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THE PROGRESS of the chrISTIAN RELIGION, AND THE SENTI-
MENTS, MANNERS, NUMBERS, AND CONDITION OF THE
PRIMITIVE CHRISTIANS.
Importance of the Inquiry.....
Its Difficulties......
Five Causes of the Growth of Christianity..
1. THE FIRST CAUSE. Zeal of the Jews...
Its gradual Increase..
105
........ 106
...... 107
108
Their Religion better suited to Defence than to Conquest.............. 112
More liberal Zeal of Christianity
Obstinacy and Reasons of the believing Jews..
The Nazarene Church of Jerusalem.
IL. THE SECOND CAUSE. The Doctrine of the Immortality of the
Soul among the Philosophers..
134
Among the Pagans of Greece and Rome..
Among the Barbarians and the Jews..
Among the Christians..
Approaching End of the World.
Doctrine of the Millennium..
Conflagration of Rome and of the World.
............. 140
.............. 141
......... 143
The Pagans devoted to Eternal Punishment... ........................ ......................... 144 Were often Converted by their Fears.....
...... 147
III. THE THIRD CAUSE. Miraculous Powers of the Primitive Church. 148
Their Truth contested....
Our Perplexity in defining the Miraculous Period.
Use of the Primitive Miracles
157
158
160
Their Aversion to the Business of War and Government
162
Principles of Human Nature.
The primitive Christians condemn Pleasure and Luxury.
Their Sentiments concerning Marriage and Chastity.
V. THE FIFTH CAUSE. The Christians active in the Government
of the Church...
Its primitive Freedom and Equality.
Institution of Bishops as Presidents of the College of Presbyters..
Provincial Councils
Union of the Church
Progress of Episcopal Authority.
Pre-eminence of the Metropolitan Churches.
Ambition of the Roman Pontiff.
Laity and Clergy.
Oblations and Revenue of the Church.
Distribution of the Revenue.
Weakness of Polytheism...
164
165
167
169
170
171
172
173
174
The Skepticism of the Pagan World proved favorable to the new
Religion....
As well as the Peace and Union of the Roman Empire.
Historical View of the Progress of Christianity
With regard to Rank and Fortune.
Christianity most favorably received by the Poor and Simple....
Rejected by some eminent Men of the first and second Centuries..... 198
Their Neglect of Prophecy................
The Jews were a People which followed, the Christians a Sect which
deserted, the Religion of their Fathers..
208
Christianity accused of Atheism, and mistaken by the People and
Philosophers...
209
The Union and Assemblies of the Christians considered as a dangerous
Conspiracy...
..... 212
Their Manners calumniated
213
Their imprudent Defence..
215
Idea of the Conduct of the Emperors towards the Christians.
They neglected the Christians as a Sect of Jews......
217
218
CONTENTS.
LXXXIX
A. D.
The Fire of Rome under the Reign of Nero..
PAGE.
..... 220
Cruel Punishment of the Christians as the Incendiaries of the City.. 221
Remarks on the Passage of Tacitus relative to the Persecution of the
Christians by Nero....
Execution of Clemens the Consul..
Oppression of the Jews and Christians by Domitian.
Ignorance of Pliny concerning the Christians.
Trajan and his Successors establish a legal Mode of proceeding against
them..
223
227
229
230
231
233
234
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
245
248
180.
Three Methods of escaping Martyrdom..
Alternatives of Severity and Toleration..
The Ten Persecutions...
Supposed Edicts of Tiberius and Marcus Antoninus..
251
State of the Christians in the Reigns of Commodus and Severus..
253
255
257
259
274.
303.
270. He is degraded from the See of Antioch.
The Sentence is executed by Aurelian..
284-303. Peace and Prosperity of the Church under Diocletian.
Progress of Zeal and Superstition among the Pagans
Maximian and Galerius punish a few Christian Soldiers..
Galerius prevails on Diocletian to begin a general Persecution..
Demolition of the Church of Nicomedia....
260
262
263
265
267
269
The first Edict against the Christians..
Zeal and Punishment of a Christian.
270
271
Fire of the Palace of Nicomedia imputed to the Christians.
Execution of the first Edict....
In the Western Provinces, under Constantius and Constantine..
In Italy and Africa, under Maximian and Severus....
Under Maxentius..
276
277
In Illyricum and the East, under Galerius and Maximian ....
Probable Account of the Sufferings of the Martyrs and Confessors... 285
Number of Martyrs.....
285
288
291
IV.
THE MOTIVES, PROGRESS, AND EFFECTS OF THE CONVERSION
OF CONSTANTINE.-LEGAL ESTABLISHMENT AND CONSTI-
TUTION OF THE CHRISTIAN, OR CATHOLIC, CHURCH.
Loyalty and Zeal of the Christian Party.
Expectation and Belief of a Miracle..
I. The Labarum, or Standard of the Cross.
II. The Dream of Constantine...
III. Appearance of a Cross in the Sky...
The Conversion of Constantine might be sincere..
The fourth Eclogue of Virgil..
Devotion and Privileges of Constantine...
Delay of his Baptism till the Approach of Death.
Propagation of Christianity....
312-438. Change of the national Religion..
Distinction of the spiritual and temporal Powers....
State of the Bishops under the Christian Emperors.
I. Election of Bishops..
II. Ordination of the Clergy.
III. Property:
IV. Civil Jurisdiction..
V. Spiritual Censures.
VI. Freedom of public Preaching...
VII. Privilege of legislative Assemblies.
V.
.... 337
... 339
PERSECUTION OF HERESY.—THE SCHISM OF THE DONATISTS.-
THE ARIAN CONTROVERSY.- ATHANASIUS.-DISTRACTED
STATE OF THE CHURCH AND EMPIRE UNDER CONSTANTINE
AND HIS SONS.-TOLERATION OF PAGANISM.
328-337. He persecutes the Arian and the Orthodox Party.
337-361. Constantius favors the Arians.
345, &c. The Revolt and Fury of the Donatist Circumcellions.
.... 388
389
... 391
392
....... 393
395
396
397
401
405
406
408
411
412
415
417
419
THE RELIGION OF JULIAN.—UNIVERSAL TOLERATION.—HE AT-
TEMPTS TO RESTORE AND REFORM THE PAGAN WORSHIP.
351.
361.
ZEAL AND
TO REBUILD THE TEMPLE OF JERUSALEM. - HIS ARTFUL
PERSECUTION OF THE CHRISTIANS.― MUTUAL
INJUSTICE.
361-363. Zeal and Devotion of Julian in the Restoration of Paganism..
Fanaticism of the Philosophers..
His religious Dissimulation.
Universal Toleration....
He prohibits the Christians from teaching Schools.
They are condemned to restore the Pagan Temples...
Neglect and Profanation of Daphne...
Removal of the dead Bodies, and Conflagration of the Temple..
423
425
428
430
431
433
434
436
438
439
441
443
445
447
449
450
451
452
454
455
457
459
461
462
464
465
466
467
468, 469
469
470
471
472
474
477
478