Evidence of Miracles
by George Murray (9780217714815)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PROPOSITION IV. THAT THE PERSONS PROFESSING CHRISTIANITY, WHO LIVED WITHIN HALF A CENTURY AFTER THE DEATH OF JESUS, (WHICH PERIOD MAY BE RECKONED THE APOSTOLIC AGE), CONSTITUTED AN IMMENSE MULTITUDE. J N illuftrating this Propofition, we will not inquire what might be the conquefts of Chriflianity beyond the limits of the Roman Empire; but, confining our view within thofe limits, we will endeavour to formform fome idea of the number of early Chriftians pervading that extenfive portion of the globe. The Roman Empire, according to the befl calculation which Mr Gibbon could form, contained within it a hundred and twenty millions of people. In purfuing our examination into the number of the firft Chriftians, I fhall divide the Empire into two great departments; the firft, embracing all the Afiatic provinces, together with Greece, the iflands between it and Afia, and the north-eaft of Africa; the fecond, including all the other parts of the Empire. I fhall reckon the population of the firft at forty-five millions; feventy-five millions will, of courfe, con- ftitute the population of the fecond department.?Let us direcl: our examination to the former of thofe two departments. The firft fource, from which we may derive information on this point, is the book of Ads. In this book, we are informed, that at Antioch in Syria, at Joppa, Ephefus, Corinth, Theffalonica, Berea, Iconium, Derbe, Antioch in Pifi- dia, at Lydda, Saron, the converts were, " a great number "?" great multitudes " ?" much people. " Of Jerufalem it is remarked how many thoufands (/v//x/ef, ten thoufands) there were in that city, who believed. The letters of the Apoftles conftitute the next fource of information. The firft Epiftle of Peter, addrefles the Chriftians throughout Pontus, Galatia, Afia, Capp...

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