A

PRELIMINARY DISSERTATION

TO THE

OCTAVIUS

OF

MINUCIUS FÈLIX.

F

ROM the Wildes of Africk, come we now into the Gardens of Italy; from the Ruggedneffes of Tertullian, into the Plains of Minucius, en

rich'd with all the Delicacies of an easy and flowing Eloquence. For these two Apologifts, tho' they differ not in Countrey, and very little in Time, yet are they very much different in Drefs, or in their Mode of Diction. In Tertullian, you fee the Air of Carthage almost in ev'ry Particle, a vaft ftock of Science of all forts, with a mighty Weight of Argument, and a very plentiful Vein of Salt and Poignancy, that runs thro', and highly Seafons all his Difcourfes. But tho' the Ore is very valuable, and worth digging for, yet is it extremely hard to come at, the Treafure is guarded about with a moft formidable Stile, and Men care not for Converfing much upon hard Terms, where they can't do it without the trouble of an Interpreter. -B

But

3

But now in Minucius, pure Gold lies just upon the Surface; you find an extenfive Genius at work, with all the Advantages of Politeness as well as Literature an agreeable infufion of Wit and Argument in the most pleafing Vehicle; for he wants not Tertullian's Strength, and out-does him much in beauty and eafiness of Expreffion. The Sweetness of his Stile, and the grateful Bitterness of his Satyr, like the happy Temperament in Arch-Bishop Tillot fon's Writings, feem to be no ill Comment upon his Nature, but fpeak him Good and Gracious, Frank and Affable, a great Master of Addrefs, and perfectly well skill'd in the Art of Perfuafion; for his hard Arguments, and foft Tongue, in Solomon's Phrafe, break the Bone, and infinuate like Oyl: He Reasons feverely, and Rallies delightfully, and Cuts and Cures with a gentle Hand. In a word, he was a most able Advocate, and the Chriftian Caufe cou'd hardly fall into better Hands; for he feems made to Charm his Reader, and to carry him where he pleases. The Correctness and Beauty of his Language, I take to be much owing to his Profeffion; by Converfing at Rome, and Pleading at the Bar, he in a great measure wore off the Afperities of the African Dialect, and polish'd up his ftrange Tongue to the Purity and Standard of the Latin Idiom.

In the Structure of this Dialogue, the Defign and Order are extremely Beautiful and Taking, and speak a Master-builder; for in the very entrance, he infenfibly lays hold upon our Paffions with fuch bewitching words in the Character of his beloved Octavius, and leads on to the occafion of the Conference with fuch awaking Defcriptions, and fets off the minutest Matters with fuch furprifing Imbellishments, that he has in a manner got our Hearts, before he comes to open his Caufe. Had the Subftance of this Conference been thrown into a fingle folitary Relation, the Difcourfe had not been half fo lively or affecting; but now in the Dialogue, we our felves feem to be prefent at the Debate, our

Paffions

Paffions are engag'd, and all intent upon the iffue of the Battel, we fee, and hear, and fympathize all the way, and at length bear part in the Triumph, at the Converfion of a Sinner.

a

Cæcilius called Natalis, and Octavius, who goes alfo by the Name of Januarius, are the two Difputants in the Dialogue, the firft a Heathen, the other a Chriftian, between whom, our Minucius Felix Marcus fits as Moderator. The moft probable Conjecture, and not obfcurely hinted at in the Text is, that they were all three Africans; and whoever compares Tertullian, St. Cyprian, and Arnobius, with this of Minucius, wilĺ find the Tang and Shibboleth of Africk to be more or lefs a diftinguishing Character in them all; fo fruitful has Africk been, (the noted Mother of Prodigies) in the Production of extraordinary Defenders of the Faith. The Triumvirat in this grand Affair of Religion had been all Heathens, and all profoundly practic'd in the Heathen impurities. Octavius, and Minucius were both

