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intereStin an important ork of the Jays of early Christianity. The ne is the reat Apolog of the mos eloquent of the early Father of the Church the fallier of Latin Christianity,' a Dean Milman calis him; the ther is the ethica treatis of the pure-
io e fauit in the practices an discipline of the ChurCh, e
The or besorem is the greates of Tertullian's ritings Thedeepi religious eathen Emperor, . Aurelius, die in 18O, and Wa SUCCeededi his unWorth son, Commodus. He a followed by Septimius Severus, therars of the Barrac Emperors,' in ther WOrdS, O thos militar adventurer Who et the Roman Empire down to the daysi Dioclesian following one another rapidly, and, With hardi a Single exception dyin violent deallis. The oldenage of the Empire a gone, it a the iron age Oriti ut the Christia Church, after a perio os silent growth, after OrShi in
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CaUe an CatacombS, asino a reCognised poWer in the Empire. It ad a ne philosophy to offer men, an a naSCent literature; it boldi put forti it claim to obedience, and made OnVert among the rich and earned. . Aurelius lia done his ulmos to crustiit Commodus had notione so some of his Courtier Were Christians, an persuade hirn to leave thei Co-religionisis lone. An Sept. Severus urgued in the main the Same poliCy. But the Africa Church was an exception to the generat immunity. Mucii depende everywhere on the dispositio of the Severa proconsul toWard the faith. There ad been laws in existen eagainst it ver ince the Jaysi Nero, an it depende altogetheron the variou governor Whether these laws hould stand in abeyanc ori put in vigorou exercise There ere by this time many
thousand of elievers in Africa an no heathen lanatiCism, whicli ad been long mouidering broke ut The rieSteSSe Ofth De Coelestis V ad raised seditious obs, and allied heathensand JeWs ad destroye Christia Churches, and ille and desecrate thei burial-places Caricatures of Christ were paradedthrough the Streeis, and the sua ridiculous Charge of inces and Cannibalismoere brought against his discipies It was ali his whicli produce Tertullian' Apology. Η sirs addresses himself Chaps. i. vi. to thi genera argument,
that the uter a Carthage are persecutin a bod of men, Wh are UndeServin o Condemnation. Trajan's counge to liny that Christian were noto be ought ut, ut is rought besore imWere to e punished, a the apologis rightly maintainS, WaSillogica an confused But the present actio of the OVerning POWer WaS et Orse it Was persecuting a religion hicli ConfessedlyWa a Stron agent in the reformation os popular moralS. e thengoe Ono State hat are the Charge brought against Christians, an to asser thei falsit vii. ix.), themtakes them in detail. First, saCrilege' and treason.' He meet therars by declaring that the god of the heathen are o god. X. v.), and theni demonstratin that Christians have a devolat orshi of their Wn, and prolaund reverene formim horn the recognis a thei God, and in dolia this e refutes certain calumnies hich have been brought against his orship xvi.-xxiii.). These Chapter are ullo informatio ConCerning early Churci CustomS. He Oe On Osa that tris the heathen an no the Christians horare reatly the impious, and that it is notome that Christians are enemies of the Common ealth, seeing that the greatnes of Romem es nothin to
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it heathen aith. Andae retoris pon them the Charge of impiety, b declaring that he hol Caesar in greater rea than the dotheir gods, whils the Christians pra to thei God sor Caesar'swellare though the wil not pay that Caesar lyin honour Thenour apologist dealin With delatis, argues passionatet an grand lyon bellat os a bod of men ho do not ah vengean Ce for thewrOng that the are Suffering It has been many a time illiinthei poWer o have at sed the whirlWin againSt the overn ment, but the have refrained; ut the are tron in theanowledge of thei Comin victory Andi demand that therelare the shouldat once be admitte amongst the licenSed secis.' Gatheringstrength a he is carried long on the stream of his majesticeloquenCe, and With the Consciousnes that he is gaining the bellero his opponent at ver turn, he realis ut into a magnificent peroration, parti of the deepes seeling, parti O Withering Corn, and end in a climax os impassione an Confident appeat. The author of the present translation, a I earn stoma lettersen to me by the present Rector, a Rector of Cransor stom
familiari calle the child Verissimus' rom his disposition and 1 Urther, hen e adopte Antoninus ius as his heir, he made ita Conditio that he in turn hould adopi the ather of the oungAurelius. The oy's ather dyin early his education a Carriedo by his grandlather, ho assiduousty ought ut therae teaChersiliat were tote found and thus it Was that M. Aurelius cis traineda a Stoic. Asine re u he justified the expeCtations that ereforme of him attendin stricti to ali uties committe to im, an never ieldin to the temptation to sub ordinate them to the studies that he loved. Antoninus ius, o beComin Emperor, A. D. 38, OStOWed his davgliter po him, an on his death asSUCCeede by him, at the urgent eques of the Senate, o Aurelius
