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more patrio; a habit of thinking, liberal as it may appear, which fhuts the door against every argument for a new religion. The confiderations above mentioned would acquire also ftrength from the prejudice which men of rank and learning universally entertain against any thing that originates with the vulgar and illiterate; which prejudice is known to be as obftinate as any prejudice whatever.

Yet Chriftianity was ftill making its way: and, amidst fo many impediments to its progrefs, fo much difficulty in procuring audience and attention, its actual fuccefs is more to be wondered at, than that it should' not have univerfally conquered fcorn and indifference, fixed the levity of a voluptu ous age, or, through a cloud of adverse prejudications, opened for itself a paffage to the hearts and understandings of the fcholars of the age.

And the cause which is here affigned for the rejection of Chriftianity by men of

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rank and learning among the heathens, namely, a strong antecedent contempt, accounts alfo for their filence concerning it. If they had rejected it upon examination, they would have written about it. They would have given their reasons. Whereas what men repudiate upon the ftrength of fome prefixed perfuafion, or from a fettled contempt of the fubject, of the perfons who propofe it, or of the manner in which it is proposed, they do not naturally write books about, or notice much in what they write upon other fubjects.

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The letters of the younger Pliny furnish an example of this filence, and let us, in fome measure, into the cause of it. From his celebrated correfpondence with Trajan, we know that the Chriftian religion prevailed in a very confiderable degree in the province over which he prefided; that it had excited his attention; that he had enquired into the matter, juft fo much as a Roman magiftrate might be expected to enquire, viz. whether the religion contained any opi

nions dangerous to government; but that of its doctrines, its evidences, or its books, he had not taken the trouble to inform himfelf with any degree of care or correctness. But although Pliny had viewed Christianity in a nearer pofition, than most of his learned countrymen faw it in; yet he had regarded the whole with fuch negligence and difdain (farther than as it feemed to concern his administration), that, in more than two hundred and forty letters of his which have come down to us, the fubject is never once again mentioned. If out of this number the two letters between him and Trajan had been loft, with what confidence would the obscurity of the Christian religion have been argued from Pliny's filence about it, and with how little truth!

The name and character which Tacitus has given to Chriftianity," exitiabilis fuperftitio" (a pernicious fuperftition), and by which two words he difpofes of the whole queftion of the merits or demerits of the religion, afford a strong proof how little

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he knew, or concerned himfelf to know, about the matter. I apprehend that I shall not be contradicted, when I take upon me to affert, that no unbeliever of the present age would apply this epithet to the Christianity of the New Testament, or not allow that it was entirely unmerited. Read the inftructions given, by a great teacher of the religion, to thofe very Roman converts, of whom Tacitus fpeaks; and given also a very few years before the time of which he is fpeaking; and which are not, let it be obferved, a collection of fine fayings brought together from different parts of a large work, but ftand in one entire paffage of a public letter, without the intermixture of a single thought which is frivolous or exceptionable. "Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another. Not flothful in business, fervent in fpirit, ferving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing inftant in prayer, diftributing to the neceffity of faints, given to hospitality.

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Bless them which perfecute you; blefs, and curfe not; rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the fame mind one towards another: mind not high things, but condescend to men of low eftate. Be not wife in your own conceits. Recompenfe to no man evil for evil. Provide things honeft in the fight of all men. If it be poffible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine! I will repay, faith the Lord: therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for, in fo doing, thou fhalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."

"Let every foul be fubject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God: the powers that be, are ordained of God: whofoever therefore refifteth the power, refifteth the ordinance of God; and they that refift, fhall receive to themselves damnation.

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