thereof But that they do so still as Gregory also saith I think is a mistake I never observed it in any of their Synagogues tho I have seen several and their Worship yet I never saw any People so regardless therein as the present Generation of the Jews But why may we not pray in the same posture with the Jews of old which were Gods People and had his direction as well as in the posture of those Gentile Idolaters that worshipped the Sun Ezek. 8.16 as the Persians and many other Nations Truly if you will believe the Cardinal because this posture signifies so much more excellent things than the Jewish which he there mentions even the difference between the Gospel and Christianity from the present Religion of the accursed Jews the Enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ Here recommend me to the man that hath so strong Faith as to believe a bare posture can denote such great things to which it hath no tendency or likeness at all But if any one hath list and leisure to see a deal of dry Learning thrown away on this subject of praying towards the East they may peruse the 18th Chap. of Gregory's Notes on Zachary 6. v. 12. Who had written also a Treatise he intituled Alkibla i. e. the place toward which men worship as the Publisher of his posthumous Works acquaints us the loss whereof he laments tho for my part I think it not great Before I pass to another Argument let me set down the Opinion of Strabo in the place fore-mentioned an Author near 800 Years old when Ceremonies and Superstition were in Vogue and near their Altitude concerning the site of Churches Eastward Et quia diversitas Idololatriae diversis modis Templa extruxerat non magnopere curabant illius temporis justi quam in partem orationis loca converterent dum tantum videretur ubi eliminatae sunt Daemonum sordes ibi Deum creatorem omnium qui ubique est coli adorari And because Temples were built after divers manners according to the different ways of Idolatry The righteous men of those days did not much care which way the places of Prayer stood their consideration being only this that look where the filth and abomination of Devils were cast out of Doors there God the Creator of all who is every where might be worshipped and adored Now that by the righteous men of those times which cared not which way they converted their places or selves in Prayer to God were the times of the Conversion of the Empire from Idolatry to Christianity is plain by what preceds c. 3. where he saith After the time was come wherein the true Worshippers in Spirit and Truth not in Jerusalem only or in the Hill of Samaria that is not locally but spiritually began to worship the Father and the Doctrine of Salvation went forth into all Nations according to the commandment of the Lord the Faithful began to seek loca munda clean places which he interprets by that which follows and removed from tumults and affairs of men of carnal conversation therein to celebrate pure Prayers and the holy Mysteries and the comforts of mutual edification For tho we read in the Gospel the Disciples were with the Believers always in the Temple or in some upper room praising God and giving themselves to Fasting and Prayer yet after the coming down of the Holy Ghost upon them we read Act 1. 2d chap. that they Celebrated Prayers and the Eucharist circa domos from house to house and they met together not only within the City in some house or other but without also in secret places as at Philippi Acts 16.13 But when the number of Believers was multiplied they began to make their Houses Churches as we often read in the Legends of the Saints Oftentimes also declining the rage of Persecutors they had their meetings in Vaults under ground and in places of Burial and in Caves and desert Mountains and Valleys Then as the Miracle of Christian Religion profited more and more and the Devil loosing ground as Christ gained New Oratories were built nor so only but also the Temples of their Gods and Idols with the abominable Worship thereof being thrown away and banished were changed into the Churches of God It 's true that he dislikes not praying towards the East but gives reasons for the congruity of it yet upon consideration of the Temple at Jerusalem that the Holy of Holies was Westward and that Solomon in 's Prayer at the Dedication thereof turned his Face that way he concludes His aliis exemplis edocti cognoscimus non errasse illos vel errare qui Templis vel noviter Deo constructis vel ab Idolorum squalore mundatis propter aliquam locorum opportunitatem in diversas plagas altaria statuerunt quia non est locus ubi non sit Deus By these and other Examples we learn that they who either in Temples nowly built for God or purged from the filthiness of Idols did according to the opportunity of places set Altars towards different Coasts did nothing erre seeing there is no place where God is not present And accordingly proceeds to shew that in the Temple built by Helena at Jerusalem upon Christ's Sepulcher and in the Pantheon at Rome converted to Christian use as also in St. Peter's Church there Altars were Erected not only towards the East but also other Quarters of the Heavens And adds Haec cum secundum voluntatem vel necessitatem fuerint ita disposita improbare non audemus So that tho he approves rather of praying towards the East yet professeth he dares not blame those who otherwise ordered the matter and that not only in case of necessity but of meer will and pleasure Concluding thus Vnusquisque in suo sensu abundet propè est Dominus omnibus invocantibus eum in veritate Let every one abound in his own sense the Lord is near to all that call upon him in Truth I must add to all these the Example of the Church of England in reading the Liturgy Ministers Prayers and Peoples practice and further shew that tho Mede joins the position of Churches and Prayers yet neither of these necessarily infer the other but I have run out too far on this Argument already The second is drawn from the Discipline of the Church which required distinct and regular places in their Assemblies for Penitents Auditors Catechumens and the Faithful which argues they had places accommodated for that purpose We had this Argument before in the middle of the Third Century where we answered the same and therefore shall be briefer here Where I shall not insist upon it That distinctions might be made in private Houses or Places tho not so well or great as in publick Churches Nor deny the authority of that obscure Epistle however called Canonical of Gregorius Neocaesariensis which was a little before alledged for this Discipline and also considered But roundly answer that no such
