their Synods and Confederacies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quaest ex Mat. lib. un cap. 12. Tom. 4. p. 366 367. but he forbids us to kill and cut them off Truth it self Answers to them saith St. Austin non esse tales auferendos de hac vita that such Men are not to be taken out of the World least whilst Men endeavour to kill the bad they also kill the good or such as perhaps would be such 2. They declared this practice was contrary to the true Religion and to the Judgment of the Doctors of the Catholick Church For our Religion saith Lactantius is to be defended L. 5. c. 20. non occidendo sed moriendo non saevitiâ sed patientiâ not by killing others but by dying for it so good men do defend it but wicked Men by Cruelty and Murther Apud Athanas Tom. 1. p. 724. The Synod of Alexandria declares That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bands and Slaughters were things alien from their Church Contra Crescon l. 3. cap. 50. When Cresconius had objected to the Orthodox that they were instrumental to procure the Death of the Three Donatists St. Austin answers That nullis tamen bonis in Ecclesiâ Catholicâ hoc placet si usque ad mortem in quenquam licet Haereticum saeviatur No good Man in the Catholick Church allowed of the punishment of Hereticks with Death haec omnia displicent nobis all these things displease us De fide oper cap. 4. we judge them not laudable but damnable And again They who being blinded with this Error endeavour before the time to separate the Tares ipsi potiùs a Christi unitate separantur are themselves rather separated from the unity of the Church He hath Four several Epistles writ to the Magistrates or Ministers of Justice on this Subject Ep. 107 158 159 160. Ep. 127 158 160. in which he earnestly requests ne occidantur that they might not be killed that the Sword of Justice might not spill their Blood beseeching them for the Name and for the Mercy of Christ Jesus ut hoc nec faciant nec sieri omnino permittant that they would neither do this thing nor permit it to be done by others Ep. 127. and telling them the Orthodox had rather die themselves than bring them to their Judicatories to be killed And this he doth intreat with so great importunity Ibib. 1. Because of the command of Christ which did oblige them to love their Enemies Ep. 158 159. 2. Because it was suitable to that meekness which Christianity required them to make known to all 3. Ep. 158 160. Ep. 127. Because it was against their Conscience to allow of such proceedings against Hereticks 4. Because this harsh proceeding would deterr the Catholicks from seeking the protection of the Magistrate against Hereticks 5. Because the Person who inflicts and the Church who permits these Punishments to be inflicted would both have cause to fear the Judgment of God for this Cruelty quod enim tu facis Ep. 160. Ep. 50. p. 220. Ecclesia facit propter quam facis cujus silius facis for what the Magistrate who was a Son of the Church did for her Sake that the Church did And this he tells us was the Judgment of a whole Council of his Brethren 3. This say they is alien from Catholicks and proper unto Hereticks and Heathens The Synod of Alexandria consisting of the Bishops of Aegypt Thebes Lybia and Pentapolis lament the practice of the Arians Apud Athanas Apol. ad Imperat p. 723. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who in their Epistle to the Emperors stirred them up to kill and inflict death on Athanasius and others For say they we conceive the Conscience of you Christians see that these things are not the works of the meanest Christians much less of them who seem to be Bishops and to teach others what is just We must fight against them saith Nazianzen with Reasons not with Arms Orat. 3. pro pace p. 220 221. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to lift up our Hands against them is wholly contrary to our Profession and must be left to them that hate us 4. When this was done by Instigation of any of the Clergy the Orthodox not only did condemn it but refused Communion with them that moved the Magistrate to do it Thus when Idacius and Ithacius two Bishops Sulpit. Hist 1. 2. §. 64. moved Maximus the Emperor to this severity against the Priscillians St. Martin not only reproved Ithacius but intreated Maximus ut sanguine infoelicium abstineret to abstain from their Blood and obtained a Promise from him nihil cruentum in reos constituendum that nothing Bloody should be decreed against them though afterwards saith Sulpitius this was done pessimo exemplo Dial. 3. §. 15. by a most vile Example The same Sulpitius informs us That this good Man was piously sollicitous to preserve the Hereticks from Death that for accomplishing this Work having for a while consented to hold Communion with Ithacius and his Party he afterwards was troubled at it and was by an Angel admonished that he had just Cause to be so and that he should reassume his Constancy ne jam non periculum gloriae sed salutis incurreret least he incurred the loss not only of his Honour but Salvation and that from that time he never would Communicate with the Ithacian Party 1 Baron ad A. 386. §. 