been a Chriftian, and that he had nothing elfe in view, but to adjust the event to the prediction.

VI. I cannot quit this head without taking notice, that Origen would still have triumphed more in the foregoing arguments, had he lived an age longer, to have feen the Roman Emperors, and all their Governors and provinces, fubmitting themselves to the Chriftian Religion, and glorying in its profeffion, as fo many Kings and Sovereigns ftill place their relation to Chrift at the head of their titles.

How much greater confirmation of his faith would he have received, had he feen our Saviour's prophecy stand good in the deftruction of the Temple, and the diffolution of the Jewish œconomy, when Jews and Pagans united all their endeavours under Julian the Apoftate, to baffle and falfify the prediction? The great preparations that were made for re-building the temple, with the hurricane, earthquake, and eruptions of fire, that deftroyed the work, and terrified thofe employed in the attempt from proceeding in it, are related by many historians of the fame age, and the fubftance of the ftory teftified both by Pagan and Jewish

Jewish writers, as Ammianus Marcellinus and Zammath-David. The learned Chryfoftome, in a fermon against the Jews, tells them this fact was then fresh in the memories even of their young men, that it happened but twenty years ago, and that it was attefted by all the inhabitants of ferufalem, where they might still fee the marks of it in the rubbish of that work, from which the Jews defifted in fo great a fright, and which even Julian had not the courage to carry on. This fact, which is in itfelf fo miraculous, and fo indifputable, brought over many of the Jews to Chriftianity, and shows us, that after our Saviour's prophecy against it, the temple could not be preferved from the plough paffing over it, by all the care of Titus, who would fain have prevented its deftruction, and that inftead of being re-edified by Julian, all his endeavours towards it did but still more literally accomplish our Saviour's prediction, that not one stone should be left upon another.

The ancient Chriftians were fo entirely perfuaded of the force of our Saviour's prophecies, and of the punishment which the Jews had drawn upon themselves,

and

and upon their children, for the treatment which the Meffiah had received at their hands, that they did not doubt but they would always remain an abandoned and difperfed people, an hiffing and an aftonishment among the nations, as they are to this day. In fhort, that they had loft their peculiarity of being God's people, which was now transferred to the body of Chriftians, and which preserved the Church of Christ among all the conflicts, difficulties and perfecutions, in which it was engaged, as it had preferved the Jewish government and ceconomy for fo many ages, whilft it had the fame truth and vital principle in it, notwithstanding it was fo frequently in danger of being utterly abolished and deftroyed. Origen, in his fourth book against Celfus, mentioning their being caft out of Jerufalem, the place to which their worship was annexed, deprived of their temple and facrifice, their religious rites and folemnities, and fcattered over the face of the earth, ventures to affure them with a face of confidence, that they would never be re-eftablifhed, fince they had committed that horrid crime againft the Saviour of the world. This was a bold

bold affertion in the good man, who knew how his people had been fo wonderfully re-established in former times, when they were almost swallowed up, and in the most defperate state of defolation, as in their deliverance out of the Babylonifh captivity, and the oppreffions of Antiochus Epiphanes. Nay, he knew that within less than a hundred years before his own time, the Jews had made fuch a powerful effort for their re-establishment under Barchocab, in the reign of Adrian, as fhook the whole Roman empire. But he founded his opinion on a fure word of prophecy, and on the punifhment they had fo juftly incurred; and we find, by a long experience of 1500 years, that he was not mistaken, nay, that his opinion gathers ftrength daily, fince the Jews are now at a greater distance from any probability of fuch a re-establishment, than they were when Origen wrote.

I. The lives of primitive Chriftians, another means of bringing learned Pagans into their religion.

II. The change and reformation of their

manners.

III. This looked upon as fupernatural by the learned Pagans.

IV. And strengthened the accounts given of our Saviour's life and history.

V. The Jewish prophecies of our Saviour,
an argument for the heathens belief:
VI. Purfued:
VII. Pursued.

I.THERE was one other means en

Tjoyed by the learned Pagans of

the three first centuries, for fatisfying them in the truth of our Saviour's hiftory, which I might have flung under one of the foregoing heads; but as it is fo fhining a particular, and does fo much honour to our religion, I fhall make a diftinct article of it, and only confider it with regard to the subject I am_upon :

I mean