The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories

CAP. V.

The edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius toutching Christian religion and the libertie thereof.

GO to nowe lett vs proceede on & annexe the coppies of the imperiall edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius translated out of the Romayne into the Greeke tongue as followeth: VVey∣inge* 1.1 vvith our selues that of olde the liberty of religion vvas not to be hindered and that euery one had licence after his minde and vvill: vve haue presently commaunded that euery one shall handle the holy affayres at his pleasure, and that the christians shall retayne the fayth of theyre former opinion and vvonted seruice. But in as much as manifolde and differente o∣pinions doe rise by reason of that edicte in the vvhich suche a licence and liberty vvas graunted: vve haue thought good to lay dovvne manifestly the thinges vvhereby paraduenture diuerse of them vvere restrayned from such an obseruation. VVhen as vvith prosperous successe I Constā∣tinus emperour & I Licinnius emperour came to Millayne, and enquired of the thinges vvhich made for the cōmodity & profit of the common vvealth, these amōgst many other thinges see∣med expediēt, yea before all other vve purposed to decree, vvherein the reuerēce & seruice due to God is cōprised, that is to say, by the vvhich vve might graunt vnto the christians alltogether free choise to embrace vvhat seruice & ceremonies pleased thē best, to the end the Godhead of the caelestiall affayres novv euery vvhere receaued might in some parte be reconciled vnto vs & to all our subiects, Thē according vnto this our pleasure vve haue decreed vvith sounde & most right iudgemēt, that licence & liberty be henceforth denied vnto none at all, of choosing or fo∣lovving the christian seruice or religion, but that this liberty be graunted vnto euery one to ad∣dict his mind vnto that relligion, vvhich he thinketh fitte for him, to the ende that God may graunt vnto vs his vvonted care and goodnes. It vvas necessary for vs to signifie vnto thee this our pleasure, to the end the opinions contayned in our former letters sent vnto thy vvisedom in the behalfe of the Christians may altogether be taken avvay, & that the opinions vvhich seeme very foolishe and farre from our elemencies liking may be cutt of, and novve vvhosoeuer freely and firmely is thus disposed to retayne the christian religion, let him do it vvithout all molesta∣tion or greuance. These thinges haue vve determined to signifie fully vnto thy carefullnes, that thou mayst knovve vs to haue graunted vnto the christians free and absolute licence to retayne their ovvne religion, & because that vve haue graunted absolute liberty to vse their obseruance & religion, if so please any it manifestly auayleth for the trāquility of our tymes that euery one haue liberty to chuse and vvorship vvhat God please him best. This haue vve done lest ought of our doinges seeme preiudiciall vnto any seruice or religion: and this besides other specially vve thought good to decree concerning the christians, that they enioy their places vvhere afore time they vvere accustomed to frequent, vvhereof in our former letters sent vnto thy vvisdome, there vvas an other order concerninge the former time: that if any had bought them ether of our treasury or of any other, they should vvithout all delayes or doubtes restore them vnto the chri∣stians, vvithout siluer & vvithout any other demaunde in recompence for it. And if any (hauing obtayned the same by gift graciously bestovved vpon him by our goodnes) demaunde ought

in theyre names for recompence lett, them haue recourse vnto the liuetenante and iudge of the place that consideration be had of them by our benignity, all vvhich, vvithout any delay thou shalt by thine industry require, to be graunted vnto the christian society. And because the sayd christians are knowen, not onely to haue enioyed the place of theyr meetings and assem∣blies but also certaine others peculier, not to euery one priuately, but belonginge by right vnto theyr proper persons: see that thou commaunde all those according vnto the decree mentioned before, to be restored vnto the christians, that is to euery theyre society and Synode, all delay sett aparte, obseruinge in the meane tyme the aforesayd maner, that if any as we haue sayd re∣store thē without receauing of reward they may assure themselues to suffer no domage through our gracious bountifullnes. In all these aforesayd see thou imploy great industry in the behalf of the sayd christian society, to the ende this our decree may speedely take place & that in this be∣halfe we prouide by our clemency for the common & publique peace & trāquility. by this mea∣nes as it is aforesayd the goodnes of God towards vs the which we haue diuersly tried already, shall continewe at all times immoueable. And to the ende the drift of this our constitution and goodnes may be made manifest vnto all men, it shalbe expedient that these our wrytings be e∣uery where proclaimed and brought vnto the knowledge of all our louing subiects lest that the constitution of this our gracious goodnes be hid from any man.

The coppy of another Imperiall constitution, by the which it is signified that this gift concerneth the Catholicke Churche.

