Blood of men the best of men to destroy the Peace of the Church and to set up that Presbyterian Discipline which was no sooner up but down as that which will no more comport with the Constitution of the English Government than Popery or the Mussleman Faith And as this barbarous Regicidy so that which introduced it with so much Murder Perjury and Rapine I mean the Civil War which cost so many millions of Treasury and so many thousands of Mens lives was undeniably the effect of the Presbyterian Schism as is sufficiently acknowledged by the mouth of a modern Dissenter which is Mr. Baxter a dying man and therefore to be believed speaking to a Nonconformist whom he doth so orthodoxly and honestly write against Cathol Communion doubly Defended p. 31. If you know not saies he I do that the principles of Separation were the great cause of the Subversions and Confusions which brought us to what we have felt in England Scotland and Ireland for these forty years and if I may not have leave to say with Bradford Repent O England you should give me leave to repent my self that ever I preached one Sermon with any Biass of overmuch desire to please Persons of the accusing separating humour Thus Mr. Baxter in that late and last of all his Books But to proceed In conclusion of this War and Regicidy the men in Buff fell to Reformation-work in Churches which I cannot but take notice of in this place it being so exactly agreeable to the pattern of Julian the Apostate's reforming Christianity In Winchester Church Collonel Waller with some of his Regiment Hist of Presb. lib. 13. n. 23. threw down the Communion Table broke down the Rails and burnt them in an Ale-house strewed the pavement of the Quire with the Leaves which they tore out of the Common-prayer Book and whereas the remains of several Saxon Kings and Bishops had been by the care of Bishop Fox gathered into leaden Chests they scattered the Dust of their Bodies before the Wind and threw their Bones about the Church The very same that Julian the Apostate did to the remains of John the Baptist buried at Samaria He caused his Bones to be digged up and being mixed with the Bones of Beasts he burnt them to Ashes and scattered the Ashes before the Wind. N. 24 25. In the Cathedral Church of Chichester after they had picked out the Eyes of the portraitur'd King Edward the sixth saying in scorn That all the mischief came from him in establishing the Common-Prayer at first they fell to pillaging and plundering like the Goths at the Sack of Rome and when it was beg'd that they would leave but one Chalice for the use of the Sacrament it was answered A wooden Dish may serve turn The same words almost as of Faelix Colleague to Julian that renounced Christianity in complement to Julian who taking up the Communion-plate which the Religious Constantine had in piety bestowed upon the Church See here saies he in scorn what brave Cups and Vessels the Son of Mary is served in The Church of Exeter they turned into a Jakes leaving their filth on and about the Communion Table whereas the Apostate Julian did but piss against the Communion Table in a Church at Antioch and the Presbyter Euzoius reproved him tho an Emperor sharply to his face And in all this they wrote as after the Copy of the Apostate Julian so with the practice of the Donatist-Dissenters As Optatus relates that in Thipasa Opt. 55. ap Hist of Don. a City of Mauritania the barbarous Donatists assaulted an Assembly of the Orthodox Christians while they were at their Devotions and driving them out of the Church slew a great many of them the Bread of the consecrated Eucharist they threw to the Dogs who having eaten it by the just Judgment of God presently grew mad fell upon their Masters that gave it them and tore them to pieces But in the reforming the Church of Canterbury they exceeded Julian or the Donatists either N. 25. for finding there some Figures of Christ in the Arras-hangings in the Quire they did in the most literal Sence crucifie Christ in Effigie some swearing that they would stab him others that they would rip up his Bowels which accordingly they did so far as the Figures of Christ in the Hangings were capable of it The principal Instrument in framing this Reformation and Hammering out all that mischief of the War and Regicidy was a Tool called the Solemn League and Covenant as appears by the dying words of one of the chief contrivers of it Sir Henry Vane Speech p. 3. at his Execution on Tower-Hill That what the House of Commons did singly by themselves which was their Levying of War Murdering the King proscribing his Son Voting down Monarchy with much more which he saies lay yet in the breast of the House was but a more refined pursuit of the Covenant Thus Sir Henry Vane who being sent hence Commissioner into Scotland was one of the first Contrivers of it and therefore most