Refutation of a Puritan-Papist, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. That moſt of theſe Lawes againſt Toleration and mixture of diuers Religions, were promulgated at the inſtance and requeſt of the Auncient Fathers. And that when the Emperours began to ſlacke the execution of Iuſtice, to be indulgent and to collude with Heretiques, they were either greatlie blamed, or, at leaſt, admoniſhed by them. Alſo the Cauſe wherefore ſome Emperours were more conniuent and indulgent towards Heretiques.
The Fathers procured Lawes to be enacted againſt Toleration.THESE Lawes and Edicts againſt Heretiques, were not onelyonly approued by the Auncient Fathers: but, for the moſt part, enacted and decreed at their ſuite and entreatie; as may be manifeſtly gathered, for that after eueryevery Generall Synode new Lawes were publiſhed by the Emperours againſt the new Heretiques, no doubt at the requeſt of the ſaid holy Fathers.
1 Aurelianus a heathen Emperour made a decree againſt Paulus Samoſatenus, at the requeſt of the Fathers of the Synode at Antioch. Euſeb. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 7. cap. 24. Niceph. lib. 6. cap. 29.
2 Conſtantine the Great, ſeeing he executed the ſentence of the Nicene Synod concerning the burning of Arius his bookes, at the inſtance of Alexander Biſhop of Alexandria, as Socrates, Zozomenus and Nicephorus doe teſtifie; Who doubteth but that by the inſtinct of the Fathers of the ſame Synode, he publiſhed that Conſtitution againſt Arius, which he ſent to all Biſhops throughout the world? Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 6. Zozom. lib. 1. cap. 20. Niceph. lib. 8. cap. 18. & 25.
3 Theodoſius Maior after that the Arian and Macedonian Hereſies were condemned in the ſecond Oecumenicall Synode, and in the firſt at Conſtantinople, made a Conſtitution, that the Arians ſhould be expelled out of the Churches, and whoſoeuer did not acknowledge Chriſt to be equal with God his Father; and that the Catholiques ſhould be ſubſtituted in their places, at the entreatie of the Fathers of thoſe aſſemblies. Niceph. lib. 12. cap. 13. & 15.
4 The ſame Emperour, at the requeſt of the Epheſine Synode, publiſhed many Edicts againſt Neſtorius, whereby he baniſhed him, cauſed his followers to be termed Eunomian Heretiques, decreed that his bookes ſhould be burned: as is manifeſt by the Councels Epiſtle vntounto the Emperours Theodoſius and Valentinianus. Ex actis Concil. Epheſini ab Ant. Contio editis.
5 The 7. Councell of Chalcedon, in their very Acts, exclaimed, Let Dioſcorus the Egyptian Heretique be baniſhed: and wrote letters vntounto the Emperours Valentinianus and Martianus, ſaying: This verily we teach your godly Empirie, that you might conſider both his (Dioſcorus) malice, and the ſinceritie of the iust ſentence (we take God to record) pronounced againſt him. For our parts, we hauehave done our duetie, and we beleeue that you are most godly, and most Christian Emperours, knowing the horrour of your venerable auctoritie against euill men, and what care you hauehave of Eccleſiasticall peace. VponUpon the receipt of which letters, thoſe ſeuere lawes were decreed againſt the Heretiques, which are regiſtred among the acts of the ſaid Councell. Act. 2. Concil. Chalced. Tom. 2. Concil. Act. 3. & 16.
6 But if at any time the holy Fathers ſaw the Emperours mindes changed, or any thing inclined to remiſſeneſſe towards. Heretiques, or any way to collude or fauour them, they preſently diſſwaded them, ſometimes by milde admonitions, and ſometimes by ſeuerer increpations and cenſures.The Emperours admoniſhed by the Fathers. So at the counſell of Aſcholius Biſhop of Theſſalonica, who affirmed that the Eaſt ſwarmed with Hereſies, partly through the lenitie of Conſtantius, and partly through the improbitie of Valens, Theodoſius ſent his edict againſt. Heretiques from Theſſalonica to Conſtantinople, whereby Demophilus was expelled, and Gregorie Nazianzen ſurrogated into his office. Zozom. lib. 7. cap. 4. Niceph. lib. 12. cap. 6. 7. & 8.
7 When the Arians by diuerſe deceipts laboured to alienate the Emperour Theodoſius his mind from fauouring the Catholiques, to thinke better of their faction; and had preuailed ſo farre, that vnleſſe the Empreſſe Placilla (as we hauehave noted before) had diſſwaded her husband, he had admitted the crafty, cloquent and learned Eunomius to conferre with him:A memorable fact of Amphilochius. Amphilochius Biſhop of Iconium, a venerable Olde-man, went vntounto the Emperour, and beſeeched him to expel the Arians out of his territories; which when the Emperour differred to do, as a thing too rigorous and ſeuere, and had put off that buſineſſe vntill ſome other time, the Reuerend Amphilochius departing quietly, inuented this memorable ſtratageme. Being called into the Court together with ſome other Biſhops, he ſaluted the Emperour with all awfull reſpect and dutifull reuerence; but drawing neere vntounto Arcadius, the Emperours Sonne, who then alſo was newly choſen Emperor, he ſpake very familiatly vntounto him, and ſtroaking his head, ſaid; Good morrow thou alſo, my Boy. The Emperour perceiuing his ruſticall carriage and rude ſalutation, would hauehave taught the Biſhop how to ſalute his Sonne in better ſort; but Amphilochius replied. No, no, the honour that I hauehave done him is good inough for him. Whereat the Emperour falling into a rage, commanded with many reproachfull tearmes, to hauehave away the olde doting foole. Then the reuerend Father, as he was carried away, ſaid; Seest thou, ô Emperour, how thou canst not indure any iniurie done vntounto thy Sonne, but art enraged becauſe we hauehave not honoured him ſufficiently: Euen ſo it behoueth thee to conſider that the celestiall Emperour, the Father of the onelyonly Begotten, is angry at thoſe which will not giuegive his Sonne the ſame honour with himſelfe, but preſume to robbe him of his glory, affirming that he is inferiour and leſſe then the Father. The Emperour conſidering whereto the fact tended, and admiring his graue and wiſe ſpeeches, commanded him to be brought againe, fell downe at his feete and craued pardon. And being throughly confirmed by Amphilochius his ſayings, he enacted new lawes againſt the Arians, whereof we hauehave ſpoken before. Zozom. lib. 7. cap. 6. Niceph. lib. 12. cap. 9.
