joyn themselves to those that are Enemies Thus the calumnies which some of the Roman Clergy spread of Tertullian as a Montanist made him in truth after imbrace that Sect. The advantages also that a man may promise to himself in a Party which he cannot hope for in a peaceable Church These and many other may move a man to herd himself in a factious Congregation and to separate from an established Church and therefore Conscience though it be generally pretended is not the only cause of Dissentions in Religion And indeed how can it otherwise be imagined of the far greatest part of Dissenters but that as the Scripture saith They are laden with diverse Insts When they trample upon so clear and frequent Commands of our Lord Jesus Christ to follow after Peace and Unity and those things that tend to Edification and stick at some thing that either is not commanded or not forbidden by God and therefore left to the Magistrates liberty or which is but obscure and doubtful When they swallow great sins as Perjuries Rebellions Falsehoods and yet strain and scruple at an indifferent Ceremony When they place so much of the essence of Religion and the Worship of God in the forbearing an indifferent Rite that they think God is prophaned by it and refuse Communion with those that so worship him When they praecipitate themselves either through Envy Passion or Design into the several Sects of dissenters without a search after the Truth and so ignorantly that they know not what it is they embrace but only that it is contrary to what they have forsaken When their Separation is attended with so many works of the flesh as bitterness evil-speaking slanders of those who disagree lies to support their way reproaches of the Government cruelty against their opposites when in their power and those bloody undertakings to destroy the lawful Magistrate How is it possible for us to think that Conscience and a fear of God is is the only Principle of those Dissenters for if that was the great rule of their actions they would walk by it in those other things wherein there is no occasion of scruple and therefore it is to be concluded that though it is possible for some good souls to be deceived yet the far greater part are first blinded and manacled by their own lusts and so are led captive by deceivers SECT 5. The Consequences and Effects of Dissentions as to Religion and the Church NOw since the Causes of Dissentions in Religion are in themselves so wicked how can we but fear that their consequences will be full of horror for what can these spawn but misery and destruction By them the truth of Christianity is dishonoured for the reason our Saviour gives of his Prayer for Unity among his Disciples was Joh. 17.21 that the world should believe that his Father had sent him i.e. that he came from God and therefore what he said was true therefore the dissentions which should happen among them would give a colour of unbelief to the world and they would be apt to conclude that God was no way the Author of that which was full of strife The Apostle tells the Corinthians that the disorders which were among them would perswade Vnbelievers to say they were mad 1 Cor. 14.23 The Contentions in the first ages of the Church were the sport of the Gentile Theaters and every unhallowed scorner made the strifes of Christians the subject of his mirth They also obstruct men in the imbracing the Faith as was shewed above and therefore Celsus upon this account did reproach the Christians as if * Origen con Cels lib. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. they envied the world the acknowledging the Truth because they no sooner encreased their number but their Dissentions were also multiplied Thus they hinder the Propagation of the Gospel and forbid those that otherwise would come into the Church They corrupt also those that are within and hinder the Growth of Grace which every member ought to promote both in himself and others for the Apostle having said of the Corinthians that they were enriched in all knowledge and so having a plentiful portion of the Spirit he might have expected to have found them Spiritual 1 Cor. 1.5 grown up to some perfection in Christ 1 Cor. 3.1 yet by reason of their divisions they were still but Babes still carnal For Divisions and Dissentions in Religion do hinder both the inward and the outward means whereby Christians may grow in Grace and in the knowledge of God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ The Inward is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that supply of the Spirit which is given to every man to profit the Church withal 1 Cor. 12.7 And it is said Ephes 4.16 that From Christ the whole body fitly joyned together and compacted by that which every joynt supplies makes the Increase of the body to the edifying of it self in love But dissentions hinder this way of supply for either they break the Continuity of the body as violent winds tear off the branches from the trunck of the tree which effect the Apostle insinuates when he calls Heresies winds of doctrine in vers 14. of the same Chapter Or else they stir up such humours of Wrath and Malice which like tough obstructions in the veins and vessels of our bodies hinder the current of blood and spirits so do these hinder that supply of spiritual nourishment that one Member should afford unto another For all those Parts and Abilities which God hath given with all that Time which might be imployed in converting men to Holiness in reconciling Souls to God in perswading men to break off their sins by Repentance are spent and wasted in Bitterness and evil speaking one of another in mutual