likely to know the use and design of it and being then ready to die was most likely to speak truth But thus much is demonstrably true that the Covenant put them on altering the Government and that Alteration on the aforesaid Reformation as also upon Warring against the King and that War upon conquering and that Conquest upon Imprisoning and that Imprisoning upon Impowering a rude Conquering Army to Murder him So that their laying all on a rude conquering Army as Mr. Baxter doth is no other Plea for the Presbyterians not killing the King Plea for Peace c. than Pilates was for his Innocency in putting Christ to Death because he left the Execution of it to the Soldiers But to shew what an Engine this Covenant was against the Church what a Solemn piece of Perjury and what a snare of Souls what a mystery of Iniquity and what a bane of Monarchy 't is fit all Posterity should be instructed in these three Articles of it 1. That without respect of Persons they would endeavour to extirpate Popery and Prelacy i. e. Church-Government by Arch-Bishops Bishops Deans c. and all this not only contrary to the Kings Proclamation strictly forbidding it but contrary to an Oath previously taken by a great part of the Covenanters 2. That they would endeavour the discovery of all such as had been or should be Incendiaries Malignants evil Instruments c. whereby they bound themselves and others as the event shew'd to bear false against to Condemn and Murder the Kings best Friends as those that stood most in their way as the Earl of Strafford Arch-Bishop Laud c. 3. That they would preserve the Kings Person in the preservation of the true i. e. Presbyterian Religion and the Liberties of this Kingdom Which was in effect a covenanting to Rebel against the King if not to Murder him in regard that the Covenanters had already
declared from Pulpit and Press that the Religion and Worship established in the Church of England and maintained by the King was Popish and Idolatrous and that the Presbyterian was the only true Religion and that the King had actually invaded the Liberties of the Subjects c. and on this account this Article took in its limitations did in effect empower them to absolve themselves from their Allegiance and to take up Arms against the King So that if we consider this Covenant in these four circumstances the Subject-matter of it the Design and Occasion of it the Persons engaged in it and the manner of Imploying it it will appear to be Farewel Serm. p. 37. not only as Mr. Baxter calls it A dividing Engine an imposing on the Providence of God c. but as another Nonconformist called it A very nest of Villany and as another of them Nar. of the Covenant Mr. Phil. Nye Such a Covenant as was never heard nor read of nor ever the World saw and as yet this was made the Test of all such as were to be trusted or accepted And of the same stamp with these old Covenantiers are there great numbers at this day The certain men among us crept in unawares of whom Dr. Hickes gives this emphatical Mark Serm. at Worcest May 29. Preface That are for the King against his evil Councellors and for the Protestant Religion against the Church Of their barbarous Cruelties to'ards the Orthodox Clergy and others wherein they exceeded the Cruelties of the Donatists to'ards the Orthodox Clergy of those times see Aerius Rediv. lib. 13. Mercurius Rusticus c. No sooner had they battered down Episcopacy by their Westminster Ordinances and set up Presbytery in its stead but that beloved Discipline and Government whose settlement in England cost so many millions of Treasure and so many thousands of Lives in the turn of a hand was made sub to Independency and that soon dwindled into more Sects than ever old Donatism was such as Anabaptists Quakers Seekers High-Attainers c. Some of which would in all probability have become the prevailing Religion of the Nation had not the seasonable Restoration of King Charles the 2d prevented it By all which we are taught to look on it as what God hath written to us in Characters of Blood That no other than the Episcopal Government will comport with the Constitution of the English Nation And to shew yet further the agreement of these men with the Donatists and other Sectaries of old I shall conclude this Head with that Character which King James gave of them That tho they refused to be called Anabaptists 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet they partook too much of their humour not only agreeing with them in that general Rule the contempt of the Civil Magistrate and in leaning to their Dreams Imaginations and pretended Revelations but particularly in accounting all men prophane that agree not to their Fancies in making as much commotion for every particular question of Church-polity as if an Article of the Trinity were called in question in making the Scripture