mans. CHRISTIANS CHRISTIANS to the wants of their brethren. The primitive Christians were not only remarkable for the conIt is easy to discover the cause of the many sistency of their conduct, but were also very emipersecutions to which the Christians were expos nently distinguished by the many miraculous gifts and graces bestowed by God upon them. The Jews were the first and the most invete-cd during the first three centuries. The purity rate enemies the Christians had. They put them of the Christian morality, directly opposite to the to death as often as they had it in their power; corruption of the pagans, was doubtless one of and when they revolted against the Romans, in the most powerful motives of the public aversion. the time of the emperor Adrian, Barcochebas, To this may be added the many calumnies unwho was at the head of that revolt, employed justly spread about concerning them by their against the Christians the most rigorous punish-enemies, particularly the Jews; and this occasionments, to compel them to blaspheme and renounce ed so strong a prejudice against them, that the Jesus Christ. And we find that even in the third pagans condemned them without inquiring into century they endeavoured to get into their hands their doctrine, or permitting them to defend themChristian women, in order to scourge and stone selves. Besides, their worshipping Jesus Christ them in their synagogues. They cursed the as God, was contrary to one of the most ancient Christians three times a day in their synagogues; laws of the Roman empire, which expressly forand their rabbins would not suffer them to con- bade the acknowledging of any God which had verse with Christians upon any occasion; nor not been approved of by the senate. But, notwere they contented to hate and detest them, but withstanding the violent opposition made to the they dispatched emissaries all over the world to establishment of the Christian religion, it gained defame the Christians, and spread all sorts of ca- ground daily, and very soon made surprising prolumnies against them. They accused them, gress in the Roman empire. In the third century among other things, of worshipping the sun, and there were Christians in the senate, in the camp, the head of an ass; they reproached them with in the palace; in short every where but in the idleness, and being a useless set of people. They temple and the theatres; they filled the towns, charged them with treason, and endeavouring to the country, the islands. Men and women of all erect a new monarchy against that of the Ro- ages and conditions, and even those of the first They affirmed that in celebrating their dignities, embraced the faith; insomuch that the mysteries, they used to kill a child and eat his pagans complained that the revenues of their flesh. They accused them of the most shocking temples were ruined. They were in such great incests, and of intemperance in their feasts of numbers in the empire, that (as Tertullian excharity. But the lives and behaviour of the first presses it) were they to have retired into another Christians were sufficient to refute all that was country, they would have left the Romans only a said against them, and evidently demonstrated frightful solitude. For persecutions of the Christhat these accusations were mere calumny, and tians, see article PERSECUTIONS. the effect of inveterate malice. Pliny the Younger, who was governor of Pontus and Bithynia between the years 103 and 105, gives a very particular account of the Christians in that province, in a letter which he wrote to the emperor Trajan, of which the following is an extract: "I take the liberty, Sir, to give you an account of every difficulty which arises to me; I had never been present at the examinations of the Christians; for which reason I know not what questions have been put to them, nor in what manner they have been punished. My behaviour towards those who have been accused to me has been this: I have interrogated them, in order to know whether they were really Christians. When they have confessed it, I have repeated the same question two or three times, threatening them with death if they did not renounce this religion. Those who have persisted in their confession have been by my order led to punishment. I have even met with some Roman citizens guilty of this frenzy, whom, in regard of their quality, have set apart from the rest, in order to send them to Rome. These persons declare that their whole crime, if they are guilty, consists in this: That on certain days they assemble before sun-roused to vigorous action, his thoughts spiritual, rise to sing alternately the praises of Christ, as of and his general deportment amiable and uniform. God; and to oblige themselves, by the perform-In fine, the true Christian character exceeds all ance of their religious rites, not to be guilty of others as much as the blaze of the meridian sun CHRISTIANS OF ST. JOHN, a sect of theft or adultery, to observe inviolably their word, outshines the feeble light of the glow-worm. This disposition ad to be true to their trust. has obliged me to endeavour to inform myself Christians very numerous in Balfara, and the still further of this matter, by putting to the tor- neighbouring towns: they formerly inhabited ture two of their women-servants, whom they along the river Jordan, where St. John baptized, called deaconesses; but I could learn nothing and it was from thence they had their name. more from them than that the superstition of these people is as ridiculous as their attachment to it is astonishing." Christians may be considered as nominal and real. There are vast numbers who are called Christians, not because they