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. IX. Constantinus Augustus's Letter to Sapor King of the Persians, wherein he makes a most pious Confession of God and Christ.

A Copy [of the Letter] to the King of the Persians.

BY keeping the Divine Faith, I am a par∣taker of the Light of Truth: being lead by the guidance of the light of Truth, I * 1.1 arrive at the knowledge of the Divine Faith. By this means therefore, as 'tis confirmed by the things themselves, I acknowledge the most Holy Reli∣gion: this very worship I declare to be the Tea∣cher of my knowledge of the † 1.2 Most Holy God. Ha∣ving the power of this God for mine assistance, I have begun from the utmost Bounds of the Ocean, and have raised the whole World a 1.3 to a firm hope of safety. In so much that, all the Provinces (which being enslaved under so many Tyrants, and involved in daily Cala∣mities, b 1.4 were in a manner totally ruined;) c 1.5 having at length gotten a * 1.6 Restorer of the Republick, are raised to life again by some sovereign medicine as 'twere. This God I assert: whose Standard my Forces which are dedicated to God, do carry on their shoulders, and are directed to what place soever the Rule of Equity invites them; and on these very accounts I immediately obtain most Glorious Victories as my Reward. This God I profess my Self to honour with an immortal me∣mory. Him I contemplate with a pure and sin∣cere mind, whose Seat is in the highest [Hea∣vens.]

Notes

• * 1.1

  Or, Ac∣knowledge the Divine Faith.
• † 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; so the reading is in Theodoret, book 1. chap. 25. where a more perfect Copy of this Letter occurs, and therefore we have taken our Version of it from thence.
• a 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It must doubtless be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, of safety: although in Theodoret, book 1. chap. 25, Edit. Stephen. the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is wanting. But Epi∣phanius Sholasticus acknowledges that word, as his Version informs us in the 3^d book of the Tripertite History. Vales.
• b 1.4

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 'Tis evident that this place is imperfect: In Ma∣raeus's Copy I found it supplied in the same manner as 'tis in the Geneva Edition; namely thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. But whoever mended this place thus, was certainly an ill and unskilfull conjecturer. With how much more of ease and safety might this imperfection have been supplied from Theodoret, in which Writer this Letter of Con∣stantine to Sapor occurs much perfecter, and more correct. Never∣theless, the Fuketian, and S^r Henry Savil's Copy make up this defect in the same manner with the Geneva-Edition. Nor ought it to trouble us, because this expression is barbarous. For this Letter of Constantine had at first been written in Latine by him: then it was done into Greek by some unskilfull Translatour. The same thing has hapned to Constantine's other Letters and Orations. Vales.
• c 1.5

  All these words, from, Having at length, to, This God I profess, are wanting in this Copy of Constantine's Letter to Sapor. They oc∣cur in Theodoret; from the Greek Text of which Authour we have inserted them into our English Version.
• * 1.6

  Or, Avenger.