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Moreover, we can hardly reconcile this rage of perfecution with the liberty granted the Chriftians, of affembling no less than fifty-fix councils in the courfe of the three firft centuries, as is acknowledged by all ecclefiaftical writers.

That there were perfecutions, is doubtless; but if they had been as violent as reprefented, it is hardly probable that Tertullian, who wrote with fo much energy against the eftablifhed religion, would have been fuffered to die peaceably in his bed. It is certain, that none of the emperors ever read his apology, as an obfcure work compofed in Africa, can hardly be fupposed to have come into the hands of the governors of the world: but then, it might have been fhewn to their proconfuls in Africa, and have drawn down their refentment upon the author nevertheless, we do not find that he fuffered martyrdom.

Origen taught the Christian religion publicly in Alexandria, and yet was not put to death for it. And this very Origen himself, who spoke with fo much freedom both to the Heathens and the Chriftians, and who, while he taught Jefus to the one, denied the triple Godhead to the

other,

other, expressly acknowledges in his third book against Celfus, "That there were very few "who fuffered martyrdom, and thofe at a great "diftance of time from each other; notwith"ftanding, fays he, that the chriftians leave nothing undone to make their religion generally embraced; running from city to city, "and from town to town, to make converts.'

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It must be confeffed, that these continual peregrinations might readily give cause to the priests who were their enemies, to accuse them of a defign to raise difturbances; and yet we find, that thefe miffions were tolerated even among the Egyptians, who have ever been a turbulent, factious, and mean people, and who tore a Roman to death for having killed a cat ; in a word, a nation at all times contemptible, whathave been said to the contrary by the admirers of pyramids t

ever may

This affertion requires to be proved. It cannot be denied, that from the time that history fucceeded to fiction, the Egyptians have conftantly appeared a people as daftardly as they were fuperftitious. Cambyfes made the conquest of their country

What perfon could do more to call down upon him the refentment of both ecclefiaftical and

nor did

country in a fingle battle; Alexander gave them laws without striking a stroke, or without one of their cities daring to wait a fiege. The Ptolemies fubdued them with as little trouble; Octavius and Auguftus Cæfar find more difficulty in bringing them under their obedience. Omar over-run all Egypt in one fingle campaign; the Mammelukes, who inhabited Colcos, and the regions of Mount Caucafus, became their mafters afterwards; and it was these people, and not the Egyptians, who defeated the army of St. Lewis, and took that king prifoner. At length the Mamelukes having, in procefs of time, become Egyptians, that is to fay, effeminate, cowardly, lazy, and diffipated, like the original natives of the climate, they were in three months. time brought under the yoke of Selim I. who caused their foldan to be hanged, and made their kingdom a province of the Turkish empire, and fuch it will remain, till other barbarians may hereafter make themfelves mafters of it..

Herodotus relates, that in the fabulous ages, a king of Egypt called Sefoftris, left his country in. order

civil power than St. Gregory Taumaturgos the difciple of Origin? This fame St. Gregory had

order to go and make the conqueft of the world: it is evident, that fuch a defign could only be worthy of a Don Quixote; and not to mention that the name Sefoftris is not Egyptian, we may rank this event like many others of the fame date among the romances and fairy tales. Nothing is more common among a conquered people than to tell ftrange ftories of their former grandeur; juft as, in fome countries, certain wretched families, in want of the common neceffaries of life, pride themfelves upon being defcended from antient fovereigns. The Egyptian priefts told Herodotus, that this king, whom he called Sesoftrifs, went on an expedition to conquer Colchis; which is much the fame as if we were to fay, that a king of France fet out from Touraine to conquer Norway.

It avails not that these stories are found repeated in a thousand different writers; it makes them not a whit more probable; it is much more natural to fuppofe, that the fierce and athletic inhabitants of mount Caucafus, of Colcos, and the other parts of Scythia, who fo often made incurfions upon, and

ra

a vifion during the night-time, in which an old man appeared to him fent from God, accom

ravaged Afia, might have penetrated as far as Egypt; and although the priests of Colcos might afterwards have carried back with them the form of circumcifion, yet that is no kind of proof that they were ever conquered by the Egyptians. Diodorus Siculus tells us, that all the kings that were conquered by Sefoftris, came every year from their own kingdoms to bring him their respective tributes, when Sefoftris made them draw the chariot in which he went in triumph to the temples of his gods. These old womens stories we fee every day gravely copied by other writers; it must be confeffed, that thefe kings were very complaifant, to come every year fo far to be made hackney

horfes of.

As to their pyramids, and other monuments of antiquity, they prove nothing but the pride and bad taste of the Egyptian princes, and the wretched flavery of a weak people, who employed their ftrength, which was their only support, in pleasing the barbarous oftentation of their mafters. The polity of these people, even in those times which are fo much cried up, appears to have been both

ab

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