false, which they say of our Christ, that He is Rome’s destroyer, and that the gods of wood and stone were her defenders? Add what is more costly, “gods of brass.” Add what is costlier still, “of silver and gold:” the “idols of the nations are silver and gold.”3376 He did not say, “stone;” he did not say, “wood;” he did not say, “clay;” but, what they value highly, “silver and gold.” Yet these silver and golden idols “have eyes, and see not.”3377 The gods of gold, of wood, are as regards their costliness unequal; but as to “having eyes, and seeing not,” they are equal. See to what sort of guardians learned men have entrusted Rome, to those “who have eyes, and see not.” Or if they were able to preserve Rome, why did they first perish themselves? They say; “Rome perished at the same time.” Nevertheless they perished. “No,” they say, “they did not perish themselves, but their statues.” Well, how then could they keep your houses, who were not able to keep their own statues? Alexandria once lost such gods as these. Constantinople some time since, ever since it was made a grand city, for it was made so by a Christian Emperor, lost its false gods; and yet it has increased, and still increases, and remains. And remain it will, as long as God pleases. For we do not to this city either promise an eternal duration because we say this. Carthage remains now in its possession of the Name of Christ, yet once on a time its goddess Cælestis3378 was overthrown; because celestial she was not, but terrestrial. 13. And that which they say is not true, that immediately on losing her gods Rome has been taken3379 and ruined. It is not true at all; their images were overthrown before; and even so were the Goths with Rhadagaisus3380 conquered. Remember, my Brethren, remem- ber; it is no long time since, but a few years, call it to mind. When all the images in the city of Rome had been overthrown, Rhadagaisus king of the Goths came with a large army, much more numerous than that of Alaric was. Rhadagaisus was a Pagan; he sacrificed to Jupiter every day. Everywhere it was announced, that Rhadagaisus did not cease from sacrificing. Then said they all, “Lo, we do not sacrifice, he does sacrifice, we, who are not allowed to sacrifice must be conquered by him who does sacrifice.” But God making proof that not even temporal deliverance, nor the preservation of these earthly kingdoms, consist in these sacrifices, Rhadagaisus, by the Lord’s help, was marvellously overcome. Afterwards came other Goths who did not sacrifice, they came, who though they were not Catholics in the 3376 Ps. cxv. 4. 3377 Ps. cxv. 5. 3378 Tutelary goddess of Carthage. De Civit. Dei, ii. 4 and 26; Ps. 62, § 7, 98, § 14. Tert. Apol. i. 12, 24. 3379 By Alaric, Gibbon, vol. 4, 109, etc. 3380 King of the Goths, who invaded Italy, A.D. 406, four years before the taking of Rome by Alaric, 410, Gibbon, Rom. Emp. vol. 4, 31–38. 905 On the words of the Gospel, Luke xi. 5, ‘Which of you shall have a friend,…