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Such subjects as the above, however, are best left to the examination
and decision of individual judgment.
The Sarmatians having invaded the western parts of the empire,
Valentinian levied an army to oppose them. As soon, however, as
they heard of the number and strength of the troops raised against
them, they sent an embassy to solicit peace. When the ambassadors
were ushered into the presence of Valentinian, he asked them whether
all the Sarmatians were similar to them. On their replying that the
principal men of the nation had been selected to form the embassy, the
emperor exclaimed, in great fury, "A terrible thing do our subjects
endure, and a calamity is surrounding the Roman government, if the
Sarmatians, a barbarous race, of whom these are your best men, do
not love to abide by themselves, but are emboldened to invade my
government, and presume to make war at all against the Romans." He
spoke in this strain for some time in a very high pitch of voice, and
his rage was so violent and so unbounded, that at length he burst
simultaneously a blood vessel and an artery. He lost, in
consequence, a great quantity of blood, and expired soon after in a
fortress of Gaul. He was about fifty four years of age, and had,
during thirteen years, guided the reins of government with good results
and much distinction. Six days after his death his youngest son, who
bore the same name as himself, was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers;
and soon afterwards Valens and Gratian, his brother, formally
assented to this election, although they were at first irritated at the
soldiers having transferred the symbols of government to him without
their previous consent.
During this period Valens had fixed his residence at Antioch in
Syria, and became more hostile to those who differed from him in
opinion concerning the divine nature, and he vexed them more severely
and persecuted them. The philosopher Themistius pronounced an oration
in his presence, in which he admonished him that he ought not to wonder
at the dissension concerning ecclesiastical doctrines, for it was more
moderate and less than among the pagans, for the opinions among them
are multiform; and that, in the number of dogmas leading to perpetual
disputes, necessarily the difference about them makes more contentions
and discussions; and accordingly it might probably be pleasing to God
not to be so easily known, and to have a divergence of opinion, so
that each might fear Him the rather, since an accurate knowledge of
Him is so unattainable. And in the attempt to summarize this
vastness, one would tend to conclude how great He is and how good He
is.
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