{a) It proniifeJ Riches, &c.] [e) But Nature is faiujied, ( b) All kind of Jftjuflice, &c; } Bcc. ] Lairtius and Suidas aff rm liatt. VII. 12. £phef V. 3. this of Arijlippus, and Phihfor a Kindnefs well bcfk)wed, (a) is a Treafure full.of good Hope, againft which neither the Wickednefs of Thieves, nor Variety of Accidents, can prevail" any thing. Art admirable Example of which fineere and lindiflembled Charity, the fTrft Chrillians afford us; when things were fent from fo great a Diftance as (if) Macedonia zn& Achma^ m order to fupply the want of thofe in PaUftine; as if the whole World had been but one Family. And here this Cautit^ is added alfo, in the Law of Chrift; {c) that no Hope of Recoitipence or Ho-Tiour, ought to diminish from our Liberality; becaufe, if we have regard to any thing elfe but vGod, {d) it takes away his Acceptance. And, left any one Ihould pretend, as is comnwnly done, to cloak his Sparingnefs, as if he were afraid he ihould want what he has, when he comes to be ai^* old Man, or if any Misfortune Ihould befal him; jthe Law promifes, {e) that a particular Care fhall be taken of thofe who keep thefe Precepts: And,,that they may the more rely upon it, remindis them 'of (f) the remarkable Providence of God, in providing for wild Beafts and Cattle, in adorrring IHlerbs and Flowers; and that it would be an unworthy thing in us, not to believe fo good, fo powerful a God!, nor 'to trufl him any further than we would do a bad.Debtor, of whorn.we never, Jhink.Durftives.iecu|:^ without a Pledge* -.:;., Seift. '15> 1 6. the Chrijlian Religion. 12^ r Si cf. KV. Cmcerning Oaths.
Other L<iws forbid Perjury; (a) but This woul4 have us entirely to abftain from Oaths, except upon NeeefTity ♦, and to have fo great Regard to Truth, in our common Converfttion, (^J that there fhould be no need of requirmg aa Oath of us.
And indeed, there is nothing excellent to be found in the Philofophick Writings of the Greeks^ ©r in the Opinions of the Hebrews^ or of any other Nation, which is not contained here, and moreover jatified by divine Authority. For inftance; con-*^erning {c) Modefty, (i).Teraperance, {e) Goo^-nefs, (f) Moral Virtue, {g) Prudence, {h) the Duty of Governors and Subjeds, f /) Parents and Children, (/^) Mailers and Servants, jf ^j. Hufbands anfl Wives; and particularly, abiiaining from thofe Vices, which under a Shew oi Virtue, deeeivjed ^anypf the- G^^^^5 and Romany viz. (m) the D^- {a) But THt ivouJJ ha<ve uf, (h) Tbt Duty of GofuernorSp (^) That ihire Jhould he fto ~ {i) Parents knd Children ^ tioned Place of il/^/M. VI 1,2,3,4.
124 Of the Truth of Book IL fire of Honour and Glory. The Sum of it, is wonderful for its fubftantial Brevity; {a) that we ihould love God above all things, and our Neighbour as ourfelves, that is, {b) we Ihould do to otherf, as we would have them do to us. Perhaps fome may obje^ againft what we have nov; iaid, of the Excellency ot Chrift's Commands -, the great Difference of Opinions amongft Chriftians, irom whence have arifen fo many various Sedls.
