About a week after this, three thous and were added in one day ;* and the number of Christians publicly baptized, and publicly associating together, was very soon increased to five thousand.t In a few years after this, the converts were described as increasing ingreat numbers, in great multitudes, and even in myriads, tens of thousands ;‡ and multitudes both of men and women continued to be added daily; so that within about thirty years after our Lord's death, the gospel was spread, not only throughout almost all parts of the Roman Empire, but even to Parthia and India. It appears from the Epistles written to several churches by the A. postles, that there were large congregations of Christians, both at Rome and in all the principal cities of Greece and Asia. This account is confirmed by contemporary Roman historians; and

* Acts iv. 4.

+ Acts ii. 41. + Act xxi. 20.

Pliny, about eighty years after the ascension, complains that this superstition,* as he calls it, had seized not cities only, but the lesser towns also, and the open country; that the Pagan temples were almost deserted, the sacred solemnities suspended, and scarce any purchasers to be found for the victims. About twenty years after this, Justin Martyr, a Christian writer, declares, that there was no nation of men, whether Greeks or barbarians, not excepting even those savages that wandered in clans from one region to another, and had no fixed habitation, who had not learned to offer prayers and thanksgivings to the Father and Maker of all, in the name of Jesus, who was crucified. And thus the Church of Christ went on increasing more and more, till, under Constantine, the empire

*The very name by which Modern Pagans, as well as their predecessors,the ancient Heathens describe the Christian Religion.

became christian; at which time there is every reason to believe that the Christ. ians were more numerous and more. powerful than the Pagans.

In what manner, now, can we account> for this wonderful had unexampled progress of the Christian Religion?

If this religion and set out with flat-tering the corrupt passions of mankind, and held up to them the prospect of power, wealth, rank, or pleasure as the rewards of their conversion; if it had soothed their vices, humored their prejudices, and encouraged their ancient superstitions; if the persons who taught it had been men of brilliant talents, or commanding eloquence; if they had first proposed it in times of darkness and ignorance, and among savage and barbar. ous nations; if they had been seconded by all the influence and authority of the great potentates of the earth, or propagated their doctrines at the head of a victo

rious army, one might have seen some reason for their extraordinary success.

But it is well known that the very re

verse of all this was the real truth of the case. It is well known, that the first preachers of the gospel declared open war against all the follies, the vices, the interests, the inveterate prejudices, and favorite superstitions of the world; that they were (with few exceptions) men of no abilities, no learning,no artificial rhet oric or powers of persuasion; that their doctrines were promulgated in an enlightened age, and to the most polished nations, and had all the wit and learning and eloquence and phil osophy of the world to contend with: And that, instead of being aided by the authority and influence of the civil powers, they were opposed, and harrassed, and persecuted by them, even to death, with the most unrelenting cruelty; and all those who embraced their doctrines were ex

posed to the same hardships and sufferings.

Is it now credible, that, under these circumstances, twelve poor illiterate fishermen of Galilee should be able, merely by their own natural powers, to spread their new religion in so short a space, over so large a part of the then known world, without any assistance or cooperation from any quarter whatever? Did any thing of the kind ever happen in the world, before or since?

It is plainly unprecedented and impossible. As, therefore, all human means of success were against them, what else but supernatural means were left for them? It is clear almost to demonstration, that they must have been endowed with those miraculous, powers and favored with that divine assistance to which they pretended, and which of course proved them to be the messengers of Heaven.