eniribirig llf ' Yt4 t iriptÉO a 379 Temperance, Juftice, Charity, that the Heathens from Chap. the Holinefs oftheir lives concluded the Holinefs of their Law, and that the Doëtrine that produc'd fuch fruits couldnotbe evil. The firft light that difcovered the Truth of the Chrifiian Faith to many,was from the Graces andVenues that appear'd in the Faithful. The Purity oftheir Lives, their Courage in Death, were as vid.Chr'ytoa. powerful to convert theWorld, as their Sermons, Dif- FH,11.1 n ? putations and Miracles. And thofe who were under ,inch. fuch ftrong prejudices that they would not examine the Dotrine ofthe Gofpel, yet they could not but admire the Integrity and Innocency that wasvifible in the cork- verfation of Chriflians. They efteem'd their perfons from the goodqualities,that were vifible in them, when they hated the Chriflianname for theemceed evil they unreafonably fufpeEted tobe under it. ThisT'ertuflianex- cellently reprefents in his Apology. The moft partare fo prejudic'd againft the Name, and are pofeflwith fucha hen viYea_ blind hatred to it,that they make it amatter of reproach even to tholewhom they otherwifeefleem'd.Caiu ,they fay,is agood man,he bath no fault but that he is aChri- ftian. Thus the excellent Holinefsof the Profeffors of the Gofpel forc'd a veneration from their Enemies. But we are fallen from Heaven, andmixt with the duff. Our converfationbath nothing fingular in Holi- nefs.to diftinguifh us from the World. The famecor- rupt Paffions reign in Profeffors of Chriflianity, as In thofewho are ftrangers from theSacredCovenant. If we compareour felves with the Primitive Church, we muff confefs our unworthinefs tobe called their fuccef- fors. Sixteen hundredyears are run out fince the Son ofGod came down tofaniifie and fave the World,which are fo many degrees, whereby we are defcendecl from the firft Perfe±ion. We aremore diftant from them in Holinefs,than in Time, So univerfal and great is the C c c z Cor-
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