neft defire of it, though it appeared in all its terrors. This they found had not been effected by all the doctrines of those Philofophers, whom they had thoroughly ftudied, and who had been labouring at this great point. The fight of thefe dying and tormented Martyrs engaged them to fearch into the hiftory and doctrines of him for whom they fuffered. The more they fearched, the more they were convinced; till their conviction grew fo ftrong, that they themselves embraced the fame truths, and either actually laid down their lives, or were always in a readiness to do it, rather than depart from them...

SECTION VIII.

I. The completion of our Saviour's prophecies confirmed Pagans in their belief of the Gospel.

II. Origen's obfervation on that of his Difciples being brought before. Kings and Governors;

III. On

III. On their being perfecuted for their religion;

IV. On their preaching the Gospel to all

nations;

V. On the deftruction of Jerufalem, and ruin of the Jewish economy.

VI. These arguments frengthened by what has happened fince Origen's time.

1. TH

HE fecond of those extraordinary means, of great ufe to the learned and inquifitive Pagans of the three firft Centuries, for evincing the truth of the hiftory of our Saviour, was the completion of fuch prophecies as are recorded of him in the Evangelifts. They couldnot indeed form any arguments from what he foretold, and was fulfilled during his life, because both the prophecy and the completion were over before they were published by the Evangelifts; though, as Origen obferves, what end could there be in forging fome of these predictions, as that of St. Peter's denying his mafter, and all his Difciples forfaking him in the greatest extremity, which reflects fo much fhame on the great Apostle, and on all his companions? Nothing but a ftrict adherence to truth,

and

and to matters of fact, could have prompted the Evangelifts to relate a circumftance fo difadvantageous to their own reputation; as that Father has well obferved.

II. But to pursue his reflexions on this fubject. There are predictions of our Saviour recorded by the Evangelifts, which were not completed till after their deaths, and had no likelihood of being fo, when they were pronounced by our bleffed Saviour. Such was that wonderful notice he gave them, that they fhould be brought before Governors and Kings for his fake, for a teftimony against them and the Gentiles, Mat. x. 28. with the other like prophecies, by which he foretold that his Difciples were to be perfecuted. Is there any other doctrine in the world, fays this Father, whofe followers are punished? Can the enemies of Chrift fay, that he knew his opinions were false and impious, and that therefore he might well conjecture and foretel what would be the treatment of thofe perfons who fhould embrace them? Suppofing his doctrines were really fuch, why fhould this be the confequence? what likelihood that men thould be brought before Kings

and

and Governors for opinions and tenets of any kind, when this never happened even to the Epicureans, who abfolutely denied a Providence; nor to the Peripateticks themselves, who laughed at the prayers and facrifices which were made to the Divinity? Are there any but the Chriftians who, according to this prediction of our Saviour, being brought before Kings and Governors for his fake, are preffed to their lateft gafp of breath, by their refpective judges to renounce Christianity, and to procure their liberty and reft, by offering the fame facrifices, and taking the fame oaths that others did?

III. Confider the time when our Saviour pronounced thofe words, Mat.x. 32. Whosoever shall confefs me before men, bim will I confefs alfo before my Father which is in heaven: but whefoever shall deny me before men, him will I alfo deny before my Father which is in heaven. Had you heard him fpeak after this manner, when as yet his Difciples were under no fuch trials, you would certainly have faid within your felf, If thefe fpeeches of Jefus are true, and if according to his prediction, Governors and Kings un

dertake

dertake to ruin and deftroy those who fhall profess themfelves his Difciples, we will believe (not only that he is a Prophet) but that he has received power from God fufficient to preferve and propagate his religion; and that he would. never talk in fuch a peremptory and difcouraging manner, were he not affured that he was able to fubdue the most powerful oppofition, that could be made against the faith and doctrine which he taught.

IV. Who is not ftruck with admiration, when he represents to himself our Saviour at that time foretelling, that his Gospel thould be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, or as Origen (who rather quotes the fenfe than the words) to ferve for a conviction to Kings and people, when at the fame time he finds that his Gospel has accordingly been preached to Greeks and Barbarians, to the learned and to the ignorant, and that there is no quality or condition of life able to exempt men from fubmitting to the doctrine of Chrift? As for us, fays this great Author, in another part of his book against Celfus, "When we fee every day thofe events

66

exactly