leagued with the very dregs of society, or if there were any, who reaped "no small gain” from lies and superstition, such men were sure to be the enemies of St. Paul, of him, who was the friend of man, of righteousness, and truth d.

See Acts xiii. 6, &c. xvii. 5. xvi. 16, &c. xix. 24, &c.

CHAP. IX.

ST. PAUL BELIEVED continued.

His fourth Visit to Jerusalem.

ACTS xviii. 19-23.

19. AND he came to Ephesus, and left them there : but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews. 20. When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not; 21. But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. 22. And when he had landed at Cesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. 23. And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

There are several obvious reasons why Mr. Gamaliel Smith should be desirous of regarding the above interesting account as "fictitious." 1. It proves, that St. Paul was not afraid to shew himself at Jerusalem, or among Jews, which would naturally have been the case, if

he had been engaged in any scheme of imposture, or personal ambition. 2. It evinces the high regard in which St. Paul was held among the Ephesian converts, who must have been well acquainted with his character. 3. It illustrates St. Paul's piety and submission to the will of God. 4. It shews the cordial harmony which subsisted between St. Paul and the church at Jerusalem. 5. It demonstrates the absurdity of Gamaliel Smith's opinion, that St. Paul had formerly fled from Antioch, because "the number of his enemies in that place was not small." 6. It exhibits additional proof of St. Paul's unwearied zeal and diligence in the cause of the Gospel.

With regard to the cause of this fourth visit, it was undertaken with a view to keep the feast, as some learned men have supposed, of the Passover. But whatever feast it was, for the celebration of which he went to Jerusalem, it is plain, that he received on this, as well as on other occasions, proofs of regard and attachment from the church at that place; for he did not depart without saluting that church, which, (as Gamaliel Smith himself declares) was "composed of the Apostles of Jesus, and his and their disciples," p. 93.

CHAP. X.

ST. PAUL BELIEVED-continued.

SECT. I.

His fifth and last Visit to Jerusalem.

NUMEROUS specimens of our Author's inventive faculties, have already been exhibited; under the head of St. Paul's last visit to Jerusalem, (absurdly denominated an "Invasion Visit") fresh instances of his talent for fiction, present themselves. His object being to ridicule and vilify St. Paul, and the writings which record his history, simple truth and the plain detail of facts, would not have answered his purpose. Hence, to give a sort of dramatic effect to his performance, he again has recourse to imagination, and with the versatility of a performer in a modern pantomime, he now transforms St. Paul, whom he before represented as an "impostor" and a " despot," into a monarch, who influenced by "spleen," vengeance," " ambition," and a "love of money," makes an invasion of Jerusalema.

Sed tamen amoto quæramus seria ludo."

Leaving these romantic fictions of Gamaliel

Smith, Esq. to those who have a taste for such inventions, let us proceed seriously to consider the real motives, by which St. Paul was actuated in making this, his fifth and last visit to Jerusalem.

SECT. II.

Motives of this Visit considered.

IT has been already seen, that in the conference between Paul, Peter, James, and John, it was resolved, that collections should be made for the poor Christians of Judea". St. Paul did not prove unmindful of this benevolent arrangement; he not merely preached, but he also practised that part of charity, which consists in alms-deeds for while he appealed to others, to contribute to the relief of the necessitous, he himself laboured with his hands, that instead of being himself chargeable, he might have to give to them that needed. A recommendation of charity, enforced by such a character, could scarce fail to have its due weight, and accordingly