Socrates in his Church History furnishes us with a pertinent passage to this purpose, concerning Valens the Emperor, who was an Arian, and a bitter persecutor of the Christians: This man, when eighty of the Orthodox Christians failed ⟨p. 149⟩from Constantinople to Nicomedia, to treat with him about the points of Arianism, and to settle the matter by way of dispute; the Emperor hearing of their arrival, while they were yet in the Harbour, and not a man landed, caused the Ships to be fired wherein they were, and so consumed them all. Not long after, in his Wars against the Goths, he was overthrown; and hiding himself in a little Cottage▪ the enemy coming by, burnt in and him together. Thus this wretch reaped what he sowed, burning for burning, the very same in kind paid him again; it is not always so in this world, but so it shall be in that to come; the Table shall then be turned,1 and the Scene altered; for shall not the Judge of all the world do righteously? Diogenes was tempted to think, that God had cast off the government of the world, when he saw the wicked prosper in their wickedness. On the same ground, many have been tempted to Atheism; but then the world shall see distributive justice shining out in its glory. Tribulation, anguish and wrath, to every soul of man that doth evil; but glory, honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, Rom. 2. 9, 10. Then 'twill appear what seed we sowed, what lives we lived; for God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil, Eccles. 12. 14.
Socrates in his Church History furnishes us with a pertinent passage to this purpose, concerning Valens the Emperor, who was an Arrian, and a bitter persecutor of the Christians: This man, when eighty of the Orthodox Christians failed ⟨p. 149⟩from Constantinople to Nicomedia, to treat with him about the points of Arrianism, and to settle the matter by way of dispute; the Emperour hearing of their arrival, while they were yet in the Harbour, and not a man landed, caused the Ships to be fired wherein they were, and so consumed them all. Not long after, in his Wars against the Goths, he was overthrown; and hiding himself in a little Cottage▪ the enemy coming by, burnt in and him together. Thus this wretch reap'd what he sowed, burning for burning, the very same in kind paid him again; it is not alwayes so in this world, but so it shall be in that to come; the Table shall then be turned,1 and the Scene altered; for shall not the Iudge of all the world do righteously? Diogenes was tempted to think, that God had cast off the government of the world, when he saw the wicked prosper in their wickedness. On the same ground, many have been tempted to Atheism; but then the world shall see distributive justice shining out in its glory. Tribulation, anguish and wrath, to every soul of man that doth evil; but glory, honour and peace, to every man that worketh good, Rom. 2. 9, 10. Then 'twill appear what seed we sowed, what lives we lived; for God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or evil, Eccles. 12. 14.
- 1Cum video mala sata bonis, ignoscite queso: sollicitor nullos esse putare Deos. Ovid.
