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death itself, with meekness, patience and fortitude. 8. And finally, he was so fully persuaded of the real excellence and manifest certainty of the Christian religion, as to say, that it needed not any apology, but stood firm upon the foundation of its own truth and reasonableness, though all the world should gainsay it. He had therefore considered the internal, as well as the external evidence of Christianity.

A man who knew all these things, and was acquainted with the history of our Lord's life, death, and resurrection, and his apostles' miracles; I think may be esteemed sufficiently qualified to write a defence of the Christian religion. Indeed, the faith of the ancient apologists, and other primitive Christians, was in some respects more plain and simple than ours: but it was a faith, that produced good works, that taught them self-denial, and made martyrs. Nor was it, possibly, because of its plainness and simplicity, the less conformable to the Christian doctrine contained in the New Testament, which is summarily set forth by St. Paul in these words: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation," or the salutary, saving grace of God," has appeared unto all men, teaching us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; looking for the blessed hope, and the appearance of the glory of the great God, and of our Saviour Jesus Christ: who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." Tit. ii. 11-14. But to proceed.

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Another learned modern speaks of Arnobius after this manner: He was very shy of determining abstruse and difficult points of a speculative nature. He supposed the Christian religion to consist in the clear and certain doctrine of our Saviour, omitting whatever is not plainly taught by him. Far from being curious and dogmatical, he was timorous and reserved: which, perhaps, is no great fault; for it is the deciding positive temper, that produceth sects and schisms.'

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Arnobius was learned and pious; as every one must perceive, who looks into him. And though his style is generally reckoned rough and unpolished, and hath in it some uncouth and obsolete words: it is strong and nervous, and there are in him shining and beautiful passages, which must highly please attentive readers of good tas It is very much to the honour of this rhetorician, learned in all the learning of Greece and Rome, that he embraced the Christian religion when under persecution: and that like Moses, "he chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season: esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches, than the treasures" of all the world. Heb. xi. 25, 26. And see Acts vii. 22.

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III. I shall now make some extracts out of Arnobius. 1. He represents the sum of the Christian religion in this manner: We Christians are men that worship the great Lord and governor of the world, according to the direction of Jesus Christ. If you examine it, you will find nothing else in this religion: this is the sum of the whole affair: this is the scope and design of all our religious offices: to this supreme Lord we all bow down: him we worship with

* Neque enim res stare sine assertoribus non potest & religio Christiana: aut eo esse comprobabitur vera, si adstipulatores habuerit plurimos, & auctoritatem ab hominibus sumserit. Suis illa contenta est viribus, & veritatis propriæ fundaminibus nititur. Nec spoliatur vi suâ, etiamsi nullum habeat vindicem: immo si linguæ omnes contra faciant, contraque nitantur, & ad fidem illius abrogandam consensionis unitæ animositate conspirent, 1. iii. in. p. 100.

• Ου γαρ εν λόγοις, αλλ' εν ερίοις τα της ημετερας θεοσεβείας palpala. Just. M. ad Gr. Coh. p. 33. B. Ou yag uεely λοίων, αλλ' επιδείξει και διδασκαλια ερίων, τα ημετερα. Athenag. leg. p. 37. B. vid. ib. p. 12. A. Nos non habitu sapientiam, sed mente, præferimus. Non eloquimur magna, sed vivimus. Min. Fel. cap. 38. Nos autem, qui philosophi non verbis sed factis sumus, nec vestitu sapientiam, sed veritate, præferimus,qui non loquimur magna, sed vivimus. Cypr. De Bono Sap. sub init. Nostro autem populo, quid horum potest objici, cujus omnis religio est, sine scelere, & sine maculâ vivere ? Lact. Inst. 1. 5. cap. 9. sub fin.

