Jovinian Part 12

From the tranquil valleys among which he had taken up his abode he often wrote to his friend, and received letters in return. In one of them Prudentius, giving way to despair, thus expressed his opinion: "By the unholy union which has been effected, idolatry has strangled Christianity in her baneful embrace [Note 1], and has sent forth instead a gaudily-dressed being, which, calling herself the True Faith, insists that all mankind shall fall down and wors.h.i.+p as she dictates."

"Be not in despair, my friend," answered Jovinian. "G.o.d has promised to protect His Church; and be a.s.sured that He will raise up faithful men in coming ages who will protest against all these corruptions, and the time will come when the simple Gospel will be again faithfully preached, and the practices of the apostolic age be restored even in Rome itself, where the mystery of iniquity has begun its fearful reign."

THE END.