An examination of the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of Mr. Gibbon's History of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire; in which his view of the ... to be founded on the misrepresentation of the - Tapa blanda

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1778 edition. Excerpt: ...alios populos Christum pro Deo cuhum fuisse." Tertuliianu«, Irenæus, &c. K 2 which "which Nero inflicted on the Christians, a sect of "men who embraced a new and criminal supersti"tion." He then cites, in a note, "Sueton. in Nerone, c. 16." and continues it thus: "The epithet of makfica, which some sagacious "commentators have translated magical, is confl"dered by the more rational Molheim as only sy"nonymous to the exitiabilis of Tacitus-f." Mofheim does not represent these terms as synonymous: He only fays, that there might be the fame reason for each historian to adopt that language %. The literal interpretation of'his words is, "on "this account," (that is, " because the Christians despised the religion of the Romans, and en"deavoured to convert men from it; and be«« cause this was prejudicial to the welfare of the "republic, which had a necessary connection with "the religion of Rome") "Tacitus reproaches "the Christians with a hatred for all mankind: Nor "do I think that he had any other cause for call"ing the Christian religion superstitionem exitiabi"lent; nor Suetonius for stiling it maleficam §. Page 534 f Note 34. c. xvi. J The learned Maclaine translates these words thn?, "a poi" Jbnous or malignant superstition:" This is rather different trom the epithet of Mr. G., "a new and criminal superstition." See Machine's translaiion of Molhtim's Ecclesiastical History, vol. i. p. 57. 8vo. edit. $ " Hoc illad est," (nempe, " quod Christiani publicam rei' publicæ religionem, cujus sumnia erat cum forma civitatis "Romanæ necestitudo &...