fhould be baptifed with the Holy Ghoft, and commanded them to wait at Jerufalem for the effect of that promise, that he carried them to the Mount of Olives; that he was taken up in a Cloud, which carried him out of their fight; and that as they ftedfastly looked up towards Heaven, as he went up, two men stood by them in white apparel, and promifed them that Jefus Chrift would come again in like manner as they had feen him go into Heaven. So that it is no longer a question whether the Disciples were deceived in this refpect; but rather whether they had a mind to deceive others by a falfe Relation of fo Chimerical an Event.

For the perfect understanding of this Mattér,it is fufficient to obferve the time in which the Disciples begun to declare it. And when the day of Pentecoft was fully come, fays St. Luke, they were all with one accord in one place. And fuddenly there came a found from Heaven, as of a rushing mighty Wind, and it filled all the house where they were fitting. And there appeared unto them Cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it fat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghoft, and begun to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Ferufalem, Fews, devout Men, out of every Nation under Heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, becaufe that every man heard them fpeak in his own Language, &c. But Peter ftanding up with the eleven, lift ир up his voice, and faid, &c. Then they that gladly received his Word, were baptised: and the same day there were added unto them about three thoufand Souls, &c. And fear came upon every Soul, and many wonders and figns were done by the Apostles, Acts Chap. 2. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,14,41, 43.

That this matter of fact was not invented, appears by the bare Confideration of it: becaufe this

is a thing as must have been brought to pass at Je rufalem upon a folemn feast day, before men of all forts of Nations, and as I may fo speak, in the fight of all the Universe; and which Consequently is fuch as could not poffibly have been forg'd or invented. What then can be objected to shake the Certainty of this History? Can it be said that this Matter of fact was inferted in the Writings of St Luke, long after the Death of that Author? But then it must at the fame time be confeffed, that the whole Book was forg'd, because that is an effential and fundamental matter of fact, on which the other things contained in the Book of Acts altogether depend. Thus for inftance, the preaching of the Apostles and the fuccefs of it wholly depend upon it. Whatever is contained in their Epiftles abfolutely relates to it. And lastly, every thing in the New Teftament is forg'd, if the coming down of the Holy Ghost on the Apostles be a meer Invention.

Shall I believe that St. Luke himself invented this matter of fact, and that no one ever fpoke of it before him? If fo, what was it the Apostles faid to thofe they preach'd the Gospel to? What did they ground their preaching upon, but only on the Miffton of the Holy Ghost? What other right but that had they to preach?

Did the Apostles themselves to deceive Mankind, pretend that they had received the Holy Ghost? This is the only plaufible fufpicion the Incredulous can entertain; yet for all that it is abfurd. For when was it they made this Pretenfion? It must neceffarily be either after they had founded a Church at Jerusalem, or fome time before. If it was after they had founded a Church therein,how was it poffible this Church fhould have been afterwards perfwaded that the Apoftles had received the Holy Ghost; that they had publickly spoken all forts of

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Languages, and that their preaching attended with feveral strange prodigies, had been the occafion of the forming that Church?

But if the Apostles pretended they had received the Holy Ghost, before there was ever any Chriftian Church established in Jerufalem, nay if it were by a falfe attestation of this matter of fact, and many other fuch that they founded this Church: the Apoftles must of neceffity have learned all the Languages in the World fince the death of their Master, and together with that the fecret of making the lame walk, and healing the fick: because these are what they call the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

But perhaps 'tis a question whether there was ever any Chriftian Church founded at Jerufalem? If so, then must the Ancient Doctors of the Church who lived in different times and in different places, have confpired together to deceive us in this refpect; and the Jews and Heathens, and all other profefs'd Enemies of our Religion, as well Ancient as Modern, who never contefted the truth of this matter of fact, muft utterly have loft their Reason.

In a word, fuppofing the Book of Acts compofed long after the deftruction of Jerufalem, that is, when there could be no longer any flourishing Church in that City, yet there is no point gained. For it is true ftill that the Apostles fet down the matter of fact we fpeak of, and that their Epiftles are filled with fuch things as vifibly relate to it.

I fhall not here further add that the Book of Acts mentions nothing of the Death of the Apostles; which manifeftly fhews that it was compofed during their lives, and confequently in a time wherein the Church of Jerufalem flourish'd: nor that it mentions nothing of the last deftruction of Jerufalem, no not fo much as any of the figns or prefages of it; which induces us to believe that that Book was compofed G 3 fome

fome time before that great Eyent; it being very probable that the Author who compofed it meerly for the Glory of the Apostles and of the Christian Religion, as the Incredulous undoubtedly imagin) would never have failed to have inferted in it the Hiftory of all thofe dreadful Misfortunes which fell upon the Jews, and which the Christians look upon as the effect of their rejecting the Meffias.

But fince my defign is not to leave the Reader the leaft fhadow of a doubt, I promise to prove by and by, that the Apostles both received and imparted many miraculous gifts. In the mean while till the Method I have prefcribed to my self, gives me leave to enter upon that fubject, I think it fit to make fome few Reflexions concerning the fuccefs of the Apostles's preaching, which is that effential head to which all other matters contained in the Book of Acts relate.

CHAP. X.

Wherein we shall take into Confideration what fuccefs the Preaching of the Apostles had.

"His matter of fact is related with very remark. able Circumftannces. As I. That thofe men who firft preached the Gofpel were Fishermen, that is, grofs and ignorant people, of no appearance, or authority in the world. II, That those men went about preaching that they had feen Jefus Chrift rifen from the Dead, and afcending into Heaven, and that they had long before been EyeWitnesses to his Miracles. III. That they offended by their preaching all the Powers of the World, and expofed their perfons to an infinite number of Dangers

Dangers and Misfortunes. IV. That they fuffered them with Patience, or rather with Joy. V. That the fuccefs of their preaching was fo fwift and fudden, as is almost inconceivable.

In all this St. Luke has told us nothing but what our own Reason would tell us. We may conclude that they were men of no extraordinary birth, or credit in the World that first preached the Gospel, fince no body has ever faid any thing to the contrary.

'Tis manifeft that thofe men ought to have teftified that they had seen Jefus Christ work many miracles, feen him rifen from the Dead, and afcending into Heaven: because they would never have converted so many Nations as they did, had they only faid they knew all thofe things by hear fay: and befides that the Epistles of the Apostles inform us that that was the subject of their preaching.

There is no doubt but all the Powers of the World perfecuted these men: for as much as Policy is an Enemy to all new Sects, and the People themselves are always Jealous of their Religion.

It cannot be doubted either, but that the Apoftles very couragiously fuffered the effects of that perfecution: because had they recanted, or drawn back for fear of punishments, their design would have miscarried in its very beginning.

Lastly, who can deny but that the fuccefs of their preaching was very fwift and fudden; in as much as in a fhort time there were feveral Churches eftablished in all parts of the known World? This is a matter of fact which was never contested.

And therefore Reason,as well as St. Luke,tells us all these things. The Book of Acts informs us of the Truth of them; and the Nature of things will not fuffer us to doubt but that they were fo. which ut

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