III. On their being perfecuted for their religion;

IV. On their preaching the Gospel to all

nations;

V. On the deftruction of Jerufalem, and ruin of the Jewish economy.

VI. Thefe arguments ftrengthened by what has happened fince Origen's time.

THE

I. THE fecond of thofe extraordinary means, of great use to the learned and inquifitive Pagans of the three first Centuries for evincing the truth of the hiftory of our Saviour, was the completion of fuch prophecies as are recorded of him in the Evangelifts. They could not indeed form any arguments from what he foretold, and was fulfilled during his life, because both the prophecy and the completion were over before they were published by the Evangelifts; though, as Origen obferves, what end could there be in forging fome of thefe predictions, as that of St. Peter's denying his mafter, and all his Difciples forfaking him in the greatest extremity, which reflects fo much fhame on the great Apoftle, and on all his companions? Nothing but a ftrict adherence to truth,

and

and to matters of fact, could have prompted the Evangelifts to relate a circumftance fo disadvantageous to their own reputation; as that Father has well obferved.

II. But to pursue his reflexions on this fubject. There are predictions of our Saviour recorded by the Evangelists, which were not completed till after their deaths, and had no likelihood of being fo, when they were pronounced by our bleffed Saviour. Such was that wonderful notice he gave them, that they should be brought before Governors and Kings for his fake, for a teftimony against them and the Gentiles, Mat. x. 28. with the other like prophecies, by which he foretold that his difciples were to be perfecuted. Is there any other doctrine in the world, fays this Father, whofe followers

are

punished? Can the enemies of Chrift fay, that he knew his opinions were false and impious, and that therefore he might well conjecture and foretel what would be the treatment of those persons who fhould embrace them? fuppofing his doc trines were really fuch, why fhould this be the confequence? what likelihood that men fhould be brought before Kings

and

and Governors for opinions and tenets of any kind, when this never happened even to the Epicureans, who abfolutely denied a Providence; nor to the Peripatetics themselves, who laughed at the prayers and facrifices which were made to the Divinity? Are there any but the Christians, who, according to this prediction of our Saviour, being brought before Kings and Governors for his fake, are preffed to their latest gafp of breath, by their respective Judges to renounce Christianity, and to procure their liberty and reft, by offering the fame facrifices, and taking the fame oaths that others did?

III. Confider the time when our Saviour pronounced those words, Mat. x. 32.. # bojoever fhall confefs me before men, bim will I confefs also before my Father which is in Heaven: But whofoever shall deny me before men, bim will I alfo deny before my Father which is in Heaven. Had you heard him fpeak after this manner, when as yet his Difciples were under no fuch trials, you would certainly have faid within yourself, It thefe fpeeches of Jefus are true, and if according to his prediction, Governors and Kings under

take

take to ruin and deftroy those who fhall profefs themfelves his difciples, we will believe (not only that he is a Prophet) but that he has received power from God fufficient to preferve and propagate his religion; and that he would never talk in fuch a peremptory and dif couraging manner, were he not affured that he was able to fubdue the most powerful oppofition, that could be made against the faith and doctrine which he taught.

IV. Who is not ftruck with admiration, when he represents to himself our Saviour at that time foretelling, that his Gofpel fhould be preached in all the world, for a witnefs unto all nations, or as rigen (who rather quotes the fenfe than the words) to ferve for a conviction to Kings and people, when at the fame time he finds that his Gospel has accordingly been preached to Greeks and Barbarians, to the learned and to the ignorant, and that there is no quality or condition of life able to exempt men from fubmitting to the doctrine of Chrift? As for us, fays this great Author, in another part of his book against Celfus, "When we see every day thofe events

66

exactly

exactly accomplished which our Sa"viour foretold at fo great a distance: "That his Gofpel is preached in all the "world, Mat. xxiv. 14. That his Difci"ples go and teach all nations, Mat. "xxviii. 19. And that thofe, who have "received his doctrine, are brought for "his fake before Governors, and before

Kings, Mat. x. 18. we are filled with "admiration, and our faith in him is con"firmed more and more. What clearer "and ftronger proofs can Celfus ask for "the truth of what he spoke?

V. Origen infifts likewife with great ftrength on that wonderful prediction of our Saviour concerning the deftruction of Jerufalem, pronounced at a time, as he obferves, when there was no likelihood nor appearance of it. This has been taken notice of, and inculcated by fo many others, that I fhall refer you to what this Father has faid on the subject in the first book against Celfus. And as to the accomplishment of this remarkable prophecy, fhall only obferve, that whoever reads the accounts given us by Jofephus without knowing his character, and compares it wi h what our Saviour foretold, would think the hiftorian had

been