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MINUCIUS FELIX, of whom it still remains to give you some account, is sometimes placed before and at others after Tertullian; it is, however, acknowledged by all that he was contemporary with him; that he lived at the end of the second and beginning of the third century. Lardner places him as a writer A. D. 210; but says, "It is difficult to determine with exactness the age of Minucius." He was by birth an African, and brought up to the profession of the law, as we learn from both

lowed by penitence, differ nothing from Heathenism, except that such backsliders in Christianity possess more knowledge. He treats of marriage in such a manner as to prove that the celibacy of the clergy was not then thought of. He adduces a variety of reasons in favour of it (marriage), and shows that in old age or sickness there is no earthly comfort or support equal to that which a man receives from his wife and children; and refutes the heretics who condemned marriage, and this he does by the words of the apostle Paul, that those who forbid marriage propagate "the doctrine of devils," 1 Tim. iv. 1-3, and also by the example of Peter and Philip, who were both married men. In the fourth book he treats of martyrdom, showing that the genuine martyr does not give up his life for his religion, because he either hopes for a recompense or fears endless perdition, but solely for the love of God and truth. He answers the objections of those who said, "If God love you, why does he permit you to be persecuted?" And this he does by showing that God permits it for the trial of their faith, and to manifest their steadfastness. He explains the love we should have for our enemies, by distinguishing between sin and the sinner, and insists that enmity and sin are nothing when separated from enemy and sinner. In the fifth book he contends that the Greeks had derived all their wisdom and information from those whom they termed barbarians, particularly the Hebrews. He observes that in speaking concerning God there is the greatest difficulty, because he is the first and principle of all things, and that in every thing the principle is difficult to be found-how then can He be described who is neither genus nor species, nor difference, nor individual, nor number, nor accident, nor subject, nor parts, nor limits? On this subject he makes a great variety of quotations from the ancient Greek writers, which greatly enliven and diversify the book, The sixth book resumes the description of the true Christian, whose character he describes at large by his knowledge of God and things sacred, and by his redemption from every irregular appetite and passion. This subject is continued in the seventh book, where he defends him from the attacks of those who charged him with atheism. A long description is given of the Christian's piety to God, and benevolence to men; the errors of heretics and their methods of supporting them are refuted; and, in the conclusion, he describes the method he had pursued in writing his "Stromata." He tells us that his books" do not resemble a well planted and correctly arranged garden, where every plant and shrub is placed in the most proper manner to please and delight the eye, but rather a thick and shady mountain, in which the cypress and plane tree, the laurel and ivy, the apple, the olive, and the fig, are indiscriminately mingled together; and from which materials may be taken by the experienced husbandman to make a beautiful grove, or a pleasant and delightful garden;"-than which a more apt comparison could not easily have been devised.

Lactantius and Jerome; and, indeed, the fact is acknowledged by himself; for in one of his publications he expressly says, "the vacation of the vintage-time had released him from the business of the bar"-whence we infer that he was not only a lawyer, but that he practised at the bar after he became a convert to Christianity. He wrote a very elegant treatise in defence of Christianity, in the form of dialogue, in which the speakers are Cæcilius, a heathen, and Octavius, a Christian; Minucius himself sitting as umpire between them. Cæcilius opens the conference, and urges all the topics he could recollect in defence of Paganism and against Christianity. Felix then offers some remarks on what Cæcilius had advanced; after which Octavius enters upon a particular refutation of Paganism, and concludes with supporting and establishing the Christian religion: the result of which is that Cæcilius becomes a convert. The style of Minucius has been said to possess all the graces of Ciceronian eloquence; and the dialogue to be at once sprightly, elegant, and instructive; but, to enable you to form some judgment of it, I will produce a few extracts from it.

Cæcilius, the heathen, accuses the Christians as a desperate and unlawful faction, who poured contempt upon their gods,derided their worship-scoffed at their priests—and despised their temples as no better than charnel-houses and heaps of dead men's bones. To this Octavius, the Christian, replies that he shall endeavour to the best of his ability to exonerate his religion from the foul aspersions cast upon it by his opponent. He admits, indeed, that the Christians poured contempt upon the idolatrous objects of heathen worship, and, having admitted this, he proceeds to expose the vanity of their images: "The mice, the swallows, and the gnats," says he, "gnaw, insult, and sit upon your gods; and, unless you drive them away, they build their nests in their very mouths, and the spiders weave their webs over their very faces. First you make them; then you clean, wipe, and protect, that you may fear and worship them. Were we to view all your rites, there are many things that justly deserve to be laughed at-others that call for pity and compassion." He then proceeds to discuss the subject with his opponent, in regular order. He shows that man differs from all the other creatures in this lower world-chiefly in this

