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truth_n	apostle_n	church_n	error_n	1,964	5	7.1034	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A80794	A learned and exceeding well-compiled vindication of liberty of religion: written by Junius Brutus in Latine, and translated into English by N.Y. who desires, as much as in him is, to do good unto all men: wherein these three following propositions are undenyably proved, and all objections to the contrary fully answered. 1. That if magistrates, in case of necessity, promise hereticks liberty of religion; they are bound to performe their promise after that necessity ceaseth. 2 That magistrates may with a safe conscience grant hereticks liberty of religion, and oblige themselves by an oath, or bond of assurance, to provide for their safety and security. 3. That magistrates ought to grant hereticks liberty of religion, and to oblige themselves by an oath, or bond of assurance, to provide for their safety and security.; Vindiciae pro religionis libertate. English.	Crell, Johann, 1590-1633.; N. Y. translator.	1646 (1646)	Wing C6879; Thomason E1178_4; ESTC R208101	37,701	85

the weak and base 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. things of the world and things which are despised and things which are not How then could God enjoyne Christians to kill Apostates that is those which should revolt from Christianity to a Jewish or heathenish religion and go over from men of low degree to Nobles from weak to mighty men and to their kind of holy worship But if so be they are not commanded to destroy them which altogether forsake the Christian religion much lesse Hereticks who notwithstanding acknowledge the majesty and religious worship of Christ although they do not sufficiently understand it Many also object that If freedome of Religion be granted Heretiques then heresies will grow and increase Yea verily they will more increase if thou strive to root them ou● by force especially if the minds of men be otherwise bent to religion honesty and vertue Thus much experience it self hath taught us in these ages The Protestant religion then increased most in France the Low-Countries and England when persecution was opposed against it Reason shewes as much for they which endeavour to suppresse another mans religion by force in so doing make their cause or religion to be suspected and certainly lessen the credit and estimation of their own religion but cause that to be well approved of which they go about to ruine for when they enter upon violent courses they seem to demonstrate that they distrust their cause and despaire of victory if the matter should be debated by argumentation therefore being destitute of reasons betake themselves to force and fly to carnall weapons because spirituall are wanting to bring mens minds under subjection by which it comes to passe that they purchase an opinion and report of cruelty to themselves and inflame other mens minds with hatred They on the contrary which are troubled for Religion sake easily get mens good will and affection But whither mens favour and affection thither also for the most part doth their faith incline I will not alledge that now That when the grievousnes of punishment against offenders is exposed to the view common people are not seldome moved to compassion most men not so much regarding and laying to heart the deed which either they never saw or do no longer see as the terriblenesse of the punishment which is subject to the sight But what shall we think will come to passe if they be deemed innocent which suffer cruell punishments if their life and manners be approved of if nothing be accused in them but meer error of judgement What if that also happen that the people observe some blemish in their course of life which trouble them which they do not see in them so afflicted by themselves It is certain that those which suffer for Religion sake how erroneous soever it be do shew that they esteem all things lesse than God piety and their own conscience and salvation which is only the part of good men and such a● are very great lovers of vertue and fear God very much It cannot happen otherwise then but that they should gain favour to themselves and beliefe and authority to that Religion which they so stoutly maintain For this is the genius and proper quality of vertue to purchase undoubted credit to it self and especially in matters belonging to Religion First because as I have said mens favour follow vertue and belief of what is said followes favour And also because vertue is otherwise of it self sincere and undefiled hating deceit guile and lying But who may not rather believe him and assent to his doctrine in whom he perceives to be most candor and ingenuity Furthermore it is no wayes credible that God who is so much delighted with vertue and piety and so exceedingly rewards it would deny the knowledge of true Religion to the better sort of men and grant it to the worser Last of all The greater Vertue is not without just cause thought to be the affection and proper quality even of the better Faith Wherefore as I have declared already They which by suffering any kind of cruelty and rigour for Religion sake shew forth most evident testimonies of their own vertue easily incline and draw over people which love vertue to their own side They on the contrary which exercise cruelty against them lose the affections of the people and diminish the credit of their Religion which animates and stirs them up to so much cruelty against innocent and harmlesse men That I may be silent that those men themselves which are afflicted for Religion sake by how much the more honest and vertuous they be are so much the more confirmed in their opinion and the more vehemently inflamed with the love of their Religion because they think their own adversaries judge