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emperor, who before had cruelly raged against all orthodox professors of the Deity of Christ. Socrat. lib. 4. cap. 27,
5. Lastly, add unto all that hath been said, * vice coro- nidis,' for the use of such as enjoying authority, may have misapprehensions of some truths of Christ, a sad considera- tion concerning the end and issue, which the Lord in his righteous judgment hath in all ages given to persecutors and persecution.
Nero (of whom says Tertullian, 'Tall dedicatore gaudet sanguis Christianus'), who was the first that employed the sword against our religion, being condemned by the senate to be punished 'more majorum,' slew himself, with this ex- probration of his own sordid villany, ' Turpiter vixi, tur- pius morior.' Sueton. in Ner. Domitian, the inheritor of his rage and folly, murdered in his own house by his servants. Idem in Domit. Trajan, by a resolution of his joints, numb- edness of body, and a choking water, perished miserably. Dio Cassius de Traj. This is he, whose order not to seek out Christians to punishment, but yet to punish them ap- pearing, you have in his epistle to Pliny, -a provincial go- vernor under him ; Plin. Epist. 97. which though commended by Eusebius, Eccles. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 30. yet is canvassed by Tertullian, as a foolish, impious, wicked constitution, Apol. cap. 2. Hadrian perishing with a flux, and casting of blood, paid some part of the price of the innocent blood which he had shed. iElius Spart. in Had. Severus poisoned himself, to put an end to his tormenting pains. Jul. Capitol. Maximinus, with his son yet a child, was torn in pieces of the soldiers, all crying out, ' That not a whelp was to be left of so cursed a stock.' Decius having reigned scarce two years, was slain with his children. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 1. Valerian being taken by Sapores king of Persia, was carried about in a cage, and being seventy years old, was at length flayed alive. Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 9. Another Valerian, of the same stamp with his brother and kindred, was murdered at Milan. Dioclesian being smitten with madness, had his palace consumed with fire from heaven, and perished mise- rably. The city of Alexandria, in the time of Gallienus, was for its persecution so wasted with variety of destroying plagues and judgments, that the whole number of its inha- bitants answered not the gray-headed old men that were in
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it before. Dionys. apud Euseb. lib. 7. cap. 20. What was the end of Julian, is known to all. Now truly of many of these we might well say, as one of old did, ' Quales Impe- ratores V As Trajan, Hadrian, Severus, Julian, what excellent emperors had they been, had they not been persecutors? And all this, says Tertullian, is come to pass, that men might learn /utj ^eofiaxtiv. He that desires to see more of this, let him consult Tertul, Apol. et ad Scap. Euseb. Eccles. Hist. lib. 7. cap. 21. August, de civit. Dei, lib. 18. cap. 52. Eutrop. lib. 8. It would be tedious to descend to examples of latter ages, our own and the neighbour nations do so much, too much, abound with them. Let this that hath been spoken suffice to cautionate mortal men, how they meddle with the vessels of the sanctuary.
But now may some say. What will be the issue of this discourse? Do you then leave every one at liberty in the things of God ? Hath the mao-istrate nothing to do in or about religion? Is he to depose the care thereof? Shall men, ex- asperated in their spirits by different persuasions, be suffered to devour one another as they please ?
III. I have only shewed the weakness of those grounds, which some men make the bottom of their testimonies, against the toleration of any thing, but what themselves conceive to be truth ; as also taken away the chief of those arguments, upon which such a proceeding against erring persons is bottomed, as tends to blood and death : what positively the civil magistrate may, nay, ought to 'do, in the whole business of religion, comes in the next place to be considered, being the third and last part of our discourse.
Now my thoughts unto this I shall hold out under these three heads.
1. What is the magistrate's duty as to the truth, and per- sons professing it.
2. What in reference to the opposers and revilers of it.
3. What in respect of dissenters from it.
1. I shall begin with the first, which to me is much of chiefest importance.
His power, or rather his duty herein, I shall hold out in these ensuing propositions.
(1.) As all men in general, so magistrates, even as such,
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are bound to know the mind and will of" God, in the things which concern his honour and worship. They are bound, I say, to know it. This obligation lies upon all creatures capable of knowing the Creator, answerably to that light which of him they have, and the means of revelation which they do enjoy. He, of whom we speak, is supposed to have that most sovereign and supreme of all outward teachings, the word of God, with such other helps as are thereby re- vealed, and therein appointed ; so as he is bound to know the will of God in every thing him concerning ; wherein he fails, and comes short of the truth, it is his sin ; the defect being not in the manner of the revelation, but in the cor- ruption of his darkened mind. Now that he is to make this inquiry, in reference to his calling, is evident from that of David, 2 Sam. xxiii. 3. ' He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of the Lord.' This fear is only taught by the word. Without a right knowledge of God, and his mind, there can be no true fear of him. That command also, for the Jewish magistrate, to study it day and night, and to have the book of the law continually before him, because it was the rule of that civil polity, whereof he was under God the head and preserver, by analogy confirmeth this truth ; Deut. xviii.