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. XVIII. How the Emperour Constantine abolished Gen∣tilism, and erected many Churches in several places.

AFter this, the Emperour, becoming more solicitous about [the propagation of] Christianity, abhorred the superstitions of the Gentiles: and first He abolished the combats of the Gladiators: afterwards he placed his own Statues in the Temples. The Heathens affirming that it was Serapis that caused the inundations of Nile whereby the fields of Egypt were watered, because there was a Cubit usually carried into his Temple, the Emperour a 1.1 ordered Alexander, to re∣move the Cubit into the Church [of the Alexan∣drians,] hereupon 'twas ge∣nerally reported, that, be∣cause Serapis was disgusted, the Nile would not over∣flow; nevertheless, there hapned an inundation on the ensuing year, and after∣wards, which also does con∣tinue to this day: And thus it was really demonstrated, that the inundation of the Nile hapned not by the meanes of their superstition, but by the decree of Provi∣dence. About the same time, those barbarous na∣tions, the Sarmatae and the Goths, made inroades into the Roman territories, and yet the Emperours forward∣ness in building of Churches was not in the least inter∣rupted thereby, but he made a commodious provision for both those affairs. For, having put his confidence in the * 1.2 Christian Banner, he totally subdued those his enemies; in so much that he took off the tribute of Gold which had been customarily paid to the Barbarians by those Emperours who were his predecessours; and that was the first time that they (being astonished at their prodigious overthrow) were perswaded to embrace the Christian Religion, by which Constantine had been every where preserv'd. Again, he erected other Churches: one he built at that place called the Oak of Mambre, under which the sacred Scriptures tell us that the Angels were entertained by Abraham. For the Emperour being inform'd that altars were erected under that Oak, and, that Pagan sacrifices were there perform'd; by his Letter he severely reproved Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea: and gave com∣mand that the altar should be demolished, and an house of prayer erected neer that Oak. He also gave order for the building of another Church, in Heliopolis, a City of Phaenicia, for

this reason. What manner of Law-maker the Citi∣zens of Heliopolis originally had, or what person he was as to his morals, I cannot certainly tell. But his disposition is sufficiently demonstrated from that City: For the Law of their country has commanded that the women should be com∣mon among them, upon which account the chil∣dren amongst them could not be known whose they were. For there was no distinction be∣twixt the parents and the children. Their Vir∣gins they delivered to strangers that arrived a∣mongst them, that they might deflower them. The Emperour made it his business to abolish this custom, which had so long prevailed amongst them. For having abrogated the flagitiousness of those unclean usages by a discreet and chast Law, he brought them to know and distinguish be∣twixt families: And when he had built Churches, he took care that a Bishop should be ordained over them, and a sacred Clergy. Thus he re∣form'd the impious usages of the Heliopolites, and made them more modest and civil. After the like manner also he demolisht the Temple of Venus at Aphaca neer [the mount] Libanus, and abrogated those impudent and obscene▪ My∣steries there celebrated. What need I relate how he expelled that Devil who pretended to utter Prophecies, out of Cilicia, commanding the house in which he lurked, to be demolished even to its very foundations. Moreover, so ardent was the Emperours love for the Christian Religion, that being about to ingage in a war with the Persians, he provided a tabernacle made of linen painted with divers colours, much resembling a Church (even as Moses did in the wilderness) and this he would have carried about with him, that so in the most desert regions he might have an Oratory ready. But this war went no further at that time: for it hapned to be immediately extin∣guished through the fear which the Persians had conceiv'd of the Emperour. But I think it un∣seasonable to relate here how diligent the Em∣perour Constantine was in repairing Cities, and how he turned many Villages into Cities; as for instance, Drepane, which bore his mothers name, and Constantia in Palestine, so called from his Sisters name Constantia. For our design is not to recount all the Emperours actions, but them only which belong to the Christian Religion, and those more particularly which were done about the Churches. Wherefore, the Emperours fa∣mous exploits, in regard they are of a subject different [from mine,] and require a peculiar treatise, I leave to others, that are able to com∣mit to writing such matters. Indeed, I my self, had the Church continued undisturbed by factions and discord, had been wholly silent. For where the subject affords not matter proper for a narrative, the relators words are superfluous and useless. But in regard a subtile, vain, and insignificant craftiness in disputing hath disturbed, and at the same time also dissipated and distra∣cted the Apostolick faith of Christianity, I sup∣posed it requisite to commit these things to writing, that so those affaires which have been transacted in the Churches, might not be buried in silence. For the knowledge of these things does both procure great praise and commendation a∣mongst most men, and also renders him that is well versed therein much more solid and cau∣tious; teaching him not to fluctuate or stag∣ger [in his sentiments,] when any * 1.3 vain bab∣blings about words and terms shall happen to arise.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Christophorson and Muscul•••• thought that these words were transposed; they read them (as appears from their Version) thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, [the Emperour] or∣dered that the Cubit should be re∣moved into the Church of the Alexandrians. But, because the word [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] cannot be taken in a passive sense the place must be otherwise mended: which from the Sfortian M. S. we have thus restored: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; [the Emperour] ordered Alexander to remove the Cubit into the Church [of the Alexandrians.] Which emendation needs no confirmati∣on. See Rufin. Eccles. Hist. book 2▪ chap. 23. This order of Constan∣tines lasted not long. For Julian commanded that the same Cu∣bit should be carried back again into Serapis's Temple, where it seems to have continued till Theodosius's reign, and the de∣molishment of Scrapis's Temple▪ Vales.
• * 1.2

  He means that Standard, or Banner, which the Emperour ordered to be made, in figure like to the Cross that appeared to him in the face of the heavens. See chap. 2▪ of this book.
• * 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; See 1 Tim. 6. 20.