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Show l '._· l~· .. " · 't .,ll ""'"'' "' ' • • 1 "14 ·The Teftimony of .Ancient a»d late writers difcuj]ed. Difcuffer. >.But Hilary hw comp/,rynt, jpea~tb not to·Excommunicatiom,.butto civiO cenforu. Definder. 'Ther~fore·my An fiver was to him partly by proportion, part· ly by wr;cellion. Hilary faid, the Chriflian Church did not pt~ f<cutr, bm is redecuted. Whereto 1.'\nfwered, 1. That Excomrr.unication of an Heretick is no perfecmion: e.nd therefore by pro.ponion ntither is the civill punifhment of an Heret'ck perf<cution; And the Reafon in my words reacbeth both: for to perjiczm u to punifh an lnnecent: But an ;, 110t anlnnocrnt, but a culpable and dam, able per [on. 2. I anfwered by concdlion of Hilaryu words in Hilmu mtaning, it it true, what Hilary faith, >~either did the Apojl/11," Ill!}' wee propagate Chrijlian Religion by the Sword, &c. Difculfcr. llut a Chriftian.Church doth no .more.perficute, then a Li0,~1! firatch thornu, or a Lamb pur foe and teare the Wolves, or a 11111], Dove doth bunt the Hawli,f.J> or Eagl.,, oracbajl modejlvirgin figbt . andfcratchlik.! Whom andHarlotJ. ' Defender. If by perfecution, the Difcu.Dtrmeaneth (as it feemeth he doth) .the infliction of the civil! punithments, hit fpeech is true, and the p~oponion holdeth, civill .punithmenu are as improper for Chri- 1\ran Churches w inflict, as for Lilliea to fcratch Thornet , or .Lambes to teare Wolves, &c • ..- But if the Lambes he fpeaketh of in his compatifon, werem~· fonable,as the Lambes of.ChrHl be,though they would notthenr felves purfue and teare"the Wolves, yet they would runne to their .Shepheard! (and .civiJI Magill rates are the fhepheards of all thei< people) to fend out their dogs after the Wolves, to purfueand tear~ t~em. I fee no reafon, why the chall and modefl eyeofa Chnfhan Church thould any more fpare, and pity a fpirimall Adu!terer, that feeketh to withdraw het' from her fpoufe to a falf< C:,:h•rll, then the eye of an Holy Ifraelite was to fpareandpiri<lhe lrke T cmpcerain dayts of old, D<ut. 1 3· 8. • ' ' CHAP• 66 • .A'JVplytohiiCbap. 69· Difcuffer. THe Anfwer by conceffion to Hilaryes words may further be di[cu§ed. It it true ( fdith the Anfwerer) "' Hylary ffe~~th, that neither the Apojlles, nor we, may propagate ChrzJI•an Reltgza,z by tbt Sword: But ifP agans cannot be wanne, by .the word, they ~r< not 10 be compelled by the Sword. Neverthele[Je thu bt~dreth nat, b~t if they, ur an other foau!d blajpbeme the lrll< Gad, and hu true Rellgtan, tbg b'?ta be (werely punifhed : and no le§e doe they deferve who [<duct from :~~Truth to damnable Here fie and Idal~trie. , . - InwbichAnfwer,Iob[erve, Firj!, bu Agreeme~t_'mh Hrlary, that Cbripian Religion m•y not be propagated by the ct~zO S'!'ord: . Vnto which I Reply, what meaneth then thu P•.Dage In hu ftrj! Anf,.er to the former !feeches of theKingt, viz. We acb.!J'':'Iedg.•, tbJt nonei< to be conjlraimd to believe or pro( e§e the trtle 'R,tlrgton, ttU be be coll'liinced in Judgement of the Truthofzt, · D.jender • If it be obferved, my Agreement wi~h Hil"y; then letit be ob!; rved, that the Difcu§er in whetting the words of the .Authors_ of theLetteragainft us, layetha falfe ch~rge upon_u~, as tf we mam· rained fuch perfecuti(}1•for car<fo of Co.nfc:ence , "' u condemned by !b~ Ancient Writm. Of wham Hilary u named for oue, an~ for !he firjl. and yet in the Difcuffion it is found that we agree With htm. ln that Anfwer to the fpeeches of the Kings, when I acknowledged, th•t none wM to be conj!rained to be_Jeive, or profe/Je the true lte-ligion, tiU he becanvinced of the Truth of lt. • • I did not meane that 2fter he was convmced, he mtghtth~n be conlhained with clvill cenfurcs: f0r neither bcleiving nor profd· fing u:ibeleive is co be conllr.1ined with civil! cen(ures. . But yet thu: f~rre he may be coni! rained, by wuhholdmg fi:ch countenance and favour from him, {uch encouragemmt, and em· ployAlcnt from him, as a wife and difcerning Prince, would otherwife gram, to tuch as be!eive the Tmth, and frofe~e tr, fo !·" aathey are convinced of it in Jud~emenr _and Cunfc;cnce. For fuch as will not walke according to tl:eir Lrgln, are neither tiuPry !;rvants to God, nor man. v • • |