506 THE OCTAVIUS OF nothing that they themselvesworshipped the one God with altarsand temples,with the greatestsuperstition.Yon are guiltyof ignorance if you are recallinglaterevents while you are forgetfulor unconsciousof former ones. For they themselvesalso,as long as they worshipped our God — and He is the same God of all— with chastity,innocency,and religion,as long as they obeyed His wholesome precepts,from a few became innumerable, from poor became rich,from beingservantsbecame kings; a few overwhelmed many ; un armed men overwhelmed armed ones as they fledfrom them, followingthem up by God's command, and with the elements strivingon theirbehalf. Carefully read over theirScrip tures,or if you are betterpleasedwith the Roman writings, inquire concerning the Jews in the books (to say nothing of ancient documents) of Flavius Josephus or Antoninus Julianus,and you shallknow that by theirwickedness they deservedthisfortune,and thatnothing happened which had not before been predictedto them, if they shouldpersevere in theirobstinacy. Thereforeyou willunderstandthat they forsookbefore they were forsaken,and that they were not, as you impiouslysay,taken captivewith theirGod, but they were given up by God as desertersfrom His discipline. CHAPTER XXXIV. Argument. — Moreover,it is notat allto be wondered at if thisworld be at lengthtobe consumed by fire,sinceevery thingwhich has a beginninghas alsoan end. And the ancientphilosophersare notaversefrom theopinionof the probableburningup of the world. Yetitis evidentthat God having made man from nothing,can raisehim up from death into life. And allnature suggestsa future resurrection. u Further, in respectof the burning up of the world,itis a vulgarerrornot to believeeitherthatfirewillfallupon it in an unforeseenway, or that the world willbe destroyed