that translation then in custome For it is not in our vulgar death For there the shield of the mighty is cast downe the shield of Saul as though he had not beene annointed with oyle The bow of Ionathan never turned backe neither did the sword of Saul returne empty from the bloud of the slaine and the fat of the mighty Saul and Ionathan were swifter then eagles stronger then lyons Yee daughters of Israel weepe for Saul which cloathed you in skarlet hanged ornaments of gold upon your apparell What mother did ever so bewaile her only sonne as this man bewailed his enemy who could so lay out the commendation of his best friend as hee doth him that layed snares continually for his life How piously did he lament with how great affection and feeling The elements could not without terror behold this horrible slaughter and therefore with-held their influence as a curse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did hee bewaile him The mountaines withered upon his propheticall malediction and the divine power made up in full measure the just sentence of the maledicent In so much that at the spectacle of the kings death the very dumb elements themselves paid the punishment What was the cause of holy e 1 Kings 21. Naboths death but the contemplation of honesty For when Ahab the King required his Vineyard promising him money for it hee deemed such an unworthy bargaine as to be made an instrument to set a price upon the patrimonie of his fathers The Lord f Ibid. v. 3. keepe mee saith he from giving the inheritance of my fathers to thee That is let not God suffer me to fall into so great infamy let him not permit so heinous an offence to be extorted from me From mine own tribe mancipiously that repugnantly to the mind of the Lord to alienate the least portion of inheritance allotted Levit. 25.23 Numb 36.7 Read Tremel Iun. notes Verely the Lords inhibition is not of alienation of Vines for the Lord hath g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur no regard of them nor of earthly possessions but of the right of the fathers after his owne constitution Naboth might have accepted of some other among the Kings vineyards and so have beene inrolled among his best esteemed friends which is reckoned no small preeminence in this world but hee liked not to make profit by such foule worke For wee need not doubt but that hee might have bettered himselfe by commutation Hee liked not to triumph in the ruines of his tribe but liked rather to undergoe perill with honesty Vtility twofold common and speciall Permitteth by connivency if not consent false and forged testimony impudently to passe upon Naboth to his condemnation This hee did though afterward upon judgement denounced against him and his house hee seemed to be sorry for his fact 1 King 21.27 The sinne of these is a skarlet one there falshood and homicide in graine packed by perjury polluted by the effusion of innocent bloud then profit with ignominie When I thus mention profit I meane such as is vulgar and in frequent use with worldlings not such wherein remaines the grace of honesty The King himselfe might have extorted what hee desired but he thinkes it an impudent part and therefore upon his slaughter was touched with griefe Jezabels greedinesse of gaine likewise immanity void of all humanity savage cruelty without the least sparke of cōmon honesty civility was by the horrible scourge of the revenging wrath of God justly requited All fraud therefore is dishonest The very ballance of deceit and the false measure in matters of small worth are execrable For if in the market where all things are vendible and in common commerce imposture is punished may it be without reproofe among the offices of vertue Salomon guided by the sacred spirit censureth and condemneth the ioynt vsage of the great h Prov. 20.10.23 thohabath of thahab signifying abominari or aversari because we turne away from that is uncleane and small weight to a fraudulent intent and so the double measure as i Prov. 11.1 By a borrowed speech to bring it into more detestation and to make knowne his sore hatred against it Prov. 16.11 uncleane and accursed in the sight of the Lord and as an abomination the course and common receptacle of that banefull sin of imposture depriving daily the poore hungry soules of their due bread and releife And on the other side for the incouragement of the honest and vpright heart he highly commendeth true and perfect ballances whatsoever iust weights of the bagge as the worke of Gods speciciall mercy toward the miserable and most pleasing to him being the father of all compassion CHAP. X. That vices ought to be blotted out with vertues comming in and faith to be kept with the perfidious and fraudulent which by the president of Ioshuah toward the Gibeonites is