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Year after the apostles.

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CHAP. III. I was young, took notice that my master, who was one of the most superstitious men that ever lived, 'did much admire my mother. For as he asked 'some that were about him who I was, and one 'made answer that I was a widow-woman's son; he ' asked me, how old my mother was, and how long she had been a widow. And when I told him that she was forty years old, and that it was twenty years since she buried my father; he was much 'affected at it, and speaking aloud to those that were present, " Strange," says he, "what brave women there are among the Christians!""

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Some chronologers find it more agreeable with the computation of time to suppose that it was not full twenty, but eighteen; which by a round number he here calls twenty. But it is much one to this purpose.

But as

The saying of Libanius seems to suppose that Anthusa had been a Christian now for a considerable time, or at least that he took it so. he knew nothing of her concerns till that moment; her professing of Christianity at that time was enough to make him say what he did, without making any inquiry how long she had been of that profession.

Some readers also will be apt to conclude, that Chrysostom had been at that time but a little while a hearer of Libanius, (from whence it would follow probably that Anthusa was a Christian when she first sent her son to this school,) because Libanius did not at this time know who he was. But the nature of those auditories or lectures was, that one from one part of the city, and another from another, came on the weekly lecture days to hear, and sent

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their contributions: so that a lad or a man might CHAP. III. be a hearer for a long time before the master had year after any personal knowledge of him. The word [school] the a being otherwise used in our time, might be apt to make this mistake. But it is to be taken in the ancient sense, as in Acts xix. 9. The school of Tyrannus was not a college of lads under his care, but a place of public lectures that he kept.

III. There is, on the contrary, reason to think that she was not a Christian when she consented that her son should hear this master, who was a spiteful enemy to the Christian religion. And as this is probable of itself, so it is made more than probable, that not only she, but her son himself also, was a heathen when he came first to hear him, by what Sozomen affirms, viz. that On a time when Libanius was like to die, some of his friends asked him who he thought fit should be his successor? And he answered, “John" (meaning this John, who came afterward to be called Chrysostom)

should have been the man, if the Christians had not stole him away from us." The word is èrantai, · robbed us of him: which argues that he was a heathen before.

IV. Mr. Du Pin, in the notes he gives upon what he had said of Chrysostom, says, that some writers make his parents to be heathens; but that he himself, in the first sermon against the • "Arónovou, says, that "he was bred up and nourished • in the church;" and that it appears out of his first • book de Sacerdotio, c. 1. that his mother was a - Christian when his father died, which was quickly after she was delivered of him."

1 Hist. lib. viii. c. 2. * Nouvelle Biblioth. tom.iii in Chrysost.

CHAP.IIL

Having a great regard to every thing that this Year after excellent author says, I read over on purpose both

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those tracts. And in the sermon found nothing that
seemed to relate any thing at all to this matter; so
that I believe there must be some mistake. Also in
the first chapter of the book cited, there is nothing
at all of the matter. That which I guess the most
probable to be meant, is chap. ii. where Chrysostom's
mother, earnestly entreating him not to leave her,
recounts to him the great troubles she had under-
gone about his estate and education in her widowhood;
and yet that she had kept herself a widow, and had
gone through the brunt of all these fatigues; In
the first place,' says she, being assisted by the
help [or influence] that is from above, vπò TÊS
• ἄνωθεν βοηθουμένη ῥοπῆς· and then also the com-
fort which I had by the continual sight and com-
pany of you, my son, did not a little contribute
' to it.'

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But here is nothing but what might be properly said by a Christian woman in reference to those times in which she had been a heathen: since God almighty employs his providence in relieving the necessities not only of Christians, but of all men and other creatures that know him not. She does not mention in all that long speech any praying to God, or use of his word, that she had made in those days; which to me is a greater proof that she was not at that time a Christian, than the foresaid words are that she was.

At least here is nothing that can nigh countervail the argument from the foresaid words of Libanius concerning this John's heathen profession

at first, rehearsed by Sozomen.

And Sozomen is a

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ang lived part of his CHAP.111.

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CHAP.III. that all parties agreed on a sudden to pitch upon Year after him for bishop m. He opposed it what he could: but they sent to the emperor for his consent, be274- cause he was at that time the emperor's minister. And he said, He was very glad that the men he

the apostles.

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chose for governors were so well liked by the 'people, that they would choose the same for bishops.' So he gave his consent, but yet he would not determine the choice, as being a thing out of his sphere. He ordered the bishops then present in or about the city to direct the choice of the people, who continued resolute for Ambrose. But Ambrose was not as yet baptized. He received baptism at the hands of Simplicianus ", and within eight days was ordained bishop.

II. Our business being to inquire why he was not baptized in infancy; the antipædobaptists would have it that he was born of Christian parents: and some of them stick not to say, that Paulinus in his life says he was. But Paulinus does not say so. What he says of his father is this, that he was a nobleman of Rome, and governor of Gallia. But he was the less likely to be a Christian for that: 233. the senate and great men of Rome being the last body of men in the empire that came over to the 291. Christian faith. Insomuch that a Insomuch that a long time after this, when St. Ambrose was an old man, Valentinian the second had much ado to withstand the attempt made by the senate to bring again into fashion the heathen worship. So says St. Ambrose

m Paulinus in vita. [Ambrosii, apud Op. tom. ii. Append. edit. Benedict.] Rufinus, Hist. Eccl. lib. ii. c. 11. Socr. lib. iv. c. 30. Sozomen. [lib. vi. c. 24.] Theodoret. lib. iv. c. 6.

n Augustin. Confess. lib. viii. c. 2.

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