it uncontroleable and invincible by strength of Arguments From hence may easily be perceived what answer is to be made them which say that Heretiques are enemies to the Catholique Church and Religion wherefore they ought to be expelled the territories and limits of the Church and Religion to be defended against them That they are ravening Wolves and therefore to be driven away from the Flock That they give the sons of God poyson to drink and so destroy their soules and therefore ought not to be suffered to have conversation with them and that they sell and put by force upon the weak and ignorant Infants of Christ of which there must alwaies be a great number that poyson in stead of the saving drink of their soules But be it so that they be enemies to the Catholique Religion and Church yet seeing they do not invade nor intend to invade it with swords nor corporall weapons they wage only a spirituall war with it wherefore in like manner they are not to be vanquished with carnall but spirituall weapons and to be driven either from the Church or brought into obedience thereof by those weapons I say wherewith the Apostles of old subdued the enemies of truth overthrew the strong holds of errors and brought the world in subjection under Christ 2 Cor. 10. 3 4. For so saith Paul For though we walk in the flesh we do not war after the flesh for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringeth into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ But if thou wouldest drive Heretiques by carnall weapons out of the Church thou wilt not destroy such enemies but exasperate and provoke them thou shalt not lessen but increase their number and though thou mightest at length utterly root them out by this means yet thou shalt not hereby defend thy Religion but pollute and defile it Long since did Lactantius give a right answer to the Gentiles who thought that those Religious exercises which they publikely perfored were to be defended by violence Religion is to be

seducers whom he cals Antichrists which did not confesse that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh As appears by the foregoing words and may be perceived by many places of the first Epistle But there are not such Heretiques in these times as deny that so far is it from being true that Heretiques of these times may be cast into the number of those Seducers which endeavour contrary to the manifest truth and the conscience of their mind to lead others into such a damnable error Lastly in such a case only Iohn forbids us to receive them into our houses or to bid them God speed when as they come unto us to perswade and convert us to their Religion not when they agitate civill or private matters and desire commerce with us is members of the same Common-wealth Many urge that also for an argument against liberty of R●ligion That God commanded in former times false Prophets and th●se also that revolted to the worshipping of false gods to be killed But first of all it is one thing to be a Heretique and another thing to be a false Prophet or to decline to the worship of false gods They which now adayes are termed heretiques worship none besides that true God creator of heaven and earth and Jesus Christ their Saviour but only they hold different opinions from the Catholiques concerning him or about sacred matters and such as pertain to the worship of that true God and Jesus Christ Therefore they have not declined to the worship of false gods so far is it from being just that they should be reckoned amongst false Prophets which perswade other men to such a heinous crime for those men only were to be accounted false Prophets which endeavoured to perswade that they spake by inspiration of some deity and that their sayings were to be esteemed oracles which the Heretiques of this age in no wise do But that that law of God made against false prophets and worshippers of false gods is not intended against those who otherwise held the Law of God was to be kept but were infected with some other error that may sufficiently shew because that in former times among the Jewes who were affected with a vehement love and zeal toward the Law Heretiques notwithstanding were tolerated And verily even in the time of Christ himselfe and long before him there were Sadduces which denied that there were Angels and Spirits and were stiffe opposers of the Resurrection of the dead and as the Catholique Doctors report rejected all the Prophets besides Moses And although the greatest part both of the People and the Rulers believed them to erre exceedingly neverthelesse they were not expelled the city neither exempted from being Magistrates and bearing any other civil office yea they were not hindred from comming to the Temple or the Synagogues Why therefore should it be thought fit that Heretiques in these times should be killed by vertue of that law made against false Prophets and worshippers of false gods It may be added for a further proofe That they which in old time seduced the people from the true God to the worship of false gods or fell off of their own accord to it could not but know that they did that which was against the expresse law of God because the law of God enacted against that matter was so cleare and manifest that no man could be ignorant of the meaning thereof But they which now a dayes passe for heretiques know not that they do or believe any thing contrary to the Law and other Oracles divine and if they knew it would abandon all such opinions in Religion Wherefore those false Prophets and Apostates also were in far greater fault than Heretiques of this Age are and therefore it doth not forthwith hold true that these men ought to suffer the same punishment which God commanded to be executed against them And thus much also may be addtd That in those dayes Prophecies were frequent and in force