"how to pay Honour, who does not "confound the Dignity of the Per fon honour'd, but in the first place "offers himself a Sacrifice, and "frames his Soul into the divine Image, and prepares his Mind, as a &6 Temple, for the Reception of the "divine Light b". I am difpos'd to believe that the Heathen Moralift had been converfant in the Writings of the Disciples and Followers of Jefus Chrift; who exhort all Chrifians to offer their Souls and Bodies a pure and living Sacrifice to God their Saviour; who tell them they must be renew'd after the divine Imaged; and warn 'em to preferve their Chaftity and Purity with all Diligence, because they are the Temples of the Holy Ghofte. Philo the Jew, a very eloquent and learned Author, gives great light e b. In Aur. Car. p. 24. Ed. Camb. by Needham.. c Rom. xii. I. d. 2 Cor. iii, 18. 1 Cor. iii 16, 17. vi. 19 to the New Testament Writers. That Place in the Hebrews which treats of our Saviour's being an High-Priest that had no Sin of his own, only that of others to facrifice and attone for is exactly parallell'd by that wonderful Paffage. Ogos ann Dear Agxieρεύς μὴ ψευδώνυμο αμέτοχο αμαρ τημάτων εσίν. And his Notion of the Logos and divine Mediator between God and Man, is exactly conformable to what infallible Authority delivers to us concerning thofe venerable DoEtrines. The Logos, fays he, has this Privilege granted him by his Father, that he fhould ftand the Me96e, in the midst between God and his Creatures, that is, an Interceffor for Mortals with the Immortal, a Legate of the Ruler to his Subjects: He is neither begotten as Mortals, unbegotten as God. He intercedes with God that he will not destroy his £ Heb. vii. 26, 27. nor Creature Creature; and affures the Creature: that the merciful God will not lay afide the Care of his own Work and Creation. That a Màn cannot attain to the full Knowledge of his Duty; nor be able rightly to difcharge it without fupernatural Affiftance; and the Directions of God's Eternal Spirit, is an important Doctrine in theSacred Volumes, prefs'd and inculcated almoft in every Page: Pythagoras, Plato, Cicero, and all the approv'd Moralifts in the Pagan World acknowledge the Soundnefs and Neceffity of this Doctrine. Xenophon, in the Conclufion of his OEconomics, affirms, that no Man can fuccessfully govern Mankind, unlefs he be a divine-Perfon; that is, affifted in the Adminiftration, as well as rais'd to the Honour, by God. Seneca fays, a Mind moderate and excellent is mov'd and influenc'd by a Celestial Power: We learn the wonderful Propagation of Christianity from the fore-nam'd Epistle Epistle of Pliny to his Master Trajan, from Suetonius, Tacitus and Lucian: The invincible Courage of the Primitive Chriftians, and their steady Adherence to their Religion, notwithstanding all manner of Torments and Death in its moft formidable Shapes, was the Triumph of their Caufe; and the Aftonishment and Confufion of their Pagan Perfecutors. Pliny is more full upon this Point than any other relating to the Chriftianss The Royal Philofopher takes notice of the Chriftian Bravery, but thro' Mifreprefentation and Prejudice afcribes it to Obftinacy and Sullennefs of Temper. Their exceffive Charity and Goodness to their Fellow Chrifians, and to their most fierce Ene→ mies and Perfecutors, is acknowledg'd: by Lucian and Julian; and their Example is by the latter of thefe re g M. Ant. Med. lib. xi. cap. 3. b De morte Peregrini. Tom. ii. p. 566, 567. Ed. Amftel.. 1687. commended ! commended to the Imitation of the Pagans in a Letter to the High-Priest of Galatia. Their Intereft with Heaven and the Efficacy of their Prayers, is evident from the furprizing Victory gain'd by them for the Emperor Antonine against the Marcomanni. 'Twas infifted upon by the Chriftian Apologifts with fuch Circumstances of full Affurance, as no Men who had either regard to their Safety or Honour wou'd do, if they were not certain they cou'd invincibly prove what they fo confidently affirm'di. Claudian the Heathen Poet takes notice of this Victory obtain'd not by human Force, but the vifibie and peculiar Favour of Heaven. St. Auftin and fome other Chriftian Writers k have spoken of the miraculous Victory of Theodofius against the Rebels i Eufeb. Ecclef. Hift. 5. cap. 5. Tertul. Apol. cap. 5. Juftin Martyr, r Apol. p. 138. Ed. Grabe, Oxon. 1700. Sozomen Eccles. Hist. 7. cap. 24. Euge |