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470 Credibility of the Gospel History.
is considered, that by change of" sentiment, and embracing
this doctrine, they exposed themselves to the greatest dan-
gers, and the heaviest sufferings.
(8.) Finally, he argues, that'' the things said of Christ
must be true; forasmuch as they nho first reported or recorded
them, h.ad no interest to induce them to falsify, and
by only not bearing- testimony to him, they might have
avoided many sufferings, and have lived quietly and comfortably
among- their neighbours. Would men in such a
circumstance, pretend to have seen what they never saw?
and assert facts they had no knowlege of? Would men
bring- upon themselves enmity and hatred, and expose themselves
to universal infamy, for no reason at all? They Mere
therefore fully persuaded of the things they related, and
knew them to be true.
1 have allowed myself to enlarge in these extracts ; for 1
think no one can be displeased to see, how solidly this christian
rhetorician and apologist argued above a thousand,
almost fifteen hundred years ago, in behalf of the religion of
Jesus, whose disciples we profess ourselves to be.
3. Let us now attend to the objections, or at least some
of the objections against the christian religion, which we
find to be taken notice of and considered by this writer.
(1.) I have not observed any notice taken by Arnobius of
those scandalous imputations upon the christians, of sacrificing
young children, and practising promiscuous lewdness
in their religious assemblies. It is likely, therefore, that the
christians had so fully confuted those stories, and all men
were so fully satisfied of their falsehood, that they were no
longer mentioned by the enemies of the christian religion.
Our author indeed speaks"^ of their being called impious,
totus mundus ista religione completus est ? aut in unam coire qui potuerunt
menteiu gentes religiouibus cUssitae, ventis, coeli convexionibus dimotae ?
Asseverationibus illectae sunt nudis, inductas in spes cassas, et in pericula
capitis immittere se sponte temeraria desperatione voluemnt, cum nihil tale
vidissent, quod eas in hos cultus novitatis suae possit excitaie miraculo ? Imo
quia haec omnia et ab ipso cernebant geri et ab ejus praeconibus, qui per orbem
nussi beneficia patris et munera sanandis anunis hominibusque portabant,
veritatis ipsius vi victae, et dederunt se Deo, nee in magnis posuere dispendiis
membra vobis projicerc, et viscera sua lanianda praebere. 1. i. p. 33.
' An numquid dicenius, illius temporis homines usque adeo fuisse vanos,
mendaces, stolidos brutos, ut, quae nunquam viderant, vidisse se fingerent ? et
quae facta omnino non erant falsis proderent testimoniis, aut puerili assertione
firmarent > cumque possent vobiscum et unanimitcr vivere, ut inoffensas ducere
conjunctjonos, gratuita susciperent odia, et execrabili haberentur in nomine ?
p. 33. sub in. Quantumlibet nos impios, irreligiosos vocetis,
aut atheos, nunquam fidem facietis esse amorum deos, &c. 1. iii. p. 116. f.
Trophonius nos impios, Dodonaeus aut Jupiter nominat,— 1. i. p. 14.— ut coa-
vicio utamur vcstro, infausti et athei nuncupamur. ib. p. 16.