possess any love for Christ, but because they happen to be born in a Christian country, educated by Christian parents, and sometimes attend Christian worship. There are also many whose minds are well informed respecting the Christian system, who prefer it to every other, and who make an open profession of it; and yet, after all, feel but little of the real power of Christianity. A real Christian is one whose understanding is enlightened by the influences of divine grace, who is convinced of the depravity of his nature, who sees his own inabili as the chief good, the Lord Jesus as the only ty to help himself, who is taught to behold God way to obtain felicity, and that the Holy Spirit is the grand agent in applying the blessings of the Gospel to his soul. His heart is renovated, and inclined to revere, honour, worship, trust in, above the world, and centre in God alone. He and live to God. His affections are elevated embraces him as his portion, loves him supremeHis temper is regulated, his powers ly, and is zealous in the defence and support of his cause. CHRISTIANITY CHRISTIANITY They hold an anniversary feast of five days, claim an absolute right to determine the conduring which they all go to the bishop, who bap-sciences and understandings of men with regard tizes them with the baptism of St. John. Their to what they should believe, and what they should baptism is also performed in rivers, and that only on Sundays; they have no notion of the third person in the Trinity; nor have they any canonical book, but abundance full of charms, &c. Their bishoprics descend by inheritance as our estates do, though they have the ceremony of an election. do, they answer, that all Scripture, whether for doctrine, correction, or reproof, was given by immediate inspiration from God. If again interrogated how those books which they call Scripture are authenticated, they reply, that the Old and New Testaments are proved to be the word of God, by evidences both external and internal. See § 2, and article REVELATION. CHRISTIANS OF ST. THOMAS, a sort of Christians in a peninsula of India on this side II. CHRISTIANITY, evidences of the truth of the Gulf; they inhabit chiefly at Cranganor, and The external evidences of the authenticity and the neighbouring country; these admit of no divine authority of the Scriptures have been diimages, and receive only the cross, to which they vided into direct and collateral. The direct evipay a great veneration. They affirm, that the dences are such as arise from the nature, consistsouls of the saints do not see God till after the ency, and probability of the facts; and from the day of judgment; they acknowledge but three simplicity, uniformity, competency, and fidelity scraments, viz. baptism, orders, and the eucha- of the testimonies by which they are supported rist: they make no use of holy oils in the admi- The collateral evidences are either the same ocnistration of baptism, but, after the ceremony, currences supported by heathen testimonies, or anoint the infant with an unction composed of others which concur with and corroborate the oil and walnuts, without any benediction. In the history of Christianity. Its internal evidences eucharist they consecrate with little cakes made arise either from its exact conformity with the of oil and salt, and instead of wine make use of character of God, from its aptitude to the frame water in which raisins have been infused. and circumstances of man, or from those superIn the Asiatic Researches of the Society insti-natural convictions and assistances which are imtuted in Bengal, may be found an enlarged ac- pressed on the mind by the immediate operation count of the Christians of St. Thomas, which of the Divine Spirit. We shall here chiefly folwas laid before that society by F. Wrede, Esq. low Dr. Doddridge, and endeavour to give some See also Monthly Magazine for 1804, p. 60, and of the chief evidences which have been brought Dr. Kerr's Report to Lord Bentinck, on the state forward, and which every unprejudiced mind of the Christians inhabiting the kingdom of Co- must confess are unanswerable. chin and Travancore. Evang. Mag. 1807, p. 473. CHRISTIANS, a name assumed by a religious sect formed in different parts of the United States, though not in great numbers, nor of a unifor faith, differing but little from the general body of Unitarians. They deny in the main the doctrine of the Trinity and that of a vicarious abonement They are professedly anti-sectarian in their views, holding that Christians should know no names nor parties, and that the insisting on certain points called fundamentals, has ever been the bane of true charity among the professel disciples of Jesus. They, therefore, discard all creeds or confessions of faith, maintaining, that the Scriptures contain a perfect rule of faith and practice, and that in order to communion, no man or body of men have a right to require any more than an avowed belief in the Word of God, | and an irreproachable life and conduct. In their Secondly. It is, in fact, certain, that Chrismode of church government they are Independ- tianity is, indeed, a divine revelation; for, I. The ents; in their preaching usually loud and vehe-books of the New Testament, now in our hands, ment; and in their meetings, frequently giving way to such excesses of zeal as render them scenes of great tumult and disorder.