Tout cela, selon lui, sont des questions vaines & curieuses, qu'il est impossible de déterminer, parceque la raison humaine manque de lumières suffisantes pour cela, & que le Fils de Dicu ne s'est point expliqué là-dessus. Arnobe faisoit con

sister la religion Chrêtienne dans la doctrine claire & certaine du Sauveur, & en retranchoit tout ce qu'il n'a pas enseigné avec évidence. On peut bien croire que je n'approve pas les hypothèses d'Arnobe. Mais pourquoi faut il, que les anciens ayent été animés d'un esprit aussi curieux & aussi décisif que celui du savant Arnobe étoit timide & reservé? C'est cet esprit décisif, qui a fait naître tant de sectes & schismes. Beaus. Hist. de Manich. T. ii. p. 415.

d Negari tamen non potest, plurima passim occurrere apte, polite, eleganter & rhetorice dicta, ac gravissimis ornata illustrataque verbis & sententiis. Nourry Diss. in Arnob. cap. ii. p. 287. A. B.

e. Quem quidem locum plene jamdudum homines pectoris vivi tam Romanis literis explicavere quam Græcis, 1. iii, p. 103.

f Nihil sumus aliud Christiani, nisi, magistro Christo, summi regis & principis veneratores. Nihil, si consideres, aliud invenies in istâ religione versari. Hæc totius summa est actionis. Hic propositus terminus divinorum officiorum, hic finis. Huic omnes ex more prosternimur; hunc collatis precibus adoraAb hoc justa, & honesta, & auditu ejus condigna deposcimus, I. i. p. 14. & 15.

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united prayers: to him we present holy, and innocent, and honourable requests, fit to be heard by him.'

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I place another like passage at the bottom of the page, without translating it, but referring it to the consideration of my readers.

2. It is worth while to observe, what arguments Arnobius makes use of to prove the truth and divine original of the Christian religion.

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(1.) One argument insisted on by him is its excellence. For this I would refer to what was before said concerning Arnobius's knowledge of the Christian religion and its evidences, and to his passages just alleged, containing his summary accounts of the great design of it. I might also refer to other passages, where he insists upon those laws of Christ, which teach men to bear injuries, and not to return evil for evil: as likewise to some other places where he puts the heathens in mind of the innocence of Christ himself, and of his whole undertaking: which, as he tells them, is alone sufficient to shew, how unreasonable their fierce opposition against him was. And there are in him many other passages to the same purpose, which will offer themselves to an attentive reader.

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(2.) He insists upon the virtues of our Lord's life, and the perfection and amiableness of his conduct upon all occasions.

(3.) Another argument is taken from our Lord's miracles. Several of the passages where Arnobius speaks of them, will be produced hereafter, in the article of his testimony to the scriptures. He observes particularly, that our Lord's great works were very numerous, and were performed without the use of any external means, and were healing and beneficial: that they were performed without show and ostentation, in order to convince, if possible, a hardhearted and unbelieving race of men, of the truth of the doctrine taught by him. He likewise observes, that Christ discovered a knowledge of men's inward thoughts: that after he had been put to death, he rose again, and shewed himself to many. He farther insists largely upon our Saviour's conferring a like power of doing miracles, equal to all those which had been done by himself, upon his disciples, who were poor fishermen, or of other low occupations, ignorant, illiterate, and unskilful: a full procf, he says, that those works were not the effect of magic, or any human art; but of the power of God. And whereas some might be apt to insinuate, that the writers of our Lord's history had magnified his works beyond the reality; he

Qui [Christus] si dignus non esset, cui auscultare deberetis, aut credere; vel hoc ipso fuerat non aspernandus a vobis, ostenderet quod vias vobis ad coelum & vota immortalitatis optaret,qui hominibus cæcis, & reverâ in impietate degentibus, pietatis aperuit januas, & cui se submitterent indicavit. An ulla est religio verior, officiosior, potentior, justior, quam Deum principem nôsse, scire Deo principi supplicare, qui bonorum omnium solus caput & fons est, perpetuarum pariter fundator & conditor rerum, a quo omnia terrena, cunctaque cœlestia animantur,- & qui si non esset, nulla profecto res esset, quæ aliquod nomen, substantiamque portaret? 1. ii. p. 42, 43. Vid. & p. 13. f.

b See p. 247, 248.

Nam cum hominum vis tanta magisteriis ejus acceperimus ac legibus, malum malo rependi non oportere; injuriam perpeti quam irrogare præstantius, 1. i. p. 6. in.

d-quid causæ est, quod tam gravibus insectamini Christum bellis? Numquid regiam sibi vindicans potestatem, terrarum orbem cunctum legionibus infestissimis occupavit? Numquid ardoribus avaritiæ flagrans universas opes illas, quibus se genus humanum studiose contendit impleri, possessionis suæ mancipio vindicavit? Numquid-l. ii. p. 42.