Contradictions perverse Disputings doting about questions and Strife of words in making Proselytes to the factions rather then in turning them to God in teaching them the Principles of the party rather than instructing them in the Oracles of life Then as to the Outward means of edification which is the Assembling of Christians together for the Apostle Heb. 10.24 having admonished the Hebrews to consider one another to provoke unto love and good works presently adds as a means to this Not forsaking the assembling of our selves together the joyning in the Worship of God being the most powerful conversation which can possibly beget love and good works of one to the other This likewise is lost by factions for where there are these dissentions Altar is set up against Altar and Congregation against Congregation and in stead of Provoking to love and good works men are enraged to Malice and Destructive designs against the dissenters For that is another sad effect of these Dissentions they do imbrutish mankind make them heady high-minded fierce dispisers and contemners of others from doting about Questions and strife of words comes railing envy evilsurmises and at last they come to the
Example Profession and Munificence But alas however effectual the Examples of Kings if bad are to the licensing of Vice yet Experience shews how little though good they prevail to an Imiation of Vertue especially in a Corrupt Generation for such cannot bear even with the Virtues of Heroical Princes Besides the Slanders which the several Sects raise upon a King that dissents from them blunt all the force of his Example and draws even his noble Acts to occasions of Jealousie Moreover it is an unusual way of Governing in things of so great Concernment as Religion is only by bare examples When Corruptions are strong and high vigorous Laws only can give a check unto them Nay the first thing that Schismaticks and Hereticks are taught is to Despise Kings and cast of all reverence to Princes as those that have so much of the World that they have nothing of Christ And although the personal profession of a King may be an encouragement to the Truth yet it is no provision for the Peace for the neglected Sects will through envy encrease their animosities against the indulged party and so lay aside that reverence which is due to the Prince as a Common Father and look upon him with that indignation as is used against a professed Enemy As for the Munificence of Kings to the Religious they approve it doth more enrage the Factions Constantine's Charity to the Catholicks in Africk that communicated with Caecilianus first heated the Schismaticks to libel against him Had not the Liberality of our Ancient Kings raised Bishops above scorn and put them in such State as kept off contempt together with want they might have been as quiet now as a President of a Presbytery or a German superintendent notwithstanding their pretensions to sole power in Church affairs But now the favour of the Prince is a mark for envy and if He hath no other Guard for his peace his Goodness shall summon troublesome and envious Spirits to Mutiny and Sedition SECT 8. That a Toleration is not the way to our Peace and Settlement THus it being proved that the Magistrate is obliged and hath a rightful power to restrain Dissentions in Religion and to hinder those destructive and sad Consequences which necessarily flow from them and that he cannot attain his end either by his Example Profession or Munificence to what he judges to be truth I conceive it follows that he must use the most proper Means of all Government which are good and wise Laws and a due Execution of them when made What these Laws should be is not for private and particular persons to prescribe this was the itch in the late Confusions and did increase them but is to be left to those whose Province it is whose Advancement above the common Level gives them the best prospect of the Inconveniences and Necessities of the people whose Experience in the wayes of Conversation can suggest what is most suitable and being Ministers of God for this very thing may expect his blessing for their direction The Undertaking therefore of this discourse is not to determine the use of Power but to shew that a Toleration of Dissentions is not as is pretended in several Pamphlets the way to the peace and happiness of this Nation Because it cannot remove the Causes of our Distempers nor hinder the destructive Effects of them For if these Dissentious are as it is said the wretched causes of our want of Settlement and it can be proved that a Toleration of them will make them neither less in Number nor in their Malignity how can it be thought that we shall be any thing the better for a Toleration of them I shall therefore 1. Give some reasons in general that a Toleration will not remove Dissentions nor hinder their effects 2dly That a Toleration is not for the Interest of our Nation at this time 3dly I shall answer the reasons which are urged for it SECT 9. That a Toleration is not the way to remove our Dissentions nor to hinder their effects 1. UNless it were evident that the men who speak and write for a Toleration do plead their own Interest which commonly imposes upon the understanding we might wonder how they could ever imagine that a Toleration were the only way to wast Dissentions or make them languish as to their malignancie that we should have more Peace by permitting the Breaches of it and come to a Settlement by encouraging our Distractions If indeed it were plainly acknowledged that all these Dissentions grew from a Spirit of Contradiction then perchance a Toleration might suffer them