have come to nought." Under the circumstances in
which Christianity made its appearance, it would have been easily
overthrown; but the power of the world could not overthrow it,
or prevent it from spreading far and wide. It continued--it prospered
--and every opposing system fell before it. Means and instruments
which human wisdom would have judged most suitable, could have done no
more. The success of measures in a contest like this, proves their
fitness.

Under this head it is further objected that the first ministers of the
gospel were ignorant of the arts and sciences cultivated by the
polished nations of the age--that therefore, they were despised,
especially by the Greeks. Despised they might be by those who
"professed themselves wise had become fools." Yet they had all the
knowledge which their work required imparted to them from above. The
language of the schools would have been ill adapted to the simplicity
of the gospel. It would have been unintelligible to many of those to
whom the gospel was sent. The gospel offers salvation to the
unlearned, equally as to the learned--should be expressed, therefore,
in language easy to be understood. Had the apostles and evangelists
used the abstruse language of the schoolmen, to many they would have
spoken in an unknown tongue. Had the scriptures been written in such
language, they would have been much more obscure than they now are.

Though the gospel is plainly written, it may be rendered dark and
mysterious, by a metaphysic dress, It is a peculiar excellency of the
scriptures that they are mostly written in the plain language of
common sense--so plainly, that "he may run who readeth them."

Two of the New Testament writers were men of letters, Paul and Luke;
and we find more obscurity in their writings, especially those of the
former occasioned by allusions to the sciences and usages of the age,
than in the other writers of that holy book. The Apocalypse is indeed
abstruse, but this is not occasioned by the language, which is plain,
but by the subject. That book is chiefly prophetic; and therefore
expressed in the metaphors of prophetic style. Prophecy is not
generally designed to be fully understood, till explained by the
accomplishment.

To take occasion from those who might object to the illiterate
character of primitive gospel ministers, a Paul, and a Luke were found
among them; but neither of them was among those first called to the
Christian ministry. Those f