to be ruled by their Conscience and not their Conscience by the Scripture in accounting every one as a Heathen and Publican and not worthy to enjoy the benefit of breathing much less to partake with them in the Sacraments that denies the least jot of their ground And in suffering the King People Law and all to be trodden under foot rather than the least of their Grounds be impugned He stiles them the very Pests of the Commonwealth whom no deserts can oblige breathing out nothing but Calumnies and Sedition Aspiring without Measure Railing without Reason and making their own Imaginations the square of their Consciences Thus doth King James Characterize the Presbyterians of his time exactly agreeing in every clause of the Character with the Donatists and the rest of the Ancient Schismaticks To all which he subjoins in the form of a Protestation That one shall never find in any High-landers or bordering Thieves greater Ingratitude more Lies and Perjuries than among these Phanatick Spirits as he calls them And because the Novatians the Donatists and other Schismaticks of old as well as of late have had the Denomination of Phanaticks given them and because 't is a notion that I have observed to be grosly misunderstood even by many great pretenders to knowledg especially of the Dissenters I shall subjoin this brief account of it PHANATICISM THE word is used to signifie false pretensions to Divine motion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Inspiration from God and is appropriate to those who in matters of Religion intitle God to Enthusiastick Fancies ascribe their whimsical perswasions unaccountable Humours and Phantastick Motions to the Suggestion and Impulse of the blessed Spirit of God that to defend an otherwise indefensensible Cause pretend to the aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some impulse or motion from God Thus Donatus when he had a mind to engage the Circumcellians in any barbarous design his custom was to pretend that an Angel had appeared to him and assured him of immediate Answer to his Prayers for the Confirmation of his Party Oravit Donatus respondit ei deus saies Optatus 1. The grossest sort of Phanaticism is of those who pretend to the aliquid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the impulse of Gods Spirit for things in themselves sinful when men do intitle God to such Villanies as Fraud Treason Sedition c. As that of Donatus Aug. Ep. 165. passim who would pretend to conference with an Angel and Revelation from God telling the Circumcellions that he would seek God and give them Directions when he had a mind to put them on any Massacre Rapine or the like Of this sort was the Scotch Mrs. Mitchelson Spirit of Popery out of the mouth of Phanat. whom the Presbyterians of Scotland set up for a Prophetess She pretended to be inspired and that it was revealed to her by God that the Solemn League and Covenant was approved of by him and ratified in Heaven Speech at his Execution So Kid a Conventicle Preacher of Scotland hanged for Sedition in the year 1680 his calling the conceited strength and number of the Rebels the Lords power and presence and the strong hand of the Lord c. which is so far forth Phanaticism as it is an intituling the Power and Providence of God to Rebellion So also Coppinger in Queen Elizabeth's time after a strict Fast held for freeing of Cartwright Snape c. out of Prison and for success in promoting the Presbyterian Discipline in his Journey to'ards Kent he fancied Aeri Red. That he was admitted to a familiar conference with God that he received many Directions from him and particularly that God had shewed him a way to bring the Queen and all her Nobles to Repentance or to prove them Traytors to God c. Baker Chron. An. 1591. Of this Coppingers School
are in a late Book called Ravillack Redivivus Now either we must say That the Devil has Power of disposing of the gifts of Gods Spirit which is Blasphemy or that this Extemporate way of praying is no infallible sign of Gods Spirit and therefore that it is Phanaticism to ascribe it to him In a word as Miracles ceased so did the gift of inspired Prayer and ever since has the Church Worshipped God by allowed Forms or Liturgies not only in the Bohemian and Lutheran Churches but in the Presbyterian Churches of Geneva France Holland c. and that not only allowed but advised by Mr. Calvin himself till of late some Jesuits in Masquerade first set up the way of Extemporary Prayer on purpose to break good Order in the Protestant Churches and especially here in England Foxes and Firebrands as is lately made evident beyond all reach of scruple by a good credible Author 5. 