to languish in their own fury and wast for want of Opposition and by leaving men to their own giddiness let them come to Quietness by their fall But then this may render the Condition of Princes despicable who must purchase their peace by the Prostitution of their Authority and get Obedience by giving no Commands But this Love of Contradiction although it be sufficiently implyed to go a great way to the effecting of our Dissentions since it is so common a maxime among the Dissenters that an Indifferent thing becomes unlawful by being commanded yet this is not publickly professed and therefore is not urged for a Toleration But Conscience is most pretended to be the cause of our Dissentions To take of this pretence it is not necessary and it would be tedious to discourse how vain are the Pretensions of the greatest part of Dissentions to Conscience and how difficult it is for the Dissenters to make out their Pretensions and what measure of Liberty is to be afforded to them Our subject requires no more then to show that a Toleration of Dissentions that pretend to Conscience will not abate either their Number or their Effects For the Conscience which is pretended to colour Dissentions is either Erroneous or Dubious or Scrupulous because in many Dissentions about the same thing the Consciences of one party only can be guided by true and certain Principles all the rest must be abused by Errors Doubts or Scruples Now although it lies not in the power of mortal men to keep the Consciences of others free from any of these Yet they may take of all Incouragements to Error and so make men more Diligent in the search of the Truth when it will not be safe to Deceive or be Deceived They may also restrain men from proposing their doubts and scruples to the trouble of weak Consciences the disquiet of the Church and the scandal of those who are without And for this they have the practise of the Apostle for their rule Who commands the Christians and Churches to do all that in them lay to hinder such things as did administer to Contentions as by Withdrawing from them and Rejecting them which are the expressions of Excommunication the greatest punishment the Church could inflict Thus he commands Timothy 1 Tim. 6 4 5. To withdraw himself from men that doted about Questions and strifes of words
A DISCOURSE OF Toleration In Answer to a late BOOK Intituled A DISCOURSE Of the RELIGION of ENGLAND ROM 16.17 Now I beseech you Brethren mark them which cause Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine which you have learned and avoid them LONDON Printed by E.C. for James Collins at the Kings-Head in Westminster-Hall 1668. ERRATA PAge 3. l. 1. read men p. 4. l. 25. r. succeeding p. 6. d. 12. r. extract p. 21. l. 37. r. in resisting p. 22. l. 11. r. Law l. 12. r. the Emperours l. 30. r. had marg r. vâ—ternosae p. 23. l. 11. r. that p. 32. l. 37. r. Discourser A DISCOURSE OF TOLERATION SECT 1. To form a right Judgment of Toleration it is necessary to consider the subject of it THere is so much malignity in our corrupt Nature that Detraction and envious Reflections are easily believed and we daily see one man sport at the loss of anothers Fame This corruption appears in nothing more than in the case of Magistrates to speak ill of whom is mistaken for Liberty whilst the commendation of their just actions scarce escapes the infamy of flattery or servitude Hence it is that Writings which pretend to plead the cause of a Party whose Interest is judged inconsistent with the publick have a great vogue because they do insinuate the ill management of Superiours imply their Want of Love to the Truth Ignorance of their own Concerns and Cruelty to the Innocent And such are Discourses for Toleration of Dissentions in Religion which finde acceptance with weaker Spirits because they are both prone to pitty even those that suffer justly and have too jealous a fear of those that are in power But yet to do right to our humane nature we must acknowledge that though it be corrupted yet is not the Light of it wholly extinguished nor hath it utterly lost its Notices and Inclinations to good though it may sometimes be deceived by its own passions in the pursuit of it so that when any thing is discovered to be ill in its nature the product of some infamous causes and attended with consequences of raine then reason will prevail unless some base lust hath wholly debauched the Soul and vindicate it self from the impostures of a mistaken interest And however men may be kinde to a Toleration when it is considered barely as a bearing with Dissenters moderating the Rigors of those whose fortune and power tempts them to an insolency as it is a pity due to the Infirmities of mankinde which is subject to erre and hath a semblance to the Meekness of Christianity yet when they consider the subject of it which are Dissentions in Religion whose prime causes are for the most part hateful and the consequences terrible they will boggle at it as being that which will quite enervate Religion and also shake if not overthrow all Societies To form therefore a right Judgment of Toleration we must first consider the Nature Causes and Events of the Subject of it SECT 2. The Nature of Dissentions in Religion WHat Dissentions of Religion are in their nature is best known by reflecting upon the wayes and means which Christ hath appointed for the maintenance and continuance of Religion in the World Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ having purchased a great Salvation for Mankinde and made known the means of obtaining what he had acquired that this knowledge might be propagated through all Ages to those