(i66) affceted the 'zealous people, as drove them awayfrom the Orthodox Churches, to theSeets and Hereticks, as the Englith Prelatesdo at this day;fo that multitudesofthe moli flrief and temperate Chriffians follow- ed theNovations,the Donatiiffr, and much worfer feels. And when the Prelatesgrew up to a fecular terrour, andtwittedwith the ,Civil power, and were backed by the Sword, t. They made the more fober and mortified Chriflians the more dislike them , as may appear by what.Eufebius, Socrates, andothers write of them, and the Charàélers that are givenof Cyril and fheopbilus, Alexander, and fuch others : Andby Martins feparation from Ithaciur and Idacius, and their Synods, and by the increafe of the Pritcilianills by their pride and vio- lence, mentionedby Sulp. Severus, and others. 2. And it was not by the Keys indeed, but by the Swordwhich backt them, that they did all that theydid, be it good or evil, in filencìngs, and in keeping up their order. 3. And they did but teach the Hereticksto firengthen themfelves by the fame means : So that the Prifcilianifls once got countenance from Gratians Courtiers againfi the Bithops i And Ambrofe was per- fecutedor endangeredby Valentinian, as Athanafris at late was by Con- fantine himfelf,and Chr f home depofed, and many others byfuch means : Yea till at tall the Bithops found that evil is more commonly befriend- ed by corrupted nature than good 4 and that Goodnefs is ufually low- eft where woalth andhonours make men higheii, and that few Princes were thebell of men, and therefore that if one befriended the truth, many were like to beagainfi it, and till the Arriansby the helpofEm- perours , and Vandal and Gothdh Kings, had almofl turned all- the Church into Arrians, and hadgot the General Councelson theirfides, and had cruelly persecuted the Orthodox Bithops, and taught them what it was totruh to the Sword, for the clenfing and concord of the Churches. And when the controverfie of Imagescame up, one Em- ptrour was for them and another againfi them : By which means and by thecontending ofthe Lanai) and Weilern Patriarcks andPrelates, whothould be the greaten, the Churches have been torne ro pieces, and fo continue lamentably to this day (as in the Hiftory was before declared) And it was the Prelatical Tyrannyof the Romanifis, that fince raif. cd fomany parties againfi them, and then had no way to Club them, but byprofecuting them by the Swol d and flames, as in the cafe ofthe Waldenfes, Albigenjer, and Prote[fants appeareth: And as the Murders of many hundred thoufands in Piedmont, France, Germany, Ireland, England, &c, Befides their Inquifitions thew. Thus Solitudinem fece- runt,&unitatem pacem vccarunt. when they have hanged, burnt and flain the people and Priefts, they have quieted and filenced Them, and when they have made atolitude and depopulation by killing thofe that differ; d from them, they have brought all to concord, and been all of a mind, And
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