contagion, the chriftian religion (a): So Tertullian afterwards boafts, that all places but

(a) Pliny's words are-Prope jam defolata templa— et facra folennia diu intermiffa. Neque civitates tantum, fed vicos etiam atque agros fuperftitionis iftius contagio pervagata eft. This letter to Trajan was written in the year of Rome 846; of this emperor 7, and of our Lord 104. -Trajan reigned almoft twenty years, and died A. D. 118. He was a great and excellent prince; and if the chriftians were perfecuted under his government, it was not in a religious manner, or hatred to their notions; but because their affembling without authority was against the antient laws of the empire, and

ren

in the breafts of many in European nations, against the reception of what is now called Chriftian Inftitution? So changed and deformed is the celestial beauty by the ufage the has received from pontifician theologers, that one cannot think the church they fhew ever defcended from heaven. If there were no other chriftianity than Romifh religion to be found on earth, and we had loft the facred oracles, then Mohammed, thy fyftem should be my religion. But bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift for the New Teftament, which still remains with us in all its original glory, and in spite of the devil, the pope, and St. Athanafius, holds to the world that venerable chriftianity, which our divine Lord and ever-bleffed mafter, our redeemer and mediator, revealed; to furnish us with felicity, and the bleffed nefs of man; to make us worshippers of the Father in fpirit and in truth; and to conduct us from this first scene to the clear vifion and full enjoyment of God himself in a perfect eternal state. Halleluiah: Ei qui infidet throno, et agno, benedictio et honor, et gloria, robur in fecula feculorum. Iterumque dixerunt Halleluia: Sedenti in folio, et agno laus, et honos, et gloria, et imperium in fempiterna fecula.

but these temples were filled with chriftians, fo that were they only to withdraw, cities and provinces would be depopulated (a). Does prove the truth of the chriftian religion,

not this

Nor did he

rendered them obnoxious to punishment. act up to the rigor of the old fettled laws, when he was rightly informed of the goodness of the chriftians manners, and that they were not, as he had imagined at firft, enemys to the common-weal; but directed his minifter to ufe lenity, and not officiously enter into any enquiries concerning them. The chriftians need not be fought after. Conquirendi non funt, are the words of Trajan; which are vaftly different from the orders of a Diaclefian, or a Lewis the XIVth.

(a) Tertullian's words are, Hesterni fumus et veftra omnia implevimus, urbes, infulas, caftella, municipia, etc. Sola vobis relinquimus templa.Tertullian, the Carthaginian flourished under the reigns of Severus, and Antoninus Caracaila, that is, from A. D. 194 to A. D. 196. He dyed in 220. His apology for the chriftian religion is an admirable thing; but that is more than we can fay of all his other works; especially of those written after he became a Montanist, that is, a miferable vifionary; which happened about twenty years before his death. The best edition of his works is that of Paris 1663, folio; but as the apology only is worth your reading, get Vaffoult's traduction of it, with that gentleman's notes, edit. Paris 1715. This is a fine performance. Get likewife Thomas of Foffe his life of him; which is a curious thing: This piece came out in the name of La Motte. And our Alix's life of Tertullian you ought to look into. It is a learned and accurat performance. It is called Differtatio de Tertulliani Vita & fcriptis. Peter Allix was a minifter of the reformed church at Rouen; and on the revocation of the edict of Nantz, came over here,

and

gion, and manifeft a fupernatural interpofition in favor of the most excellent fyftem cf morals?

Popery had immenfe military forces in its propagation, the negotiations and artifice of human policy, and innumerable miffions fupported by vaft friends: But the religion of Jefus, our holy religion, without legions and money, without orators and philofophers, triumphed over the princes of the earth, torments, and death; over the lufts and errors, the fuperftitions and interefts of carnal men. Armed with nothing but faith, truth, and goodness, the holy apoftles encountered kings and priests, and proved to the whole world, that God was in them of a truth.

All this must be granted; (Mr. Hanmer confeffed) but tell me (he continued) what do you fay to the fupreme divinity of the Son, and his being a facrifice to appease the otherwise inexorable wrath of the Father, and

fa

and was complimented with the degree of Doctor of divinity; and felicitated with the treasureship of the church of Salisbury. He was a man of learning and abilities. His douze fermons, Rotterdam 1685, in 12mo, are perfpicuous and fine; and contain beautiful paffages. His Reflexions on the Scriptures, and Ecclefiaftical Hiftory, are likewife two good books; but with all this tritheifm was his darling, and he made himself ridiculous at laft with his defences of it. He was born at Alençon 1641. He died at London February 21, 1717..

fatisfy the divine justice; which things the doctors declare to be the very effence of christian religion?

These things, it was answered, were no part of chriftianity. They are errors that have fprouted from the fruitful heads of our theologers; our right orthodox fathers. Chrift Jefus, throughout the facred letters, by fair reafon explained, is no more than the image of God, the brightness of his glory, in the character of a human perfon of the most tranfcendent merit, exalted above all others, and most highly rewarded for his confummat piety and virtue; and he dyed for our benefit, to be a compleat and perfect guide and pattern in active and paffive goodness; and the chief of the dead and living; God who is ever inclined to mercy and kindness, being pleafed to make his pure grace and mercy have refpect to the obedience and worthyness of Jesus; that is, as the late Dr. Fofter expreffes it, God who forefaw the fufferings of Christ would be the natural confequence of his glorious attempt, to mend the world, was pleased, in his great wisdom, to ordain, that the death of Jefus fhould be confidered as a facrifice; the common parent of the univerfe by this means, making that very thing the channel or conveyance of pardon to us, which, in its own nature, has a tendency to make us fubjects qualifyed for it. All the power of

I

Jefus,

Jefus, the granted power of raifing us from the dead, and of introducing us to the chambers of glory, or the manfions of his Father's house, is conferred upon him in reward of virtue. The whole affair, in respect of God, and of the greatest of derived beings, one mediator, is in the highest rational, merciful, and glorious. Here are no bufy points. We worship only almighty God our Father, and receive remiffion of fins, through the authority given to Jefus (to thew the excellence of virtue) and by his gofpel.

But tell me then (Mr. Hanmer fayed) why has not univerfality crowned this difpenfation? If the gospel and granted authority of Jefus can procure a refurrection from the dead and everlasting glory, why are not all the human race bleffed with this revelation ?

To this it was replyed, that notwithstanding the want of univerfality in the chriftian religion, was by many thought an invincible objection against it, yet, in reality, there was nothing in it, when the whole matter was rightly confidered.

In the first place, the effence of all true religion is eternally and immutably the fame, tho the inftitution and outward form of it may be changed by God as the different capacitys, prejudices, and circumstances of

men,