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 He heard Eusebius's Panegyrick concerning the Sepulchre of our Saviour, in a standing posture.

BUt that, in my judgment, is in no wise to be silently overpast, which this admirable [Prince] did, even in Our own presence. For, when we had one time besought him, being con∣fident of his singular piety towards God, that he would be an Auditor of a Speech of Ours con∣cerning the Sepulchre of our Saviour; He gave us Audience with all imaginable willingness. And a great company of Hearers standing round, a 1.1 within the Imperial Palace it self, He himself stood also, and together with the rest gave Au∣dience. But when We entreated him to rest himself upon his Imperial Throne which was placed hard by, he would by no means be per∣swaded to Sit; But with an intent mind, weighed what was spoken, and by his own Testimony ap∣proved the truth of the * 1.2 Theologick Dogmata. But when much time had been spent, and our Oration was continued to a great length; We were desirous to break off. But he would not suffer that; but entreated us to go on till we had ended our Discourse. And when we again Sollicited Him to sit down, He on the contrary was urgent in His Refusal: sometimes affirming, That it was unfit to hearken to Discourses which treated concerning God, with ease and remisness; at other times saying, that this was usefull and advantagious to Him. For it was [He told us] a thing consonant to Piety and Religion, to hear Discourses about Divine matters in a stan∣ding posture. After these things were finished, we returned home, and betook our selves to our usual Studies and exercises.

Notes

• a 1.1

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. The Tran∣slatour renders it in ipsa Ba∣silica, in the very Church, which I like nor. For Euse∣bius notes this as a wonderfull instance of piety in Constan∣tine, that the Empe∣rour vouch∣safed to hear Euse∣bius's Ora∣tion, in a standing posture within the very Pa∣lace. Que∣stionless, if the Emperour had heard the Speech standing in the Church, that would have been less strange, in regard the place it self requires reverence, and because in the Church the Emperour himself is one of the number of the Faithfull. But, for the Emperour to stand in the Palace whilst a Bishop was speaking, that is a signal instance of Religion. See chap. 46, whence it may be manifestly ga∣thered, that the Palace is meant here. Further, the Christians were heretofore wont in a standing posture to hear the Sermon of the Priest in the Church. For no body sate in the Church but the Presbyters, as Optatus informs us, Book 4. Dum peccatorem arguit, & Sedentem in∣crepat Deus, Specialiter ad vos dictum esse constat non ad populum, qui in Ecclesia non habet sedendi licentiam. Vales.
• * 1.2

  Or, Points of Divinity.