II. DISSERTATION CONCERNING THE ANTIQUITY OF CHURCHES Wherein is shewn That the CHRISTIANS In the Two First CENTURIES Had no such Publick Separate Places for Worship as the Papists generally and some Protestants also Presume and Plead for LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers-Chappel 1698. NOBILISSIMO DOMINO D o. ROBERTO SOUTHWEL Equiti aurato Summis virtutibus perinde ac eruditione ornatissimo Longo rerum usu Prudentia civili celeberrimo Magnis merito Officiis Honoribus decorato Sub Carolo II. Ad Aulam Portugalliae semel atque iterum Ad Bruxellensem quoque Brandeburgicam Legato Necnon Sanctiori Concilio a Secretis Gulielmo III. In Regno Hiberniae ab Epistolis Itemque Regalis Societatis Praesidi Hanc qualemcunque Dissertationem Quam humillime D. D. C. JOSEPHUS HILL THE CONTENTS SECT 1. THE Question stated SECT 2. The first Argument that the Apostles and Primitive Christians had no Publick separate Places for Worship taken from their Persecution vindicated and inforced SECT 3. A second Argument from the defect of Proof for Churches so early SECT 4. Our Adversaries Proofs from Scripture Considered and Answered SECT 5. What kind of Places were used for Worship SECT 6. Testimonies for our Opponents in the first Century answered SECT 7. Testimonies in second Century answered SECT 8. As also in the third Century SECT 9. Their Reasons answered and of Churches standing and worshipping towards the East SECT 10. Several Considerations for corroborating our Assertion SECT 11. Testimonies of the Persecution of Christians and how continued in the first Ages SECT 12. Concerning the number of Martyrs SECT 13. Testimonies that the Christians had no Churches in the two first Centuries SECT 14. And that they assembled frequently in the Night and always in the most Private Places during their Persecution under the Heathens DISSERTATION II. Of the Antiquity of Artificial Churches under the Gospel SECTION I. HAVING Discoursed in a former Dissertation Of the Antiquity of Temples in the times of the Old Testament I proceed in this with the Consideration Of the Antiquity of Churches in Gospel times under the New Wherein the common Opinion of Protestants is maintained not only against Bellarmine and Baronius but some Protestants also as Fuller in his Miscellanea Sac. l. 2. c. 9. who undertakes to prove that Christians had their Churches or Temples built even in the days of the Apostles And more especially Mede who hath largely handled this Subject in 's Treatise Of Appropriate Places for Christian Worship both in and ever since the Apostles time Both these state and maintain the Question as they do and light their Candles at their Torches In this Controversie our Adversaries take the Word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render when taken for a Religious Assembly by the word Church from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whence the Saxon Cyric and the German Kyrk and we by adding a double Aspiration Chyrch or Church as it was in after Ages not in the beginning taken for a Publick Place for Worship Concerning which here let me premise That although we have no particular command for building of Churches as of Old for the Tabernacle which was a moveable Temple or the Temples which were standing Tabernacles their Names being frequently interchanged nor do they recommend our Services to God as those that were Typical of our Saviour did Yet are Edifices very convenient for the Worshippers and are so far necessary for the advancing Gods Service as appears by the Light of Nature and the use of Synagogues amongst the Jews That by such Structures we are better defended against the injuries of Wind and Weather as also the Voice of the Minister is in them more Audible than in the open Air and that thereby we have greater conveniency of excluding such as ought not to Communicate with us Besides that after the spreading of the Gospel they were more necessary for the containing a greater number of Christians than could meet together in private Houses or Places which occasioned afterwards as liberty was granted or encouragement given by Christian Magistrates the building of Oratories and Churches So that tho we grant the Primitive Christians had always Places for Publick Worship yet we deny they built any Edifices publickly for the exercise of their Religion or had any such appropriate places as our Opponents call Temples or Churches but worshipp'd God in such numbers as could conveniently meet together only in private Houses or such places as were obscure for above 200 Years after our Blessed Saviour's Ascension Altho in the Third Century they had some Oratories or Conventicles here and there even in the Roman Empire as well as in Persia and other Nations where the Gospel was spread For Arnobius who flourished about 285 mentions l. 4. the Christian Conventicles And Lactantius his Schollar Justit l. 5. c. 2. a Temple destroyed in Bithynia Who being Schoolmaster to Crispus the Son of Constantine it 's probable the publick Places granted the Christians by Galienus were then enlarged which were before called Conventicles as he saith One in Phrygia set a Conventicle on Fire and burnt all assembled therein cap. 11. SECT 2. The Reasons for this our Assertion are 1. The great Persecutions the Christians lived under for the most part all that time Which is so apparent from all Histories Sacred and Civil that I wonder Fuller should say That Persecutions in the beginning were more rare and for the most part private Both which are notoriously false as appears from the Acts. For no sooner had the Apostles begun to preach the Gospel c. 2. 