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It is strange to se ho this genti and thoughtful antecameth most systemati persecutor hicli the Church ad ver ethad. Heia acquiesce in the toleration excerised by hi tW pre-deCeSSors, buvno he went to orion system to destro the Christianfaith. Unde him ere martyre Polycarp, Blandina, Pothinus, and the ther martyr of LyonS, and Justin artyr The Stoi philo-Soph under hiCh he was nurtured, and of the eiter aspectos hich e is the obtest example, ad many oint of union Witti Christianit see erome, Comm. o Baia , CXi.), Ut there Were alSo Stron divergenCeS. rimarily there a the convictionos the Stoic that man has in himself theso eri beComing VirtuOUS, to hicli the Christia opposed the declaration, Withou Christ,e Canio nothing. And the practical outcome of the two philosophieSproved the Christia in the right. The tot strove o Dee im-Selfarom the generat debasement, and was leSSed, SAEVer man is blesse sto above ho trives honestly. ut e sa himselfsurpasse in moralit an fortitude by the Christian who su CeededWhere e falled. It is remarkable to notice, in the histories both
ServiCe to the State ere rendered, by an disciple of the StoicCreed Athen produce many great men, Sparta none. An asthe Stoic a himself distanced in that which he had made a SinCere, though futile endeavou to in he ecam embittered, and haled the Christians as his rivals. The ver tranquillit With hicli Aurelius trained himself to regar the Sorro an pat os life Wasirritate by the Christian agernes to Convert the ori to thesaith and the promises of the wori to come. What he belleved onlypoSSibi e to the philosopher, the declare to e offere to ait;
vade the Easter border, a di the Germans the regions of the Rhine and Danube. The Epicurea atheism, hicli ad paSSed muster a the fashionabie religion, as indie by these Calamities into furious fanaticism cit a the Christia superstition hichiadrou sed the wrath of the ods It is notiCeable that the ear 166,
Whicli asano K a the annus calamitosus ' Was the ear of the
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to the Christia prayers. God, V so the aptat of the Guard is sal to have old the Emperor in the idst of the Xtremity, neve dente anythin to the Christians, an he had a reatnumber of them in ne of his legions.' Therefore the Emperor had them summone before im, an destre them to pra tothei God for im. An the di so, and were eard. Tertulliani his polog speah of a letter of the Emperor hich he hasseen hicli ears ut his staternent, and there is no reason to
The reade ma re member that Collier a a Conspicuous divine
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of the time of the later tuaris. His firs Church reserment asthe ving of Ampion, Sussoth, hicli e resigne to hol theΡreaChersiti a Gray' Inn. A the evolution o 1688 he was depriVexas a non uror, and in I 696 was ouilawed foraiving Churchabsolution to tw of the plotters against in William. He didnot however, troubie imself about it, ut reside in London, and supporte himself b his literar labours of these the greates is his Church History. The or before us elong to the Same
period of his life He die in 1726. . .
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Ι is true, it is objecte against the Stoics that the allowed nodegrees in ill practice, ut made ali fauit equat that he held Compassio an infirmity, and would not suffercit in the Character of an improVed philosopher that the happines of a Wis man depended
purelympo himself, and that there a no necessit os addreSSinga Superior being. To answer thi Charge, onsleur 'ACier observes that Zeno'sopinion the Munder of the sect was air an defensibi in thesepoinis that he was misunderstoo by Some of his Cholars, andvnreaSonabi straine u to the letter. But there is no nee to insist an further po justifying, foro do no remember urauthor is at ali concerne in his matter. To proCeed theresore, to the Emperor illi referencerio his book. His thoughis, then, are nobi an uncommon, an his logi very true and XaCt. He generali ille his ame home, Seldom leaves his argument ill e bring it to a demonstration, an has purSuedit to iis sirs principies Seneca has a disserent manner, an moVeSmore by tari an salty He ashes a in in our face and
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the subjectos et as ou an This look like an apparition fphilosophy, and is Sometimes more surprising than instructive. Though his remar has no referen e to the excellent Englisti abstraci, hicli is differenti manage sto the original. But assor heimperor, he Charges through and through, an no dissicultyca stand e re im. His reason is no es irresistibi than his arms, and he love to Conque in his close as ei as in theraeid. There is a peculiar at o greatnes an gravit in his dis ourses. He eem to thin v to his station, and writes illi that magnifiCence of notion, ascis helelieve himself oblige to exceedother authors, a much in the vigour of his in a in the lustre of his fortune. Η appears to have thought to the bottom of his argument, andio have had a Comprehensive vie of the worid, of the interest and relations os society. Henc it is that his moralit is o particularly servi eable an Convincing that his sentenCe are o eighty, and his reasoning o ver just. y thus diggin to the Mundation heis in a condition to assignisverythiniit true groundS, an Set everydutympo it prope basis. Further, the great probit of this prinCe, his fortitude, and the noblenes of his mind gave reedom and spiritto his thoughis, and made him exert so the service of principi and truth. Besides, he eem to have been orn illi a prerogative os nature, tesse With a superior genius, and made u of riCher