VVe greete you welbeloued Anilinus. The order of our gracious goodnes is this. we will that* 2.1 the thinges which belong vnto others by right be not onely not hindred: but also with speede restored. wherefore our pleasure is that as soone as thou hast receaued these letters, If any of the things which belong vnto the catholicke church of the christians throughout euery city or in a∣ny other place be occupied by the citizēs or by any others: thou see the same immediatly resto∣red vnto their churches. we haue already heretofore decreed the same: that the possessiōs belon∣ging vnto the churches afore time should be restored to theyr right. In as much as then thy wise dome perceaueth this to be the manifest cōmaundemēt of our constitutiō, prouide that if other gardens or houses or other possessiōs whatsoeuer haue belonged vnto the title of their churches all the same be speedely restored vnto them againe, to the ende we may vnderstand that thou hast diligently obeyed this our commaundement. Farewell most honorable & our deare friend Anilinus.

The coppy of the Emperours epistle by the which he summoned a Synode of byshops to meete at Rome for the vniting and reconciling of the churches

Constantinus the emperour vnto Meltiades byshop of Rome and Marcus sendeth greeting.* 3.1 In so much as many such epistles are brought vnto me from Anilinus liuetenant of Aphrick, in the which it is sayd that Cecilianus byshop of Carthage is reprehended in many things of diuers his collegs cōmorant in Aphrick, & this seemeth vnto me very greuous, that ther should be foūd in these prouinces (the which the prouidence of God hath allotted peculiarly vnto my discre∣tion) a greate multitude of people prone vnto the worse & disagreeing, & that among byshops there should be variance: it semed good vnto me that Cecilianus himselfe together with the ten byshops which seeme to reprehende him and tenne others whome he thought necessary in the behalfe of his cause, doe sayle vnto Rome: that there in presence of you all, together with Reti∣cius, Maternus, and Marcus, your collegs, whome therefore I commaunded to hasten to Rome he may be heard, to the end you may be enstructed what things agree best with the most religi∣ous lawe. And that you may haue full intelligēce, toutching all these thinges, I haue sent vnder∣neath my letters vnto your sayd collegs the coppy of the letters sente from Anilinus vnto me. The which being read your fidelity may proue how the aforsayd matter may exquisitly be ••if∣ted and ended after the rule of equity. Your industry is not ignorant but that I attribute so much reuerence vnto the catholicke church, that I woulde haue you suffer in any place no schisme or dissention at all. The diuinity of the great God kepe you (most honorable) many yeares.

The coppy of the emperours epistle by the which he commaunded a second Synode to be summoned for the remouinge of the dissention and debate risen betwene the byshops.

Constantinus the emperour vnto Chrestus byshop of Syracula sendeth greeting. Heretofore* 4.1 truely vvhen as some vvickedly & peruersly vvent about to seuer themselues from the religion of the sacred and celestiall povver, and from the catholicke opinion, I purposing that such con∣tentions of theyrs should be cut of, haue wrytten & ordained, that certaine byshops shoulde be cited from Fraunce & againe that they should be called from Aphricke which of the other part contētiously & stifly striue among thēselues (the byshop of Rome also being present) to the end whatsoeuer this dissention nowe raysed seemeth to be, it might in theyr presence with great in∣dustry & diligence be sifted out and redressed. But in so much as, (as it commonly cometh to passe) diuerse of them, being negligent, forgetfull of their owne saluation & the reuerence due vnto the most holy opinion ceasse not as yet to dilate theyr enmytie, & being altogether vnwil∣ling to consent vnto the sentence already geuē, they definitiuely affirme that few of thē brought forth theyr sentences and iudgements & before they had narrowly sifted out all that was to be enquired, to haue stepped forth toe swiftly & to hastely toe geue iudgement. of all these things, this came to passe that they whose part it was to maintaine brotherly vnity & concord, shame∣fully yea vvickedly disagre amōg thē selues & minister an occasiō of moccage vnto men whose minds are farre alienated from the most sacred religiō. VVherefore I must be carefull that, that which should volūtarily haue bene appeased after that iudgemēt was geuen: nowe at length in the presence of many be ended & finished. Because that we haue commaūded diuerse byshops out of sundry prouinces to meete in the Calends of August at the city of Orleance, we thought good to wryte vnto thee that thou (takinge of the famous Latronianus liuetenant of Sicilia, an ordinary vvagan & together vvith some tvvo of them, of the seconde order, vvhome thou shalt thinke good to choose, moreouer vvith three seruants vvhich shalbe able to serue thee in thy iourney) hasten within the compasse of the same days vnto the sayd place, that by the meanes of thy faythfull industry, vvith the peaceable and vniforme wisedome of the rest which there shall meete, this dissention which hitherto wickedly endured with a certaine shamefull winching & repininge (all beinge heard which may be sayd of ether partes varyinge amonge them selues whome we haue likewise commaunded to be present) may novve at length be closed vp with religion, and fayth, and brotherly concorde that ought to be required of vs all. The almighty God kepe thee in health many yeares.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The copy of the Imperiall edicts trāsla∣ted out of the latine into the Greeke & out of the Greeke into Englishe.
• * 2.1

  Constātinus & Licinnius the Empe∣rours vnto Anilinus proconsul of Aphrick.
• * 3.1

  Constātinus the empe∣rours vnto Militiades byshop of Rome.
• * 4.1

  Constātinus the empe∣rour vnto Chrestus bi∣shop of Sira∣cusa.