Sect. XVII. An Anfwer to the Ohje^ion^ drawn from the many Controvcrfies amongft ChriJlKans.-' B u T the A nfwer to this is evident: There are fcarce any Arts, but the fame thing happens to them^ partly through the Weaknefs of human Nature, and partly becaufe Men's Judgment is hindered by Prejudices: But for the moft part, this Variety of Opinions, is limited within certain Bounds, in ^vhich Men are agreed •, and whereby they determine Doubts: As in the Mathematicks, it is a Difpute whether the Circle can be fquared or no; but whether, if you take Equals from Equals, the Remainder will be equal; this admits of no Difpute: And thus it is in Natural Philofophy, Phyfick, and other Arts. So the Difference of Opinions that is amongft Chriflians, cannot hinder their Agreement in the principal things, that is, (r) thofe, -n^'J 3ii3 bii.t ^w nb'i^iiw ^nJij I ^^^^^ Coili-,^j£ 3£.fil an Ji^ihH ^^fi-3c IIb abt.i^':^^ aoh^I' ll. 16. Phiil II. 3. 1 fhejr.ll. by the Emperor Alexander \ by I Pet. J. ^4. V. ij. fee Dion, and he that wrote the •; (<2) That ^e foould lo've God, Life of this Emperor in Latin, itc.] Matt. IX. iS. %X\l. {c)Tho/e Commands, kQ]\f^t 37, 39. Luke X. 27. Rom. may add alfo, in thofeOpinions XIII. 9, 10, 1 li 'Ga/i Vr'l/4v that are neceflary and upon James II. 8>..» v/^-i'** 3-^*^' which the Obfervation of CoTn-{h) Wt Jbould do to kJhirs^ " mands depends; fuch as are &C.J. Matt.Vll. iz» Luke meritione J in the moft ancient Creeds Creeds Sed. 17, 18. the Chrljltan Religion. 11^ Commands, by which we have nov/ recommended the Chriflian Religion: And the Certainty of thefe appears from hence, that thofe who being highly enraged againft one another, have fought for Matter of Difagreement, never ventured to go ib-far as to deny, that thefe were the Precepts of Chrifl; no, not even they, who would not diredl their Lives according to this Rule. And if any fliould attempt to contradidt thefe, he ought to be looked upon to be like thofe Philofophers who denied that Snow was white. For as Thefe were confuted by their Senfes, fb are They by the Confent of all Chriftian Nations, and by thofe Books which were wrote by the firft Chriftians; and thofe after them, who were followed by Learned Men; and fuch who bore Teflimony to the Faith of Chrift by their Death. For that which all thefe acknowledge to be the Dodlrine of Chrift, ought to be accounted fo, by all fair and equal Judges; for the fame Reafon that we believe Plato^ XenophoUy and other Difciples of Socrates^ concerning the Opinions of Socrates \ and the Schools of the Stoicks, for what Zeno delivered. ^^3rl:?flw 3ud Sect. WJ'SMf^U-EicceUency of the Chrifiian Religion^ farther fmved from, the Excellency^ of its Teacher i^- 3on^^::i ^,i:i£innii J ii^uv-^u;.: ct,.•.*; v.:-..-. -f mil e^;*a:fi? u^ibniiq sna tii in^rn^ai^Q/i. Tk E third Thing wherein we faid the Chrifiian Religion exceeds all other Religions that arc, or, can be imagined, in the.Manner in which it was dfeiivered and popagated: In the Confideration of wiiicb Particular,,. the iiril Thing that ©tiers itfelf, Creeds^, w iU(?'fr;. are extanf: m r^ore' Tuliyfhown in that little htu^us and- 'Tertulliany and Fiece annexed hereto, concernwhat weiiovv aiU the Apopes ing the Choice of our Opi- Creid^ as I.have ibmcwhat uion, ^c. $e£i. IV. he Cltfc, ja$r Of the ^ruth of Book IL 1% the Author of this Do(ftrine, The Authors of the Grecian Wifdom and Knowledge, themfclves confeiXed, that they alleged fcaree any Thing for Certainty, bccaufe Truth was funk, as it were, (a) ID the Bottom of a Weil; {h) and the Mind, as dim-fighced in regard to Divine Things, as the Eyes of an Owl in the SuLi-Ihine. Bcfide, there was hardly any of them, bui: was addi6ted to {c) fome particular Vice: Some were (d^ Flatterers of Prin-; ces, others devoted to (^) the Embraces of Harlots, Others to (/) fnarling Impudence; and one great Argument of the Envy and Hatred they all had againft one another, is, their [g) quarrelling about Words, &C.3 It was a Saying of De- in his Words and Sayings. mocritusy That Truth laid at thg [d] Flatterers of Princes^ Bottom of a WdU as we find in icj?lato and Arijlippus. *Iully% Academical Queftioris, [e] The Embraces of Harlots, and in other Writers. &c.] Zeno^ the chief of the ij>\ And. the Mind as dim- Stoicks, was addidied to the 'ted, &C.1 See Jrifotlii Lov€ of Men i and Plata, Jri-, taphyiiclcs. Book II. ch. 1. Jlotle, Epicurus ^ Jrijiippusj-and, •* A$^ the. Eyes of a Batt are almoft all of them, tothe Love *' HdzI^S at the" Light in the of Women; witnefs^//^-f;/^;:/j'5 '* Bky-tii^i'^^; ib'is the Under- Books, III and XIII. Lairiiu.
