IN SOME COPIES, THIS OCCURS AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE EIGHTH BOOK.
BUT the * 1.1 Authour of this Edict, after this Confession, was forthwith Released from his pains, and ended his Life. Re∣port says, that this man was the first beginner of that Calamitous Persecution: for, long before the rest of the Emperours were instigated [to it,] he endeavoured by force to withdraw the Christians that bore Armes [from their Religion,] espe∣cially those that were his domesticks; some of whom he removed from their Military dignities, most dishonourably abused others; and more∣over, punished othersome with death: and at length he moved his Colleagues in the Empire to a General Persecution against the Christians. The manner how these Emperours ended their Lives, we judge unfit to be buried in silence: of the a 1.2 four therefore who had divided the Roman Empire between them, those b 1.3 two, that had the precedency in Age and Honour, resigned their Empire, before two years were compleated after the beginning of the Persecution, as we have c 1.4 be∣fore manifested. And, having spent the remai∣ning part of their time in a private and retired condition, they concluded their lives after this manner: The d 1.5 one, who in respect of his Age and Honour took place of all the rest, was con∣sumed by a lasting and most painfull distemper of body: the e 1.6 other, who was the next to him in honour, put an end to his life by hanging of him∣self; undergoing this [punishment,] which was agreeable to a certain Diabolical Prediction con∣cerning him, upon account of those many villanies he had most audaciously perpetrated. Of the re∣maining two, the f 1.7 last, (who, as we g 1.8 have said, was the Authour of the whole Persecution,) un∣derwent those [miseries,] which we h 1.9 have re∣lated before. But he who in dignity preceded this man, [I mean] that most favourable and mercifull Emperour Constantius, who during the whole time of his Government behaved himself in such sort as befitted an Emperour▪ who both in other matters represented himself to be most courteous and beneficent, and also was unconcerned in the persecution raised against us, who preserved the worshippers of God living under his Govern∣ment from all manner of injuries and molestati∣ons, who neither demolished the edifices of the Churches, nor attempted any other new design against us: [this Emperour Constantius I say] ob∣tained a i 1.10 fortunate and truly thrice happy conclu∣sion of his life: being the onely person that ended his life peaceably and gloriously during his sway∣ing the Imperial Scepter, and left his own Son (in all respects a most sober and pious Prince,) his successour in the Empire. k 1.11 He, being from the very beginning forthwith proclaimed supream Em∣perour and Augustus by the Souldiers, declared himself to be an emulatour of his Fathers reve∣rend regard towards our Religion. Such was the conclusion of their lives which happened to the forementioned four Emperours, at different times. l 1.12 Moreover, of them * 1.13 he onely (whom we mentioned a little before) m 1.14 made the fore∣said confession, and (together with n 1.15 those who were afterwards taken in to be Colleagues with him in the Empire) made it publickly known to all men by an Edict proposed in writing.