A brief declaration and vindication of the doctrine of the Trinity as also of…

The two Decii, Father and Son, in imminent dangers of the people, devoted ⟨p. 240⟩themselves, at several times, unto Death and Destruction. And saith he; sufficiunt Diis infernis; they satisfied for the whole people; adding the Reason whence so it might be; Pluris enim Decii quam qui servantur ab illis.

They were more to be valued, than all that were saved by them. And the great Historian doth excellently describe both the Actions, and Expectations of the one and the other in what they did. The Father, when the Roman Army commanded by himself and Titus M•nlius, was near a total ruin by the Latins, called for the public Priest, and caused him with the usual solemn Ceremonies, to devote him to death, for the deliverance and safety of the Army: after which making his requests to his Gods, (dii quorum est potestas nostrorum hostiumque) the gods that had power over them and their Adversaries, as he supposed, he cast ⟨p. 241⟩himself into death by the swords of the Enemy. Conspectus ab utraque acie aliquanto augustior humano visu, sicut coelo missus, piaculum omnis Deorum irae, qui pestem ab suis aversam in hosts ferret. He was looked on by both Armies, as one more August than a man, as one sent from Heaven, to be a piacular Sacrifice; to appease the Anger of the gods, and to transfer destruction from their own Army to the Enemies, Liv. Hist. 8. His Son in like manner in a great and dangerous battle against the Galls and Samnites; wherein he commanded in Chief, devoting himself as his Father had done, added unto the former solemn deprecations; prae see, agere sese, formidinem ac fugam, caedemque ac cruorem, coel stium, infernorum iras, lib. 11. That he carried away before him, (from those for whom he devoted himself) fear and flight, slaughter and blood, the anger of the Celestial and Infernal gods. And as they did in this devoting of themselves design, averuncare malum, deûm ⟨p. 242⟩