viz. that the deaths of these men were martyrdoms in the stricteft fenfe, that is to fay, were fo voluntary, that it was in their power, at the time of pronouncing the fentence, to have averted the execution, by confenting to join in heathen facrifices.

The conftancy, and by confequence the fufferings, of the Chriftians of this period, is alfo referred to by Epictetus, who imputes their intrepidity to madnefs, or to a kind of fashion or habit; and about fifty years afterwards, by Marcus Aurelius, who afcribes it to obftinacy. "Is it poffible (Epictetus afks) that a man may arrive at this temper, and become indifferent to those things, from madnefs or from habit, as the Galileans.a "Let this preparation of the mind (to die) arife from its own judgment, and not from obftinacy like the Chriflians."

b

CHAP. III.

There is fatisfactory evidence, that many, profeffing to be original witnefes of the Chriftian Miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted, from the fame motives, to new rules of conduct.

OF the primitive condition of Chriftianity, a diftant only

and general view can be acquired from heathen writers. It is in our own books that the detail and interior of the transaction muft be fought for. And this is nothing different from what might be expected. Who would write the history of Christianity but a Christian? Who was likely to record the travels, sufferings, labours or fucceffes of the apoftles, but one of their own number, or of their followers? Now these books come up in their accounts to the full extent of the propofition which we maintain. We have four hiftories of Jefus Chrift. We have a history taking up the narrative from his death, and carrying on an account of the propagation of the religion, and fome of the most eminent perfons engaged in it, for a space of nearly thirty years. We have, what fome may think still more original, a collection of letters, written by certain principal agents in the bufinefs, upon the

a Epic. I. iv. c. 7.

b Marc. Aur. Med. 1. xi. c. 3.

business, and in the midst of their concern and connexion with it. And we have these writings feverally attesting the point which we contend for, viz. the fufferings of the witneffes of the history, and attesting it in every variety of form in which it can be conceived to appear; directly and indirectly, exprefsly and incidentally, by affertion, recital and allufion, by narratives of facts, and by arguments and difcourfes built upon thefe facts, either referring to them, or neceffarily presupposing them. -

I remark this variety, because in examining ancient records, or indeed any species of teftimony, it is, in my opinion, of the greatest importance to attend to the information or grounds of argument which are cafually and undefignedly difclofed; forafmuch as this fpecies of proof is, of all others, the least liable to be corrupted by fraud or mifrepresentation.

I may be allowed therefore, in the inquiry which is now before us, to fuggeft fome conclufions of this fort as preparatory to more direct teftimony.

1. Our books relate, that Jefus Chrift, the founder of the religion, was, in confequence of his undertaking, put to death, as a malefactor, at Jerufalem. This point at least will be granted, because it is no more than what Tacitus has recorded. They then proceed to tell us, that the religion was, notwithStanding, fet forth at the fame city of Jerufalem, propagated from thence throughout Judea, and afterwards preached in other parts of the Roman empire. These points alfo are fully confirmed by Tacitus, who informs us, that the religion, after a fhort check, broke out again in the country where it took its rife; that it not only spread throughout Judea, but had reached Rome; and that it had there great multitudes of converts :: and all this within thirty years after its commencement. Now thefe facts afford a strong inference in behalf of the propofition which we maintain. What could the difciples of Chrift expect for themselves, when they faw their mafter put to death? Could they hope to escape the dangers in which he had perished? If they have perfecuted me, they will alfo perfecute you, was the warning of common fenfe. With this example before their eyes, they could not be without a full sense of the peril of their future enterprise.

2. Secondly, all the hiftories agree in reprefenting Chrift as foretelling the perfecution of his followers.

"Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill and ye fhall be hated of all nations for my name's fake."

a Matt. xxiv. 9.

