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CHAP. verfion of the Roman empire, or the extinction XV.. of the Arian herefy the infenfibility of the Christians who lived at that time will equally afford a juft matter of surprise. They ftill fupported their pretenfions after they had loft their power. Credulity performed the office of faith; fanaticifm was permitted to affume the language of infpiration, and the effects of accident or contrivance were afcribed to fupernatural caufes. The recent experience of genuine miracles should have inftructed the Chriftian world in the ways of Providence, and habituated their eye (if we may use a very inadequate expreffion) to the ftyle of the divine artift. Should the moft skilful painter of modern Italy prefume to decorate his feeble imitations with the name of Raphael or of Correggio, the infolent fraud would be foon difcovered and indignantly rejected.

Use of the primitive miracles.

Whatever opinion may be entertained of the miracles of the primitive church fince the time of the apostles, this unrefifting foftnefs of temper, fo confpicuous among the believers of the fecond and third centuries, proved of fome accidental benefit to the caufe of truth and religion. In modern times, a latent and even involuntary fcepticism adheres to the moft pious difpofitions. Their admiffion of fupernatural truths is much lefs an active confent, than a cold and paffive acquiefcence. Accuftomed long fince to obferve and to respect the invariable order of Nature, our reason, or at least our imagination, is not fufficiently prepared to fuftain the vifible action of

the Deity. But, in the firft ages of Christianity,
the fituation of mankind was extremely different.
The most curious, or the moft credulous, among
the Pagans, were often perfuaded to enter into a
fociety, which afferted an actual claim of miracu
lous powers. The primitive Chriftians perpetually
trod on mystic ground, and their minds were
exercifed by the habits of believing the moft ex-
traordinary events. They felt, or they fancied,
that on every fide they were inceffantly affaulted
by dæmons, comforted by vifions, inftructed by
prophecy, and furprisingly delivered from danger,
ficknefs, and from death itself, by the fupplica
tions of the church. The real or imaginary prodi-
gies, of which they fo frequently conceived
themselves to be the objects, the inftruments, or
the fpectators, very happily difpofed them to
adopt with the fame ease, but with far greater
justice, the authentic wonders of the evangelic
hiftory; and thus miracles that exceeded not the
measure of their own experience, infpired them
with the most lively affurance of myfteries which
were acknowledged to furpafs the limits of their
understanding. It is this deep impreffion of fuper-
natural truths, which has been fo much celebrated
under the name of faith; a state of mind described
as the fureft pledge of the divine favour and of
future felicity, and recommended as the first or
perhaps the only merit of a Chriftian. According
to the more rigid doctors, the moral virtues,
which may be equally practifed by infidels, arè
deftitute of any value or efficacy in the work of
our juftification.
R 2

CHAPA

XV.

СНАР.

XV. THE

Virtues of

the first

IV. But the primitive Chriftian demonstrated his faith by his virtues; and it was very juftly FOURTH fuppofed that the divine perfuafion which enlight CAUSE. ened or fubdued the understanding, muft, at the fame time, purify the heart and direct the actions Chriftians. of the believer. The firft apologifts of Christianity who juftify the innocence of their brethren, and the writers of a later period who celebrate the fanctity of their ancestors, difplay, in the most lively colours, the reformation of manners which was introduced into the world by the preaching of the gospel. As it is my intention to remark only fuch human caufes as were permitted to second the influence of revelation, I shall slightly mention two motives which might naturally render the lives of the primitive Chriftians much purer and more auftere than those of their Pagan contemporaries, or their degenerate fucceffors; repentance for their past fins, and the laudable defire of fupporting the reputation of the fociety in which they were engaged.

Effects of their repentance.

It is a very ancient reproach, fuggested by the ignorance or the malice of infidelity, that the Christians allured into their party the most atrocious criminals, who, as foon as they were touched by a fenfe of remorse, were easily perfuaded to wash away, in the water of baptifm, the guilt of their paft conduct, for which the temples of the gods refused to grant them any expiation. But this reproach, when it is cleared from misrepresentation, contributes as much to the honour as it did to the increase of the church ".

83

manner "

The friends of Chriftianity may acknowledge CHAP. without a blush, that many of the most eminent faints had been before their baptifm the most abandoned finners. Thofe perfons, who in the world had followed though in an imperfect the dictates of benevolence and pro priety, derived fuch a calm fatisfaction from the opinion of their own rectitude, as rendered them much lefs fufceptible of the fudden emotions of shame, of grief, and of terror, which have given birth to fo many wonderful converfions. After the example of their Divine Mafter, the miffionaries of the gospel difdained not the fociety of men, and especially of women, oppreffed by the consciousness, and very often by the effects, of their vices. As they emerged from fin and fuperftition to the glorious hope of immortality, they refolved to devote themselves to a life, not only of virtue, but of penitence. The defire of perfection became the ruling paffion of their foul; and it is well known, that while reafon embraces a cold mediocrity, our paffions hurry us, with rapid violence, over the fpace which lies between the most oppofite extremes.

Care of

tation.

When the new converts had been enrolled in the number of the faithful, and were admitted their reputo the facraments of the church, they found them, felves restrained from relapfing into their past disorders by another confideration of a lefs fpiritual, but of a very innocent and refpectable nature. Any particular fociety that has departed from the great body of the nation, or the religion

СНАР.

Av.

to which it belonged, immediately becomes the object of univerfal as well as invidious obfervation. In proportion to the fmalinefs of its numbers, the character of the fociety may be affected by the virtue and vices of the perfons who compose it; and every member is engaged to watch with the moft vigilant attention over his own behaviour, and over that of his brethren, fince, as he muft expect to incur a part of the common difgrace, he may hope to enjoy a share of the common reputation. When the Chriftians of Bithynia were brought before the tribunal of the younger Pliny, they affured the proconful, that, far from being engaged in any unlawful confpiracy, they were bound by a folemn obligation to abstain from the commiflion of thofe crimes which difturb the private or public peace of fociety, from theft, robbery, adultery, perjury, and fraud ". Near a century afterwards, Tertullian, with an honest pride, could boaft, that very few Christians had fuffered by the hand of the executioner, except on account of their religion ". Their ferious and fequeftered life, averfe to the gay luxury of the age, inured them to chastity, temperance, œconomy, and all the fober and domeftic virtues. As the greater number were of fome trade or profeffion, it was incumbent on them, by the ftricteft integrity and the faireft dealing, to remove the fufpicions which the profane are too apt to conceive against the appearances of fanctity. The contempt of the world exercifed them in the habits of humility, meeknefs, and patience. The