and censure; and of those which are of a better stamp, some seem to have been drawn up by persons, who, through excessive veneration of the departed saints, and a love of the marvellous, or other motives, have inserted false embellishments, and then the transcribers have made interpolations of the same kind. The authors of pious frauds are foolish knaves, who do irreparable mischief to the cause which they want to

recommend.

The copies which we have of the ancient Acts of Perpetua and Felicitas differ considerably. See Tillemont, H. E. iii. 137. and Basnage Ann. ii. p. 224. "The African style of these acts shews their antiquity, "and they relate what Perpetua suffered in prison, "and some of her dreams, written, if we may believe "the author of the acts, by herself, and also a dream "of Saturus, who suffered at the same time. In the "dream of Perpetua we see some beginnings of the

opinion of purgatory, and of praying for those who "are in it, as the commentators have not failed to ob"serve. The question is, whether they are really the "words of Perpetua, of which it is impossible to be "certain. These notions might indeed have been in "some measure introduced amongst the common people, and Perpetua might have had a dream con"formable to such current notions but nothing obliges us to believe that all the dreams of martyrs were revelations, or that this in particular was of "that kind." Le Clerc Bibl. Chois. xxvi. 220.

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The behaviour of the martyrs related in those acts, as it is circumstantial and probable, so is it affecting and edifying; but their visions and revelations seem to be partly of the enthusiastic kind, and such as might be expected from the disciples of Montanus. Per

haps

haps the writer, who is supposed by many to have been a Montanist, and the transcribers, enlarged and adulterated that part of the account, either to propagate some favourite notions of their own, or to omit nothing that they had gathered from rumour and common report. This I am inclined to suppose, in respect and reverence for these holy martyrs; but what we much wish, we easily believe, and that perhaps may be my case.

In some of the ancient acts of the martyrs, and in ecclesiastical historians, we have well attested examples of heroic faith and fortitude, and of love stronger than death, which would affect even the coldest heart, and which Joseph Scaliger, a man of good taste, a clear judgment, and no superstition, could never read without being greatly moved. Eorum lectione piorum animus ita afficitur, ut nunquam satur inde recedat: quod quidem ita esse, unusquisque pro captu suo et conscientiae modo sentire potest. Certe ego nihil unquam in Historia Ecclesiastica vidi, a cujus lectione commotior recedam, ut non amplius meus esse videar. Anim. in Euseb. p.

121.

Justin Martyr, whilst he was a pagan, concluded very candidly and reasonably, from the courage and constancy of the persecuted Christians, that they could not be profligate and debauched people; and his Pagan and Platonic judgment on this point was better than the ecclesiastical judgment of several Christian writers. Καὶ δ' αὐτὸς ἐγώ, τοῖς Πλάτωνος χαίρων διδάγματι, διαβαλλομένες ἀκύων Χρισιανὸς, ὁρῶν δὲ ἀφόβος πρὸς θάνατον, καὶ πάν Τα τὰ ἄλλα νομιζόμενα φοβερά, ενενόεν ἀδυναίον εἶναι ἐν κακίᾳ καὶ φι κηδονίᾳ ὑπάρχειν αὐτός. Nam et ego ipse, cum Platonis disciplina delectarer, audiremque criminationes que in Christianos jactabantur, mortem autem, ceteraque omnia

que

que terribilia putantur, minime eos formidare viderem, statui ipse mecum fieri haudquaquam posse, ut in vitiorum pravitate et voluptatum amore viverent. Apol. 11.

The Christians, that is, the wise and prudent part of them, were of opinion, that as it was their duty to suffer any torments rather than dissemble or deny their religion, so was it also to avoid persecution, and never to expose themselves uncalled to so hard a trial. Mention is made in the epistle of the church of Smyrna, and in other ancient records, of some rash and presumptuous Christians, who offered themselves to martyrdom, and who, when they were condemned, lost all courage and deserted their cause; whilst others, who had been diffident of themselves, and had retired, being discovered and seized, died in a most Christian

This also was perfectly suitable to our Saviour's doctrine and promises, who required humility and prudence from his disciples. Peter made bolder professions of fortitude and fidelity than any of the apostles, and therefore he alone fell away in the dark hour of temptation, and denied his master.