3. but they were by the Rulers imprisoned beaten and charged to desist c. 4 5. Stephen taken and stoned c. 6 7. And thereupon the Church of Jerusalem by a great Persecution scattered c. 8. 11. v. 19. After we have Herods persecuting the Christians killing James and imprisoning Peter with intention to put him to Death c. 12. The Rulers persecute Paul and Barnabas at Antioch c. 13. and at Iconium and at Lystra Paul is stoned c. 14. He and Silas whip'd and imprison'd by the Roman Magistrates c. 16. Persecuted at Thessalonica c. 17. A Tumult against Paul c. c. 19. He saith bonds and afflictions wait for him in every City and that grievous Wolves should enter among them not sparing the Flock c. 20. And what Persecutions he suffered at Jerusalem not only from the Rabble but the Chief both of the Jews and Romans may be seen in the following Chapters Most of his Epistles were written in Bonds And it s generally said that he suffered at Rome under Nero as Peter many say did also And St. John's Banishment into the Isle of Patmos is certain as 't is said by the Emperour Domitian And Hospinian hath observed that from the Apostles time till Bishop Sylvester and the Emperour Constantine's for above 300 Years not one of all those 30 Bishops of Rome
but suffer'd Martyrdom But Fuller adds that the same publick calamities were usually common to the Jews with the Christians and therefore if they kept their Synagogues why might not these their Churches Mede also urgeth this of the Jewish Synagogues because the Jews Religion was no more the Empires than the Christians Both which we deny for the Jews were the Persecutors and the Christians the Persecuted they usually stirring up and incensing the Gentiles against these as the Acts of the Apostles testifie and St. Paul 1 Thes 2.14 15 16. Nor had the Christians then any Churches as the Jews had Synagogues tho they had in some Cities separate Meetings Of the Jewish Synagogues we read in Scripture but neither Scripture nor History mentions any publick Churches for 200 Years And afterwards when they had some Oratories we read of courses taken for demolishing them but not much less at the same time of the Jewish Synagogues These having been long before publickly tollerated in many Places to the Jews where they resided And they having now renounced Christ the Devil and Heathen Emperours had no cause to disquiet them but made use of them in opposing Christianity As Julian we know employ'd them for building again their Temple at Jerusalem to despite the Christians And no Religion is more hated of a Natural Man than the True all others being prefer'd before this Mr. Mede in answering the Objections against his Opinion endeavours to enervate this of Persecution two ways 1. By asserting that the greatest Persecutions as the five last of the Ten fell out in the Third Century wherein 't is granted the Christians had some Oratories and therefore why not in the two former seeing their Persecutions were not continual nor of long duration But tho we grant in regard of the abundance of Bloud-shed the last were the cruellest yet was there always such as hindred both the erecting and appropriating Churches and publickly assembling the Laws and Emperors being their Enemies contenting themselves to meet as they could with the most safety in secret And tho their Persecution was not constant yet were they constantly liable thereunto as the Apostle tells us Rom. 8.36 For thy sake we are killed all the day long we are accounted as Sheep for the Slaughter Histories also shew us their Sufferings were more continual and less interrupted in the two first than third Century Wherein after a sore Storm under Valerian they enjoy'd a comfortable calm under his Son Galienus who restored to them their Cemeteries and all other places of Worship which was such a favour or Tolleration as we read not of in the two first Ages 2. Mr. Mede argues from the credibility of the Christians having Oratories in the Roman Empire as well as in the Persian Which we deny for 't is the Roman Empire only that is represented under the Shape of a Red Dragon with 7 Heads and 10 Horns making War with the Saints of God Nor are we now dealing with a matter of Opinion or Credibility but matter of Fact and History which ascertains the Persecution under the Roman Emperors for 300 years but mentions little or none at all under the Persian Monarchs during that time tho afterwards as Sozomen l. 2. c. 8. relates by Saporez which was long before Isdigerdis who was Contemporary with Theodosius Nor doth the Churches of Persia prejudice our Opinion seeing they were but by Mr. Mede's acknowledgment in Constantine's time Before which there were some Churches in the Roman Empire For Dioclesian his Predecessor made an Edict for the demolishing them Having thus vindicated our Argument from several Attacks We may further enforce it both by the experience of former Ages and also our own The Israelites in Egypt tho they dwelt together a long time at least yet we read not of any Temples they built there And when they were in Captivity in Babylon tho we read of their building Houses Jer. 29. yet nothing of Synagogues Pass on from the Heathenish to the Popish Persecutions former and latter Where at this day in Italy France Spain and Portugal are any Churches built or Publick Meeting-Places for Protestants Nay even the Lutherans will not allow the publick exercise of the Reformed Religion The Story of the German Church under Johannes a Lasco who fled from London to avoid the Persecution under Queen Mary to the Lutherans and how barbarously treated is well known and lamentable to consider And the same spirit continues so that the Dutch Church at