Butthisargument—one，whenconfinedwithinreasonablelimits，ofunanswerableforce—becomesmorefeebleanddisputableinproportionasitrecedesfromthebirthplace，asitwere，ofthereligion。ThefurtherChristianityadvanced，themorecausespurelyhumanwereenlistedinitsfavor；norcanitbedoubtedthatthosedevelopedwithsuchartfulexclusivenessbyGibbondidconcurmostessentiallytoitsestablishment。ItisintheChristiandispensation，asinthematerialworld。InbothitisasthegreatFirstCause，thattheDeityismostundeniablymanifest。Whenoncelaunchedinregularmotionuponthebosomofspace，andendowedwithalltheirpropertiesandrelationsofweightandmutualattraction，theheavenlybodiesappeartopursuetheircoursesaccordingtosecondarylaws，whichaccountforalltheirsublimeregularity。SoChristianityproclaimsitsDivineAuthorchieflyinitsfirstoriginanddevelopment。Whenithadoncereceiveditsimpulsefromabove—whenithadoncebeeninfusedintothemindsofitsfirstteachers—whenithadgainedfullpossessionofthereasonandaffectionsofthefavoredfew—itmightbe—andtotheProtestant，therationaChristian，itisimpossibletodefinewhenitreallywas—lefttomakeitswaybyitsnativeforce，undertheordinarysecretagenciesofall—rulingProvidence。Themainquestion，thedivineoriginofthereligion，wasdexterouslyeluded，orspeciouslyconcededbyGibbon；hisplanenabledhimtocommencehisaccount，inmostparts，belowtheapostolictimes；anditwasonlybythestrengthofthedarkcoloringwithwhichhebroughtoutthefailingsandthefolliesofthesucceedingages，thatashadowofdoubtandsuspicionwasthrownbackupontheprimitiveperiodofChristianity。
\"Thetheologian，\"saysGibbon，\"mayindulgethepleasingtaskofdescribingreligionasshedescendedfromheaven，arrayedinhernativepurity；amoremelancholydutyisimposeduponthehistorian:—hemustdiscovertheinevitablemixtureoferrorandcorruptionwhichshecontractedinalongresidenceuponearthamongaweakanddegenerateraceofbeings。\"Divestthispassageofthelatentsarcasmbetrayedbythesubsequenttoneofthewholedisquisition，anditmightcommenceaChristianhistorywritteninthemostChristianspiritofcandor。Butasthehistorian，byseemingtorespect，yetbydexterouslyconfoundingthelimitsofthesacredland，contrivedtoinsinuatethatitwasanUtopiawhichhadnoexistencebutintheimaginationofthetheologian—ashesuggestedratherthanaffirmedthatthedaysofChristianpuritywereakindofpoeticgoldenage；—sothetheologian，byventuringtoofarintothedomainofthehistorian，hasbeenperpetuallyobligedtocontestpointsonwhichhehadlittlechanceofvictory—todenyfactsestablishedonunshakenevidence—andthence，toretire，ifnotwiththeshameofdefeat，yetwithbutdoubtfulandimperfectsuccess。
Paley，withhisintuitivesagacity，sawthroughthedifficultyofansweringGibbonbytheordinaryartsofcontroversy；hisemphaticsentence，\"Whocanrefuteasneer?\"
containsasmuchtruthaspoint。Butfullandpregnantasthisphraseis，itisnotquitethewholetruth；itisthetoneinwhichtheprogressofChristianityistraced，incomparisonwiththerestofthesplendidandprodigallyornamentedwork，whichistheradicaldefectinthe\"DeclineandFall。\"ChristianityalonereceivesnoembellishmentfromthemagicofGibbon\'slanguage；
hisimaginationisdeadtoitsmoraldignity；itiskeptdownbyageneralzoneofjealousdisparagement，orneutralizedbyapainfullyelaborateexpositionofitsdarkeranddegenerateperiods。Thereareoccasions，indeed，whenitspureandexaltedhumanity，whenitsmanifestlybeneficialinfluence，cancompelevenhim，asitwere，tofairness，andkindlehisunguardedeloquencetoitsusualfervor；but，ingeneral，hesoonrelapsesintoafrigidapathy；affectsanostentatiouslysevereimpartiality；notesallthefaultsofChristiansineveryagewithbitterandalmostmalignantsarcasm；reluctantly，andwithexceptionandreservation，admitstheirclaimtoadmiration。