was another Obstacle as great, namely, the most the disgrace grievous Sufferings, which it was certain they that albended who professed Christianity must endure, or be

in Fear of, upon that Account: For since such all Christing Sufferings are highly disagreeable to human Na- was sufficent ture, it follows, that those Things which are to detes how the Cause of such Sufferings cannot be received

without great Difficulty. The Christians, fortspecially there a long Time, were kept out of all Places of who had been Honour, and were moreover fined, had their bought a Goods confiscated, and were banished: But these e jewish were small Things; they were condemned to the heather lit Mines, had the most cruel Torments, that it was possible to invent, inflicted upon them; and they were his Punishments of Death were so common, that the mine Writers of those Times relate, that no Famine, to torment no Pestilence, no War, ever consumed more Men at a Time. Neither were they the ordinary Kinds t quafied of Death: (a) But burning of them alive, crucifying them, and such like Punishments, which this ded one cannot read or think of without the greatest not verify Horror: And this Cruelty, which, without any

long Interruption, and that not every where, continued in the Roman Empire, almost till the Time of Constantine, and in other Places longer, was so far from diminishing them, that on the contrary, their Blood was called the Seed of the Church, they so much more increased as they were cut off. Here, therefore, let us compare other Religions with Christianity. The Greeks and other Heathens, who were wont to magnify their own Matters, reckon a very few that suffered Death for Opinions; some Indian Philosophers, Socrates, and not many more; and it can hardly be denied, but

(a) But burning of them alive, &c.] Domitius Ulpianus, a famous Lawyer, wrote seven Books about the Punishments that Christians ought to have inflicted on them. mentions them, Book V. Chap. 7.

Lactantius

they

Encrcard

that

They suffered

that in these famous Men, there was some Desire of transmitting their Fame to Posterity. But there were very many of the common People, scarce known to their Neighbours, among the Christians, who suffered Death for their Opinion; Women, Virgins, young Men, who had no Desire nor probable Hopes, 'that their Names would continue long after them; and, indeed, there are but a few, whose Names remain in the Martyrologies, in Comparison of the number of them that suffered for this Cause, and are (a) reckoned only by the Heap. Further, very many of them for the might have escaped this Punishment, by some of a The fome small Dissimulation, such as throwing a little Frankincense upon the Altar; which cannot be affirmed of them, who, whatever private Opinions they had in their Minds, yet in their outward Actions, conformed themselves to the Customs of the Vulgar. So that to suffer Death for the Honour of God, could scarce be allowed to any but the Jews and Christians; and not to the Jews after Christ's Time; and before, only to a very few, compared with the Christians; more of which suffered Punishment for the Law of Christ,

They

die

in one Province, than ever there did Jews; all

whose sufferings of this Kind may almost be reduced to the Times of Manasses and Antiochus. Wherefore, seeing the Christian Religion, in this Particular also, infinitely exceeds others; it ought justly to be preferred before them. It must be inferred from such a Multitude, of every Age and

(a) Reckoned only by the Heap, &c.] As the innocent Company of three Hundred at Carthage, mentioned in the xxivth Roman Martyrology of Augustus; very many in Africa, under Severus; under Valerian at Antioch; and in Arabia, Cappadocia, and Mesopotamia, in Phrygia, in Pontus, under Maximin; at Nicomedia, in Numidia; at Rome, in Thebais, Tyre, Trevers, under Dioclesian; in Persia, under Cabada and Sapores. All which are mentioned in the Martyrology, without any Names.

Sex, in so many Different Places and Times, who refused not to die for this Religion; that there was multitude some great Reason for such a constant Resolution, in different which cannot be imagined to be any other but the countries shoud Light of Truth, and the Spirit of God.

Ouffer death An Answer to those who require more and stronger the elija

Arguments.

