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had lived in the days of Apuleius and had said so, the philosopher would have returned the compliment upon him. Apuleius in libris, quos Asini Aurei titulo inscripsit, sibi ipsi accidisse, ut accepto veneno, humano animo permanente, asinus fieret, aut indicavit, aut finxit. Hæc vel falsa sunt, vel tam inusitata, ut merito non credantur.' De Civ., Dei, xviii. 18. But in the time of Augustine some Christian miracles were related by himself, and received by the populace, which for improbability were not at all inferior to the transformation of Apuleius.

The elegant story of Cupid and Psychef in Apuleius, is undoubtedly mystical and allegorical. Porphyry wrote a poem, which is lost, called disgos yáμos, the Sacred Nuptials,' by which I suppose was meant the mysterious union of the soul with the Deity; and the enthusiastic sublimity of the poem made some readers conclude that the author was mad; but Plotinus, who was an adept, greatly admired it. Holstenius, Vit. Porph. c. 10.

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Irenæus, speaking of the initiations and mysteries of some old heretics, says, Οἱ μὲν αὐτῶν νυμφῶνα κατασκευά ζουσι – και πνευματικὸν γάμον φάσκουσιν εἶναι τὸ ὑπ ̓ ÚT' αὐτῶν γινόμενον, κατὰ τὴν ὁμοιότητα τῶν ἄνω συζυγιών. Quidam eorum thalamum nuptialem construunt-easque spirituales nuptias esse affirmant, ad formam et exemplum cœlestium conjugiorum.' Vid. Euseb. H. E. iv. 11. Here also were 'spiritual' and 'mystical nuptials a;' and perhaps something more. Enthusiasts and pious mystics have been remarkably fond of the nuptial style,' and of applying ' verba nupta' to godly subjects.

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The philosophers about and after the time of Apuleius had genius and learning, with a dash of fanaticism. They

f Concerning the Metamorphosis and the Apology of Apuleius, see Mr. Warburton Div. Legat. vol. ii.

à If Irenæus were not misinformed for the accounts which the fathers have given of heretics are not to be entirely trusted.

b Il est surprenant que ces mystiques Chrêtiens, et ces philosophes Payens, ayent été si conformes les uns aux autres, qu'on diroit qu'ils s'étoient donné le mot pour debiter les mêmes folies les uns dans l'orient et les autres dans l'occident. Quel concert admirable entre des gens qui ne s'étoient jamais vûs, et qui n'avoient jamais ouï parler les uns des autres! Bayle Dict. Taulerus. See the place, and the refe

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were dealers in Theurgy, or the evocation of inferior gods, and boasted of an intercourse with dæmons, and an union with God. Many antient Christian writers have spoken handsomely of Porphyry, and have done justice to his abilities, though he were an enemy; which at the same time was doing honour to themselves. Porphyry, as far as we may guess from a passage in Jerom, said, that the miracles which the Christians were reported to work, were the tricks of evil dæmons. Vigilantius, at the end of the fourth century, had condemned the excessive honours paid to the reliques of the saints, for which Jerom reviles him, and says, Spiritus iste immundus, qui te hæc cogit scribere, sæpe hoc vilissimo tortus est pulvere, imo hodieque torquetur, et qui in te plagas dissimulat, in cæteris confitetur; nisi forte in morem Gentilium, impiorumque, Porphyrii Eunomiique, has præstigias dæmonum esse confingas, et non vere clamare dæmones, sed sua simulare tormenta.' Contra Vigil.

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As we find not in ecclesiastical history that any evil befel Vigilantius, we may conclude that this honest man was gathered to his fathers in peace. If so, he was a fortunate person, for one who set his face against the public, and to be excepted from the number of those, who by following Truth too close at the heels, have had their teeth knocked out for their pains.' A politician would have whispered to him, Hold your opinion, but hold your tongue.' He came off very well, if he suffered no greater harm than to be called Fool, Blockhead, Madman, Dæmoniac, Lunatic, Heretic, Arian, Eunomian, Samaritan, Jew, Pagan, Infidel, Apostate, Blasphemer, Calumniator, Despiser of Martyrs, Bishops, and Emperors, Glutton, Sot, Liar, Ass, and Dog.

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Porphyry made some concessions in favour of Christianity, and acknowledged that the dæmons had reverenced Christ. Holstenius de Vit. Porphyrii, c. 11. or Eusebius, Dem. Evang. p. 134. This philosopher was born A. D. 233. and died about A. D. 303. Constantine ordered his writings against Christianity to be suppressed; in which he was ill advised. • Si nihil est nostra religione verius, quid rationes reformidamus? said Ludovicus Vives.

Plotinus, as Porphyry relates, desired the emperor Gal

lienus to rebuild a ruined city in Campania, and to give it to the philosophers, proposing to dwell there himself, with his disciples, and to establish Plato's republic. But though he were much in the emperor's favour, his project met with opposition at court, and came to nothing. Thus philosophy, though patronized by princes, could never, in any age, introduce its rules even into one city; and Jesus Christ hath established his all over the world, in spite of all worldly opposition from the great and the learned.' Tillemont H. E. iii. p. 268.