27. Pope Syricius also and St. 2 Ep. 27. Ambrose refused Communion with them and the 3 Concil Taurin cap. 5. French Bishops refused Communion with Foelix as being made a Bishop by them 4 Bin. Not. in Concil Trevir A. D. 386. Theognostus also and other Bishops of the Catholick Communion did excommunicate Ithacius and his Companions on this account as sanguinary bloody and unworthy of the Priesthood And yet after so many 1 Concil Lat. 3um cap. 27. 4tum can 3. Constan Sess 45. Senon c. 2 3. Decrees of General Councils for the Extirpation of Hereticks the calling in of the Secular Arm against them and the animating of Princes and their Subjects 2 Concil Lat. 3. c. 27. 4tum Conc. Tom. 11. p. 149. Senon Tom. 12. p 368 369. app ad Con. Basil apud Bin. Tom. 8. p 200. p 267. to make War against them under the Banner of the Cross after Examples of burning Hereticks by their Authority and Instigation during their sitting after so many Constitutions of 3 Concil Tom. 11. p. 619 621. p. 423. part 2. p. 2101. Decretal l. 5. Tit. 7. c. 13. Kings and Emperors confirmed by so many Popes to take them away by a damnable Death after so many Inquisitions set up for the destruction of them after so many Thousands of them burnt in Roman Catholick Dominions by virtue of the Sentence past upon them in Ecclesiastical Courts after so many great Massacres of them by Men of that Communion without
Paul 's Expression by commending themselves and their Doctrine to the Consciences of all Men. To shew the Prevalence of Men of Reputation in Matters of this Nature If as the Romanists do generally confess the Doctrine of the Millennium obtained almost generally in the Church from the Relation of one Papias a Man of very slender Intellectuals If as Eusebius informs us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eccl. Hist l. 3. c. 39. most of the Churchmen embraced that Sentiment by his Authority pleading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the great Antiquity of the Man If one Agrippinus as they also tell us could prevail over all Africa to receive Hereticks by Baptism If Origen could deserve to be condemned in the Fifth and the Sixth Synods as an Heretick and yet whilst he lived Hieron in Verbo Origenes Socrat Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 26. Hieron Prolog in l. 2. com in Micham Pamphil. Apol. Orig. praefat in libr. nom Hebr. T. 3. f. 12. could by his Learning and his Piety prevail to be had summo in honore in the highest Reputation to obtain after his Death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great Glory throughout all the Christian World insomuch that he was very grateful cunctis prudentibus to all wise Men and did for many Years obtain the Title of Magister Ecclesiae The Master or Teacher of the Church If the Authority of Jerom could prevail to have his Translation of the Old Testament received against the Judgment of the Universal Church If one St. Austin could introduce into the Church the Belief of the Ascension of the Blessed Virgin though none of the Fathers who had as good Opportunity to know and as much Reason to believe it spake one Tittle of it I say if all these things are so how can it be conceived a thing incredible That Popes Patriarchs and Councils and other Persons of great Authority and Vogue in their respective Ages should have had like Influence to introduce new Doctrines and Practices into the Church under pretence of Piety or the Authority of Scriptures or the Holy Fathers or some like plausible Account Theodor. Lector l. 2. p 566. Niceph. Hist Eccl. l. 15. c. 18. Why might not Petrus Gnaphaeus Patriarch of Antioch bring Invocation of Saints into the Prayers of the Church in the Fifth Century Pope Gregory introduce Purgatory in the Sixth Boniface the Third Paulus Diac. de Gest Longobard l. 4. c. 11. obtain from Phocas the Title of Caput omnium Ecclesiarum The Head of the Universal Church in the Seventh The Second Nicene Council introduce Image-Worship in the Eighth Paschasius give Rise to Transubstantiation in the Ninth Lombard and Hugo de S to Victore fix the Number of Seven Sacraments in the Twelfth And Pope Hadrian the Third introduce the Adoration of the Host in the Thirteenth Century Again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Socr. Hist Eccl. l. 1. c. 12. Soz. H. Eccl. l. 1. c. 23. If one Paphnutius could by his Reason and Authority prevail with the First Nicene Council to rescind their intended Decree touching the Celibacy of Priests If Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople could abolish the Custom of repairing to an established Penitentiary for the disclosing secret Sins and that with the ensuing Approbation of almost all the Catholick Bishops of the Church In a Word if so many Practices and Customs relating to the Discipline and to the Sacraments of the Church could be entirely altered and rejected in the following Ages as is here partly proved and by the Learned on both sides confessed why might not other Practices and Doctrines which obtained in the more pure and early Ages of the Church run the same Fate and by the same Authority and Methods be discarded For as it is judiciously