The church-history of Brittany from the beginning of Christianity to the Norman conquest under Roman governours, Brittish kings, the English-Saxon heptarchy, the English-Saxon (and Danish) monarchy ... : from all which is evidently demonstrated that the present Roman Catholick religion hath from the beginning, without interruption or change been professed in this our island, &c. / by R.F., S. Cressy of the Holy Order of S. Benedict.

* 1.1VI. CHAP.

1.2. Constantius victorious march to Rome.

3.4. He fights with Maxentius, and over∣comes him: who is drown'd in the Tiber, to the infinite ioy of the Romans, &c.

7.8. &c. Constantin venerates the Crosse. D. whittacres mistake.

1. COnstantin being encourag'd with this so glorious a testimony of Divine as∣sistance, armed with the Crosse both on his helmet and forehead, and conducting an army, before which was caried the same triumphant Ensign, pursued his expedition into Italy: and approaching to the Alpes subdued the Segusians presuming to resist him: And having pass'd those Mountains, conquered the Taurini, and after them the Citty of Verona, which trusting in the mul∣titude of its garrison had the boldnes to shutt the gates against him. Aequileia, Muti∣na and all other Citties on this side the P•• follow'd the fortune of Verona.

2. Thus having cleared all the Provinces behind him of Enemies, he marched cou∣rageously to Rome it selfe, where the Tyrant for more then sixe years had exercised all manner of crimes: He had not the courage all that time to issue once out of the Citty, or to oppose Constantins progresse, partly being stupified with his lusts, and affrighted with prodigies and divinations of his Sooth-sayers.

3. But assoon as Constantin approached to the Citty, Maxentius was enforced to draw out his army consisting of one hundred and seaventy thousand foot, and eighteen thou∣sand horse: all these numerous forces he raged beyond the Milvian bridge, so that they were shut out of the Citty by the river. To the strength of his army the Tyrant added the subtilty of a stratagem, for he had caused the bridge so to be framed, that at his pleasure he might for his advantage easily dissolve it.

4. On the other side Constantin having ran∣ged his army, himself with great courage gave the onset, by which he immediatly broke his enemies ranks, so that little resi∣stance was made except by the Pretorian sol∣diers, who, expecting no pardon, because they onely had created Maxentius Emperour, covered the ground with their dead bodies.

5. The enemies being thus put to flight, found their flight unsucces'full, because the straitnes of the bridge hindred them: so that the slaughter was excessively great, and there being no other meane to avoyd the sword but by entring the River, great multitudes were swallow'd by it. As for the Tyrant, he to conceale himself had cast off all marks of his authority, and adventured into the Tiber, but not being able to ascend the steep banks, was hurried down the stream and drowned. His body was cast upon the shore below▪ which the Roman people having found, they cut off his head, which fastning on the topp of a speare, they caried it up and down the Citty with great ioy and triumph.

6. Since Rome was built,* 1.2 saith the Panegyrist, never shone a day celebrated with greater and a more universall ioy, or that deserved to be so ce∣lebrated, then that of Constantins triumph after this Victory. His triumphall chariot was attended not with conquered Princes or Generalls, but with the Roman Nobility freed from dungeons and chains: Rome did not enrich herselfe with spoyles of enemies, but herselfe ceased to be the Spoyle of an inhuman Tyrant, &c.

7. This common ioy, acclamations and ap¦plauses the pious Emperour would have to be asscribed, not to himself, but God only & the vertue of his holy Crosse, to whom he gave the

praises and acknowledgment of his Victory, as Eusebius testifies.* 1.3 And Prudentius adds, that Constantin at his triumphall entrance into the Citty commanded the Crosse to be caried before his army, to the end Rome might see by what arms she had been freed from slavery: and mo∣reover that he enjoyn'd both the people and Se∣nat of Rome to prostrate themselves before the Crosse, and adore the name of Christ.

* 1.48. It is a great mistake therfore in som•• Protestant Writers, by name Whitaker, who affirms that Constantin indeed did use the sign of the Crosse which appeard to him from heaven, for an Ensign: but that no proof can be given that the Crosse was honoured or venerated by him. Wheras the passage now cited out of Prudentius evinces the contrary: and Sozo∣men expressly affirms that Constantin gave great honour to the holy Crosse,* 1.5 both for the aid afforded him by its vertue in his warr against his enemies, and likewise for the Divine appari∣tion of it to him. Hereto may be added an argument invincible, in that he built a Church dedicated to the honour of the holy Crosse:* 1.6 Yea and Prudensius in another place says,

Vexillumque Crucis summus Dominator adorat.

that is,

The Supreme Governour of the Empire adores the Ensign of the Crosse.

9. This honour was not onely acknow∣ledged by Constantin himself to be due to this Sign of our Salvation, but he signified his will that all the world should doe the same: This he did by raising his Statue in Rome, hol∣ding the Crosse in the right hand with this inscription,* 1.7 By this saving sign, the true Emblem of fortitude I deliver'd your Citty from the Yoke of Tyranny: And having given perfect liberty to the Senat and people of Rome, I restored them to their ancient greatnes and splendour.

10. All these things are farther confirm'd by another Inscription which according to a Decree of the Roman Senat was engraven in stone, To the Emperour Flavius Constantinus the great, the Senat and people of Rome. For that by instinct of the Divinity and his own ma∣gnanimous courage he at once with his army avenged the commonwealth of the Tyrant and his whole faction, therfore we have dedicated to him this triumphall Arch. In which In∣scription the Victory is ascribed, contrary to the Roman custome, to one true God, and not to those many Gods adored there.

Notes

• * 1.1

  VI. CH.
• * 1.2

  Nazer. Pa∣neg. 7.
• * 1.3

  Euseb. in vit. Constant. l. 1. c. 12. Prudent. l. 1. cont. Sym∣••••••d.
• * 1.4

  Whitak. cont. Campian.
• * 1.5

  Sozom. hist. l. 1. c. 2.
• * 1.6

  Prudent in Apotheosi.
• * 1.7

  Euseb in vit. const. l. ••. c. 5••••