made evident IN all things therefore fidelity is comely iust dealing aceptable the measure of equity pleasant What shall I speake of other contracts and cheifly of the valuation or a buying a Conceptio or coemptio praediorum of lands or transactions b Agreements upon communication and compacts Is not that the right forme of honesty when our buying and bargaining is performed bona fide or vnder a good intent toward our neighbour and when dolus malus a subtile and sinister intent is removed Likewise doth it not well accord thereunto that where guile and falsehood is deprehended the delinquent should be obnoxious to double dammages Every where the consideration of honesty doth overpoise whatsoever opposits among the rest delving fox-like fraud out of her denne discovereth and dislodgeth her Hence it is that propheticall David c Psal 15.3 levied with so steady an hand that dexterously composed sentence of his vniversally to direct in our trading and commerce that he which rightly inioyeth a seate in Gods tabernacle carrieth ever in his recognizance within his brest this embleme doe no euill to thy neighbour Wherefore not only in contracts wherein the faults of whatsoever is to be sold ought to be opened and unlesse the seller albeit hee hath resigned over his right to the buyer shall make knowne they are all voide by the action de dolo malo but also in all dealing of what kind soever betweene man and man no deceipt but sincerity with simplicity and the naked truth ought to be shewed This old forme de dolo which is not so much the forme d The sentence of the Scripture and of the Civill law doe accord in the matter de dolo of the Civilians as the very sentence of the Patriarch doth the divine Scripture evidently expresse in the booke of Ioshuah For when a fame was spread abroad among the people of the Land the water of the red Sea and of Iordan to have beene dried up to give passage to the Israelites a fountaine to have flowed out of a rocke
licentiam necessary fraud was found the only way of keeping the whole tribe from perishing See into what streights sinne doth thrust either dying without of-spring or by unwarrantable course making shipwracke of soule Behold againe that liberty of theirs proceeding from inforcement was a retaliation of their intemperance they tooke the Levites wife by violence to the r Congruo intemperantiae supplicio non videtur vacare same are they in an exigent ſ Et revera dignum fuit ut qui alienum contubernium solverant ipsi nuptiarum amitterent solennitatem Harme doe harme find depriving another they are deprived of their wives using cruelty they reaped it constrained And in truth it was worthily recompenced them upon their heads that they who had made a breach in the marriage bed should themselves be debarred of the solemnity of Matrimonie But how is the history fraught with commiseration There was a man a Levite which tooke to him a t Vir Levita acceperat sibi jugalem yoke-fellow which by u Concubina à concubitu Iudg. 19.8 baiom hachamishi Hebr. the 5 day This notwithstanding may not bee untrue for that vers 9. there is vaiakom from the root kom signifying surrexit which Tremel rendreth tandem surrexit and the Genev. afterward hee arose For this may seeme to implie some more then five dayes and so 7. according to our Author following the Sept. beside he departed not untill the evening which belongs to the next day For God began the creation with the evening companying together I thinke to bee called a concubine which as of old hath beene taking some offence went away from him to her father thither her husband went after her to bring her againe where hee feasted and made his heart merry untill the x Ibid. 19.8 Netoth of Natah declinare seventh day when being earnestly dealt withall to stay because it grew toward y Iudg. 19.24 the declining of the day yet would not bee intreated proceeding therefore on his journey hee came late to Gibeah of Benjamin with his yoke-fellow and servant where while they were refreshing themselves the inhabitants compassing the house where they were and striving to breake in upon them required after a lustfull manner the Levite To satisfie them the Master of the house offered rather then they should commit such villany his owne y Iudg. 19.24 daughter being a virgin and also his guests the Levites yoke-fellow The latter they tooke and abused untill the morning Her Lord therefore tooke her up carried her home and divided her into twelve pieces and sent them to all the quarters of Israel Forty thousand therefore of them wherein appeareth the great and speciall regard they had to honesty drew their swords even against their brethren to revenge the injury of their impudent intemperancy who at length prevailed against them made them pay the price of their