fufficiently spread and fettled. For, though the ufe of learning might, from the beginning, have been great, in order to confound the vain fophiftry, and wild fuperftition of the Greeks, and to vindicate the doctrine of Chrift against all their objections: yet great inconveniencies might also have redounded to the faith by the means of it. For it must be confeffed, that, when philofophers in after-times embraced our religion, they blended it often with the peculiar notions of thofe fects in which they had been educated, and by that means corrupted the purity and fimplicity of the Christian doctrine. Had this happened from the beginning, fuch an early mixture of philofophy with Chriftianity would have bid fair for an univerfal reception in fucceeding ages. But the gofpel being firft, for an age and more, purely and fimply profeffed, there was no great danger of its fuffering from the fubtleties and refinements of philofophy afterwards; because every Chriftian was then able to compare them with, and try them by, the plain primitive rule of faith, received till that time in all churches; and might fecurely reject or admit them, upon fuch a comparison.

For these reasons, the learned and wife of this world feem to have been overlooked by God in the first plantation of the gospel; that neither its fuccefs might be imputed to their fkill and affistance, nor its doctrine run the rifque of being blended early with their particular opinions. However, ftill we may obferve, that the admiffion of learning was long before the admiffion of the civil power; because the former, having lefs force and influence than the latter towards procuring N 2

the

the establishment of the gospel, was, confequently, lefs liable to be fufpected as the cause of it. Let me add alfo, that, as the powers of this world would have been mightier inftruments of advancing Christianity, than human learning conld be, fo would they have been more able and more likely to corrupt it, and enervate the force of it; as we find, that, not long after their coming into the Chriftian church, they actually did: And therefore, on this account likewife, was their admiflion longer poftponed. For near three hundred years after Chrift, no Roman emperor embraced the faith; though they were (feveral of them) men of great moral virtues, and not far from the kingdom of God, as to their perfonal qualifications and characters. Such, particularly, were Vefpafian, Titus, Trajan, Adrian,. and the two Antonines. Yet it pleafed the divine Providence, that even these good emperors, inftead of embracing the Chriftian faith, fhould difcourage and perfecute it; that fo the kingdom of Chrift, which was not of this world, might not be beholden to any of the kingdoms of this world for its establishment; but fpread and fix itself every where, not only without the aid of princes, but against their will; in fpite of their fierceft oppofition, nay, even by the means of it. "The kings of

the earth, and the rulers took counfel together "against the Lord, and against his Anointed. "He that fat in the heavens laughed them to "fcorn, the Lord had them in derifion. He fet "his King upon his holy hill of Sion," firft; and then, " gave him the heathen for his inheritance, " and the uttermoft parts of the earth for his "poffeffion."

"poffeffion." Pf. ii. 2. 4, 6, 8. Herod and Pontius Pilate began this oppofition (for thus hath St. Peter exprefly applied the prophecy, 18ts iv. 17.) and the Roman emperors, till Conftantine, continued it. Nevertheless, the word of God went on, conquering to conquer; till it had fubdued even thefe fubduers of the world to the obedience of the faith, and brought them to caft their crowns before the throne of the lamb,Rev. iv. 10. and to acknowledge, that "The foolishness of God is wifer than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men," I Cor. i. 25. even than the strongest and the highest among the fons of men.

There

was then a Chriftian church, long before there were any Chriftian princes; She did not grow up under their fhadow, but received them into her bofom: And, as fhe fubfifted for several centuries, ere the civil power came in to her, fo will fhe endure for endless ages, when the civil power fhall be no more; and even now, when she receives protection and encouragement from it, yet is fhe, in all the chief functions and operations of the minifters of her spiritual kingdom, independent upon it. Thus did God order things, on purpose, that the distinction of thefe feveral focieties, offices, and powers, might be evident; and perpetually, without encroachment or confufion, preferved: And, let no man join together what God hath thus put afunder! It remains that I fhould, nnder my

Fifth and laft general head, briefly inquire into the time when, and the manner how, this miracle ceafed, and make fuitable reflexions upon it, with regard both to thofe who lived then,

when

when this check was given to the gospel, and to us who live now, in the latter ages of the world.

The plain answer to the enquiry proposed, is, that the miracle ceafed, when the civil power began to declare openly in behalf of Christianity; that is, foon after Conftantine came to the throne. For it was no longer a wonder, that our religion Should thrive and flourish, when, instead of bitter perfecutions, it met with all manner of encouragements. For a century after Costantine, and upwards, the number of christians multiplied exceedingly in all the parts of the world in which it had already been planted, and to which the empire of the Romans, or their influence, did extend. For above a century after that, Christianity feems to have been at a stand; neither gaining much ground, nor lofing much, unless only in the lives of its lukewarm profeffors. But then it declined apace every day; diffenfions among Chriftians grew hot, and their zeal for religion waxed cold. The great honours and endowments, which religious princes had bestowed on the church, did too often occafion ambition and luxury in thofe who contended for them, or poffeffed them. In a word, all the vices of profperity abounded, together with the advantages of it: So that the name of Christianity was no longer venerable in the eyes of men; and its holy doctrine, not producing an answerable fanctity of life, made no further impreffions upon them. This unhappy opportunity Mahomet laid hold of, to fet up his religion; which, being (as I have faid) fuited to the voluptous manners of the caft, and feconded by the power

power of the fword, made large inroads into Christendom, and tore away entire provinces at once from the profeffion of the gofpel Since that time, Christianity feems to have been almost in a continual decay: "The hedges of this vineyard of God being broken down, all they that went by, plucked off her grapes: The wild-boar of the wood did root it up, and the wild beaft out of the field did devour it ; Pf. lxxx. 12, 13. till a difcovery of fome unknown parts of the world opened a new way for enlarging the bounds of Chrift's kingdom. The zeal of fome devout men (though mixed often with private interefts and defigns) stirred them up to make use of this advantage, and to publish the gofpel of Chrift in the remoteft corners of the eaft, whither, it is probable, none of the apoftles ever came. There alfo Chriftianity (a corrupt and fuperftitious Christianity) hath gotten footing. How long it may continue, and how far it may advance, is known to him alone, who hath determined the times before appointed, to religions as well as nations, and the bounds of their habitation, Acts xvii. 26. I fhall not prefume to enquire into it; but fhall raise an useful reflexion or two from what hath been obferved on this head, and, with a fhort application of it to our felvés, fhall conclude this difcourfe.

The imperfect propagation of the gospel, and the prevalence of Mahometifm over it, are fome

of

Nulli unquam genti tam late regnatum fuit, neque tam brevi temporis fpatio unquam tot regna, tot regiones, fub jugum miffa. Incredibile dictu, verissimum tamen est, o&oginta aut non multo plurium annorum fpatio, fabjugarunt illi, et Diabolico Muhammedis Imperio acquifiverunt, Palæstinam,

Syriam,