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from the testimonies of Tertullian, Clemens of CENT. Alexandria, and other writers. Those, there- II. fore, are not to be followed, who affirmed, that PART I the Christians suffered nothing under Severus, before the beginning of the third century which was distinguished by the cruel edicts of this emperor against their lives and fortunes. For as the imperial laws against the Christians were not abrogated, and the iniquitous edicts of Trajan and Marcus Antoninus were still in force, there was a door, of consequence, open to the fury and injustice of corrupt magistrates as often as they were pleased to exercise them upon the church. It was this series of calamities, under which it groaned towards the conclusion of the second century, which engaged Tertullian to write his Apology, and several other books, in defence of the Christians.

ployed to

odious.

VIII. It is very easy to account for the suffer- The calumings and calamities with which the disciples of nies emJesus were loaded, when we consider how they render were blackened and rendered odious by the rail-them ings, the calumnies, and libels of the Heathen priests, and the other defenders of a corrupt and most abominable. system of superstition. The injurious imputations, the horrid charges of which we took notice above, are mentioned by all those who have written in defence of the Christians, and ought indeed to stand always upon record, as a proof both of the weakness and wickedness of their adversaries. Nothing more frivolous and insignificant than the objections which the most famous defenders of Paganism opposed to the truth of Christianity at this time; and such as desire a convincing proof of this assertion, have only to read the arguments of Celsus, on that subject. This philosopher wrote against the Christians during the reign of Adrian, and was admirably refuted in the following century, by Ori

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PART I.

CENT. gen, who represents him as an Epicurean (a misII. take which has been almost generally followed,) whereas it appears, with the utmost probability, that he was a Platonic philosopher of the sect of Ammonius [c]. Be that as it will, Celsus was a trifling caviller, as is manifest from the answer of Origen; nor do his writings against Christianity serve any other purpose than to shew his malignant and illiberal turn of mind.

Fronto, the rhetorician, and Crescens, the Cynic philosopher, made also some wretched attempts against Christianity. The efforts of the former are only known by the mention that is made of them by Minutius Felix [d]; and the enterprises of the latter were confined to a vehement zeal for the ruin of the Christians, and a virulent persecution of Justin Martyr, which ended in the cruel death of that eminent saint [e].

[c] The learned Dr. Lardner does not think it possible that Celsus could have been of the sect of Ammonius, since the former lived and wrote in the second century, whereas the latter did not flourish before the third. And indeed we learn from Origen himself, that he knew of two only of the name of Celsus, one who lived in the time of Nero, and the other in the reign of Adrian, and afterwards. The latter was the philosopher who wrote against Christianity.

[d] Octavius, p. 226. edit. Heraldi.

[e] Justin Mart. Apologia secunda, p. 21. Tatian, Orat. contra. Græcos, p. 72. edit. Worthii.

PART II.

The INTERNAL HISTORY of the CHURCH

CHAP. I.

Concerning the state of letters and philosophy during this century.

L

UNDER the reign of Trajan, letters and CENT.

II.

PART II.

The state of

philosophy came forth from the retreat where they had languished during the savage tyranny of his predecessors, and, by the auspicious protection of this excellent prince, were in some learning. measure restored to their former lustre [f]. This happy revolution in the republic of letters, was, indeed, but of a short duration, as it was not supported by the following emperors, who were, for the most part, averse to literary pursuits. Even Marcus Antoninus, who surpassed them all in learning, gave protection and encouragement to the Stoics alone; and, after the example of that supercilious sect, treated the arts and sciences with indifference and contempt [g]. And here we see the true reason why the writers of this century are, in general, so much inferior to those of the former, in point of elegance and purity, elo

quence and taste.

II. It must be observed, at the same time, that Learned this degeneracy of erudition and taste did not men. amount to an utter extinction of the one and the other. For even in this century, there were

both

among

the Greeks and Romans, men of emi

M 3

f] Plin. epist. lib. iii. ep. 18.

[8] In the first book of his meditations, sect. 7. 17.

nent

II.

PART II.

CENT. nent genius and abilities, who set off, in the most advantageous manner, the learning of the times in which they lived. Among the learned Grecians, the first place is due to Plutarch, a man of vast erudition, whose knowledge was various, but indigested, and whose philosophical taste was corrupted by the sceptical tenets of the academics. There were, likewise, in all the more considerable cities of the Roman empire, rhetoricians, sophists, and grammarians, who, by a variety of learned exercises, seemed zealous in forming the youth to their arts of eloquence and declamation, and in rendering them fit, by their talents and their acquisitions, to be useful to their country. But the instruction acquired in these schools was more specious than solid; and the youth who received their education in them, distinguished themselves at their entrance upon the active stage of life, more by empty declamation, than by true eloquence; more by pompous erudition, than by wisdom and dexterity in the management of public affairs. The consequence of this was, that the rhetoricians and sophists, though agreeable to the corrupt taste of the times, which was incapable, generally speaking, of perceiving the native charms of truth, yet fell into contempt among the prudent and the wise, who held in derision the knowledge and education that were acquired in their auditories. Besides the schools now mentioned, there were two public academies in the empire; the one at Rome, founded by Adrian, in which all the sciences were taught; and the other at Berytus in Phoenicia, which was principally destined for the education of the youth in the sciences of law [h].

Stoics.

III. Many philosophers of all the different sects flourished at this time, whose names we think it

not

[h] See the Meditations of M. Antoninus, book i. sect. 7. 10.

II.

PART II.

not necessary to mention []. Two, however, CENT there were, of such remarkable and shining merit, as rendered them real ornaments to the Stoic philosophy, which the meditations of Marcus Antoninus and the manual of Epictetus abundantly testify. These two great men had more admirers than disciples and followers; for, in this century, the Stoical sect was not in the highest esteem, as the rigour and austerity of its doctrine were by no means suited to the dissolute manners of the times. The Platonic schools were Platonics. more frequented for several reasons, and particularly for these two, that their moral precepts were less rigorous and severe than those of the Stoics, and their doctrines more conformable to, or, rather, less incompatible with the common opinions concerning the gods, but of all the philosophers, the Epicureans enjoyed the greatest reputation, Epicureans. and had undoubtedly the greatest number of followers, because their opinions tended to encourage the indolent security of a voluptuous and effeminate life, and to banish the remorse and terrors that haunt vice, and naturally incommode the wicked in their sensual pursuits [k].

the new

IV. Towards the conclusion of this century, a The rise of new sect of philosophers arose of a sudden, spread Platonics in with amazing rapidity throughout the greatest Egypt. part of the Roman empire, swallowed up almost all the other sects, and was extremely detrimental to the cause of Christianity. Alexandria in Egypt, which had been, for a long time, the seat of learning, and as it were, the centre of all the liberal arts and sciences, gave birth to this new philosophy. Its votaries chose to be called Platonics though, far from adhering to all the tenets

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[i] Justin Mart. Dialog. cum Tryphone, opp. p. 218, &c. We find also many of these philosophers mentioned in the meditations of the Emperor Marc. Antoninus.

[k] Lucian Pseudomant. p. 763. tom. i. opp.

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