preached the gospel to the natives of Gaul ". The divine inspiration, whether it was conveyed in the form of a waking or of a sleeping vision, is described as a favour very liberally bestowed on all ranks of the faithful, on Women as on elders, on boys as well as upon bishops,

C H A P.

XV. L-W THE THIRD LAUSE. Mix-aculous powers of the primitivc church.

When '

I

that in the days of Irenaus, about the end os
the second century, the resurrection of the dead
was very far from being esteemed an uncommon
event; that the miracle was frequently perform-
ed on necessary occasions, by great fasting and
the joint supplication of the church of the place,
and that the persons thus restored to their pray-
ers, had lived afterwards among them many
years 77. At such a period, when faith could
boast of so many wonderful victories over death,
it seems difficult to account for the scepticism of
those philosophers,_ who still rejected and derided
the doctrine of the resurrection.
cian had rested on this important groundthe
whole controversy, and promised Theophilus,
bishop of Antioch, 'that if he could be gratified
with 'the sight of a single person who had been
actually raised from the dead, he would imme-
diately embrace the Christian religion. It is
somewhat remarkable, that the prelate of the first
eastern church, however anxious for the conver-
fion of his friend, thought proper to decline this
fair and reasonable challenge 73. \
The miracles of the primitive church, after
obtaining the sanction of ages, have been lately
attacked in a very free and ingenious inquiry 79 ;

A noble Gre- A

I

which, thOugh it has met with the most'favour

b-'Y-sia able reception from the Public, appears to have