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"labour, working with our own hands."-Impoftors 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 fevere perfecutions, and moft important religious avocations. I conclude, that the conduct, as well as the words of the apostles, bespeak truth and fobernefs.

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SECTION II.

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

THE fame fobriety of mind which displayed itself in the perfonal conduct of the apoftles, was equally confpicuous in the regulation of the Chriftian church, over which they prefided. In this view I would call the attention of my reader to a tranfaction which took place before they entered on their public ministry, and which I notice, because it feems equally inconfiftent with impofture and enthusiasm.-Peter collects the difciples, in number one hundred and twenty, and proposes to supply 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 defigned, would the men who poffeffed this monopoly propose or confent, without any apparent neceffity, to admit an obfcure individual to the fame rank, amongst the new converts, which they themfelves enjoyed?-no, certainly. But confider the qualifications required in this substitute, and judge whether they are fuch as enthufiafts would naturally have felected. Did they look for that individual amongst the converts moft diftinguished for warm zeal, spiritual extacies, or extravagant aufterity?— Far otherwife, no fuch ideas feem to have once entered into the imagination of the propofer. He looked for thofe qualities which would give the new apostle's teftimony the greatest weight in the judgment of fober reason, but which enthusiasm would have neglected or defpifed; he fought for one who must have had full opportunity of examining all the facts which it was neceffary he fhould atteft: "Of these "men, fays St. Peter, which have companied with

us all the time that the Lord Jefus went in and "out among us, beginning from the baptism of John "until that fame day that he was taken up from us, "must one be ordained to be a witnefs with us of "his refurrection."

* Vid. Herman Piftorius's Notes to Hartley, vol. iii. p. 610, London 1791, for this part of this remark.

b 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 moft ftupendous miracles; yet was it as fober and regular as it was pious and fincere. They appointed two perfons, and they prayed and faid, "Thou Lord, who knowest the "hearts of all men, fhew whether of thefe 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.

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gave forth their lots, and he on whom the lot "fell was numbered with the eleven apoftles."-The calm and decorous manner in which the apoftate Judas is here mentioned, feems as inconfiftent with the violence of enthufiafm, as the qualification fought for in his substitute, and the mode of the selection. All these circumstances bespeak truth and piety; all are inconfiftent with fraud or fanaticism.

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

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The first converts felt their minds impreffed by the miracles they beheld with fo deep a fense of the importance of religion, above every temporal concern, that d 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 Chriftian fociety) 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 cautioufly referving to themselves the management of the fund it supplied, as the most valuable appendage of their miniftry; on the other hand, enthusiasts would have probably encouraged this neglect of all temporal concerns with avidity, as suited to the fervor of religious zeal, which in their eyes would form the highest merit. Not fo the apoftles of this community of goods they took no advantage; they distributed to each as they had need; they reserved to themselves, if any thing, certainly no more than supplied the present neceffaries of life, as appears from their fubfequent and continued poverty; and even prefent neceffaries they frequently procured by their own labour. And what is equally striking, the whole New Testament does not contain a fingle paffage, representing this community of goods as a duty which Christianity enjoins :—it was an il

d Acts iv. 34, 35.

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luftrious 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 fubject, by the authority of revelation, when he declares that none have a right to be fupported by others, except such as are incapable of providing for themfelves, and deftitute of those relatives from whom nature dictates they should obtain relief. In defcribing the rules by which the diftribution of Chriftian beneficence should be regulated, he directs" if any widow have chil "dren or nephews, let them learn firft to pew 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

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own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worfe "than an infidel." How remote is this from the language of fanaticifm? However, on this fubject. it is neceffary farther to obferve, that the fingular and unparalleled liberality of the firft Chriftians, undoubtedly placed the apostles in a trying and fufpicious fituation; and the manner in which they acted, indiçates prudence and difcretion, as ftrongly as it difplays piety and zeal f.

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

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