Hamburg go to Altena and the English are confin'd to their own House Sweden is expelling them and several Princes persecuting them Nor need we go so far the experience of these Three Kingdoms is sufficient Where altho the Persecution of the Nonconformists was not from the Heathens as the Primitive Christians Nor from Papists as the Waldenses of old and all Dissenters from them generally ever since Or any Protestants of a different Denomination nor to death but only Fines or Imprisonments c. Yet who went about to build any publick Places for Worship or had such till a Tolleration was granted them Who can imagine any so mad as to build or buy publick Places where their Enemies are Rulers and having all Civil Power in their hands would not only shut them up or demolish them but also severely punish such presumption SECT 3. Our 2d Argument is from the defect of sufficient Testimonies from Scripture of the Christians having any publick appropriate places in the Apostles time or from authentick Authors of any such the two first Centuries Nor let any think it sufficient to say that Argumentum ab autoritate non valet negative an Argument from authority negatively is of no force For in Religion Scripture so argues not only in matter of our duty because never commanded but also in matter of History as Hebr. 7.14 Our Lord sprang out of Juda of which Tribe Moses spake nothing concerning Priesthood Whence by the way we may gather that our Saviour never went further into the Temple not being a Priest of the Tribe of Levi than the Outward Court And in matters of Fact so many Hundred Years ago this way of arguing is generally used and received As Baronius useth it in a like case A. D. 48. and others also frequently For how should we know what was done so long since but by History Now in all the diligent searchers into Antiquity as Eusebius Hierom Clemens Alexandrinus and other Ancient Fathers and Authors we find no footsteps of any publick Churches the two first Centuries but many against them For the Scriptures whosoever reads the Apostles Acts which contain their History about 32 Years will find the Church assemblies still in private Houses as c. 12. v. 12. so c. 20. v. 8. and to the very last c. 28. v. 29 30. so also in their Epistles And the all places were indifferent to them in respect of holiness yet not of conveniency so that according thereto no doubt they
comfortable calm Aurelian's Edict made for Persecution being never signed by him God having terrified him with Lightning as Eutropius and Vopiscus affirm and so stopt his wicked Tyranny But alas instead of being better'd they extreamly degenerated So that Eusebius saith God sent that direful storm of Persecution on them under Dioclesian for the corruptness of their lives and manners Maximè vero Ecclesiasticorum in quorum vultu simulationem in corde dolum verbis fallaciam cernere licuit livore superbia inimicitiis inter se certantes tyrannidem potius quam sacerdotium sapere videbantur Christianae pietatis omnino obliti divina mysteria profanabant potius quam celebrabant Which I forbear to English Those that please may read more in Fox's Martyrology in the 9th Primitive Persecution tho he misreckon it there having been no general Persecution in Aurelian's Reign who as he himself saith rather intended than moved Persecution But for their wickedness followed the 10th When their Churches were demolished their Bibles burnt their Persons punished with all kinds of cruelty neither Courtiers nor Friends not the Empress Prisca nor Daughter Valeria spared his Decree was aut Deos Gentilium aut mortem eligerent That the Christians should choose either the Heathen Gods or Death Of this Tenth and greatest Persecution Eusebius in his 8th Book of History Lactantius de mortibus Persecutorum from 7 to 49 Chap. with the Notes in Latin of 1693 which are 10 times larger than the Text. And Fox in his first book of Martyrology from Eusebius and several others have written largely which I shall not transcribe but dismiss with this short remark That of all the 10 general Persecutions this last which was the forest and continued above Ten Years only reached England wherein Albanus first and very many after sealed their Faith in Christ with their blood so that Christianity was almost with the Scriptures and Churches destroyed throughout the whole Kingdom tho shortly after revived by the blessed Constantine Having now examined all our Adversaries Witnesses we leave the Impartial Reader to judge of their validity and whether they prove the Christians to have had any publick appropriate places for Worship in the two first Centuries Which tho undoubtedly most sit and convenient always yet in times of Persecution men must do as they may and meet as secretly as they can and be constrained often to change their meeting places and when private Houses will not serve for secresie to seek out Vaults under ground where they may worship God And yet not even in the most secret and retired places without fear of their enemies and danger of their lives which shews our happiness in this regard above theirs who were much better than we There is but one scruple that I can imagine remaining and that is tho these places were private yet they might be as Mede terms them appropriate To which I answer that his first Argument for his Opinion which immediatly follows from their worshipping towards the East implies that he takes them for Publick and purposely built accordingly for that end And 2 who ever diligently peruses his Treatise will see that he founds their appropriation as also their holiness of which in the next Dissertation on their Consecration or as he sometimes calls it Dedication Now if we consider when this begun Platina in vitis Pontif. tells us That Telesphorus having suffer'd Martyrdom in the first year of Antomus Pius which was about the year of our Lord 142. Hyginus an Athenian succeeded him Who ordained these two things First the use of those Witnesses we commonly call Godfathers