ce the creation, has indulged to his enemies all those
shining qualities which the world esteems, and on which it frequently
bestows the highest eulogiums; while, on the contrary, he often refuses
them to his most faithful servants, whom he endues with talents of an
infinitely superior nature, though men neither know their value, nor are
desirous of them. "Happy is that people that is in such a case: Yea, happy
is that people, whose God is the Lord."(36)

I shall conclude this first part of my preface with a reflection which
results naturally from what has been said. Since it is certain, that all
these great men, who are so much boasted of in profane history, were so
unhappy as not to know the true God, and to displease him; we should
therefore be cautious and circumspect in the praises which we bestow upon
them. St. Austin, in his _Retractions_, repents his having lavished so
many encomiums on Plato, and the followers of his philosophy; "because
these," says he, "were impious men, whose doctrine, in many points, was
contrary to that of Jesus Christ."(37)

However, we are not to imagine, that St. Austin supposes it to be unlawful
for us to admire and praise whatever is either beautiful in the actions,
or true in the maxims, of the heathens. He only advises us to correct
whatever is erroneous, and to approve whatever is conformable to rectitude
and justice in them.(38) He applauds the Romans on many occasions, and
particularly in his books _De Civitate Dei_,(39) which is one of the last
and finest of his works. He there shows, that the Almighty raised them to
be victorious over nations, and sovereigns of a great part of the earth,
because of the gentleness and equity of their government (alluding to the
happy ages of the Republic); thus bestowing on virtues, that were merely
human, rewards of the same kind, with which that people, blind on this
subject, though so enlightened on others, were so unhappy as to content
themselves. St. Austin, therefore, does not condemn the encomiums which
are bestowed on the heathens, but only the excess of them.

Students ought to take care, and especially we, who by the duties of our
profession are obliged to be perpetually conversant with heathen authors,
not to enter too far into the spirit of them; not to imbibe, unperceived,
their sentiments, by lavishing too great applauses on their heroes; nor to
give into excesses which the heathens indeed did not consider as such,
because they we