8 Alſo, when Valentinianus II. being ſeduced by his mother, an Arian, had publiſhed a decree, wherein he cōmanded that the Churches might be deliuered vp vntounto the Arians,The courage of Ambroſe. Ambroſe reſiſted the Emperour to his face at Millan, and refuſed to deliuer vp his Church, ſaying: We giuegive vntounto Caeſar that which is Caeſars, and to God that which is Gods. Tribute is due vntounto Caeſar, we denie it not; But the Church is Gods: wherefore we may not yeeld it vntounto Caeſar, becauſe the Temple of God cannot be Caeſars right. Ambroſ. Epiſt. 32. ad Valent. Imp. & Orat. in Auxent. de Baſilicis non tradendis. Et Epiſt. 33. ad Marcellam. The places are worthy the reading.
9 What ſhall I ſpeake of Chryſoſtome? The Arians were permitted to hold a Synode within his City: wherefore he hauing gotten fit opportunitie, when the Emperour Arcadius was come to the Church: Tell me, ſaith he, ô Emperour, whether if any man would inſert baſe and abiect ſtones into that faire and ſpecious Crowne, which thou weareſt vponupon thy head, wouldeſt thou not be offended with him? The Emperour yeelding, Chryſoſtome replied; Well, doſt thou not thinke that the Emperour of heauen will be offended, if in a godly city, which is ſyncere and ſound, a ſcabbed and infectious member be permitted to inhabite, ſeeing it is required of eueryevery one, either that he be conuerted, or that he be baniſhed? When the Emperour heard theſe things, he ſent for the chiefe of the Arians, and commanded them, if they would not relinquiſh and abandon their wicked opinions, to depart and begone preſently. Symeon Metaphraſt. in Vita Chryſoſt. The ſame Father reſiſted Gainas, a barbarous Arian captaine, in the Emperours preſence. Niceph. lib. 13. cap. 5. & 6. & Chryſoſt. Homil. de Auarit. ſub finem Tom. 5.
10 I omit, for breuities ſake, to relate how Athanaſius reſiſted Conſtantine, in the ſame quarrell, as appeareth out of his 2 Apologie.
But let vsus conſider what it was that ſometimes cauſed the Emperours to be negligent and remiſſe in executing their Office, and how they were either induced or ſeduced to fauour Heretiques, or to collude with them.The cauſes wherefore ſome Emperours were remiſſe and indulgent towards Heretiques. The cauſes in many were.
I The goodneſſe of their nature and mildneſſe of their diſpoſition and clemencie. But Magiſtrates muſt either do iuſtice, or ceaſe to be magiſtrates.
II Improuidence, for they thought that Hereſies would vaniſh and fall of themſelues; and that at length Heretiques would ceaſe and returne vntounto the Church by the examples of Godlie men, eſpecially of the Prince.
III The Scythicall immanitie of their predeceſſours againſt the Catholiques; which that they might auoid, they fell into diſſolute clemencie; whereof many hauehave repented themſelues afterwards.
IIII The wicked aduiſe and counſell of corrupt Courtiours cauſed others to offend, who raſhly beleeued them in all things. So Conſtantia, Conſtantines Siſter, and Euſebius the Biſhop of Nicomedia deceiued the Emperour, aduiſing him to reſtore Arius and his Complices, that were baniſhed by the Nicene Councell; which he did. Socrat. lib. 10. cap. 25.
V Feare of greater miſchiefe and ſhame hindred ſome of them from proceeding againſt Sectaries. So Arcadius was about to grant the Arians a Church, at the entreatie of Gainas a barbarous Captaine, had not Chryſoſtome confounded that ruffian before the Emperours face. Niceph. lib. 13. cap. 5. & 6.
VI. Heraclius Caeſar, being imprudently carried away by ſome Biſhops into the opinion of the Monothelites, when that Hereſie was afterwards condemned in the Councell of Ieruſalem, the Emperour, becauſe he would auoid the opinion of inconſtancie, being aſhamed to recant, became a meere Neutrall, and held neither one way nor other.
Heerein may our Chriſtian Kings behold, as in a glaſſe, the rockes of offence, whereat ſome of the ancient Emperours impinged, that they may beware and auoide them, and take heed leaſt they in like maner, by licentious impunitie, ſeeme to fauour Sectaries and Heretiques.