-B. CHRISTIANITY, the religion of Christians, 1. CHRISTIANITY, foundation of. Most, if not all Christians, whatever their particular tenets may be, acknowledge the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the sole foundation of their faith and practice. But as these books, or at least particular passages in them, have from the ambiguity of language been vari ously interpreted by different commentators, these diversities have given birth to a multiplicity of different sects. These, however, or at least the greatest number of them, appeal to the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the ultimate standard, the only infallible rule of faith and manners. If asked by what authority these books First. Taking the matter merely in theory, it will appear highly probable that such a system as the Gospel should be, indeed, a divine revelation. 1. The case of mankind is naturally such as to need a divine revelation, 1 John v. 19. Rom, i, Eph. iv.-2. There is from the light of nature considerable encouragement to hope that God would favour his creatures with so needful a blessing as a revelation appears.-3. We may easily conclude, that if a revelation were given, it would be introduced and transmitted in such a manner as Christianity is said to have been.-4. That the main doctrines of the Gospel are of such a nature as we might in general suppose those of a divine revelation would be; rational, practical, and sublime, Heb. xi. 6. Mark xii. 20. 1 Tim. ii. 5. Matt, v. 48, x. 29, 30. Philip. iv. 8, Rom. ii. 6, 40, were written by the first preachers and publishers of Christianity. In proof of this, observe, 1. That it is certain that Christianity is not a new religion, but that it was maintained by great multitudes quickly after the time in which Jesus is said to have appeared.-2. That there was certainly such a person as Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified at Jerusalem, when Pontius Pilate was governor there.-3. The first publishers of this religion wrote books which contained an account of the life and doctrine of Jesus their master, and which went by the name of those that now make up our New Testament.—4, That the books of the New Testament have been preserved, in the main, uncorrupted to the present time, in the original language in which they were written. -5. That the translation of them now in our hands may be depended upon as in CHRISTIANITY CHRISTIANITY all things most material, agreeable to the original. Iment be genuine, then it is certain that the apos Now, II. From allowing the New Testament tles pretend to have wrought miracles in the very to be genuine, according to the above proof, it presence of those to whom their writings were will certainly follow that Christianity is a divine addressed; nay, more, they profess likewise to revelation; for, in the first place, it is exceedingly have conferred those miraculous gifts in some evident that the writers of the New Testament considerable degrees on others, even on the very certainly knew whether the facts were true or persons to whom they write, and they appeal to false. John i. 3. xix. 27, 35. Acts xxvii. 7, 9.- their consciences as to the truth of it. And could 2. That the character of these writers, so far as there possibly be room for delusion here ?-5. It we can judge by their works, seems to render likewise certain that the apostles did gain early them worthy of regard, and leaves no room to credit, and succeeded in a most wonderful manimagine they intended to deceive us. The manner. This is abundantly proved by the vast num ner in which they tell their story is most happily ber of churches established in early ages at Rome, adapted to gain our belief. There is no air of Corinth, Ephesus, Colosse, &c. &c. &c.-6. That, declamation and harangue; nothing that looks admitting the facts which they testified concern like artifice and design: no apologies, no encomi-ing Christ to be true, then it was reasonable for ums, no characters, no reflections, no digressions; their contemporaries, and is reasonable for us, to but the facts are recounted with great simplicity, receive the Gospel which they have transmitted just as they seem to have happened; and those to us as a divine revelation. The great thing facts are left to speak for themselves. Their in- they asserted was, that Jesus was the Christ, and tegrity likewise evidently appears in the freedom that he was proved to be so by prophecies accomwith which they mention those circumstances plished in him, and by miracles wrought by him, which might have exposed their Master and and by others in his name. If we attend to these, themselves to the greatest contempt amongst pre- we shall find them to be no contemptible argu judiced and inconsiderate men, such as they ments; but must be forced to acknowledge that, knew they must generally expect to meet with. the premises being established, the conclusion John i. 45, 46. vii. 52. Luke ii. 4, 7. Mark most easily and necessarily follows; and this convi. 3. Matt. viii. 20. John vii. 48. It is certain clusion, that Jesus is the Christ, taken in all its that there are in their writings the most genuine extent, is an abstract of the Gospel revelation, traces not only of a plain and honest, but a most and therefore is sometimes put for the whole of it, pious and devout, a most benevolent and generous Acts viii. 37. xvii. 18. See articles MIRACLE and disposition, as every one must acknowledge who PROPHECY.-7. The truth of the Gospel has also reads their writings.-3. The apostles were un- received further and very considerable confirmader no temptation to forge a story of this kind, tion from what has happened in the world since or to publish it to the world knowing it to be it was first published. And here we must desire false.