" labour, working with our own bands." Impostors would not adhere to a religion attended with fuch difficulties; enthusiasts would not endeavour to exhibit an example of active, humble industry, even in the midst of the most severe perfecutions, and most important religious avocations. I conclude, that the conduct, as well as the words of the apostles, be speak truth and foberness.

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The conduct of the apostles in the regulation of the church, proves them to have been exempt from enthusiasm.

THE fame fobriety of mind which displayed itself in the personal conduct of the apostles, was equally confpicuous in the regulation of the Christian church, over which they presided. In this view I would call the attention of my reader to a transaction which took place before they entered on their public ministry, and which I notice, because it feems equally inconsistent with imposture and enthusiasm.-Peter collects the disciples, in number one hundred and twenty, and proposes to fupply the place of the fallen

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Judas. Now was this a measure which impoftors would adopt? If a monopoly of power or influence was designed, would the men who possessed this monopoly propose or consent, without any apparent neceffity, to admit an obfcure individual to the fame rank, amongst the new converts, which they themselves enjoyed?-no, certainly. But confider the qualifications required in this substitute, and judge whether they are such as enthusiasts would naturally have felected. Did they look for that individual amongst the converts most distinguished for warm zeal, spiritual extacies, or extravagant austerity?Far otherwise, no fuch ideas feem to have once entered into the imagination of the proposer. He looked for those qualities which would give the new apostle's testimony the greatest weight in the judgment of fober reason, but which enthusiasm would have neglected or despised; he fought for one who must have had full opportunity of examining all the facts which it was necessary he should attest: " Of thefe " men, fays St. Peter, which have companied with " us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and " out among us, beginning from the baptifm of John " until that same day that he was taken up from us, " must one be ordained to be a witness with us of "his refurrection."

a Vid. Herman Pistorius's Notes to Hartley, vol. iii. p. 610,

London 1791, for this part of this remark.

►Acts i. 21.

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The manner of the election, while it displays a deep and heartfelt piety, with a firm confidence, that the religion they taught was under the immediate protection of that divine Power which had already borne witness to it by the most stupendous miracles; yet was it as fober and regular as it was pious and fincere. They appointed two perfons, and they prayed and said, "Thou Lord, who knowest the " hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou "haft chofen, that he may take part of this ministry " and apostleship from which Judas by tranfgreffion " fell, that he might go to his own place; and they gave forth their lots, and he on whom the lot " fell was numbered with the eleven apostles." -The calm and decorous manner in which the apostate Judas is here mentioned, seems as inconsistent with the violence of enthusiasm, as the qualification sought for in his substitute, and the mode of the selection. All these circumstances bespeak truth and piety; all are inconsistent with fraud or fanaticism.

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Another transaction of fomewhat a similar nature, feems equally to prove that the apostles were devoid of every interested view which impostors might entertain, and directed by prudence and difcretion in the conduct of their religious concerns, which enthusiasts scarcely ever observe.

The first converts felt their minds impressed by the miracles they beheld with so deep a sense of the importance of religion, above every temporal concern, that " as many as were poffeffors of lands or houses "fold them, and brought the prices of the things " that were fold, and laid them down at the apostles' " feet, and distribution was made to every man (in "the Christian society) according as he had need." Now here was an occafion which interested men would have improved to their own advantage, by urging the continuance of this community of goods as a duty, and cautiously referving to themselves the management of the fund it fupplied, as the most valuable appendage of their ministry; on the other hand, enthusiasts would have probably encouraged this neglect of all temporal concerns with avidity, as fuited to the fervor of religious zeal, which in their eyes would form the highest merit. Not so the apoftles of this community of goods they took no advantage; they distributed to each as they had need; they referved to themselves, if any thing, certainly no more than supplied the present neceffaries of life, as appears from their subsequent and continued poverty; and even present necessaries they frequently procured by their own labour. And what is equally striking, the whole New Testament does not contain a single passage, representing this community of goods as a duty which Christianity enjoins :-it was an illustrious act of liberality, fuited to the circumstances existing at that particular place and period, but no where recommended for general adoption. St. Paul confirms the dictates of reason on this subject, by the authority of revelation, when he declares that none have a right to be supported by others, except fuch as are incapable of providing for themselves, and destitute of those relatives from whom nature dictates they should obtain relief. In describing the rules by which the distribution of Christian beneficence should. be regulated, he directs " if any widow have chil "dren or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety "at home, and to requite their parents, for this is "good and acceptable before God; but if any provide "not for his own, and especially for those of his " own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worfe " than an infidel." How remote is this from the language of fanaticism? However, on this fubje&. it is neceffary farther to observe, that the fingular and unparalleled liberality of the first Christians, undoubtedly placed the apostles in a trying and fufpicious situation; and the manner in which they acted, indiçates prudence and difcretion, as strongly as it displays piety and zeal f.

"When the number of the disciples was multiplied, " (fays the historian) there arose a murmuring of the " Grecians against the Hebrews, because their wi

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