ment of Alexandria, Tertullian, Origen, Bardesanes, Hippolitus, Eusebius, were voluminous writers. Christian writers abounded particularly about the year 178. Alexander, bishop of Jerusalem, founded a library in that city, A. D. 212. Pamphilus, the friend of Origen, founded a library at Cesarea, A. D. 294. Public defences were also set forth, by various advocates of the religion, in the course of its three first centuries. Within one hundred years after Christ's ascension, Quadratus and Aristides, whose works, except some few fragments of the first, are lost; and about twenty years afterwards, Justin Martyr, whose works remain, presented apologies for the Christian religion to the Roman emperors; Quadratus and Aristides's to Adrian, Justin to Antonius Pius, and a second to Marcus Antonius. Melito, bishop of Sardis, and Apollinaris, bishop of Hierapolis, and Miltiades, men of great reputation, did the same to Marcus Antonius twenty years afterwards* and ten years after this, Apollonius, who suffered martyrdom under the emperor Commodus, composed an apology for his faith, which he read in the senate, and which was afterwards published. Fourteen years after the apology of Apollonius, Tertullian addressed the work, which now remains under that name, to the governors of provinces in the Roman empire; and, about the same time, Minnucius Felix composed a defence of the Christian religion, which is still extant; and, shortly after the conclusion of this century, copious defences of Christianity were published by Arnobius and Lactantius.

SECT. II.

Reflections upon the preceding Account.

IN viewing the progress of Christianity, our first attention is due to the number of converts at Jerusalem, immediately after its founder's death; because this success was a success at the time, and upon the spot, when and where the chief part of the history had been transacted.

We are, in the next place, called upon to attend to the early establishment of numerous Christian societies in Judea and Galilee, which countries had been the scene of Christ's miracles and ministry, and where the memory of what had passed, and the knowledge of what was alleged, must have yet been fresh and certain.

We are, thirdly, invited to recollect the success of the apostles and of their companions, at the several places to Euseb. Hist. 1. iv. c. 26. See also Lardner, vol. II. p. 666.

t Lard. vol. II. p. 687.

which they came, both within and without Judea; because it was the credit given to original witnesses, appealing for the truth of their accounts to what themselves had seen and heard. The effect also of their preaching, strongly confirms the truth of what our history positively and circumstantially relates, that they were able to exhibit to their hearers supernatural attestations of their mission.

We are, lastly, to consider the subsequent growth and spread of the religion, of which we receive successive intimations, and satisfactory, though general and occasional accounts, until its full and final establishment.

In all these several stages, the history is without a parallel; for it must be observed, that we have not now been tracing the progress, and describing the prevalency of an opinion, founded upon philosophical or critical arguments, upon mere deductions of reason, or the construction of ancient writings, (of which kind are the several theories which have, at different times, gained possession of the public mind in various departments of science and literature; and of one or other of which kind are the tenets also which divide the various sects of Christianity) but that we speak of a system, the very basis and postulatum of which, was a supernatural character ascribed to a particular person; of a doctrine, the truth whereof depended entirely upon the truth of a matter of fact then recent "To establish a new religion, even amongst a few people, or in one single nation, is a thing in itself exceedingly dif ficult. To reform some corruptions which may have spread in a religion, or to make new regulations in it, is not perhaps so hard, when the main and principal parts of that religion are preserved entire and unshaken; and yet this very often cannot be accomplished, without an extraordinary concurrence of circumstances, and may be attempted a thousand times without success. But to intro

duce a new faith, a new way of thinking and acting, and to persuade many nations to quit the religion in which their ancestors had lived and died, which had been delivered down to them from time immemorial, to make them forsake and despise the deities which they had been accustomed to reverence and worship; this is a work of still greater difficulty. The resistance of education, worldly policy, and superstition, is almost invincible.".

If men, in these days, be Christians in consequence of their education, in submission to authority, or in compliance

"Jortin's Dis. on the Christ. Rel. p. 167.ed. IV.

is a recollect that it was not so from the The rst race of Christians, as well as milvuo scoreded "nem, became sich in formal opposiLese poures. To the whole power and strength Every argument, therefore, and every istance, vinca serta he rejudice of education, and ALDUSI LA TESIDUALIe edects of that prejudice (and no perLe père ou expamatne upon this subject than Lasica viners; a at coniirms the evidence of Christi

1 ofver o age of the argument which is drawn prevagten of Christianity, I know no 220ceeding, than to compare what we have 1.De set. Win he success of Christian missions he Easi-india mission, supported by e cromeung Christian Snowiedge, we hear nity, sometimes of forty, being baptized in Peur, au these principaily children. GRAVELIS PROPER'y sa called, that is, of adults voluntarily samuraig Carstammy, the number is extremely small. ** Duomaisuuung de avour of missionaries for upwards 21 “se iuured years, and he estadushments of different Chris Tadous who support nem. there are not twelve Stuua Buda Consumus, and those almost entirely

