the most profeft and bitter enemies to the chriftian religion. Not to mention Simon Magus and many others, I fhall only take notice of thofe two great perfecutors of chriftianity, the Emperors Adrian and Julian the Apoftate, both of them initiated in the myfteries of divination, and skilled in all the depths of magic, I fhall only add, that evil fpirits cannot be fuppofed to have concurred in the establishment of a religi on which triumphed over them, drove them out of the places they poffeft, and divested them of their influence on mankind: nor would I mention this particular, though it be unanimously reported by all the ancient chriftian Authors; did it not appear from the authorities above cited, that this was a fact confett by hea thens themselves.

V. We now see what a multitude of Pagan teftimonies may be produced for all those remarkable paffages, which might have been expected from them: and indeed of feveral, that, I believe, do more than anfwer your expectation, as they were not fubjects in their own nature fo exposed to public notoriety. It cannot be expected they fhould mention particu lars, which were tranfacted amongst the Difciples only, or among fome few even of the Dif ciples themselves; fuch as the transfiguration, the agony in the garden, the appearance of Chrift after his refurrection, and others of the like nature. It was impoffible for a heathen author to relate these things; because if he had believed them, he would no longer have been a heathen, and by that means his teftimony would not have been thought of fo much validity. Befides, his very report of facts fo favou

rable

rable to Christianity would have prompted men to say that he was probably tainted with their doctrine. We have a parallel case in Hecatæus, a famous Greek Historian, who had several paffages in his book conformable to the history of the Jewish writers, which when quoted by Jofephus, as a confirmation of the Jewish history, when his heathen adverfaries could give no other answer to it, they would need fuppofe that Hecataus was a Jew in his heart, though they had no other reason for it, but because his history gave greater authority to the Jewish than the Egyptian Records.

SECTION, III.

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I. Introduction to a fecond lift of Pagan Authors, who give teftimony of our Saviour.

II. Apaffage concerning our Saviour, from a learned

Athenian.

III. His converfion from Paganism to Christianity makes his evidence ftronger than if he had continued a Pagan.

IV. Of another Athenian Philofopher converted to Christianity.

V. Why their converfion, instead of weakening, Strengthens their evidence in defence of Chriftianity.

V. Their belief in our Saviour's history founded at first upon the principles of historical faith.

VII. Their teftimonies extended to all the particulars of our Saviour's hiftory.

VIII. As related by the four Evangelifts.

I. AO this lift of heathen writers, who make mention of our Saviour, or touch

T

upon any particulars of his life, I fhall add thofe Authors who were at firft heathens,. and afterwards converted to Christianity; upon which account, as I fhall here fhew, their teftimonies are to be looked upon as the more authentic. And in this lift of evidences, I fhall confine myself to fuch learned Pagans as came over to Christianity in the three first centuries, because those were the times in which men had the best means of informing themselves of the truth of our Saviour's hiftory, and because among the great number of Philofophers who came in afterwards, under the reigns of chriftian Emperors, there might be feveral who did it partly out of worldly motives.

II. Let us now fuppofe, that a learned heathen writer who lived within 60 years of our Saviour's crucifixion, after having fhewn that falfe miracles were generally wrought in obfcurity, and before few or no witneffes, fpeaking of those which were wrought by our Saviour, has the following paffage. "But his works were "always feen, because they were true, they

were feen by those who were healed, and by "those who were raised from the dead. Nay thofe perfons who were thus healed, and raif"ed, were feen not only at the time of their "being healed, and raised, but long afterwards. Nay they were feen not only all the while 66 our Saviour was upon earth, but furvived VOL. III.

N

"after

"after his departure out of this world, nay "fome of them were living in our days.'

III. I dare fay you would look upon this as a glorious atteftation for the cause of Chriftianity, had it come from the hand of a famous Athenian Philofopher. These forementioned words however are actually the words of one who lived about fixty years after our Saviour's crucifixion, and was a famous Philofopher in Athens: but it will be faid, he was a convert to Christianity. Now confider this matter impartially, and fee if his testimony is not much more valid for that reafon. Had he continued a Pagan Philofopher, would not the world have faid that he was not fincere in what he writ, or did not believe it; for, if fo, would not they have told us he would have embraced Christianity? This was indeed the cafe of this excellent man: he had fo thoroughly examined the truth of our Saviour's hiftory, and the excellency of that religion which he taught, and was fo entirely convinced of both, that he became a Profelyte and died a Martyr.

IV. Ariftides was an Athenian Philosopher, at the fame time, famed for his learning and wifdom, but converted to Chriftianity. As it cannot be queftioned that he perufed and approved the apology of Quadratus, in which is the paffage now cited, he joined with him in an apology of his own, to the fame Emperor, on the fame fubject. This apology, tho' now loft, was extant in the time of Ado Viennenfis, A. D. 870, and highly efteemed by the most learned Athenians, as that Author witneffes. It must have contained great arguments for the truth of our Saviour's hiftory, because in it he afferted

the

the divinity of our Saviour, which could not but engage him in the proof of his miracles.

V. I do allow that, generally speaking, a man is not fo acceptable and unquestioned an evidence in facts, which make for the advancement of his own party. But we muft confider that, in the cafe before us, the perfons to whom we appeal, were of an oppofite party,, till they were perfuaded of the truth of those very facts, which they report. They bear evidence to a history in defence of Chriftianity, the truth of which history was their motive to embrace Chriftianity. They atteft facts which they had. heard while they were yet heathens, and had they not found reafon to believe them, they would still have continued heathens, and have made no mention of them in their writings.

VI. When a man is born under Chriftian parents, and trained up in the profeffion of that religion from a child, he generally guides himfelf by the rules of Chriftian Faith in believing what is delivered by the Evangelifts; but the learned Pagans of antiquity, before they became Chriftians, were only guided by the common rules of Hiftorical Faith: That is, they examined the nature of the evidence which was to be met with in common fame, tradition, and the writings of those perfons who related them, together with the number, concurrence, veracity, and private characters of those perfons; and being convinced upon all accounts that they had the fame reafon to believe the hiftory of our Saviour, as that of any other perfon to which they themselves were not actually eye-witneffes, they were bound by all the rules of hiftorical faith, and of right reafon, to give credit to this hif N 2

tory.