and Godmothers in the Administration of the Sacrament of Baptism Which was then I confess more necessary by reason the generallity of those amongst whom the Christians lived were Heathens And therefore in case the Parents on whom it is incumbent to see thei Children educated in the Christian Religion came to die they that were Sponsors might take care to see them brought up therein Which Institution as likewise Confirmation is now degenerated into a meer Formality few regarding their solemn Engagements made for that end And 2. he ordained also Templorum consecrationes the Consecration of Temples that or Churches being the usual Names given to all places for Gods Worship in after Ages So that Consecration being but introduced in the second Century if Mede takes it in the usual sense his Opinion that There were appropriate Places for Christian Worship both in the Apostles days and ever since falls to the Ground except it can be proved that some of them at least lived so long But if he takes it for a private House or some room therein where the Church met together as he seems in the beginning and by the expressions of the Church in their House then whensoever any Owners thereof gave leave for the Christians to assemble therein their permission was a Consecration thereof whereby they appropriated the same to the Churches use and so according to his Tenets employed them no more for their own Civil use being appropriate to a Sacred Or else some pious Christians gave their Houses as he thinks and dedicated them to the Church for a Meeting Place by which Dedication it was appropriated But neither of these can be reasonably imagined Considering 1. That we read of several that sold their Possessions for the Maintenance of the Poor but we read of none that gave their Houses to the Church for meeting in 2. The multitude of Christians increasing many Houses were requisite to contain them as we have formerly observed 3. How often in those bloody Persecutious they were forced to shift their Meeting-Places to shun the loss of their Estates Liberties and Lives we may easily conclude And lastly Had any either granted or given any House or certain place for such an use as therein constantly to assemble they had thereby without all doubt been quickly discovered certainly dispersed and often times most severely punish'd So that tho we are not to question the readiness of many that were able nor their pious liberality so we must also consider their Prudence the times wherein they lived and what was most conducible to their preservation that they might not run themselves on the rocks of destruction SECT 9. Our Opponents besides the Authorities mentioned produce several Arguments for their Opinion whereof 3 are made use of by Mede which we shall now consider First It 's certain saith he That in their Sacred Assemblies Christians used then to Worship and Pray towards the East Which how it could be done with any order and conveniency is not easie to be conceived unless we suppose the places wherein they worshipped to have been situated and accommodated accordingly that is chosen and appointed to that end This he had touched on before from Tertullian in the beginning of the 3d Century for which no authority is vouched but that only of the forged Apstolical Constitutions falsly ascribed to Clemens Here
distinction of places can be proved in the days of the Apostles or an hundred years after It 's therefore a strange inference that if there were such different places for the several sorts of Church Members in Gregory's time which was about 250 years after the Nativity of our blessed Saviour that there were such in the Apostles days and ever since as our Adversaries would perswade us But they must have stronger reasons than these before they gain our assent For who seeth not that such distinction of places is more sit for times of Peace than Persecution such as were mostly the first 300 years of Christianity wherein men must be content to do as they may and can seeing they cannot do as they desire The Third Argument is drawn from the Example of the Synagogues and Proseucha's of the Jews whose Religion was as contrary to the Empires as the Christians and yet in their dispersion amongst the Gentiles had appropriate places for the exercise thereof Who can believe that such a Pattern should not invite the Christians to an imitation of the same tho we should suppose there were no other reasons to induce them but that of ordinary conveniency This Reason supposes the Christians might do as the Jews who built them Synagogues in those Cities where they resided having a legal Tolleration for the exercise of their Religion whereas the Laws of the Empire were against the Christians Which makes me wonder such Learned Men as Fuller Mede and others that could not but know so much should produce this Plea for their Opinion Just as if they should argue The Jews in many Popish Countries build and enjoy their Synagogues whose Religion is more contrary to Popery than the Protestants and therefore the Protestants should follow their Example and build themselves Churches for their publick Worship To which the answer is easie that so they would if they had the like Tolleration But to what purpose should they build up that which the Magistrates would throw down and they should never enjoy but instead thereof be more persecuted and punisht Whence in several great Cities where there are some Protestants Ministers are sent them which they call sub Cruce or under the Cross of Persecution as the Learned Professor Hornbeck was in his younger years in Collen where I have seen the Jews Synagogue and others I have known at Ghent and elsewhere incognito or disguis'd exercising their Office with great secresie for their greater security Not to mention the Persecutions the Christians were under in the first Ages of Christianity when the Jews enjoyed the Liberty of their Religion having spoken something thereof in the second Section and shall more fully in the