in Contribing gU' ¿n',v i.ebentption intervene a forreign Confederation for their contri- Chap, a . vance. Now the univerfal Motives to invent Fables are Honour, Riches,or Pleafure. But none ofthefe could poffibly move the Apoftles to feign the RefurreEtion of Chrift. Not to infft on the Meannefs of their Extra- dion and Education, who had only feen Boats and Nets,andconvers'd with Lakesand Fifhes,whereas Am- bition ufually fprings up in Perfons of high birth and breeding ; 'tis evident that no refpeot to humane Praife excited them, fince they attributed the Doótrine ofthe Gofpel, that fhould givethem reputation in the World, to the Holy Spirit, and afcribed the Glory of their miraculous A6tions entirely to the Divine Power. When the People of Lyfira would have given Divine Aft. 3' 12,13. Honour to St. .Paul, he difclaimed it with abhorrency : And prefently after, thofe who would have adored&4.70. him as aGod, ftoned him as a Malefator; he chofe ra- therto be their Sacrifice than their Idol. Betides, how could theyexpert to begreat or rich by declaring, that One who came to fuch a Tragical End in the face of the World was raifed to Life, when the hands of the pews were Rill bloody with the Wounds oftheir Matter, and their hearts fo enraged againft all that honoured his Name, as to excommunicate them for, execrable Per- fons. It had been asextravagant tohave defigned the acquiring of Reputationor Riches by their Preaching, as for one to throwhimfelf into a flaming Furnace to be cooled and refrefhed. And that Pleafure could not be their Aim is manifeft : For they met with nothing but Poverty and Perfecution; withDerifion and Dif grace, with Hardlhips and all theeffeds ofFury,which they willingly endured rather than ceafe from Preach- ing, or deny what they had Preached. Their unheard- of Refolution to forfake their Native Country, and tra- vel toall the known parts ofthe Earth, to convey the Doitrine. 439
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