thropophagy.

He fhews, that it is evidently abfurd to accufe of atheism, those who reftore to the Divinity the honours and adoration of which he had been robbed by idols; or of inceft those who affert that even to look on a woman to luft after her is fornication: or of anthropophagy thofe who never frequent the gladiatorial fhews, who declare that the ufe of medicines tending to procure abortion is homicide, and that the expofing of children is infanticide. The whole book cannot be read but with pleasure. Every part clearly evinces that the author had accurately studied the best works of the Grecians, and was mafter of the ftyle and courtly language proper in addreffes to the great. He compofed the treatise On the Refurrection of the Dead, with a view to defend the truth of the Chriftian doctrine of the refurrection of the body, against the heathen philofophers.

He

“ད་

He proves, that fuch a refurrection is by no means impoffible, and fo little improbable, that even the mere confideration of the nature of man, and of the juftice of God, muft lead us to acknowledge it.

This view which Athenagoras had propofed to himself in his writings, did not allow him to cite paffages from the facred fcriptures. On this account we discover in them (if we except a few paffages, in which he expreffes his propofitions in the fame words as we find in the books of the New Testament"), only one fingle clear teftimony, and this indeed for the authenticity of the first Epiftle of St. Paul to the Corinthians. Since the paffage is too long, I will only extract the parts which my prefent purpose requires. In the treatife On

They are collected by Lardner, Credibility of the G. H. vol. ii. p. 182-186. I 4

the

the Resurrection of the Dead, he avails himself of the proof taken from the fortunes of men in general, and particularly of the virtuous, in this life. The juftice of God,' he infers, ' rendering it neceffary to reward men as men, that is, as beings which confift not only of a foul, but also of a body, accurately according to their actions; and this reward rarely occurring in the prefent life; it is therefore manifeft that, according to the affertion of the Apostle, "this corruptible and earthly must put on incorruption,that every one may receive juftly according to what he has done in the body, whether it be good or bad”.”

* Cap. xviii-finem libri, p. 330-336.

* Ευδήλον,

And,

ότι δει κατα τον αποτόλον, το

φθαρτον τούτο και διασκεδασον ενδύσασθαι αφθαρσίαν,

= έκαςος κομίσηται δικαίως,

ἃ δια του σώματος

έπραξεν, είτε αγαθα, είτε κακα.

Cap. xviii. p. 332.

The fimilitude of this paffage to St. Paul's affertions,

1 Cor. xv. 53. 2 Cor. v. 10, is very remarkable:

δεν

And, in chap. xix. p. 332, he had evidently the paffage of St. Paul, 1 Cor. xv. 32, in his mind: 'If no future judgment be held on the actions of men, men are nothing better than beafts. Nay, they are more miserable than other animals who ftruggle with their paffions, and ftrive after righteoufnefs, and the fear of God, or other virtues. If there be no judgment, then the wild, beftial life is the best; then virtue is folly, and the fear of punishment ridiculous; then the enjoyment of every pleasure is the higheft good, and that principle so pleasant to the votaries of luxury and luft, Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die, the firft rule of life.'-Since he here appeals expressly to an Apoftle, who had promulgated the doctrine of the refurrection of the body, vet without

δει γας το φθαρτον τουτο ενδύσασθαι αφθαρσίαν, να κομίσηται έκατος τα ίδια του σώματος, προς ά επραξεν, είτε αγαθον, είτε κακον.

mentioning

mentioning either his name or his writings; and adopts in his proof the fame fentiments which we still find in the writings of that Apoftle: we shall not certainly prefume too far, if we thence conclude that at the time of Athenagoras, the two Epiftles of St. Paul to the Corinthians were generally known among the Chriftians, and confidered, as the fource of their faith.

5. Theophilus of Antioch.

THEOPHILUS, Bishop of Antioch, confidering the object which he had in view, could only mention the facred fcriptures occafionally. In his

Three Books to Autolycus,' he dif putes with a heathen, whom he wished to prepare for a nearer examination of the Christian religion, by first refuting the accufations which had been

z For an account of this writer, fee the Preface to the above mentioned Edition, p. cxx.

thrown