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. XXIII. That he publickly Proclaimed God the Authour of Good; and concerning the Copies of his Laws.

BUt, when the Emperour, by the power of God his Saviour, had reduced all places under a Subjection to himself, he himself made known to all men that God who had bestowed these Blessings upon him: and attested, that

* 1.1 He, not himself, was to be accounted the Au∣thour of his Victories. And this he declared by his Letters, written as well in the Latine as Greek Tongue, and sent throughout every Pro∣vince. Further, the a 1.2 powerfullness of his Lan∣guage will easily be perceived by him, who shall apply himself to the perusall of his Letters, They were two: the one directed to the Chur∣ches of God; the other, to the people in every City that were Strangers to our Religion. b 1.3 Which Latter, in regard 'tis accommodate to our present Subject, I think fit to insert here; both, that the Copy of this Letter may be recorded in the Mo∣numents of History, and consigned to posterity; and also, that the truth of our Relation may re∣ceive confirmation. It was transcribed from an Authentick Copy of the Imperial Law, which is in our Custody. A subscription whereto in the Emperour's own * 1.4 hand, does, like some Seal, ‡ assert the verity of our Narrative.* 1.5

Notes

• * 1.1

  God.
• a 1.2

  Eusebius praises the Emperour Constan∣tine's Elo∣quence. For that is the meaning of these words. But Christophor∣son seems to have read 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the truth of our dis∣course. It must also be written 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as Tur∣nebus has mended it at the side of his Copy; and the same is the reading in the Fuketian and Savil. Manuscripts. Besides, from these words the 24^th Chapter is begun, both in the Fuketian Manuscript, and in the Old Sheets. Vales.
• b 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In the Fuketian Manuscript 'tis 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; which reading the Geneva-men have taken notice of, as occuring in some Copies. But, this way of writing is not to be born with. For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the singular number follows. Besides, Eusebius pro∣duces but one Constitution of Constantine's here; to wit, that which had been sent by Constantine to the Provincials. He does indeed attest, that two Laws had been issued forth together in favour of the Christians; the one to the Catholick Church, the other to the Pro∣vincials. But he annexes the Copy but of one of them, namely of that which had been sent to the Provincials of Palestine. The other, sent to the Churches, is omitted by Eusebius, either because it had been drawn according to the same Copy with that to the Provincials; or for some other reason. Vales.
• * 1.4

  Or, Right band.
• * 1.5

  † Or, Record the evidence of the confirmation of our discourse.