mundus, qui te hæc cogit fcribere, fæpe hoc viliffimo tortus eft pulvere, imo hodieque torquetur, et qui in te plagas diffimulat, in cæteris confitetur; nifi forte in morem Gentilium, impiorumque, Porphyrii Eunomiique, has præftigias Dæmonum effe confingas, et non vere clamare Dæmones, fed jua fimulare tormenta. Contra Vigil.

As we find not in Ecclefiaftical History that any evil befel Vigilantius, we may conclude that this honeft man was gathered to his fathers in peace. If fo, he was a fortunate perfon, for one who fet his face against the Public, and to be excepted from the number of thofe, who by following Truth too close at the heels, have had their teeth knocked out for their pains. A Politician would have whispered to him, Hold your opinion, but bold your tongue. He came off very

well, if he fuffered no greater harm than to be called, Fool, Blockhead, Madman, Dæmoniac, Lunatic, Heretic, Arian, Eunomian, Samaritan, Few, Pagan, Infidel, Apoftate, Blafphemer, Calumniator, Defpifer of Martyrs, Bishops, and Emperors, Glutton, Sot, Liar, Afs, and Dog.

Porphyry made fome conceffions in favour of Christianity, and acknowledged that the Dæmons had reverenced Chrift. Holftenius de Vit. Porphyrii, c. 11. or Eufebius, Dem. Evang. p. 134. This Philofopher was born A. D. 233. and died about A. D. 303. Conftantine ordered his writings against Christianity to be fuppreffed, in which he was ill advised. Si nibil elt noftra religione verius, quid rationes reformidamus? faid Ludovicus Vives.

Plotinus, as Porphyry relates, defired the Emperor Gallienus to rebuild a ruined city in Campania, and to give it to the Philofophers, propofing to dwell there himself with his difciples, and to establish Plato's Republic. But though he was much in the Emperor's favour, his project met with oppofition at court, and came to nothing. Thus philofophy, though patronized by Princes, could never in any age introduce its rules even into one city, and Jefus Chrift bath established his all over the world, in Spite of all worldly oppofition from the great and the learned. Tillemont H. E. iii. p. 268.

A Republic of Modern Deifts and Moral Philofophers would be as great a curiofity as this city of Philofophers would have been, but perhaps not quite fo well regulated. Plotinus, if he could have compaffed his design, would probably have found it neceffary to alter at least one part of the plan in Plato's Republic, and to exclude the community of wives which that Philofopher had a fancy to establish.

THE city of Smyrna being overthrown by an earthquake, Marcus Aurelius fhewed great kindness to the inhabitants, and liberally affifted them in repairing the lofs. Ariftides the Sophitt had the honour to be inftrumental in this by writing to the Emperor in behalf of the fufferers.

66

Ariftides, in a difcourfe which he addreffes "to the people of Smyrna to congratulate their "re establishment, fays that their calamity had

"been

"been deplored by all the inhabitants of "Greece and Afia, as a diftrefs common to "them all; that every one had been forward to bring provifions to those who remained in the

city, and to furnish carriages, houses, and all "forts of conveniencies to thofe who were "forced to quit the place, as though they had "been the parents or the children of the fufferers. Every one offered them money, and they who had none, promifed to furnish it "as foon as they were able; and in doing "thus, each thought that he did not bestow, "but receive a favour.

"Such was the change that Christianity had "made in the world; for doubtlefs the Chri"ftians, who were numerous in thofe provinces, "had the best share in these acts of charity,

and by their zeal inflamed the Pagans alfo, "to make the old Proverb lie, that All the "world forgets and neglects the miferable, "which yet till then had been too true." Tillemont H. des Emp. iii. p. 391.

IN the time of Marcus Aurelius lived Bardefanes, a Syrian. We have a large extract from him in Eufebius Præp. Ev. vi. 11. containing arguments against fate and aftrology. It is a judicious and ingenious piece, and it fhews that this Heretic was a man of confiderable abilities. Eufebius esteemed him much as an author, (and fo did Jerom) and feems to judge candidly and charitably of him as to religion; for he fays that Bardefanes fell into the Valentinian herefy, and afterwards

afterwards faw the folly of it, and rejected it, but could not entirely thake off all his errors. Hift. Eccl. iv. 30. He was one of those who admitted two Principles, the one good, and the other evil, and from him the Manichæans borrowed fome of their notions. The Author of the Recognitions has pillaged Bardefanes, and has put his remarks and his arguments against aftrological fate in the mouth of his pretended Clemens, ix. 18. but honour and probity is not to be expected from fuch writers. Cave had a fufpicion that Bardefanes was himself the author of the Recognitions. I am inclined to have a better opinion of him, and to think that he could not be the author of fo many fhameless lies. See an account of this Phi

lofopher, of his accomplishments, and of his errors, in Beaufobre, Hift. du Manicheifme, ii. p. 128.

In those days lived Melito, Bishop of Sardes. He is thought by fome to have been a prophet. Amongst many treatises which are loft, he wrote one concerning prophecy. Eufeb. iv. 26. λóy αὐτῷ περὶ προφητείας, which Valefius rightly tranflates, Item alius (liber) de prophetia. But in his notes he fays, Rufinus hæc cum verbis fuperioribus conjunxit hoc modo: De fide et generatione Chrifti, et de prophetia ejus. cui tamen non affentior. Rectius Hieronymus in libro de Scriptoribus Ecclefiafticis hunc locum ita vertit : Item de prophetia fua librum unum. Certé Melitonem prophetam a plerifque habitum fuiffe

docet

docet Tertullianus. Hieronymus in Melitone, Hujus, inquit, elegans et declamatorium ingenium laudans Tertullianus in feptem libris quos fcripfit adverfus Ecclefiam pro Montano, dicit a plerifque noftrorum prophetam putari.

All this amounts to little or nothing, and will not prove that Melito was a prophet. If he had made any predictions, Eufebius would have taken notice of them. As a prophet means fometimes only an infpired teacher, in that fenfe Melito might have been a prophet, and the ancient Chriftians accounted him one. Polycrates, a Bishop of the second century, fays of him

τὸν ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύμα]ι πολιλευσάμθρου — qui Spiritu fancto afflatus cuncta geffit; and of a daughter of Philip, ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύμα]ι πολίλευσαμένη. Apud Εufeb. v. 24. But thefe are expreffions fomewhat vague, and which admit of more or less.

Concerning this illuftrious Bishop and Apologift fee Difc. i. on the Christ. Rel. p. 56..

END OF VOL. I.