almost continually among the people of Israel by which evident testimonies were ever and anon published concerning God and his will so as no man could be ignorant what he ought to hold concerning God and his worship unlesse he would purposely shut his eyes and wink at noon-day But now Prophecies are ceased from whence it followes that we may more easily fall into error concerning the true worship of God Last of all all men know that the civil lawes of Moses do not bind Christians of which sort they are which commanded a false Prophet or an Apostate fallen to idolatry to be destroyed That truly these lawes of which we now discourse do not oblige us may easily be gathered from thence That in all the New Testament there is no such thing commanded nor any where so much as lightly touched upon that either Apostates or Heretiques ought to be afflicted and brought to punishment by Christians Rightly hath Hierom declared in some part of his writings I have learned by the Apostles appointment to avoyd a man that is an Heretick not to commit him to be burnt For in this manner Paul the Apostle adviseth Titus A man which Tit. 3. 10. is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject And certainly he means such an heretique who is condemned by his own conscience that he resisteth the manifest truth which he acknowledgeth as may be discerned by his following words How then should Christians be commanded to punish them who were led into heresie by deceitfull arguments which notwithstanding they think invincible and are affected with a simple ignorance of mind or also being born of hereticall parents sucked their error together with their mothers milk But so far is it from being true that Christians are commanded to trouble others for Religions sake that rather we are often warned it shall come to passe that Christians shall be troubled and brought to slaughter by other men because of their Religion God in times past brought the Jews after such a manner into the land of Canaan that after they had slain the worshippers of false gods they might possesse their country promising them if they should obey his law peace wealth victory over their enemies and moreover such strength and succours that they might without any great difficulty suppresse Apostates if any should chance to spring up amongst them But we have learned of Christ and his Apostles that the condition of Christians shall be far otherwise who were even Mat. 10. 16 themselves as sheep in the midst of wolves and being grievously vexed and tormented suffered a bloody death for the truths sake And they declared that we also should be like sheep appointed to the slaughter And affirmed that all Rom. 8. 36 those which will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution For such is the nature of the 2 Tim. 3. 3. 12. Christian religion that not many mighty men and of noble birth imbrace it even as S. Paul teacheth God hath chosen

Clergie over the Politick State The matter may easily be discerned by the history of those times which were before the rise of heresies How easily might a speech more free than ordinary uttered against the Ecclesiasticall State be drawn into the crime of Heresie and that which was spoken against the behaviour or actions of Clergie-men be wrested to a contumely and reproach of Religion it self especially when thou shouldest have both thine Accusers and Judges out of the same state and order of men Might not even this very thing it self afford occasion to new motions and tumults But let others look to this We would in this place have that called to memory which we spake of in the former chapter That by depriving Heretiques of Liberty in Religion heresies are not only not suppressed and rooted out but even by how much the more honest the mindes of any people be by so much the more they are increased We adde now thus much That by deniall thereof Atheisme springs up in many mens hearts which is worse than any kind of heresie whatsoever For Conscience is suppressed and destroyed in those men in whom there is not so great honesty and so great vertue and power of conscience as there ought to be when they are troubled for Religion and so hypocrisie and counterfeiting of that Religion unto which they are forced is begotten in them and so atheisme and profanesse which hath no savour at all of holines and religion springs up But as for those men in whom there is a greater honesty and integrity of minde and a regard of conscience and a feare of God in those men the love of their Religion is inflamed and increased by persecution as a fire is by casting oyle into it and it layes hold on as I may so say with an open and light fire whatsoever comes nigh it and oftentimes creeps on further for those causes mentioned in the former chapter concerning which point Thuanus a Catholique wrote much among other men in the Preface which he set before his Histories But if thou sayest that a Spanish Inquisition is somewhere used yet Heresies do not creep on farther there I would have thee also to consider whether Atheisme doth not creep into the place of heresie Truly not a few even of the Catholiques complain of that matter who are well acquainted with those countries Although besides many thousands were found to be in Spain and Portugal but a few years ago of those who either took unto themselves the name or had it given them by the people of Illuminated persons and were accounted for heretiques But what dost thou think many foster privily in their mind Experience it self doth sufficiently declare that in Spain and Portugal the Jewish and Saracenicall religion could not for some ages be rooted out of mens minds by bringing in an Inquisition But verily although there were not so great inconveniencies as I have recorded yet there would be others which ought to disswade Catholiques from