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. XIIII.

Howe the emperour Constantine, destroying the Idole groues of the Gentiles erected in sundrie places, many notable Churches.

THe emperour after this, went about to promote christian religion, with greater care & in∣dustrie, to banish the rites & ceremonies of the ethnicks, to restrayne the lewde combats of fencers and sworde players, and to sett vp his owne image in theyr Idolatricall temples. And when as the Ethnicks affirmed, that the God Serapis, was he which made the riuer Nilus to ouerflowe, and to water the countrey of Aegypt, because that a certaine elle was brought into the temple of Serapis: the emperour commaunded, that elle to be conueyed into the churche of Ale∣xandria. When that it was noysed, that Nilus woulde no longer ouerflowe, because the God Se∣rapis tooke greate indignation, that he was thus abused: the yeare followinge, the riuer did not onely ouerflowe (after his wonted maner) and from that time forth kept his course, but also there∣by declared vnto the worlde, that Nilus was accustomed to ouerflowe, not after theire superstiti∣ous opinion, but by the secret determination of the deuine prouidence. Although the Sarmatians, Barbarians, and Gotths, at the same time, assayled the right of the Romayne empire: yet for all that, the emperours care and industry for the buyldinge of churches, was not slacked, but diligently with great aduise, did he prouide for both. For he valiantly ouercame these nations, vn∣der the banner of the crosse, which is the peculiar cognizance of christian profession, so that not onely he depriued them of the tribute, which the emperours of olde, were wonte to pay vnto the

Barbarians: but also they beinge astonished at this straunge victory, yelded themselues then, first of all, wholly to embrace christian religion, by the meanes of the which, Constantine had preserued himselfe. Constantinus againe applied himselfe to the buyldinge of other churches, and one he e∣rected in the okegroue of Mambre where holy scripture reporteth, the Angels to haue bene har∣bored by Abraham. When that he was certified, that altars were erected at that oke, and that the Ethnicks offred sacrifice and incense in that place, to theyr fayned Gods, he sharply rebuked Eusebius bishope of Caesarea, by his letters, because that through his slackenes in executinge his office, that wickednes was committed. He commaundeth therefore the altars to be turned vpside downe, and a church harde by the oke, to be builded. He commaundeth an other church to be buil∣ded in Heliopolis of Phoenicia, and that for this cause. What lawe maker the Heliopolits had of olde, I am not able to saye, but the lawes, and customes of the cytie doe manifestly declare, what kinde of man he was. By the custome of their countrey, they haue all women in common, & there∣fore of the children, there can no certainty be had. Amonge them there is no difference, ether of fa∣ther or sonne. They geue their virgins to straungers, which come amongst them, to be defloured. The emperour endeuored wholly to abrogat this old and rotten custome of theirs. For when he had taken away this brutishe, and beastly kind of behauiour, he made a sacred, and a seuere lawe: that kindreds, and families shoulde be knowen amongest thē, and seuered one from the other. To be short, when he had buylded churches amonge them, he hastened to consecrate them a bishop, & to ordaine the holy company of clergy men. Thus the state of the Heliopolits, after the remouing of theire former filth, was reformed into modeste behauiour. In like maner he ouerthrewe the temple of Venus in Aphaca, standing at the foote of mount Libanus, and rooted out al the wicked rites, and ceremonies which were wont to be done there both impudently, & vnreuerently. What shall I speake of the familiar deuell, and the spirite of diuination the which he foyled in Cilicia, & commaunded the Idole in whose closettes, he had craftely hid himselfe, to be destroyed? further∣more he was so feruent in promoting christian religion that when he should haue warred against the Persians he made him a tente much like the tabernacle of Moses in the desert, in forme and fi∣gure, resembling the churche of God, and the same of a chaūgeable colored vaile, the which he ca∣ried about with him, that in the waste wildernesse, and deserte places, he mighte alwayes finde readye an holy Churche, to singe hymnes, and deuoutly to serue the liuinge God. But the same battaile wente not forewardes, the Persians feared the power of the Emperoure, and so all iniu∣ries were putte vp, and peaceably ended. That the Emperoure also imployed greate laboure, and trauell; in buyldinge townes, and Cyties, and that of diuerse peltinge villages, he made prince∣ly Cyties, (for example Drepane after his mothers name, and Constantia in Palaestina, after the name of his sister Constantia) I thinke it presently, not needefull to committe in wrytinge, for the posterity. For it is not our drifte to declare the other famous actes of the Emperoure, but onely those whiche appertaine vnto christian religion, and speciallye the estate of the churches. Wherefore in as much as the famous actes of the Emperoure, tend to an other purpose, and re∣quire a proper and a peculiar kinde of handlinge; I leaue them for others, whiche bothe knowe, and can sufficiently discourse thereof. I of mine owne parte, woulde neuer haue layde penne to paper, if the Church had beene at vnitie and concorde within it selfe. For where there is no mat∣ter ministred to wryte there the wryter seemeth to be fond, and his trauell frustrat. But in as much as the subtletye of sophisters, fonde quirckes, and fallacies of Satan, depraued in those dayes the Apostolick, and syncere Character of Christian religion, seuered also, and as it were vn∣ioynted the membres of Christ: I thought good to saye somethinge of them, whereby the eccle∣stastical affayrs, may not fall into the dust of obliuion. For the knoweledge thereof is much sett by, amonge moste men, and settleth for experience, the minde of suche a one, as is well seene there∣in. For when any vaine controuersie riseth about the signification of a worde, it teacheth him to haue a stayed heade.

Notes

• Cap. 18 in the greeke.
• Serapis had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his temple 〈◊〉〈◊〉 elle, or fa∣••••ome, signi∣••inge the ••easure of ••e water in ••epth which ••as thought 〈◊〉〈◊〉 his power 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ouerflowe ••he Barba∣rians beinge ••••ercome in ••••••aill recea¦••d the faith Christ.
• Gens. 18.
• Constātinus abrogated the most fil∣thie lawes of the Helio∣polits and brought thē to the chri∣stian faith.
• The temple of Venus o∣uerthrowen.
• The deuell was faine to flye out of the Idole. The tente of Constantine like the ta∣bernacle of Moses. Exod. 33.