we may prefume, ever will. If the gospel did indeed, without the help of miracles, without any fupernatural aid from above, gain fuch footing in the world; this itself truly was, as St. Chryfoftom has remarked, the greatest of miracles".

The very idea, and defign, of the first preachers of Christianity, can scarcely be accounted for, to the fatisfaction of an impartial judge, on any other fuppofition, but that the facts, which they afferted, were true, and that they were commiffioned from heaven to teach them. Twelve illiterate men, of mean birth, lately deftitute of courage, undertake, with a full view of dangers and of death before their eyes, to make all nations believe, that a person, given up, by the Jewish rulers, to the power of the Romans, and by them. condemned to an ignominious death, was rifen from the dead; that he died, not for his

I

a Tom. III. p. 272. 1. 143 Serm. V. in 1 Cor. xws de, es μη σημεία εποιέν, επείθον; ει μεν γας εποιεν (έποιον γαρ) Θες δυνα μις ην το γενομενον ει δε μη εποίων και εκρατών, πολυ θαυμασότερος ny to cuμbav. Confer p. 276. I. 9. et Serm. I. in A&t. Apoft. T. IV. P. 611. 1. 11. Kidder on Meffias, P.I. p. 50. Atterbury, Vol. I. Serm. IV. Grot. de Verit. Rel. Chrift. L. II. ad fin.

See Chryfoft. T. III. p. 272. 1. 42. 285. 1, 38.

own

own fins, but to make atonement for the fins of the whole world; that he was the Son of GOD, and ordained to be the judge of all mankind. There are some parts of this plan, in appearance, fo mean, and fome fo tranfcendently fublime; there is fomething, in the whole, so much out of the road, and beyond the reach, of human invention, that it is, in the highest degree, improbable, it should have been devifed by men; as, on the other hand, it is certainly impoffible, that it could ever have been impofed upon the world, if it were not the contrivance of divine wisdom fupported by divine power.

What then is the iffue? They proclaim the death and refurrection of Jefus, in a place, where thoufands could have contradicted them, had the facts not been true; yet thoufands are convinced. They go abroad, and publish the doctrine of the crofs, in the most populous and most learned cities of the world; in Antioch, in Tarfus', in Athens, in Co

- Ἡ μητροπολις εςι της Συρίας, μεγεθός τε ένεκα και της άλλης ευδαιμονίας, τριτον αδηρίτως επι της υπο Ρωμαίοις οικεμενης εχεστε TOTTOV. Jofeph. Bell. Jud. L. III. c. ii. §. 4. Confer Strab. L. XVI. p. 1089. ed. Amftel.

4 Τοσαύτη δε τοις ενθαδε [at Tarfus] ανθρωποις σπεδη προς τε φιλοσοφίαν και την άλλην εγκυκλιον άπασαν παιδείαν γεγονεν, ὥστ ̓ ὑπερα

βέβληνται

rinth, and in Rome.

Unlearned and igno

rant men, the most tenacious of ancient cuftoms, and least capable of being taught fublime truths, believe in the one true and only GOD, and Jefus Chrift whom He had fent. The profligate forsake vice, and scorners embrace wisdom; nor are there wanting, among the fons of erudition and the men of opulence, those who join a persecuted fect, at the manifeft hazard of wealth, of fame, and of life.

In the mean time, however, the foldiers of Chrift did not, in order to fecure their conqueft, overturn, or take poffeffion of, all the ftrong holds of the adverfary, wherever they came. They erected their standard in the midst of their enemies; yet the work, which they raised, in the fight of the foe and the moment of danger, ftood firm, as the rock of ages; force could not break down the impregnable walls, nor cunning undermine the folid foundation. Against the βεβληνται Adayas, жд και Αλεξανδρειαν, και ει τινα άλλον τοπον δυνατον είπειν, ἐν ᾧ χολαι και διατρίβαι των φιλοσόφων γεγόνασι. Strab. L. XIV. p. 991.

• See Chryfoft. T. III. p. 288. 1. 17. T. IV. p. 813. 1. 5. * Ου γαρ τρατοπεδον ίδίον είχον, αλλά αυτοις ανεμίγνυντο τοις πολές μιας, και έτως αυτων εκρατών και ἐν μεστις τοις εχθροις αναστρεφομένοι διωλισθαινον αυτών τας βλάβας, και περιεγίνοντο και ενίκων. Chryfoft. Serm. IV. in 1 Cor. T. III. p. 265. 1. 33. Confer Hom. 33. in Matt. T. II p. 229. 1. 2.

F

united

united oppofition of ingenuity and power, of interest and prejudice, the faith of Chrift crucified grew and prevailed; and believers were, every where, added to the Lord. As long, therefore, as we can argue from effects to their causes, as long as the work fheweth the workman, and the heavens and the earth declare the GOD that made them; fo long may we conclude, from the miraculous manner, in which the gospel was firft planted in the world, that it was, indeed, the power of Gop, and the wifdom of GOD.

No, but, we are told, men died in its defence, and there is a wonderful propenfity in human nature, which prompts us to espouse the perfecuted party. Of this and other arguments, which have been framed to account for the fuccefs of Christianity, it may be obferved, in general, that they by no means come up to the point. Whatever influence they might have, in promoting the fubfequent propagation of the gospel; they had certainly none at all, in effecting its first establishment. There were thoufands converted, before any were benefited by the liberality of the faithful; or one martyr died, in support of the cause.

But

But why, after all, was martyrdom an argument, in favour of Christianity? because it was true? or because it was falfe? When Elijah flew the prophets of Baal, why did not an hoft fpring up from their ashes, to avenge the infulted honour of the god? When Jezebel put to death the prophets of the Lord, why did not the true worshipers multiply in Israel? and why was Elijah the only prophet left? What tends to the deftruction of truth, as well as falfehood, cannot, in itself, be an argument for either ".

Still we deny not, nay we infist, that the blood of the martyrs was, as it has emphatically been called, the feed of the church. If any one, in modern days, fuffers death, rather than relinquish his religious tenets; this may evince the fincerity of his belief, but does not fhew the truth of What he believes. He

* The infufficiency of the plea of martyrdom, fimply confidered, was feen and urged against the Montanifts, in the second century; when, their other arguments being confuted, they had recourse to this, as an irrefragable proof of their impious pretences: Το δέ εσιν αρὰ ὡς ἔοικε παντος μάλλον εκ αλήθες, και γαρ των άλλων αιρεσεων τινες πλευρές όσες έχεσι μας τυράς και 8 παρά τέτο δηπε συγκαταθησομεθα, εδε αλήθειαν έχειν autus quoñoynoojusv. Afterius Urbanus ap. Euf. H. E. L. V. c. xvi. prope finem.