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that while the beasts of the field are created prone to the earth, bent downward by nature, and formed to seek no other gratification than the satisfying of their bellies, man was created erect and upright, formed for the contemplation of the heavens, susceptible of reason and conscience, adapted to lead him to the knowledge of God and an imitation of his character. Hence he infers the absurdity of Atheism, and the necessity of a great First Cause, as one of the clearest dictates of reason and conscience. "When you lift up your eyes to the heavens," says he," and take a survey of the works of creation around you, what is so clear and undeniable as that there is a God, supremely excellent in understanding, who inspires, moves, supports, and governs all nature. Consider the vast expanse of heaven, and the rapidity of its motion, when studded with stars by night, or enlightened with the sun by day :-contemplate the Almighty hand which poises them in their orbs and balances them in their movement;-behold how the sun regulates the year by its annual circuit, and how the moon measures round a month by its increase, its decay, and its total disappearance. Why need I mention the constant vicissitudes of light and darkness, for the alternate reparation of rest and labour? Does not the standing variety of the seasons, proceeding in goodly order, bear witness to its divine author? The spring with her flowers, the summer with its harvest, the ripening autumn with its grateful fruits, and the moist and unctuous winter, are all equally necessary. What an argument for Providence is this which interposes and moderates the extremes of winter and summer, with the allays of spring and autumn; thus enabling us to pass the year about with security and comfort, between the extremes of parching heat and cold! Observe the Observe the sea, and you will find it bounded with a shore, a law which it cannot transgress. Look into the vegetable world, and see how all the trees draw their life from the bowels of the earth. View the ocean in constant ebb and flow; and the fountains running in full veins, with the rivers perpetually gliding in their wonted channels. Why should' I take up time in showing how providentially this spot of earth is cantoned into hills, and dales, and plains? What need I speak of the various artillery for the defence of every animal; some armed with horns and hedged about with teeth, or fortified

with hoofs and claws, or speared with stings, while others are swift of foot or of wing? But, above all, the beautiful structure of man most plainly speaks a God;-man of stature erect, and countenance elevated, with eyes placed above like sentinels, watching within the tower, over the other senses.

Again: Adverting to the accusation that the Christians were in general a poor and despised people, their Apologist replies: "That the generality of us are poor is not our dishonour but our glory. The mind, as it is dissipated by luxury, so it is strengthened by frugality. But how can a man be poor

who wants for nothing, who covets not what is another's, who is rich towards God? That man is rather poor, who, when he has much, desires more.

No man can be so poor as when he was born. The birds live without any patrimony; the beasts find pasture every day, and we feed upon them. Indeed, they are created for our use, which, while we do not covet, we enjoy. That man goes happier to heaven who is not cumbered with an unnecessary load of riches. Did we think estates to be useful to us, we would supplicate them from God, who, being Lord of all, would grant us what is necessary. But we rather choose to contemn riches than to possess them, preferring innocence and patience before them, and desiring rather to be virtuous than prodigal. Our courage is increased by infirmities, and affliction is often the school of virtue.”

These are golden observations, and I can truly say that I never read them but with increased pleasure and admiration. Dr. Lardner, speaking of the work from which I have taken them, says, "It is a monument of the author's ingenuity, learning, and eloquence. And the conversion of a man of his great natural and acquired abilities to the Christian religion, together with his public and courageous defence of it, notwithstanding the many worldly temptations to the contrary which he must have met with at that time, especially in his station, as they give an advantageous idea of his virtue, so they likewise afford a verp pleasing argument in favour of the truth of our religion."

I know that certain sceptical writers have laboured to decry the apologies of the Christian Fathers, on the ground that the writers did not take sufficient pains in all cases to sift reports, and sometimes allowed themselves to be imposed upon by fabu

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lous statements. But surely it is the part of candour to make allowance for the harassing series of obstacles which often checked investigation, in an age when tyranny leaned hard upon the Christians. These Apologies assume a tone as open and manly, as devoid of subterfuges and sophisms, as full of earnestness and piety, as any unprejudiced examiner can expect. That their manner is occasionally injudicious, cannot be denied ; but this very absence of discretion frequently arises from that simplicity which is a stranger to fraud. A full consciousness of innocence is the pervading feature of their writings.

In concluding the present Lecture, suffer me to resume, for a few moments, the language of appeal and expostulation. "I speak as unto wise men-judge ye what I say." I appeal to your judgments whether the Gospel be a cunningly devised fable as some would persuade the world. Let me recapitulate a few facts on which I would rest the appeal. Observe, I beseech you, that the Christian religion was every where introduced in opposition to the sword of the magistrate, the craft of the priest, the pride of the philosopher, the passions and prejudices of the people. What think you could surmount all these difficulties, except the power of truth, attended by the over-ruling providence of its great author? This religion was not propagated in the dark, nor delivered out by piecemeal, as is usual with impostures, but it courted publicity and examination, as the greatest favour that could be done it-mankind were not cheated into the belief of it, but received it upon the fullest conviction and after proper examination. The Gospel was first preached in Jerusalem, where its divine author was crucified, and there it was received by multitudes as the most welcome tidings that ever reached their ears. It then spread throughout the whole land of Judæa; thence it made its way into the most noted countries and cities of the world-Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus-the seats of philosophy and the favourite schools of learning: at a time too when these things were cultivated to the highest perfection, and in an age the most enlightened. And, though it is perfectly true that the greater number of its converts were persons in the humbler ranks of life, yet we find among the converts to Christianity, even in the earliest age, a number of men who were distinguished by their station, office,