dearest bloud for their incontinency and burnt as they justly deserved for their so strange burning in lust their cities into ashes Albeit they received at their hands two sore affronts yet were they not striken with z Tamen nec adversi metu belli procitus populus Israel feare nor through the crosse hazard of battell discouraged But to avenge the violation of honesty threw off a Vindicandae custitatis sequestravit dolorem dismall thoughts rushed valiantly upon the speares point dint of sword and dart prepared with more effusion of their bloud either to wash away so great infamy or utterly to spill it But an honest cause never had a finall doome neither had theirs Thus are the mighty stirred up for the preservation of honesty neither are the weake wanting therein but the very b 2 Kings 6. lepers strive to keepe it There was a great famine in Samaria being besie-by the Syrian host a woman cried to the King making report of the eating of her sonne he threatned Elisha the Prophet as the cause thereof as Ahab did Eliah when himselfe was But prophecying b 2 Kings 7.1 plenty which though it were not beleeved of the messenger sent to him being a prince who was for his incredulity pressed to death yet the foure lepers remaining without the gates for such must dwell apart tasted of it to their exceeding comfort being affamished and imparting the same honestly and faithfully to the city filled their fainting soules with incomprehensible joy CHAP. XV. The prayse of honesty is commended by the magnanimity of Ester the fidelity of Ionathan and Ahimelech WHat did Queene Ester that shee might deliver her owne people which was both a comely and honest part feared shee the vnlimited prerogative or vnbridled wrath of a mighty Monarch said shee a Ester 4.16 not if I perish I perish To be affronted by such a favourite as Haman was enough to daunt the most warlike spirit But an happy successe was ever the companion of a good cause Assuerus the great King of b Ipse rex Persarum ferox tumido corde tamen decorum judicavit indici insidiarum quae sibi paratae forent gratiā repraesentare c. indici insidiarum for indictarum insidiarum such devises as admit no defence to be made against them Persia though of a fierce and swelling spirit iudged it a decency not to deny her a boone in repealing that bloudy decree barring whatsoeuer plea to crosse it for delivery of the innocent and free people from servitude and the drawing out the nocent of such an vnbeseeming and notorious devise to death Trechery was devised not against her nation alone but against her owne person the Monarchs royall consort Shee put her life into his hands to releiue her people appointed to the spoile and he heard her request against him the second in the kingdome and cheifest among all his favorites For when he saw his fraudulent practises not only to derogate from honesty toward his subjects but to be very dishonest even toward himselfe he assigned him a gibbet that loved so well mounting to clime vpon A worthy president doubtlesse in a man of so high a ranke thus to patronage honesty For that favour that friendship is approved which protectes honesty and to be preferred truly aboue all the wealth honour and dominion which this world can afford To put that before which should follow after is to invert order Friendship and honesty sort well together but so that honesty have the preheminence and friendship follow after it Was it not the wisedome of c 1 Sam. 20.32.33 Ionathan thus to discerne when hee had so great respect to Dauids honesty and piety that for the loue thereof he regarded not to retaine his fathers freindship feared not his offence avoided not the peril of death For Saul his father was no ordinary person but a King and had the power of life and death in his hand Was not the same in Ahimelech d Chap. 2.6 who to shew himselfe hospitall to innocent David
couragious in dangers and contrariwise rigide and stiffe against pleasures thats hard and piously obstinate against allurements to evill knowing no such nor can bee brought to know how or what it meaneth to lend an eare to the inticements of sinners no not bedding such according to the prohibiton of the Apostle a 2 Iohn 5.10 Rom. 16.17 once God speed Finally it neglecteth the heaping together of moneys as a blot to the splendor of vertue and drawing with it the contagious infection of coveteousnesse For there is nothing so contrary to fortitude as to bee overcome with lucre while the warrier with his forces is too greedy vppon the spoiles of the slaine oftentimes the enemies repulsed and their whole army inclining to flight miserably falleth and whiles occupied in rifling the legions remaine deiected amiddest their triumphsrthey prick forward the adversaries who were fled before to returne vpon their