even sublimated them into a part of its religious ceremonies: Christianity not only forbade the indulgence of the passions, it recommended perpetual virginity. Paganism vindicated the principle of retaliation: Christianity commanded its disciples, not only not to return evil for evil, but even to love and pray for their enemies. Paganism pronounced him happy, who enjoyed power and wealth: Christianity proclaimed the blessings of poverty, and the necessity of humility.

The more we consider the obstacles which Christianity had to encounter in her origin, the more intimately shall we be convinced of her divinity. Those obstacles, though many, may perhaps, be reduced to these three: 1. obstacles arising from the prejudices of birth: 2. obstacles arising from the prejudices of antiquity and custom: 3. obstacles arising from the natural independence of the human intellect.

I. No prejudices are so strong, none so lasting, as those, with which man may be said to be born; which grow with his growth, mature with his years; and, in some measure, incorporate with his nature. Such prejudices are deemed sacred. In the pagan world, every nation, tribe, and family, had its peculiar deities: from the Father of the Gods, down to the Penates of the fireside, every deity had its votary. The first scene presented to the infant's eye, was that of the domestic sacrifices; and with his earliest ideas were commingled a sacred respect and veneration for the Gods of the Empire.

There was but one obscure nation that still preserved the knowledge of truth and religion; but, the Greek and Roman youth were taught to look with disdain on the humble inhabitants of Judea. The fables of the poets were put into their hands, the feats of Gods and Goddesses, of heroes and heroines, were proposed to their imitation, and gave a sanction to their worst propensities. Armed with such prejudices, men, it would appear, will never forsake their ancient religion, to become the disciples of Christianity. They will never abandon their Gods and submit to the yoke of a crucified man. Yet the change has been effected: before the rigours of Christianity, the flowery fabric of paganism withered away; and emperors and high priests have fallen, in humble adoration, at the feet of Jesus of Nazareth.

II. Men are attached, by a natural and hallowed veneration, to the customs of their forefathers. Antiquity consecrates the most trifling distinctions, and throws a spell over the commonest observances. The rights of paganism were hereditary; the legacy descended from people to people, and from family to family, during a long succession of generations. The poets were the moralists of the times: all the mythology of paganism was contained in their songs, surrounded with the charms of fancy and the elegance of language. From the contemplation of the pagan deities, men could derive every gratification, and find a pattern for every crime. From the contemplation of Jesus crucified they could derive no hope, save that of imitating his sufferings. The shady grove and bower, the haunts of the sylvan gods, must be forsaken; the scented fane and consecrated stream must be abandoned; and the way of tribulation and sorrow must be travelled. The youth must lay aside every instrument of heathen pleasure, and take into his hands the instruments of Christian austerity. The hero must cast off the wreath of Apotheosis, and press to his brows the crown of thorns. It would seem, that this could never be effected: and yet, we have but to look around us, to perceive the change. Paganism has withered away; and Christianity has triumphed over the ancient rites of the Solons, the Lycurgi, and the Numas.

III. The prejudices and independence of the human mind were reduced into captivity by the Gospel. That Gospel admits of no philosophic speculations; no Lycæa, no Academi: the truth is established in all its rigours, to which the disciples of Plato and Socrates, and Epicurus, must submit. Hitherto their minds might range through the regions of imagination, and gather, in their course, the spoils of every preceding sage: but those fairy regions are now destroyed; they melt away like the mists before the dawn of the aurora. The supreme felicity of man is no longer disputed. It consists, neither in the luxuriant gratifications of the senses, nor the luxuriant recreations of the mind; but it consists in the knowledge of Christ crucified, and of the religion which he established; and which he commanded to increase and multiply.

In embracing Christianity, therefore, the mind with all its facul ties, must be subject to faith, and what it cannot comprehend, it

must adore in silence, and believe. What violence must not be offered to the licentious intellect, which, during so many ages, had been accustomed to reason on systems, and to reject what it disapproved. Yet this victory also shall be obtained: the religion of Jesus shall triumph over the obstacles arising from the prejudices of birth, of antiquity, and the independence of the human mind. The gods of the Gentiles shall shrink before the power of Jesus of Nazareth: the god of the Ganges, the god of the Druid, shall be adored no longer: at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bend in heaven, on earth, and in hell.

In order to be still more intimately convinced of the divinity of the Christian religion, we shall consider who it was that instituted Christianity, and by whose co-operation his religion was so speedily propagated throughout the pagan world. Y. Y.

(To be continued.)