More then anot

IF there be any one who is not satisfied withinued the Arguments hitherto alledged, for the Truth of her th the Christian Religion, but desires more powerful

ones; he ought to know, (a) that different Things his Grace must have different Kinds of Proof; one Sort in Mathematics, another in the Properties of Bodies, another in doubtful Matters, and another in Matters of Fact. And we are to abide by that, whose Testimonies are void of all Suspicion: Which, if it be not admitted, not only all History is of no further Use, and a great Part of Physic; but all that natural Affection, which is betwixt Parents and Children, is lost, (b) who can be known no other Way. (c) And it is the Will of God, that those

66

(a) That different Things, &c.] See Aristotle's Ethics to Nicomachus, Book I." It is sufficient, if a Thing be made appear according to the subject Matter of it; for the same Evi"dence is not to be expected in all Things." And in the latter Part of his First Metaphys, the last Chap. Mathemati"cal Certainty is not to be met with in all Things." And Calicidus on Timeus, according to the Opinion of Plato. "A "Disposition to believe precedes all Doctrines; especially if they be asserted, not by common, but by great, and almost "divine Men."

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(b) Who can be known no other Way, &c.] Thus Homer: No Man for certain knows, whose Son he is.

That is, with the most exact Kind of Knowledge.

(c) And it is the Will of God, &c.] There are two Sorts of Propositions in the Christian Religion; one Sort of which may be philosophically demonstrated, the other cannot. Of the former are such as these: The Existence of God, the Creation of the World, a Divine Providence; the Goodness and Ad

vantage

those Things which he would have us believe, so as that Faith should be accepted from us as Obedience, should not be so very plain, as those Things we perceive by our Senses, and by Demonstration; but only so far as is sufficient to procure the Belief, and persuade a Man of the Thing, who is not obstinately bent against it: So that the Gospel is, as it were, a Touchstone to try Men's honest Dispositions by. For since those Arguments, which we have brought, have gained the Assent of so many good and wise Men, it is very manifest, that the Cause of Infidelity in others, is not from the Want of Proof; but from hence, (a) that they would not have that seem true, which contradicts their Passions and Affections. It is a hard fal Thing for them lightly to esteem of Honours and other Advantages; which they must do, if they not believe would receive what is related concerning Christ, because the and for that Reason, think themselves bound to obey the Precepts of Christ. And this is to be law of pores

men

their

vantage of the Precepts of Religion; all which are capable of a Demonstration, and are actually demonstrated by Grotius and others; so that a Man must renounce his Reason, or else admit them. But those Passions which are contrary to them, hinder Unbelievers from receiving them, because, if they should own thein to be true, they must subdue those Passions, which they are unwilling to do, because they have been so long accustomed to them. Of the latter Sort, are the historical Facts, upon which the Truth of the Gospel depends, and which are explained by Grotius, and proved by historical Arguments. Which same Arguments would be allowed to be good by Unbelievers, in the same Manner as they do the Proofs of all those Histories, which they believe, though they do not see the Facts: if they were not hindered by the Prevalence of their Passions; and which they must entirely subdue, if such Arguments came once to take Place. See a little Book of mine in French, concerning Infidelity. Le Clerc.

(a) That they would not have that seem true, &c.] Chrysostom treats very handsomely of this, in the Beginning of 1 Cor. Chap. 3. And to Demetrius, he says; " that they do not be"lieve the Commandments, proceeds from their Unwillingness to keep them."

discovered

discovered by this one Thing, that they receive many other historical Relations as true, the Truth of which is established only upon Authorities, of which there are no Marks remaining at this Time: As there is in the History of Christ; partly by the Confession of the Jews, which are now left; partly by the Congregation of Christians, every where to be found; for which there must of Necessity have been some Cause. And since the long Continuance of the Christian Religion, and the Propagation of it so far, cannot be attributed to any human Power, it follows, that it must be attri

buted to Miracles: Or if any one should deny it ay deny to have been done by Miracles; this very Thing that (4) it should, without a Miracle, gather somiracle, ch much Strength and Power, ought to be looked upon as greater than a Miracle.

"ought to prove Thonger folk

(a) It should, without a Miracle, &c.] Chrysostont handles. this Argument on 1 Cor. Ch. i. towards the End; and Augas. tin, concerning the City of God, Book XXII. Chap. 5.

alat.