backes Let fortitude therefore repell and tread vnder foote so cruell a beast as is greedy avarice neither let it be ensnared with covetous desires nor disheartned with feare because vertue is of such stability in it selfe that it pursues and puts to flight all vices as its poison bane Aboue all it maketh choise to enter the lists of a diuell and single fight with anger and to make her shew her backe because shee it is that strippeth of counsell corrupteth fouleth and filleth the bloud with pernicious humors in such sort that shee would be avoided as a sicknesse and noisome disease that most of all hurteth Let it beware also of the hunting and gaping after glorie and honour which often destroyeth when it is immoderately sought but alwaies vndoubtedly when it is usurped were any of these partes of fortitude in vertue defectiue in Iob did any of these in viciousnesse creep vpon him how did he tollerate the anguish of festering and raging sores scattered throughout his whole body and beside the paine and pinching of sicknesse cold and famine how despised he the perill of his life Was there any coacervation of riches by rapines found in his so great abundance of contribution to the poore Did his avarice stirre him vp to the purchasing and procuring of great rents and revenues did it incite him to the following of his pleasures and delights Did the iniurious contention of these three b Iob 2.7 Kings his pretended friends or the contumely of his servants move him to anger Did his honour lift him up to lightnesse when hee c Iob 33.33 imprecated grievous things against himselfe if at any time he had concealed the least fault committed though contray to his will or feared to have it d Ibid. v. 36. published in the face of all men were he culpable of the smallest wrong against the e Verse 34. 13. meanest of the people For vertues and vices accord not but vertues are still the same who therefore in fortitude did match him Thou maiest giue me a second but scarcely an equall to him among the worthies of all ages CHAPTER XXXIX Warlike vertue not to bee unusuall in those of our profession BVT perhaps warlike glory doth so much fasten the eyes of some upon her reputation that they thinke fortitude to bee preliall and to belong only to the field and for that cause my selfe have digressed and turned aside to by-discourses because I had not therein matter of like praise to commend those of our profession How valiant was Ioshua who in one battell a Joshua 10.20.26 tooke five Kings captive and destroyed them with their armies At what time also how in the greatnesse of his courage and strength of faith did he crie out b Ibid. v. 12. sunne stand thou still in Gibeon and thou moone in the valley of Aialon and it immediatly stood still Gideon with c Iudg. 7.7 three hundred men having nothing but empty pitchers and lampes in their hands crying only not using at all the sword of the Lord and Gideon d Verse 20.90 blowing e Verse 12. the trumpets and breaking the pitchers in peices which was a poore piece of service carried away the triumph over a mighty people bitter enemy Ionathan being of tender age f 1 Sam. 14.6 v. 14. shewed his valour in an hard and unheard battell against the uncircumcised Philistims What shall I speake of the g 1 Maccab. 2.30.34.36 Maccabees But first of them who when they were prepared to fight for the temple of God their possessions and goods being provoked by deceipt of the enemy to battell on the Sabbath chose rather to offer their naked bodies to the devouring sword lest they should thereby breake the Sabbath then to resist and therefore they all to the number of one h Verse 38. thousand offered themselves joyfully to death But i Verse 39. Mattathias considering that by this example the whole nation might perish when himselfe was provoked to fight spared not even upon the Sabbath to avenge the slaughter of his innocent brethren whereby King Antiochus being incensed when afterward he sent his Captaines Lysias Nicanor and Gorgias hee with his orientall and Assyrian Armies was so consumed that fortie eight thousand were overthrowne in the middest of his campe by Iudas with his three k 1 Maccab. 4.6 thousand Consider yee also the vertue and noble courage of the valiant Captaine Iudas Maccabeus in this one souldier of his For Eleazar observing one Elephant more eminent then the rest covered over with a royall brigandine or coate of maile supposing that the King had beene therein ranne fiercely into the middest of the legion where throwing away his buckler made an entrance under the beast and with the force of both his hands pierced him thorow and slew him But the beast falling overwhelmed Eleazar with his mighty and unsupportable weight and so he died How great therefore was his l This is no more then our authors private opinion That of Razis 2 of Maccab. 