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NOTE that, When they that are loose in their profession of Christianity, do persecute those that outwardly and formally prosess it with great Exactness, without any certain knowledg
whether or no the inward disposition and sincerity be answerable; they have certainly a secret hatred to all Religion and Piety, and wish that there were neither a God, nor a Life to come, nor an Immortality of the Soul: for were they sure that none of these were, they would be induced rather to pity and commiserate these strict professors, than hate and persecute them.
To this I may add, that the persecuting pirit of those Men, that, either in pretence, or in reality, do profess an exact practise of Piety and Devotion, comes from a secret kind of Atheisme and Aversion to all manner of Religion; when the purest is the great∣est Eye-sore to such Spirits; as is so much the more apparent and manifest, by how much it is evident that they would not be seen to act against Profaneness, debauched courses, Drunkenness, or Popery; because those disorderly ways and courses have a great Sympothy and agreeableness with the profane spirits of the World.
Dr. Sands, first Bishop of London, and afterwards Arch-Bishop of York, was, in his life-time, so much for Tolleration, and a di∣spensation of Rigour and Subscription, that he would needs have it set down in his Will: He also expressed in the same Will, that the intention of the first Reformers was to suite and accommodate the Reformation to the posture of things at that present time, when Papists were numerous, and the Protestants but few; and that it was not possible then to make a thorow Reformation.
There may be Laws to keep men out of the Church, but there are none to compel them in.
The Violent pressing of Ceremonies hath been, I humbly con∣ceive, a great hindrance to many in their embracing of them: Men fearing the intention therin to be far worse than really they are, and therefore they abhor them.
We are not to communicate with a persecuting Church, how Orthodox soever it be in Faith. Martyn, the Bishop of Tours, would not communicate with Orthodox Men that persecuted HE∣RETICKS; much more would he have refused to communicate with those that persecute good men.
The People of Constantinople refused to communicate with the Expellers of Chyrsostome, and with the Bishop placed by Endoxia.