( 2') JID'r to record their dijfenfion and infolency praEI:ifed llnJOIIg then!felves, before th1 F"fecution, &c.] · . Note that all this was before .1Jrius his Herefie, even before Diocle{ians cruelties; but not before the beginning ofChurch-Tyranny and ambiti– on, as is faid. But after this, alas, how much greater were their enormities and dilfen. tions, when their Tyranny was much encreafed ; It would grieve any fober Chriftian to read how the Chriftian World hath beentolfed up anddQwn, and the people diftraCl:ed, and Princes diftur·bed and -dethroned, and Herefies fomented, and horrid Perfecutions, and blood,lhed caufed, by the pride and cop.tentioufnefs of Prelates : And moft of all this, in profecu– tion of that Controverfie, which Chrift decided fo long ago, ·vi~~:.. Who– Jhou/d.be greateft. It was not Religion, faith Socr11tes-, [. 5. c. 22. thllt the two· ArianSeBs of.Marinus and Agapius w"s about, but Primacy : They jlr1'1Je which of them Jbould be the chief: wherefore many qtergy-men under the~ rifdillion of th?fo Bijbops, p~rceiving_Jhe ambition, the rancopr and m11lwe of tlief' proud Prelates, forfook..them, (joe. , ·: · .. . , Macedonius at Conjl..ntinople was fo Tyrannical," that as he came in by cr uelty, ,fo he caufed more, by _prefumpt!Joqs (emoval of the bones ofCon. ftanrlne, to another Church, that he might pull down that, and this w.ith- · out Conftantius the Emperoqrs kno~ledg~; : whl!re-the people; in F~Cl:ion~fough~ it ou~, .till the Cliurth and,SPf.~ets,were full'o~Qar.k~il'es,qpd f!:r<;am$; Sorr.rJ;l . of blood, .fatth Scc?ates. , The ;(arne man ~et.Jour .C~Jmpanre~ Qf <.· ~b . Souldi~rs o~ the 1-(ovatjans in P.'!phlagonia, ~i.q.he e~r<J'g_t•d t)1e~eppkw-it4 Jd. • Clubs and Bllls to ktll them all.And he,was fo 1yrann\calm·forq11gCpnfo~-mity;that he net only forced men to theSacrament, but gagged tljcir mo~clth~· iind·popt it'in. , " • ~'•'"· ·'\ . 1;. • • , Nor was this only the vice:of,tlu:- ~-lete~odqJ( but.the .Or~hodpx, as is aforefaid. AndastheFrench a11d·Get;T!I4i .13ilho.ps 'a(orefaid did againft the PrifciUinaljls, to for theiF own if!te_re.fi; ag~in.fbon'eitnother, they ·flattered and-refrlefiy in!l:igated the Civil power, even Uuiurpers to execute their Wills : and favoured ~hat power that moft favoured them. When thefore- ·· faid Maximlld had,kill,e~ qratian 3!Jd I:_e!gned in Fr-~e, and--eqter-ed /tilly, (after that'-Ambr4•·h~d {hopt him a . whi~\l) The,dphilus •Aleximdr. fendeth an Agen~ Presbyter yvit'h ·twp ·Letters,, pnd a r-icl:t-prefent, one to MfiximtU ' and OJ;~e toTheodofiHf ; orderi,ng h,im_ to fta_y·the ilfue. ofthe Figh.t, and give the'Prefent with his Letter tohim-~ha~ proved the Conqueror: ' But a Ser– vant .ftole t~e Lett~r~ frolt\ ~he,P..f\!!f!;,;and opened·.thewhole bufinefs; and tauTe(f'the ,Priefr·to fly and )lid.(}_gimfe)f. . ' so.. ~ Th({econtentions of the Bilhop~1 ?nd cor.r.tJi>tipn oftl).anrters, fo dif..·· ta.fte<fthe mor_e~~eligious'- (ort (?,fthe~people, - than it o~cafioned tlie mul– tipfying ,of fep:p-ating Herdies: a!il4 ,greatly ~ncre!lfed .and ·confirmed o– thers, efpecially the Donatifls, andNov11tions 1 becaufe men thought them -– to -be of better lives than the Orthodpx., · -B· · Yea, bnheinery abufe.Qf gQod and holy men, they drove even ·, the -
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=