Saint Augustines confessions translated: and with some marginall notes illustrated. Wherein, diuers antiquities are explayned; and the marginall notes of a former Popish translation, answered. By William Watts, rector of St. Albanes, Woodstreete

CHAP. 2. How Victorinus, the famous Orator, was converted.

1. VNto Simplicianus ther∣fore I went, the Father a 1.1 at that time of Bishop Am∣brose in his receiving of thy grace; whom verily hee loved as his owne Father. To him I discovered the winding courses of my errour. But when I told him that I had read over certain Bookes of the Platonists, which Ʋictorinus, sometimes Rheto∣ricke professor of Rome, (who dyed a Christian, as I had heard) had translated into La∣tine, hee much rejoyced over

me, for that I had not falne upon any other Philosophers Writings, which use to bee full of fallacies and vaine deceits, after the rudiments of this * 1.2 world: whereas in the Plato∣nists, GOD and his WORD was many wayes insinuated. And the better to exhort me to Christs humility, (hidden from the wise, and revealed to little * 1.3 ones) he fell upon the mention of Ʋictorinus, whom whilest he was at Rome hee had famili∣arly knowne: and of him hee told this Story, which I will not here conceale, seeing it af∣foords matter of much praise of thy grace, which ought to bee confessed unto thee.

2. Hee told mee, how this most learned old man, most skilfull in all the liberall Scien∣ces; one, who had read, and censured, and explained so ma∣ny of the Philosophers; one, that had been Master to so ma∣ny

noble Senators, who also as an Ensigne of his so famous ma∣stership, had (which world∣lings esteeme such an honour) both deserved and obtained a Statuae b 1.4 in the Roman Forum: hee remaining even till his old age a worshipper of Idols, and a copartner of such sacrilegious solemnities, (with which al∣most all the Nobility and peo∣ple of Rome were inspired) and of that monstrous rabble of the gally-maufry of Gods, and of Anubis the barker, which had sometimes maintained the Bucklers against Neptune, Ue∣nus, and Minerva c 1.5, whom Rome having once conquered, now worshipped: all which this old Victorious with his thundering Eloquence, had so many yeeres beene the Cham∣pion

of, but now blushed not to become the childe of thy Christ, and an Infant at thy Font; submitting his necke to the yoke of humility, and sub∣duing his forehead to the igno∣miny of the Crosse.

3. O Lord, O Lord, which * 1.6 hast bowed the Heavens and come downe, touched the moun∣taines and they did smoke: by what means didst thou conveigh thy selfe into that mans breast? He read (as Simplicianus said) the holy Scripture, most studi∣ously sought after and searcht into all the Writings of the Christians, and said unto Sim∣plicianus, (not openly, but af∣ter a private and familiar man∣ner) You shall now understand that I am a Christian. Sim∣plicianus answered him, I will never beleeve it, nor will I ranke you among the Christians, un∣lesse I see you in the Church of Christ. Whereunto he smiling

upon him, replyed, Is it the wals that makes Christians? And this he often reiterated, that he was now a Christian: and Simplicianus making the same answer, the conceipt of the wals was as often returned. For he feared to offend his friends, which were proud Divell-wor∣shippers, from the heighth of whose Babylonian dignity, as from the top of the Cedars of Libanus, which the Lord had not yet brought downe, he sup∣posed a storme of ill-will would showre upon him.

4. But when once by rea∣ding and earnessnesse he had ga∣thered strength, and that he fea∣red to be denyed by Christ be∣fore his Angels, should he now * 1.7 be afraid to confesse him before men; and that he appeared guil∣ty to himselfe of a mighty crime, in being ashamed of the Sacraments of the humility of thy Word; whereas he had not

beene ashamed of the sacrilegi∣ous sacrifices of those proud di∣vels (of whose pride himselfe had beene an imitater) he put on a confident face against vanity, and was ashamed not to con∣fesse the truth: yea, all on the sudden, when Simplicianus thought nothing of it, he sayes unto him, (as himselfe told me) Come, let us goe to the Church, I resolve to be made a Christian. But he, not able to contain him selfe for joy, went along with him: where, so soone as he was instructed in the first mysteries of Religion, he not long after gave in his name, that he might bee regenerated by Baptisme: the Citie of Rome wondring, and the Church rejoycing. The proud beheld it, and were inra∣ged; guashing upon him with their teeth, and even pining away with envie at it. But the Lord God was the hope of his servant, who tooke no regard

to vanities and lying madnesse.

