hence Chriftianity became gradually a ceremonial religion. Since Origen (in the third century) this fyftem of religion, which commands in a particular manner the ftricteft adherence to truth, was perverted fo much, that it was declared a duty of charity to forge miracles, and in fhort, every thing else, if by thefe means converts might be made to their religion; nay, this was carried to fuch a pitch of fhameless effrontery, that thefe infamous forgeries were named, pious deceits, piæ fraudes. The zealous fupporters of the new-platonic philofophy intermixed their system, even that part of it which is called platonic love, with Christianity. Socrates and Plato defended the moft intimate union of men with beautiful boys, in fuch a manner, that they made a diftinction between corporeal and fpiritual love; and afferted, that the wife man feels only the latter in respect to the beauty of the boy,

boy, in order to conduct him to virtue. Hence arofe in the third century that moft infamous cuftom for persons of the opposite sexes, without being united in the bonds of marriage, to live with one another in the closeft intimacy; in order, as they pretended, to establish a mere union of fouls for the purposes of virtue. But the moft injurious effects, and the almoft mortal blow which Chriftianity received from that pseudo-philosophy of the easterns, and more especially of the new-platonifts, was the utter neglect, mutilation, and fubverfion of morals; together with the myftical mode of interpreting the New Teftament. The fimple and perfpicuous fyftem of morality which Christianity taught, was too light for these pretended philofophers; it afforded too little matter for their fancies and fpeculations. It became therefore neglected, and fince the third century the whole importance

was made to confift in the theory of Christianity, or rather, of the orientalplatonic Christianity. But the matter did not reft even here; the religion became burthened with the above mentioned theurgy, and corporeal mortification; and through the affiftance of myftical and ridiculous interpretations, every error and every impurity which the paffions or caprice of men defired, were introduced into the New Teftament. In this manner that eafy, beautiful, immediately and univerfally active, chearful, and philanthropic religious-fyftem of the New Teftament, became during the fecond and more particularly the third century, a gloomy, harth, mifanthropic fyftem of whims, fancies, monkery, deceit, and hierarchical tyranny.

To thefe dreadful calamities from within were added alfo from without inceffant perfecutions, which were often general, and fometimes extremely

bloody

bloody and cruel. Even the worthy Trajan, and yet the more excellent Marcus Antoninus, tortured and put to death many of their most faithful fubjects only because they were not idolaters, but chofe to live according to thofe laws of Chriftianity, which even the heathens themfelves acknowledged to be irreproachable and excellent 1. But the most horrible of all these perfecutions began to rage against the Chriftians about the year 249. The Emperor Decius proceeded fo far as to attempt to exterminate Christianity by the roots. By his orders the Christians were not only put to death, but were alfo afflicted with the moft exquifite tortures. A Chriftian, for inftance, had his whole body fmeared with honey, and then, his hands tied behind his back, expofed quite naked to the meridian fun, where myriads of infects

i Let the reader confult, for inftance, Plinii Epift. 97. Lib. x.

affailed him, and confumed his body by infenfible degrees *.

Nevertheless, this religion was continually extending itself in all the parts of the then known world. In Gaul there already exifted flourishing communities at Lyons and Vienne; in Germany; in Britain; in Africa, and every where the number of the Chriftians fo increased, that even in the beginning of the fecond century the heathens complained that the temples of the gods were quite deferted; and towards the end of the third, the court and army of the heathen Emperours were filled with perfons of this perfuafion. -This extenfive propagation of Chriftianity was undoubtedly the confequence of the continually increafing promulgation of the Scriptures of the New Teftament. As early as the beginning of the fecond century were

See Schroeckh's Ecclefiaftical Hift. IV. 190. of the original.

made