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* Ipse denique non lenis, non placidus, non accessu facilis, non familiaris affatu, non humanas miserias indolescens, omnes omnino crucibus & corporalibus affectos malis unica Alla benignitate miseratus reddidit & restituit sanitati? Quid ergo vos subigit, quid hortatur, maledicere -quem redarguere, quem tenere, nemo hominum possit ullius facinoris in reatu? 1. i. p. 39.

Potestis aliquem nobis designare, monstrare ex omnibus illis magis, qui unquam fuere per sæcula, consimile aliquid

VOL. II.

Christo millesimâ ex parte qui fecerit? qui sine ullâ vi carminum, sine herbarum & graminum succis,? Atqui con stitit Christum sine ullis adminiculis rerum, sine ullius ritûs observatione, vel lege, omnia illa quæ fecit, nominis sui possibilitate fecisse: & quod proprium, consentaneum, dignum Deo fuerat vero, nihil nocens, aut noxium, sed opiferum, sed salutare, sed auxiliaribus plenum bonis, potestatis munifica liberalitate donâsse, I. i. p. 25.

Quæ quidem ab eo gesta sunt, & factitata, non ut se vanâ ostentatione jactaret, sed ut homines duri atque increduli scirent, non esse quod spondebatur falsum, l. i. p. 27.

Unús fuit e nobis, qui quid singuli volverent, quid sub obscuris cogitationibus continerent, tacitorum in cordibus pervidebat? p. 27. in.

i Unus fuit e nobis, qui, deposito corpore, innumeris se hominum promtâ in luce detexit? p. 27.

* Quid quod istas virtutes, quæ sunt a nobis summatim, noņ ut rei poscebat magnitudo, depromtæ, non tantum ipse perfecit yi suâ, verum, quod erat sublimius, multos alios experiri, & facere sui nominis cum affectione permisit. Nam cum videret futuros vos esse gestarum ab se rerum, divinique operis abrogatores, ne qua subesset suspicio, magicis se artibus munera illa beneficiaque largitum, ex immensâ illâ populi multitudine, quæ suam gratiam sectabatur admirans, piscatores, opifices, rusticanos, atque id genus elegit imperitorum, qui per varias gentes missi cuncta illa miracula sine ullis fucis atque adminiculis perpetrarent.-Neque quidquam est ab illo gestum per admirationem stupentibus cunctis, quod non omane donaverit parvulis illis & rusticis, & eorum subjecerit potestati, p. 30. Vid. & p. 32,

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answers, that they had related but a small part of them. And he wisheth they had recorded them all if it had been possible, and likewise all the miracles of his disciples, the more to increase the astonishment and wonder of such incredulous men. He particularly asserts, that the miracles done by Christ himself, and by his apostles, whom he sent forth to preach in his name, are a just foundation of faith in him, as a divine messenger. And he says, that those great works had excited the attention of all mankind, and induced distant nations, and people of very different manners and customs, to unite in respect for his high character.

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I presume it will be allowed, that Arnobius has done justice to this argument, and treated it in a handsome manner.

(4.) He argues from the great effect of the Christian religion upon men in softening their tempers, amending their manners, sowing the seeds and principles of benevolence, peace and friendship, among men. Which advantages, he says, would have been greater, and moregeneral, provided all, who made an appearance of being men, would have exercised their rational powers and faculties, and would have laid aside their prejudices, and their pride, and would have candidly attended to the doctrine of Christ. Then wars and disturbances might have ceased in the earth.

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He observes particularly, and with much thankfulness, that Christ had delivered men from great errors: he had brought them from idolatry to the knowledge of the true God, and taught them how to worship, and pray to him.

(5.) Another argument insisted on by him is the great progress of the Christian doctrine, and the vast numbers of people that had embraced it in many and remote kingdoms of the earth, in a very short time. He says, that there were then Christians in all countries: he particularly mentions Syria, Persia, Scythia, Africa, Spain, Gaul, and divers other people and countries; some under the Roman government, others out of it.

