posely sent his two sons from home, though he loved them with great tenderness; and, before they returned, his spirit, as he had foreseen would be the case, had flown to heaven.

His death occasioned great lamentations throughout the city, and his funeral was honoured with a great concourse of people, each of whom appeared to bewail the loss of a father or a brother.

INTRODUCTION.

THAT the introduction of Christianity into the world, considering the character of its Divine Founder, and the nature and tendency of its doctrines and precepts, should have ever given birth to persecution, may well appear surprising. The Son of God is described to us, as "meek and lowly," as "holy and harmless;" never did any other on earth give so illustrious an example of benevolence, patience, and kindness. So far from manifesting a persecuting spirit himself, he suffered reproaches and indignities without a murmur. "When reviled, he reviled not again;" but gave a high and noble exhibition of that self-denial, meekness, and fortitude, which he enjoined his followers to practise after him. Nay, so far from encouraging any methods of persecution, he rebuked and put a stop to every appearance of them. Thus, when his disciples would have called down fire from Heaven, to consume the Samaritans, who refused to receive him, he rebuked them, saying, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of; the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them;" and when one of those who were with Christ. cut off the ear of one of the high priest's servants, upon his laying his hands on him, he severly reproved him: "Put up again thy sword into its ⚫ place; for all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword." And, in order to cure his apostles of their ambition and pride, and to prevent their claiming undue power, he gave them an example of great humility and condescension, in washing and wiping their feet; and forbid them imitating the "Gentiles, by exercising dominion and authority; but whosoever will be great amongst you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief amongst you, let him be your servant; even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life for many." And as the Jewish teachers took on them the name of Rabbi, to denote their power over the consciences of those they instructed, he commanded his disciples: "Be ye not called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren; and call no man father, for one is your father which is in Heaven; but he that is greatest among you shall be your servant." And it is, moreover, certain, that were Christ's doctrines and precepts regarded and practised as they should be, universal benevolence would be the certain effect, and eternal peace and union would reign amongst the members of the Christian Church. For if there be

any commands of certain clearness, any precepts of evident obligation in the gospel, they are such as refer to the exercise of love, and the maintenance of universal charity. "Blessed are the meek," we hear the Saviour proclaiming, "for they shall inherit the earth.. Blessed are the peace makers, for they shall be called the children of God.” And in another place, describing the nature of religion in general, he tells us, that the love of God is the first commandment; and the second like unto it-thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. This he enjoins upon his disciples, as his peculiar command: "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you." Nay, love was that by which his followers were to be distinguished from all others. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye, also, love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Thus, it is evident, that there is nothing in the life of Jesus Christ, in his doctrines, or precepts, which gives any countenance to those wicked methods of propagating and supporting religion, that some of his pretended followers have made use of, but the strongest directions to the contrary.

The governing design of Christ's examples, doctrines, and precepts, was to promote meekness and condescension, universal charity and love. In this respect, his Apostles were his careful imitators. "Let love," says Paul," be without dissimulation; be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.” And the love he recommended was such, "as worketh no ill to his neighbour." In another place, we find the apostle guarding his Christian brethren against divisions on account of different sentiments, relating to matters of minor importance. "Receive," says he, "him that is weak in the faith, not to doubtful disputations, not to debates, or contentions about disputations, or disputable things." In relation to such matters, he directs that none should despise or judge others, because God had received them; and because every man ought to be fully persuaded in his own mind, and because the kingdom of God was not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace in the Holy Ghost; and because every one was to give an account of himself to God, to whom alone, as his master, he was to stand or fall. From these substantial reasons, he infers: "We then that are strong,"-we who have a more comprehensive understanding of the nature of Christianity, and our Christian liberty," ought to bear the infirmities of the! weak," instead of condemning them, and setting ourselves in opposition to them. On the contrary, we should employ ourselves in prayer unto the God of patience and consolation, that he would grant, that there might be no schism among heirs of the same glorious inheritance; but that all, endeavouring to be like minded, one towards another, might preserve the unity of the spirit, thus glorifying God, even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with one mind and one spirit. Again, we find him exhorting to great lowliness and meekness, as an evidence of walking worthy of the Christian vocation, with long suffering, forbearing one another, in love. The contrary vices of bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, and malice, are to be put away, as things which grieve the Holy Spirit of God; and we must be kind one to another, forgiving one another, even as

God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us. To these precepts of the apostle Paul, which might be indefinitely extended, we shall only add the amiable description of the wisdom, that is from above, given by the apostle James. "The wisdom that is from above, is pure, and peaceable, and gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. But if we have bitter envying and strife in our hearts, we have nothing to glory in, but we lie against the truth,' i. e. belie our Christian profession; for whatever false judgment we may pass upon ourselves, this wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish; for where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.'