that were capable of his benefits did establish a Society which should be conservers of these truths into which all those that did believe what he had done and said and would submit to those conditions he required upon the solemn profession thereof by Baptism were to be admitted without any distinction of State Sex or Nation And this is his Church That this Society might perform its Office and be preserved to this great end Unity of the Members among themselves was more necessary for it then for any other Community because it was for greater and more glorious ends than ever any Society of man was established for and without unity it could not possibly attain these ends For if those who pretended to shew men the way of Life did disagree among themselves were divided into several factions mutually abhorring each others Communion and condemning each others for false or defective Churches how could those who were without believe the truths which all pretended unto and yet every one did mutually deny to be found in another since these truths not like those which Philosophers pretended unto that were but the Collections of mens Observation and Conclusions of Discourse were all asserted as such which had been revealed by the most Wise and Faithful God and were the manifestations of the pleasure of his Will wherein was no place left to humane invention every pretender contending that what he delivered was spoken at first by the Lord Heb. 2.3 and confirmed to following ages by those that heard him Besides those who some way or other had convictions of the truth of Jesus and desired to be more fully instructed in that way and to do those duties which Christ commanded one Christian to do with another these I say must be much distracted being yet Babes and Novices in Christ and so supposed not able to determine by reason of all those controversies of the different parties with whom they might joyn themselves unto the Lord so that without this Unity the Church cannot perform those great ends for which it was instituted by our Saviour Therefore to preserve this Unity Christ hath done all those things which he thought necessary for it He poured out prayers to his Father That all those that believed on him might be one Joh. 17.21 23. and be made perfect in one He hath ordered that the Supplies of his Spirit should be administred by their holding of him their Head and by being fitly joyned and compacted together Eph. 4.16 1 Cor. 12.12 He hath so dispensed the gifts of his Spirit in that way and measure that the Members of his Body might have the same dependance the same benefits as one member of a natural Body hath fâ—om another and so conserve so strict an Unity as may entitle the Church to the Honour of his Name and be called Christ He commands them to maintain their Unity by a constant and frequent Communion of his Sacraments 1 Cor. 10.16 17. What weight hath he put upon his command of Love the principle of Unity and there is no duty more pressed by him and his Apostles than those of Unity and Peace Yea all those Precepts of Long-suffering Gentleness Goodness Meekness Patience are in order to this great end of Unity among the Professors of his Doctrine Thus the necessity of Unity and methods by Christ appointed for its preservation must needs argue Dissentions which are destructive of it to be of a nature hateful to every soul that hath a true sense of Christianity SECT 3.
severest Cruelties for such have been practiced by the Arians Donatists Circumcelliones and Papists c. And how unfit are such souls for an habitation of God through the Spirit How uncapable do they become of the Image of the Lamb who was lowly and meek and whose voyce was not heard in the streets These are the mischiefs they do to Religion the injuries they bring upon the Church but they stay not here SECT 6. The Consequences of Dissentions as to the Civil State FOr they vex the State also which being Christian cannot be safe while the Church is in a Tempest The mutual contendings of the divided Parties disturb the Publick Peace distract the People with fears how far the malice of the more prevalent will reach and the several vicissitudes of Success on the different sides hinder the common Settlement and represent new terrors In Ecclesiastical Histories we often find the great Cities of the World in flames kindled by Dissentions in Religion the Streets running with blood Churches broke open to let in some new Intruder and Armies called to succour the Community and stint the rage of the contending Sects and the Gentiles though unconcerned which part had Truth yet felt themselves involved in the Contentions of both But the mischiefs they bring upon a State are most evident in those Injuries they do to Princes and Magistrates who cannot be distressed with Difficulties but the whole Community under them must have sensible Miseries Dissentions are injurious to them as they take away that mutual Confidence which ought to be betwixt all the members of the State and more especially betwixt the Prince and People without which confidence a Nation can never do any great thing men do not easily and willingly trust those whom they do not think faithful to God and so every Schismatick looks upon his Prince that doth not profess the same Opinions with himself Hence comes it to pass that he is obstructed to any great design Constantine complained that he could not wage his War against Persia when the Heresie of Arius did so perplex his Empire For he might justly have seared that other effect of Dissentions which is that they give Occasion to some Ambitious Spirit to gain the Affections of the more sleighted Sect