others in this Particular also; that the Author of it performed himself, what he commanded; and was possessed of what he promised.
From the wonderful Propagation of this Religion.
We come now to the Effects of the Doctrine by him delivered; which indeed, if rightly considered, are such, that if God has any Regard or Care of humane Affairs, this Doctrine cannot possibly but be thought Divine. It was agreeable to Divine Providence, to cause That to spread the furthest which is in it self best. And this has happened to the Christian Religion, which, we our selves see, is taught all over Europe; (f) even the further Corners of the North not exempted; (g) and no less throughout,
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all Asia, (a) even in the Islands in the Sea belonging to it, (b) thro’ Egypt also (c) and Ethiopia, (d) and some other Parts of Africa, (e) and at last through America. Nor is this done <131> now only, but was so of old, as the History of all Ages testify, the Books of the Christians, and the Acts of Synods; and at this Day there is a Tradition preserved amongst the Barbarians, (f) of the Journies and Miracles of Thomas (g) and Andrew, and the other Apostles. And (h) Clemens, (i) Tertullian, <132> (j) and others have
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observed, how far the Name <133> of Christ was famous in their times amongst the Britains, Germans, and other distant Nations. What Religion is there that can compare with it, for the Extent of its Possession? If you answer, Heathenism: That indeed has but one Name, but is not one Religion: For they do not all worship the same thing; for some worship the Stars, others <134> the Elements, others Beasts, others things that have no Existence; neither are they governed by the same Law, nor under one common Master. The Jews indeed, though very much scattered, are but one Nation; however, their Religion has received no remarkable Increase since Christ: Nay, their own Law is made more known by the Christians than by themselves. Mahometanism is settled in very many Countries, but not alone; for the Christian Religion is cultivated in those same Countries, and in some Places by a greater Number: Whereas, on the contrary, there are no Mahometans to be found in many Parts where the Christian Religion is.
Considering the Weakness and Simplicity of those who taught it in the first Ages.
We come next to examine, in what manner the Christian Religion made such a Progress, that in this Particular also it may be compared with others. We see most Men are disposed to comply with the Examples of Kings and Rulers, especially if they be obliged to it by Law, or compelled by Force. To these the Religions of the Pagans, and that of the Mahometans, owe their Increase. But they who first taught the Christian Religion, were not only Men without any Authority, but of low Fortune, Fishers, Tent-makers, and the like: And yet by the Industry of these Men, that Doctrine, within thirty Years, or thereabouts, spread not only through (a) all Parts of the Roman Empire, but as far as the Parthians and Indians. And
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not only in the very Beginning, but for almost three hundred Years, by the Industry of private Persons, without any Threats, without any <135> Enticements, nay, opposed as much as possible by the Power of those who were in Authority, this Religion was propagated so far, that it became the greatest Part of the Roman Empire, (a) before Constantine professed Christianity. They among the Greeks who delivered Precepts of Morality, at the same time rendered themselves acceptable by other Arts; as the Platonicks, by the Study of Geometry; the Peripateticks, by the History of Plants and Animals; the Stoicks by Logical Subtilty; the Pythagoreans, by the Knowledge of Numbers and Harmony. Many of them were endued with admirable Eloquence, as Plato, Zenophon and Theophrastus. But the first Teachers of Christianity had no such Art. (b) Their Speech was very plain without any Enticements; they declared only the Precepts, Promises and Threats in bare Words; wherefore, since they had not in themselves any Power answerable to such a Progress, we must of Necessity allow that they were attended with Miracles; or that the secret Influence of God favoured their Undertaking, or both.
To which Consideration we may add this, that the Minds of those who embraced the Christian <136> Religion taught by these Men, were not entirely free and unprejudiced from any established Rule of Religion, and consequently very pliable; as they were who first embraced the Heathen Rites, and the Law of Mahomet: And much less were they prepared by any foregoing Institution; as the Hebrews were rendered fit for the Reception of the Law of Moses, by Circumcision, and the Knowledge of one
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God. But, on the contrary, their Minds were filled with Opinions, and had acquired Habits, which are a second Nature, repugnant to these new Instructions; having been educated and confirmed by the Authority of Laws, and of their Parents, in the Heathen Mysteries, and Jewish Rites. And besides this, there was another Obstacle as great, namely the most grievous Sufferings, which it was certain they who professed Christianity must endure, or be in fear of, upon that Account: For since such Sufferings are highly disagreeable to humane Nature, it follows, that those things which are the Cause of such Sufferings, cannot be received without great Difficulty. The Christians, for a long time, were kept out of all Places of Honour, and were moreover fined, had their Goods confiscated, and were banished: But these were small things; they were condemned to the Mines, had the most cruel Torments that it was possible to invent, inflicted upon them; and the Punishments of Death were so common, that the Writers of those times relate that no Famine, no Pestilence, no War, ever consumed more Men at a time. Neither were they the ordinary kinds of Death: (a) But burning of <137> them alive, crucifying them, and such like Punishments, which one cannot read or think of without the greatest Horror: And this Cruelty, which, without any long Interruption, and that not every where, continued in the Roman Empire almost till the time of Constantine, and in other Places longer; was so far from diminishing them, that on the contrary, their Blood was called the Seed of the Church, they so increased as they were cut off. Here therefore let us compare other Religions with Christianity. The Greeks and other Heathens, who are wont to magnify their own Matters, reckon a very few that suffered Death for their Opinions; some Indian Philosophers, Socrates, and not many more; and it can hardly be denied, but that in these famous Men, there was some Desire of transmitting their Fame to Posterity. But there were very many of the common People, scarce known to their Neighbours, among the Christians, who suffered Death for their Opinion; Women, Virgins, young Men, who had no Desire nor probable
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Hopes that their Name would continue; and indeed there are but a few whose Names remain in the Martyrologies, in comparison of the Number of them that suffered for this Cause, and are (a) reckoned only by the Heap. Further, very many of them might have escaped this Punishment by some small Dissimulation, such as throwing a little Frankincense upon the Altar; <138> which cannot be affirmed of them, who, whatever private Opinions they had in their Minds, yet in their outward Actions, conformed themselves to the Customs of the Vulgar. So that to suffer Death for the Honour of God, could scarce be allowed to any but the Jews and Christians; and not to the Jews after Christ’s time; and before, only to a very few, compared with the Christians; more of which suffered Punishment for the Law of Christ in one Province, than ever there did Jews; all whose Sufferings of this kind may almost be reduced to the times of Manesses
