Moses his choice with his eye fixed upon Heaven, discovering the happy condition of…

Salvian writing about the condition of Gods people ¹in their suffering of affliction, answers an Objection which some might make. But we do not live under persecuting Emperors, as formerly Christians did. To that he says, By how much the less they were in their passive obedience, by so much the more they should be in their active obedience. God is content, says he, that our peace should serve him, that we ⟨p. 28⟩should please him, in the purity of actions undefiled, in the holiness of a life unspotted; by so much the more is our faithfulness and devotion indebted to him, because he requires of us smaller things, and hath granted greater things unto us: and therefore seeing Princes are Christians, there is no persecution, Religion is not disturbed, we are not compelled to manifest the proof of our faith by harder trials, we ought so much the more to please the Lord in inferior duties. He instanceth in divers particulars: as Christ (says he) commands us not to strive, and ²contend with one another, but rather to put up wrong, let us obey him in this, seeing he frees us from such great and dreadful miseries, which others have suffered before us. Again, Christ would have us do that to others, which we would have others do to us, let us obey him in this. He commands us by his Apostle, that we should not seek that which is our own, but every one seek the good of another: he requires of us to love our enemies, and to take heed of the occasions of evil, &c. Although duties be never so hard to flesh and blood, yet let us set upon them. It was an excellent speech of Eusebius Emesenus, Our forefathers did strive against sharp piercing griefs, let us be willing to strive against the most excellent pleasures; They overcame the torments of the flames, let us overcome the fiery darts of vices.

Salvian writing about the condition of Gods people ¹in their suffering of affliction, answers an Objection which some might make. But we do not live under persecuting Emperors, as formerly Christians did. To that he says, By how much the less they were in their passive obedience, by so much the more they should be in their active obedience. God is content, says he, that our peace should serve him, that we