-4. Had they done so, humanly speaking, every one to consider what God has been doing they must quickly have perished in it, and their to confirm the Gospel since its first publication, foolish cause must have died with them, without and he will find it a further evidence of its Diever gaining any credit in the world. Reflect vine original. We might argue at large from its more particularly on the nature of those grand surprising propagation in the world; from the facts, the death, resurrection, and exaltation of miraculous powers with which not only the apos Christ, which formed the great foundation of the tles, but succeeding preachers of the Gospel, and Christian scheme, as first exhibited to the apos- other converts, were endowed; from the accom tles. The resurrection of a dead man, and his plishment of prophecies recorded in the New ascension into an abode in the upper world, were Testament; and from the preservation of the such strange things, that a thousand objections Jews as a distinct people, notwithstanding the would immediately have been raised against them; various difficulties and persecutions through and some extraordinary proof would have been which they have passed. We must not, howjustly required as a balance to them. Consider ever, forget to mention the confirmation it rethe manner in which the apostles undertook to ceives from the methods which its enemies have prove the truth of their testimony to these facts; taken to destroy it; and these have generally been and it will evidently appear, that, instead of con- either persecution or falsehood, or cavilling at firming their scheme, it must have been sufficient some particulars in revelation, without entering utterly to have overthrown it, had it been itself into the grand argument on which it is built, and the most probable imposture that the wit of man fairly debating what is offered in its defence. The could ever have contrived. See Acts iii. ix. xiv. cause has gained considerably by the opposition xix. &c. They did not merely assert that they made to it: the more it has been tried, the more had seen miracles wrought by Jesus, but that heit has been approved; and we are bold to say no had endowed them with a variety of miraculous powers; and these they undertook to display, not in such idle and useless tricks as sleight of hand might perform, but in such solid and important works as appeared worthy of divine interposition, and entirely superior to human power. Nor were these things undertaken in a corner, in a circle of friends or dependants; nor were they said to be wrought, as might be suspected, by any confederates in the fraud; but they were done often in the most public manner. Would impostors have made such pretensions as these? or, if they had, must they not immediately have been exposed and ruined? Now, if the New Testa honest man, unfettered by prejudice, can examine this system in all its parts, without being convinced that its origin is divine. III. CHRISTIANITY, general doctrines of. "It must be obvious," says an ingenious author, "to every reflecting mind, that, whether we attempt to form the idea of any religion à priori, or contem plate those which have already been exhibited, certain facts, principles, or data, must be pre-established; from whence will result a particular frame of mind and course of action suitable to the character and dignity of that Being by whom the religion is enjoined, and adapted to the nature and situation of those agents who are command CHRISTIANITY | CHRISTIANITY ed to observe it. Hence Christianity may be di- delivered the doctrines of salvation, and the rules vided into credenda or doctrines, and agenda or of human conduct, to his apostles, whom he emprecepts. As the great foundation of his religion, powered to instruct the world in all that concerntherefore, the Christian believes the existence and ed their eternal felicity, and whom he invested government of one eternal and infinite Essence, with miraculous gifts, to ascertain the reality of which for ever retains in itself the cause of its what they taught. To them he likewise promised own existence, and inherently possesses all those another comforter, even the Divine Spirit, who perfections which are compatible with its nature; should remove the darkness, console the woes, such are its almighty power, omniscient wisdom, and purify the stains of human nature. Having infinite justice, boundless goodness, and universal remained for a part of three days under the power presence. In this indivisible essence the Chris- of death, he rose again from the grave; appeared tian recognizes three distinct subsistences, yet to his disciples, and many others; conversed with distinguished in such a manner as not to be in- them for some time, then re-ascended to heaven; compatible either with essential unity, or sim- from whence the Christian expects him, accordplicity of being, or with their personal distinction; ing to his promise, to appear as the Sovereign each of them possesses the same nature and Judge of the living and the dead, from whose properties to the same extent. This infinite Be-awards there is no appeal, and by whose sentence ing was graciously pleased to create an universe the destiny of the righteous and the wicked shall replete with intelligences, who might enjoy his be eternally fixed. Soon after his departure to glory, participate his happiness, and imitate his the right hand of his Father (where in his human perfections. But as these beings were not immu- nature he sits supreme of all created beings, and table, but left to the freedom of their own will, invested with the absolute administration of hea degeneracy took place, and that in a rank of in- ven and earth,) the Spirit of grace and consolatelligence superior to man. But guilt is never sta- tion descended on his apostles with visible signa tionary. Impatient of