XV. 97 HAP. few of these, among whom we may reckon the learned Origen, judged it the most prudent to difarm the temper ". Some were infenfible and fome were invincible against the affaults of the flesh. Difdaining an ignominious flight, the virgins of the warm climate of Africa encountered the enemy in the closeft engagement; they permitted priests and deacons to share their bed, and gloried amidst the flames in their unfullied purity. But infulted Nature fometimes vindicated her rights, and this new fpecies of martyrdom ferved only to introduce a new fcandal into the church ". Among the Chriftian afcetics, however (a name which they foon acquired from their painful exercife), many, as they were lefs prefumptuous, were probably more fuccefsful. The lofs of fenfual pleasure was supplied and compenfated by spiritual pride. Even the multitude of Pagans were inclined to estimate the merit of the facrifice by its apparent difficulty; and it was in the praise of these chafte spouses of Christ that the fathers have poured forth the troubled ftream of their eloquence". Such are the early traces of monaftic principles and inftitutions, which, in a fubfequent age, have counterbalanced all the temporal advantages of Chriftianity". Their a the bufi The Chriftians were not lefs averfe to the buverfion to finefs than to the pleafures of this world. The defence of our perfons and property they knew not how to reconcile with the patient doctrine vernment. which enjoined an unlimited forgiveness of past injuries, and commanded them to invite the repe nefs of war and go XV. tition of fresh infults. Their fimplicity was offended CHAP by the use of oaths, by the pomp of magistracy, and by the active contention of public life, nor could their humane ignorance be convinced, that it was lawful on any occafion to shed the blood of our fellow-creatures, either by the fword of justice, or by that of war; even though their criminal or hoftile attempts should threaten the peace and safety of the whole community 1. It was acknowledged, that, under a lefs perfect law, the powers of the Jewish conftitution had been exercised, with the approbation of Heaven, by inspired prophets and by anointed kings. The Christians felt and confeffed, that such inftitutions might be neceffary for the present system of the world, and they cheerfully fubmitted to the authority of their Pagan governors. But while they inculcated the maxims of paffive obedience, they refused to take any active part in the civil administration or the military defence of the empire. Some indulgence might perhaps be allowed to those persons who, before their converfion, were already engaged in fuch violent and fanguinary occupations ; but it was impoffible that the Christians, without renouncing a more facred duty, could affume the character of foldiers, of magiftrates, or of princes 2. This indolent, or even criminal difregard to the public welfare, exposed them to the contempt and reproaches of the Pagans, who very frequently asked, what must be the fate of the empire, attacked on every fide by the barbarians, if all mankind should 101 102 XV. CHAP. adopt the pufillanimous fentiments of the new fect? To this infulting queftion the Chriftian apologists returned obfcure and ambiguous an-. fwers, as they were unwilling to reveal the fecret caufe of their fecurity; the expectation that, before the converfion of mankind was accomplished, war, government, the Roman empire, and the world itself, would be no more. It may be obferved, that, in this inftance likewife, the fituation of the first Chriftians coincided very happily with their religious fcruples, and that their averfion to an active life contributed rather to excufe them from the fervice, than to exclude them from the honours, of the ftate and army. THE FIFTH tians ac tive in the govern ment of the church. V. But the human character, however it may be exalted or depreffed by a temporary enthusiasm, will return by degrees to its proper and natural level, and will refume thofe paffions that seem the most adapted to its prefent condition. The primitive Christians were dead to the business and pleasures of the world; but their love of action, which could never be entirely extinguished, foon revived, and found a new occupation in the government of the church. A feparate fociety, which attacked the established religion of the empire, was obliged to adopt fome form of internal policy, and to appoint a fufficient number of minifters, intrufted not only with the fpiritual functions, but even with the temporal direction of the Chriftian commonwealth. The fafety of that fociety, its honour, its aggrandisement, were productive, even in the most pious minds, of a XV. fpirit of patriotifm, fuch as the first of the Romans CHAP. had felt for the republic, and fometimes, of a fimilar indifference, in the ufe of whatever means might probably conduce to fo defirable an end. The ambition of raifing themselves or their friends to the honours and offices of the church, was dif guifed by the laudable intention of devoting to the public benefit, the power and confideration, which, for that purpose only, it became their duty to folicit. In the exercife of their functions, they were frequently called upon to detect the errors of herefy, or the arts of faction, to oppose the defigns of perfidious brethren, to ftigmatize their characters with deferved infamy, and to expel them from the bofom of a fociety, whose peace and happinefs they had attempted to difturb. The ecclefiaftical governors of the Chriftians were taught to unite the wifdom of the ferpent with the innocence of the dove; but as the former was refined, fo the latter was infenfibly corrupted, by the habits of government. In the church as well as in the world, the perfons who were placed in any public station rendered themfelves confiderable by their eloquence and firmness, by their knowledge of mankind, and by their dexterity in bufi nefs; and while they concealed from others, and perhaps from themselves, the fecret motives of their conduct, they too frequently relapfed into all the turbulent paffions of active life, which were tinctured with an additional degree of bitterness and obftinacy from the infusion of spiritual zeal. 104 105 The government of the church has often been the fubject as well as the prize of religious contention. The hoftile difputants of Rome, of Paris, of Oxford, and of Geneva, have alike ftruggled to reduce the primitive and apoftolic model to the respective ftandards of their own policy. The few who have purfued this inquiry with more candour and impartiality, are of opinion that the apofties, declined the office of legislation, and rather chofe to endure fome partial fcandals and divifions, than to exclude the Chriftians of a future age from the libery of varying their forms of ecclesiastical government according to the changes of times and circumstances. The scheme of policy, which, under their approbation, was adopted for the use of the first century, may be discovered from the practice of Jerusalem, of Ephefus, or of Corinth. The focieties which were instituted in the cities of the Roman empire, were united only by the ties of faith and charity. Independence and equality formed the bafis of their internal conftitution. The want of difcipline and human learning was fupplied by the occafional affiftance of the prophets who were called to that function without diftinction of age, fex, or of natural abilities, and who, as often as they felt the divine impulfe, poured forth the effufions of the fpirit in the affembly of the faithful. But these extraordinary gifts were frequently abused or mifapplied by the prophetic teachers. They difplayed them at an improper feason, prefumptuously disturbed the fervice of the affembly, 106 , and of |