Others mocking, said these Men are full of new Wine. These sort of Circumstances are of excellent use to shew the Exactness and Sincerity of the Historian.
Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by Miracles, and Wonders, and Signs, as ye your selves also know. How came they to know it had Christ wrought no Miracles among them? And what a strange piece of Confidence must it have been in the Apostles to speak thus?
And the same Day were added unto them about three thousand Souls. What but the wonderful Power of the Holy Ghost given to the Apostles, could make so many Proselytes?
And all that believed were together, and had all things common, and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all Men as every Man had need. A holy Society indeed consisting of none but such as had given up all their Interest in this World, and glorified God by offering up themselves, and what was dearest to them, as a sacrifice to him. What could they hope for, who absolutely renounced every thing for the sake of Christ? Let a Man reason never so much upon the manner of uniting Men in a Body together, 'tis certain there was never a more effectual method to form a Society than Charity. For it makes those things equal which humane Passions had before distinguished; it subverts all competition, destroys all interest, banishes the designs of Pride and Ambition, and all the little distinctions Vanity