fuo et confcientiæ modo fentire poteft. Certe ego nibil unquam in Hiftoria Ecclefiaftica vidi, a cujus lectione commotior recedam, ut non amplius meus effe videar. Anim. in Eufeb. p. 121.

Juftin Martyr, whilft he was a Pagan, concluded very candidly and reasonably, from the courage and conftancy of the perfecuted Chriftians, that they could not be profligate and debauched people; and his Pagan and Platonic judgment on this point was better than the Ecclefiaftical judgment of feveral Christian writers. Καὶ ἢ αὐτὸς ἐγώ, τοῖς Πλάτων( χαίρων διδάγμασι, Διαβαλλομένος ακέων Χρισιανὸς, ὁρῶν ἢ ἀφόβος πρὸς θάνατον, καὶ πάνα τὰ ἄλλα νομιζόμενα φοβερά, ενενόεν ἀδύνατον εἶναι ἐν κακία και φιληδονία ὑπάρχειν αὐτές. Nam et ego ipfe, cum Platonis difciplina delectarer, audiremque criminationes qua in Chriftianos jactabantur, mortem autem, cæteraque omnia quæ terribilia putantur, minime eos formidare viderem, fatui ipfe mecum fieri haudquaquam poffe, ut in vitiorum pravitate et voluptatum amore viverent. Apol. 11.

The Chriftians, that is, the wife and prudent part of them, were of opinion that as it was their duty to fuffer any torments rather than diffemble or deny their religion, fo was it alfo to avoid perfecution, and never to expose themfelves uncalled to fo hard a trial. Mention is made in the Epiftle of the Church of Smyrna, and in other ancient Records, of some rafh and prefumptuous Chriftians, who offered themfelves to martyrdom, and who when they were condemned loft all courage and deferted their

cause ;

caufe; whilft others, who had been diffident of themselves, and had retired, being difcovered and feized, died in a moft Chriftian manner. This alfo was perfectly fuitable to our Saviour's doctrine and promifes, who required humility and prudence from his difciples. Peter made bolder profeffions of fortitude and fidelity than any of the Apoftles, and therefore he alone fell away in the dark hour of temptation, and denied his Mafter.

This wonderful behaviour of the ancient Christians may justly be accounted a proof of the truth of our religion, and we should deferve to be blamed and defpifed, if we parted with it, and gave it up tamely upon account of a few objections. Objections may be made even to demonftrations, and

Nihil eft tam bonum, quin dicendo malum effici poffit.

THE increase of Chriftianity under all these difcouragements, and this cloud of afflictions, is another argument of the fame kind, and a fubject highly worthy of confideration: Adeone levis res et futilis videtur Religio Chriftiana, aut tam vulgaris tamque fimilis rerum quotidianarum progreffio ejus et propagatio, ut quemvis hominem (non jam Chriftianum dico, fed vel ab omni religione alienum, vel ab ea alieniffimum) exquirere pudeat quales homines effent, qua doctrina, quo ingenio, qua difputandi fcientia, qua facultate dicendi inftructi, qui gravibus illis et conftantibus Romanis perfuadere potuerint, relictis et repudi

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atis

atis Diis fuis, quos fe nunquam aut impune neglexiffe, aut fruftra graviffimis reipublica temporibus invocaffe majores omnibus monumentis proclamabant et teftabantur, hominum et barbarorum et a fe devictorum et Judæorum deum, hominemque fimul Judæum a popularibus fuis paulo ante fervili fupplicio necatum, venerari; qui tot tamque difpares nationes, alias immanitate efferatas, alias moribus et difciplina inflatas, alias horrida quadam et agrefti virtute feroces, alias luxu et licentia petulantes, alias victoriis et imperio infolentes, alias diuturna fervitute fractas et debilitatas, alias ignorantia et tarditate, alias doctrina et ingenii fama indociles, ita flexerint et mutaverint, ut religioni patria novam et externam, ut omni licentie libertatique vivendi (quicum prioribus fere religionibus Jumma pax et concordia fuit) vitam rigidam et feveram et omnia voluptatis vel confinia anxie fugientem, virtutefque quarum ne nomina quidem antea audiverant, ut denique paupertatem divitiis, odium gratiæ, contemtionem bonori, exilium patriæ, mortem vitæ anteferrent. Thirlby, Dedic. Juft. M. Thefe reflections are as juft as they are elegant, and the inference which the Reader ought to make from them is, that a change, fo happy, fo extenfive, and fo furprifing, could have been effected by nothing lefs than the Divine will and aflistance.

The progrefs of Chriftianity, fays Moyle, confidering its late rife, and the constant oppofition it met with, is even on my moderate computation, prodigious, and to be accounted for by nothing but the divine providence, as I may one day fhew at

large

large on another occafion. Thunder. Legion, P. 327.

μας

The alteration also which Christianity made in the manners of men, and the ftop which it put to polygamy, is very remarkable. Oure i ἐν Παρθία Χρισιανοί πολυγαμᾶσι Πάρθοι υπάρχοντες, ἐχ οἱ ἐν Περσίδι γαμέσι τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν, Πέρσαι όντες· ἐ @ο Βάκροις και Γάλλοις φθείρεσι τις γάἀλλ ̓ ἵπε εἰσὶν, ἔτε ὑπὸ τῶν κακῶς κειμένων νόμων καὶ ἐθῶν νικῶνται. Nec in Parthia Chriftiani, Parthi licet, pluribus utuntur uxoribus, nec in Perfide, Perfæ licet, filias uxores ducunt, nec apud Bactros aut Gallos nuptiarum honeftatem et jura contaminant, Ita ubicumque, degunt, nec legum morumque fceleratorum improbitate vincuntur. Bardefanes, apud Eufeb. Præp. Evang. vi. 10. in his Difcourse against Aftrological Fate. Thus, according to this ingenious Philofopher, the Christians of all countries retained the good qualities and rejected the reigning vices of the feveral nations of which they were natives.

"The Law which permits 'only one wife, "is conformable to the nature of the Euro46 pean, but not to the nature of the Afiatic "climate. It is for this reason that Moham" medism found fo eafy an admiffion in Afia, "and fuch difficulty to extend itself in Europe; that Chriftianity hath maintained itself in Europe, and hath been deftroyed in Afia; "and that the Mohammedans have made to "much and the Chriftians fo little progrefs in " China.

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"In the time of Juftinian, many Philofo"phers, uneafy at the reftraint laid upon them Chriftian laws, retired into Perfia, to "Chofroës. What induced them moft, fays Agathias, was that polygamy was there per"mitted to men who did not abftain even from adultery.

"It is hardly poffible that Chriftianity should "ever be established in China. Vows of virginity, the affembling of women in Churches, "their neceffary intercourfe with the Minifters "of religion, their participation of the Sacra"ments, Auricular Confeflion, Extreme Unc

tion, the marrying but one wife, all this "overfets the manners and customs, and strikes at the religion and laws of the country." L'Efprit des Loix, xvi. 2. xvii. 6. xix. 18.

This acute Author is of opinion that Chriftianity, humanly fpeaking, can never get footing and ground in the Eaftern countries, the nature of the climate, the conftitution and complexion of the inhabitants, and their temper and manners and laws being repugnant to fome precepts of the Gofpel. I afk then; How came it to pafs that in the first and fecond centuries Chriftianity found admiffion and made a progrefs in thofe countries, notwithstanding thefe, and many other difficulties and impediments befides thefe? Muft we not afcribe its fuccefs either to miracles wrought in its behalf, or to an extraordinary influence of the Spirit of God upon the minds of thofe who embraced it? See Difcourfe iii. on the Chrift. Religion.

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