observed by the Lord Faulkland when the Reasons offered for or against a Practice have in them some Appearance of Truth or Probability as they may have to many Persons though they be not valid when the Persons Authorizing or Approving them are of great Authority or Credit in the Church as they may be especially in darker Ages and yet be subject to great Errors and when the People upon whom these Doctrines or Practices are pressed have either a great Veneration and Esteem for those that press them or a great Dread of them then meet together most of those things which tend to work Perswasion or prevail for an Assent unto the Doctrine and a Compliance with the Practice recommended Seeing then Not. in Concil Clar. Can. 28. conc To. 10. p. 582. as Petrus de Marca doth inform us the Approbation of the half Communion by Thomas Aquinas made others certatim amplecti hanc sententiam to embrace greedily the same Opinion why might not others of as good Authority and Credit be instrumental to produce like Changes in other Constitutions of the Church Fourthly § 10 Old Doctrines and Practices might easily be changed and new obtain by reason of the corrupt Manners of the Clergy and by their Example of the People And that 1. Because such evil Practices deprive the Clergy of that Spiritual Wisdom and Divine Assistance which is their best Conducter into the Way of Truth and is their chief Preservative from dangerous Delusions and pernicious Errors Wisd 1.4 For as the Book of Wisdom saith Into a malicious Soul Wisdom will not enter nor dwell in the Body that is subject unto Sin. St. De Judicio dei To. 2. p. 393. Basil grievously laments the Discords and Contentions the perverse Doctrines and Opinions which had prevailed in his time amongst 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rulers of the Church of God by which they verified the Prediction of St. Paul Acts 20.30 That from Christians themselves should proceed Men speaking perverse things to draw away Disciples after them And this he doth resolve into their Rejection of God their true and only King their Departure from the Laws of Christ and chusing rather to rule others in contradiction to the Commands of Christ than to be ruled by him By which things saith he they have render'd themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 P. 394. unworthy of the Government of the Lord. Clemangis is still more express and Argumentative in this Particular Super Materia Conc. Gen. p. 71. For with them saith he is the Spirit those he directs and brings to a salutary End who have prepared for him within themselves an Habitation worthy of him and by good Works have render'd themselves worthy of his Inspiration and Visitation but how can he hear visit and enlighten them who are Adversaries to him and when they cannot do it in themselves endeavour to extinguish him in others and are inflamed not with the Fire of Love but with the Ardor of Ambition For with Hypocrites and self-Seekers the Holy Spirit is not wont to be present but to fly from them as his Enemies according to that saying of the Book of Wisdom the Holy Spirit of Discipline
depart this World and to appear before their righteous Judge so much abounded This was the Method which the Arians used for Propagation of their Heresy Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 27 p. 118. For Socrates informs us that in the Reign of Constantius the Persecution fell upon the Orthodox 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through all the Cities of the East that they were banished from their Churches and were afflicted with all kinds of Torments and that the Force then used was no less than formerly was exercised by Heathen Emperors to compel Christians to worship Idols And when after the Death of Constantine the Empire of the West fell into his Hands he used the like Severity there also Now the direful Effects of this Persecution appeared not only in the Fall of the great Hosius Ib. c. 31. p. 127. who by this Violence was constrained to subscribe the Decrees of the Council of Sirmium but even in the generality of the Church Governours Theodoret Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 13. Soz. l. 4. c. 9. for when Constantius the more effectually to move Pope Liberius to consent to the Condemnation of Athanasius tells him That 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the whole Empire had condemned him as a wicked Man Liberius answers that they had done this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sozom. ibid. out of Fear of him and the Dishonour which he threatned to them and the same Motive after a little Exile prevailed with him also Moreover a great part of the Bishops who met at Ariminum declared for the Nicene Faith as being that which they could not alter unless they would prove themselves spurious Children and Accusers of the Fathers and yet they being carried thence to Nica in Thracia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret Hist Eccl. l. 2. c. 15 16 18. they being terrified consented to expunge the Words of Substance and Consubstantial and only to assert 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ was like in Substance to the Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some out of Fear and others out of Ignorance subscribed St. Hilary informs us Fragm p. 482. that the Bishops met at Ariminum being tired out with long Delays minis imperatoris perterriti damnarunt integram fidem quam antea defendebant susceperunt perfidiam quam antea damnaverant and terrified with the Threats of the Emperor condemned that Faith they had before defended and received that Falshood which they had before condemned Sozomen also tells us of Three hundred Western Bishops met at Milan who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hist Eccles l. 4. cap. 9. either out of Fear or Fraud or Ignorance consented to the Deposition of Athanasius And this doubtless Commonit c. 6. gave Oceasion to Vincentius Lirinensis to say that cuncti prope Latini Sermonis Episcopi Epist ad Pam. adv Error Joh. Hieros F. 59. almost all the Western Bishops were by Fraud or Force deceived and that the Poyson of Arianism pene orbem totum contaminaverat had defiled almost the whole World to Jerom to complain that it had possessed all the East and that the whole World Arianum se esse miratus est admired that it was become Arian 〈◊〉 to Nazionzen to confess that Orat. in Athan. quae est Or. 21. p. 387. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 except a very few which either because of their Vertue resisted or for their Obscurity were contemned all obeyed the times some being Ring-Leaders in the Impiety some being circumvented by Fear or Gain Flattery or Ignorance And to omit the Complaint of Theodoret Ep. 142. That in the Ephesine Council styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most of the Bishops 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were moved to consent by Force and by their Subscriptions confirmed a new Heresy Socr. Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 17. To omit the Persecution of Valens which expelled saith Socrates almost all the Bishops of the East out of their Sees and where the Bishops were not valiant had such ill Influence upon the People that they all turned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 6. c. 21. from their former Sentiments to Arianism to omit I say these Instances It is a wonder to conceive what Force the Edicts of Basiliscus had to engage the Patriarchs and Bishops of that Age to renounce and Anathematize the General Council of Chalcedon Basiliscus in his Encyclical Epistle commands all Bishops to be content with the Nicene Faith and to Anathematize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evagr. Hist Eccl. l. 3. c. 4. p. 336 487. all things done and spoken in the Synod of Chalcedon about the Definition of Faith or Exposition of the Symbols to subscribe to his Epistle and wholly to reject the Council of Chalcedon threatning Deposition to the Bishops and Clergy who should refuse Obedience to his Commands Ibid. c. 5. p. 338. whereupon Five hundred Bishops presently subscribe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 condemning the Epistle of Pope Leo and the Synod of Chalcedon Among them were the Bishops of Asia professing to the Emperor Ibid. that they subscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with all Readiness and Gladness and yet quickly after the Death of Basiliscus they beg Pardon for so doing of Acacius alledging that they subscribed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. cap. 9. not willingly but of Necessity consenting by their Words and Writings but not with their Hearts And as this Force and Violence hath had this fatal Influence on many to deny the Truth and to embrace or at the least profess the contrary so hath it as effectually prevailed on others to conceal the Truth or not appear in its Defence when they were inwardly convinced of it least they should pull a Storm upon their Heads and should expose themselves unto the Censures of prevailing Persons and to the Fury of their Enemies Thus Sozomen informs us Hist Eccl. l. 4. c. 10. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for fear of the Emperor Constantius both the East and West seemed to agree in the Faith. Theodoret informs that there were some in his time who held the Truth of Apostolical Doctrine Ep. 135. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but fearing the Power of their Governours they durst not publish it they sigh and groan for the encrease of Evils but yet they are carried away with the Authors of them Thus saith he I believe it is with thee O Bishop Romulus thou art sound in the Faith but only out of Fear thou servest the Times Isidore Peleusiota also tells us that there were some who lived 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 L. 5. Ep. Ep. 126. according to the Apostolick Rule but they durst not open their Mouths 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being afraid of the Multitude of the Wicked Monotessaron p. 309. Zacharias Chrysopolitanus saith sunt nonnulli imo forsitan multi there are some yea perhaps many who are of the same Opinion with Berengarius and yet condemn him with the Church which without doubt they