Refutation of a Puritan-Papist, Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. Reaſons againſt Toleration and Permiſsion of diuerſe Religions, out of the Ancient Canons, Councels and writings of the Fathers of the Primitiue Church.
Toleration vnlawfull, proued bySO farre are the Ancient Canons, the Decrees of Councels, and the primitiue Paſtours of Gods Church from admitting any mixture in Religion, any communion or colluſion with Heretiques and Idolaters, that they ſeriouſly condemne the ſame, accurſing all Heretiques, their abettours and fauourers: as may be obuious and plaine vntounto any man that will vouchſafe to peruſe theſe places, which, to auoide prolixitie, we will but onelyonly point at.
1 That which is more obſcurely intimated in thoſe Canons, which are termed, Canons.the Canons of the Apoſtles, Can. 11. & 45. Clement Biſhop of Rome doth plainly ſet down, in his Apoſtolicall Conſtitutions, alleadging diuers places of Scriptures, which we hauehave cited before. Clem. lib. 6. cap. 13.18. & 26.
2 Hereunto adde the Canons of the Eliberine Councell, Can. 6. of Chalcedon, Councels.Can. 14. and of the ſixt Synode, Can. 72. alſo of the Laodicean Councell, Can. 31.32.33. of the fourth a Carthage, Can. 71.72. and of the ſift Synode at Conſtantinople, Sub finemſeſſ. 3.
3 Now let vsus heare the ancient Fathers ſpeake. Fathers.Tertullian ſaith, Tertullian.Heretiques must be compelled, not prayed to doe their dutie: for Hereſie is not to be perſwaded, but to be ouer come by rigour. Tertul. Scorpiac. aduerſ. Gnoſt. Cap. 2.
4 Athanaſius hath theſe wordes. Athansſius.Arius, Eudoxius, and Patrophilus, when they write ſuch things (Hereſies) How, I pray you, are they not worthy of all puniſhments? Athanaſ. de Syn. Arim. Seleuc. & alijs. Vide Apolog. 11. & Epist. ad Solitarios.
5 Auguſtine hath very excellent ſayings to this purpoſe. Auguſtine.Thinkest thou (ſaith he to Vincentius) No man ought to be forced to righteouſneſſe, when as thou readest that the Maſter ſaid to his Seruants, COMPELL ALL THAT YOV FINDE TO COME IN? And alſo that Paul was forced to receaue and embrace the truth by the great & violent compulſion of Chriſt, except thou iudge goods and landes dearer vntounto men than their eyes? August. Epist. 48. Againe, Where is now (ſaith he to Bonifacius) that, which theſe [Donatiſtes] harpe at ſo much? It is free for a Man to beleeue, or not to beleeue: what violence did Chriſt vſe? whom did he compell? Behold Paul, let them note in him Chriſt first compelling, afterward teaching; first ſtriking, then comforting. Let them not miſlike that they be forced, but examine whereto they be forced. Auguſt. Epist. 50. And citing that part of the 2. Pſal. Be wiſe yee Kings, vnderſtand yee that iudge the earth, ſerue the Lord in feare. But how doe Kings ſerue the Lord? (ſaith he) They ſerue him one way as they are men, and another way as they are Kings: as they be men, they ſerue him by liuing faithfully; and as they be Kings, when they forbid and puniſh with religious ſeuerity thoſe things which are done against the Commandements of God. As Ezechiah did ſerue him, by deſtroying the groues and temples of Idols; as Ioſiah did, in doing the ſame things; as the King of Niniueh did, forcing the whole Citie to pleaſe God; as Darius did, by deliuering the Idoll into the power of Daniel to be broken; as Nabuchodonozor did, reſtraining all his ſubiectes from blaſpheming God, by a terrible and dreadfull decree. Auguſt. Epiſt. 50. And a little after he addeth; What man in his right minde will ſay vntounto Kings; Care not you how in your Kingdomes the Church of God be either magnified or impugned, for it appertaineth not vntounto you, who be either religious, or ſacrilegious; ſeeing he cannot ſay vntounto him, It appertaineth not vntounto you, who within your kingdome be either honest or vnhoneſt. Aug. Ibid. Furthermore, Gaudentius his reaſon, that the peace of Chriſt inuited ſuch as were willing, but forced no man vnwilling, Auguſtine refuteth in this wiſe: Where you thinke that none muſt be forced againſt their willes, you are deceaued, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God, which maketh thoſe willing at last, which were vnwilling at first. Did the Niniuites repent against their wils, becauſe they did it at the compulſion of their King? What needed the Kings commandement, that all men ſhould humbly ſubmit themſelues to God, but that there were ſome amongst them, which neither would hauehave regarded nor beleeued Gods meſſage, had they not beene terrified by the Kings edict? This Princely power and auctoritie giueth many men occaſion to be ſaued, which though they were violently brought to the feast of the great houſe-holder, yet being once compelled to come in, they finde there good cauſe to reioyce that they did enter againſt their willes. August: contr. 