Page images
PDF
EPUB

are not injured by it, to pause and doubt. Not that doubting is desirable and pleasant; but it is rather better than affirming strongly upon slender proofs, or taking opinions upon trust.

And yet there are instances in ecclesiastical antiquities, of spurious authors, forged records, and frivolous reports, where hesitation at this time of day would be improper, and where a man is not to remain for ever in suspense, and to hear what every patron has to say, who starts up, and pleads the exploded cause of his ragged clients.

The intention of this work is to produce such evidence as may support and confirm the truth of Christianity, and shew that the providence of God has appeared in its establishment and in its preservation ;-to avoid peremptory decisions on some lately controverted questions, and seek out a way between the extremes;

-not to pronounce those things false which may perhaps be true, nor those things certain which are only probable, nor those things probable which are ambiguous;—and to try the experiment, whether, by this method, a reader may not be gently led to grant all that is required of him, and rather more than less-to set before men some of the virtues, as well as failings, of the ancient Christians, whence they may draw practical inferences ;-to excite in their hearts a love for Christianity, that best gift of Heaven to mankind, and a respect, though not a superstitious veneration, for those good men, who, if they could not dispute for it altogether so well as the present generation, yet, which is more, could die for it ; to reject those trifles which persons of greater zeal than discernment would obtrude upon the world as golden reliques of primitive Christianity ;-and to add several

things of a miscellaneous and philological kind, which will serve, at least, to diversify the subject. Such is the intention of the work: may it atone for its defects.

There is some comfort arising from a candid observation of the younger Pliny; Historia quoquo modo scripta delectat. A homely collection of remarkable transactions and revolutions has ever something to recommend it to favour: and if this be true of history, it is likewise true of thoughts and observations on history, if they be not quite impertinent. They who represent it as a perfect loss of time to peruse such authors as the Historice Augustae scriptores (though they are illustrated by excellent commentators) and the Byzantine writers, have a taste too polite and fastidious; since, where better historians are not to be had, those of an inferior class must supply their place, and become necessary and valuable on many accounts. A French writer is on our side, who says, Tout livre est bon; Every book is good: for thus he translates the Latin title of a treatise of Philo Judæus, Omnis bonus liber est; Every good man is a free man. It was well for him that he did not live within the reach of the Inquisition, which might have taken this as a reflexion on the Index Expurgatorius.

The author would willingly escape the dislike of some of those persons with whom perhaps he will be found not entirely to agree. He and they are engaged in the same common cause, and he hopes that, for the sake of many remarks contained in this work, they will excuse the rest; as on his side, a diversity of sentiments, in some points, lessens not the regard and value which he has for them, and which they so justly deserve. In one respect he pretends to be extremely

A 3

tremely like Joseph Mede. I have a conceit, says that excellent person, that some opinions are in some sort fatal to some men, and therefore I can with much patience endure a man to be contrary-minded, and have no inclination to contend with him.-There is more goes to persuasion than reasons and demonstrations, and that is not in my power.-There are few men living who are less troubled to see others differ from them in opinion than I am; whether it be a virtue or a vice, I know not.

One of the noblest uses which can be made of Christian antiquities would be to learn wisdom, and union, and moderation, from the faults, indiscretions, and follies, and from the prudence, charity, and piety of our predecessors; to observe carefully what was good, and what was blameable in remoter ages, and thence to improve ourselves, as we are a Christian nation, by removing the blemishes and defects, from which'perhaps we are not free, and by adopting every thing commendable which we may have neglected.

A Christian society, formed upon such a plan, would not altogether answer the fair and bright idea which the imagination represents, because perfection dwells not here below, and some bad materials must of necessity enter into the structure; but it would be more than a faint copy and image of that church, which the beloved disciple had the pleasure to see coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, who had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb was the light thereof, Rev. xxi.

For this excellent end and purpose, the divine Providence seems to have preserved ecclesiastical records, and has commanded devouring time to respect them, that posterity might receive instruction from those ve

nerable

nerable and silent monitors, and not want examples to shun and to follow.

Christianity reduced to its principles, is more plain and simple than is commonly imagined, and is calcu lated for general utility.

When the first teachers of the gospel, the apostles of Jesus, died, their authority, in a great measure, died with them, and devolved not upon their disciplesbut it still lives in their writings.

Christianity, though so much of it ever subsisted as to distinguish it advantageously from Paganism, Judaism, Mahom medism, Deism, varied considerably, and adopted several disagreeing non-essentials, according to the times and the people who entertained it.

A clear and unpolluted fountain, fed by secret channels with the dew of heaven, when it grows a large river, and takes a long and winding course, receives a tincture from the various soils through which it passes.

When Christianity became a bulky system, one may trace in it the genius of the loquacious and everwrangling Greeks; of the enthusiastic Africans, whose imagination was sublimed by the heat of the sun; of the superstitious Egyptians, whose fertile soil, and warm climate produced monks and hermits swarming like animals sprung from the impregnated mud of the Nile; and of the ambitious and political Romans, who were resolved to rule over the world in one. shape or other. To this we may add the Jewish zeal for trifles, arising from a contracted illiberal mind; the learned. subtilty of the Gentile philosophers; and the pomp and ceremony of Paganism.

As

As soon as Christian societies began, debates began; and as soon as Christianity was by law established, debates grew more violent. It is not in the wit, or in the power of man, or rather, it is an impossibility, to prevent diversity of opinions, since this is the unavoidable result of human imperfection, and human liberty, and is not to be removed, unless we had more light, or less agency.

It is related of a grave Roman magistrate, that, when he came to Greece as Proconsul, he assembled together the philosophers at Athens, the head-quarters of wit and logic, and told them that he was much concerned at their dissensions, and advised them to agree at last in their opinions, and offered them his authority and assistance to re-unite and reconcile them; upon which they all agreed in laughing at him for his pains. Cicero De Leg. i. 20.

Councils after councils convened to settle the differences amongst Christians; and sometimes they met. so frequently, that they might be called Quarter-Sessions, as well as Councils. But Gregory Nazianzen, a man of learning, a Christian, a bishop, and a father of the church, has told us, that, for his part, he chose to avoid all such assemblies, because he never saw any that had good success, and that did not rather encrease than lessen dissensions and quarrels, Epist. lv. and in many other places, where he repeats the same complaints in verse and in prose.

The Christians had never agreed concerning the time of keeping Easter; but when Victor was bishop of Rome, about A. D. 196, the contest grew warm, and Victor excommunicated, or attempted to excommunicate, the Asiatic churches, which would not comply with his infallibility, for which Irenæus reproved

him,

« PreviousContinue »