inconveniences resulting from the occasional and local attacks of a bigoted party.

The belief in one universal invisible Deity, held by the Jews, was so sublime in comparison with the established creeds of the neighbouring nations, that when the Jews came to have frequent intercourse with them, numbers were inclined to embrace Judaism*. It was the only well-defined system of monotheism then known, and from the time of Alexander had made much progress amongst the Greeks. The chief obstacle was circumcision†, and other inconvenient rites of the Mosaic code. In proportion, therefore, as the new sect became unpopular with the most orthodox of the Jews, it became acceptable to the Judaizing Gentiles.

The Essene sect, under its new or Christianized form, now counted in its numbers many Jewish priests and men of rank; many of the Pharisees looked upon it favourably; and it had obtained a reputation for the practice of a purer morality, and for superior skill in the interpretation of the prophets. John the Baptist, Jesus, and their followers, had given to it great notoriety, and caused it to be regarded as the most stirring and active of the Jewish sects; whilst the peculiar heresy which had begun to grow up in its bosom was of a nature more likely to recommend than to inculpate it in the eyes of strangers. The philosophic or religious Gentiles, who were inclined towards speculative Judaism, were therefore naturally attracted to this sect in preference; and Cornelius, a centurion of Cesarea, sent to Peter a request to be instructed in its doctrines. [A.D. 41.] Peter went to him with some of the brethren; and the interview ended in the conversion of Cornelius and his household, who exhibited at its close some of the powers regarded by the church as tokens of the Holy Spirit, viz., extemporaneous praying and preaching. This appeared to Peter sufficient

* Ezra and Nehemiah passim. Josephus against Apion, book ii. sect. 40, "Nay, farther, the multitude of mankind itself have had a great inclination of a long time to follow our religious observances... and as God himself pervades all the world, so hath our law passed through all the world also."

† See the story of Izates, king of Adiabene, Jos. Antiq. xx. ii. 3.

reason for not refusing so important a convert, and Cornelius was baptized as a disciple of Jesus. On their arrival at Jerusalem, Peter and his friends were called to account by the more orthodox or Mosaic part of the brethren for admitting Cornelius without circumcision; but this objection was silenced by the assertion, that the whole affair was conducted in obedience to divine inspiration, which was confirmed by the gift of the Holy Spirit to the new converts. This first Gentile conversion was soon followed by numerous others; and the question of the necessity of circumcision was kept up as a matter of dispute not only between the church and the other Jews, but amongst the members of the church itself. Peter and the other leading disciples had at first entertained no idea of extending their society beyond their own nation,* to which the original idea of the kingdom of heaven did seem chiefly to apply; but as Galileans, their attachment to the ritual law of Moses was less firm than that of the Jews of Jerusalem; and perceiving the immense increase to their society which the relaxation of the ritual yoke in favour of the Gentiles promised, as well as being influenced by the more enlarged spirit which the discourses of Jesus tended to encourage, they decided upon maintaining the liberal principle, and receiving the Gentiles as converts on their simple profession of adherence to Jesus as the Messiah, leaving every member of their sect free to follow the law of Moses or not, according to his own inclination and previous habits. This was finally settled by a council of the Apostles held at Jerusalem A.D. 51. But even their decision was not received cordially by a large portion of the Jewish church, who continued to observe strictly the laws of Moses, and whose prejudices on

* Acts x. 34-36, 45; xi. 18, 19. The Ethiopian appears to have been a Jewish proselyte.

† Acts xv. According to the custom of the times, the arguments used were, chiefly, the manifestation of the Divine will by means of visible signs, and the authority of the prophets. The predictions of the dominion which the house of David would obtain over Edom and the heathens were boldly strained to signify the conversion of the Gentiles. Peter ventures to introduce the merely rational argument of the heaviness of the Mosaic yoke, but relies more upon the testimony afforded by the Holy Spirit.

this point continued so strong, that Peter and James found it difficult to avoid occasions of dispute and scandal, in practising the liberality which they had sanctioned*.

About the time of the first Gentile conversion, a modification begins to appear in the character ascribed to the Messiah. By the first disciples he had been generally considered as the successor of David, and destined to restore the throne of Israel. But this was of little interest to the Gentiles. The method of interpreting the prophecies then in use easily admitted of an extension of the titles and offices of the Messiah, and he was invested with a more universally interesting character, that of the destined Judge of mankind. Distance of time, and unacquaintance with his person, now also began to enhance the venerableness of the head of their sect, and to prepare men's minds for more exalted notions of his character.

