grofs negligence, or wilful blindness. There is then no difficulty on this head: governors of states, if they fupport a falfe religion, have reafon to expect the heavy judgments of God. Let them confider the hiftory of Jeroboam and of his fucceffors in the kingdom of Ifrael. They all SINNED, AND THEY

ALL MADE ISRAEL TO SIN, IN PROVOKING THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL TO ANGER WITH THEIR

VANITIES, that is, with their establishment of falfe religion*; UNTIL THE LORD REMOVED ISRAEL OUT OF HIS SIGHT†.

A real difficulty, however, refpecting the OBEDIENCE of the fubject may occur, whenever it pleases God, for the punishment of the fins of a nation, to permit a false religion to be established and fupported by the ruling powers.

It may then be afked, whether a true believer of Christianity ought not to oppofe the religious inftitutions of the country, in which he lives, and to propagate his own opinions; or whether he is to fubmit to the civil magiftrate, "to bow down himfelf in the house, of Rimmon," and to furrender that faith, upon which he depends for eternal falvation.

The general folution of these questions must be derived from a due confideration of the meaning of that apoftolical maxim, "We ought to obey God rather than men". If therefore, through the corruption of human nature, the ftate will not establish true Christianity, but a falfe religion, I know no way to be pursued, but that of the Apostles, namely, for believers to propagate and to practice divine truth, and to fuffer patiently for the truth's fake, according to the will of God. For, on the one hand, I find nothing in Scripture to justify Christians in refifting their governors by force, or in compelling them

1 Kings xvi. 13. † 2 Kings xvii. 23.

Acts v. 29.

them to make new ordinances; and, on the other hand, to comply with Anti-Christian institutions, would be to "fin a great fin," as Jeroboam's fubjects did. The middle line of conduct is pointed out by our Saviour in that fentence, "When they perfecute you in this city, flee ye into another."

Several valuable mifcellaneous articles must now be attended to, before we difmifs the fourth century. * 2 Kings xvii, 21, + Matth. x. 23.

CHAP.

CHAP. XVIII.

THE PRIVATE LIFE AND THE WORKS OF
AMBROSE.

Ipaulinus of Nola, we might make a profita

we had the real life of this bishop written by

ble use of it. But that, which goes under his name*, is so ftuffed with fables, that I fcarce know how to quote it.. Ambrofe died about the A. D. year 397, admired, regretted, and lamented by the 397. whole Chriftian world. His life not improbably had been shortened by the inceffant activity of his mind, and by the multiplicity of his employments; for he was only fifty feven years old, and had been appointed bishop of Milan at the age of thirtyfour.

His spirit was remarkably kind and fympathetic; his benevolence was extended to all, but efpecially thofe of the houfhold of faith. His eftate, real and perfonal, he bestowed on the poor, and for the fupport of the church, ftyling the poor his ftewards and treasurers. His labours were immense: he administered the eucharift daily, and preached commonly every Lord's Day, frequently on extraordinary occafions, and spent much time in teaching catechumens. His temper was heroic and ftrong, and no dignity or authority could shelter offenders from his epifcopal rebukes, where he deemed it his duty to reprehend. Auguftine tells us, that he found it, in a manner, impoffible to have access to to him, because of the multiplicity of his employments. The time, he could fpare from paftoral and charitable engagements, was devoted to study and meditation,

* It is prefixed to the works of Ambrose. + Orat. in Aux.

The

The moral writings of Ambrofe contain various things of folid utility; his treatife on offices fhines among thefe. It was evidently his wifh to imitate Tully, and to fhow the fuperiority of Chriftian over philofophical morals. A noble defign, but confidered as a whole, feebly executed, becaufe conducted without a plan. He modeftly owns indeed, that he was called to teach, before he himself had learned. But he might have both preached and written better, had he always. attended to the fimple word of God, and exercised his own natural good fenfe in humble dependance on DIVINE GRACE, and paid lefs regard to the fanciful writings of Origen, which corrupted his understanding exceedingly, Lefs of this, however, appears in his moral than in his theological pieces.

He fpeaks ftrikingly of the excellent ufe of taciturnity, and the difficulty of acquiring it, in his ufual manner, which is fententious, and full of quick turns of expreffion. "I know moft fpeak, when they do not know how to be filent. Seldom do you fee any one filent, when to speak, is of no profit. He is wife who knows, when to hold his peace. -Must we then be dumb? no; for there is a time to fpeak, and a time to be filent. And if we must give an account of every idle word, take care, left you have to anfwer alfo for idle filence. Tie your tongue, left it be wanton and luxuriant: keep it within the banks: a rapidly flowing river foon collects mud *".

His ideas of decorum in behaviour and carriage he illuftrates by the account of two perfons of his own diocefe. The firft was a friend of his own, who by fedulous offices recommended himself to Ambrofe, in order to be admitted as a clergyman into his bifhoprick. The only reason why Ambrofe

* IId and IIIrd C. B. 1. de Officiis.

brofe refused, was because his gestures were light and indecent. The other he found already a clergyman, and made this fole exception, namely, of indecent levity, to his conduct. His judgment was verified in both. The former, during the Arian perfecution at Milan, deferted the faith; the latter, through the love of gain, denied himself to be a priest of Ambrofe's diocefe, to avoid judicial penalties.

His directions to his clergy would deferve to be made a part of an epifcopal charge in every age of the church. "I think, fays he, it becomes the prudence and gravity of clergymen, to avoid the public banquets frequently made for ftrangers: you may exercise hofpitality to them at your own houfes, and by this caution, there will be no room for reproach. Entertainments of this fort take up much time, and alfo evidence a fondnefs for feasting. Secular and voluptuary difcourfe is apt to creep in; to fhut your ears, is impoffible; to forbid, will be looked on as imperious. Why do not you employ the time which is free from clerical employments in reading? Why do you not revifit Chrift, fpeak to Chrift, hear Chrift? We fpeak to him, when we pray; we hear him, when we read the divine oracles. What have we to do with other men's houfes? let them rather come to us, who want us. What have we to do with idle chitchat? We received the ministry to attend on the fervice of Chrift, not to pay court to men *."

In his book of repentance, he remonstrates with great juftice against the inexorable spirit of the Novatians in refufing to re-admit penitents into the church. "Learn of me, fays Chrift, for I am meek and lowly in heart. I am unmerciful, fays the Novatian." In the fame chapter he bears teftimony to the immaculate conception of Jefus, and

B. 1. de Officiis, xx. + B. I. c. 2.

to