The dignity of our Lord's person, he says, and the divine original of his religion must be hence manifest, that in so short a time he filled the whole world with that doctrine.

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(6.) This argument is confirmed, forasmuch as this religion had been embraced under the

Sed conscriptores nostri mendaciter ista promserunt, extulere in immensum exigua gesta, & angustas res satis ambitioso dilatavere præconio. Atqui utinam cuncta referri in scripta potuissent, vel quæ ab ipso gesta sunt, vel quæ ab ejus præconibus pari jure & potentiâ terminata: Magis vos incredulos faceret vis tanta virtutum.— -l. i. p. 33.

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Atque si causas causis, partes partibus voluerimus æquare, magis nos valemus ostendere, quid in Christo fuerimus secuti, quam in philosophis quid vos. Ac nos quidem in illo secuti hæc sumus: opera illa magnifica, potentissimasque virtutes, quas variis edidit exhibuitque miraculis, quibus quivis posset ad necessitatem credulitatis adduci, & judicare fideliter, non esse quæ fierent hominis, sed divinæ alicujus atque incognitæ virtutis. Vos in philosophis virtutes secuti quas estis,? 1. ii. p. 49. • Virtutes sub oculis positæ, & inaudita illa vis rerum, vel quæ ab ipso fiebat palam, vel ab ejus præconibus, celebratur in orbe toto: ea subdidit appetitionum flammas, et ad unius credulitatis assensum mente unâ concurrere gentes & populos fecit, & moribus dissimillimas nationes, ib. p. 50.

Habet a Christo beneficium jamdudum orbis ingratus, per quem feritatis mollita est rabies, atque hostiles manus cohibere a sanguine cognati animantis occœpit. Quod si omnes omnino, qui homines se esse non specie corporum, sed rationis intelligunt potestate, salutaribus ejus pacificisque decretis aurem vellent commodare paulisper, & non fastu & supercilio Jurninis ——————universus jamdudum orbis mitiora in opera con, versis usibus ferri, tranquillitate in mollissimâ degeret, & in concordiam salutarem incorruptis fœderum sanctionibus conveniret, 1. i. p. 6.

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-honoribus quantis afficiendus est nobis, qui ab erroribus nos magnis insinuatâ veritate traduxit? qui velut cæcos passim, ac sine ullo rectore gradientes, ab deruptis, ab deviis, locis planioribus reddidit! qui, quod frugiferum primo atque humano generi salutare, Deus monstravit quid sit, quis, quantus, qualis;—qui, quod omnia superavit, & transgressum est munera, ab religionibus nos falsis religionem traduxit ad

veram; qui ab signis inertibus, atque ex vilissimo formatis luto, ad sidera sublevavit & cœlum, & cum Domino rerum Deo supplicationum fecit verba atque orationum colloquia miscere, 1. i. p. 21, 22.

Si Alamannos, Persas, Scythas, idcirco voluerunt devinci, quod habitarent in eorum gentibus Christiani; quemadmodum Romanis tribuere victoriam, cum habitarent & degerent in eorum quoque gentibus Christiani? Si in Asiâ, Syriâ,quod ratione consimili habitarent in eorum gentibus Christiani ? in Hispaniâ, Galliâ, cur eodem tempore horum nihil natum. est, cum innumeri viverent in his quoque provinciis Christiani? Si apud Gætulos, Tinguitanos, hujus rei causâ siccita tem satis ariditatemque miserunt; eo anno cur messes amplissimas Mauris, Nomadibusque tribuerunt, cum religio similis. his quoque in regionibus verteretur? -nationibus enim sumus in cunctis, l. i. p. 9, 10.

