The estate of the Church with the discourse of times, from the apostles vntill this present: also of the liues of all the emperours, popes of Rome, and Turkes: as also of the Kings of Fraunce, England, Scotland, Spaine, Portugall, Denmarke, &c. With all the memorable accidents of their times. Translated out of French into English by Simon Patrike, Gentleman.

The beginning of Pilgrimages.

Vnder Constantine the land of Palestine being purged of Ethnicke Idolatries, began to be in deuotion for the memorie of the great and memorable things done in it. Constantine cau∣sed an Oratory to be builded in the place where the Sepulchre of the Lord had bin. Helena his mother went thither vpon de∣uotion to worship, and hauing found the Crosse,* 1.1 caused to bee built two Temples, the one where the Lord was borne, the o∣ther where hee ascended into Heauen. Ruffin. Lib. 1. Chap. 7. After that, Constantine caused to be builded in the place called (Cranium) a Temple, with solemnitie and authoritie of a Si∣node assemble at Tyre, This gaue the first occasion of Pilgri∣mages, and anuuersatie solemnities. And it came to a super∣stition to haue seene the holy land and the holy places, as ap∣peareth by the Epistle of Gregory Nyssene, wherein he learnedly refuteth that superstition.

The Romane and imperiall Eagle tooke the two heads, when Constantine after he had established the Townne of Con∣stantinople the new Rome, made it the seate of the Empire, and the chiefe of al people which acknowledged the Romane Em∣pire, and inhabited the parts Orientall, Northerne and Sou∣therne, and towards the Mediterranean sea. Sozomene lib. 2. chap. 3. Nicepho. lib. 8. cap. 4. saith that the Towne was dedicated by him the yeare of his Empire 28. and as he had taken the Em∣pire, diuided; and vnited it in his person: so he diuided it againe

as a paternall heritage,* 1.2 and made a partition thereof amongst his children: whom whilest he liued he created Cesars, one af∣ter an other: that is to say, Constantine his eldest sonne. Anno. 10. Constantius the second, Anno. 20. and Constans the young∣ger, Anno. 30. Whose Empires were very turbulent, and endu∣red but 24. yeares, 5. moneths, & 12. dayes: according to the Chronicle of Hierome.* 1.3 Constantine the Father died at Nicomi∣cha, after he had liued 66. yeares, and raigned 31. yeares. Pom∣pon. Laet.

Licinius the sonne of Constantia, sister of Constantine the great, and Crispus sonne of the said Constantine the great, with his said son Constantine the eldest, were created Caesars the yeare of the Lord, 316. But the wickednes of Fausta, the wife of Con∣stantine the great, caused the death of Licinius and Crispus, and many other noble personages. See Aure. Ʋictor and Pompo. Laet. Crispus was instructed by Lactantius.

Constantine the eldest sonne of Constantine the great, was Emperour, with his two brethren, after the father the yeare of our Lord, 338. The Empire was thus parted, namely, that Constantine should enioy Gaul, Spaine, and England. Constance should haue Italie, with Slauonia and Greece. And Constantius should holde Constantinople, with the East. This partition con∣tented not Consantine: hee raised warre against his brother Constance, being proud of his Army of Gaul, but warring more couetously then warily, was ouerthrowne by an ambush nigh to Aquilea: and being wounded in diuers places, dyed there, hauing raigned but three whole yeares, and liued 25. See Bapt. Egnat. and Pomp. Laet.

Constance after he had vanquished his elder brother, passing the Alpes, came to make warre in Gaul, and in two yeares with great difficultie conquered the Countrey which his brother had in partition. He at the beginning gouerned well, but after gaue himselfe to pleasures, and at last became odious to all men. So that in the end they conspired against him as he was at hun∣ting, and was slaine by the deuice and treason of Magnentius who vsurped his Empire, yet he had saued this Magnentius his life. Constance liued thirtie yeares, and raigned fourteene.

See Pomp. Laet.* 1.4

Constantius had for his part the Empire of Constantinople, with the East. Hee vanquished Ʋetranio who made himselfe Emperour in Hungarie after the death of Cōstance. Moreouer, to reuenge the death of his said brother Constance, hee made great warre against Magnentius. In the first battaile there were slaine of one part and the other, 53000. fighting men:* 1.5 Mag∣nentius had the worst. And againe making head, was ouercome nigh Lions. Constantius was suspected vpon enuie and ambition to haue made away Dalmatius his Cousin-germain, a vertu∣ous man, who better resembled Constantine the great, then his owne father; and who was appointed for a copartner with the said Constantius, when he had his partition. But Constantius li∣ued not long after. For as he was going the second time against the Persians, vnderstanding that Iulian had made himselfe Au∣gustus, he tooke a Feuer and dyed, the yeare of his age 40. and of his Kingdome 24. See Eutrop. Aurel. Ʋict. Pompon. Laet. and Bapt. Egn.

The Sinode of Sardis in her Sinodall Letters, calleth Iulius their friend and companion. Theodoret. lib. 2. chap. 8.

It followeth, that the Bishop or Archbishop of Rome had not the pretended superioritie.

It seemeth that Iulius was dead, when Constantius hauing tamed the tyrannie of Magnentius and Syluanus, hee was in Italie to appease the discordes of Athanasius his cause.

Liberius borne in Rome, his father being called Augustus, succeeded Iulius the yeare of Christ after S. Hierome, 352. a∣bout [ 452] the 12. yeare of Constance Empire: his confession was a∣greeing vnto the Catholique faith, and writ to Athanasius very Christianly of God the Father, God the Sonne, and God the holy Ghost, as may be seene in his Epistle, which is affixed to the workes of Athanasius.

Athanasius in the Epistle to them which leade solitary liues, rehearseth how Liberius was subuerted.

The Emperour Constans sent to Rome one named Eusebius an Eunuke with Letters, wherby he threatned him exile, and on the other side tempted him with presents to induce him to cō∣sent with Arrius, and to subscribe to the condemnation of A∣thanasius. Liberius despised both his menaces and gifts as a sa∣crifice of blasphemie. Whereat the Emperour being excee∣dingly grieued, found meanes to get him out of Rome: and be∣ing come to him, threatned him with death. But Liberius man∣fully answered.* 1.6 I am ready to endure all, rather then of Chri∣stians we should be accounted Arrians. Why what art thou said the Emperour, that with one wicked man troublest all the world? The word of Faith (said Liberius) dependeth not vpon multitude. He was then banished by this Emperour Constans into Berrea, which is a Towne in Thrace. Where after hee had bene two yeares, he was called home (as saith Theodoret) his restitution after some, was accorded by the Emperour, at the request of many Romanes, and of the Westerne Bishops. The same saith Athanasius in the before alleadged Epistle. Also that Liberius after his two yeares exile feared with threatnings and apprehension of death, sealed to the condemnation of Athana∣sius. Ruffin saith the same: and Hierome (as Baleus saith) wri∣teth that by ambition Liberius fell into the heresie of Arrius, being once fallen from the integritie of faith.

We finde some constitutions of Liberius, namely, not to make noises in fasting time, that times of fasting and Lent bee not polluted by the act of marriage: that in time of famine and pestilence, men should appease the Lords anger by fasting, almes, and prayers.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Temples builed in Palestine.
• * 1.2

  Constantin the second.
• * 1.3

  The death of Constantine the great.
• * 1.4

  Constance. Cōstantius.
• * 1.5

  53000. slaine.
• * 1.6

  The cōstancy of Liberius.