following Nor let any one stop me with objecting the many Thousands of Jews under Caligula and Claudius Reigns for their Tumults and Insurrections or the Wars in the Reigns of Nero and Vespasian wherein eleven hundred thousand perished Jerusalem taken and demolished with the Temple burnt Nor after under Aelius Adrianus about A. D. 130. who tho he built Jerusalem calling it Aelia by his fore-name as he did Adrianople by his other yet made miserable Havock of the Jews and their Country For this was not by Persecution but by open Wars with them for 6 Years together which they brought upon themselves The occasion is said to be quod mutilare genitalia vetarentur arma corripuerant that being forbidden Circumcision they took up Arms. Instead of humbly addressing for a revocation they betake themselves to Warlike Opposition being also set agog by Bencochab who gave himself out for their Messias In which Wars this their false Messias was slain and more Thousands of the Jews than the number of the Israelites that came out of Egypt as their Rabbins report or as our Historians five hundred thousand and a thousand of their Villages burnt down to the Ground SECT 10. Having now Answered their Reasons We shall proceed to lay down several Considerations for the corroborating our Assertion Which amount not to a Demonstration I confess That there could be no publick Places erected for the Exercise of the Christian Religion in the two First Centuries yet compared with our Adversaries Arguments will render our Cause much more probable and weigh down theirs so clearly as to satisfie all unprejudiced Readers 1. Let 's consider the State and Condition of the World as to Religion when our blessed Saviour after his Resurrection sent forth his Apostles to Preach the Gospel to all Nations In which were two sorts of Men Jews and Gentiles of whom 't is hard to say whether were the more implacable Enemies to the Christian Religion and the Professors thereof As for the Jews what Calumnies and Tumults did they raise against the Christians not only in Judea but wheresoever they resided accusing their Doctrine as Blasphemous their Persons as Factious and Seditious and setting up a new King instead of Caesar And where they had no power to Persecute them they stirred up the Magistrates in the Empire to do it as we find frequently in the Acts of the Apostles And as to the Gentiles what Ignorance Wickedness and abominable Idolatries they lived in Scripture hath abundantly declared God having in times past suffered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all the Gentiles rather than as we Translate it all Nations to walk in their own ways Acts 14.16 For the Jews had the way of Salvation made known to them but the Gentiles ways were in gross Idolatry setting up to themselves multiplicity of Gods whom they worshipped and served although some of the wiser sort of them held one Supream whom they called Jove contracted from Jehova 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father both of Men and Gods And this their Idolatrous Worship and Religion was so ancient even from Time immemorial and so universal in all the Nations of the Gentiles that none can imagine but the Gospel which opposed and condemned this wherever it came should have the utmost Opposition and its Publishers and Professors Persecutions rather than a Toleration or Permission to set up a Religion in publick destructive of their own 2. Consider the Power of the Roman Monarchy which was then at the height having Conquered the greatest part of the Western Nations both in Europe and Africa and Eastward as far as Euphrates in which especially the Gospel was to be Preached though it was carried also into the remoter Parts elsewhere over which the Roman Eagle never stretcht her Wings In the City of Rome Tacitus Reports Hist l. 11. there were not fewer than 6944000. and what vast Nations were then subject to its Empire is sufficiently known and what numerous Armies they constantly kept up All which Power was Unanimous for the defence of their Idols and their Idolatrous Worship against all Men and Means that would defame them or tended to their Demolition 3. Consider also That at that time there was not only the greatest Power to oppose Christianity but also the greatest intellectual
Helps and Means Learning being then in its full Meridian of Glory They had subtle Philosophers for defending their Religion and as good Arguments for its Verity as Bellarmine and the Papists alledge for theirs such as Antiquity Universality Extent Succession of their Priests Prosperity and the like They had Eloquent Orators to Plead their own and Implead Tertullus like the Christian Religion besides the vast multitude of Priests and those imployed for the training them up in their Idolatrous Worship whereby they became prejudiced to the utmost against the Gospel of Christ especially considering the nature and tendency thereof either as to the Credenda or Agenda things to be Believed or Practised injoyned therein For Sinners to be Saved by a Crucified Jesus might well to the Carnal and Unbelieving Jews and Gentiles be a stumbling Block and accounted Foolishness as the Resurrection of the Dead and other Articles of our Faith strange Doctrines And things so contrary to Flesh and Blood as Self-denial Mortification Suffering joyfully Persecution and even Death it self for Christ's sake and the Gospel might well be accounted hard Sayings not to be born but rather derided and rejected as indeed they were generally by the wise Men of the World Nor let any here object Mahometism for that was set up when the Empire was broken to pieces under Heraclius by the Irruption of the Barbarous Nations and in Arabia amongst an ignorant People where few Christians were and no Learning but ready to embrace any Innovations and receive any Impressions of Religion especially such a Sensual one as the Alcoran holds forth when there were neither Men of Knowledge and Parts to oppose it nor Princes of Power