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.

Ceremonies in the celebration of the Supper.

The memorie of the Lords Supper was not performed but in publike assemblies, and therefore the Synode of Gangre vn∣der the Emperour Constans, condemned Eustace Bishop of Se∣luste in Armenia, because contrary to the order of the vse of the Church, he permitted some which disdained to come into the Church to Communicate in particular houses. Socrat. Lib. 2. Cap. 43. Neither was it lawful to celebrate the Supper in a pro∣phane place, as appeareth by Athanasius in the Epistle to them of Antioche. Hierome against Iouinian reprehendeth the maner of doing in other Christians at Rome, which Communicated in houses. Wherfore said he entred they not into Churches? &c.

Deacons distributed the Supper of the Lorde, Priestes beeing present, with one diuiding the Eucharist, and this

was after the Canon of the Councell of Nice.

* 1.1The Priests distributed the Cup of the bloud of the Lord; Doctors of this time often call it Cup or Mistike vessell. S. Hierome writing of vessells to distribute the Lords Supper in, saith of a Bishop of Tholouze called Exuperius; There was no∣thing so rich as that which carried the body of our Lord in an Osier basket, and the bloud in a Glasse.

By the first booke of Euseb. of the Euang. 92. Demonst. Chap. 10. One may easily knowe that Christians daily cele∣brated the memorie of the body and bloud of Iesus Christ. And S. Ambrose in his fift booke of Sacraments, Chapter. 4. reprehendeth the Easterne Churches, because they communi∣cated but once a yeare.

* 1.2In the Churches of Affrike, they which should commu∣nicate, passed the night in watchings & prayers. As Athanasius reciteth in the Apologie of his flight: adding, that all mutual∣ly ought before to be reconciled together. And in the We∣sterne Churches, al communicated except the Catechumenistes, and such as did penance: as appeareth by Hierome vpon the 7. Chapter of the 2. to the Corinthians.

About this time water was giuen with wine, as appeareth by S. Ambrose first Chapter of his fist booke of Sacraments. They put saith he into the Cup wine & then water, &c. which being mingled, was consecrated with the wine.

The maner of the Churches was, to giue the Eucharist in the hand of him that tooke it, as appeareth by the words of S. Ambrose to the Emperour Theodosius. Reachest thou out thy hands which yet are bloudie, and which yet distill the bloud by thee shead, to take the holy body of the Lord? Darest thou apply to thy mouth the precious bloud of the Lord? &c.

The Priest as he distributed the bread, said. Take the bo∣dy of the Lord: and in distributing the wine; Take the bloud of Christ: and at both, the Communicant answered, Amen. Ambrose in the 4. booke of Sacraments, Chap. 5.

* 1.3To such as were nigh their deaths they brought the Eu∣charist. Horatius a Priest of the Church of Ʋerseil, carried it to Ambrose nigh his death. Paulinus in the life of S. Ambrose re∣citeth it.

May abuses began in this time to arise. Such as made any great voyage either by sea or land carried the Eucharist,* 1.4 as ap∣peareth in the Oration of Saint Ambrose vpon the death of Satyrius.

Touching the ceremonies vsed in administring the Sacra∣ment, Denis hath left by writing that which followeth.* 1.5 The Bishop hauing ended the prayers before the Aultar, began to perfume and compasse all the place, after returning to the Aul∣tar, he began to sing Psalmes, and all followed. This done, the Ministers in order read something of the holy scripture. That read, they caused the Catechumenistes with the Enenguinians to goe out, and such as were admitted to penance. One part of the Ministers kept themselues before the portall of the Tem∣ple shut, the others did such things as belonged to their charge; Such as are elected to minister with the Priests, presented the bread before the Aultar, and the Cup of blessing.

Whilest all the Churchmen sung praises and Himnes to the Lord, the Bishop which said the praiers pronounced peace to all. And after euery one had saluted one an other, the Priests and the Bishop washed their hands with water. After the Bishoppe in the middest of the Aultar, enuironed with Priests and Ministers, began to praise and magnifie the workes of the world, and propose to the people the signes of the Sup∣per, and to declare them vnto them, and inuite them to the participation thereof, which finally ended in thankes-gi∣uing, &c.

The word Messe was not found amongst the writers of this time.* 1.6 And as for the two preparatiue prayers of the Priest meaning to say Masse, which are shufled into the workes of Ambros; Erasmus himselfelfe iudgeth them not to be S. Am∣broses. They containe also errors contrary to the doctrine of him: As the adoration of the Sacrament, the Inuocation of Saints, and chiefly of the Virgin Marie.

The Emperour Constantine hauing ouercome all these ty∣rants, namely, Maxentius, Maximian, and Licinius, the Lord gaue rest to his Church, which was almost ruinated and tro∣den vnder feete; and gaue a gentle spirit to Constantine to re∣paire

by a Monarchy, the great dissipation and discord which the misgouernment of many had brought.

