Lux matutina, or, Some beams and dawnings of early light breaking forth of ancient history discovering the judgement and practice of the primitive times in reference to ceremonies and church-discipline.

Whether such Bishops who were of the Faith of one substance, ever persecuted others of a contrary mind to them, or com∣pelled them to their Communion? Or if any of them did, whether it was observed as an evil thing, or branded for it in those times? and how they dealt with Heretitks, whe∣ther onely by Scripture and argument, or otherwise?

Cir. 130. The truth hath brought forth many in these days which contended and dealt with the Hereticks, some with in∣vincible arguments without the Scriptures; some with mani∣fest proofs and authority of Scriptures, confuted their Hereti∣cal opinion. Eus. l. 4. c. 7. p. 60.

Cir. 175. There is nothing worse than Hereticks, &c. whom the Pastors of Churches repelled from the Flocks of Christ, &c. partly by admonitions and exhortations to the brethren, and partly by encountering with the Hereticks themselves; sometimes by disputing and questioning with them face to face, and sometimes by writing Commentaries, diligently re∣futing, &c. Eus. l. 4. c. 23. p. 71.

Cir. 170. The several bishops did practice according to the several opinions they held, and yet held communion toge∣ther; and Polycarpus could not be perswaded to alter his pra∣ctice, by the Bishop of Rome, yet they were at peace. Eus. l. 5. c. 23. p. 92.

Cir. 240. When Berillus bishop of Bossa, was in an error, ma∣ny bishops did deal with him by conference and disputation; Origen was sent for, who rebuked him, perswaded him with reasons, convicted him with manifest proofs, restrained him with true Doctrine, and restored him again. Euseb. l. 6. c. 32. p. 111.

385. At a Council at Constantinople, the bishops of the faith of one substance, would have perswaded the Macedonian bishops to be one with them; and when they refused and left the Council, we find no Lawmade to compel them. Soc. l. 5. c. 8. p. 342

406. Atticus one of the Bishops of Constantinople, mean in learning, yet of life godly, and of great Wisdom, where∣by the Churches in those dayes encreased and flou∣rished exceedingly: He reconciled such as were of his Faith, and made the Hereticks admire his Wisdom, whom he

would in no wise molest; but when he had ratled them, he would shew himself loving and amiable towards them: He was a great Student, read the greater part of the night. He was gentle and courteous to such as conferred with him; in a word, He became all things to all men, &c. as the Apostle writeth. Soc. l. 7. c. 2. p. 375.

Cir. 408. Theodosius a bishop of Syneda, was a sore scourge to the Hereticks, the Macedonians, he banished them, &c. neither did he this according to the Rule of the Catholick church, which accustomed not to persecute men; neither with zeal of the sincere faith, but in hope of filthy lucre, to wring money out of the Hereticks; and to effect this, he went to the Empe∣ror for power. Soc. l. 7. c. 3. p. 375.

425. The bishop of Rome, Celestinus, banished the Novatians, deprived them of their churches, and constrained their bishop to raise private conventicles; but it's thus said of him, That he (as the bishop of Alexandria) passed the bounds of his Priest∣ly order, presuming now to challenge to himself Secular Au∣rity, &c. but the Novatians in Constantinople were not so used, for the bishops there suffered them and their churches. Soc. l. 7. c. 11. p. 379, 380.

425. Atticus a bishop in Constautinople, when the Johannites were divided from the Church, and had their private meetings and conventicles, he commanded that the memory of John should be solemnized, &c. hoping thereby to cause many of them to return to the church, &c. And he being told by some, that the Johannites should not have their conventicles and as∣sembly within the Walls, he answered, Do you not remember what trouble they endured for the faith, and they were of old divided from the church, yet they attempted to establish no novelty as touching the Faith. Soc. l. 7. c. 25. p. 389, 390.

428. When Nestorius was made a bishop in Constantinople, in the room of Sysivius, it was noted as one of his ill tricks, that in his Oration to the Emperor, he desired the Hereticks (as he called them) might be by the Emperors assistance rooted out, &c. Such as heard him, could not but spye his haughty stomack, his hasty and running brain, his foolish feeding on vain glory; seeing that by and by he bolted out such foolish and unadvised sayings: For within five days after he was bi∣shop, he began to blow the smoke and burning flame of perse∣cution,

when he determined with himself to overthrow the church of the Arians where they had their meetings, &c. their mind was so troubled when they saw their church must down, that they set it on fire: This made the Arians, and the mem∣bers of Nestorius's church call him a Fire-brand. He did not rest in this, but destroyed almost the whole city whilst he went about to mischief the Hereticks. Again, he fell a molesting the Novatians. onely because Paulus their bishop was famous, and much spoken of for his zeal and godliness. The Empe∣ror blamed Nestorius, for he caused much sedition and mischief in many places, and persecuted such as kept not Easter with him. This Bishop was not chosen by the people of the churh, but forced upon them by the Emperor, who sent for him. Soc. l. 7. c. 29. p. 391, 392.

430. The same Nestorius persecuted the Macedonian sect, and 'tis said of him for it, That he practised many things pre••••dicial to the quiet state of the church, and procured to himself great hatred, &c. And Antonius bishop of Germa, feeding the humor and cruelty of Nestorius, in the rooting out of Hereticks, be∣gan to vex the Macedonians out of measure, and to excuse him∣self, he feigned the Patriarch bishop. of Constantinople com∣manded the same, which bred a tumult, and then Nestotius cru∣elly was set on fire, and he goes to the Emperor to get him to deprive them of their churches. Soc. lib. 7. ch. 31. p. 393.

Cir. 420. Proclus bishop of Constantinople, was a man of a mar∣velous good life; for being trained up under Atticus, whom for patience and sufferance he far exceeded, for he shewe•••• himself tractible to all men, and perswaded himself that it ••as far ea∣sier by fair means to allure unto the church, than by force to compel them to the faith; he determined to vex no Sect what∣foever, but reserved & restored unto the church that renown∣ed virtue of meekness, required in Clergy-men. Herein he imitated the Emperor. Soc. lib, 7 ch. 4. p. 39