Did not the unchristian principles and practises of two many pre∣tending to Christianity give us too much occasion we might have spa∣red this Section. But sith some have nothing to uphold their Assem∣blies but humane force, or the terror of Fines, and Imprisonment; We may justly enquire of them, as once Hillary contra Auxentius. * 1.1 I pray you O ye Bishops, which do take your selves for such, what suffrages used the holy Apostles to preach the Gospel? with what power were they aided for to preach Christ, and to change all the Gentiles, from the service of Idols to God. — Did Paul Assemble the Church by the Kings Edict. In Assem∣bling themselves together in secret places, by the Streets, and in Villages, did compass about almost all people by Land and by Water against the Decrees and Ordinances of Senators and the Edicts of Kings.
* 1.2 After the faithful were driven away (from their usual places) by Valen∣tius, they Assembled at the foot of the Mountains, and there gave praise and thanks to God, rejoycing in the heavenly Oracles, suffering there the impetu∣osity of the Winds, sometimes Rains, Snows and Colds, and other times most extream Heats; Valentius not suffering them this most laborious and pain∣full commodity, sent men of war to drive away and scatter the Assemblies every where. Thus were the Christians Assemblies maintained against all force of men, by a free and cheerful obedience to God, but were never known in the Primitive times to uphold such their holy conventions by any violence or coercive means whatsoever.
And indeed to use violence in this case is inconsistent with the prin∣ciples and the state of the Church of Christ, under the Gospel Mini∣stration, for First:
The Church of Christ consists not of Nations, Cities, or Families by the Lump, but such of them only as imbrace the Truth, which is com∣monly the less number by far, and also such as are of low Degree a∣mong men, and therefore said to be a people scattered abroad, 1 Pet. 1. 1, 2. The foolish things of this World, 1 Cor. 1. among whom not many Noble or Wise men after the flesh are called, and therefore little acquainted with the exercise of worldly Power, nay though they were invested with it, yet may they not by virtue thereof subject any to their way by force and violence, for Secondly.
Christ himself, when invested with all power in Heaven and Earth; nor yet his Apostles who had immediate commission from him, did at any time use, or require others to use force in Religion; but that only, which is persuasive: and without doubt its the duty of all Churches to keep close to their example as also to the patern of the