Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth, but God that giveth the increase.' And in another place of the fame Epiftle he says, By the grace of God I am what I am, and

his grace which was beftowed upon me < was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but grace of God which was with me*..

• the

I think it needlefs to give more inftances of the modesty of St. Paul. Certain I am, not one can be given that bears any colour of vanity, or that vanity in particular, which so strongly appears in all enthusiasts, of setting their imaginary gifts above those virtues which make the effence of true religion, and the real excellency of a good man, or, in the fcripture phrafe, of a faint. In his firft epiftle to the Corinthians he has thefe words, " though I fpeak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as founding brafs

* 1 Cor. xv. 10.

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or a tinkling cymbal.' And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all myfteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith fo that I could remove mountains, and have no charity, I am nothing. And though I beftow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing*. Is this the language of enthusiasm? Did ever enthufiaft prefer that univerfal benevolence which comprehends all moral virtues, and which (as appears by the following verfes) is meant by charity here; did ever enthu fiaft, I fay, prefer that benevolence to faith and to miracles, to thofe religious opinions which he had embraced, and to thofe fupernatural graces and gifts which he imagined he had acquired, nay even to the merit of martyrdom? Is it not the genius of enthufiafm to fet moral virtues infinitely below the merit of faith, and of all moral virtues to value that leaft which is most

*

} Cor. xiii. 2, 3, 4•

particu

particularly enforced by St. Paul, a spirit. of candour, moderation and peace? Certainly neither the temper, nor the opinions of a man fubject to fanatick delufions, are to be found in this paffage; but it may be juftly concluded, that he who could esteem the value of charity fo much above miraculous gifts, could not have pretended to any fuch gifts if he had them not in reality.

Since then it is manifeft from the foregoing examination, that in St. Paul's difpofition and character thofe qualities do not occur which feem neceffary to form an enthufiaft, it must be reasonable to conclude he was none. But allowing, for argument's fake, that all thofe qualities were to be found in him, or that the heat of his temper alone could be a fufficient foundation to fupport fuch a fufpicion; I fhall endeavour to prove, that he could not have impofed on himself by any power of enthusiasm, either in regard to the miracle that caused his converfion, or to the confequential effects of it, or to fome other circumstances which he bears teftimony to in his Epistles.

The

The power of imagination in enthufiaftical minds is no doubt very strong, but it always acts in conformity to the opinions imprinted upon it at the time of its working, and can no moré act against them, than a rapid river can carry a boat against the current of its own ftream. Now nothing can be more certain, than that when Saul fet out for Damafcus with an authority from the chief priests to bring the Chriftians which were there, bound to Jerufalem *, an authority folicited by himself, and granted to him at his own earnest defire, his mind was strongly poffeffed with opinions against Christ and his followers. To give thofe opinions a more 'active force, his passions at that time concurred, being inflamed in the highest degree by the irritating consciousness of his vaft conduct towards them, the pride of fupporting a part he had voluntarily engaged in, and the credit he found it procured him among the chief priests and rulers, whofe commiffion he bore.

A&s ix. 2.

If, in fuch a state and temper of mind, an enthusiastical man had imagined he faw a vifion from heaven denouncing the anger of God against the Chriftians, and commanding him to perfecute them without any mercy, it might be accounted for by the natural power of enthusiasm. But that in the very instant of his being engaged in the fierceft and hotteft perfecution against them, no circumstance having happened to change his opinions, or alter the bent of his difpofition, he should at once imagine himself called by a heavenly vision to be the Apostle' of Chrift, whom but a moment before he deemed an impoftor and a blafphemer, that had been justly put to death on the cross, is in itself wholly incredible, and fo far from being a probable effect of enthusiasm, that just a contrary effect must have been naturally produced by that cause. The warmth of his temper carried him violently another way; and whatever delufions his imagination could raise to impose on his reason, must have been raised at that time agreeably to the notions imprinted upon it, and by which it was heated to a degree of