**^ftantjing %' oiir Soulj con- Vixid LaSiantins Theo^nism^n- *' fipiiKiieS' ' at the plaineft tions it Qr,iiiXk{yL,iii.manK •"Hiingsm the World.**.. Places^..,k^,:„„„o^ s;. ^i ->;.= '{c\ Some particujar Vice, Siz,"^ (f) To fnarUng Impudence y 5'<?f/-/a:///, is moll commended, by S:c.] Whence ^^y weic called the ConfeCit of all; yet Cyril Cjnicks.
in his Vlth Book againil yai-. [g) ^flrellingahut*f.'ordj,.
lia»y f^ts befdre us, in tjtie Src.J This is well ob{crve,4.bjr,- 'AiivOys decei-ved ivith Words andferce C^tefts y ^ t WAtw Words, or Things of rio Moment; and as good an Argunient of their Coldncfs and Indiffcrency iathe Worihip of God, is; that they who believed' that there was really but one God, did yet lay hinr afide, and paid DivineWorfbip to others, whom they believed to be no Gods •, {a) making that only the Rule of their Religion, which was publickly receive ed. And, as for the Reward of Piety, they could affirm nothing for certain; as appears from {h) the laft Difpute of Socrates^ a little before his Death. Mahornet y the Author of that Religion, which has fpread itfelf fo far, {c) abandoned himfelf to Lufl:; :...'; ^iiiiiiiiuuy.^^,.:ji:^ all" *TiIl nvandring to and fro t at lajl ^he fix ^erfelf,iTk^fiumanBr/^ And agfjiHi^ - ^-nr ^'.;- ■/•- in ci Viljo has itifiamed them nvith fuch deadly Strtftt^C^l^\'^ ^. TU ^infy Multitude^ ijcho tihyice hate^. frc^i-kvtim' the P.lague of Tattle has its kife.
Vou will ^hd 'tliefe Verfes in Clemens; "Strom. V. in Eufebius: at the end of 'his Preparation, and m Thcadof'it*% lidi ^£^^ {a)Makingtheitthe Rule/cc^l Xtnophor. in hisVIth Metnorab. recites the Orader, by which the Gods are commanded to. be worfliipped atcbrding to the Laws of evety City, Here we may cepeat, the Words of Ser.eca, before quoted out of ^«-gufine; after which Augufiine adds thefe: He n.vor/htpped that Kvhick he blamed; he did that ^jL-hich he condemned^ and that nvhich he found Fault tvith, he paid /Adoration to. According to what Plato fays, in his Timaus^ and other Places; and Psrphjry^ in that Place of Eufi^' 6ius*sPreparat. Book IV. ch.8. that it is dangerous to fpeak the Truth, in Divine Matters, before the Vulgar. The Fear of which Danger, both in the Greek and Latin, and Barbari' ^?«Phiiofophers, prevailed over the fincere Profeflion of the Truth; which Thin^ alone, is fufficient to hinder any one from thinking that fuch Men were to be followed in every Thing. Jufiin Martyr, in his Exhortation to the Greeks^ obferves this of Plato.
{b) The lafi Difpute ^/Socrates, &c.] See what we have before quoted concerning him.
(<-■) Abandoned himfelf to Lujl, &c.] See what is (aid in the VlthBook.
