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| Of those who abused His Extreme Benevolence for Avarice and Hypocrisy.
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Chapter LIV.—Of those who abused
His Extreme Benevolence for Avarice and Hypocrisy.
In like
manner his mental3353
| 3353 “Psychical qualities”—including more than
intellectual. | qualities
reached the highest point of human perfection. Indeed he was
distinguished by every excellence of character, but especially by
benevolence; a virtue, however, which subjected him to censure from
many, in consequence of the baseness of wicked men, who ascribed their
own crimes to the emperor’s forbearance. In truth I can myself
bear testimony to the grievous evils which prevailed during these
times; I mean the violence of rapacious and unprincipled men, who
preyed on all classes of society alike, and the scandalous hypocrisy of
those who crept into the Church, and assumed the name and character of
Christians. His own benevolence and goodness of heart, the genuineness
of his own faith, and his truthfulness of character, induced the
emperor to credit the profession of these reputed Christians, who
craftily preserved the semblance of sincere affection for his person.
The confidence he reposed in such men sometimes forced him into conduct
unworthy of himself, of which envy took advantage to cloud in this
respect the luster of his character.3354
| 3354 Compare Prolegomena, Character. There is a striking touch
of naturalness in this passage which tells for the historical
trustworthiness of the biographer, and though exposing the fault of the
emperor yet gives a rather pleasing glimpse of his
character. | E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
|