8 Unus fuit e nobis, qui cum officia religionis certæ suis. sectatoribus traderet, mundum totum repente complebat,. quantusque, & qui esset, revelatâ nominis inimensitate mon.. strabat? 1. i. p. 27. in.

h Nonne vel hæc saltem fidem vobis faciunt argumenta cre dendi, quod jam per omnes terras, in tam brevi temporis spatio, immensi nominis hujus sacramenta diffusa sunt? quod nulla jam natio est tam barbari moris, & mansuetudinem nesciens, quæ non ejus amore versa molliveret asperitatem, & in placidos sensus assumtâ tranquillitate migravit? quod tam magnis ingeniis præditi oratores, grammatici, rhetores, consulti juris, ac medici, philosophiæ etiam secreta rimantes, magisteria hæc expetant, spretis quibus paulo ante sidebant? quod ab dominis se servi cruciatibus affici, quibus statuerint, malunt, solvi conjuges matrimoniis, exhæredari a parentibus liberi, quam fidem rumpere Christianam, & salutaris militiæ sacramenta deponere? quod cum genera pœnarum tanta sint a vobis proposita religionis hujus sequentibus leges, augeatur res magis, & contra omnes minas atque interdicta formidinum animosius populus obnitatur, & ad credendi studium prohibi

greatest difficulties and discouragements by men of all ranks; by orators, grammarians, rhetoricians, lawyers, physicians, philosophers, and the greatest wits, as well as by men of low condition, and smaller attainments. Nor could the heaviest sufferings induce men to renounce it. Yea, this doctrine continued to spread, and make converts, at the very time that the professors of it endured a cruel persecution.

(7.) He argues, that it would be altogether absurd to suppose, that so many people should on a sudden, without any good ground and reason, change their former opinions and customs, and forsake the religion of their ancestors. They had therefore good proof and evidence of the great works said to be done by Christ.

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It is still the more unreasonable, as he argues, to suppose, that men should act here without good evidence; when it is considered, that by change of sentiment, and embracing this doctrine, they exposed themselves to the greatest dangers, and the heaviest sufferings.

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(8.) Finally, he argues, that the things said of Christ must be true; forasmuch as they who first reported, or recorded them, had no interest to induce them to falsify, and by only not bearing testimony to him, they might have avoided many sufferings, and have lived quietly and comfortably among their neighbours. Would men in such a circumstance, pretend to have seen what they never saw? and assert facts they had no knowledge of? Would men bring upon themselves enmity and hatred, and expose themselves to universal infamy, for no reason at all? They were therefore fully persuaded of the things they related, and knew them to be true.

I have allowed myself to enlarge in these extracts; for I think no one can be displeased to see, how solidly this Christian rhetorician and apologist argued above a thousand, almost fifteen hundred years ago, in behalf of the religion of Jesus, whose disciples we profess ourselves to be. 3. Let us now attend to the objections, or at least some of the objections against the Christian religion, which we find to be taken notice of and considered by this writer.

(1.) I have not observed any notice taken by Arnobius of those scandalous imputations upon the Christians, of sacrificing young children, and practising promiscuous lewdness in their religious assemblies. It is likely, therefore, that the Christians had so fully confuted those stories, and all men were so fully satisfied of their falsehood, that they were no longer mentioned by the enemies of the Christian religion. Our author indeed speaks of their being called impious, irreligious, atheistical. But that is another thing, and relates only to their disowning the heathen deities, and abandoning their worship, together with all their rites and ceremonies.

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(2.) But his book begins with that popular heathen complaint and calumny against the Christians, that they were the occasion of all the calamities that befel mankind. This complaint, taken up long before, was continued a good while after this, and is finely answered by our

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tionis ipsius stimulis excitetur? Numquid hæc fieri passim & inaniter creditis? fortuitis cursibus adsumi has mentes? Itane istud non divinum & sacrum est, aut sine Deo, eorum tantas animorum fieri conversiones, ut, cum carnifices unci, aliique innumeri cruciatus, quemadmodum diximus, impendeant credituris, veluti quâdam dulcedine atque omnium virtutum amore correpti, cognitas accipiant rationes, atque mundi omnibus rebus præponant amicitias Christi? 1. ii. p. 44, 45.

a Nulla major est comprobatio, quam gestarum ab eo fides rerum, quam virtutum novitas, quam omnia victa decreta, dissolutaque fatalia, quæ populi gentesque suo geri sub lumine nullo dissentiente videre: quæ nec ipsi audent falsitatis arguere, quorum antiquas seu patrias leges vanitatis esse plenissimas atque inanissima superstitionis ostendit, I. i. p. 24, 25.

