[22] Victor Utic. saith that the Arrian Goths tormented the devoted virgins, to force them to confess that their pastors had committed fornication with them, but no torment prevailed with them, though many were killed with it, p. 407, 408. lib. 2. Terrent præceptis feralibus, ut in medio Vandalorum nostri nullatenus respirarent: neque usque quaque orandi aut immolandi concederetur gementibus locus. Nam et diversæ calumniæ non deerant quotidie, etiam illis sacerdotibus, qui in his regionibus versabantur, quæ palatio tributo pendebant. Et si forsitan quisquam, ut moris est, dura Dei populum admoneret, Pharaonem, Nabuchodonosor, Holofernem, aut aliquem similem nominasset, objiciebantur illi, quod in personam regis ita dixisset, et statim exilio tradebatur. Hoc enim tempore persecutionis genus agebatur, hic apertè, alibi occultè, ut piorum nomen talibus insidiis interiret. N. B. Victor. Uticens. p. (mihi) 382. Abundance of pastors were then banished from their churches, and many tormented, and Augustine himself died with fear, saith Victor, ib. p. 376, when he had written (saith he) two hundred and thirty-two books, besides innumerable Epistles, Homilies, Expositions on the Psalms, Evangelists, &c. [23] The word itself exciteth reason, and preachers are by reason to shame all sin as a thing unreasonable. And the want of such excitation, by powerful preaching, and plain instructing, and the persons considering, is a great cause of the world's undoing. For those preachers that lay all the blame on the people's stupidity or malignity, I desire them to read a satisfactory answer in Acosta the Jesuit, li. iv. c. 2, 3, & 4. Few souls perish, comparatively, where all the means are used which should be used by their superiors for their salvation: if every parish had holy, skilful, laborious pastors, that would publicly and privately do their part, great things might be expected in the world. But, saith Acosta, Itaque præcipua causa ad ministros parum idoneos redit. Quæ namque est prædicatio nostra? quæ fiducia? signa certè non edimus: vitæ sanctitate non eminemus; beneficentia non invitamus; verbi ac spiritus efficacia non persuademus; lachrymis ac precibus à Deo non impetramus; imo ne magnopere quidem curamus. Quæ ergo nostra querela est? quæ tanta Indorum accusatio? lib. iv. p. 365. An ingenuous confession of the Roman priesthood. And such priests can expect no better success. But having seen another sort of ministers, through God's mercy, I have seen an answerable fruit of their endeavours. [24] Even learning and honest studies may be used as a diversion from more necessary things. Saith Petrarch, in Vita Sua, Ingenio sui ad omne bonum et salubre studium apto; sed ad moralem præcipue philosophiam, et ad poeticam prono. Quam ipsam processu temporis neglexi, sacris literis delectatus, in quibus sensi dulcedinem abditam, quam aliquando contempseram; poeticis literis non nisi ad ornamentum reservatis.