holding it fitting for Heretiques to be punished For even that one thing ought to prevaile with them which we spake of in the former Chapter that the safety of the Church and of Religion doth no wayes require that heretiques be set upon by violence which also the Catholiques themselves sufficiently confirme when they affirme that the Church is founded upon a Rock so that it can neither by force nor by guile be overthrowne which Christ signified when he said The gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Neither truly is it agreeable to reason that this stability and immovable constancy of the Church should consist in that that she shall prevaile by Armes and civill power over her enemies for because that then the contrary rather appeared when that so godly a building was brought from its first foundations to full perfection The Catholiques themselves shew another kinde of supportance for it that Spirit of truth which is alwayes present with the Church which alwayes upholds it and preserves it safe from all ruine But shall we think that that Spirit of truth which in former Ages erected the holy building of the Church maugre all the opposition of Satan and the whole world and brought it to such a greatnesse by impotent and unarmed men and defended it against armed errour and impiety is become now adayes so weak and feeble that he can no longer maintain his own work without strength of Arms and that he stands in need of that power to defend religion and the Church which he before subdued otherwise without its help the Church must needs fall to ruine But if the safety of the Church and of the Catholique religion doth not require that Heretiques be overwhelmed by force why doe the Catholiques hold it fit for them to be born down with violence For who can think especially that is a Christian that use is to be made of violence punishments and arms without necessity For it is the property of gentlenesse to spare where thou mayest spare especially where so many thousands of men were to be dragged and haul'd to punishment so many soules to be destroyed Furthermore the hope of that great benefit which may proceeds from toleration of Heretiques ought to incline the Catholiques to more gentle resolutions For by such a toleration they would purchase the praise to themselves of meeknesse equity gentlenesse and moderation and would gaine their good wils and affections which being once gained it is an easie matter to perswade them of the truth which is founded upon solid arguments Moreover when Heretiques are so born withall they have a time to recollect and amend themselves and those errours which at the first view seemed plausible after their paint and colour is by little and little discovered begin to lesse delight men and at length decay but truth it self is strengthened by delay and being after a manner dash against falshood and untruth by its own vertue and strength breaks it in pieces and the brightnesse of it by this collision shines forth more clearly Wherefore when as in respect hereof there is no necessity of troubling Heretiques and of provoking them with the terriblenesse of punishments but hence from lenity and gentlenesse there is hope of exceeding fruit and benefit belonging to the everlasting salvation of so many thousands yea millions What Christian man will be of so rigorous and cruell a disposition that he can hold it fit to exercise cruelty rather then patience and gentlenesse towards those men Catholiques ought to be led and moved also in this point by the examples of God himself whose children we professe our selves to be and of Christ the Saviour of the whole world who was wont to use very great lenity and gentlenesse towards erroneous persons God in former times declared in his Law which in other matters was severe That all the people of Israel and strangers which sojourned amongst them should be forgiven if they committed any thing through ignorance And truly

defended quoth he not by killing but by dying not by cruelty but by patience And a little after If thou wouldst defend Religion with blood with torments with mischief then it will not be defended but defiled and corrupted For nothing is so free and voluntary as Religion and so onwards Truly Christian Religion is not better known by urging and pressing the truth than by inculcating and exhorting men to charity peace meeknesse gentlenesse bountifulnesse and patience It will have the professors thereof to overcome their enemies and not to be overcome by them with these vertues It doth not so defend the truth of matters belonging to Religion as that it would have them break the bonds of humane and civil society for that purpose which propagate and defend it but rather it more strictly obligeth them to observe those duties and to make good the law of charity towards all men and to love the bonds of peace Therefore if thou shalt resolve to maintaine the Christian religion by force if by mirchief if by punishments even by so doing thou wilt most of all offend against it Let the same answer suffice them who stick not to affirme that Heretiques are ravening wolves and ought to be driven out of the flock Let them be driven out indeed with the Crook of the Pastors of the Church but not with a wooden or iron one but with one which is spiritual and proper to the Ecclesiasticall function Heretiques do not teare the sheep with their nailes nor bite them with their teeth but endeavour to hurt the flock with Reasons and Arguments which in the judgement of Catholiques are deceitfull Let these therefore be retorted and beaten off with stronger reasons and let the sheep be admonished to beware and take heed to themselves that they be not ensnared by them as Christ did and after him the Apostles By this means the flock of Christ will be sufficiently armed against their violence unlesse