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26 THE ances Christianity was simply a Jewish sect, and so shared the general hatred and unpopularity of the race from which it had emanated. The crimes of the Jews were visited on the heads of the Christians. Luke is evidently attempting, throughout the book, to exonerate Christianity from all responsibility for' the war and to dispel the suspicion which attached to it owing to its original connection with Judaism. The Jews of Jerusalem, as he points out, fiercely oDnosed Chris tianity from its very inception. They crucified its founder. They endeavored to stamp out the new religion in its infancy. They put Stephen to death. They dogged tne footsteps of Paul, and tried to arouse public opinion against him in almost every city which he visited. They did their utmost to secure his condemnation, and were only prevented from carrying out their designs by the attitude of the Roman procurators. All through its history, Christianity had thriven in spite of Judaism. There was absolutely no ground, therefore, why Christians snould be victimized because of their Jewish origin. v 4. But if Acts evinces a decided bias against the Jews of Palestine, it nevertheless exhibits no little sympathy with the Jews of the Diaspora, the broader-minded Hellenists who were scattered throughout the world, and who formed from the first the most promising material for Christianity to work upon. It was from the ranks of these Hellenists and the circle of converts who had been won from paganism by their propaganda that the new religion won the bulk of its earliest recruits. There is little doubt that Luke is making an appeal to these Hellenists in the pages of his book. The speeches put into the mouths of Peter and Stephen and Paul are meant to convince not merely the audiences which they are addressing in Jerusalem and Galatia, but the broadminded Jews of Luke's own day. The arguments are directed, with almost tedious reiteration, to prove that Christianity la tho Uun **-? * *u tuv> Vi uv> luuiuuicui, U1 LiltJ ItTUglUIl UL the Old Testament. Luke constantly makes his dramatis personae emphasize the fact that Christianity is the only logical and legitimate outcome of the teaching of the prophets, and he is always citing instances to show that Hellenists from the earliest times were eager to accept the teaching of the apostles. 5. Acts, however, had its message for the pagan no less than for the Hellenist. The speeches of Paul at Lystra and Athens are quoted in order to indicate the line of argument by which Christianity approached the Gentile world. The great utterance which is placed on the lips of Gamaliel?"If this work is 01 God, ye will not be able to overthrow it" (y. 39)? though spoken in the first instance to Jews, is intended to be universal. We conclude, therefore, that though Luke intended to give us history, he also intended to give us something more besides. Acts is the earliest Christian Apology. When we read between the lines of the narrative, we find that Luke, though he conceals his purpose with remarkable artistic skill, has evolved from the history of the primitive Church arguments which are well calculated to meet all the objections that were urged against Christianity by its opponents at the commencement of the reign of Domitlan. : PRESBYTERIAN OF THE SOUTH. y y f^K BAKIN kes the fooc Grant ' ;/// //} MAKES BE; ML1fi CHRISTMAS ACCEPTABL ImrFrir^rP '^ tvtKY PUP jPp^J THE GRANT 427-29-31 Ci Solari's Fine Imported an OUR GOODS ARE ALN Corner Royal and Customhouse Sts.?Phone 714 Corner St. Cha Complete Catalogue Issued. Liverpool and Lon Insurance C< Agencies Throughout the World. ^ INSUR/ LIABILITY Phone STEAM BOILER GODCHAUX & Ml ACCIDENT 626-630 COMMOf JAMES H. AITK HEATING, GAS AND ELE< Box 2 Contractors' & Dealers' Ex Tel. Main 3880. Wm. T. Hardle, Pres. Arthur A. Castanedo, Vl( WILLIAMS-RICHA] Importers and Jo 203-211-213 and 215 Magazine, 5<I2 Co New York Office, 5 Leonard St. P. O. Dr January 6, 1909. e Queen of Fruits, are the source of chief ingredient of OYAL IG POWDER [y Baking Powder made from ipe Cream of Tartar. 1 finer, more healthful. No Lime Phosphates F urniture MJTIFUL AND ARTISTIC GIFTS?NOTHING MORE .E?P RICES TO SUIT tSE. FURNITURE COMPANY imp St., New Orleans, La. d Domestic Groceries VAYS FRESH. I. rles and Louisiana Aves.?Phone 871. NEW ORLEANS, LA. Ldon and Globe ompany lNCE >65 PLATE GLASS IOTON, Ltd. SURETY BONDS 4 STREET BURGLARY ' T* fkj PLUMBING, SEWERAGE kJLfPI, DRAINING ? X X X JTRIC FIXTURES. u rt-i Liiausr, new vrieans, L&. 515 Carondelet St., near Poydras. ce-Pres. M. M. Hardie, Sec'y & Treas. R.DSON CO., Ltd. bbers of mmon and 515 Gravier Sts. s awer 581. NEW ORLEAN8, LA.