itself, and cursed with its tures of divine power and presence. Nor were own feelings, it proceeds from bad to worse, his salutary operations confined to them, but exwhilst the poignancy of its torments increases tended to all who did not by obstinate guilt repel with the number of its perpetrations. Such was his influences. These, indeed, were less conthe situation of Satan and his apostate angels, spicuous than at the glorious era when they were They attempted to transfer their turpitude and visibly exhibited in the persons of the apostles. misery to man, and were, alas, but too success-But, though his energy be less observable, it is by ful! Hence the heterogeneous and irreconcilable no means less effectual to all the purposes of grace principles which operate in his nature; hence and mercy. The Christian is convinced that that inexplicable medley of wisdom and folly, of there is and shall continue to be a society upon rectitude and error, of benevolence and malignity, earth, who worship God as revealed in Jesus of sincerity and fraud, exhibited through his Christ, who believe his doctrines, who observe his whole conduct; hence the darkness of his under-precepts, and shall be saved by the merits of his standing, the depravity of his will, the pollution of his heart, the irregularity of his affections, and the absolute subversion of his whole internal economy. The seeds of perdition soon ripened into overt acts of guilt and horror. All the hostilities of nature were confronted, and the whole sublunary creation became a theatre of disorder and mischief. Here the Christian once more appeals to fact and experience. If these things are 80; if man be the vessel of guilt, and the victim of misery, he demands how this constitution of things can be accounted for? how can it be supposed that a being so wicked and unhappy should be the production of an infinitely good and infinitely perfect Creator? He therefore insists that human nature must have been disarranged and contaminated by some violent shock; and that, of consequence, without the light diffused over the face of things by Christianity, all nature must remain in inscrutable and inexplicable mystery. To redress these evils, to re-establish the empire of rectitude and happiness, to restore the nature of man to its primitive dignity, to satisfy the remonstrances of infinite justice, to purify every original or contracted stain, to expiate the guilt and destroy the power of vice, the eternal Son of God, from whom Christianity takes its name, and to whom it owes its origin, descended from the bosom of his Father, assumed the human nature, became the representative of man; endured a severe probation in that character; exhibited a pattern of perfect righteousness, and at last ratifed his doctrine, and fully accomplished all the ends of his mission, by a cruel, unmerited, and ignominious death. Before he left the world, he death, in the use of these external means of salvation which he hath appointed. He also believes that the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, the interpretation and application of Scripture, the habitual exercise of public and private devotion, are obviously calculated to diffuse and promote the interests of truth and religion, by superinducing the salutary habits of faith, love, and repentance. He is firmly persuaded, that at the consummation of all things, when the purposes of Providence in the various revolutions of progressive nature are accomplished, the whole human race shall once more issue from their graves; some to immortal felicity in the actual perception and enjoyment of their Crea tor's presence, and others to everlasting shame and misery." IV. CHRISTIANITY, morality and superiority of. It has been well observed, "that the two grand principles of action, according to the Chris tian, are the love of God, which is the sovereign passion in every gracious mind; and the love of man, which regulates our actions according to the various relations in which we stand, whether to communities or individuals. This sacred connexion ought never to be totally extinguished by any temporary injury. It ought to subsist in some degree even amongst enemies. It requires that we should pardon the offences of others, as we expect pardon for our own; and that we should no further resist evil than is necessary for the preservation of personal rights and socia. happiness. It dictates every relative and recipro cal duty between parents and children. masters and servants, governors and subjects, friends and CHRISTIANITY CHRISTIANITY friends, men and men: nor does it merely enjoin | doctrines pure and spiritual, such as corrupt nathe observation of equity, but like vise inspires ture was prone to oppose, because it shrunk from the most sublime and extensive charity: a bound-the severity of their discipline; which required its less and disinterested effusion of tenderness for followers to renounce almost every opinion they had pursued as important; which even exposed the whole species, which feels their distress, and had embraced as sacred, and every interest they operates for their relief and improvement." "Christianity," it has also been observed (and them to every species of danger and infamy; to with the greatest propriety,) "is superior to all persecution unmerited and unpitied; to the gloom other religions. The disciple of Jesus not only of a prison, and to the pangs of death. Hopeless contends that no system of religion has ever yet as this prospect might appear to the view of short been exhibited so consistent with itself, so con- sighted man, the Gospel yet emerged from the gruous to philosophy and the common sense of obscurity in