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 OF THE EOMAN EMPIRE 213 Stephen or of Martin.^^ The confidence of then- petitioners was founded on the persuasion that the saints, who reigned with Christ, cast an eye of pity upon earth ; that they were warmly interested in the prosperity of the Cathohc church ; and that the individuals, who imitated the example of their faith and piety, were the peculiar and favourite objects of their most tender regard. Sometimes, indeed, their friendship might be influenced by considerations of a less exalted kind : they viewed, with partial affection, the places which had been consecrated by their birth, their residence, their death, their burial, or the possession of their relics. The meaner passions of pride, avarice, and revenge may be deemed unworthy of a celestial breast ; yet the saints themselves condescended to testify their grateful approbation of the liberality of their votaries ; and the sharpest bolts of punishment were hurled against those impious wretches who violated their magnificent shrines or disbelieved their supernatural power.^*^ Ati-ocious, indeed, must have been the guilt, and strange would have been the scepticism, of those men, if they had obstinately resisted the proofs of a divine agency which the elements, the Avhole range of the animal creation, and even the subtle and invisible operations of the human mind were compelled to obey.^^ The immediate, and almost instantaneous, effects, that were supposed to follow the prayer or the offence, satisfied the Christians of the ample measure of favour and authority which the saints enjoyed in the presence of the Supreme God ; and it seemed almost superfluous to inquire whether they were continually obliged to intercede before the throne of grace, or whether they might not be per- mitted to exercise, according to the dictates of their benevolence and justice, the delegated powers of their subordinate ministry. The imagination, which had been raised by a painful effort to the contemplation and worship of the Universal Cause, eagerly 89 Vigilantius placed the souls of the prophets and martyrs either in the bosom of Abraham (in loco refrigerii) or else under the altar of God. Nee posse suis tumulis et ubi voluerunt adesse prsesentes. But Jerom (torn. ii. p. 122) sternly refutes this blasphemy. Tu Deo leges pones? Tu apostolis vincula injicies, ut usque ad diemjudicii teneantur custodia, nee sint cum Domino suo; de quibus scriptum est, Sequuntur Agnum quocunque vadit. Si Agnus ubique, ergo, et hi, qui cum Agno sunt, ubique esse credendi sunt. Et cum diabolus et dasmones toto vagentur in orbe, &c. i"* Fleury, Discours sur I'Hist. Eccl^siastique, iii. p. 80. 'Ji At Minorca, the relics of St. Stephen converted, in eight days, 540 Jews, with the help, indeed, of some severities, such as burning the synagogue, driving the obstinate infidels to starve among the rocks, &c. See the original letter of Severus, bishop of Minorca (ad calcem St. Augustin. de Civ. Dei), and the judicious remarks of Basnage (tom. viii. p. 245-251).