'T is rank Phanaticism to resist Lawful Authority on pretence of Religion or to pretend Conscience for Disobedience to Magistrates hereby God has been intituled to as barbarous Massacres and as horrid Rebellions as ever were committed and this sort of men are so far Phanatick as they intitle God to self-inconsistency in opposing his Will to his Will and his Word to his Word by pretending his Authority for Disobedience to his Commissioners For Conscience is no less than a Divine Authority and therefore not to be pretended without much less against a Divine Law The pretence of Conscience is that we are afraid to displease God and therefore chuse rather to displease men but if we displease men to please God where God has forbid that Displeasing or Disobeying of men as in the case of Disobedence to Magistrates in things not sinful in that case the pleasing of God is but pretended and that pretence is but Fanaticism it being Disobedience on the account of Conscience or Duty to God where there is no Word or Law of God commanding it 'T is eternally true That a Conscience informed and governed by a Divine Law ought not to stoop to the greatest Prince That the Authority of God is to be opposed to the greatest Power upon Earth And that all the Powers in the World cannot deliver us from the Obligation of CONSCIENCE that is when it has Gods Law for its Rule But where that is wanting it is not properly Conscience but Humour and Fancy and pretending that Law and that Divine Authority when we have it not is plain intituling Gods Majesty not meerly to Humour and Fancy but to that damnable Sin of Disobedience which is properly called Phanaticism This Account have I given not to justifie that ill practice of giving odious Names to any Party but meerly to instruct the Vulgar Reader a little in that great evil of Schism and Faction which is so little discerned by such and less made Conscience of by most Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea for Moderation THE Arch-Pagan Celsus having wrote a most Pestilent Book against Christianity gave it this specious Title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in imitation of him it was that * Not Pythago Commontat Hierocles an Egyptian Governour wrote two Books to prove the Scriptures guilty of Falshood and Contradiction The Apostles to have been Cheats and Impostors The Miracles of Christ to have been the Effect of Magick and not comparable to those of Apollonius Tyanaeus Yet this hellish Book he did Intitle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As tho its damnable Errors had been Divine Truths and not against but for the Christians In like manner Mr. Bolde a Conformist Minister who declares himself satisfied in the lawfulness of every thing required in the Church of England in imitation of Mr. Baxter's Pleas for Peace has published a Book which he calls A Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters which is indeed such a Plea for Licentiousness and Confusion such a piece of Hypocrisie and Church-Treachery and such a perfect Satyr upon the Government as deserves a worse Shammatha than what is ipso facto pronounced against him in the Sixth Canon for impugning the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church Or at least 't is a Plea for such Moderation as Dr. Taylor ‖ Ductor Dubit l. 3. c. 4. says has something of Craft in it but little of Ingenuity that may serve the ends of outward Charity or Phantastick Concord but not of Truth and Holiness Moderation saies Bishop Lany cannot be but between two Extreams Sermon on 1 Thes 4.11 and what Extreams are there in a setled Church as in England unless the Church be one Extream and the Schismatick the other saies the Bishop But to shew further the vanity and emptiness of his promising Title if you take the word Moderation in its forensick and primary Acceptation for that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or gentleness which is placed in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws when they press too hard upon Criminals I do undertake in these following Lines to make it evident That the Moderation of our Church and Church-Rulers is such that it is plain want of Moderation to question their Moderation and that they are utterly lost to all Moderation who attempt such Pleas in that behalf If you take the word Moderation in its Scripture-Acceptation it is no more than Meekness under Sufferings Persecutions c. as appears by the Context of that one and only place where it is used in Scripture Phil. 4.5 Let your Moderation or as the Geneva Translation let your Patient mind be known unto all men q. d. however immoderate your Persecutors are let your Moderation Meekness and Patience be known to all men not only Fellow-Sufferers but your Enemies and Persecutors Shewing plainly that the word Moderation in Scripture-Acceptation is accommodable to none but a suffering or persecuted Party Which makes it a contradictio in adjecto to call this Book a Plea for Moderation to'ards Dissenters And as the Title so the Book Dignum patellâ operculum For there 's scarce a Paragraph in it not fairly reducible to one of these Heads 1. Fraudulent Pleas for Compliance with Dissenters in the Disusance or Non-imposal of Church Ceremonies 2. For Indulgence to'ards them in relaxing the Rigour of the Laws 3. Scandalous Reflections 4. Impertinent Jorgon Remarks on Mr. Bolde's Plea concerning Church-Ceremonies TO see how in this he doth in limine impingere He begins his Book with this Fraudulent Insinuation concerning them Vnnecessary Rites and Ceremonies P. 1. 