Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

in order to convince them. The Account that is there given of the Bereans is very remarkable. Paul and Silas went into the Synagogue to preach to them, and reafon with them, as they had done at Theffalonica. And it is obferved by the facred Hiftorian, that they were more noble than thofe at Theffalonica, in that they received the Word with all Readiness of Mind; that is, without Prejudice, and with Minds open to Conviction, and fearched the Scriptures daily, whether thoje Things were fo. And what was the Confequence? Therefore many of them believed*. Here it appears, that the Apostles were far from being Enemies to a free and fair Enquiry. The Bereans are commended for taking pains to examine, and the refult of their impartial Examination was their embracing the Chriftian Faith. In the fame Chapter we find St. Paul at Athens difputing and reafoning with the Athenians in an excellent manner. At Corinth he reafoned in the Synagogue every Sabbath, and perfuaded the Jews and the Greeks; and he continued there a Year and fix Months, teaching the Word of God among them. What needed he have ftaid fo long there, if, according to this Gentleman's Reprefentation, the Apostles expected to make their Converts with a Word's fpeaking, and never allowed Time for examining or delibe rating concerning the Evidences of Christianity? And it was in confequence of his taking fo much time in teaching and inftructing them in the Faith, that he erected that flourishing Church of the Corinthians. And before this we are told, Lett. II.

C

Acts xvii. 10, 11, 12. † Acts xviii. 4, 11.

that

[ocr errors]

that Paul and Barnabas abode a long time at Iconium, fpeaking boldly in the Lord, which gave teflimony unto the Word of his Grace, and granted Signs and Wonders to be done by their hands*. At Ephefus he went into the Synagogue, and fpake boldly for the space of three Months, difputing and perfuading the Things concerning the Kingdom of God. And afterwards, he difputed daily in the School of one Tyrannus; and thus continued by the Space of two Years; fo that all they which dwelt in Afia, heard the Word of the Lord Jefus, both Jews and Greeks. And how affiduous he was all that time in inftructing them, appears from his Appeal to the Elders of Ephefus in his admirable Speech to them. And in confequence of all this, of fuch affiduous teaching, and reafoning, accompanied with the most glorious miraculous Atteftations, it is obferved there were great Numbers brought to the Chriftian Faith. So mightily, fays the facred Hiftorian, grew the Word of God, and prevailed. That these were the Methods made ufe of for fpreading the Faith of Chrift, farther appears from the Epiftles St. Paul writ to the Churches he had planted. Those Epiftles are every where full of Reasonings, and his manner of addreffing the Chriftian Converts on many occafions, fufficiently fhews how far he was from defiring a blind Faith without Understanding: In Malice be Children, but in Understanding be Men. Be ye not unwife, but understanding what the Will of the Lord is. I fpeak as to wife Men, judge ye what I fay. Prove or try all things,

je

Acts xiv. 1, 2.

ye

bold

† Acts xix. 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 20.

bold faft that which is good *. Is this the Language of a Man that thought believing the Gospel was inconfiftent with Examination and Enquiry, and had nothing to do with the Understanding? and that Perfons were not to know why they believed, and upon what Grounds? When the Apostle Peter urges the Believers to whom he writes, to be ready always to give an Anfier to every Man that should ask them a Reafon of the Hope that is in them, with Meekness and Fear †, i. e. with Modefty and Gravity; this certainly fupposes, that they themselves had reafon for believing, and that they were able to give an Account of it to others too. And whereas this Writer infinuates, that as the Apostles never argued themfelves, fo they left Inftructions to their Succeffors never to dispute or argue; this is fo far from being true, that the Apoftle infifts upon it as a proper Qualification of a Teacher of the Gofpel, that he fhould be able by found Doctrine both to exhort and to convince the Gainfayers . Nor were they to give them up at once to immediate Reprobation, but to reafon with them with Meekness and Temper. The Servant of the Lord must be gentle unto all Men, apt to teach, patient, in Meekness inftructing thofe that oppose themselves ‡. The fame Apoftle fpeaking of the falfe Teachers, represents them as understanding neither what they fay, nor whereof they affirm; and as knowing nothing ** Where it is plainly intimated, that the Faith of the true Chriftian Teachers and Apoftles

[blocks in formation]

was joined with Understanding; they understood what they believed and what they taught; and the contrary was the Reproach of the falfe Teachers, whereby they were to be diftinguished from

the true.

And now I think, upon an impartial View of these several Paffages, to which many others might be added, if it were neceffary, it appears with the greatest Evidence, that the Method the Apostles made ufe of, as their Lord and Mafter had done before them, to bring Perfons to the Faith of the Gofpel, was by affiduous Inftruction, at the fame time producing the most illustrious Credentials of their Divine Miffion. Neither Chrift nor his Apoftles ever required Perfons to believe without Evidence fufficient to make their Affent rational. Nor is it true, as this Writer reprefents it, that the first Publishers of Christianity never difputed or reafoned with thofe whom they expected to convert to the Faith of Chrift; on the contrary it appears with the cleareft Evidence from the Paffages already produced, that it was their ufual way to reafon with Men, in order to convert them to the Faith. If they did not difpute according to the artificial Method of the Schools, yet they always ufed Arguments fufficient to induce a reafonable Affent; and to convince those whom they required to believe. They reasoned with the Heathens concerning the Abfurdity of their Idolatry, Acts xiv. 15-18. xvii. 22-31. With the Jews and Profelytes of the Gate they reafoned out of the Holy Scriptures; and bath before Jews and Gentiles they laid the ftrongest Evidence to

engage

[ocr errors]

engage them to believe, arifing from what Chrift himself had done, his holy Life, his illuftrious Miracles, and especially his Refurrection from the Dead, and the extraordinary Effufion of the Holy Ghost, of which they were Witneffes. And God confirmed their Teftimony by the many glorious Miracles they performed in the Name of a rifen Jefus, and by the Gifts of the Spirit with which they were endued. And these together formed an Evidence strong and convincing, an Evidence perfectly agreeable to Reafon, and the common Senfe of Mankind, and which was much quicker in its Operations than a tedious Procefs of abstracted Reafonings could have been. Upon the whole it is manifeft, that the Apostles had no worldly Advantages of any kind to recommend them. It was by force of Evidence, the Purity and Excellency of their Doctrine, the Holiness of their Lives, their unfhaken Constancy and Zeal in profeffing the Truth, and the many illuftrious Proofs they gave of their Divine Miffion, that they prevailed with those who were willing impartially to confider their Doctrine, and the Proofs whereby it was attested. It was by Argument, and the glorious convincing Evidence with which it was accompanied, that Christianity made fuch an amazing Progrefs; to which the Jews at first, and the Heathens afterwards, had little to oppofe befides bitter Calumnies, Reproaches, and Perfecutions.

And now it may be fafely left to any Man of common Underftanding to compare this Account with that given by this Writer, and fee which of them is most agreeable to Truth and Candour, and

to

« AnteriorContinuar »