The peculiarity of the belief that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, and the numbers of those holding it, began now to procure to the church a distinctive name; and the disciples were called Christians first at Antioch [A. D. 43]. The distinction, however, was not generally attended to till a long time afterwards; and for nearly a century later we find the followers of Jesus noticed under various and more general names. Amongst themselves they still used the terms disciples, brethren, elect, or saints; by their opponents they were called Nazarenes; by Jewish writers, Essenes; and those of them who seceded from the law of Moses, Galileans; whilst the heathens, to most of whom these distinctions were unknown or uninteresting, classed them loosely as Jews.‡

* Acts xxi. 20; Galatians ii. 12.

† In the Acts this character is not attributed to Jesus before the Sermon to Cornelius, x. 42. It occurs again in Paul's discourse to the Athenians, xvii. 32.

The name Christian being for some time, probably, considered as a nickname, like those of Millenarians, or fifth-monarchy men, it was natural for grave and friendly writers, like Philo and Josephus, to prefer the use of the older and better-known name of Essenes. The conduct of Josephus in omitting all description of Jesus Christ may be thus explained:-Like many other Pharisees,

Peter shrank from the odium which he must incur with his own countrymen in maintaining the liberal principle which he had been the first to advocate. He left to others the task of carrying it out to its full extent. The convert who took the lead in abrogating the law of Moses in favour of the Gentiles, was Saul, afterwards Paul, of Tarsus, of a Gentile nation, but of a family professing the Jewish religion. Being a man of a warm and vehement temper, of great abilities, of a frank and generous disposition, and of a liberal mind, he was qualified to take the foremost part in any undertaking to which he joined himself. Educated under a Jewish doctor of law, he was well versed in the learning and methods of argument of the time, and was fond of striking out original views.* He had been, at first, a zealous defender of Mosaic Judaism, and an enemy to the innovating sect; but their doctrines accorded much better with his own

he looked favourably on the Essenes, and has done ample justice to the early Jewish Christians under their name; but those Christians who forsook the law of Moses, he classed amongst the Galileans or Gaulonites, whom he regarded with abhorrence. Hence his descriptions of both the third and fourth philosophic sects appear partly applicable to the Christians. With respect to Jesus himself, he no doubt considered him, like John, a distinguished teacher of the Essene sect; but being anxious that his book should be received favourably by the Roman court, he avoided mentioning him, because he had been executed on a charge of sedition against the Roman government. And lest the favourable mention of the sect to which Jesus belonged should bring upon himself a suspicion of disaffection, he frequently and ostentatiously blames those pretenders who had deluded the people with promises of universal empire and divine aid.

* Paul seems to have been very jealous of the originality of his preaching, and desirous not to be considered a mere follower of the Apostles. Gal. ii. 6, But of those who seemed to be somewhat (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me, God accepteth no man's person), for they who seemed to be somewhat, in conference added nothing to me... For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me towards the Gentiles. See also Rom. xv. 20; ii. 16; 2 Tim. ii. 8; 2 Cor. xi. 5.

↑ Gal. i. 13, 14.

turn of mind, as affording more scope for imagination and speculation than the old and narrow system of Moses. Even whilst persecuting the Christians, he could not help becoming acquainted with their views: the trial of Stephen called more general attention to them; his reflections on the last discourse and death of the martyr induced Paul to pause; and the visions and meditations of three years spent at Damascus and in Arabia left him a zealous advocate of the new sect. But a man of his talents could not be a mere follower; he must impart his own view to the cause which he undertook, and it was this,—to announce the fulfilment of the Mosaic law by the coming of the Messiah, and to establish in its place an universal religion, embracing equally Jew and Gentile.* The doctrines of the new sect were a fit basis for this enlarged plan, since the recognition of the Christ as their common head afforded a point of union; and the advent of the Messiah supposed to be predicted by Moses and the prophets was necessary to authorize the assertion that the law had been fulfilled, and might be laid aside. As a Pharisee, he had held the doctrine of a resurrection in opposition to the Sadducees, and the story of the resurrection of Jesus fell in with this belief. The moral preaching of Jesus, giving the preference to virtue over ceremonies, was favourable to a liberal plan of religion. The belief, that the office of the Messiah was to restore the throne of David, had already begun to be modified. The form, then, which the Essene Judaism assumed in the hands of Paul was this,-that men were everywhere called to repentance and purity of life, in order to prepare them for the kingdom of God and the second com

* Rom. x. 12, For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Gal. iii. 28, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Eph. ii. 14, For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments, contained in ordinances. Gal. vi. 15; Eph. i. 10; Col. ii. 14; Rom. iii. 22-30.