The history of the church from our Lords incarnation, to the twelth year of the Emperour Maricius Tiberius, or the Year of Christ 594 / as it was written in Greek, by Eusebius Pamphilius ..., Socrates Scholasticus, and Evagrius Scholasticus ... ; made English from that edition of these historians, which Valesius published at Paris in the years 1659, 1668, and 1673 ; also, The life of Constantine in four books, written by Eusibius Pamphilus, with Constantine's Oration to the convention of the saints, and Eusebius's Speech in praise of Constantine, spoken at his tricennalia ; Valesius's annotations on these authors, are done into English, and set at their proper places in the margin, as likewise a translation of his account of their lives and writings ; with two index's, the one, of the principal matters that occur in the text, the other, of those contained in the notes.

CHAP. XXXIII. How Trajan forbad that the Christians should be sought after.

MOreover, so great a persecution raged a∣gainst us at that time in many places, that Plinius Secundus the most eminent amongst the Governours of Provinces, being moved at the multitude of Martyrs, gave the Emperour an ac∣count of the great numbers of those that were de∣stroyed, because of their faith; and together there∣with certified him, that he found they did nothing of impiety, nor acted any thing contrary to the Laws; onely that they rose at break of day, and sung Hymns to Christ, as unto God; but that they abhor'd the commission of Adultery and Murder, and such like horrid crimes; and that they did all things consonant to the Laws. Upon account of which Trajan made this Edict, That the Christians should not be sought out; but if by accident they were lighted on, they should be punished. Which being done, the most vehement heat of the persecution that lay heavy upon us was in some measure quenched: But to those who had a mind to doe us mischief there remained pretexts no whit less fair and specious; in some places the people, in others the Rulers of the Provinces, f••••ming treacheries against us; in so much that even when there was no open and general perse∣cution, yet there were particular ones throughout the Provinces, and very many of the Faithfull un∣derwent various sorts of Martyrdomes. We have taken this account out of Tertullians Apology, written in Latine (of which we before made men∣tion) the translation whereof is thus;

But we have found that the inquisition after us has been prohibited. For Plinius Secundus, when he was Governour of the Province, having con∣demned some Christians, and deprived other

some, being at length troubled at their great number, asked advice of Trajan then the Em∣perour, what he should doe with the Residue, say∣ing, that, besides their obstinacy in not sacri∣ficing, he found nothing of impiety in their re∣ligious mysteries, onely that they held early as∣semblies in singing Hymns to Christ as unto God, and that they had a a 1.1 certain summary of their polity; that they forbad Murder, Adultery, Fraud, Perfidiousness, and such like crimes. Then Trajan returned answer, that those sort of men should not indeed be diligently sought out, but if by chance b 1.2 they were lighted on and brought before the Governours, they should be punished.

And this was then the posture of affairs.

Notes

• a 1.1

  He that translated the words of Tertul∣lian into Greek has rendred them un∣happily. For neither does 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifie discipline, nor 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to agree together. I would therefore rather translate these words of Tertullian thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, i. e. and that they had a cer∣tain summary of their polity. Vales.
• b 1.2

  Here also the Greek translatour of Teriullian hath done ill; for Tertullian, or rather Trajan, calls those Oblatos, who were brought in before the Judges; for so the Latines use to speak. The sense there∣fore of the Emperour Trajans Rescript against the Christians is this, that the Governours of Provinces should not too diligently hunt after the Christians by sending out Spies and Officers to take them▪ but if any Christians were by chance found out by their Officers, or if they were made appear to be such by their accusers, that then they ought to be punished. Vales.