II.

The propagation of the Gospel.

TH

HE fwift and fuccefsful progress of the Gospel, which preached by a few inconfiderable perfons overcame a violent oppofition, and in a short time spread itself through the world, is commonly and justly supposed to afford convincing proofs of the truth of the Chriftian religion; and on that account deserves to be seriously and carefully examined.

1. The converfion of the Gentiles is a proof of the truth of our religion, if it be confidered as the completion of several prophecies.

There are paffages in the Old Testament applied by Chriftians to our Lord and to his religion, which must be confeffed to have some obscurity, and to be attended with fome difficulty; but there are others clear and express: and of this kind are

the predictions concerning the calling of the Gentiles.

It may be objected; if the calling of the Gentiles was fo clearly foretold, how could it be faid in the New Teftament to have been a mystery, a mystery to men and Angels?

That multitudes of Gentiles fhould one day forfake idolatry, and be converted to the worship of God, this could fcarcely be unknown, after the prophets had said fo much about it; but that the Gentiles fhould become God's people without being made profelytes to Judaifm, and that the ceremonial law thould be antiquated, this was not fo clearly declared as to be understood before the event explained it.

b

There are many places in the Old Teftament which declare that in due time there fhould be a converfion of the Pagan world, all nations fhould turn to the Lord, and worship him, and his name fhould be great amongst the Gentiles, that true religion taught at Jerufalem should prevail over idolatry, that God fhould fend forth

b They are collected in Fabric. Luc. Evang. p. 7. or Huet. Dem. Ev. Prop. IX. cap. 148.

his

his Law thence, and rule over the converted nations, guiding and inftructing them by his holy word, fhewing them their former errors, and teaching them to lead a new life, and that they who fhould fubmit to these divine precepts, should also lay afide their mutual animofities, their hatred and malice, and fhould be remarkable for charity and univerfal love.

Thus fpeak the prophets concerning this great and happy change, and from the manner in which they speak we may observe that this reformation of the Gentiles fhould extend itself very far, that many nations were to leave their idolatrous rites, and to serve the true God; for nothing lefs can well be understood by thefe expreffions; All the ends of the earth, and, the Gentiles from the rifing of the fun to his going down.

We may obferve that therefore these prophecies cannot be supposed to have been fulfilled before the preaching of the Gospel. Many Gentiles from time to time became profelytes to the Jewish religion, but the number of those profelytes was not confiderable enough to deserve to be described in such a manner; nor were whole nations converted

H 2

с

converted to the worship of the true God; unless, perhaps, the Samaritans, and the Idumæans. The Idumaans embraced Judaifm, being compelled to it by Hyrcanus; after which they were incorporated into the Jewish nation, and ceafed to be a distinct people.

Our Lord came into the world, declared himself to be the person foretold by the prophets who fhould work this great change, and in whom the Gentiles fhould truft, and fent forth his disciples to make converts in all nations, promising them fuccefs through his affiftance.

Thus we see the prophets and our Lord affirming, that idolatry should decline, and true religion be established in its place; we fee Christianity propagated by the Apostles through the earth, and prevailing over heathen fuperftition wherefoever it appeared; we see also that this was an event which lay out of the reach of human forefight. The prophets had no reason from the appearance of things to believe that such a thing should come to pass. The worship of God was

с

Jofephus Antiq. XIII. 9.

then

then confined in a manner to the Jews; the Jews were in danger of being fome time or other fubdued by more powerful nations, of being led away into captivity or destroyed;

d

they had little intercourse with other people, and were hated or despised by many of the Gentiles; they often fell into the errors and vices of their neighbours. Upon all these accounts it seemed more probable that the time might come when the Jews fhould be cut off, or become idolaters, than that the Heathen should be converted by their means. And when our Lord faid that the converfion of the Gentiles was at hand, idolatry was as flourishing as it had been in the time of the Prophets, fuperftition in many places as prevailing, irreligion as general, and vice, at least, as triumphant as ever; the Romans, whofe dominion was

· Ἡμεῖς Τόινυν ἔτε χώραν οικεμεν παράλιον, ἔτ ̓ ἐμποείαις χαίρομεν, ἐδὲ ταῖς πρὸς ἄλλες διὰ λέτων ἐπιμιξίαις· ἀλλ ̓ εἰσὶν μὲν ἡμῶν αἱ πόλεις μάκραν ἀπὸ θαλάσης ἀπῳκισμέναι, χώραν δὲ ἀγαθὴν νεμόμενοι, ζάυλην ἐκπονεμεν. Nos quidem neque terram habitamus quæ mari vicina est, neque negotiationibus gaudemus, neque earum cauffâ nobis confuetudo cum aliis gentibus eft. Sed funt urbes quidem noftræ procul a mari fitæ, nofque regionem bonam incolentes, hanc cum labore exercemus. Jofephus contr. Apion, I. 12.