to persecute it but worldly Power to set it up and support it So that 't is less wonder that soon grew publick Whereas it was quite otherwise with the Gospel which was neither set up nor carried on by Might and Power of Arms but by the Spirit of the Lord accompanying it all along where it was carried to make it Efficacious 4. Consider how strongly Gentilism was guarded by Laws For all Nations though they had several Idol Gods and Worship yet accounted their Religion to be of a Divine Original As the Romans from the Goddess Egeria and others from some God or Goddess they Worshipped and would never suffer their Gods to be dishonoured or their Rites of Worship how Ridiculous soever to be defamed by any amongst them though Foreigners they could not hinder did as the Romans the Jews and Egyptians especially I shall not abuse the Reader 's Patience in citing Histories and Poets for these things they are so many and so well known nor how they always provided by their Laws Security for their own and Prohibition and Penalties against other Religions The Romans by the Laws of the 12 Tables forbad Nequis alios inducat Deos sed Patriam sive Romanam Religionem sequatur That none should introduce other Gods but follow the Country's or Roman Religion and that under severe Penalties Of which Cicero l. 2. de Legibus largely By vertue of which Laws alone many Christians were extreamly punish'd by the Praetors and Presidents of Provinces and put to Death without any Edicts from the Emperors though where these were added to enforce their Execution Persecution was much more fierce and cruel And this appears plainly by Pliny's Epistle to Trajan who having Condemned and Executed many by the Laws of the Empire deterr'd at length by the multitude of those that were to be punished Consulted the Emperor what he should do in that case the Emperors having power to Suspend Execution though not to Abrogate the Laws which Senatus Populusque Principes Romani decreverant ut non sint Christiani The Roman Senate People and Princes had decreed as that no Christians be tollerated Another early Law made by the Senate mention'd by Eusebius 5.21 Non debere demitti Christianos qui semel ad Tribunal venissent nisi propositum mutent That the Christians which once came to publick Tryal should not be dismist except they changed their Religion 5. Consider the Policy of the State which was against Tollerating any diverse Religion amongst them and much more a contrary to their own As the Christian which wholly changed the Face of the World accounted their Deities Idols and their Devotion gross Idolatry which was therefore judged dangerous for raising Tumults and Commotions among the People which might end in Civil Wars for Religion So that they Unanimously concluded it best for the Publick Safety to Extirpate Christianity and the Professors thereof Yea so Jealous were they that all Societies or Conventions were forbidden as appears by 42. 43. Epist Plinij l. 10. And much more of Christians as Ep. 98. Acquaints Trajan How the Christians forbore post edictum meum quo secundum mandata tua hetaerias esse vetueram After my Edict whereby I forbad according to your Command all Conventions of Societies This Consideration of State-Policy hath been the great Argument and Engine in all Ages for Persecution insomuch that some Christian Writers of Politicks upon this account justifie the Heathens and Popish Inquisition though S. James calls this Wisdom earthly sensual devillish quite contrary to that from above which is first pure then peaceable gentle and easie to be intreated full of mercy c. And oh that it had not prevail'd amongst Protestants to the great Scandal of the Prince of Peace and his peaceable Gospel which they profess It was far more tollerable in the Gentiles who had only the Light of Nature for their Guide as the Romans who yet tollerated the Nations they Conquered to retain their Religion not only Gentilism but Judaism also both in Judea and in their dispersion in the Roman Territories the Jews having before submitted to the Roman Government and become their Tributaries when Subdued by Pompey By reason whereof the Christians coming from Jerusalem and passing in the Empire a while at the first for Jews whose Synagogues they used then to frequent passed undiscerned without Persecution 'till afterwards that they were discovered and then both Jews and Gentiles became their implacable Enemies those frequently stirring up these as we read in the Acts to Persecute them For they both accounted them setters up of a strange God and Religion in their worshipping Christ whom they both took for a meer Man whom their Ancestors had Crucified and that the Gospel tended to overturn both their Religions and ways of Worship which will yet more evidently appear by that which in the next place follows 6. Consider the many and grievous false Accusations brought against the Christians which greatly incensed all sorts of People against them They were accused of Atheism and all manner of Impiety as killing and eating Children Incest and impure Mixtures Magick and every Evil almost that might render them odious which may be read in the Primitive Fathers Greek and Latine in their Apologies for Christianity