Quod si falsa, ut dicitis, historia illa rerum est, unde tam brevi tempore totus mundus istâ religione completus est? aut in unam coire qui potuerunt mentem gentes regionibus dissitæ, ventis, cœli convexionibus dinota? Asseverationibus illectæ sunt nudis, inductæ in spes cassas, & in pericula capitis immittere se sponte temerariâ desperatione voluerunt, cum nihil tale vidissent, quod eas in hos cultus novitatis suæ possit excitare miraculo? Imo quia hæc omnia & ab ipso cernebant geri & ab ejus præconibus, qui per orbem missi beneficia patris & munera sanandis animis hominibusque portabant, veritatis ipsius vi victæ, & dederunt se Deo, nec in magnis posuere

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dispendiis membra vobis projicere, & viscera sua lanianda præbere, l. i. p. 33.

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Numquid dicemus, illius temporis homines usque adeo fuisse vanos, mendaces, stolidos, brutos, ut, quæ nunquam viderant, vidisse se fingerent? & quæ facta omnino non erant, falsis proderent testimoniis, aut puerili assertione firmarent? cumque possent vobiscum & unanimiter vivere, & inoffensas ducere conjunctiones, gratuita susciperent odia, & execrabili haberentur in nomine? p. 33. sub in.

d Quantumlibet nos impios, irreligiosos vocetis, aut atheos, nunquam fidem facietis esse amorum deos, &c. l. iii. p. 116. f. Trophonius nos impios, Dodonæus aut Jupiter nominat,—1. i. p. 14.-ut convicio utamur vestro, infausti & athei nuncupamur, ib. p. 16.

Quoniam comperi nonnullos, qui se plurimum sapere suis persuasionibus credunt, insanire, bacchari, & velut quiddam promtum ex oraculo dicere: postquam esse in mundo Christiana gens cœpit, terrarum orbem periisse, multiformibus malis affectum esse genus humanum: ipsos etiam cœlites derelictis curis solennibus, quibus quondam solebant invisere res nostras, terrarum ab regionibus exterminatos: statui pro captu ac mediocritate sermonis contraire invidiæ, & calumniosas dissolvere criminationes; ne aut illi sibi videantur, popularia dum verba depromunt, magnum aliquid dicere; aut nos, &c. 1. i. p. 1. Vid. Tertul. Ap. c. 40. * P. 244, 245.

Arnobius, as well as by later Christian writers. That absurd and ridiculous charge seems to have been the immediate occasion of Arnobius's resolving to write an apology for the Christians. (3.) Another objection against the Christians was, that their religion was new. To which good answers may be seen in Arnobius, to whom I refer.

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(4.) Another was, that Christ came no sooner. To which Arnobius makes several answers, and among the rest this: that there may be good reasons, well known to God, though men be unacquainted with them; and that this is a sufficient answer.

(5.) They objected: if Christ came to save men, why are not all saved?'

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(6.) They excepted against Christ's birth as a man,

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(7.) And we may be assured, they did not fail to make exceptions to his death: the death too of criminals, and mean persons. Arnobius answers, that neither his death, nor the manner of it, makes any alteration in his words, or his works, or any way weakens his authority. Besides, he rose again from the dead in a short time. Nor did his divinity die and suffer, but only his humanity.

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4. Bull supposeth, that Arnobius asserts the true divinity of the Son. But it seems to me, that this is far from being clear. Arnobius indeed calls Christ God, and true God: but I think he means no more, than that he is a God, and truly God. For he so distinguisheth Christ from God, the Lord and Sovereign of all, that I do not see how he could think him one God with the Father. For proof of this, I place at the bottom of the page two of those passages, which Bull allegeth as most to his purpose. And I shall add several others, where also Arnobius, in like manner as in those alleged by Bull, remarkably distinguishes Christ from the one God Almighty, from the Supreme King, the first and chief God. By true God he seems to mean no more than truly so, in some sense, in opposition to such as are esteemed and called gods, but are not so at all, and have no right to that title.

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Nor does Bull say, whether this author thought rightly of the Spirit. Indeed I am not certain, that Arnobius has once mentioned the Holy Ghost. However, I shall ' put in the margin a passage, to be considered by my readers.