14. is more manifestly culpable of blame but neither of both is blamelesse vertue and magnanimous spirit first in that he feared not death next that being invironed with the legions of his enemies was carried with violence into the middest of their throng passed through the dint thereof and because hee contemned death became yet more inraged and casting aside his buckler with both his hands bore up the vast body and burden of so great a beast now wounded withall His complementall carriage afterward getting under him further that with invincible courage hee might give him more fully his fatall stroake was stifled rather with the opening of the corps wherein hee was intangled then oppressed as unable to sustaine the same how heavy soever for hee seemed not to feele it and was buried before hee was killed killed and not overcome but made his grave his trophy and place of triumph To conclude King Antiochus who came armed with an hundred thousand footmen and two thousand horsemen
commonly lost because hee which hath her hath rather what hee must labour to keepe then what he certainly possesseth For what we possesse we use But what is beyond our reach concerning the use we injoy not therein the benefit of possession but are intangled in the danger of safe keeping thereof CHAPTER XXVII Of benignity or a gentle and ingenuous disposition and that an Excommunication is not suddenly and before serious deliberation to be denounced SVmmarily we know that the contempt of money is the forme of justice and therefore we ought to decline covetousnesse and to strive with all our care and power that we doe nothing at any time against justice but that in all our labours and actions we keepe it If wee will commend our selves to God let us have charity let us bee of one a Acts 4.32 Rom. 15.5.6.16 Phil. 3.16 heart and soule let us follow humility whereby we are directed to this rule to esteem of others b Phil. 2.3 Rom. 12.10.16 Eph. 5.21 better then of our selves For this is humility if a man arrogate nothing to himselfe but thinke himselfe an c Rom. 12.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inferiour and equall to them of the lower sort A Bishop that he may make use of the Clerkes his members chiefly the ministers which are truly his sons whom hee shall see fit for each office him shall hee depute thereunto Likewise that part of the body which is putrified let it be cut off in griefe A wound doth first remaine some good space of time under the Chirurgions hands and then afterward when medicines and all other good meanes of cure have beene applied and no remedy found by the advise of some good Physicion that part or member where it is is cut off So the affection and desire of some good Bishop is to cure the weake and first to attempt to take away the creeping ulcers next to burne some not to cut them off last of all what cannot bee healed though with griefe yet to cut d Immedicabale vulnus ense recidendum est repars sincera trahatur them off Whence is that most renowned precept and which ought to beare speciall sway with us that wee e Phil. 2.4 looke not every man on his owne things but every man also on the things of other men For by this meanes there will be nothing wherein being angry wee may either give too much way to our owne affection or inclining in favour may attribute something more then is just to our owne will CHAP. XXVIII Of the good of compassion and that in the time of necessity wee ought not to spare the holy treasures of the Churches St. Laurence and Ambrose himselfe are introduced for examples THis is the greatest provocation of mercy that wee have a fellow feeling and suffring of other mens miseries that so we helpe them in their necessities as farre as we are able and sometimes also above and beyond that wee are able For it is a Melius est pro misericordia causas praestare velinvidiam perpeti quam praetendere inclementiam or causas prae stare in this place More Iuris-consultorum est cautiones dare or else perhaps both praestare and praetendere signifie no more then exhibere to shew better to shew cause why mercy should bee used and that to the uttermost yea to suffer the spightfull lookes of the envious then to pretend the least patronage for inclemency According as we our selves sometimes fell into the lash of envy because wee brake in peeces the mysticall vessels that wee might redeeme the captives which might be matter of quarrell to the Arians neither the fact so much as that they might picke something out of it thereby to get some colour to reprehend our dealing But who is so hard savage and iron-hearted as to bee displeased with this that a man is delivered from death a woman from beastly uncleannesse of the Barbarians which is