has, from the earliest age to this day, been in poffeffion of, built upon the foundation of the miraculous progrefs of our holy faith. The argument has never yet been shewn to be invalid; nor,

we