St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

Whether the Romaines diligence in this worship of those gods, did their Empire any good at all. CHAP. 28.

BY no meanes then could these gods preserue the Romaine Empire, being so criminous in their owne filthy desiring of such honors as these are, which rather serue to condemne them, then appease them. For if they could haue done that, the Greekes should haue had their helpes before, who afforded them farre better store of such sacrifices as these, with farre more stage∣playes and showes. For they, seeing the Poets taxe their gods so freelye,

neuer thought shame to let them taxe them-selues, but allowed them free leaue to traduce whom they pleased, and held the Stage-players worthy of the best honors of their state. But euen as Rome might haue had golden coynes, yet neuer worshipped Aurinus for it, so might they haue had siluer and brasse ones with∣out Argentinus or his father Aesculanus, and so of all other necessaries. But so could they not possesse their kingdome, against the will of the true God, but in despite of all the other, let them doe what they list, that one vnkowne God be∣ing well and duly worshipped, would haue kept their kingdome on earth in bet∣ter estate then euer, and afterward haue bestowed a kingdome on each of them in heauen (had they a kingdome before or had they none) that should endure for euer.