of their past conduct, for which the temples of the gods refused to. grant them any expiation, But this reproach, when it is cleared from mis-, representation, contributes as much to the honour as it did to the increase of the church 83. The friends of Christianity may acknowledge without a blush, that many of the most eminent 83 The imputations of Celsus and Julian, with the defence os the fathers, are very fairly stated by Spanheim, Commentaire sur les Ccsars de Julian, p. 468. _ saints When the new converts had been enrolled in the number of the faithful, and were admitted to the sacraments of the church, they found themselves restrained from relapfing into their past disorders by another consideration of a less ' spiritual, but of a very innocent and respectable nature.' Any particular society that has departed from the great body of the nation, or the religion' to which it belonged, immediately becomes the object of universal as well as invidious observa 3 tion. |