*

" Oris

yet doth it flourish more and more gen, who follows Tertullian at the distance of only thirty years, delivers nearly the fame account: "In every part of the world (fays he), throughout all Greece, and in all other nations, there are innumerable and immenfe multitudes, who, having left the laws of their country, and those whom they esteemed gods, have given themselves up to the law of Mofes, and the religion of Chrift; and this, not without the bittereft refentment from the idolaters, by whom they were frequently put to torture, and fometimes to death; and it is wonderful to obferve, how, in fo fhort a time, the religion has increased, amidst punishment and death, and every kind of torture." In another paffage, Origen draws the following candid comparison between the state of Chriftianity in his time, and the condition of its more primitive ages:-" By the good providence of God the Christian religion has fo flourished and increased continually, that it is now preached

* Clem. Al. Strom. lib. vi. ad fin.

Or. in Celf. lib. i.

freely

freely without moleftation, although there were a thousand obftacles to the spreading of the doctrine of Jefus in the world. But as it was the will of God that the Gentiles should have the benefit of it, all the councils of men against the Chriftians were defeated; and by how much the more emperors and governors of provinces, and the people everywhere, ftrove, to deprefs them, fo much the more have they increafed and prevailed exceedingly

It is well known, that within less than eighty years after this, the Roman empire became Chriftian under Conftantine; and it is probable that Conftantine declared himfelf on the fide of the Chriftians, becaufe they were the powerful party: for Arnobius, who wrote immediately before Conftantine's acceffion, speaks of the whole world as filled with Chrift's doctrine, of its diffufion throughout all countries, of an innumerable body of Chriftians in diftant provinces, of

*Or. con. Celf. lib. vii.

the

the strange revolution of opinion of men of the greatest genius, orators, grammarians, rhetoricians, lawyers, phyficians, having come over to the inftitution, and that alfo in the face of threats, executions, and tortures * And not more than twenty years after Conftantine's entire poffeffion of the empire, Julius Firmicus Maternus calls upon the emperors Conftantius and Conftans to extirpate the relics of the ancient religion; the reduced and fallen condition of which is defcribed by our author in the following words:"Licet adhuc in quibufdam regio-. nibus idololatriæ morientia palpitent membra, tamen in eo res eft, ut a Christianis omnibus terris peftiferum hoc malum funditus amputetur ;" and in another place, “ Modicum tantum fupereft, ut legibus veftris-extincta idololatriæ pereat funefta contagio †.” It will not be thought that we quote this

* Arnob. in Gentes, 1. ì. p. 27. 9. 24. 42. 44. edit. Lug. Bat. 1650.

† De Error. Profan. Relig. c. xxi. p. 172. quoted by Lardner, vol, viii. p. 262.

writer in order to recommend his temper or his judgement, but to fhew the comparative state of Christianity and of Heathenism at this period. Fifty years afterwards, Jerome represents the decline of Paganism in language which conveys the fame idea of its approaching extinction: "Solitudinem patitur et in urbe gentilitas. Dii quondam nationum, cum bubonibus et noctuis, in fo lis culminibus remanferunt*." Jerome here. indulges a triumph, natural and allowable in a zealous friend of the caufe, but which could only be fuggefted to his mind by the confent and univerfality with which he faw the religion received. "But now (fays he) the paffion and refurrection of Chrift are celebrated in the difcourfes and writings of all nations. I need not mention Jews, Greeks, and Latins. The Indians, Persians, Goths and Egyptians, philofophife, and firmly believe the immortality of the soul, and future recompenfes, which, before, the greatest philofophers had denied, or doubted

VOL. II.

Jer. ad Lect. ep. 57.

R

of

of, cr perplexed with their difputes. The fierceness of Thracians and Scythians is now foftened by the gentle found, of the gofpel; and every where Christ is all in all." Were therefore the motives of Con* ftantine's converfion ever fo problematical, the eafy establishment of Chriftianity, and the ruin of Heathenifm under him and his immediate fucceffors, is of itfelf a proof of the progress which Christianity had made in the preceding period. It may be added alfo, "that Maxentius, the rival of Conftantine, had shewn himself friendly to the Chriftians. Therefore, of those who were contending for worldly power and empire, one actually favoured and flattered them, and another may be fufpected to have joined himself to them, partly from confideration of intereft: fo confiderable were they become, under external disadvantages of all forts †. This at leaft is certain, that, throughout the whole tranfaction hitherto, the great

*Jer. ep. 8. ad Heliod.

+ Lardner, vol. vii. p. 380.

feemed