Of

Csabeth, is much is 30 mun, ne tie progress which Chescain as Pade in nese countries, and the inconsidDat as (onowed "ne lavours of its missionahes, but i see lat i sing proof of the divine origin of སྶིསྶསྶ1བེཝཾ What had the apostles to assist them in propagaung Cirsday, which the missionaries have not? If The Hued lau een suficient, I doubt not but that our InssQuartes "ossess these qualities in a high degree, for nowing, except by and zeni, couid engage them in the unif sanctity of nie and manners was the alluremeint, he conduct of nese men is unbiameable. If the advantage of education and learning be looked to, there is not que vi ne modern missionartes, who is not, in this respect, superior o ail the apostles; and that not only absolutely, but, what is of more importance, relucirely, in comparison, that 's, with those amongst whom they exercise their office. If the turnusic excellency of the religion, the perfection of saity, the purity of its precepts, the eloquence, or ten

stating to the history, learning, and manners, of the Hindoos, p. 48. quot soul," Hist. Dis concessung ancient India, p. 236,

derness, or sublimity of various parts of its writings, were the recommendations by which it made its way, these remain the same. If the character and circumstances, under which the preachers were introduced to the countries in which they taught, be accounted of importance, this advantage is all on the side of the modern missionaries. They come from a country and a people, to which the Indian world look up with sentiments of deference. The apostles came forth amongst the Gentiles under no other name than that of the Jews, which was precisely the character they despised and derided. If it be disgraceful in India to become a Christian, it could not be much less so to be enrolled amongst those, "quos per flagitia invisor, vulgus Christianos appellabat." If the religion which they had to encounter be considered, the difference, I apprehend, will not be great. The theology of both was nearly the same, "what is supposed to be performed by the power of Jupiter, of Neptune, of Æolus, of Mars, of Venus, according to the mythology of the West, is ascribed in the East, to the agency of Agrio, the god of fire, Varoon, the god of oceans, Vayoo, the god of wind, Cama, the god of love."* sacred rites of the western polytheism were gay, festive, and licentious; the rites of the public religion in the East partake of the same character, with a more avowed indecency. In every function performed in the pagodas, as well as in every public procession, it is the office of these women (i. e. of women prepared by the Brahmins for the purpose) to dance before the idols, and to sing hymns in his praise; and it is difficult to say, whether they trespass most against decency by the gestures they exhibit, or by the verses which they recite. The walls of the pagodas were covered with paintings in a style no less indelicate."t

The

On both sides of the comparison the popular religion had a strong establishment. In ancient Greece and Rome it was strictly incorporated with the state. The magistrate was the priest. The highest offices of government bore the most distinguished part in the celebration of the public rites. In India, a powerful and numerous cast possess exclusively the administration of the established worship; and are, of consequence, devoted to its service, and attached to its interest. In both, the prevailing mythology was desti

Bagvat. Geeta. p.94. quoted by Dr. Robertson. Ind. Dis. p. 306.

Others of the deities of the East are of an austere and gloomy character, to be pro pitiated by victims, sometimes by human sacrifices, and by voluntary torments of the most excrutiating kind.

Voyage de Gentil. vol. I. p. 244-260. Preface to Code of Gentoo Laws, p. 57. quo ted by Dr. Robertson, p. 320.

tute of any proper evidence, or rather, in both, the origin of the tradition is run up into ages, long anterior to the existence of credible history, or of written language. The Indian chronology computes eras by millions of years, and the life of man by thousands ;* and in these, or prior to these, is placed the history of their divinities. In both, the established superstition held the same place in the public opinion; that is to say, in both it was credited by the bulk of the people. but by the learned and philosophic part of the community, either derided, or regarded by them as only fit to be upholden for the sake of its political uses.‡

Or if it should be allowed, that the ancient heathens believed in their religion less generally than the present Indians do, I am far from thinking that this circumstance would afford any facility to the work of the apostles, above that of modern missionaries. To me it appears, and I think it material to be remarked, that a disbelief of the established religion of their country (I do not mean a rejection of some of its articles, but a radical disbelief of the whole) has no tendency to dispose men for the reception of another; but that, on the contrary, it generates a settled contempt of all religious pretensions whatever. General infidelity is the hardest soil which the propagators of a new religion can have to work upon. Could a Methodist or Moravian promise himself a better chance of success with a French esprit fort, who had been accustomed to laugh at the popery of his country, than with a believing Mahometan or Hindoo? Or are our modern unbelievers in Chris

**The Suffer Jogue, or age of purity, is said to have lasted three million two hundred thousand years, and they hold that the life of man was extended in that age to one hundred thousand years; but there is a difference amongst the Indian writers of six millions of years in the computation of this era." Ib.

"How absurd soever the articles of faith may be, which superstition has adopted, or how unhallowed the rites which it prescribes, the former are received in every age and country with unhesitating assent, by the great body of the people, and the latter observed with scrupulous exactness. In our reasonings concerning opinions and prac tices, which differ widely from our own, we are extremely apt to err. Having been instructed ourselves in the principles of a religion, worthy, in every respect, of that divine wisdom by which they were dictated, we frequently express wonder at the cre dulity of nations, in embracing systems of belief which appear to us so directly repug. nant to right reason: and sometimes suspect, that tenets so wild and extravagant do not really gain credit with them. But experience may satisfy us, that neither our wonder nor suspicions are well founded. No article of the public religion was called in ques• tion by those people of ancient Europe, with whose history we are best sequainted; and no practice which it enjoined, appeared improper to them. On the other hand, ev ery opinion that tended to diminish the reverence of men for the gods of their country, or to alienate them from their worship, excited among the Greeks and Romans, that indignant zeal, which is natural to every people attached to their religion by a firm persuasion of its truth." Ind. Dis. p. 321.

+ That the learned Brahmins of the East are rational theists, and secretly reject the established theory, and contemns the rites that were founded upon them, or rather consider them as contrivances to be supported for their political uses, see Dr. Robertson's . Dis. p. 324-334.