MESSRS. EDITORS:-In my notice of the "ways" of Rome, in your last number, I left the reader on the VIA ADREATINA. Before we proceed farther, it may not be unappropriate to state, that the reason why so many splendid Churches have been erected so far from the city, is because the places on which they are situated, were consecrated by the blood of the martyrs. To the munificence of the first Christian Emperor, the world is indebted for some of the most venerable Basilicks. These he endowed with a liberality worthy a Roman; granted to the clergy the use of the lands around them, and attached to each a garden of roses.

It is worthy of remark, that the primitive Christians followed the ancient custom of their pagan ancestors, in scattering roses and lilies over the graves, and planting around them beds of fragrant flowers. This will throw light upon an inscription, which, were we not acquainted with these customs, would appear to be but fanciful:

"Ut quotannis rosas ad monumentum ejus deferant—

Rosa quotannis ornandum-ut quotannis

Rosis Julio ternæ eis ponantur."

Though that custom has ceased in reality among us, it still exists in the fancy of the poets: and one of their last tributes to

the memory of those whom they sing, is to strew "the short-lived rose upon their tomb." It is a beautiful and instructive dutyit reminds us at once of the shortness of life, and the vanity of beauty, pleasure, and all that is passing: for as the rose is one of the most delicate of flowers, so is it among the most evanescent. "Et dum nascuntur consenuisse rosas!"

E'en as it blooms, the rose decays.

On the VIA ADREATINA, many martyrs suffered, and were buried: among others, St. Filicola, who, having refused to sacrifice to idols, was tormented on the Equuleus, until she expired; St. Sempronius, and his companions Aurelian, Rappa, Gregory, Caius, Castula, Candida, Primus, Felicianus, Fortunatus, Nicander, and Martial, were put to death at the third mile-stone, as the the Bollandists relate. In the cemetery, on this way, there are several ancient inscriptions; I shall adduce two. The first on the tomb of Marius.

TEMPORE. ADRIANI.

IMPERATORIS.

MARIUS. ADOLESCENS DUX

MILITUM. QUI. SATIS VIXIT.

DUM. VITAM. PRO. CHO. CUM. SAN

GUINE. CONSUMPSIT. IN PACE

TANDEM. QUIESCIT. BENEMERENTES.

CUM. LACRYMIS. ET. METU. POSUERUNT.

ID VI

The second on that of Dracontis

MIRE. INNOCENTIE. DRACONTI.

QUI VIXIT ANN. V. M X. D. XI

DORMIT. IN. PACE.

The simplicity of these epitaphs is a striking contrast to those pompous eulogies that are frequently inscribed on modern tomb-stones.

VIA LATINA.

This was likewise called LATIA, from Latium, whither it led. St. Gongonius, who suffered in Nicomedia, but whose body was translated to Rome, was buried on it, at a place called the "two Laurels." From the inscription written by St. Damasus, it ap pears, that several other martyrs were interred on the same spot;

among whom, according to the Bollandists, were S. S. Sulpitius, and Servilianus, who had been converted by the miracles of St. Domitilla-a Church was erected in honour of S. Stephen, the protomartyr, at the third mile-stone; but no vestige of it is now remaining.

VIA PRENESTINA.

This way derived its name from the ancient city of Præneste, whither it ran-St. Primitivus was martyred and buried near the city of Gavis, which was situated on this way, about fifteen miles from Rome: according to an old manuscript preserved in the Vatican. "Primitivum vero tenentes duxerunt in viam Prænestinam, juxta civitatem Gavis, et in eâ capite truncaverunt."

VIA TIBURTINA.

This way was most frequently travelled by the great men of Rome, who, almost all, had villas at Tivoli, to which they retired in summer. The monuments of religion on this way are numerous and venerable. The first of these is the ancient basilick of St. Laurence, erected by the Emperor Constantine, who enriched the shrine of the saint with gold and silver, and gave the field Veranus, for the support of the clergy. It has been repaired by Pope Pelagius, II. In the catacombs there is an altar with this inscription: "Hæc est tumba toto orbe terrarum celeberrima in cemeterio Stæ Cyriacæ, ubi sacrum si quis fecerit pro defunctis, eorum animas epurgatorii pænis Divi Laurentii meritis evocabit."

This way was stained with the blood of St. Symphrosa, mother of the holy martyrs Crescens, Julian, Nemesius, &c. She was put to death at the place called "ad septem fratres."

VIA NOMENTANA.

This was sometimes called VIMINALIS, "quod ibi," writes "Sextus Pompeius, viminum sylva fuisse videtur, ubi et ara Iovi Vimineo consecrata," on this way, is the celebrated cemetery called "ad Lymphas," on account of a stream of limpid water that flows near it: a long catalogue of martyrs who suffered on this way might be produced. I might, too, describe the cemetery, and ancient Church of St. Agnes, but shall content myself with mentioning St. Eutychius, who was put to death at the sixteenth