His Policy now seem'd to be edg'd with Resentment for the Mistakes he had made; as if the Devil looking back with Anger at himself, to see what a Fool he had been to expect to crush Religion by Persecution, rejoyc'd for having discover'd that Liberty and Dominion was the only way to ruin the Church, not Fire and Faggot; and that he had nothing to do but to give the zealous People their utmost Liberty in Religion, only sowing Error and Variety of Opinion among them, and they would bring Fire and Faggot in fast enough among themselves. It must be confess'd these were devilish Politicks; and so sure was the Aim, and so certain was the _Devil_ to hit his Mark by them, that we find he not only did not fail then, but the same hellish Methods have prevail'd still, and will do so to the End of the World. Nor had the Devil ever a better Game to play than this, for the Ruin of Religion, as we shall have room to show in many Examples, besides that of the Dissenters in _England_, who are evidently weaken'd by the late Toleration: Whether the _Devil_ had any hand in baiting his Hook with an A--- of Parliament or no, History is silent, but 'tis too evident he has catch'd the Fish by it; and if the honest Church of _England_ does not in Pity and Christian Charity to the Dissenters, straighten her Hand a little, I cannot but fear the _Devil_ will gain his Point, and the Dissenter will be undone by it. Upon this new foot of Politicks the _Devil_ began with the Emperors themselves: _Arius_, the Father of the Hereticks of that Age, having broach'd his Opinions, and _Athanasius_ the orthodox Bishop of the East opposing him, the _Devil_ no sooner saw the Door open to Strife and Imposition, but he thrust himself in, and raising the Quarrel up to a suited Degree of Rage and Spleen, he involv'd the good Emperor himself in it first and _Athanasius_ was banish'd and recall'd, and banish'd and recall'd again, several times, as Error ran high, and as the _Devil_ either got or lost Ground: After _Constantine_, the next Emperor was a Child of his own, (_Arian_) and then the Court came all into the Quarrel, as Courts often do, and then the _Arians_ and the _Orthodox_ persecuted one another as furiously as the Pagans persecuted them all before. To such a Height the _Devil_ brought his Conquest in the very Infancy of the Question, and so much did he prevail over the true Christianity of the Primitive Church, even before they had enjoy'd the Liberty of the pure Worship twenty Years.