roud monarchs, so many fancied gods,
groaning in the lowest abyss of darkness; so many magistrates, who
persecuted the name of the Lord, liquefying in fiercer fires than they
ever kindled against the Christians; so many sage philosophers blushing
in red-hot flames with their deluded scholars; so many celebrated poets
trembling before the tribunal, not of Minos, but of Christ; so many
tragedians, more tuneful in the expression of their own sufferings; so
many dancers."

[711] But the humanity of the reader will permit me to draw a veil over the
rest of this infernal description, which the zealous African pursues in
a long variety of affected and unfeeling witticisms. [72]

[Footnote 70: And yet whatever may be the language of
individuals, it is still the public doctrine of all the Christian
churches; nor can even our own refuse to admit the conclusions which
must be drawn from the viiith and the xviiith of her Articles. The
Jansenists, who have so diligently studied the works of the fathers,
maintain this sentiment with distinguished zeal; and the learned M. de
Tillemont never dismisses a virtuous emperor without pronouncing his
damnation. Zuinglius is perhaps the only leader of a party who has
ever adopted the milder sentiment, and he gave no less offence to the
Lutherans than to the Catholics. See Bossuet, Histoire des Variations
des Eglises Protestantes, l. ii. c. 19--22.]

[Footnote 71: Justin and Clemens of Alexandria allow that some of
the philosophers were instructed by the Logos; confounding its double
signification of the human reason, and of the Divine Word.]

[Footnote 711: This translation is not exact: the first sentence is imperfect.
Tertullian says, Ille dies nationibus insperatus, ille derisus, cum
tanta sacculi vetustas et tot ejus nativitates uno igne haurientur.
The text does not authorize the exaggerated expressions, so many
magistrates, so many sago philosophers, so many poets, &c.; but simply
magistrates, philosophers, poets.--G. --It is not clear that Gibbon's
version or paraphrase is incorrect: Tertullian writes, tot tantosque
reges item praesides, &c.--M.]

[Footnote 72: Tertullian, de Spectaculis, c. 30. In order to ascertain
the degree of authority which the zealous African had acquired it may be
sufficient to allege the testimony of Cyprian, the doctor and guide of
all the western churches. (See Prudent. Hym. xiii. 100.) As often as he
applied himself to his daily study of the writings of