St. Austin’
s Words.
One must be void of common Sense, to tell Princes, Take no thought whether People trample upon, or whether they revere, within your Dominions, the Church of him whom you adore. What, they shall take care to make their Subjects live according to the Rules of Vertue and Sobriety, without any one’s presuming to say, that this concerns ’em not; and yet they shall presume to tell ’em, that it is not their business to take cognizance within their Dominions, whether Men observe the Rules of the true Religion, <xxviii> or whether they give themselves over to Profaneness and Irreligion? For if from hence, that God has given Man a Free-will, Profaneness were to be permitted, why shou’d Adultery be punish’d? The Soul which violates that Faith which it has plighted to its God, is it therefore less criminal than the Wife which violates the Faith she owes her Husband? And tho Sins, which Men thro Ignorance commit against Religion, are punish’d with less Severity; must they therefore be suffer’d to subvert it with Impunity?
In what manner Princes ought to concern themselves, if one attacks or reveres the Religion they profess.
Each Sect commits Impietys and Sacrileges in respect to the rest.
Blasphemys and Sacrileges ought to be defin’d upon common Principles.
All the World agrees that the Laws establish’d in behalf of Honesty and Modesty are just.
Why one ought to punish Adultery, and not Profaneness, according to St. Austin’s Sense.
A Woman, who shou’d mistake another Man for her Husband, wou’d not be guilty of Adultery, in admitting him to her Bed.
XXVII. St. Austin’s Words.
We must own, that Children who are drawn by Gentleness and Love, are much the best; but these don’t make the greatest number: there are incomparably more of another sort, whom nothing will work upon but Fear. Accordingly we read in Scripture, Prov. 29. 19. That a Servant will not be corrected by words; for tho he understand he will not answer: which supposes a Necessity of employing some more powerful Means. It informs us in another place, that we must employ the Rod, not only against evil Servants, but untoward Children. It is true, the Scripture says again, Prov. 23. 14. Thou shalt beat him with a Rod, and shalt deliver his Soul from Hell: and elsewhere, Prov. 13. 24. He that spareth his Rod, hateth his Son; <xxix> but he that loveth him, chasteneth him betimes.
The Reason why Threatnings and Chastisements are necessary to Children and Servants, different from the Case of converting Hereticks.
XXVIII. St. Austin’s Words.
Jesus Christ himself exercis’d Violence on St. Paul, and forc’d him to believe: let these Men then never say more, as the custom is, Every one is at liberty to believe or not to believe.
Princes have not Grace to bestow like Jesus Christ, to give Success to their Chastisements.
Their Authority the least in the World to disabuse Hereticks.
XXIX. St. Austin’s Words.
Why shou’d not the Church have the Privilege of employing Constraint for recovering her lost Children, and bringing ’em home into her bosom; when these wretched Children make use of the same means for bringing others into Perdition?
Examples don’t authorize Sin.
XXX. St. Austin’s Words.
Shou’d we, for example, see two Men in a House that we knew was ready to fall down about their Ears, and that whatever pains we take to warn ’em out, they shou’d obstinately resolve to abide in it; wou’d it not be a degree of Cruelty, not to drag ’em out by main force?
Their Preservation depends not on their Consent, as in the Case of Conversion.
XXXI. St. Austin’s Words.
As to what they say, that we have a design upon their Estates, and wou’d fain have the fingering of ’em; let ’em turn Catholicks, and we assure ’em they shall not only enjoy what they call their own Estates, but also come in for a share of ours. Passion has blinded ’em to such a degree, that they don’t perceive how they contradict themselves. They reproach us with exerting the Authority of the Laws for constraining ’em into our Communion, as if it <xxx> were the most odious Action: And shou’d we take this pains, if we had a design upon their Estates?
Those who put Kings upon confiscating the Goods of Sectarys, are acted by Avarice.
XXXII. St. Austin’s Words.
The Canaanite shall ne’er rise in judgment against the People of Israel, tho these drove them out of their Country, and took away the Fruit of their Labor; but Naboth shall rise up against Ahab, because Ahab took away the Fruit of Naboth’s Labor. And why one, and not the others? Because Naboth was a just Man, and the Canaanites Idolaters.
That Hereticks seizing the Goods of Catholicks commit a Sin, and Catholicks seizing the Goods of Hereticks perform a good Work, is Jesuitical Morality.
The more Orthodox a Man is, the more he is oblig’d to be equitable to all Men.
XXXIII. St. Austin’s Words. Letter 164. to Emeritus.
If the Temporal Powers stretch forth their hand against Schismaticks, ’tis because they look on their Separation as an Evil, and that they are ordain’d by God for the Punishment of Evil-doers, according to that Saying of the Apostle, Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God; and they that resist, shall receive to themselves Damnation: For Rulers are not a terror to Good-works, but to the Evil, &c. The whole Question then lies here, whether Schism be an Evil, and whether you have not made the Schism; for if so, you resist the Powers, not for any Good, but for Evil. But, say you, no one shou’d persecute even bad Christians. Allow they ought not; yet how can this secure ’em against the Powers ordain’d by God for the Punishment of Evil-doers?