2 Gaudentij Epiſt. lib. 2. cap. 17. And againſt Creſconius he ſaith, Kings ſerue God in this as it is commanded them, if within their dominions they command that good be done, and forbid euill to be done, not onelyonly in thoſe things which appertaine to humane ſocietie, but alſo in thoſe things which appertaine to Diuine Religion. Aug. lib. 4. contr. Creſcon. Grammat. lib. 2. And when Petilian obiected that no man muſt be forced by lawes to do well, or to beleeue; Auguſtine replieth; To Faith indeede may no man vnwilling be forced, but yet by Gods iuſtice or rather merciemercy, the breath of Faith is chastened with the rod of affliction. Becauſe the best things are freelie choſen with good liking; must not therefore ill deedes be puniſhed by ſincere lawes? You are not forced to doe well by thoſe Lawes that are made againſt you, but forbidden to doe euill. Prepoſterous were diſcipline to reuenge your euill liuing; but when you firſt contemne the doctrine that teacheth you to doe well. And euen they which make laws to bridle your headdines, are they not thoſe, which beare the ſword, as Paul ſpeaketh, not without cauſe, being Gods Miniſters and executors of wrath on him that doth ill? Auguſt. contra liter as Petiliani, lib. 2. cap. 83. Who liſt to be farther ſatisfied that Chriſtian Princes may and ought to compell their Subiects to the worſhip of God preſcribed in his word, and puniſh the refuſers, let him read at large the places aboue quoted in this Father.
6 Ierome treating vponupon that place of the Apoſtle, Ierome.A little leuen leueneth the whole lump, ſaith; Leuen is but a ſmall thing, a thing of nothing, but when it hath corrupted the whole lumpe, by his vigour whatſoeuer it be mingled with, is conuerted into the nature of it. Euen ſo peruerſe doctrine hauing his beginning from one, at firſt findeth ſcarce two or three admirers, but by little and little the canker creepeth into the body, according to the vulgar prouerb, One ſcabbed ſheepe infecteth a whole flocke: Wherefore as ſoone as the ſparke appeareth, it muſt preſently be extinguiſhed; the leuen muſt be remoued from the whole lumpe, the rotten fleſh muſt be cut off, and the ſcabbed ſheepe chaſed away from the fold; least the whole houſe, lumpe, body and ſheepe, do burne, corrupt, putrifie, periſh. Arius in Alexandria was but one little ſparke, but becauſe he was not preſently oppreſſed, the flame thereof conſumed the whole world. Hieronym. Comm. in Cap. 5, ad Galat.
7 Gregorie Nazianzene ſaith, Greg. Nazianzene.When impietie beginneth to ſhew it ſelfe openly, we muſt reſiſt it as much as we may, by ſword, fire, or any other meanes, leaſt we be partakers of the euill leuen, or conſent vntounto ſuch as be infected with pernicious doctrine. Greg. Nazianzen. in Orat. propace. Again in another place, Cut off the Arian impietie, cut off the pernicious error of Sabellius. This I ſay vntounto the lay-men, this I ſay vntounto the Clergie; and this I ſay vntounto the Magiſtrates. My wordes fighting for the holy Trinity ſhall not hauehave as much efficacie, as thy Edict ſhall, if thou wilt repreſſe ſuch as are infected with pernicious opinions. Nazian. Homil. in dict. Euang. vide etiam Epiſt. ad Nectar.
8 I can not ſtand vponupon particulars; Ambroſe.The Reader may peruſe theſe places. Ambroſ. Epiſt. 32. ad Valent. Imp. Idem Orat. ad Auxentium de Baſilicis non tradendis.Chryſoſtome Item in Cap. 10. Lucae. Chryſoſtom. Homil. de Auarit.Optatus Mileuit. Irenaeus. Cyprian. ſub finem Tom. 5. Optat. Mileuit. contra Parm. lib. 3. Iren. aduerſ. Haereſ. lib. 3. Cap. 3. quem citat Euſebius lib. 4. cap. 13. & Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 30. Cyprian. Epiſt. 55.64.73.74. and 76. Item lib. de lapſis, de Vnit Eccleſ. tribus locis, ac Teſt. ad Quir. lib.Origen. And Cyrill. Alexandr. 3. cap. 78. Orig. in Apolog. Pamphili, & contra Celſum. Cyrill. Alexandr. lib. 1. Quod vnus est Christus.