301 



ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 



ofJeniM- 



months its devoted inhabitants were subjected to all 

 that extremity of suffering with which offended hea- 

 ven ; chastise the aggravated disobedience of 

 man. The Romans assailed them from without, while 

 famine and discord, with the delusions of hope, and 

 the determination of dr.- ;royed them within 

 the walls. At length, in the 7Oth year of the Christian 

 era, Jerusalem was taken by storm, and its temple re- 

 duced to ashes. And the prophecy of Jesus was liter- 

 ally accomplished, that of this lofty and splendid edi- 

 fice, the pride of Palestine, not one stone should be 

 left ujx>n another which should not l>e thrown down, 

 l-'.leven thou:md of the Jews perished in the siege and 

 ni the assault; an incredible multitude of them were car- 

 ried away to lv sold as slaves; and the markets became 

 nt List so glutted, that no purchasers were to be found. 

 The altar of God was thrown from its place, and broken 

 in pieces ; the sacrifice and the oblation ceased, and the 

 smoking ruins proclaimed " that theglory was departed." 

 Amidst these calamities, the followers of Jesus, who 

 had increased to a considerable number under the mi- 

 nistry of Peter and John, availed themselves of a fa- 

 vourable opportunity ; and in compliance with our Sa- 

 viour's instructions, withdrew from the city and the hor- 

 rors of the siege. They retired to Pella, a small town 

 I>eyond the river Jordan, and continued for a while 

 united among themselves, and undisturbed in the exer- 

 cise of their religion. 



Among the Gentiles, the progress of Christianity was 

 '*" distinguished at once by its extraordinary rapidity, and 

 thcUentiJ^ l ' le ; 'Pl Mrent inadequacy of the means employed to pub- 

 lish it. In an article of this kind, it is impossible to 

 shew at any great length in what respects the different 

 systems of philosophy which prevailed in the ancient 

 world, were at variance with the doctrines and precepts 

 of our religion. But there is one observation which we 

 feel ourselves constrained to make, and it is this : that 

 whatever might be the. philosophical systems of anti- 

 quity, and however wide the distinctions which sepa- 

 rated them from one another, the patrons of all those 

 systems, the masters of all the schools, agreed in sup- 

 porting, with the whole weight of their authority, and 

 the whole effect of their example, the religion acknow- 

 ledged by the state. Whether with the Epicureans, a 

 refined atheism was maintained, and pleasure was court- 

 ed for its own sake, or whether with the Stoics it was 

 believed that happiness consisted in a repulsive and 

 untractable virtue ; whether truth was supposed to be 

 attainable by human endeavours, or all was pronounced 

 to be uncertain, fluctuating, and momentary, it was 

 universally held to be the part of a wise and patriotic 

 roan, to comply with the religion established in the 

 country to which we belong. Even Socrates, who seems 

 to have expressed himself more openly than others with 

 regard to the Paganism of his time, i.s known to have 

 sacrificed a cock to ^sculapius, a very short time pre- 

 vious to his death. Indeed it appears to have been nn 

 opinion by no means uncommon among the different 

 sects of philosophers, that all the forms of religion were 

 equally useful in governing the people, and equally 

 destitute of a foundation in truth. To interfere with 

 the acknowledged religion, therefore, was regarded not 

 only as unnecessary, but as imprudent and j>ernicios ; 

 nnd he who shouhl attempt to overturn it altogether, 

 and to substitute another religion in its 'place, was re- 

 presented as an innovator, whom it was incumbent on 

 the magistrate to resist and to punish. The opinion, 

 as we have mentioned, wa general ; and the practical 

 consequence was, that the philosophers of Greece and 



Rome were sometimes found among die keenest op- ..- 



posers of Christianity, and the most cruel persecutors ^ 

 of its ministers. He, ides, there was nothing in the re- ~"~^" p ' 

 ligion of Jesus which was calculated to fill the imagi- 

 nation of the statesman, to excite his ambition, or to 

 reward his activity. It was not associated in the mind 

 with ideas of political glory, or recommended by any 

 connections, real or imaginary, with military success. 

 The founder of the new sy-tem belonged to a hated 

 nation, and he had suffered a public and a disgraceful 

 death : the apostles and evangelists were poor men ; 

 they could make no promises of wealth or distinction ; 

 they had no rewards to allure the covetous, and no ho- 

 nours to bestow on the vain. " Silver and gold have 

 I none," says St Peter to the cripple whom he was about 

 to cure, " but such as I have give I to thee, In the 

 name of Jesus Christ of Xazaretn, rise up and walk." 



The case was very different with the popular supersti- 

 tion. The prosperity of the state was intimately asso- Among the 

 ci.ited with its religious institutions, and the glory of Roman*, 

 its military commanders with that of the gods under 

 whose auspices they had fought. Among the Romans, 

 in particular, the same individual was at once the pro- 

 genitor of the nation, and an object of their religious 

 worship. The standard under which this victorious 

 people had sulxlued the world, was the bird sacred to 

 Jupiter; the capitol, the great object of their reverence, 

 and the sight of which never failed to awaken and to 

 elevate their patriotism, was consecrated to the same 

 divinity ; the national history was filled with instances 

 of oracular warning, or of protecting care ; and, in one 

 word, all that could engage the attention, and rivet the 

 attachment, of the politician or the citizen, was iden- 

 tified with the existence and the honour of the gods. 

 Nor was this the whole matter. The Pagan supersti- 

 tion had its intrinsic and peculiar attractions. Many 

 of its observances were such as recommended them- 

 selves, in the strongest manner, to the most powerful 

 tendencies and passions of our nature. In the worship 

 of Venus, prostitution was an acknowledged part ; the 

 festivals of Bacchus were scenes of intoxication and riot; 

 and the very father of gods and men himself, to whom 

 there was none equal or second in authority or in place, 

 was, in many particulars of his history, a notable example 

 of cruelty and debauchery. Religion is the imitation 

 of the gods which are worshipped. The people were 

 not reluctant or slow to comply. A system which .il- 

 lowed of such indulgencies, and afforded such exam- 

 ples, was not likely to be speedily abandoned. It had 

 enlisted the ruling passions on its side ; it had fixed its 

 dominion in the heart, and there seemed to be no p. 

 on earth which was equal to the task of driving it from 

 its place. It was the ancient religion, it was sanction- 

 ed by the learned and the wise, it was patronised by 

 the rich and supported by the great, it was closely as- 

 sociated in the minds of men with the national glory, 

 and it had captivated and enslaved the people by its 

 splendid rites and licentious indulgencies. What, then, 

 must have been the opposition which Christianity was 

 doomed to encounter! And how great must have been 

 the labours and the patience of those who were' com- 

 missioned to preach its doctrine, and to establish it in 

 the world ! 



The labours nnd the p-ttience of the apostles were Miraculous 

 undoubtedly very great ; but it is not to these alone gifts, 

 tint we must ascribo the rapid progress of Christianity. 

 While we give all credit to the early teachers o!' our 

 religion for their unextinguishable zeal and unwearied 

 activity, we must not forget that their apparent means 