4. 8. 18. 20. and Zeal about them a Stratagem of the Devils Invention whereby to hinder the Progress of true Christianity humane Devices old Rites and Ceremonies trifling and frivolous Things with much more to the same purpose How far he hath hereby incurr'd the Penalty annex'd to violation of the 6th Canon which saies of the Impugners of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Church of England Let them be excommunicated And of the 10th Canon which calls them maintainers of Schismaticks who shall
demand a Scripture prohibition or precept for every thing that humane authority imposeth on the Church is of most dangerous consequence as Mr. Baxter has soundly proved and shewed wherein by an induction of about Twenty particulars Defence of the Principles of Love p. 97 98 99 100 101. c. I shall no more than name but some of them 1. It draws men into the dangerous guilt of adding to the word of God under pretence of defending its perfection He shews how 2. It sorely prepares men for infidelity He shews how 3. It alters the very definition of the Scripture and makes it quite another thing c. 4. It tends to cast all-rational worship out of the Church c 5. It will bring in all confusion instead of pure reasonable worship c. 6. It will fright poor People from Scripture and Religion and make us our Doctrine and Worship ridiculous in the sight of all the world as he shews at large 7. All possibility of Union among Christians and Churches must perish if this error prevail and be practised c. 8. It will have a confounding influence into all the affairs and business of our lives These and as many more Mr. Baxter doth not barely name as I have done but foundly proves to be the consequence of making Scripture a particular rule of circumstantials in worship or teaching that humane authority has not power of imposing on the Church things not forbid in Scripture To all which I add That Sedition and Rebellion is not so apt to arise from any one Presbyterian Tenet whatsoever as from this for when men deny humane authority the power of imposing Church-ceremonies for want of Scripture-precept or prohibition they do on the same account call those ceremonies Humane devices uncommanded Rites Popish and Superstitious c. and therefore mark the consequence to be reformed and if the Magistrate will not reform it the people must and on this very principle have commenced the most barbarous and unnatural wars in England Scotland and other places And therefore 't is very disingenuous in Mr. Bolde not only to assert and vindicate this fundamental and most distinguishing principle of Dissenters but to accuse its contrary a most undoubted truth of Dangerous consequences when 't is so apparent that the dangerous consequences are all on the other side He proceeds on this head thus P. â—2 It is not demonstrably certain that humane authority has power any further than to punish and restrain indecencies and disorders in the Church Not to say whether this be not that speaking against the Kings Sovereign Authority in causes Ecclesiastical which the 27th Can. censures 1. It is demonstrably certain that humane authority had power to appoint Church-ceremonies and to determine the circumstantials in Religion David alter'd some things and instituted others even in the Temple-Service upon no other authority than humane Hezekiah on the same authority and no other broke the Brazen Serpent to pieces though it was a symbolical ceremony of Gods own institution He appointed the Levites to kill the Passover which by Gods appointment was to have been performed by the people themselves He preferr'd the Levites to assist the Priests in killing the other Sacrifices which they were never before admitted to So that it is demonstrably certain That humane authority had once a power to determine the circumstantials of Religion Nor can Mr. Bolde tell when or how they came to be divested of it But on the contrary when Christ said His Kingdom was not of this world he plainly intimated that he never intended to divest Governours of the authority they were possessed of 2. It 's demonstrably certain that the Scriptures do no where restrain the power of humane authority to punishing of disorders or indecencies in the Church when the Scripture commands obey every ordinance of man