An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern - In Which the Rise, Progress, and Variations of Church-Power, Are Considered in Their Connexion With the State of Learning and Philosophy, and the Political History of Europe During That P... #245407

They alleged, that, before the coming of Christ, the world was blessed with peace and prosperity; but that, since the progress of his religion every where, the gods, filled with indignation to see their worship negleaed and their altars abandoned, had visited the earth with those plagues and desolations, which increased every day. This feeble objection was en tirely removed by Augustin, in his book (16 Civitate Dci a work exceedingly rich and ample irttupoint of matter, and filled with the most profound a diver sified erudition. It also drew a complete confutation from the learned pen of Orosius, who, in a history written expressly for that purpose, shewed, with the strongest evidence, that not only the same calamities now complained oil but also plagues of a much more dreadful kind, had afflicted mankind before the Christian religion appeared in the world.