BOOK II.

The wonderful Eftablishment and Propagation of Christianity, is a most convincing Proof of the entire Credibility of the Hiftory of the New Teftament, and of the Religion which it establishes.

CHAP. I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE WONDERFUL PROPAGATION OF CHRISTIANITY.

I. Chriftianity Spreads itself almost immediately over the whole World.

IT is truly astonishing how widely Christianity had extended itself almost immediately at its firft rife. In lefs than fifty years numerous Chriftian

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communities had been established in every part, and in the moft confiderable cities, of the then known world. The little feed was already grown up to a lofty and wide-spreading tree; and in the two following centuries it caft its beneficent fhade continually wider towards the Eaft and Weft. In the beginning of the fourth century the whole of the great and extensive empire of the Romans was filled with Chriftians, who held the moft confiderable employments in the state. The very courts of the heathen emperours contained men of fcarcely any other perfuafion. Under the perfecution of Dioclefian, a whole city in Phrygia was burnt, becaufe all the inhabitants had embraced that faith. Some of the emperours, (as Maxentius, for inftance) were obliged to fpare the Chriftians on account of the people at Rome. It

z See above, p. 340, 341.

was

was this externally flourishing ftate of the Church, from the diffentions and vices which it occafioned, that became the principal caufe of the terrible perfecutions of the Chriftians in the fourth century. Laftly, in the perfon of Conftantine the Great, Chriftianity afcended even the imperial throne,

II. It prevailed without the Affiftance of any temporal Power.

THIS rapid and fuccefsful progress was not effected by any human power. No prince, king, or emperour had adopted it. No fword was drawn in its caufe; no armies took the field; no territories were conquered. It could neither procure riches for its followers, nor exalt them to employments of confequence. On the contrary, amidst poverty and obfcurity; and intirely de

a See the beautiful extract from Eufebius in Dr. Semler's Hift. eccl. 1. 100.

void of all temporal influence and greatnefs did Chriftianity exift in the world until the fourth century. Inftead of being fupported and extended by earthly power and magnificence, it was rather obftructed by that very caufe. Its exaltation to the throne was the epoch of its decline both externally and internally.

III. Through thirteen poor, inconfi derable, unlearned, and almost un

known men.

ABOUT thirteen men, who were members of a nation, defpifed by the Romans and Greeks; of the meaneft extraction; brought up from their infancy in the employment of fishermen ; formed in no fchools of the rhetoricians; unacquainted with any part of the wisdom of the philofophers, or of

the knowledge of the learned; abandoned; perfecuted; hated by all, even by their relatives;-thefe men arife, relate the hiftory of Jefus, affert his refurrection and his numerous miracles; and on this foundation preach Christianity. And Jews, Greeks, Romans, and the whole world embrace their doctrine.

IV. Amidst the most dangerous internal difturbances and diftractions.

MANY philofophers and fcholars alfo became Chriftians. These men began in the fecond century, by in troducing their fancies and errors, to deform the amiable fimplicity of this religion; to obfcure its splendour, and to diminish its strength. And now appear various Heretics; this fociety, which had been moft cordially united in the bands of love, is fevered into numerous fects; genuine chriftian virtue contitinually

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