Lawyers, and had let out their Tongues in the Patronage of the vileft Causes, and had both perfecuted the Chriftians to the utmoft power of a malicious Eloquence. They had been fworn Brothers in iniquity, and by their own confeffion taken a long run in Amours, in the Intreagues and Gallantries of the Age. Octavius's Eyes were the first opened, but like a true Chriftian Friend, he cou'd not be content to enjoy the Divine Light alone, and fee his Minucius, his other half, lye in Darknefs, and the fhadow of Death: They had, it feems, been lovely and pleasant in their former lives, and their love was wonderful, paffing the love of Women; nor were they divided in their Death, either as that implies a Death unto Sin, and a new Birth unto Righteoufnefs, or a real Death by the divorce of Soul and Body; for Odavius was no fooner enlighten'd, but

he haftens with the glad Tidings to his Minucius; and Minucius on the other hand well knew that his fecond Self, his dear Octavius, cou'd have no Defign upon him but his Happiness; and fuch an affurance, no doubt, fully prepar'd his Mind for the impreffions of Reafon; for words from the Mouth of fuch a Friend, drop like Honey from the Honey-comb; when, from the Mouth of Micaiah, or a Prophet whom we hate, Truth it felf becomes unacceptable. We are now then to look upon this bleffed Pair as one in Religion, as well as Friendship; and their Christianity, we may well conclude, made no Abatements in Friendship, but only refin'd their Love, and made the Paffion burn the Purer. Accordingly, we find these two heavenly Friends congratulating each other upon their new Life, and with all their Oratory, feeming to want words for the Joy. They look back upon the paft pleafures of Sin with diftafte, fhame, and forrow, and can relish nothing for the future, but the feverities of the Chriftian Religion; the Transports they now exprefs, are like thofe of poor Wretches in fight of Land after a fruitless and tempeftuous Voyage, they are now in the Haven where they wou'd be; they both turn Advocates for the Faith; and Racks and Tortures they overlook with Triumph, and without any other retaining Fee, but the profpect of a Happiness beyond the Grave, the two Lawyers ftrenuoufly maintain and plead the Caufe of the Crucify'd Fefus.

The coming over of two fuch Advocates, gave a new Acceffion of Luftre to the Chriftian Party, and help'd to take off from that popular Objection of Poverty and Ignorance, fo perpetually urg'd againft 'em; and therefore Arnobius, in a kind of Infult, lets the Heathen know, that Orators and Lawyers of the firft Magnitude had embraced the Doctrine of the Crofs; and that he had his Eye upon our Minucius in this Encomium, is

Lib. 1.

no

no improbable Conjecture. Octavius and Minucius feem now to be under no want but to reduce their ftraggling Friend, and make Cecilius as happy as themfelves.

But this was a Work of Difficulty, and feem'd to call for the laft efforts of Reafon and Friendship; for he was a Man of Latitude, and therefore hardly to be come at with Argument; he was his own Idol, and had no Religion but to ferve himself, he was loud, empty, and inconfiftent, and in a word, a fwaggering Atheistical Wit; for one while we find him for neither Gods nor Providence, and then again for both; for all the Gods in vogue, all the World over; a mighty flickler for implicit Faith, and blind Devotion, for Antiquity, Univerfality, and Temporal Succefs and Felicity, as Demonstrations of the Truth of the Roman Heathenifm; the very Three Notes, according to Bellarmine, of the Truth of the prefent Roman Church. And to compleat his Character, he had imbibed Philofophy enough to raife his Vanity, and corrupt his Mind; enough only to intoxicate his Head with Conceit, and to fet him at the greatest distance from the reach of Argument. But notwithstanding this feemingly inacceffible temper of Mind, we find Cecilius at length by the Grace of God and good words, a glorious Convert, and in all probability, the Converter of the Great St. Cyprian, for a farther Account of which I refer to Section the firft, and Note the 3d in the following Treatife.

Olavius departed this Life firft, and as I faid before, in this Death alfo they were not divided, for Minucius perfues him beyond the Grave, and in his Mind goes along with him into the other World; he raifes him again as it were by the Powers of Gratitude, and is never well without him in his thoughts; he bleffes God for his Example, and keeps his good Instructions alive upon his Soul, and digefts 'em into Spiritual Nourishment; and in fhort, reads us an admirable Lecture on a Primitive Duty, much out of Fashion and Repute at B 3

prefent,