A republic of modern deists and moral philosophers would be as great a curiosity as this city of philosophers would have been; but perhaps not quite so well regulated. Plotinus, if he could have compassed his design, would probably have found it necessary to alter at least one part of the plan in Plato's republic, and to exclude the community of wives,' which that philosopher had a fancy to establish.

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THE city of Smyrna being overthrown by an earthquake, Marcus Aurelius showed great kindness to the inhabitants, and liberally assisted them in repairing the loss. Aristides the Sophist had the honour to be instrumental in this, by writing to the emperor in behalf of the sufferers.

Aristides, in a discourse which he addresses to the people of Smyrna, to congratulate their re-establishment, says, that their calamity had been deplored by all the inhabitants of Greece and Asia, as a distress common to them; that every one had been forward to bring provisions to those who remained in the city, and to furnish carriages, houses, and all sorts of conveniences, to those who were forced to quit the place, as though they had been the parents or the children of the sufferers. Every one offered them money, and they who had none promised to furnish it as soon as they were able; and in doing thus, each thought that he did. not bestow, but receive a favour.

Such was the change that Christianity had made in the world; for doubtless the Christians, who were numerous in those provinces, had the best share in these acts of charity, and by their zeal inflamed the Pagans also, to make the old proverb lie, that all the world forgets and neglects

the miserable; which yet till then had been too true.' Tillemont H. des Emp. ii. p. 391.

IN the time of Marcus Aurelius lived Bardesanes, a Syrian. We have a large extract from him in Eusebius Præp. Ev. vi. 11. containing arguments against fate and astrology. It is a judicious and ingenious piece, and it shows that this heretic was a man of considerable abilities. Eusebius esteemed him much as an author, (and so did Jerom) and seems to judge candidly and charitably of him as to religion; for he says that Bardesanes fell into the Valentinian heresy, and afterwards saw the folly of it, and rejected it, but could not entirely shake off all, his errors. Hist. Eccl. iv. 30. He was one of those who admitted two Principles, the one good and the other evil; and from him. the Manichæans borrowed some of their notions. The author of the Recognitions has pillaged Bardesanes, and has put his remarks and his arguments against astrological fate, into the mouth of his pretended Clemens, ix. 18. but honour and probity is not to be expected from such writers. Cave had a suspicion that Bardesanes was himself the author of the Recognitions. I am inclined to have a better opinion of him, and to think that he could not be the author of so many shameless lies. See an account of this philosopher, of his accomplishments, and of his errors, in Beausobre, Hist. du Manicheisme, ii. p. 128.

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IN those days lived Melito, bishop of Sardes. He is thought by some to have been a prophet. Amongst many treatises which are lost, he wrote one concerning prophecy. Euseb. iv. 26. καὶ λόγος αὐτοῦ περὶ προφητείας, which Valesius rightly translates, Item alius (liber) de prophetia.' But in his notes he says, Rufinus hæc cum verbis superioribus conjunxit hoc modo: De fide et generatione Christi, et de prophetia ejus, cui tamen non assentior. Rectius Hieronymus in libro de Scriptoribus Ecclesiasticis hunc locum ita vertit: Item de prophetia sua librum unum. Certe Melitonem prophetam a plerisque habitum fuisse docet Tertullianus. Hieronymus in Melitone, Hujus, inquit, elegans et declamatorium ingenium laudans Tertullianus in septem libris quos scripsit adversus Ecclesiam pro

Montano, dicit a plerisque nostrorum prophetam pu

tari.'

All this amounts to little or nothing, and will not prove that Melito was a prophet. If he had made any predictions, Eusebius would have taken notice of them. As a prophet means sometimes only an inspired teacher, in that sense Melito might have been a prophet; and the antient Christians accounted him one. Polycrates, a bishop of the second century, says of him-τὸν ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι πολιτευσάsvov qui Spiritu sancto afflatus cuncta gessit;' and of a daughter of Philip, ἐν ἁγίῳ πνεύματι πολιτευσαμένη. Apud Euseb. v. 24. But these are expressions somewhat vague, and which admit of more or less.

Concerning this illustrious bishop and apologist, see Disc. i. on the Christ. Rel. p. 35.

UNDER COMMODUS, the Christians suffered little, and many considerable and wealthy families were converted. Eusebius, v. 2.

ABOUT the year 171, arose the sect of the Montanists, a sect pretending to prophecy and extraordinary illuminations, and to excessive rigour in doctrine, discipline, and practice. It consisted, as we may suppose, of some hypocrites mixed with several enthusiasts; and Tertullian was easily drawn in to side with them. They were accused by hasty and credulous adversaries of abominations from which they were free, of killing and eating children; calumnies which only served to confirm them in their obstinacy and in their errors. This sect, though it spread itself much for a time, did some service perhaps to Christianity; for it produced in its opposers, even for the very sake and pleasure of contradiction, an antifanatical spirit, a prudence in avoiding danger when it might be lawfully shunned, a charitable disposition towards repenting sinners, a caution not to be imposed upon by impudent or frantic pretences to inspiration, and a dislike of superstitious and uncommanded austerities, though these indeed, some time after, overwhelmed the Christian world like a torrent.

Besides Tertullian's own vehement and rigid disposition, the ill usage which he received from the ecclesiastics of

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