Refutation of a Puritan-Papist, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Reaſons againſt Toleration and Permiſsion of diuers Religions, from the ancient Fathers practiſe and carriage in their examplar liues.
Toleration vnlawfull by the Fathers practiſe. Iohn the Euang.1 WORTHY the noting is that ſaying of S. Iohn the Euangeliſt, when he found Cerinthus in the bath: Let vsus flie hence, leaſt the Bath wherein is Cerinthus the Aduerſarie of the truth, do preſently fall downe vponupon vsus, and we periſh: as Irenaeus teſtifieth, who ſaith that he heard it of the mouth of Poly carpus S. Iohns diſciple. Iren. aduerſ. Haereſ. lib. 3. cap. 3.
2 Who addeth alſo,Polycarpus. that Polycarpus, when Marcion the Heretique met him and ſaid, Dost thou know me? anſwered; I know thee to be the firſt begotten Sonne of Satan. So much (ſaith Irenaeus) did the Apoſtles and their Diſciples feare, that they would not communicate, no not in words and ſpeech onelyonly, with thoſe that adulterated the truth. Iren. ibid. vide Euſeb. Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 3. cap. 22. & lib. 4. cap. 17. Niceph. lib. 3. cap. 3. & Euſeb. lib. 5. cap. 19.
3 Furthermore, Irenaeus ſaith, that when Polycarpus heard any hereticall ſpeeches, he preſently exclaimed, O good God, into what times haſt thou reſerued me, that I ſhould endure theſe things! and ſo with all ſpeed would flie awaie from the place where he ſate or ſtood hearing ſuch things. Epist. ad Florinum.
Some Orthodox Chriſtians.4 Apollinaris reporteth, that in the times of perſecution, when ſome Orthodoxe and catholique Chriſtians were conuented together with ſome other infected with the hereſie of the Cataphrygians, to giuegive teſtimonie vntounto the faith; they diſſented from them very much, and leaſt they ſhould any way ſeeme to giuegive conſent vntounto the madde and furious Spirit of Montanus and of thoſe women his conſorts, they could neuer be induced to communicate with them, no not vntounto the laſt gaſpe. Apud Euſeb. lib. 5. cap. 15.
5 Origen vtterly refuſed to come to praiers together with Paul the Heretique (as I thinke Samoſatenus) and that becauſe from his childehoode he had religiouſly and diligently obſerued that Canon of the Church againſt Heretiques,Origen. and alwaies deteſted the doctrine of errour. Apud Euſeb. lib. 6. cap. 3.
6 Dionyſius Alexandrinus ſaith,Dionyſ. Alexandr. and Heraclas. that he receiued a Canon of Heraclas the Biſhop, that ſuch as were accuſed and conuicted to conuerſe much with Heretiques defending ſtrange and erroneous opinions, were excommunicated out of the Church. Apud Euſeb. lib. 7. cap. 6.
7 According vntounto this Canon,Marcellus. Marcellus Biſhop of Ancyra, being as yet Catholique and Orthodoxe, would by no meanes be preſent at the Councels of Tyre and Ieruſalem; nor at the conſecration of the great Temple at Ieruſalem built by Conſtantine; becauſe he would auoid the ſocietie and communion of the Arian Biſhops. Zozom. lib. 2. cap. 31.
8 So alſo Liberius Biſhop of Rome,Liberius. in an Epiſtle vntounto the Eaſterne Biſhops, excludeth from the communion of the Church, all ſuch as refuſed to curſe Arius. Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 3.
9 Neither was Felix, Felix.Liberius his ſucceſſour, reprehended for any other cauſe, but becauſe he vſed the companie and ſocietie of the Arians. Zozom. lib. 4. cap. 10.
The people of Alexandria.10 Athanaſius teſtifieth of the people of Alexandria, that they choſe to be ſicke and endangered without viſitation, rather than they would the Arians ſhould come and viſite them. Athanaſ. ad Orthodox. deperſ. Alſo that ſome of the vulgar ſort, when they were whipped and ſcourged by the Arians for not receiuing their hereſie, ſaid; We communicate not with heretiques, whip as long as thou pleaſeſt, but God will iudge thee for theſe things. Athanaſ. in Epiſt. ad Solitar.
11 Placilla the Empreſſe,Placilla. when the Emperour Theodoſius ſenior deſired to conferre with Eunomius, diſſwaded her husband very earneſtly, leaſt being peruerted by his ſpeeches he might fall into hereſie. Zozom. lib. 7. cap. 7.
The inhabitants of Samoſetum.10 Laſtly, the Zeale of the Samoſatenians is worthy commendation, who when Eunomius the Arian, being their Biſhop, was waſhing himſelfe in the Bath, notwithſtanding he inuited them to come in, yet would they not, but ſtood ſtill ſpeaking neuer a word, which the Biſhop tooke as if it had beene done in honour of him: But as ſoone as he aroſe, and came out of the Bath, the Samoſatenians thinking that the water was infected with hereticall poyſon, let it all runne out into the ſinke, and commanded freſh water to be powred for them. Theod. lib. 4. cap. 14. Caſsiodor. Hist. Tripart. lib. 7. cap. 16.