both acknowledge them though but in some Places it being improbable that Christians in all Places had them Lactan. l. 4. mentions a Conventicle pull'd down and l. 5. c. 21. Of one burnt in Phrygia with all the People therein and l. 5. c. 2. Of a Temple of God demolished For about his Time in the Fâ—urth Century begun the Christians to use the Word Temple for the Place of Christian Assemblies Which formerly to distinguish them from the Gentiles Temples they called Oratories Assemblies Congregations Collects or gatherings together Churches and sometimes also Stations as Bellarmin and Vedelius formerly mention'd and Bauldrus in 's Notes on Lactantius de mortibus Persecutorum and Spanhem have shewn Nor say we that Lactantius taxed the Heathens barely for their Buildings but for their Error in thinking God was better served in Temples than without And that the more glorious they were their Service was more grateful to God Whereas the Christian Religion tota in animo colentis est is all in the mind of the Worshipper And this appears all along in his Book l. 2. c. 6. l. 5. c. 19. and l. 6. c. 1. and 25. Also Chrysostom Homil. 36. on 1 Corinth saith That in the Apostle's Days Houses were Churches meaning Private Houses no doubt And Isidore Pelusiota his Schollar is very plain and positive l. 2. Epist 246. That in the Time of the Apostles when the Church abounded with the Graces of the Spirit and Holiness of Life there were no Temples though ours now are adorned more than is meet And having distinguished between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Church and the Place as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sacrifice and Altar 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Councel and Place of their Convention concludes that in the Apostle's Times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there were no Artificial Churches These with other of the Ancients are followed by many of the Learned in after Ages Gerhard the Glory of the Lutherans for Learning c. 2. § 9. de Ecclesia saith Ex Actis Apostolicis Seriptoribus vetustioribus constat quod Christiani Apostolorum tempore nondum habuerunt Publica Templa sed in Privatis Domibus convenerunt That 't is manifest from the Acts of the Apostles and Ancient Writers that the Christians had no Publick Temples in the Apostles Time but met in Private Houses The Learned Jesuit Justinian in 's excellent Comments on the Epistles on 1 Cor. 11.18 saith The Christian Assemblies were first in Privatis Domibus in Private Houses afterwards in Oratoriis Ecclesiis in Oratories and Churches Plainly distinguishing Oratories from Private Houses and shews by Reason of Persecution they met very often in Vaults and Burying-places Our renowned Bishop Pearson in 's Comment on the Creed p. 337. having said Acts 11.26 and 1 Cor. 11.18 seem to take the Church for the Place in the following Page saith it s not certain the Apostle uses them in that Sense nor that there were any Houses set apart for the Worship of God in the Apostles Times which then could be called by the Name of Churches And that the Primitive Christians thus continued without Publick Oratories or Churches is concluded by Vedelius in Ignat. Vltra ducentissimum annum nullum Oratoriorum Publicorum vestigium apparet That there 's no footsteps in Antiquity of any Publick Places of Worship for above the first Two Hundred Years after Christ And upon the same grounds Spanhemius in Hist Saeculo 2d o. That Templa adhuc Christianis nulla ex silentio veterum conditione temporum liquet c. That the Christians had no Temples in the Second Century is apparent from the Ancient Writers making no mention of any and the Condition of those Times by Reason of Persecution So also Cuperus in 's Ep. ad P. Voet. amongst the Notes on Lactantius de mortibus Persecutorum I shall add no more Testimonies for this that the Christians had not any Publick Places to assemble in from the Times of the Apostles and ever after as our Adversaries affirm having shewn the Opinions of Clem. Alexandrinus Eusebius and others concerning Temples in my first Dissertation But proceed to the Third Thing proposed which will further clear this Controversie In shewing what Time and in what kind of Places they assembled during their Persecution under the Heathens SECT 14. First How careful the Primitive Christians were of keeping their Assemblies for the Worship of God as Private as possible appears by their holding them frequently in the Night of which we have unquestionable Witnesses Pliny in 's Ep. to Trajan writes Se de sacris corum nihil aliud comperisse quam caetus antelucanos c. That he found nothing concerning their Religious Worship but that they held their Meetings in the Night before Day-light wherein they sung Hymns to Christ as God c. The same is Recorded in Tertullian's Apol. c. 2. Euseb Hist l. 3. c. 32. And Hiecrom in Chron. Euseb Gerh. Vossius in 's Comment on the foremention'd Epistle saith It was necessary for them so to assemble in the Night because of the continual Persecution they were under Persecutio totis saeâ—â—lis duravit ut passim necesse fuerit conveniri noctu Tertullian l. 2. ad Vxorem disswading her from Marrying an Infidel brings this as one Argument that He would not willingly suffer her to leave him in Bed to frequent the Nocturnal Assemblies of Christians if it were needful Quis Nocturnis Convocationibus si ita oportuerit à latere suo eximi libenter feret And the Learned Heraldus in 's Notes on Tertullian de Corona Militis saith That the Christians often assembled in the Night saepius Noctu Congregatos And so do several others Whence the Learned derive that Ceremony of Burning Wax Candles before the Shrines of Saints even in the Day Time as is usual in all the Popish Countries to retain that Custom of the Primitive Christians who in Times of Persecution met in the Night and usually in the Burying Places of the Deceased Christians Secondly Let us consider what kind of Places the Primitive Christians held their Assemblies in for Worship And we shall find them the privatest possible that they might not be discovered So that Celsus p. 4 and 5. in Origen makes this his very first Objection against the Christians in general and not of that time only that they held their Meetings in Private and obscure Places The which none ever doubted of or denied that are not strangers in Ecclesiastical History or Antiquity wherein this is so frequently mentioned Alexander Hales Writes of the whole Time in general related by G. Biel on the Canon of the Mass Lect. 13. Ab Episcopatu Petri Apostoli usque ad Tempus Sylvestri c. That from Peter to Sylvester Persecution raging the Episcopal Station of the Bishop of Rome was uncertain But wheresoever the present Necessity