and so fit himself with a Party to endeavour at Tyranny for pretending their Protection and defence of their Cause he might drive on his own designs for a greatness not due to him Besides Dissenters in Religion are fit Instruments for an Invading Enemy to weaken the force of a Nation by pretending Kindness to the discontented Sects who easily are cheated to think Changes will prove Remedies and vainly hope for those favours from a Foreigner which they dispair of under their Lawful King Nay sometimes the discountenanced Dissenters raise an Ambition where they found none for it is usual with them to give immoderate praises to all of their side especially to any Great man whom they have chanced to deceive and so by swelling him to a Pride flatter him to attempts at Power that he may vindicate them from their imaginary Oppressions SECT 7. What the Magistrate should do as to Dissentions THus having seen the Nature Causes and Effects of Dissentions in Religion that they are directly contrary to the Interest of the Gospel that they are derived from Lusts and Corruptions and at best they are the Infirmities of men which first give them a being and afterwards nourish them that their Effects are as base as their Causes and also pregnant with misery both to Church and State We may now proceed to form a judgement of Toleration First I conceive all will grant that Every man in his Place and Order is bound to remove all such things as are so dishonourable to Religion obstructive to true Piety and pernicious to Church and State for his Obligations to his own Profession his Interest to provide for his own Peace and Safety and his Love to his Countrey require no less from him and indeed this every Sect doth practice and indeavour for while they labour to draw all to their own party they plainly declare they would have no dissentions Then it follows that Magistrates Kings and Princes and all concerned in the Legislative and Juridical power of their own People are likewise obliged to the same endeavour For must Kings fit still and be the idle spectators of injuries daily acted against the Religion they profess be quiet in their own Dishonour and their peoples Misery and must they patiently see their Cities and Communities rendred more unsafe than a Wilderness and more unquiet then herds of Beasts shall not a Prince labour to prevent the contempt of Religion binde up the wounds of his divided State stop the avenues to all ambitious Usurpation but this cannot be done unless it be his Power and Right either to prevent these Dissentions as much as he can or restrain and remove them if they do arise And were it not Lawful for Christian Princes to do so their condition must be far worse by becoming Christians than when they were strangers to the Faith and they would be losers as to their temporal Rights by falling down before Jesus Christ which is contrary to the will of our Saviour who hath commanded his followers to give them all their Dues their Fear and Honour nay no man either loses or gains any temporal Right by embracing the Faith and therefore we are not to think that when our Lord would have Kings and all that are in Authority come to the knowledge of the truth that they might be saved that he intended they should forfeit their just rights and part with that Power that should keep their People in a due Subjection For by the Law of Nature Princes have power to use all just means to keep their people in peace and to be Ministers for their good But if becoming Christians they may not use their power to restrain dissentions in Religion it is not possible for them to secure the peace and preserve the weaker from the more strong and violent nay nor guard their own just Rights from those who will attempt at Tyranny How also can the promise of God be accomplished by which he assures the Church Isa 49.23 That Kings shall be her nursing Fathers and Queens her nursing Mothers If those who have the supream Dominion cannot preserve it from the greatest Pests that she is obnoxious unto and defend her from those things which will at last bring a Famine of the Word by which she lives And how can the Christians hope for that end of their Prayers that Kings should acknowledge the truth since if they have no power to restrain Schisms they cannot secure them in a quiet and peaceable life It is said by those who are afraid that Princes who differ from them should concern themselves in the care of Religion that the Magistrate may do his Office towards the propagation of Piety by his own
and those men of corrupt minds who were given to perverse Disputings He commands Titus To avoid foolish Questions and contentions Tit. 3.9 10. and strivings about the Law for they are unprofitable and vain and to reject a man that is an Heretick He commands the Church of the Romans to receive the weak in faith Rom. 14.1 but not to doubtful Disputations and yet the things which were among them disputed seem to be of greater moment pretended as much to Conscience as the Dissentions among us do and he gives this rule to every Christian how he ought to manage his differing opinions of things in which the Kingdom of God is not Hast thou faith Ib. ver 22. have it to thy self before God a man was not to publish his opinions however perswaded in his Conscience to the hinderance of Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost all which Dissentions doe certainly hinder This was the Apostolical course to remove Dissentions that pretend to Conscience which if they be tolerated must needs increase for the Itch of disputing Opiniastrete desire of victory and applause and the encrease of Congregations which