Gibbon's five reasons are adequate to solve the problem of the astonishingly rapid propagation of Christianity? Of these reasons, we have seen, that the first two, namely the inflexible pertinacity of the early Christians, and the circumstance of their teaching the doctrine of a future retributory state, do not in the slightest degree account for their remarkable success; and that the third, namely the ascription of miraculous powers to the Church, would inevitably, unless those powers were really possessed, be rather an impediment, than a furtherance, to the project of converting mankind to the Gospel. The whole stress, therefore, lies upon the two remaining reasons; namely, the holy lives of the primitive Christians, and the excellent discipline of the Christian Church. Hence we have only to inquire, whether these two reasons are sufficient to account for the extraordinary phenomenon before us. Mr. Gibbon thinks it no wonder, that, in an incredibly short space of time, Christianity, introduced and recommended and circumstanced in the mode which I have recently set forth, should have been cordially received as a divine revelation from one end of the world to the other; merely because the primitive Christians were men of pure and austere morals, and because the primitive Church was in an excellent state of discipline and union. Others may not unreasonably doubt, whether such a cause be alone adequate to produce such an effect; whether morality and discipline be sufficient to have brought about the general reception of Christianity, circumstanced as Christianity was at its first promulgation. They may sus pect, that something more was necessary: they may hesitate, before they admit Mr. Gibbon's solution of the difficulty. Each party, the admirers and the opponents of Mr. Gibbon, will be apt to charge one another with credulity: the former, because it is believed, that something more cogent than the five, or rather than the two, reasons is apparently requisite; the latter, because it is believed, that the whole matter is satisfactorily accounted for by the morality of the early Christians and the good discipline of their Church. Which party be the most credulous in its estimate of cause and effect, must be left to the decision of the sober and candid and unbiassed inquirer. III. Those persons, who deem Mr. Gibbon's five reasons insufficient, are wont, for the true solution of the difficulty, to resort to the scriptural history itself. There they find it constantly asserted, that the success of the early preachers of the Gospel was owing to two causes: the powerful operation of God's Spirit upon the hearts of those who were addressed; and the evidence afforded to their understandings by the frequent performance of miracles. 1. The first of these two causes was necessary, on account of the natural reluctance of man to embrace a life of danger and self-denial,-in the place of a life of safety and indul gence. Though the intellect may be convinced, the cordial assent of the will and the affections does by no means follow as a necessary consequence. We all know, that the head and the heart may often be completely at variance. To overcome, therefore, the unwillingness of some, the timidity of others, and the lingering hesitation of all, it was needful, that the mighty power of God should accompany the words of the apostles. Without this, few or none would have joined them, when they found what a sacrifice was required at their hands. Inveterate prejudices were to be overcome; long-formed evil habits were to be subdued; fears were to be conquered; courage was to be instilled; an ardent love to an unseen Redeemer was to be implanted; devotion to a cause, universally derided and persecuted, was to be produced; the whole temper and spirit and disposition, in short, of the proselyte were to be thoroughly changed, in order to his becoming a Christian. This, we are assured in Scripture, could not be effected, save by the special operation of God's Holy Spirit attending upon the early preachers of the Gospel. To such an assurance, when we consider the immense difficulties with which the first introduction of Christianity was surrounded, our unbiassed reason involuntarily assents. With aid thus potent, it is easy to conceive how the new religion triumphed over every impediment: without it, we are puzzled and perplexed to assign any satisfactory cause, why thousands and myriads of the Gentiles should eagerly flock to the despised and dangerous standard of the cross. On this point, the language both of the narrative and of the missionaries themselves is perfectly clear and decisive. The Lord, we are told, added to the Church daily such as should be saved.* With great power, it is said, gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them. The hand of the Lord, we read, was with the scattered missionaries: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.‡ As many, it is said, as were disposed to eternal life believed.§ A certain woman named Lydia, remarks the author of the narrative, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.|| My speech and my preaching, says the great apostle of the Gentiles to his Corinthian converts, was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit *Acts ii. 47. † Acts iv. 33. Acts xiii. 48. Gr. Tεтayμévol. + Acts xi. 21. Acts xvi. 14. and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wis For, after that, in knew not God; it dom of men, but in the power of God.* the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe.t Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he, that planteth, any thing; neither he, that watereth: but God, that giveth the increase. Of his own will, says James respecting God, begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruit of his creatures.§ Blessed, says Peter, be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Ye have an unction from the Holy One, says John, and ye know all things. T Such is the constant avowal of men, who sealed their faith with their blood. We, doubtless, have only their own assertion; and our opinion must rest upon the credit, which we give to it but, as the fact alleged fully accounts for their success, as they cheerfully laid down their lives in proof of their veracity, and as it is no easy matter to solve the problem of the rapid spread of Christianity if all divine agency be excluded: we may perhaps find it more difficult, on the whole, to disbelieve them, than to believe them. 2. The second cause, alleged in the scriptural history for the unexampled success of the early preachers of the Gospel, is the power which they possessed of working miracles. * 1 Corinth. ii. 4, 5. † 1 Corinth. i. 21. 1 Corinth. iii. 5-7. § James i. 18. 1 Peter i. 3. 1 John ii. 20. By the hands of the apostles, we read, were many signs and wonders wrought among the people. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women; insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.* As the Spirit of God was necessary to change the heart and to influence the will, in order that Christianity might be received even in the face of every discouragement: so was the power of working miracles necessary to convince the understanding, that a religion thus characterized could not but be from heaven. The apostles claimed to be ambassadors. But an ambassador cannot be received without producing his credentials: his mere word and asseveration are insufficient. The credentials, therefore, of the apostles, credentials, to which on all occasions they fearlessly appealed, were miracles. I will not dare, says Paul, to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed, through mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God; so that, from Jerusalem and round about unto Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ. Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs and wonders and mighty deeds. These signs, declares Christ himself to his disciples, shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and, if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy *Acts v. 12, 14, 15. 2 Corinth. xii. 12. Mark xvi. 17, 18. |