"But to this it has been objected, that although the precepts of the Christian religion, as recorded both by Christ and his apostles, seem not to countenance persecution; and nothing in favour of it can be urged from the conduct of Jesus Christ himself; yet that the conduct of his apostles, particularly that of Paul, may be fairly urged, as a warrant in certain cases.

"The venerable Beza adduces two instances, as a vindication of the punishment of heretics. The first is that of Ananias and Sapphira, struck dead by Peter; and the other that of Elymas, the sorcerer, struck blind by Paul. But how impertinently are both these instances alleged? Heresy was not the thing punished, in either of them. Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead, for hypocrisy and lying; and for conspiring, if it were possible, to deceive God. Elymas was a Jewish sorcerer, and false prophet; a subtle mischievous fellow, an enemy to righteousness and virtue, who withstood the Apostolic authority, and endeavoured, by his frauds, to prevent the conversion of the deputy to the Christian faith. The two first of these persons were punished with death. By whom? What, by Peter? No: by the immediate hand of God. Peter gave them a reproof suitable to their wickedness; but as to the punishment, he was only the mouth of God in declaring it, even of that God who knew the hypocrisy of their hearts, and gave this signal instance of his abhorrence of it in the infancy of the Christian church, greatly to discourage, and, if possible, for the future to prevent men thus dealing fraudulently and insincerely with him. And, I presume, if God hath a right to punish frauds and cheats in another world, he hath a right to do so in this; especially in the instance before us, which seems to have something very peculiar in it.

"Peter expressly says to Sapphira: How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the spirit of the Lord? What can this tempting of the spirit of the Lord be, but an agreement between Ananias and his wife, to put this fraud on the apostle, to see whether or not he could discover it by the spirit he pretended to? This was a proper challenge to the spirit of God, which the apostles were endued with, and a combination to put the apostolic character to the trial. Had not the cheat been discovered, the apostles' inspiration and mission would have been deservedly questioned; and as the state of Christianity required that this divine mission should be abundantly established, Peter lets them know that their hypocrisy was discovered; and, to create the greater regard and attention to their persons and message, God saw fit to punish that hypocrisy with death.

"As to Elymas, the sorcerer, this instance is as foreign and imperti

nent as the other. Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Cyprus, had entertained at Paphos, one Barjesus, a Jew, a sorcerer; and hearing, also, that Paul and Barnabas were in the city, he sent for them to hear the doctrine they preached. Accordingly, they endeavoured to instruct the deputy in the Christian faith, but were withstood by Elymas, who by his subtleties and tricks endeavoured to hinder his conversion. St. Paul, therefore, in order to confirm his own divine mission, and to prevent the deputy's being deceived by the frauds and sorceries of Elymas, after severely rebuking him for his sin, and in opposition to Christianity, tells him not that the proconsul ought to put him in jail, and punish him with the civil sword; but that God himself would decide the controversy, by striking the sorcerer himself immediately blind; which accordingly came to pass, to the full conviction of the proconsul.

"Now what is there in all this to vindicate persecution? God punishes wicked men for fraud and sorcery, who knew their hearts, and had a right to punish the iniquity of them. Therefore men may punish others for opinions they may think to be true, and are conscientious in embracing, without knowing the heart, or being capable of discovering any insincerity in it. Or God may vindicate the character and mission of his own messengers, when wickedly opposed and denied by immediate judgments inflicted by himself on their opposers. Therefore the magistrate may punish and put to death without any warrant from God, such who belie their mission, and are ready to submit to it, as far as they understand the nature and design of it. Are these consequences just and rational? or would any man have brought these instances as precedents for persecution, that was not resolved, at all hazards, to defend and practice it?”*

To the candid and unprejudiced mind, the preceding view of the subject will be sufficient, it is believed, to justify the conclusion, that neither the doctrines, precepts, nor conduct of Christ, nor those of his apostles, can in the remotest degree give any sanction to the spirit, nor to any of the forms of persecution. But to the omniscient eye of Christ, it was not concealed, that the promulgation of Christianity would lead to persecutions of the most grievous kind, both from opposers and pretended friends. To these approaching persecutions to these most bitter and grievous days of trial and calamity to his faithful followers, Christ, as a true prophet of God, often alluded. He spoke of them as certain, as seasons which would try the faith, and sincerity, and patience of his followers; at the same time, he bid them, "put a heavenly courage on;" since, by an exhibition of faith, fortitude, and constaney, they would give proof of the sustaining power of his gospel, and through such abundant tribulations, would be prepared for a more abundant weight of glory. To his disciples, who would lead in "the noble army of martyrs," he strongly represented the dangers which would come upon them. "They will deliver you," says he, "up to councils; they will scourge you in the synagogues; you shall be hated of all men for my sake; nay, the time cometh, when they will think they are doing God a service, by putting you to death." And alluding to a consequence of the promulgation of the gospel, viz. the prevalence of persecution, the result of pride, envy,

* Chandler's History of Persecution, p. 401, et alibi.