12 3 Of the Truth cf Book H.
all his Life long, which his Friends themfclves do not deny. Neither did he give any Aflurance whereby ic might appear, that thofe Rewards he promifed, which confift-ed in Feafls and Women ^ would ever really be; fmce they do not pretend to fay, that he is reflored to Life again in his Body; io far from that, that it now lies buried in Medina. But Mofcs, the Hebrew Lawgiver, was an excellent Perlbn, however not entirely free from Faults; for with great Reludance he would fcarce {a) undertake an EmbalTy to the King oi Egypt y tho' a: the Command of God-, and hedifcovered fome {b) Diftruft of God's Promife, concerning firiking Water out of the Rock, as the Hebrews acknowledge. And he himfelf partook of fcarce any of thofe Rewards, which he promifed to his People by the Law, (c) being driven to and fro in Defart Places, by continual Tumults, {d) and never entering the happy Land. But Chrift is defcribed by his Difciples, {e) to be without any manner of Sin: (f) nor could he ever be proved to have committed any, by the Tefti monies of others: And whatever he commanded others, {g) he performed himfelf; for V/z^ Undertake an Emha^^ his Piety was commended by Src] Exodus IV. 2, lo, 13, the Oracle iJmong the Gcn- 1 4. tiles, we fhill (how in the Vlih ■ {h)V)iJit'vJlofCrod's Promife, Book. «l'r.] Numb. XX. 12. (f) Nor (Ou!J he ever he [c\ Being dri'ven to aid fro ^ pfoiied, &c ] OW^tt obfervcs A-c] Exodus XXI£. Numb, this in hii Hid Booh againft XI. XII. X{V. XVI. XX. Celfus. XXV. ' [g] He performed hlmf If, ht,-\ {J) A>:d ffp-jer etrteriitg the LaSIantius, in the end of his h/ippy Land^Szi:'] Numb XX. Inllitutions well obferves: '/.{vr iZ. Deut. XXXIV 4. he not onh ffjeivediheWay, but if\ To be 'vjtthnut any fnan- 'usalkcdkcfore, in it, kf any one f*er »/■.S'/«. &c.] JohnWll. fhould dread the Path of Virtue^ Seft. 1 8. the ChriJU an 'Religion. 129 for he faithfully fulfilled all Things that God commanded him; (^) he was mod fincere, in the whole Courfe of his Life; he was the (h) moft patient of Injuries and Torments, as is evident from his Punifhment on the Crofs; he was fo great a Lover of Mankind, of his Enemies, even of thofe by whom he was led to Death, {c) that he prayed to God for them. And the Reward that he promifed to his Followers, he was poiTefTed of himfelf, in a mofh eminent manner •, as is declared and proved by certain Teftimony. {d) Many faw, heard, and handled him, after he was returned to Life again: {e) He was taken up into Heaven in the Sight of Twelve; And that he there obtained the higheft Power, is manifeft from hence •, that he endued his Difciples with a (f) Power, to fpeak thofe Languages which they had never learned; and {g) with other miraculous Gifts, {h) as he promifed them, when he departed from them: All which («) He ivas moJfJincere^Scc.]
(^) Mojl patient of Injuries ^ jGbnVni. 23. JasVUl.o^z.
{c) That he prayed fo God for them, Sec] LuhXXllI. 34.
{dj Many fwnj^ heardy and handhd himy SiC.] John XX. Mat. XXVII. Mark XVi. LukeXXlW. I Cor. XV. 3,4, {e) He ivas taken up into Heawen, &c] Mark XVI. 19. Luke XXIV. 51,52. Jasl.
(/) A Power to fpeak thofe 1 Cor. xii!
Languages y &c.] JSIs II.
(p-) And njcith other miraculous Gifts, See."] ^.i?iIII. V. VIIJ.
IX. X. XI. xin. XIV XVI.
XIX. XX. XXI. XXVII. Hek II. 4. The Truth hereof, is fhown by Jujfin in his Difpute with Trypho; by Ire^ n^usy Book II. by Tertul'ian, in his Apology; by Origen, in his Vllth Book againil Celfus; by LaSiantius and others.
{h) As he promifed them, SiZ.'^ John XIV. 12. XVII. 2i. -Mark XVi, 17.
K put I ^^o Of the "Truth of Bock IL put together fliew, that there is no reafon to doubt of his Faithfulnefs, or of his Power, to recompenfe us with that Reward he has promifed. And hencie it is we colledl, that this Rehgion exceeds all others in this Particular alfo; that the Author of it per* formed himfelf, what he commanded; and w^vS poflefTed of what he promifed.
From the wonderful Fropagatlon of this Religion.