Constantine was long ere hee could vnwrap himselfe out of his auncient and Ethnicke superstitions, his wife Fau∣sta maintaining him therein; but after hee sawe him∣selfe peaceable in his Empire, there was courage giuen vnto him to applye his power vnto the matters of the Church.

True it is, as for Baptisme, that hee deferred it a long time, because hee alwaies determined to goe against the Per∣sians, and vpon deuotion without knowledge to be baptized in Iordain. Eusebius reciteth it in his life: yet after all, hee ho∣noured it, and authorized it by Edicts and Lawes which hee caused to be published.

Hee had a burning heart to the Faith, and was maruel∣lous carefull to helpe the necessities of the Church: hee was of nature soft and benigne, and delighted in all good workes: and not onely reuoked the tyrannicke and cruel lawes that were before made against Christians, but gaue to Churches great priuiledges. It was not inough for him to account Ministers equall to himselfe, but hee honoured and preferred them before him, as representing the diuine Maiestie. And by such meanes hee was both loued, ho∣noured and cherished, not as an Emperour, but as a Father. Euseb.

[ 314] Siluester a Romane, was constituted Bishop of Rome after Melchiades, and gouerned the Church a long time.

Being ordeined Bishop, he exercised not onely the office of a Pastor in teaching, but also in reprehending the vices of the Cleargie.

There are attributed vnto him certain miracles, by which he drew many to the Christian faith.

When Maxentius raigned at Rome, to shunne his crueltie, Siluester retired out of Rome, and remained a certain time at the Mount Soracte: and returned vnder Constantine, after the death of the said Tyrant.

Constantine established many lawes. First that Christ

should be worshipped of all, as the true God.

Item that whosoeuer should doo iniurie to any Christian, the halfe of his goods should be confiscated.

Hee permitted all such as were vnder his Empire, not onely to be Christians, but also to found and build Temples.

The word Martir, was vsed in the time of Constantine,* 1.7 then when in remembrance of the Martirs men builded Tem∣ples, and about the thirtieth yeare of Constantine, a Tem∣ple called Martirium Magnum, was builded in Ierusalem,* 1.8 in the place called Cranium. See Sozom, Ich. 2. Cap. 26.

Constantine caused to bee made a Tabernacle in forme of a Temple, which he commaunded to be carried when he went to the warres, wherein he held the assemblies of the Chri∣stians. Sozom. Lib. 1. Chap. 8.

Touching the Donation attributed vnto him:* 1.9 that is to say, that he gaue Rome, Italie, and other Westerne Prouin∣ces to Siluester, as the Romane Bishops pretend, it is a mat∣ter inuented, or at least doubtfull: and euen the Popes owne decrees are against it.

The two last Chapters make no mention of other Pro∣uinces, but onely of the Towne of Rome,* 1.10 no nor in the aunci∣ent volumes of decrees, is there any mention, nor any thing found in any Author of that time, as Antonine saith in his Chronicles. See Naucler.

Of this matter see Laurencius Valla, and Iohn le Maire in his Treatise of the difference of Schismes and Councells of the Church.

Constantine determined to build a Towne of his name, and elected Bizantium for it, which he compassed with ditches, and the Towne builded in the middest he called Constantinople of his name, there establishing the Emperial seat of his Empire.

Bizanzium was an auncient Towne,* 1.11 which a litle before was destroyed by Gallien and Pertinax, but Constantine resto∣red it, and adorned it with rich ornaments, brought from all the parts of the world: in so much the Hierome writeth that

Constantine stripped naked as it were all the Townes of the world to embellish this new Rome. For he transported from the Castle which was at Ilion, the chiefe Towne of Troy the Palladium, and from Troas the Image of Apollo, which was of Brasse, and of a maruellous greatnesse. From Rome a piller of Porphire called Coclis, which he enuironed with diuers met∣talls, and placed it in the market place paued with stones.

Before wee come to the successors of Siluester, wee will briefly touch the estate of the Church at that time. And first;

Notes

• * 1.1

  Epist. ad Rusticū. Momacū.
• * 1.2

  Ʋigills.
• * 1.3

  The Eucha∣rist giuen to sicke persons.
• * 1.4

  Abuses of the Supper.
• * 1.5

  Ceremonies in administra∣ting the Sup∣per.
• * 1.6

  The word Messe vnused.
• * 1.7

  Martir.
• * 1.8

  Temple.
• * 1.9

  Donation of Constantine.
• * 1.10

  96. Dist. c. Cōstantinus. c. Funda∣menta. De. electio. Lib. 6 12. q. 1. c. Futuram.
• * 1.11

  Bizantium Constanti∣nople.