PART III.

THE ESTABLISHMENT AND PROPAGATION OF THE

CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

CHAPTER I.

ON THE PRIMITIVE PROMULGATION OF THE CHRISTIAN LAW. -Prophecies relating to the Promulgation of the Law of Christ in Sion.-The miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles.-The new Law is promulgated on the Day of Pentecost by Peter.-This Promulgation was a PUBLIC FACT, in all its Circumstances.-Those who embraced the Law of Christ, as promulgated by Peter, were all united in Faith and Communion. -The authority of Peter; and the other Apostles, sanctioned by acknowledged Miracles.

IMMEDIATELY after Christ, the Son of God, had delivered that high commission to his ministers, to go forth and to teach his law to all nations, he ascended to his heavenly throne. The Royal Prophet had heard in spirit the invitation, which the eternal Father addressed to his glorious and beloved Son, on this day of his triumph. Psalm cix. The Lord said to my Lord: sit thou on my right hand, until 1 make thy enemies the footstool of thy feet. David beheld, at the same time, in the light of prophecy, the standard of this spiritual and eternal King, raised in Sion. From Sion he saw it carried over nations, when Christ went forth, in his Apostles, conquering, that he might conquer (Apoc. vi, 2), and might subject the whole world to himself. David exulted at the prospect of the establishment and propagation of the kingdom of Christ; and bade him exercise his spiritual dominion over people, who had hitherto been enemies to his name.

HAVING POWER.

Matt. vi. 28 and 29. He delivered trine as the word or GOD. This was the strongest m evidence of truth, that could be proposed to the

man.

Christ communicated the whole body of his his Apostles. He commanded them to teach to what they had heard from him. He commar teach his doctrines, not by discussion, but by order to establish the credit of their authority power to work miracles, as convincing pr were instructed and commissioned by him taught the doctrines of Christ, not as their o inventions, but as the word of God (1 The they had received from him. The world such. Thus, what the wisdom of philoso the foolishness of the gospel has effected. world to the unity of truth, and to the t

y of is proerrors of

; the new, ign influence ng in the forms

ost, began to speak us operation of this asalem Jews, religious .:; and every man heard miracle, witnessed by so to the Apostles.

body, appealing to the publicly performed among

Lu particularly to the glorious

m which had been fore

Jesus to be the Lord and the Christ, om all are subject; the Messiah, tion. The people said to hat shall we do, men and In their minds the

ce his law; to

preparation,

e sacrament, to obtain the ly Ghost. But, sed, every one of remission of your loly Ghost. Acts ii, , word were baptized: y, about three thousand the doctrine of the Apos-ne breaking of bread, and And the Lord added daily uced. Ibid., v. 47.

he attention of the multitude postles, was a public fact. The

St. Peter appealed, and which who heard him, were public facts. algation of that part of the law of nnounced, on this first occasion, was knowledgment of the authority of the what was to be believed, and what was r to obtain salvation through Christ, was ted by the public submission of about three who" received the word of Peter," and who d."

of this submission to the authority of Peter and ies, was a firm adhesion to the same doctrine, in th and communion. They were persevering in the f the Apostles, and in the communication of the breakread, and in prayers, v. 42, and continued daily, with cord, in the temple. v. 46. Nor was it a matter of inence for salvation, to be united or not, in communion a this society; for the Lord added, daily, to their society CH AS SHOULD BE SAVED. v. 47. Thus it was by the uthority of the ministers of the church of Christ that his

The Lord (said Davi forth the sceptre of the midst of thy him in the invine splendour of his him to be his ete the day of thy » the womb, befo testimony to . office of the i Lord hath s

ne faithful were

oned by another

he name of Jesus teen lame from his the gate of the temcately after his cure, eiled with amazement,

Astonished multitude, as a is mission, the glorious by whose power, and is man was made strong, dings of salvation through Law of faith and repentance;

every one that shall turn Lay of them that heard the word men was made five thousand.

calling Peter and John, asked what means have you done this? of our Lord Jesus of Nazareth, God hath raised from the dead, even here before you, whole. Neither is ter, for there is no other name under whereby we may be saved. Acts iv, 7, stancy of Peter and John, they comout of the council; and they conferred saging: what shall we do to these men? miracle hath been done by them, to all rusalem: it is manifest, and we cannot may be no further spread among the peozmera them, that they may speak no more in this And, calling them, they charged them not teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter aerug, said to them: if it be just in the sight of rather than God, judge ye. For we cannot dungs which we have seen and heard. Ibid., v. ATS, 19, 20.

y which the Almighty gave to the authority of e Apostles, by the cure of the lame man, was

another public miraculous fact, acknowledged as such by their enemies. Again does Peter publicly preach the law of Christ. Again is obedience paid to his authority; the doctrines which he teaches are believed; five thousand follow the standard of Christ, and become subjects of his spiritual kingdom. They are united together, as members of one body. The multitude of believers had but one heart and one soul. v. 32. When forbidden by the priests and rulers to teach any more in the name of Christ, the Apostles appeal to their divine mission, sanctioned by this acknowledged miracle e; and insist on the certitude of their testimony, as relating to things which they themselves had seen and heard. v. 20.