"We come now to the Effeds of the Dodrinc by him delivered; which indeed, if rightly confidered, are fuch •, that if God has any Regard or Care of human Affairs, this Dodlrine cannot podibly but be thought Divine. It v/as agreeable to Divine Providence, to caufe That to fpread the furtheil, which is in itfelf beft. And this has happened to the Chri{li.;n Religion, which, we ourfelves fee, is taught all over Europe -, {a) even the further Corners of the North not exempted; {b) and no lefs throughout, all Jfia^ (c) even in the Idands in the Sea belonging to it; {d) thro' Egypt alfo (e) and Ethiopia^ (/) and fome other Parts o^ Africa^ ^(i^ '4i^.3t^}i^^'{kzough:Jmerica.,^i^ done the Writers cpr:cernipg A f/^7?</. Francijcus Al-vat efius.
{h\ And nvji'fi throughout all. (f) And fome other Parts of j^te/ )^cj' 'See the Aas oi Africa, &c]' See Tertullian, tne Ceneral Couriclls. Qprian, Auguftin,2.iidi the Acts '■'■ (c) K'uen the IJlands hi the of the African Councils; elpe- Seay &;cj See C^n«i in iiis ci;illy that Council, which is 'This appear.s from the Acls of [g] Jnd^t (aj! through PiXnetke'Cjeneral Councils j.Troni.rica, kc'\ See Acojla an4 now only, but was fo of old; as the Hiflory of all Ages teftify, the Books of the Chriftians, and the Ads of Synods; and at this Day, there is a Tradition prcferved amongft the Barbarians^ (a) of the JoLirnies and Miracles of Thomas {b) and Andrew i and the other Apoftles. And {c) Clemens^ {d) Tertulliani..3iiuiui4::^:i and [a) Of the yonrnies and Miracles of Thomas,.Sic] Ste Abdias, Book IX, Eufebius'^s Ecclefiafticai Hillory, Book f. towards the end; and Book If. ch. I. and the beginning df Book HI. Ruffinus, Book X. ch. 9.. Add to thefc, Oforhs and Lir?fchotius, concerning the AiFairs of Eafl India j and Freita concerning the Empire of the Liifitan'ians in Afia; The Sepulchre of this Apoftle is now to be feen in the Country of Caromandcl.
[b) And Andre^Vy^c] See Eufsbius in the Beginning of his forementioncd Uld Book, and Qrigen upon Genejts.
[c) Clemens, &c.] He fays, Strom, y. That Chrift was known in all Nations.
[dyTertuilian, Sec] In his Ift Book againft the Je^vs. *' In " whom t\(t have all Nations ** believed, but in Chrift, who *' lately came? In ^^■hom ilave <* all thefe Nations believed, '**? arthiansl Medei'y Elam'kes, *» and the D^vellers in Mefipo- **■ tamia., '.^yWeftiaf Pbrygia, y* Cappadoaa; rhe Inhabitants " of Fontus ^nd^J/iff, ^ndPam- ** phyiia; "* they that dwell in "** Sffv^/, and they who lice *^* m the Country of Africa, " beyOftd'C^r^//*?; Romans and •* Strangers; Jenvs and other *'* Nations in yemfalem; the ** different fores of People in " Getulia; the manyCountries ^' oi iht Moors X all the Bor- *' ders of Spain; the different " Nations of Gaul; and thofe ** Places of Britain, which " the Romans co-jld not com^ .** at, are yet fubjed to Chrill; *' the Sarmata-f and Do'ci, " and Germans and Scythians; ** and many other obfcure Na- ** tion'', and many Provinces M and Iflands unknown to us, *^; fo ntany that they cannot be' "reckoned? in all which Pla- **' ces, the Name of Chrift, who ** lately came, reigns." Prefently after, he ihews how much larger the Kingdom of Chrift was in his I'ime, that is, the end of the fecond Century, than thoCeof Old. //>-buchadne-x/zarz^Alexanderiy or 'the Romans: *' The Kingdom " of Chrift overfpreads all Pla-*' ces, is received every where, •* in all the above named Na-' *' tions (he had mentioned the *' Babylonians, ParthiafiSj In- ** dians, Ethiopia^ Afia, Ger- ** manji Britain^ the Moorsi ** GeluHans and Romans) it i^ " in great Efteem: He reigns "every where, is adored irt " all Places, is divided equally *< ajnoneft them 4II/* 132 Of the Truth of Book II.
