grow together, and by this calumny they persuaded politic and civil men (who did not well enough understand this business), that the godly teachers of the churches should be cast forth into exile, and the Arian wolves should be sent into the sheepfolds of Christ.” Now, forasmuch as God hath said, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” Isa. ix. 11, and will not have his flock to be ruled with force and with cruelty, Ezek. xxxiv. 4. _Nec potest_ (saith Lactantius(18)) _aut veritas cum vi, aut justitia cum crudelitate conjungi_—Neither can either truth be conjoined with violence, or righteousness with cruelty therefore, if our opposites would make it evident that they are in very deed led by religious aims let them resile from their violent proceedings, and deal with us in the spirit of meekness showing us from God’s word and good reason the equity of their cause, and iniquity of ours, wherein we require no other thing of them, than that which Lactantius required of the adversaries of his profession, even that they would debate the matter _verbis pontius quam verberibus_—by words rather than by whips _Distringant aciem ingeniorem suorum: siratio eorum vera est, asseratur: parati sumus audire, si doceant_—Let them draw out the sharpness of their engines; if their reason be true let it be averred, we are ready to hear, if they teach us. 3. If their aims were truly for the advancement of religion, how comes it to pass, that whilst they make so much ado and move every stone against us for our modest refusing of obedience to certain ordinances of men, which in our consciences we are persuaded to be unlawful, they manumiss and set free the simony, lying, swearing, profanation of the Sabbath, drunkenness, whoredom, with other gross and scandalous vices of some of their own side, by which God’s own commandments are most fearfully violated? This just recrimination we may well use for our own most lawful defence. Neither do we hereby intend any man’s shame (God knows), but his reformation rather. We wish from our hearts we had no reason to challenge our opposites of that superstition taxed in the Pharisees, _Quod argubant &c._—that they accused the disciples of little things, and themselves were guilty in great things, saith Nicolaus Goranus.(19)