Vid. P. Oros. Hist. & August. Retr. 1. ii. c. 43.

b Religiones, inquiunt, impias, atque inauditos cultus terrarum in orbem trahitis, I. i. p. 13. Neque quod nobis objectare consuêstis, novellam esse religionem nostram, & ante dies natam propemodum paucos, neque vos potuisse antiquam & patriam relinquere, & in barbaros ritus peregrinosque reduci, ratione istud intenditur nullâ. 1. ii. p. 90. & passim.

• Non ergo, quod sequimur, novum est; sed nos sero didicimus, &c. 1. ii. p. 95, &c.

Et quid, inquit, est visum Deo regi atque principi, ut ante horas, quemadmodum dicitur, pauculas, sospitator ad vos Christus cœli ex arcibus mitteretur? 1. ii. p. 96.

e Vid. p. 87, 90, 96, 97.

'Quænam igitur ratio est? Non imus inficias, nescire nos. Neque enim promtum est cuiquam Dei mentem videre, aut quibus modis ordinaverit res suas. Homo, animal cæcum, & ipsum se nesciens, nullis potest rationibus consequi, quid oporteat fieri, quando, vel quo genere. Ipse rerum cunctarum pater, moderator, & dominus scit id solus, &c. p. 96, 97.

* Sed si generis Christus humani, ut inquitis, conservator advenit, quare omnino non omnes æquali munificentiâ liberat? 1. ii. p. 88.

Sed non, inquit, idcirco dii vobis infesti sunt, quod omnipotentem colatis Deum; sed quod hominem natum, &, quod personis infame est vilibus, crucis supplicio interemtum, & Deum fuisse contenditis, & superesse adhuc creditis, &c. 1. i. p. 19, 20. Natum hominem colitis, p. 24. m. & passim. ¡ Vid. not.h

Sed patibulo affixus interiit. Quid illud ad causam ? Neque enim qualitas & deformitas mortis dicta ejus immutat aut facta, aut eo minus videbitur disciplinarum ejus auctoritas, quia vinculis corporis non naturali dissolutione digressus est, sed vi illatâ discessit, l. i. p. 23. m.

Unus fuit e nobis, qui, deposito corpore, innumeris se hominum promtâ in luce detexit? 1. i. p. 27. in.

m Sed more est hominis interemtus. Non ipse. Neque enim cadere divinas in res potest mortis occasus: nec interitionis dissolutione dilabi id, quod est unum ac simplex, nec ullarum partium congregatione compactum. Quis est ergo visus in patibulo pendere? quis mortuus est? Homo, quem induerat, & secum ipse portabat, 1. i. p. 37 & 38.

" In eo opere veram ille Filii divinitatem sæpius atque apertissimis verbis confitetur. Def. Fid. Nic. p. 151. al. 168.

Ergone, inquiet aliquis furens, iratus, & percitus, Deus ille est Christus? Deus, respondebimus, & interiorum potentiarum Deus ; &, quod magis infidos acerbissimis doloribus torqueat, rei maximæ causâ a summo Rege ad nos missus. Arnob. 1. i. p. 24. Deus ille sublimis fuit, Deus radice ab intimâ, Deus ab incognitis regnis, & ab omnium Principe Deus sospitator est missus, ib. p. 32.

POmnipotens & primus Deus-Nonne solus ingenitus, immortalis, & perpetuus solus est? 1. ii. p. 95.

Potest ergo fieri, ut tum demum emiserit Christum Deus Omnipotens, Deus solus. p. 97.

-propter quas in mundum venerat faciendas, summi Regis imperio & dispositione servatis, 1. i. p. 37. m.

-cum animas renuamus Dei esse Principis prolem, l. ii. P. 76. -visum est Deo regi atque principi, p. 96. m. -unum solum posuisse contenti, nihil a Deo principe quod sit nocens- -proficisci, p. 81.

-Deus, inquam, Christus-Dei principis jussione loquens sub hominis formâ--p. 85. f.

-in Deo rerum capite,Dei principis notioni. p. 26.

Nonne dignus à nobis est tantorum ob munerum gratiam Deus dici, Deusque sentiri? 1. i. p. 21.

¶ Cum enim Dii omnes, vel quicumque sunt veri, vel qui esse rumore atque opinione dicuntur, immortales & perpetui voluntate ejus sint, 1. ii. p. 87.

Ita unius pontificium Christi est, dare animis salutem, &

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