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| The accusation shews the mind of the accusers.
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9. The accusation shews the mind
of the accusers.
Now if they had been of sound mind, they would
have seen that they were in this strait, and that they were falling
foul of their own arguments. But since they have lost all judgment,
they are still led on to persecute, and seek to destroy, and yet
perceive not their own impiety. It may be they even venture to accuse
Providence itself (for nothing is beyond the reach of their
presumption), that it does not deliver up to them those whom they
desire; certain as it is, according to the saying of our Saviour, that
not even a sparrow can fall into the snare without our Father which is
in heaven1428
. But when these accursed ones obtain
possession of any one, they immediately forget not only all other, but
even themselves; and raising their brow in very haughtiness, they
neither acknowledge times and seasons, nor respect human nature in
those whom they injure. Like the tyrant of Babylon1429
, they attack more furiously; they shew pity
to none, but mercilessly ‘upon the ancient,’ as it is
written, ‘they very heavily lay the yoke,’ and ‘they
add to the grief of them that are wounded1430
.’ Had they not acted in this manner;
had they not driven into banishment those who spoke in my defence
against their calumnies, their representations might have appeared to
some persons sufficiently plausible. But since they have conspired
against so many other Bishops of high character, and have spared
neither the great confessor Hosius, nor the Bishop of Rome, nor so many
others from the Spains and the Gauls, and Egypt, and Libya, and the
other countries, but have committed such cruel outrages against all who
have in any way opposed them in my behalf; is it not plain that their
designs have been directed rather against me than against any other,
and that their desire is miserably to destroy me as they have done
others? To accomplish this they vigilantly watch for an opportunity,
and think themselves injured, when they see those safe, whom they
wished not to live.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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