Fifty Godly and Learned Sermons (The Decades)

And yet Petilian in the 83. chapter of S. Augustine's 2. book Contra Petiliani ¹literas crieth out, & saith: God forbid and far be it from our conscience, to compel any man to our religion. Shall we therefore go on to speak the words of heretics? or to say, that the Lord God in the Scriptures hath planted hypocrisy, where with threats & punishment he hath driven men to goodness? David saith: It is good for me Lord that thou hast chastised me. And Jeremiah saith: Thou hast chastised me, (O Lord) and I am chastised like an untamed heifer. But if no man ought to be compelled to goodness, to what intent doth Solomon (the wisest of all men) so many times command to chastise children? He that spareth the rod hateth the child. Saith he: Thou in deed doest strike him, but with the rod thou deliverest his soul from death. Daily experience, and the disposition of men do plainly teach, that in men there are most vehement affections, which, unless they be remedied and bridled betimes, do both destroy them in whom they be, and other men too, who at yt first might easily with light punishment have been preserved. Men in their madness despise compulsion and chastising punishment, but when they come to themselves again, and see from how great evils they are delivered by those that compelled them, then they rejoice, that to their health they were chastised, & praise the compulsion which before they despised. Let us hear what Augustine doth think and teach hereof, whose experience in this matter was very much. In his 48. Epist. ad Vincentium contra Donatistas de vi coercendis haereticis, he writeth thus. My opinion sometime was, that no man ought by force to be compelled to the unity of Christ, that we ought to deal by words, fight in disputations, and overcome with reason, least peradventure we should have those to counterfeit themselves to be catholics, whom we knew to be open heretics. But this opinion of mine, was not confuted with the words of my gainsayers, but with the examples of those which showed the contrary. For first, mine own city (Hippo) was objected against me: which, when as sometime it held wholly with Donatus, was by the fear of the imperial laws, converted to the Catholic unity:

And yet Petilian in the 83. chapiter of S. Augustines 2. booke Contra Petiliani ¹literas crieth out, & saith: God forbid and farre bee it from our conscience, to compel any man to our religion. Shall wée therefore goe on to speake the woords of heretiques? or to say, that the Lord God in the Scriptures hath planted hypocrisie, where with threates & punishment hée hath driuen men to goodnesse? Dauid saith: It is good for me Lord that thou hast chastised mee. And Ieremie saith: Thou hast chastised mee, (O Lord) and I am chastised like an vntamed heffar. But if no man ought to bee compelled to goodnesse, to what intent doth Salomon (ye wisest of al men) so many times commaunde to chastise children? Hee that spareth the rodde hateth the child. Saith hée: Thou in deede doest strike him, but with the rodde thou deliuerest his soule from death. Dailie experience, and the disposition of men doe plainly teach, that in men there are most vehement affections, which, vnlesse they bée remedied and brideled betimes, do both destroy them in whom they bée, and other men too, who at yt first might easilie with light punishment haue béene preserued. Men in their madnesse despise compulsion and chastising punishment, but when they come to themselues againe, and sée from how great euills they are deliuered by those that cōpelled them, then they reioyce, that to their health they were chastised, & praise the compulsion which before they despised. Let vs heare what Augustine doth thinke and teach hereof, whose experience in this matter was verie much. In his 48. Epist. ad Vincentium contra Donatistas de vi coercendis haereticis, hée writeth thus. My opinion sometime was, that no man ought by force to be compelled to the vnitie of Christ, that we ought to deale by words, fight in disputations, and ouercome with reason, least peraduenture wee should haue those to counterfaite themselues to bee catholiques, whom wee knew to bee open heretiques. But this opinion of mine, was not confuted with the words of my gainsayers, but with the examples of those which shewed the contrarie. For first, mine owne citie (Hippone) was obiected against mee: which, whē as sometime it held wholie with Donatus, was by the feare of the imperiall lawes, conuerted to the Catholique vnitie: