A vindication of some passages in chapters XV & XVI, and online pages of 'vindication'.
by Bingley
On the publication of Volume 1 of Gibbon's History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire many people were outraged by chapters XV and XVI, and a number of rebuttals appeared. As Gibbon himself puts it in his "A Vindication of some passages in the fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire" (A VINDICATION &c. &c. by Edward Gibbon, Introduction):
When I delivered to the world the First Volume of an important History, in which I had been obliged to connect the progress of Christianity with the civil state and revolutions of the Roman Empire, I could not be ignorant that the result of my inquiries might offend the interest of some and the opinions of others. If the whole work was favourably received by the Public, I had the more reason to expect that this obnoxious part would provoke the zeal of those who consider themselves as the Watchmen of the Holy City. These expectations were not disappointed; and a fruitful crop of Answers, Apologies, Remarks, Examinations &c. sprung up with all convenient speed.
Ever since there have been Christians eager to criticise Gibbon, and atheists and agnostics eager to enrol him in their cause:
Cardinal Newman's mid 19th century characterisation of Gibbon is often quoted: It is melancholy to say it, but the chief, perhaps the only English writer who has any claim to be considered an ecclesiastical historian, is the unbeliever Gibbon.
Gibbon is included in this list of "people who have made important contributions to atheism, skepticism, agnosticism and religious critique through history": Famous Atheists, Skeptics and Freethinkers, at Agnosticism / Atheism at About.com.
The following two articles, however, argue that Gibbon was in fact a believing Christian despite his criticism of the disparity between Christian belief and Christian practice:
Postscript from Irene: Vicki pointed out earlier today that the Vindication is not included in some print editions. Here is the full online version.