"When affliction or perfecution arifeth for the word's fake, immediately they are offended."a

"They fhall lay hands on you, and perfecute you, delivering you up to the fynagogues, and into prifons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's fake; and ye fhall be betrayed both by parents and brethren, and kinsfolks and friends, and fome of you fhall they caufe to be put to death."

you

"The time cometh, that he that killeth you will think that he doeth God fervice. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told of them." I am not entitled to argue from these paffages, that Christ actually did foretel these events, and that they did accordingly come to pafs, because that would be at once to affume the truth of the religion: but I am entitled to contend, that one fide or other of the following disjunction is true, either that the evangelifts have delivered what Chrift really spoke, and that the event correfponded with the prediction; or that they put the prediction into Chrift's mouth, becaufe, at the time of writing the history, the event had turned out fo to be: for the only two remaining fuppofitions appear in the highest degree incredible, which are, either that Chrift filled the minds of his followers with fears and apprehenfions, without any reafon or authority for what he faid, and contrary to the truth of the cafe; or that, although Christ had never foretold any fuch thing, and the event would have contradicted him if he had, yet historians who lived in the age when the event was known, falfely as well as officioufly afcribed these words to him.

3. Thirdly, thefe books abound with exhortations to patience, and with topics of comfort under distress.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Chrift? Shall tribulation, or diftrefs, or perfecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or fword? Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.'

"We are troubled on every fide, yet not diftreffed; we are perplexed, but not in defpair; perfecuted, but not forfaken;

a Mark iv. 17. fee alfo x. 30.

b Luke xxi. 12-16. see alfo xi. 49.

c John xvi. 4. fee alfo xv. 20. and xvi. 33,

Rom. viii. 35, 37.

caft down but not destroyed; always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jefus, that the life alfo of Jefus might be made manifeft in our body-knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jefus fhall raise us up alfo by Jefus, and shall prefent us with you-for which cause we faint not, but, though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day; for our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."a

"Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of fuffering affliction, and of patience. Behold we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.

"Call to remembrance the former days, in which, after ye were illuminated, ye endured a great fight of afflictions, partly whilst ye were made a gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions, and partly whilft ye became companions of them that were so used; for ye had compaffion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the fpoiling of your goods, knowing in your-" felves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Caft not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompenfe of reward; for ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promife." c

"So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God, for your patience and faith in all your perfecutions and tribulations that ye endure. Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be accounted worthy of the kingdom, for which ye alfo fuffer."d

"We rejoice in hope of the glory of God; and not only fo, but we glory in tribulations alfo; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope."e

"Beloved, think it not ftrange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though fome ftrange thing happened unto you, but rejoice, inafmuch as ye are partakers of Chrift's fufferings. Wherefore let them that fuffer according to the

a 2 Cor. iv. 8, 9, 10, 14, 16, 17. Heb. x. 32-36.

c Rom. v. 3. 4.

b James v. 10, 11.

d 2 Thefl. i. 1-5.

will of God, commit the keeping of their fouls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator."a

What could all these texts mean, if there was nothing in the circumstances of the times which required patience, which called for the exercife of conftancy and refolution? Or will it be pretended that thefe exhortations (which, let it be observed, come not from one author, but from many) were put in, merely to induce a belief in after ages, that the first Christians were exposed to dangers which they were not exposed to, or underwent fufferings which they did not undergo. If these books belong to the age to which they lay claim, and in which age, whether genuine or fpurious, they certainly did appear, this fuppofition cannot be maintained for a moment; because I think it impoffible to believe, that paffages, which must be deemed not only unintelligible but falfe, by the perfons into whofe hands the books. upon their publication were to come, should nevertheless be inferted, for the purpofe of producing an effect upon remote generations. In forgeries which do not appear till many ages after that to which they pretend to belong, it is poffible that fome contrivance of that fort may take place; but in no others can it be attempted.

CHAP. IV.

There is fatisfactory evidence, that many, profeffing to be original witnelles of the Chriflian Miracles, paffed their lives in labours, dangers and fufferings, voluntarily undergone in atteftation of the accounts which they delivered, and folely in confequence of their belief of thofe accounts; and that they alfo fubmitted, from the fame motives, to new rules of conduct.

THE

HE account of the treatment of the religion and of the exertions of its first preachers, as stated in our fcriptures, not in a profeffed hiftory of perfecutions, or in the connected manner in which I am about to recite it, but difperfedly and occafionally, in the course of a mixed, general history, (which circumstance alone negatives the fuppofition of any fraudulent defign) is the following: "That the founder of Chriftianity, from the commencement of his miniftry to the time of his violent death, employed

a 1 Pet. iv. 12, 13, 19.