5. To conclude, when the houre was come wherin he was to make profession of his faith, * 1.8 (which at Rome it was the cu∣stome of those that were shortly to come unto thy Grace, to doe in a set forme of words, got∣ten by heart, and standing aloft upon a more eminent place, where they might well be seene of all the faithfull people;) there was an offer made, (as hee said) by the Priests unto Victorinus, that he might make his Profes∣sion

more privately, as the cu∣stome was to offer that courtesie to some others, who were likely to be bashfull and fearefull at the matter: but he chose rather to professe his salvation in the presence of the holy Assembly. For whereas there was no salva∣tion in that Rhetoricke which he had taught, and yet had hee made publike profession of that: how much lesse therefore ought he to dread that meeke slocke of thine, in the pronouncing of thy Word, who in the delive∣ry of his owne wordes, had not feared the fullest audience of mad men?

6. So soone therfore as he was mounted up aloft to make his profession, as the rest had done, and were to doe; every one that knew him, whispered his Name one to another with the voice of congratulation. And who was there that did not knowe

him? and there ranne a soft whisper through all the mouths of the rejoycing multitude, Vi∣ctorinus, Victorinus. Soone spake they of him with trium∣phing, for that they saw him; and as quickly were they whi∣sted againe, that they might now heare him. Hee pronoun∣ced alowd the true Faith with an excellent boldnesse, and eve∣ry man would gladly have pluckt him to them into their very heart: yea greedily did they snatch him in, by loving of him, and rejoycing for him. These were the hands with which they snatcht him.

Notes

• a 1.1

  The for∣mer Trans∣lator sayes, that he was either his Godfa∣ther, or his ghostly fa∣ther. Bold man! Ba∣ronius in Saint Am∣brose his life, could have taught him, that this Sim∣plicianus, being a wise and a religious man, was sent by Damasus Bishop of Rome, unto Millan purposely, to be the Adviser and Director of Saint Ambrose, then but a ••ong Bishop; therefore did Saint Ambrose love him as his Father. To this Simplicianus is Ambrose his second Epistle lib 4. directed. He also succeeded Ambrose in his Bish••pricke.
• * 1.2

  Col. 2. 8.
• * 1.3

  Mat. 11. 25
• b 1.4

  Famous Souldiers, Common∣wealths∣men, and Schollers, were, for in∣courage met of others, thus honou∣red at Rome.
• c 1.5

  Nep tune, Ve∣nus, and Minerva, were three of the Tu∣telar Gods of Rome, as Anubis (worshipt in shape of a Dog) was of Egypt: and the Romanes having conquered many Procinces, brought house their Gods, and worshipt them: So that Rome at last came to have 30000 Gods.
• * 1.6

  Psal. 144. 5
• * 1.7

  Luk. 9. 26.
• * 1.8

  Here be di∣vers parti∣culars of the Primitive fashion, in this Story of Victori∣nus. First being con∣verted, he was to take some well∣knowne Christian, (who was to bee his Godfather) to goe with him to the Bishop: who upon no∣tice of it, admitted him a Catechumenus, and gave him those sixe points of Catechisticall Doctrine, mentioned Heb. 6. 1, 2. When the time of Baptisme drew neere, the yong Christian came to give in his heathen name, which was presently registred; submitting himselfe to Exa∣mination. On the Eve, was be in a set forme, first, to renounce the Divell, and to pronounce, I confesse to thee, O Christ; repeating the Creed with it, in the forme here recorded. The time for giving in their names, must he within the two first weekes of Lent: and the so lemne day to renounce upon, was Maunday Thurs∣day. So bid•••• be Councell of Laodicea, Can. 45. & 46.