(a) and others have obfcrved, how far the Name of {a) And others, kc.l^ Irenorus, who was ancienter than Tertullian. Book I. Ch. 3. *' For *' though there be different ** Languages, the Power of ** Tradition is the fame; rei-" ther the Churches founded '* in Germany, have any other ** Belief, or any other Tradi-*• tion: Nor yet thofe in Ibe- *' ria, nor thofe among the ** Celtegf nor thofe which are ** in the Eaji, nor thofe in ** nor thofe that are efta- •' blifhed in the Middle of the ** World: But like the Sun, ** which God created, and is ** one and the fame through- *' out the whole World: So " the Light, the preaching ** of the Truth, ftiines cv&ry ** where, and enlightens all ** Men, who are willing to ** come to the Knowledge of " the Truth." And Origens Homily upon the IVth ofEzekiel. ** The miferable Je^tvs ** confefs, that thefe things •* were foretold of the Pre-** fence of Chrill; but they «* are foolifhly ignorant of his •• Perfon, though they fee ** what is faid of him fulfilled; *' for when did the Britijh ** Land, before the coming of •* Ghrifl, agree in the Worihip *' of one Go("i? When did the ** Country of the Moon, when •' did the whole World toge- *♦ ther, 06 for" And JmobJus, BookH. *' The Poweis ^•^^ which they faw with their ** Kyes, and thofe unheaj-d-of *' Effetfls, which were openly " produced, either by him, " or which were proclaimed, *' by his Difciples, throughout ** the whole World, fubdued ** thofe violent Appetites, and ** caufed Nations and People, *' and thofe whofe Manners *' were very different, to con- " fent with one Mind,' to the ** fame Belief; For we might ** enumerate, and take into ** our Account, thofe things *' which were done in India ** among the Ser^, Perjtans *' and Medesy in Arabia, E- *' the GalatianSy Parthians, " Phrygians, in Achaia^ Ma^ ** cedonitty Epirus; in thofe ** Iflands and Provinces, fur- *' veyed by the Eaft and ** Weftern Sun; and lallly in ** Rome, the Miftrefs of the " World." And Aibanajius, in hisSynodical Epiftle, which we find in Thecdoret, Book IV. Chap. 3. mentions the Chriftian Churches in Spain, Britain, Gaul, Italy, Dqlmatiay Myjia, Macedonia, Greece, Africa f Sardinia, Cyprus, Crete, Pamphylia, Lyjia, Ijauria, Egypt, Lybia, Pont us and Cappadocia. And Theodoret in his Vlllth Difcourfc againft ihc Greeks ^ fpeaks thus concerning the Apoftles: " When they were •* converfant in the Body, the^' *' went about, fometimcs to *' one fort,' and fometinies to *' another; fometimeschey filif- ** courfed to the Romans, ionic- " timcij CO the Spaniards, and •' fome- Sedl. i8. the Chrlftia7i Religion. 133 of Chrift, was famous in their times, amongft the Britons^ Germans^ and other diftant Nations. What Religion is there that can compare with it, for the Extent of its PofleiTion? If you anfwer, Heathenifm: That indeed has but one Name, but is not one ReHgion: For they do not all worfhip the fame thing; for fome worfhip the Stars, others the ** fometlmes to the Celtans; ** but after they returned to f* him that fent them, all en- •* joyed their Labours without ** exception; not only the Ro- " mans^ and they that loved the *• Roman Yoke, and were fub- *• je<^ to their Government, ** but alfo the Perjians and Scy- •* thianSy and Majfaget^^ and ** Sauromat^, and Indians^ ** and Ethiopiani't andtofpeak ** in one Word, the Borders of *' the whole World." And again in his IXth Book, amongft the converted Nations, he reckons the Per/tans, the Majfagetce^ the Tibareni^ the Hyrcaniy the Cafpians and ^rythians. Jtrom in the Epitaph of Nepotian, reckons among the Chriftians, the Indians, Perfiansy Goths, Egyptians, Bejians, and the People clothed with Skins: In his Epiftle to Lata, he reckons up the Indians, Perjians, j^thiopians, jirmenians, Hunns, Scyihians. and Getans: And in his Dialogue between anOrthodox Man and a Luciferian, he mentions the Britons, Gauls, the Eaft, the People of India, the Iberians, the Celtiberians, and the ^Ethiopians. And Chryfojiom in his Vlth Komiiy upon I Cor, fays, •' If the)' were " not worthy to be believed " in what they faid, how *' fhould their Writings have ** fpread all over barbarous ** Countries, even to the In- " dians, and thofe Countries " beyond the Sea?" And again, in his laft Homily upon Pentecoft. " The Holy Spirit *' defcended in the Shape of ** Tongues, divided