more grievous then death that the young maidens young boyes and in a manner infants are preserved from the contagion of idols wherewith they were contaminated through the feare of death Which thing also we did not without sufficient cause and therefore so followed it with the people that wee openly professed that it was much more commodious to save soules for the Lord then gold For he sent forth the Apostles and gathered together the Congregations without gold The Church hath gold not to keepe it but liberally to distribute it Tiglath Pileser 2 Kings 16.8 and that it might be helpfull in the time of necessity Are we ignorant how much gold and silver the b Shishak King of Egypt and Benhadad king of Aram. 1 Kings 14.25 15.28 2 Kings 25.15 Assyrians Egyptians and Babilonians had out of the Temple of the Lord Doth not the Church better gather substance together for almes for the poore if they want other sustenance then that the sacrilegious enemy should with his contaminate hands touch them and take them away will not the Lord say why dost thou suffer so many poore to dye with hunger And verily thou haddest gold that thou mightest give almes Why are so many captives sold for slaves and not redeemed Why are so many slaine by the enemy It had beene better that thou haddest kept the vessels of the living then of the mettals For these no answer could bee made For what mightest thou say for them Wouldest thou say I feared lest ornament should be wanting to the house of God It would bee replied the Sacraments which are not bought with gold seeke not neither doe they delight in it The ornament of the Sacraments is the redemption of the captives And they are truly precious vessels which doe redeeme the soules from death That is the true treasure of the Lord which worketh that which his bloud hath wrought Then I acknowledge the vessell of the Lords bloud when I shall see in them both redemption that the cup may redeeme from the enemy those whom the bloud hath redeemed from sinne How goodly a thing it is that when the multitude of the captives are redeemed by the Church it may be said of them these hath Christ redeemed Behold where is the tried gold behold where is the gold well approved of and profitable Behold the gold of Christ which saveth from death behold the gold whereby shamefastnesse is redeemed from pollution chastity is preserved from defilement These children therefore doe I make choice of rather to set at liberty and deliver over to you then to reserve and keepe in store the most refined plate of gold This company of captives this ranke of inthralled bondmen is better then the beauty and bravery of Chalices The gold of the Redeemer ought to profit this sort of forlorne and wretched soules and to free them from slavish servitude I acknowledge the bloud of Christ infused into this gold not only to have glistered most brightly but also by the gift of redemption to
Christian Princes at the Ceremonies of the Gentiles which is answered by St. Ambrose in the conclusion of the insuing Epistle them not If the Religion of the ancient make not an example let the connivency of their successors make it good Who among the Barbarians is so free from ambition a See what advantage is taken because not utterly removed but that he requires the erecting of the altar of Victory We are wary because of the time to come and does avoyd the ostentation of such things Howbeit * Or let us honour the name though the power and deity bee denied that honour which is denied to the divine power let it at least be given to the name Your eternity oweth many things to the Goddesse f Allegation for the defence of the Goddesse Victorie which is not answered because not so important as some other points untill toward the end of the Replie Mars Bellona and Victoria were called Dij communes Victory and shall yet owe more Let them bee against this power to whom it hath brought no profit but continue ye your friendly patronage to triumphs This power tyeth every one by vow let no man denie that to be had in adoration which he professeth to be in his vow and optation If so bee that likewise there be no just avoydance of all this it is meet at least that there be forbearance from the promotions of the Court. Performe I pray you that what we received being children the same being old men we may leave to our posteritie Great is the love of custome Very deservedly was it that the deed of g Constantius the Father of Constantine the Great was singularly affected toward Gods word Euseb Hist Eccl. lib. 8. cap. 14. was no partener with the enemy Maximinus in the persecution of the Church but a preserver thereof Euseb lib. 8. cap. 19. but hee is not here meant There was another Constantius who had to wife Placidia the daughter of Theodosius Magnus by whom