are Infirmities that stick close to the flesh even of Conscientious men will maintain if not multiply the Dissentions And if they are maintained What security can there be to the Church and State that their effects will not be as violent and destructive For it is a vain speculation to think that men who differ upon Principles of Conscience will not by the some Conscience be prevailed upon to endeavour the Propagation and enlargement of their way and if they do so it must be with the depression of others who equally contend for the same with them and then whatsoever Ambition Anger or Revenge can find as means for it shall be sure to put in practise on both sides But if Dissentions as hath been proved have for the most part no other Original than Lusts both in the Authors and Followers Can we hope that Carnal desires will grow modest by being Tolerated and languish under a Permission That men will then certainly grow good when they may without fear of the Magistrate be evil And that then they will learn peace when they have an Indemnity for being contentions and quarrelsome Lusts are hardly retrench'd even by severe Laws but they will certainly grow wanton and be more cursedly fertile in all their wicked effects when a Law licenses them SECT 10. Instances of Dissentions increased by a Toleration THus therefore whatsoever the Causes of Dissentions are it is plain that a Toleration of them neither lessens nor softens them but this being to be a matter of Fact the best judgment we can form of a thing that is to come is to consider how the same thing was in times past and if we consider the Instances of a Toleration in former Ages we shall soon perceive what we are like to hope for from it if now it should be put in practice The first Instance shall be that Toleration of Julian the Apostate who though at the beginning of his Usurpation to delude the Christians to an acquiescence under his Empire he did profess Christianity and observed their Solemnities yet when Constantius was dead then he openly applyed himself to set up the Idolatry of the Gentiles And that he might do this with ease and without fear of the Christians by his Edicts he gave a publick liberty to all and every Sâ—ct of the Galilaeans for so he called the Christians To what purpose Ammianus Marcellinus who was one of his Courtiers and Officers and of his own Religion tells us for he saith * Am. lib 22. Dissidentes Christianorum antistites cum plebe discissa in palatium intromissos monebat ut civilibus discordiis consopitis quisque nullo vetante Religioni suae Serviret intrepidus Quod agebat ideo obstinatè ut dissensiones augente licentiâ non timeret unanimantem postea plebâ—m nullas infestas hominibus bestias ut sunt sibi serales plerique Christianorum expertus He did this with so much the more Industry that Toleration and Licence increasing their Dissentions he need not for the time to come fear that People would agree together he having had experience that no Beasts are more savage to men than most of the Dissenting Christians are to one another How far he attained his end the murder of Georgius the Arrian at Alexandria the Tumults about Athanasius and the suffering of the Orthodox there the Insolencies of the Donatists in Africk the commotions at Antioch and the frequent Apostacies are sufficient Evidences of the mischiefs of his Toleration yet he when he gave it pretended Kindness and Peace for he admonished them to lay aside their Civil Discords and that every one without fear or contradiction from any should observe his own Religion It is no great credit for Toleration that this man's practise is proposed for a pattern by the Author of a Proposition for Peace and Happiness Page 15. who to abuse the Age to an inclination of Imitating him calls him Wise and Brave though with an allay of Cursed and Apostate Which is no great wonder since every Sect commends those of their own Judgment and it appears that that Author is not acquainted with the History of that Usurper for if he had he must have censured him for a vain and light-headed person and must have known that the Toleration he granted and not his Contempt of Christians did them the greatest mischief Another Instance is that of the Donatists the Authors of which were before spoken of This Schism began at the Conclusion of Diocletian's Persecution about the year of our Lord 306. For the space of six years after they imployed all their arts to root themselves by spreading abroad Calumnies of Caecilianus in all the Churches of Africk and by confirming in frequent Synods their Sentences against him and all that did adhere unto him But when Constantine began to shew his greater care of Christianity and granting several Priviledges to the several Churches did likewise among the rest take care of the African and commanded Anulinus the Pro-Consul that he should exempt the Clergie of the Catholick Church there of which Caecilianus had the care from all Publick and Civil burdens or Services and had also in his own Letters to Caecilianus commended unto him the dispensing of his Charity to the poor of Africk this honour done to him enraged the envy of the Schismaticks They thereupon exhibit to Anulinus a Book of Articles against Caecilianus which they desired might be transmitted to Constantine and not content with that send some of theirs to prosecute the charge This being matter of great trouble to that good Emperour he refers the cause to several Bishops and afterwards calls a Council at Arles in all which the Donatists were condemned and Caecilianus quitted This Judgment so far provoked them that they sleight the Sentences of the Referrees and