its Doc-** trine among the feveral CH-** mates of the World; and by " this Gift of Tongues, as ic " were by a particular Com- ** miffion, made known to e- *' very one, the Limits of that *• Command and Dot^lrine that *' was committed to him/' And again, in his famous Oration, concerning Chrifl's being God: " We muft fay then, that *' a mere Man, could not, in ** fo ihort time, have over-** fpread the World, both Sea " and Land; nor have fo called " Men to fuch things, who ** were withheld by evil Cuf- *• toms, nay, poflefled with *' Wickednefs: Yet he was " fufficient to deliver Man- " kind from all thefe, not only " Romans, but alfo Perjians, " and all barbarous Nations.'* See alfo what follows, which is highly worth reading, K3 134 Of the Truth of Book IR^ the Elements, others Beafts, others things that have no Exiflcnce; neither are they governed by the fame Law, nor under one common Mafter. The Jews indeed, though very much fcattered, are but one Nation; however, their ReHgion has received po remarkable Increafe fince Chrift: Nay, their own Law, is made more known by theChriftians than by themfelves. Mahometanifm is fettled in very many Countries, but not alone; for the Chri.-ftian Religion is cultivated in thofe fame Courr-A tries, and in fome Places by a greater Number:■ Whereas, on the contrary, there are no Mahometans to be found in many Parts where the Chriftian .nlidq x^^-/ 2«w rbaaqB iMT (i).:iA fbii) oa Cpnjidefhjg the Weakfiefs and Sijnplicity of thofe whs ^ taught it m thi Jirfi Ages...,..^.;.;. i 7nB 23vb'!m3fi:j pa 5on b£i} i^A^ 'sonii.aiohi^dw ' We; come next to'examihe, in what manner the Chriftian Religion made fuch a Progrefs, that in this Particular alfo it may be compared with others. We fee moft Men are difpofed to coniply with the Examples of Kings and Rulers, efpecially if they be pbliged to it by Law, or compelled- by Force. To thefe the Religions of the Pagans, and that of the Mahometans, owe their Increafe. But they who firft taught t\\t Chriftian Religion, were not only Men without any Authority, but of low Fortune, Filhers, Tent-makers, and the like: And yet, by the Induftry of thefe Men, that Do6trine, within thirty Years, or thereabouts, fpread not only through (a.) all Farts of the Romarl Empire, but as far as the Parthians and Indians. And not only in the very Beginning, but for almoft three hundred Years, by the Induftry of private Perfons, withpi^lt any Threats,,without any Enticements, nay, oppofed as much as poflible, by the Power of thofe who were in Authority; this Religion was propagated ib far, that it poflefTed the greateft Part of the Roman Empire, (a) before Conjiantine profefledChriftianity. They among the Greeks^ who dehvered Precepts ofMorahty, at the fame time rendered themfelves acceptable by other Arts; as thePlatonicks, by the Study of Geometry; the Peripateticks, by the Hiitory of Plants and Animals •, the Stoicks, by Logical Subtiity; the Pythagoreans, by the Knowledge of Numbers and Harmony. Many of them were endued with admirable Eloquence, as Plato^ Xenophon, and 'Theophraftus. But the firft Teachers of Chriftianity, had no luch Art. {h) Their Speech was very plain, without any Enticements; they declared only the Precepts, Promifes and Threats in bare Words \ wherefore, fmce they had not in themfelves any Power, anfwerable to fuch a Progrefs, we rauft of Neceffity allow that they were attended with Miracles; ob that the fecret Influence of God favoured their Undertaking ^^^©f^botk n->i^^l ■iiniu ^i:>^/,-/;r >.f bn£.'2nf>{ lo?")IqrnExH ^ffl S EC %^'^Xi:^ Mdlhegr^fat 'In^Jir^Pt^tl:^!^ dred Men from emhritcing Ht^-,,, or deterred ' ihim from prof ejhng it. j- ' ^ ^o which Confideration'^ wc^fnay add this; that the Minds of thofe who. embraced the. Ch rift ian {a] Before Conftantlne'/^<^.''',^-fed^;Senaije aftd Jot^m; we fejfed Chrijliunity, Sec. ] Tir-tuf- Y'have left you only your Z;^;; faid in his time. Apology •*,/! emples.", U. " We are butof Yefterday-,;:ib)^ Their ^'peefh nxias mery »' and have filled all Places be- flaU; &c.] I'hi's Was" wifely *' longing to you, your Cide9i 'Obferved \^ Chryfojiom, on *• Iflands, Cafiles, Towns, 1 Cor. I. i?- and by Theoiioret, *< Councils, your very Camps, after the Words now cjuoted. ** Tribes, Companies, th^^jg-,,^^,, K4 J-S^' Of the Truth of Book lis/.
