Amb. Epist. 32. Tom. 3.Ambrose, speaking of Auxentius, saith thus, “Whom he (viz. Auxentius) could not deceive by Discourse, he thinks ought to be killed with the Sword, making bloody Laws with his Mouth, writing them with his own Hands, and imagining that an Edict can command Faith.”
Amb. Epist. 27.And the same Ambrose saith, “That going into France, he would not communicate with those Bishops that required that Hereticks should be put to Death.”
[142]The Emperor Martianus, who assembled the Council of Chalcedon, protests, Mon. Eg. in acta Concil. Chalced. Tom. 2. Conc. gen.“That he would not force nor constrain any one to subscribe the Council of Chalcedon against his Will.”
[142] Mart. Epist. ad Archimand, &c.
[143]Hosius Bishop of Corduba testifies, “That the Emperor Constans would not constrain any to be Orthodox.”
[143] Hosi. Epist. ad—Constit. apud Ath. in Eph. ad solit. vii. Tom. 1.
[144]Hilarius saith further, “That God teacheth, rather than exacteth, the Knowledge of himself, and authorizing his Commandments by the Miracles of his Heavenly Works; he wills not that any should confess him with a forced Will, &c. He is the God of the whole Universe, he needs not a forced Obedience, nor requires a constrained Confession.”
[144] Hil. L. 1. ad Const.
“[145]Christ (saith Ambrose) sent his Apostles to sow Faith; not to constrain, but to teach; not to exercise coercive Power, but to extol the Doctrine of Humility.”
[145] Ambr. Comm. in Luc. L. 7.