機

that the excellency of the Power may be of God, and not of us. We need not be ashamed to confefs, either to Jews or Gentiles, that the Apostles were neither Great Rabbies, nor' learned Philofophers, but may own that they were mean and obfcure perfons; for though this was made an objection against their DoEtrine, by fuch as were too much puffed up with these advantages to examine it, yet the objection, when granted, turns into a very ftrong Argument for that Doctrine which it was intended againft. And therefore St. ChryJoftom d blames the inconfiderate weakness of a certain Chriftian in his time, whom he had once heard difputing with an Heathen in defence of St. Paul, and contending, that he was more learned and eloquent than Plato, whereas his adversary ftiffly maintained the contrary. Each of thefe Difputants (fays he) did really argue againft his own Caufe: For it was agreed that the fuccefs of St. Paul's Doctrine, and the numbers converted by it, was much greater than that of Plato. And therefore it could not depend upon human learning or eloquence, if Plato had fo much the advantage in these accomplishments: but Gg 4 muft

Chryfoft. Hom. 3. in Ep, ad-Corinth.

must be attributed to a more powerful caufe. For it cannot well be denied, that fo furprizing an event, as was that of the mighty spreading of the Gospel in so short a time, must be afcribed to fomething more than human, fince it is acknowledged, that the most probable human means of doing it were wanting. But befides. the speedy Manner of propagating the Gospel, we are to confider likewise,

2. The marvelous Effects which it had upon those who attended to it, wherever it was propagated. It was not only entertained as a piece of News, or a Matter of Speculation, the Thoughts of which would foon pafs away, and be difregarded; but it had a deep and lasting Influence, upon the Lives and Manners of those who entertained it. The Reformation which it wrought, both in the Principles and Practices of fuch as were converted to it, and the great Courage and Stedfastness with which they perfifted in it, notwithstanding all poffible human Difcouragements, is a strong Argument that there was fomething more than Human in it. I have, in a former Discourse, obferved, how ineffectual the Reasonings of Philofophers were, towards the producing fuch a Refor

e Serm. xi.

a Reformation, either in Religion or Morality, as they could fee was greatly wanted. How very few were those whom, with all their boafted Learning and Eloquence, they could perfuade to abandon a vicious Life, and fteddily to embrace the Practice of a strict and fincere Virtue? To refrain from falling in with the most abfurd Superftition and Idolatry, which they had once been accustomed to? or to make the conftant Belief of the Soul's Immortality, a prevailing Principle of Action? But where-ever the Doctrine of the Gospel obtained, what a Change did it presently work, both in the Minds and Behaviour of Men? No fooner did they become Christians, but they presently forfook all their former vain Converfation, and became quite other, or new Men; leading Lives fo innocent and virtuous, that they challenged their Enemies to object any Thing against them, but their profeffing the Name of Christ, and renouncing all the Idolatry of their Neighbours, as they did in fpite of all oppofition. How ftedfastly did all Ranks and Degrees of them, (even such as the Gentile Philofophers thought too mean and illiterate to converse withal) maintain and profefs the Belief of another Life, and a future Judgment, and an eternal Reward for blameless

Souls,

Souls, and punishment for the wicked and ungodly? With what conftancy did they despise all the confiderations of this world, which could be proposed to them, in comparison of an happy Refurrection? And how freely would they offer themselves to all manner of torments, and the most cruel kinds of death, rather than do any thing which might look like denying their Saviour, or renouncing their hope in him, from whom they expected this reward of Immortality? The Heathens were amazed at this, and called it Obftinacy, and punished them for it. But in other refpects, they own'd that they had nothing criminal to charge them withal; as Pliny, in his letter to Trajan, teftifies. This is a point which the Primitive Apologifts infift very much upon, that no other inftitution of Philofophy or Religion could fhew fo much innocence and true virtue in practice. Origen B not only affirms, that the Churches of Chrift being

Plin. Ep. 91. lib. x.

5. Αἱ 3 τῷ Θεῷ Χριστῷ μαθητευθείσαι εκκλησίας, συμμεξεταζό είμαι ταῖς ὧν παροικέσι δήμων εκκλησίας, ως φωσηρές εἰσιν ο κόσμῳ· τίς γδ ἐκ τῶν ὁμολογήσαι, και τας χείρας 7 από κλησίας, ας συγκρίση βελτιόνων ἐλάτας, πολλῷ κράτος τυγχά νειν ὃ ἐν τοῖς δήμοις ἐκκλησιῶν; ἐκκλησία με τη το Θεό, είς εἰπεῖν, ἡ ̓Αθήνησι πραεϊά τις καὶ δύσαθής 6. Vide Orig. contra Celf. lib. 3. pag. 128, ʊc.

being compared with other Communities of men, among whom they dwelt, in refpect of their lives and manners, were as lights in the world; but he challenges his adverfaries to examine the feveral ranks and degrees, or states and conditions of life, as common people, Senators, or chief Rulers of a Chriftian Church, and an Heathen Community, in fuch Cities as Athens, Corinth, or Alexandria, for inftance, and compare them together, and then declare, whether even the worfer fort of Chriftians, comparatively in each degree, did not far excel the very beft Heathens of the like degree, Now this would hardly have been fo constantly infifted upon, if the fact had not been past denial. h Julian himself, as great a bigot as he was to the Heathen fuperftition, yet fairly owns, that the fanctity of life, and exemplary charity of the Chriftians, had induced fo many to despise the [Heathen] Gods, that if the Gentile Priefts ever hoped to restore their ancient worship, they must endeayour to reform their own lives by their example.

Now that a few poor, unlearned and plain men, deftitute of all probable human affiftance,

fent

Juliani Frif. 10. ad Arfacium