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

Nihil est tam bonum, quin dicendo malum effici possit. The increase of Christianity under all these discouragements, and this cloud of afflictions is another argument of the same kind, and a subject highly worthy of consideration: Adeone levis res et futilis videtur Religio Christiana, aut tam vulgaris tamque similis rerum quotidianarum progressio ejus et propagatio, ut qrencis ho

minem (non jam Christianum dico, sed vel ab omni religione alienum, vel ab ea alienissimum) exquirere pudeat quales homines essent, qua doctrina, quo ingenio, qua disputandi scientia, qua facultate dicendi instructi, qui gracibus illis et constantibus Romanis persuadere potuerint, relictis et repudiatis Düs suis, quos se nunquam aut impune neglexisse, aut frustra gravissimis reipublicæ temporibus incocasse majores omnibus monumentis proclamabant et testabantur, hominum et barbarorum et a se devictorum et Judeorum deum, hominemque simul Judaeum a popu laribus suis paulo ante servili supplicio necatum, venerari; qui tot tamque dispares nationes, alias immanitate efferatas, alias moribus et disciplina inflatas, alias horrida quadum et agresti virtute feroces, alias luxu et licentia petulantes, alias victoris et imperio insolentes, alias diuturna servitute fractas et debilitatas, alias ignorantia et tardita te, alias doctrinæ et ingenii fama indociles, ita flexerint et mutaverint, ut religioni patrice novam et externam, ut omni licentiæ libertatique vivendi (quicum prioribus fere religionibus summa pax et concordia fuit) vitam rigidam et severam et omnia voluptatis vel confinia anxie fugientem, virtutesque quarum ne nomina quidem antea audicerant, ut denique paupertatem divitiis, odium gratie, contemtionem honori, exilium patrice, mortem vitæ anteferrent. Thirlby, Dedic. Just. M. These reflections are as just as they are elegant, and the inference which the reader ought to make from them is, that a change, so happy, so extensive, and so surprising, could have been effected by nothing less than the divine will and assistance.

The progress of Christianity, says Moyle, considering its late rise, and the constant opposition it met with, is even, on my moderate computation, prodigious, and to be accounted for by nothing but the divine providence, as I

may

may one day shew at large on another occasion. Thunder. Legion, p. 327.

The alteration also which Christianity made in the manners of men, and the stop which it put to polygamy, is very remarkable. Οὔτε οἱ ἐν Παρθία Χρισιανοί που λυγαμᾶσι Πάρθοι ὑπάρχοντες,— χ οἱ ἐν Περσίδι γαμᾶσι τὰς θυγαΤέρας αὐτῶν, Πέρσαι ὄντες· ο παρὰ Βάκροις και Γάλλοις φθείρωσι τὰς γάμος—ἀλλ ̓ ὅπε εἰσὶν, ἔτε ὑπὸ τῶν κακῶς κειμένων νόμων καὶ ἐθῶν

a. Nec in Parthia Christiani, Parthi licet, pluribus utuntur uxoribus, nec in Perside, Persee licet, filias ucores ducunt, nec apud Bactros aut Gallos nuptiarum honestatem et jura contaminant,-Ita ubicumque degunt, nec legum morumque sceleratorum improbitate vincuntur. Bardesanes, apud Euseb. Præp. Evang. vi. 10. in his dis course against astrological fate. Thus, according to this ingenius philosopher, the Christians of all countries retained the good qualities, and rejected the reigning vices of the several nations of which they were natives.

The law which permits only one wife, is conform"able to the nature of the European, but not to the "nature of the Asiatic climate. It is for this reason "that Mohammedism found so easy an admission in "Asia, and such difficulty to extend itself in Europe; "that Christianity hath maintained itself in Europe, "and hath been destroyed in Asia; and that the Mo"hammedans have made so much, and the Christians "so little progress in China.

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"In the time of Justinian, many philosophers, un

easy at the restraint laid upon them by Christian "laws, retired into Persia, to Chosroes. What in"duced them most, says Agathias, was, that polygamy was there permitted to men who did not ab"stain even from adultery.