K eligion, taught by thefe Men, were not entirely free and unprejudiced from any eftablilhed Rule of Religion, and confequently very pliable; as they were, who firft embraced the Heathen Rites, and the Law of Mahoraet: And much lefs were they prepared by any foregoing Inftitution; as the Hebrews were rendered fit for the Reception of the Law of Mofes^ by Circumcifion, and the. Knowledge of one God, But, on the contrary, their, Minds were filled with Opinions, and had acquired Habits, which are a fecond Nature, repugnant^ to thefe new. Inftrudlions; having been educated and confirmed by the Authority of Laws, and of their Parents in the Heathen Myfteries, and Jewijh Rites. And befides this, there was another Obftacle, as great, namely the mofl grievous Sufferings, which it was certain they who profefled Chriftianity, mufl endure, or be in fear of, upon that Account: For fmce fuch Sufferings are highly difagiecable to human Nature, it follows, that thole things which are the caufe of fuch Sufferings, cannot be received without great Difficulty. The Chriftians, for a long time, v/ere kept out of all Places of Honour, and were moreover fined, had their Goods confifcated, and were banifhed: But thefe were fniall things -, they were condemned to the Mines, had the mofl cruel Torments, that it was poffible to invent, iniiidted upon them; and the Punilhments of Death were fo common, that the Writers of thofe times relate, that no Famine, no Peflilence, no War, ever confumed more Men at a time. Neither were they the^ord^narj^.^igds ^9^^ of {(t\But}^nifig^fihemalin}et that Chriftians ought to have Arc.], DomtiiiiVipi^nusy z fa- inliided on them. LaSianiius mous La\yye3:> ■ y%v^'ote feven mentions them, 'fiook^ *V.' Books about the Punirnmenis Chap. 7, • ■* ' Se6t. 19. the Chrijiian Religion. 137 them alive, crucifying them, and fuch like Punifhments; which one cannot read or think of without the greateft Horror: And this Cruelty, which, without any long Interruption, and that not every where, continued in the Roman Empire, almoft till the time oiConftantine^ and in other Places longer j was fo far from diminifliing them •, that on the contrary, their Blood was called the Seed of the Church, they fo much more increafed as they were cut off. Here therefore let us compare other Religions with Chriftianity. The Greeks and other Hea--*' thens, who are wont to magnify their own Matters, 1 reckon a very few that fuffered Death for their Opi- ^ nions-, fome /;»?i/^;2 Philofophers, Socrates^ and not ^' many more; and it can hardly be denied, but that;^ in thefe famous Men, there was fome Defire of ^ tranfmitting their Fame to Pofterity. But there:^ were very many of thecommon People,jfcarce known" to their Neighbours, among theChriftians, who fuf--''J fered Death for their Opinion; Women, Virgins,' young Men, who had no Defire nor probable > Hopes, that their Name would continue long after them; and indeed, there are but a 'itv^r^ whofe Names remain in the Martyrologies, in comparii'"' fon of the Number of them that fuffered for this Caufe, and are {a) reckoned only by the Heap. Further, very many of them might have efcaped this Punifhment, by fome fmall DifTimulation, fuch as throwing a little Frankincenfe upon the Altar •