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others. Thrasamond was a man of this sort, and he embraced error instead of truth; so that he tried to make people believe falsehood by force.

Samuel. Well, mother, did the people obey him, and embrace falsehood, because he said they must?

Mother. No, my son. Eugenius, the godly bishop of Carthage, who suffered so much in Huneric's persecution,* was now dead. But divine grace had not forsaken the African bishops. They thought it was their duty to obey God rather than man. They ordained bishops over their vacant churches, and took care of their flocks.

Caroline. Mother what does vacant mean? I can't understand all the hard words you use.

Mother. My dear, whenever you hear or read a word that you do not understand, you should look in your dictionary, where it is explained.

Peter. What did Thrasamond do, mother, when he found the bishops would not mind him?

* See History of the Church in the fifth Century. † Acts 5: 29.

Mother. He was enraged, and determined to banish them all.

Samuel. But, did these bishops do right, in refusing to obey the king? The Apostle Paul teaches us to obey our rulers.*

Mother. The Bible requires us, in general terms, to obey our rulers.

But this does not

mean that we should obey them when they command us to do wrong. All earthly rulers are under God; and they have no right to command us to do what he has forbidden, or to forbid us to do what he has commanded. And if they do so, we should not obey them, because God's authority is greater than theirs. When the Apostles were commanded by the rulers not to teach any more in the name of Jesus, they did not mind them, but said they "ought to obey God rather than men."+

About this time, Fulgentius was ordained bishop of Ruspæ. He was a son of Claudius, one of the bishops of Carthage. Claudius died. while Fulgentius was very young. His mother gave him a liberal education. While young he entered into the monastery of Faustus; for the * Rom. 13: 1–7. † Acts 5: 29.

most serious people of this age, under a mistaken notion of duty, devoted themselves to the monastic life. During the Arian persecution under the Vandals, he was cruelly beaten with clubs, till he was almost dead; but his mind was calm, and he suffered patiently for the sake of Christ. This treatment he received from an Arian presbyter or minister.

Elizabeth. Why, mother, did the Arians call themselves Christians, while they were treating people so ? How could they think this was following Christ, who never did harm to any one?

Mother. A great many people call themselves Christians who are very far from being the followers of Christ. The spirit of persecution is directly in opposition to the spirit of Christ; but it has generally been exercised, in different ages, by those who have embraced the sentiments held by the Arians. They were always a crafty, persecuting people; and at the present day, nearly the same sentiments are generally embraced by the established churches in Germany and Switzerland; and in these coun

*For an account of this kind of life, See Great Apostasy page 21.

tries, pious people, who maintain the doctrines of the Bible, are despised and persecuted by those who call themselves Christians. However, the Arian Bishop was a man of a better natural disposition than this presbyter. He esteemed Fulgentius, on account of his excellent character; and offered to have the presbyter punished, if Fulgentius would make a formal complaint against him.

Peter. Did he do it, mother? I am sure I would have had him punished, if he had used

me so.

Mother. I must answer you, my son, in the language of Christ: you "know not what manner of spirit you are of."* This holy man knew better what was the spirit of his master. When the Lord Jesus was reviled, he reviled not again; and he patiently endured persecution, and even death itself, that we might be saved from our sins. He commands us also to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, and do good to them that treat us ill. Fulgentius followed his example. When some of his friends advised him to make a complaint, he told them

* Luke 9: 55.

it was not right for Christians to take revenge. "The Lord," said he, “knows how to defend his servants."

Samuel. O, mother, how I love such a man! How much more noble it is to return good for evil than to gratify the foolish passion of revenge. This man had a thousand times more true greatness than Alexander the Great; for he tried to be revenged on his father, because he had offended him.

Peter. But I think, one has a right to defend himself when he is abused.

Mother. I do not say but that there may be cases in which it would be right for a man to defend himself from the violence of others; but in most cases where people quarrel and fight, they do it to gratify a wicked and revengeful spirit; and I very much fear, Peter, that you are indulging the same feeling. If you were attacked in a place where you could not run, and were in danger of receiving still farther injury, it would be right for you to use just as much violence towards the person attacking you, as would be necessary to defend yourself. But, if you do it when there is no danger of receiving farther

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