altars Diis Asiae, Europae, Lybiae, diis ignotis et peregrinis:  others otherwise, &c.  Plinius Secundus, as appears by his Epistle to Trajan, would not have the Christians so persecuted, and in some time of the reign of Maximinus, as we find it registered in Eusebius lib. 9. cap. 9. there was a decree made to this purpose, Nullus cogatur invitus ad hunc vel illum deorum cultum, “let no one be compelled against his will to worship any particular deity,” and by Constantine in the 19th year of his reign as [6606]Baronius informeth us, Nemo alteri exhibeat molestiam, quod cujusque animus vult, hoc quisque transigat, new gods, new lawgivers, new priests, will have new ceremonies, customs and religions, to which every wise man as a good formalist should accommodate himself.

[6607] “Saturnus periit, perierunt et sua jura,
        Sub Jove nunc mundus, jussa sequare Jovis.”

The said Constantine the emperor, as Eusebius writes, flung down and demolished all the heathen gods, silver, gold statues, altars, images and temples, and turned them all to Christian churches, infestus gentilium monumentis ludibrio exposuit; the Turk now converts them again to Mahometan mosques.  The like edict came forth in the reign of Arcadius and Honorius. [6608]Symmachus the orator in his days, to procure a general toleration, used this argument, [6609]"Because God is immense and infinite, and his nature cannot perfectly be known, it is convenient he should be as diversely worshipped, as every man shall perceive or understand.”  It was impossible, he thought, for one religion to be universal:  you see that one small province can hardly be ruled by one law, civil or spiritual; and “how shall so many distinct and vast empires of the world be united into one?  It never was, never will be” Besides, if there be infinite planetary and firmamental worlds, as [6610]some will, there be infinite genii or commanding spirits belonging to each of them; and so, per consequens (for they will be all adored), infinite religions.  And therefore let every territory keep their proper rites and ceremonies, as their dii tutelares will, so Tyrius calls them, “and according to the quarter they hold,” their own institutions, revelations, orders, oracles, which they dictate from time to time, or teach their own priests or ministers.  This tenet was stiffly maintained in Turkey not long since, as you may read in the third epistle of Busbequius, [6611]"that all those should participate of eternal happiness, that lived a holy and innocent life, what religion soever they professed.”  Rustan Bassa was a great patron of it; though Mahomet himself was sent virtute gladdi, to enforce all, as he writes in his Alcoran, to follow him.  Some again will approve of this for Jews, Gentiles, infidels, that are out of the fold, they can be content to give them all respect and favour, but by no means to such as are within the precincts of our own church, and