which it was likely to be overwhelmmankind, as Christianity; he likewise avers that cd by the complicated distresses of its friends, and it is infinitely more productive of real consolation the unrelenting cruelty of its foes. It succeeded than all other religious or philosophical tenets in a peculiar degree, and in a peculiar manner; it which have ever entered into the soul, or been derived that success from truth, and obtained it applied to the heart of man. For what is death under circumstances where falsehood must have "Although," says the elegant Porteus, "Chris to that mind which considers eternity as the career been detected and crushed." of its existence? What are the frowns of men to him who claims an eternal world as his inherit- tianity has not always been so well understood, ance? What is the loss of friends to that heart or so honestly practised, as it ought to have beer which feels, with more than natural conviction, although its spirit has been often mistaken, and that it shall quickly rejoin them in a more tender, its precepts misapplied, yet, under all these dis intimate, and permanent intercourse, than any of advantages, it has gradually produced a visible which the present life is susceptible? What are change in those points which most materially the vicissitudes of external things to a mind concern the peace and quiet of the world. Its which strongly and uniforraly anticipates a state beneficent spirit has spread itself through all the of endless and immutable felicity? What are different relations and modifications of life, and mortifications, disappointments, and insults, to a communicated its kindly influence to almost spirit which is conscious of being the original every public and private concern of mankind. offspring and adopted child of God; which It has insensibly worked itself into the inmost knows that its omnipotent Father will in proper frame and constitution of civil states. time effectually assert the dignity and privileges given a tinge to the complexion of their governof its nature? In a word, as this earth is but a ments, to the temper and administration of their speck in the creation, as time is not an instant in laws. It has restrained the spirit of the prince proportion to eternity, such are the hopes and and the madness of the people. It has softened prospects of the Christian in comparison of every the rigour of despotism, and tamed the insolence sublunary misfortune or difficulty. It is there- of conquest. It has in some degree taken away fore, in his judgment, the eternal wonder of an- the edge of the sword, and thrown even over the gels, and indelible opprobrium of man, that a re- horrors of war a veil of mercy. It has descended ligion so worthy of God, so suitable to the frame into families, has diminished the pressure of priand circumstances of our nature, so consonant to vate tyranny; improved every domestic endearall the dictates of reason, so friendly to the dig-ment; given tenderness to the parent, humanity nity and improvement of intelligent beings, so pregnant with genuine comfort and delight, should be rejected and despised by any of the human race." It has to the master, respect to superiors, to inferiors ease; so that mankind are, upon the whole, even the mild and pacific temper of the Gospel, and in a temporal view, under infinite obligations to V. CHRISTIANITY, propagation and success have reaped from it more substantial worldly beneof. Despised as Christianity has been by many, fits than from any other institution upon earth. yet it has had an extensive progress through the As one proof of this (among many others,) conworld, and still continues to be professed by great sider only the shocking carnage made in the numbers of mankind; though it is to be lamented human species by the exposure of infants, the many are unacquainted with its genuine in-gladiatorial shows, which sometimes cost Europe fluence. It was early and rapidly propagated through the whole Roman empire, which then contained almost the whole known world; and herein we cannot but admire both the wisdom "Destitute of all human and the power of God. advantages," says a good writer, "protected by no authority, assisted by no art; not recommended by the reputation of its author, not enforced by cloquence in its advocates, the word of God grew mightily and prevailed. Twelve men, poor, artless, and illiterate, we behold triumphing over the fiercest and most determined opposition; over the tyranny of the magistrate, and the subtleties of the philosopher; over the prejudices of the Gentile, and the bigotry of the Jew. They established a religion which held forth high and venerable mysteries, such as the pride of man would induce him to ruspect, because he could not perfectly comprehend them; which preached twenty or thirty thousand lives in a month; and the exceedingly cruel usage of slaves, allowed and practised by the ancient pagans. These were not the accidental and temporary excesses of a sudden fury, but were legal, and established, and constant methods of murdering and tormenting mankind. Had Christianity done nothing more than brought into disuse (as it confessedly has done) the two former of these human customs, entirely, and the latter to a very great degree, it had justly merited the title of the benevolent religion: but this is far from being all. Throughout the more enlightened parts of Christendom, there prevails a gentleness of manners widely different from the ferocity of the most civilized nations of antiquity; and that liberality with which every species of distress is relieved, is a virtue peculiar to the Christian name." But we may ask, further, what success has it |