together illi an improve education, aised him to that pitch fm est an distinction, and ad his en almos equa to his
than stom a private philosopher; for in this case a man speahis romexperiment, an diSputes against the privilege of his condition. Here the Sual retenCe of enuno ignorance is ut o doors, and nothinibu dint of reason could rive him pon o nacceptable
The generosit of his principies are no es remarhable Me
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Fre face o M. Aurelius Medita fons. XV
shows the iniquit os a seisisti temper that ill-natur is a Contradiction to the law of roviden e and the interes of mankind, a punishment nocles than a fauit to thos that have it. At the great ossices of humanity, justiCe, an acquiescenCe, are enforCed illi unu sua advantage his turn of eason ein osten a surprisingsor thei strengiliis for thei novelty In Shori, abatin Q Someo the error above mentioned, e Seem to have raW up an admirabie scheme o natura religion and whicli is stili more commendabie, he practiSed his maxim upon himself, and madehis life a transcript of his doctrine. He a so great a love os truth and clear dealing that he ould ather have os his empirethan traine a principie. Indeed falsehood an legerdemain inhthe Character of a prinCe, an mali him look like a royal juggier. Publi Character an Common good, a the Calicit, remo Suffcient delance in Such Cases. Sixtus the Fifth, ho must be allowe agreat an, Sed to Say that it Was hori hinking hicli made Conscience impraClicabie, an politic sal foui pon morais thati statesmen ere eli qualisie and worked thei heads, there Wouldiem occasio sor latitude an insincerity. Reason ithout doubi, et managed, ould lance against inConvenienCe muChbette than Crast. In earnest, it ould e a very hard Case, an agreat reflection pon ProvidenCe, is me Could not be happywithout reaking thei faith and lemishing thei honour. How
State incompatibie illi the law of justice; ur Emperor is a nobie
instance to the Contrary. For never ere the functions of eaceand wariette performed the SubjeCt more asy, and the empire
more flourishing than unde this prince and et it a non of his Wayrio indulge his politics, and war in the least stom his notions. It was his Constant practice a Wellis his rule-i it is no just, neve do it is it is no truth, neve Spea it. A to the Emperor' Way of writing, is any one objecis against his Sometime Comin ove again illi the Same hing, he a Pleaset Conside that this prince id not ahe philosopli for mere diversio an amusement. Instruction a his main deSign. Upon this te it was no impropero repea the Strohe, o mahethe impression o deeper. The rejudices the Emperor disputes againSt re inveterate, an no to e remove without dissiculty. An is one dose illiso cur the patient, hy hould o the bilibe made u again Θ f this ut holus in medicine, hy no in morality Are not people' understanding as valvabie a their
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health Θ An is no a diseas in the passion much orse hanone in the Constitutioi And, after ali, hen the matte is Closelyexamined the round of the objectionisii in a reat measure vanish. For hen the Emperor oes come ver illi an id hing, it is his customo improve pon it. e repeais, ut it is foradvantage to the argument, an his alter thoughis are generallysupplemental to the former. He either extend the notion or re- inforCes the proos o gives a ne turn os strengili an beaut to the expression And thus the reade is alWay a gaine by the bargain. In translatin the author I have made se of the quarto edition publislied in 1697. In hicli, esides Gaiaher' annotations Phad the assistance of Onsleur 'ACier' remarks, turned into Latin byDr. Stantiope. As for his rench translation, neve sa it illSome time aster my wn a finished, and par of it prin te off. HOWever, ne hinc stiali observe, hicli is the ni us Pliave made of onsi eur 'Acier' translation. t is his remar uponSeCt. 6 Book i. Where, Citing ollux, he telis Sohat he Romans, in imitatio of the Greelis, sed to figlit quails for divination aswellos diversion, and ad a fanc their own fortune might e prognosticate by the succes of the batile. his pie e of superstition I ConfeSS, a more thano as Ware os, and et by the Contexi, the Emperor seem to have haesit in his iew. One ord more of the Emperor' style, an Phave done. NoWhis Way of expressin himself is extraordinarii brief. His ordsare Sometimes ver-burdene With thought, an have almos more SenSe than the Can Carry. In deed, it Was par of his CharaCter towrite in his Concise manner, formetther the Emperor no the Stoicwould allo os an tengiliis expression Besides, he wrole Chieflysor himself, hicli akes him stili more sparin in his angvage. He ometimes raws in litile, rite his meanin a it ere in Shorthan d, and oes no beat ut his notion to thei fuit proportion. To hicho may add that omelimes the eight of his subjeci Carries him almost ut o sight for there is an obscurityi things as etllas in language. For these reaSonii is no onderis, sin his sense nomand then a litile perplexed And the refore, Where Ι was a fra id the reason might possibi be at a loss, I have endeavoured to direct him right y a note in the margin I have likeWis in ome emplaCes venture to thro in a Word o tWO, to mahe the ex more intelligibie. But when his libert was ahen, have been always Cares ut o spea the Emperor' mirad, and heepclos to the meaning of the original.