A final! J.\Tumber firved ""I '7 ...., I JHt h;erfal charity a1:2d . fo ·ve, whieh reached their very enemies? of their humility and meeknefs, juflice and temperance, and aH thofe other virtues, which many · of tl1c Heathens themfelvcs did obferve and 3d– n1ire? Behold, faith one, ho'7J.J ·the Cbri!lirms lo·ve one another! 7befe1 are the men, faith ~nother,who .fpeak as they think, m:d do as th~y fPfak. · P lirzy, ·after an exaft: ~nquiry, -writeth ·to Trajan the Emperor, That be could ne·ver find aJ1:} other guilt i11 the Chri... jlians, but that they tnet together before d<l)'– break, to -fing a hytnn to Chrijl, ,as if he rzvere God: and then to bind the.rnftlves wit!J a facrament o.r oath, not to .Jo any tniflhie.f; but, on th.e contrar__y, that they jball not rob, flea!, or commit a'dultery, . or faljify their 7JJords, or deny their trufl, &c. This was the crime of Chrifl:ians in thole "firfl: qges, to engage themfelves not to con1mit {tny crime. And if it fell out that an_)! of thcri:l ;..vere gui.lty of drunkennefs, or uncleanncfs, or any other of thofe fins which, alas l arc .-fo lightly cenfured in our days, they-were , feverly punifhed: nay, how bitterly did then1felves lament it! They needed not in thofe days to be purfiJed by tedious pro– ce!fes, or dragged againfl: their will 'to th~ profeilion of their repentance. They vvould T fue
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