it supposeth in man or humane authority a power of making ordinances Church-ordinances not excepted and ubi lex non distinguit non est distinguendum It has been all along the practise of humane authority in all the reformed Churches to institute Church-discipline and to impose it upon the people and lex currit cum praxi Thus Calvin himself writes to Farellus Ep. 87. To prevent the desultory levity of those who affect novelty it always prevailed in the Church which was decreed in ancient Councils That those who would not be subject to the laws of common discipline should be dismissed from their function And Beza on the life of Calvin that subscription to their Church-discipline was enjoined not only Ministers but people 4. That every Church National has power to institute or appoint its Church-ceremonies was one principal argument that our Protestant Reformers made use of against the Papists in altering our Religion from Popish to Protestant 3. Mr. Bolde's 3d Argument runs thus The things we contend about are of such a nature they cannot bear so much weight as some lay upon them c. 1. How much the less the matters are we contend about so much the more is the sin and shame of contentious disobedience and inconformity to them 2. The more fit they are to be made a sacrifice to peace especially when in obedience to that great Gospel-precept of obedience to every humane ordinance 1 Pet. 2.13 And since Mahomet must to the Mountain or the Mountain to Mahomet as he speaks for shame let not Governours stoop to Subjects antiquity to Novelty and publick Authority the highest on earth to private fancy the most humoursome and peevish Since these things are not says the Pleader matter of such moment P. 24. as moderate men should lay out much of their zeal about He proceeds to shew how much mischief men laying out too much zeal and too much stress upon these things has occasioned he gives not so much as one instance of the mischief but instead of all instances he cites Mr. Burgess in his Sermon before King James for this Story The Roman Emperour Augustus in going to dine with a Senator of Rome saw some company dragging a man after them that made a horrid out-cry The Emperour demanding the Reason it was answered their Master had condemned him to the Fish-ponds for breaking a Glass of great value The Emperour stopp'd the Execution and when he came to the Senators house in expostulating the case with him he asked him whether he had Glasses worth a mans life That I have says the Senator Glasses that I value at the price of a Province Let 's see them says the Emperor the Senator brought them The Emperour broke them with these words Better all these perish than one man My Author says he left it to his Majesty to apply and so do I to the Reader And the Reader applies it thus The Glasses are Church-ceremonies the Senator is the Imposer of them the Emperour is the Opposer of them the breaking of the Glasses is the abolishing of the Ceremonies rather than one man
is suppressing Nonconformity but doth rather incourage the thing and increase the Party For this he appeals to long and often experience and this he asserts at large with the greatest assurance imaginable Whereas 1st in statu quo the thing is yet sub judice the event scarcely yet discernable the effect yet scarcely known because since Queen Elizabeths reign the Laws have not been put into rigorous execution till this last year When Mr. Bolde wrote his Book the rigorous execution of the Law was much relaxed and it was the relaxation that so increased the Party Our State-Physitians have found it so that that pestilent Lax was the true morbifick cause of that dangerous superfaetation in the Body politick And let Bolde Quacklings pretend what they will Perilis in sua cujusque arte credendum est and thus as to the present or late state of things 2. If we look back on former times Long and often experience has made it undeniably evident that putting the paenal Laws rigorously in execution against Dissenters hath answered the end for which they were designed i. e. Hath suppressed Dissenters and reformed Nonconformity when nothing else would do Hist of Presb. lib. 9. n. 25 27. In Queen Elizabeth's Reign it was enacted in Parliament That whosoever should be found at any Conventicle or private meeting on pretence of Religious exercise were to suffer imprisonment or to depart the Realm never to return without leave first granted and the failure herein was made Felony And it was such sharp Laws made against them and rigorously executed on them that utterly suppress'd them and thereby effectually promoted the peace and tranquility of Church and State when all other means failed and that it was K. James's relaxing this rigour that first revived their faction is undeniably evident to any that understands the History of England for these Hundred