90 THE DECLINE AND FALL CHAP, sitlered every disaster that happened to the empire as ' ' an infaUible symj^tom of an expiring woi'ld*. The pagans Tlic Condemnation of the wisest and most virtuous devoted to ^^ j.|jg pagans, on account of their ignorance or dis- punisli- belief of the divine truth, seems to offend the reason '"'^" ■ and the humanity of the present age^ But the primi- tive church, whose faith was of a much firmer con- sistence, delivered over, without hesitation, to eternal torture the far greater part of the human species. A charitable hope might perhaps be indulged in favour of Socrates, or some other sages of antiquity, who had consulted the light of reason before that of the gospel had arisen **. But it was unanimously affirmed, that those, who since the birth or the death of Christ had obstinately persisted in the worship of the demons, neither deserved nor could expect a pardon from the irritated justice of the Deity. These rigid sentiments, which had been unknown to the ancient world, appear to have infused a spirit of bitterness into a system of love and harmony. The ties of blood and friendship were frequently torn asunder by the difference of reli- gious faith ; and the christians, who in this world found themselves oppressed by the power of the pagans, were sometimes seduced by resen*"ment and spiritual pride to delight in the prospect of their future triumph. " You are fond of spectacles," exclaims the stern Ter- tuUian ; " expect the greatest of all spectacles, the last '• On tliis subject every reader of taste will be entertained with the third part of Burnet's Sacred Theory, He blends philosophy, scripture, and tra- dition, into one magnificent system ; in the description of which he displays a strength of fancy not inferior to that of Milton himself.
- And yet, whatever may be the language of individuals, it is still the
public doctrine of all the christian churches ; nor can even our own refuse to admit the conclusions which must be drawn from the thirteenth and the eighteenth of her articles. The Jansenists, who have so diligently studied the works of the fathers, maintain this sentiment with distinguished zeal ; and the learned M. de Tillemont never dismisses a virtuous emperor with- out pronouncing his damnation, Zuinglius is perhaps the only leader of a party who has ever adopted the milder sentiment, and he gave no less offence to the Lutherans than to the catholics. See Bossuet, Histoire des Variations des P'glises Protestantes, 1. ii. c. 19 — 22. Justin and Clemens of Alexandria allow that some of the philosophers were instructed by the Logos ; confounding its double signification of the human reason and of the divine Word.
