CEN T.church; and is still generally acknowledged and V. revered in that honourable character.

PART I

of these

conversions.

VII. The causes and circumstances by which The causes these different nations were engaged to abandon the superstition of their ancestors, and to embrace the religion of JESUS, may be easily deduced from the facts we have related in the history of their conversion. It would, indeed, be an instance of the blindest and most perverse partiality, not to acknowledge, that the labours and zeal of great and eminent men contributed to this happy purpose, and were the means by which the darkness of many was turned into light. But, on the other hand, they must be very inattentive and superficial observers of things, who do not perceive that the fear of punishment, the prospect of honours and advantages, and the desire of obtaining succour against their enemies from the countenance of the Christians, or the miraculous influences of their religion, were the prevailing motives that induced the greatest part to renounce the service of their impotent gods.

How far these conversions were due to real miracles attending the ministry of these early preachers, is a matter extremely difficult to be determined. For though I am persuaded that those pious men, who, in the midst of many dangers, and in the face of obstacles seemingly invincible, endeavoured to spread the light of Christianity through the barbarous nations, were sometimes accompanied with the more peculiar presence and succours of the Most High [s]; yet I am equally convinced, that the greatest part of

the

[s] There is a remarkable passage, relating, to the miracles of this century, in ÆNEAS GAZEUS'S Dialogue concerning the Immortality of the soul, &c. intitled, Theophrastus, p. 78, 80, 81. edit. Barthii. See the controversy concerning the time when miracles ceased in the church, that was carried on some years ago, on occasion of Dr MIDDLETON's Free Inquiry, &c.

V.

the prodigies, recorded in the histories of this age, C E N T. are liable to the strongest suspicions of falsehood, PART I or imposture. The simplicity and ignorance of the generality in those times furnished the most favourable occasion for the exercise of fraud; and the impudence of impostors, in contriving false miracles, was artfully proportioned to the credulity of the vulgar [t]; while the sagacious and the wise, who perceived these cheats, were obliged to silence by the dangers that threatened their lives and fortunes, if they detected the artifice [u]. Thus does it generally happen in human life, that, when the discovery and profession of the truth is attended with danger, the prudent are silent, the multitude believe, and impostors triumph.

CHAP. V.

Concerning the Calamitous Events which happened to the church during this century.

I.

in the Ro

T has been already observed, that the Goths, The Christhe Heruli, the Franks, the Huns, and the tians suffer Vandals, with other fierce and warlike nations, man em for the most part strangers to Christianity, had pire. invaded the Roman empire, and rent it assunder in the most deplorable manner. Amidst these calamities, the Christians were grievous, nay, we may venture to say, the principal sufferers. It is true, these savage nations were much more intent upon the acquisition of wealth and dominion,

than

[] This is ingenuously confessed by the Benedictine monks, Histoire Litteraire de la France, tom. ii. p. 33. and happily expressed by LIVY, Hist. lib. xxiv. cap. x. sect. 6. Prodigia mul ta nuntiata sunt, quæ quo magis credebant simplices et religiosi bomines, eo plura nuntiabantur.

[u] SULPITIUS SEVERUS, Dial. i. p. 438. Ep. i. p. 457. Dia!, iii. cap. ii. p. 487.

V.

CEN T.than upon the propagation or support of the PaPART 1. gan superstitions; nor did their cruelty and opposition to the Christians arise from any religious principle, or from an enthusiastic desire to ruin the cause of Christianity; it was merely by the instigation of the Pagans, who remained yet in the empire, that they were excited to treat with such severity and violence the followers of CHRIST. The painful consideration of their abrogated rites, and the hopes of recovering their former liberty and privileges by the means of their new masters, induced the worshippers of the gods to seize with avidity every opportunity of inspiring them with the most bitter aversion to the Christians. Their endeavours, however, were without the desired effect, and their expectations were entirely disappointed. The greatest part of these barbarians embraced Christianity; though it be also true, that, in the beginning of their usurpations, the professors of that religion suffered heavily under the rigour of their government.

