Moft of the Apoftles were not only perfons of low education, ignoble birth, and destitute of every diftinction to recommend them to the notice and favour of the world; bat were expofed to the flander and malice of their countrymen, for their attachment to Chrift, and held in deteftation by the natives of other places, by reafon of their Jewith extraction and manners. They went forth to discharge their duty, as the miffionaries of their divine Mafter, at a time when the world was enlightened by learning and fcience; when philofophy was cultivated in the schools of Greece, and general knowledge was diffused over many of the places, which were the principal fcenes of their labours, fufferings, and triumphs. The wiles of impofture, and the artifices of falfehood could not long have escaped the detection of fuch inquifitive, intelligent, and enlightened people, as flourished in that age. The Apoftles and their converts were exposed to the taunts of derifion, and the cruelties of perfecution; and they risked the lofs not only of liberty and character, of friends and relations, but even of life itfelf, for the profeffion of their new faith. Kings, Priefts, and Magiftrates were leagued against them, as they were falfely reprefented to be the abettors of dangerous innovations,

makes a comparison between the first preachers of the Gospel and the modern miffionaries: from the flow and inconfiderable progrefs made by the latter, in comparison with the rapid and extensive fuccefs of the former, he proves the divine origin of Christianity. This argument is fully ftated, and conducted with peculiar ftrength and perfpicuity, vol. iii. p. 50. fect. 2, £ 4

and

:

and the disturbers of public order and tranquillity They proclaimed a fyftem adverfe no lefs to the eftablished religion, than to the deareft hopes of the Jews, as they expected a triumphant Meffiah from heaven, to deliver them from temporal diftrefs, and reftore the glory of their fallen kingdom. They looked with contempt on the difciples of Chrift, who had fuffered the punishment of a common malefactor. When the Apoftles preached the Gofpel to the Gentile world, they propofed no union of the principles of Chriftianity with the rites of Polytheifm; but, on the contrary, boldly afferted the neceffity of overthrowing every altar of every idol, and of eftablishing the exclufive worship of the one true God. Such was the nature of their plain declarations at the particular time, when the people of every country were ftrongly attached to their ancient and revered establishments of religion, which charmed the eye with the magnificent proceffions and ceremonies, and gratified the paffions with licentious feftivals. Thus the power and authority of the great, the interefts of the priests, and the paffions and prejudices of the bulk of mankind, were all engaged in open hoftility against the preachers of the new religion, and feemed for ever likely to exclude the admiffion of Chriftianity. But all thefe obftacles, irrefiftible as they would have been by exertions merely human, gradually yielded to the unexceptionable teftimony, which the first miffionaries bore to the character, actions, and refurrection of their Lord and Mafter,-to the evidence of miracles, which they were enabled to perform, and to the power of divine truth.

CHAPTER

THE Chriftian religion, even attended, as we have feen it was, with the moft ftriking proofs of its divine origin, was no fooner proclaimed to the world, than it met with thofe who cavilled at its doctrines, and opposed its progrefs. It was too pure in its nature, and too fublime in its objects, to fuit the grofs conceptions of fome men; and its divine Author erected too perfect a standard of duty to fuit the depraved inclinations and unruly paffions of others. We are therefore the lefs furprifed to find, that it has from the earlieft ages been affailed by many enemies. As its followers were at firft expofed to the fevereft trials of perfecution; fo have they, in fucceeding ages, been obliged to defend themfelves against the attacks of mifapplied learning, and the cavils of ingenious fophiftry. Writers neither deftitute of diligence nór acutenefs have attempted, in various ages, to acquire reputation in this unhappy caufe. The moft prominent and ftriking circumftance which muft be remarked by every candid examiner of their works, from the days of Julian the apoftate to thofe of Gibbon the infidel hiftorian, is that they have frequently incurred the fame cenfure, which they have bestowed with an unfparing hand upon

others;

others; for at the fame time, that they have not fcrupled to reprobate in the fevereft terms the intemperate zeal of the advocates for the faith, they have difplayed as much, or probably more vehemence and pertinacity, in their own cause.

In each fucceffive age fince the origin of Christianity, every kind of attack has been levelled against it, which the wit of Man could dictate; fometimes it has been affailed by open arguments, fometimes by difingenuous infinuations; frequently has metaphyfical fubtlety endeavoured to undermine it, and frequently the fneer of farcafm, and the effrontery of ridicule, have been directed against its facred inftitutions, and its moft fincere and ferious profeffors. But much as unbelievers of every description may have afferted their claims to fuperiority over ignorant minds, or much as they may have imagined they foared above vulgar prejudices, they have never remained long unanswered, or unrefuted. As often as infidels have waged war against the faith, and fought with various weapons, fo often have they been defeated and difarmed by able champions of Christianity.

"Whilft the infidel mocks at the fuperftition of the vulgar, infults over their credulous fear, their childish errors and fantastic rites, it does not occur to him to observe, that the most prepofterous device, by which the weakeft devotee ever believed he was fecuring the happiness of a

future

future life, is more rational than unconcern about it. Upon this fubject nothing is fo abfurd as indifference, no folly fo contemptible as thoughtless, pefs and levity"."

Modern unbelievers may have reason to boaft of the boldnefs of their attacks, but little of the originality of their arguments, fince the cavils of Voltaire, and his Followers, newly pointed as they may be with wit, or urged as they may be with additional vehemence, can be traced to Julian, Porphyry and Celfus, the ancient enemies of the church. Some who diflike the toil of inveftigating truth for themselves, eagerly take advantage of the labours of others; and lay great firefs upon the example of thofe eminent men, who have dif

a Paley's Moral Philofophy, p. 391.

Voltaire's pen was fertile and very elegant, his obfer, vations are very acute, yet he often betrays great ignorance when he treats on fubjects of ancient learning. Madame de Talmond once faid to him, "I think, Sir, that a philofopher fhould never write but to endeavour to render mankind less wicked and unhappy than they are. Now you do quite the contrary. You are always writing against that Religion which alone is able to restrain wickedness, and to afford us confor lation under misfortunes." Voltaire was much struck, and excufed himself by faying, That he only wrote for those who were of the fame opinion as himself. Tronchin assured his friends that Voltaire died in great agonies of mind. "I die forfaken by Gods and Men," exclaimed he in thofe awful mo ments, when truth will force its way, "I wish," added Tronchin," that thofe who had been perverted by his writings had been prefent at his death. It was a fight too horrid to fupport.” Seward's Anec. V. 5. p. 274. believed,