 From the time of Constantine, and in the west especially from the time of Augustine, Christians practiced the coercion of heretics and the repression of unbelief. However, their regime was never completely repressive. Among medieval political philosopher-theologians there was always some acknowledgment of the rights of unbelievers (e.g., of the rights of Jewish parents, the Church’s lack of jurisdiction over “those without”, the property rights of unbelievers). There was a recognition of the duty to reason and persuade (“A man cannot believe unless he is willing”). In social relations there was a belief in an underlying liberty and equality, and a belief that originally government and slavery did not exist, an idea that government, law, and property arose by “pact” or custom, and an idea that originally government belonged to “the people” and was entrusted to rulers by the consent of the people. These beliefs were akin to the modern liberal presumption in favour of personal liberty. There was a belief in the “rule of law”, in a distinction between good government and tyranny, in “natural rights”. There was a belief in limited government (see Ockham in  §13.3)  and in a distinction (not yet a separation) between Church and State. Concerning the constitution of the Church, a strong claim for unfettered papal power was made by some popes and their supporters, but this was strongly resisted by writers who argued that a heretic or sinful pope, including one who violated the rights of the laity and of unbelievers, could be deposed. Something like freedom of speech was embodied in the practice of disputation. Ockham explicitly advocated free discussion of disagreements among Christians. Where all this still fell short of political liberalism was the absence of any argument for equal freedom of all religions. Locke,  Bayle,  and others in the seventeenth century advocated toleration, though not for Catholics, since Catholics themselves rejected equal freedom of religion and were dangerous to others.