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Now, therefore, with regard to those to whom God did not purpose to
give eternal life with His holy angels in His own celestial city, to
the society of which that true piety which does not render the service
of religion, which the Greeks call latrei?a, to any save the true
God conducts, if He had also withheld from them the terrestrial glory
of that most excellent empire, a reward would not have been rendered to
their good arts, that is, their virtues, by which they sought to
attain so great glory. For as to those who seem to do some good that
they may receive glory from men, the Lord also says, "Verily I say
unto you, they have received their reward." So also these despised
their own private affairs for the sake of the republic, and for its
treasury resisted avarice, consulted for the good of their country with
a spirit of freedom, addicted neither to what their laws pronounced to
be crime nor to lust. By all these acts, as by the true way, they
pressed forward to honors, power, and glory; they were honored among
almost all nations; they imposed the laws of their empire upon many
nations; and at this day, both in literature and history, they are
glorious among almost all nations. There is no reason why they should
complain against the justice of the supreme and true God, "they have
received their reward."
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