OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 97 clued the understanding, must, at the same time, purify CH AP. the lieart and direct the actions of the behever. The ■*^^' first apologists of Christianity, who justify the innocence the first of their brethren, and the writers of a later period, who celebrate the sanctity of their ancestors, display, in the most lively colours, the reformation of manners w^hich was introduced into the world by the preaching of the gospel. As it is my intention to remark only such human causes as were permitted to second the influ- ence of revelation, I shall slightly mention two motives which might naturally render the lives of the primitive christians much purer and more austere than those of their pagan contemporaries, or their degenerate suc- cessors ; repentance for their past sins, and the laudable desire of supporting the reputation of the society in which they were engaged. It is a very ancient reproach, suggested by the igno- Effects of ranee or the malice of infidelity, that the christians pentance. allured into their party the most atrocious criminals, who, as soon as they were touched by a sense of re- morse, were easily persuaded to wash away, in the water of baptism, the guilt of their past conduct, for which the temples of the gods refused to grant them any expiation. But this reproach, when it is cleared from misrepresentation, contributes as much to the honour as it did to the increase of the church". The friends of Christianity may acknowledge without a blush, that many of the most eminent saints had been before their baptism the most abandoned sinners. Those persons who in the world had followed, though in an imperfect manner, the dictates of benevolence and pro- priety, derived such a calm satisfaction from the opi- nion of their own rectitude, as rendered them much less susceptible of the sudden emotions of shame, of grief, and of terror, which have given birth to so many wonderful conversions. After the example of their " The imputations of Celsus and Julian, with the defence of the fathers, are very fairly stated by Spanheira, Comment aire sur les Cesars de Julian, p. 4G8. VOL. II. H