hee had Valentinian the third of that name Emperour he was made Emperour by Honorius neither doth Symmachus meane him for hee dyed almost immediatly after his creation Socrat. Schol. lib. 7. cap. 24. But Constantius the sonne of Constantine the Great who was and dealt against the Ethnick sacrifices and for that cause was bitterly hated of such sacrificers Socrat. Schol. lib. 3. cap. 1. Though he were an Arian and an enemy to such as held the clause of one substance yet was hee likewise an enemy to Paganisme He therefore is the Prince the Relater here girdeth And whereas that seemes opposite hereunto when Ambrose in his replie reports him nondum sacris initia tum mysterijs is thus to be understood that though he were not as yet baptized yet could he not abide to see the contamination of thr Ethnick altar And concerning Baptisme he followed therein his father and was not baptized untill a little before his death Socrat. Schol. lib. 3. cap. 37. Constantius stood not long You are to avoyd all examples which in your owne knowledge were soone after removed We have a care so to eternize your name and fame that the future age may find no cause therein of any correction Where shall we sweare to your lawes and words with what religion shall a false heart be terrified that he ly not in his testimonie All places are filled with the Majestie of God neither is there any place safe to the perfidious but to affright from offending the presence of religion availeth much That Altar it is that holds all men in concord that Altar it is that makes the faith of all men agree in one neither doth any thing bring more authority to our sentences then an orderly proceeding by oath which determines all things Shall therefore the civill seate lye open to perjury and shall my famous Princes whose persons by publike sacrament remaine secure thinke this allowable But divine Constantius is reported to have done the same Let us follow that Prince rather in matters of lesse consequence If some others h This vaine speaker feareth not to gird the good Emperour Constantine the great himselfe as Rabshekeh did Ezechiah Is 36. the Athenians Paul Acts 17. had not erred before him hee had never attempted any such thing * Allegations in former page and this that legally bound to keepe the Gentile Sacraments 2. concerning Constantius 3 of Gods presence by setting up an idoll 4 of the power of the Altar and Gods of the Gentiles for their meetings For the fall of the former stayeth up him that followeth the reprehension of the antecedent example is the emendation of him that succeedeth And as for the i His father Valentinian was of a mild disposition molested not the Arrians though hee himselfe held the faith of one substance Socra Schol. lib. 4. cap. 1 nor the Ethnicks as it should seeme but took this course to reverence and advance those of his owne profession father of your Clemency it had beene pardonable if in a matter then newly set abroach hee had little regarded the breath of some envious persons Is it fit that wee should make the same defence for our selves and shunning the envy of men imitate him in that which is disallowed Let your eternity take rather the deeds of the same Prince which you may more worthily draw into use Hee tooke away nothing from the priviledges of the holy Virgins hee filled the priesthoods with nobles he denied not expences to the Roman ceremonies and through all the passages of the eternall Citie he followed the joyfull Senate he saw with a pleasing countenance the places of the images hee read the titles of their Gods set on high demanded the originall of their Temples admired the founders of such monuments And whereas himselfe followed other religions these hee reserved for the Empire For every one hath his owne custome every one hath his owne rites The divine * Id est God the first mover as Aristotle the first beginning as Plato teacheth of all goodnesse mind bestoweth k Dij patrij sive tutelares upon the cities divers keepers divers kindes of worship As soules to children in the wombe so the fatall l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Meander Quique suos patitus manes Virg. Genij good or bad Angells are assigned to the people of the world as their gardians To m Allegation of Vtility and prosperity this may we adde utility and profit which above all things tyes the Gods and men together For since the causes and reasons of things are obscure whence shall we suppose the knowledge of God was most commended to us but by the records and monuments of prosperity Now if antiquitie brings n Pagans are wont to alledge antiquity in defence of their superstition It was so with Romanus the Martyr by Galerius his captaine which made him make an apologie for the eternitie of Christ Foxes Monum 125. authority