I. much frequented for the same purpose, as a great CENT. number of the Grecian philosophers and rhetoricians dwelt in that city. XII. The Romans also at this time, made a shining figure among the polished and learned nations. All the sciences flourished at Rome. The youth of a higher rank were early instructed in the Greek language and eloquence. From thence they proceeded to the study of philosophy, and the laws of their country; and they finished their education by a voyage into Greece, where they not only gave the last degree of perfection to their philosophical studies, but also acquired that refined wit and eloquence of taste, that served to set off their more solid attainments in the most advantageous manner [p]. None of the philosophical sects were more in vogue among the Romans than the Epicureans and the Academics, which were peculiarly favoured by the great, who, soothed by their doctrines into a false security, indulged their passions without remorse, and continued in their vicious pursuits, without terror. During the reign of Augustus, the culture of polite learning and of the fine arts, was held in great honour, and those that contributed with zeal and success to this, were eminently distinguished by that prince. But after his death, learning languished without encouragement, and was neglected, because the succeeding emperors were more intent upon the arts of war and rapine, than those more amiable arts and inventions that are the fruits of leisure and peace. PART II. At Rome. nations. XIII. With respect to the other nations, such In the other as the Germans, Celts, and Bretons, it is certain, that they were not destitute of learned and inge nious [p] See Paganani Gaudentii Liber de Philosophiae apud Romanos initio et progressu, in Tertio Fasciculo Nove Collectionis Variorum Scriptorum. Hala, 1717. I. PART II. CENT. nious men. Among the Gauls, the people of Marseilles had long acquired a shining reputation for their progress in the sciences [9]; and there is no doubt, but that the neighbouring countries received the benefit of their instructions. Among the Celts, their druids, priests, philosophers, and legislators were highly remarkable for their wisdom; but their writings, at least such as are yet extant, are not sufficient to inform us of the nature of their philosophy [r]. The Romans, indeed, introduced letters and philosophy into all the provinces which submitted to their victorious arms, in order to soften the rough manners of the savage nations, and form in them imperceptibly, the sentiments and feelings of humanity [s]. CHAP. II. Concerning the Doctors and Ministers of the Theneces- I. lic teachers. sity of pub-IHE great end of Christ's mission was to form an universal church, gathered out of all the nations of the world, and to extend the limits of this great society from age to age. But, in order to this, it was necessary, first, to appoint extraordinary teachers, who, converting the Jews and Gentiles to the truth, should erect every where, Christian assemblies; and then, to establish ordinary ministers, and interpreters of the divine [q] See the Histoire Literaire de la France par des Religieux Benedictins. Dissert. Prelim. p. 42. &c. [r] Jac. Martin, Religion des Gaulois, livr. i. cap. xxi. p. 175. [s] Juvenal, Satir. xv. ver. 110. "Nunc totus Graias notrasque habet orbis Athenas, I. PART II. divine will, who should enforce, and repeat the CENT. doctrines delivered by the former, and maintain the people in their holy profession, and in the practice of the Christian virtues. For the best system of religion must necessarily either dwindle to nothing or be egregiously corrupted, if it is not perpetually inculcated and explained by a regular and standing ministry. II. The extraordinary teachers, whom Christ Extraordiemployed to lay the foundations of his everlasting ary teachkingdom, were the twelve apostles, and the seventy disciples, of whom mention has been made above. To these the Evangelists are to be added, by which title those were distinguished whom the apostles sent to instruct the nations, or who, of their own accord, abandoned every worldly attachment, and consecrated themselves to the sacred office of propagating the gospel [t]. In this rank, also, we must place those, to whom, in the infancy of the church, the marvellous power of speaking in foreign languages which they had never learned, was communicated from above. For the person to whom the divine omnipotence and liberality had imparted the gift of tongues, might conclude, with the utmost assurance, from the gift itself, (which a wise being would not bestow in vain,) that he was appointed by God to minister unto the truth, and to employ his talents in the service of Christianity [u]. III. Many have undertaken to write the history The autho of the apostles [w], a history which we find rity of the loaded with fables, doubts, and difficulties, when we [t] See St. Paul's Epistle to the Ephesians, iv. 11. As also Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. iii. cap. xxxvii. [u] 1 Cor. xiv. 22. 