The attempts of

their credit.

II. To destroy the credit of the gospel, and to the Pagans excite the hatred of the multitude against the to destroy Christians, the Pagans took occasion, from the calamities and tumults which distracted the empire, to renew the obsolete complaint of their ancestors against Christianity, as the source of these complicated woes. They alleged, that before the coming of CHRIST, the world was blessed with peace and prosperity; but that, since the progress of his religion every where, the gods, filled with indignation to see their worship neglected and their altars abandoned, had visited the earth with those plagues and desolations, which increased every day. This feeble objection was entirely removed by AUGUSTIN, in his book Concerning the city of God; a work extremely rich and ample in point of matter, and filled with the most profound and diversified erudition. It also drew

a com

V.

a complete confutation from the learned pen ofc EN T. OROSIUS, who, in a history written expressly for PARTI. that purpose, shewed, with the utmost evidence, that not only the same calamities now complained of, but also plagues of a much more dreadful kind, had afflicted mankind before the Christian religion appeared in the world.

The calamities of the times produced still more pernicious effects upon the religious sentiments of the Gauls. They introduced among that people the most desperate notions, and led many of them to reject the belief of a superintending providence, and to exclude the deity from the government of the universe. Against these frenetic infidels, SALVIAN wrote his book Concerning the divine government.

suffered.

III. Hitherto we have given only a general view The perseof the sufferings of the Christians; it is however cutions they proper, that we enter into a more distinct and particular account of that matter.

In Gaul, and the neighbouring provinces, the Goths and Vandals, whose cruel and sacrilegious soldiery respected neither the majesty of religion nor the rights of humanity, committed acts of barbarity and violence against a multitude of Christians.

In Britain, a long series of tumults and divisions involved the Christians in many troubles. When the affairs of the Romans declined in that country, the Britons were tormented by the Picts and Scots, nations remarkable for their violence and ferocity. Hence, after many sufferings and disasters, they chose in the year 445, VORTIGERN for their king. This prince, finding himself too weak to make head against the enemies of his country, called called the Anglo-Saxons from Germany to his aid in the year 449. The consequences of this measure were pernicious; and it soon appeared that this people, who came as auxi

liaries

V.

CEN T. liaries into Britain, oppressed it with calamities PART1 more grievous than those which it had suffered I. from its enemies. For the Saxons aimed at nothing

In Persia.

less than to subdue the ancient inhabitants of the country, and to reduce the whole island under their dominion. Hence a most bloody and obstinate war arose between the Britons and Saxons, which, after having been carried on, during the space of an hundred and thirty years, with various success, ended in the defeat of the Britons, who were forced to yield to the Anglo-Saxons, and to seek a retreat in Batavia and Cambria. During these commotions, the state of the British church was deplorable beyond expression; it was almost totally overwhelmed and extinguished by the Anglo-Saxons, who adhered to the worship of the gods, and put an immense number of Christians to the most cruel deaths [w]:

IV. In Persia, the Christians suffered grievously by the imprudent zeal of ABDAS, bishop of Suza, who pulled down the Pyræum, which was a temple dedicated to fire. For when this obstinate prelate was ordered by the king (ISDEGERDES) to rebuild that temple, he refused to comply; for which he was put to death in the year 414, and the churches of the Christians were levelled to the ground. This persecution was not however of long duration, but seems to have been extinguished soon after its commencement.

VARARENES, the son of the monarch already mentioned, treated the Christians in a manner yet more barbarous and inhuman in the year 421, to which he was led partly by the instigation of the Magi, and partly by his keen aversion to the Romans, with whom he was at war. For as often

as

[w] See, besides BEDE and GILDA, JAC. USSER. Antiquitat. Ecclesiæ Britanica, cap. xii. p. 415. RAPIN THOYRAS, Histoire d'Angleterre, tom. i. livr. ii. p. 91.