thou wouldest say that the sheep were not sufficiently armed against the violence incursion of wolves by Christ the great shepherd of of the sheep and by his Apostles their most faithfull keepers because that they neither used force themselves nor advised others to do it Moreover if thou makest use of externall force thou wilt not thereby root out those scruples and doubts which Heretiques perhaps have sowed in the minds of believers but wilt adde strength to them Neither wilt thou hinder them from being wolves but cause them to abstain from professing and detecting themselves to be such whilst they in the mean while covering themselves with sheep skins may remain without any danger of punishment present amongst the flock But if thou usest Arguments only and Ecclesiasticall censures thou wilt drive the wolves from the flock For if any shall be more wicked than others who notwithstanding whatsoever hath been said in confutation of their errors will still be in love with them when no feare of punishment hinders them will shew themselves in publike and after open censure and rebuke will be excluded the ecclesiasticall sheepfold neither shall have cause to charge any one as guilty of their dustruction besides themselves and their own stubbornesse Their blood will be upon their own heads as the holy Scripture speaketh Their destruction shall not be imputed to their Pastors because they admonished them they armed them against errors and endeavoured as much as in them lay to keep them in the path that leadeth to salvation Wherefore as the Prophet saith those wicked ones shall die in their iniquity but the pastors have delivered their soule Yet notwithsttnding the Church will reap the benefit for which also God suffers heresies sometimes to spring up among the faithfull as Paul teacheth that they which are approved may be made manifest among them Which benefit doth not follow if hereticks be violently suppressed for by such dealing even the wicked repressed by feare will labour to carry the outward guize of believers as much as honest men so that there may appeare no difference between them yea a heretick who shall dare to rise up against an armed religion and to professe and defend heresie with the danger of his estate or of life it self will shew forth a greater proofe of vertue than he which guarded with power opposeth a heresie or at least defendeth a Religion which is attended with force and power For neither can it then appear whether he persevere in his true opinion or defends it for the goodnesse of his cause or to confirm his own power or for feare of another mans power But on the contrary he which dares oppose himself against a Religion which is armed with power or revolt from it and contemn all dangers for Religion sake doth demonstrate as I have said before that he lightly esteems all things in comparison of God piety conscience and eternall salvation By this time that also is evident enough that the minds of believers and of Christs little ones may be so prepared and guarded by the care and diligence of their Pastors especially seeing there be so many not only thousands but even millions of them that the poyson which heretiques administer unto such cannot hurt them although no violence be exercised against heretiques Neither verily may it be imagined that Heretiques arguments are so plausible that they may withdraw the more simple and ignorant sort of men from the saving truth which are lovers of truth and earnestly desire their own salvation although the Truth well expounded and armed with strong arguments be opposed with those Reasons For truth especially heavenly and saving truth is of such a nature that it sinks more easily into a mind that is disposed to vertue if it be handsomely propounded and confirmed besides with solid arguments than falshood and error She hath a certain wonderfull clearnesse and brightnesse of her own by which she dazles and overcomes their minds which do not purposely refuse to take knowledge of her neither is she more approved of by subtile than by simple capacities which are endued but with common-sense and apprehension I thank thee saith Christ O Father Lord of heaven and earth Mat. 11. 25. because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them to babes And S. Paul God hath chosen the foolish things 1 Cor 1. 27. of the world to confound the wise Therefore as yet no cause appeares why we should think that a remedy against the poyson of heresie is placed in violence and arms but rather it appeares that there is need of some other wholsome antidote against the venome of Errors Perhaps some man may still object that to grant Heretiques liberty of Religion must needs wound and trouble the conscience of Magistrates because if liberty of Religion be permitted them the Commonwealth will be divided into factions and a way laid open for discord tumults and intestine garboiles and seditions For the minds of the people are knit and

for this very reason because they did it through ignorance or errour not through pride and stubbornnesse of heart But what shall wee say of Christ who came into the world for that purpose That he might save sinners Paul writes of himself that Christ Iesus our Lord put him in his service who was before a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and an Oppressour but saith he I was received to mercy because I did it ignorantly through unbeliefe Behold he obtained pardon for so great sins as blasphemy persecution reproaches and oppressions wherewith he troubled and afflicted the godly because he did those things ignorantly through unbeliefe and that at such a time wherein the memory was yet fresh of those great miracles and infinite in number which were wrought by Christ when those wonderfull deeds of the Apostles were daily to be seen when those faithfull persons themselves