臨 [w] The authors who have written concerning the apostles, are enumerated by Sagittarius in his Introduction to Ecclesi astical History, ch. i. p. 2. and also by Buddæus, in his treatise, De Ecclesia Apostolica, p. 674. apostles. PART II. CENT. we pursue it further than the books of the NewI. Testament, and the most ancient writers in the Christian church. In order to have a just idea of the nature, privileges, and authority of the apostolic function, we must consider an apostle as a person who was honoured with a divine commission, invested with the power of making laws, of controlling and restraining the wicked, when that was expedient, and of working miracles, when necessary; and sent to mankind, to unfold to them the divine will, to open to them the paths of salva tion and immortality, and to separate from the mul titude,and unite in the bonds of one sacred society, those who were attentive and obedient to the voice of God addressed to men by their ministry [x]. The LXX. disciples. IV. The accounts we have of the seventy disciples are still more obscure than those of the apostles; since the former are only once mentioned in the New Testament, (Luke x. 1.) The illustrations that we have yet remaining, relative to their character and office, are certainly composed by the more modern Greeks, and, therefore, can have but little authority or credit [y]. Their com mission extended no further than the Jewish nation, as appears from the express words of St. Luke; though it is highly probable, that, after Christ's ascension they performed the functions of Evangelists, and declared the glad tidings of salvation, and the [x] See Fred. Spanheim, De apostolis et apostolatu, tom. ii. opp. p. 289. It is not without weighty reasons, and without having considered the matter attentively, that I have supposed the apostles invested with the power of enacting laws. I am sensible that some very learned men among the moderns have denied this power, but I apprehend they differ from me rather in words than in any thing else. [y] These accounts are to be seen at the end of three books concerning the life and death of Moses, which were discovered and illustrated by Gilb. Gaulminus, and republished by Jo. Albert Fabricius, in his Biblioth. Græc. p. the means of obtaining it, through different nations CENT. and provinces. I. PART II. The exter V. Neither Christ himself nor his holy apostles, have commanded any thing clearly or expressly concerning the external form of the nal form of church, and the precise method, according to the church which it should be governed [z]. From this we mined by VOL. I. H may [] Those who imagine, that Christ himself, or the apostles, by his direction and authority, appointed a certain fixed form of church-government, are not agreed what that form was. The principal opinions that have been adopted upon this head may be reduced to the four following: The first is that of the Roman Catholics, who maintain, "That "Christ's intention and appointment was, that his followers should be collected into one sacred empire, subjected to "the government of St. Peter and his successors, and divided, "like the kingdoms of this world, into several provinces; "that in consequence thereof, Peter fixed the seat of "ecclesiastical dominion at Rome, but afterwards to alleviate "the burthen of his office, divided the church into three "greater provinces, according to the division of the world at "that time, and appointed a person to preside in each, who "was dignified with the title of patriarch; that the European patriarch resided at Rome, the Asiatic at Antioch, and the "African at Alexandria; that the bishops of each province, among whom also there were various ranks, were to re"verence the authority of their respective patriarchs, and "that both bishops and patriarchs were to be passively sub"ject to the supreme dominion of the Roman Pontiff *" This romantic account scarcely deserves a serious refutation. The second opinion concerning the government of the church, makes no mention of a supreme head, or of patriarchs, constituted by divine authority, but supposes that the apostles divided the Roman empire into as many ecclesiastical provinces as there were secular, or civil ones; that the metropolitan bishop, i. e. the prelate, who resided in the capital city of each province, presided over the clergy of that province, and that the other bishops were subject to his authority. This opinion has been adopted by some of the most learned of the Romish church †, and has also been favoured *See Leon Allatius, De perpetua concens. Eccles. Orient, et Occident, lib. i. cap. ii. Morinus, Exercitat. Ecclesiast. lib, i, Exer. i. + Petrus De Marca, De concord. sacerdot. et imperii, lib. vi. cap. i. Morinus, Exer. Eccl. lib. i. Ex. xviii. Pagi Critica in annal. Baronii ad A. xxxvii, tom, i. p. 29. not deter Christ. |