4 a `Che Prejudices agdin/1 Jefus Vol. I. After the Apoftles, the Ancient Fathers, in their Apologies for Chriítianity, give us a large account of the great Power and Efficacy of the Chriftian Do trine upon the Lives and Mannersof Men. Tertulian tells the Roman Governors, that their Prifons were full of Malefa&ors, committed for feveral Crimes; but they were all Heathens. De vefiris femper.efluat carter, Their Prijonswere thronged with Criminals of their awn Religion : But there were no Chriftians to be found com- mitted there for fuch Crimes; Nemo ilis Chriianus, niß hoc tantum, &c. There were no Chriftians in their Prifans, but only upon account of their Religion. Or if there were any Malefa&ors that had been Chriftians, they left their Religion when they fell into thofe Enormities. And afterwards he adds, that if Chrifti- ans were irregular in their Lives, they were no longer accounted Chriftians, but were banifh'd from their Communion as unworthy of it. And they appealed to the Heathens, what a fudden and ffrange Change Chriftianity had made in feve- ral of the molt lewd, and vicious, and debaúched Perfons, and what a vifrble Reformation there prefently appeared in the Lives of the worft Men, after they had once entertained the Chriftian Do&rine. And thefe Teftimonies are fo much the ftronger, becaufe they are publick Ap- peals to our Adverfaries, which it is not likely they who were fo perfecuted and hated as the Chriftians were, would have had the Confidence to have made, if they hadnot been notorioufly true, even their Enemies themfelves being Judges. And that theywere fo, we have theConfefflon of the Heathen themfelves. I{hall produce two remarkable Teftimonies to this Purpofe, and one of them from the Pen of one of the bittereft Enemies that the Chriftian Religion ever had. Pliny, in his Epiftle to Trajan the Emperor, gives him anAccount, " That " having examined the Chriftians, Petting afide the Superftitionof their way, he " could find noFault ; and that this was the Sum of their Error, That theywere " wont to meet before Day, and fing a Hymn toChrity, and to bind themfelves " by Solemn Oath or Sacrament, not to any wicked Purpofe, but not to heal, " nor rob, nor commit Adultery, nor break their Faith, nor detain the Pledge. So that it feems the Sum of their'Error was, tooblige themfelves in the ftri&eft manner againft the greateft Vices and Crimes. Which methinks is a great Teli- mony from an Enemy and a Judge, one who would have been ready todifcover their Faults, and had Opportunity of enquiring into them. My other Witnefs is Julian the Emperor and Apoflate, who in one of hisEpi- files tells us, " The Chriftians did feverely punifh Sedition and Impiety. And afterwards exhorting the Heathen Priefs to all Offices of Humanity, and efpecial- ly Alms towards the Poor; he tells them, they ought to be more careful in this particular, and to mend this Fault; Becaufe (fays he) the Galilean takingadvan- tage of our Neglell in this kind, have very much flrengthened their Impiety (for fo he calls their Religion) by being very intent upon thefe Offices, and exemplary in their Charity to the Poor, whereby they gainedmany over to them. And in his 49th Epift. to Arfacius the High- Prieft of Galatia, he recommends to him, among other Means for the Advancement of Paganifm, the building of Hofpitals, and great Liberality to the Poor, not only of their own Religion, but others. For, fays he, it is a fhame that the impious Galileans Amid not onlymain- tain their own poor, but ours alfo wherefore let us not fifer them tooutdo is in this Virtue. Nothing but the force of Truth could have extorted fo full an Acknow- ledgment of the greatHumanity and.Charityof the Chriftians, from fo bitter an Enemy of our Religion as Julianwas. if he owned it, we may be Pure it was very great and exemplary. So that you fee that the Chriftian.` Religion had a very great Power and Effi- cacy upon theLives and Manners of Men when it firft appeared in the World. And the true Spirit and Genius of any Religion, the Force of any Inftitution is belt feen in the primitive Effe&s of it 5 before it be weakned and difpirited by thofe Corruptions, which in time are apt to infinuate themfelves into the heft things. For all Laws and Inftitutions are commonly more vigorous, and have greater Effe&s at firft, than afterwards; and the belt things are apt in time to de- generate and to contra& Soil and Ruft. And it cannot inReafon beexpe&ed o- therwife,
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