and Thirty years last past And of Old the whole History of the Donatists doth make evident 1. That as the Emperours and their Councils became more zealous for the Christian Religion their Laws were made more and more strict against Dissenters and executed with more and more rigour according to the growth and proportion of their zeal for Christianity And 2dly that putting the Laws rigorously in execution was the only thing that restrained that dangerous faction and restored peace and unity to the Church Mine own City says St. Augustine which was once all Donatists Civitas mea cum tota esset in parte Donati ad unitatem Cathol timore legum imperialium conversa est Ep. 48. lit V. X. is now converted to the Vnity of the Church by this very means the terror of the Imperial Laws The terror of the Laws was so profitable to them says he that they did bless God for them saying God be thanked that hath quickened us stimulo terroris by the terror of the Laws to seek and to find the truth Others says he say we were frigheed by false rumours from entering into the Church which we should never have known to be false if we had not come to the Church and we should never have come to it if we had not been compelled And in his 50th Epistle to Bonifacius They who formerly had been on the Donatists Party thanked God that now by the correction of the Laws they are delivered from that furâ—osâ— pernicies as he calls their Nonconformity and that they who did so hate the Laws do now love them and rejoice in the cure that they had made on them as formerly they did in their madness detest the wholsome Laws as troublesome to them He elsewhere calls them mad that divide the Church and would have them like mad-men tyed and bound with the Chain of wholsome Laws and Severities Contra hos Imperator Constan lege sancivit auferri eorum oratoria Ecclesiis applicari neque in domivâ—s privatorum eos Congregationes neque publice celebrare sed in Ecclesia Cathol communicare in eam cunctis convenire sâ—â—debat propter quam legem haeresi on mâ—mor am arbâ—tror fuisse destructam Hist trip lib. 3 c. 11. Constantine the first Christian Emperour finding the Church divided and disturbed by Schismatick Dissenters made a Law against them forbidding and suppressing all their Conventicles by which very means says Sozomen the memory of Schismaticks was utterly destroyed And whereas Mr. Bolde says P. 28. that severity is not a proper me hod for the satisfying of mens judgements or removing their scruples I answer St. Augustine says that he was once of that mind and was not for having the Laws rigorously executed against Dissenters but he acknowledges his error in it and tells us that this opinion of his was conquered and changed non contradicentium verbis Ep. 48. lett V. sed demonstrantium exemplis i e. as Mr. Bolde speaks by long and often experience 'T is true says St. Augustine Let. T. none can be made good against his will but the fear of suffering may make him leave off his animosity against the truth or make him willing to receive the truth which he formerly knew not and persist in it when he knows it We know many says he not only single persons but whole Cities that were Donatists or Separatists now become good Catholicks heartily detested their devilish separation and fervently loving the unity and Communion of the Church all which were made such Convâ—râ—s by the fear of those Laws which * Speaking to Vincentius a Donatist you so dislâ—â—e And these examples propounded to me by my Colleague made me change my opinion For saith he I was once of that opinion that no mâ—n ought to be compâ—lled to the Vnâ—ty of the Church but that this was to be done only by force of * Vâ—rbo agendum disputatione pugnandum ratione vincendum argumenâ— and disputation that they were to be convict by Reason not compelled by Law for this I thought could do noâ—hing but make open Schismaticks Litt. V. or counterfeit Catholicks but this I was convinced to be an error non contradicentium verbis sed demonstrantium exemplis by long and often experience And therefore the Holy Father in his Epistles to Bonifacius Januarius Festus and others doth mightily press the rigorous execution of the Imperial Laws against Dissenters not only at that which is necessary to the unity and safety of the Church but of sufficient tendency to satisfy mâ—ns judgments and remove their scruples by compelling them to the most apt and proper means of that satisfaction and removal But suppose that it were not as the venerable St. Augustine says but as Mr Bold says that severity is not a proper means to satisfy mens judgments or remove their scruples Yet 2. It cannot be denyed but that it is a proper means to preserve the Churches unity and therefore Constantine the most Religious Emperour the first that ever made Laws against Dissenters did not seek to bring