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464 Credibility of the Gospel History.
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, thati 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:
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 relioion 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.'
Arnobius was learned and pious ; as every one must perceive,
who looks into him. And though his style is gene-
^ Ov yap IV Xoyoif, aXX' tv ipyoiq ra Tr)Q iifitTipaQ Bioatfitiag npayfiara.
Just. M. ad Gr. Coh. p. 33. B. Ov yap tv fieXtry Xoywv, oXX' firidtiKii (cat
StSa(TKa\t(} fpywv, ra ri}xiTipa. Athenag. leg. p. 37. B. vid. ib. p. 12. A. Nos
non habitu sapientiam, seel iriente, prsefeiinius. Non eloquimur magna, sed
vivimus. Min. Fel. cap. 38. Nos autem, — qui philosophi non verbis sed
factis sumus, nee vestitu sapientiam, sed veritate, praeferimus, qui non
loquimur magna, sed vivimus. Cypr. de Bono Sap. sub init. Nostio autem
populo, quid horum potest objici, cujiis omnis religio est, sine scelere, et sine
macula vivere ? Lact. Inst. 1. 5. cap. 9. sub fin.
' Tout
cela, selon lui, sent des questions vaines et curieuses, qu'il est impos-
sible de determiner, parceque la raison humaine manque de lumieres suffisantcs
pour cela, et que le Fils de Dieu ne s'est point explique la-dessus. Arnobe
faisoit consister la religion chretienne dans la doctrine claire et certaine du
Sauvcur, et en rctranchoit tout ce qu'il n'a pas enseigne avec evidence. On
peut bien croirc que je n'approve pas les hypotheses d'Arnobe. Mais pourquoi
faut il, que les anciens ayent ete anime d'un esprit aussi curieux et aussi
decisif que celui du savant Arnobe etoit timide et reserve' ? C'est cet esprit
decisif, qui a fait naitre tant de sectes et schismes. Beaus. Hist, de Manich.
T. ii. p. 415.
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