whom Paul with an outragious fury persecuted were full of the holy Ghost and at least many of them famous and renowned for their miracles Neither did this bounty of Christ make a stand at Paul For the Apostle himself sheweth in the words that follow that place to Timothy that Christ would shew an example in him of all long suffering that others also from thence might have a strong beliefe of so great mercy of Christ towards them If Christ did both beare with in so great evidence and clearnesse of the truth a blasphemer a persecutor and contumelious person and bestowed so great a favour upon him as to commit the most holy function of the Apostolicall office unto him because whatsoever he did hee did it ignorantly through unbeliefe Why doe the servants of Iesus Christ refuse to tolerate those who at this time wherein no man dares say the Christian religion is attended with so great splendour and renowne of miracles may erre indeed and perhaps blaspheme through ignorance yet for all that persecute no man give reproachfull words to no man nor trouble any man for religions sake But that it may yet appeare more manifestly by the example of Christ that wee ought not to suppresse Heretiques by violence and to haule them to punishment let us observe how he behaved himselfe towards Apostates The Law as we have signified before commands an Apostate to be slain without mercy Thine eye shall not pity him neither stalt thou shew mercy nor keep him secret But thou shalt even kill him thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death Will not they say here that hold it fit for Heretiques to be punished that this course is a great deal rather to be taken against those which revolt from Christ and when they have been his disciples will now no longer be of their company Certainly if Heretiques were to be slain who notwithstanding professe and honour the name of Christ and are ready to suffer a most terrible and cruell death for his honour although they do not rightly understand his doctrine Much more shall they be worthy of this punishment who altogether reject his doctrine and do so forsake that faith which they had placed in him that they will not professe his name any longer and be conversant amongst his disciples But what did Christ teach us by his example that we ought so to do and did he not rather demonstrate the contrary We read in John c. 6. v. 66. that after Christ had discoursed much concerning the eating of his own flesh and drinking of his own blood Many of his Disciples being offended at this his speech went back and walked no more with him But what saith Christ to these things Did he lead them violently to punishment or thought it fit they should In no wise Moreover he bespake those his twelve Disciples or Apostles after this manner Will ye also go away as if so be he had given them liberty to go away if they would Thou wilt say that Christ had no magistrate nor people at his beck and command to bring them to punishment But he had that divine vertue and power dwelling in himself by which he might be able to destroy them without any externall force And to have done it in such a way would not have been so liable and obnoxious to blame and reprehension because a punishment inflicted upon them by a Divine vertue and power ought to be accounted by them as a punishment inflicted by God himself and so to be acknowledged most just Moreover if such a course had been taken in destroying them the rest of the Disciples would have been stricken with so much the greater fear of daring to revolt from Christ and his holy religion Certainly if those Catholiques who hold it fit for Heretiques to be persecuted and destroyed could have destroyed them by their Anathema as by a thunderbolt sent miraculously from God they would in no wise have forborne to do it And it were to be desired not only by the Catholiques but even by the Heretiques themselves in some respect that Catholiques might be able to do it because from thence they would be manifestly convinced that the Catholique religion were true and proceeded from God and therefore would imbrace it presently neither would suffer such a severe and powerfull thunderbolt to be darted forth upon them and then no Catholique would fall into heresie Why then did not Christ do so who had so great power to effect it Was it not therefore because he judged it most averse and disagreeable to his most gentle and meek spirit and to the religion which he published and to the purpose and will of God for performance whereof he was sent into the world He came not as elswhere he speaks of himself to destroy mens lives but to save them Why therefore do not his servants and disciples the like before whom he sets himself for an example to be imitated who are or ought to be partakers of that Spirit who professe his most holy religion They ought to call to memory that which our Saviour himselfe once answered to his disciples when the Samaritans refused to entertain him For when they asked him whether he would have them to command that fire come down from heaven and consume them even as Elias did Jesus rebuked them and said Ye know not of what spirit ye are for the Son of man is not come to destroy mens lives but to save them That is he would have his Disciples to be as mild and gentle as himself Before we leave this Argument we would have Catholiques to consider what men of great renown in former times amongst the Doctors of the Catholike Church thought concerning this matter and what gentlenesse they held fit to be used towards hereticks whom they believed to be infected with most pestilent and blasphemous errors After this manner Augustine writes concerning the Manichees Let them exercise cruelty against you who know not what a labour it is to find out the Truth and what a difficulty it is to avoyd Errors Let them exercise