MARCVS AVRELIVS.

CHAPTER XIX.

* FRom the vertuous exam∣ples of the good Emperour Pius, proceeded a branch of no lesse towardlinesse and fruitfulnesse, Marcus Aurelius, Antoninus, Verus, Philosophus (for by so many honourable names is he remembred:) and al∣though hee sprung not from Pius, as from his natiue roote, yet was he his adopted Sonne, and graffed into his Stocke and alli∣ance by the Marriage of his daughter Faustina: Hee was the Sonne of Elius Verus who died Praetor, and * whose Pedigree is brought from Numa Pompilius, the second King of Rome; and his Mother was Domitia Camilla, daughter of Claudius Tullus.

(2) This man chose to him for * his Associate in the Empire, Lucius Ve∣rus, the sonne of Lucius Ceionius Com∣modus, whom Pius had adopted (but died before him) and therefore this Verus was respectiuely commended vnto Aurelius; betwixt whose na∣tures and conditions was as much oddes, as betwixt Day and Night; The one very moderate, louing, and industrious, the other proud, carelesse and cruell: the fruits whereof, the poore Christians felt, whose chiefest pillers, Polycarpus, Bishop of Smyrna, and Iustinus Martyr, an excellent Phi∣losopher, with infinite more, were put to most cruell deaths; and by him the fourth persecution of Gods Saints was be∣gun: whose licentious and bloodie life, lasting in Authoritie the space of nine yeares, was cut off by an Apoplexie in the pre∣sence of Aurelius beeing then in expidition towards Germanie, whose Coine wee haue here expressed as wee finde it minted with his face and reuerse.

(3) Aurelius the Emperour following the warres against those, who there reuolted, was inclosed about with his Enemies, called the Quadi, and suffered great mortalitie both by Pestilence, and much more by want of Water, whereby himselfe and Host were al∣most consumed: At which time many Christian Souldiers being in his Campe, and commanded (as Ionas was) to call vpon their God, they fell prostrate on the ground in praiers, and obtained of him so plenteous a shower of raine, as therewith after fiue daies extreamest drouth and thirst, the whole Army* was refreshed, and the Quadi contrariwise by Thunder & Lightning were quite dispersed and ouerthrowne.

(4) This wonder (saith Eusebius) is reported euen by those Historians, who fauoured not Christianitie: and the prudent Epistle of the Emperour himselfe, (which hee wrote to the Senate for confirmation of this miracle, yet extant) doth warrant the same: wher∣upon he both mitigated the rage against Christs Pro∣fessours, and (by testimonie of Apollinaris) named that *Legion of the Christians, for an euerlasting remem∣brance, The lightning Legion.

(5) In his Raigne Calphurnius Agricola was sent Lieutenant into Britannie, where the inhabitants sought some alterations of the State, sore repining at the oppressions of the Romanes. But the Surname A∣gricola reuiuing the remembrances of their former ouerthrowes, so daunted their Courages, that at the presence of the Generall, who came amongst them to preuent all occasions, they gaue ouer their intended enterprise: for which, and for many other his poli∣cies there vsed, he worthily deserued great commen∣dations, but (for the most part) the glorie of all such Page  222 seruices was attributed to the Emperours themselues, and the paines in attempting, and perrils in obtaining did commonly breed nothing but disgrace and enuy after victorie, to those by whom it was atchieued. Yet besides the stories, the memorie of his being heere Lieutenant, is deliuered to posteritie, by this Inscrip∣tion, once erected in the Picts Wall, an Altar to the Goddesse Suria, and now preserued by S^r. Robert Cot∣ton of Connington, amongst other Monuments of like qualitie.

So also Lucius Verus, (whom this excellent Em∣perour had in the yeere 162. as appeareth by his Coine of Concord, set in the entrance of his life, ele∣cted his College in the Empire) to supply the defect of merit in himselfe, tooke from the Conquest of Aui∣dius Cassius, and other his Captaines in Armenia, Par∣thia and Media, the Trophies of their victories, with which he filled vp his Title, and adorned his Money, expressed in the beginning of this Chapter.

(6) About these times, albeit other things went not so happily with Britaine as might haue beene wished, yet one felicitie then befell her, which did both counteruaile her owne calamities, and ouer∣poize the good fortunes of all other Nations: and that was the blessed rest of the Gospell of peace in this warring and vnpeaceable Kingdome, a great part * thereof being gouerned at that time by King Lucius, surnamed Leuer-Maur. For that was the policie and ancient custome of the Romans (as Tacitus saith) to vse euen Kings themselues for their instruments, to bring the people into bondage. And Antoninus Pius ending warre, permitted Kingdomes to be gouerned by their owne Kings, and Prouinces by their owne *Comites (as saith Capitolinus.) This King disliking the Paganisme and Idolatry of his people, (though, as wee haue shewed, among many of them the truth of Christs Doctrine was both taught and embraced, euen from the first planting thereof) and being incited *both by the exemplary life and piety of the Christians, and also by the manifest miracles wrought amongst them, and encouraged moreouer by the fauourable Edicts of the Emperours in their behalfe, and by the good affections and forwardnesse of their Deputies heere, Trebellius and Pertinax; he gaue leaue to their *Religion by publike warrant, and was the first Chri∣stian King in the world, and Britaine the first Prouince that embraced the Gospell by publike authority, as Sa∣bellicus saith.

* (7) This Lucius (as before wee haue touched) to be better furnished with Christian Lawes for himselfe and Subiects, missa legatione ab Imperatore Romanorum,*& à Papa Romano Eleutherio, (as Nennius saith) for in this purerage the Church was so humble, to vaile (as farre as might be) her actions in the Imperiall licence, sent two learned Clerkes, whose names were Eluanus*and Meduuinus, skilfull in the Scriptures, to Eleutherius Bishop of Rome: whose Reply to his most godly De∣mand (because the fauourers of the Papall Authoritie either doe doubt it, or altogether deny it) I haue *thought good heere verbatìm to insert, as I my selfe haue found it, in a most ancient Manuscript, amongst the authenticke Records and Constitutions of the Citie of LONDON.

(9.) The date of this Epistle (as by some other *Copies it appeareth) being the yeare of the second Consulship of Commodus and Vespronius, may giue great light and satisfaction to such as are curious to know the truth, and to reconcile the differences of our Hi∣storians, touching the time: That Consulship being a∣bout the yeare of Christ one hundred and eighty: which was at the beginning (if not a little before) of Commodus his raigne; and therefore whereas some re∣fer it to the one hundred sixty ninth yeer after Christs Passion, it is apparant to be the only error of transcri∣bers, who so writ in stead of one hundred seuenty nine after his birth; which was, anno currente, the ve∣ry time of Commodus being Consul the second time: * and on this yeere agree, both forrain and domestick writers of this matter. And albeit the very texture of this Epistle, carieth with it the true Character of Anti∣quity, *yet because our worthy writers, mentioning this Epistle, are charged of flat forgery (by such who challenge to be Masters in all ancient knowledge) we will adde somewhat, to wash off those false aspersi∣ons, both from the Record, and from the mentioners thereof.

* Their first exception is, that the Latin Copy would doubtlesse haue been produced by them, if it had not beene counterfeit. Whereto what need we answer, sith now we haue produced it, and can produce as many, as there are Copies of King William the Conquerors Lawes, wherein it is expresly repeated? The next is, that the English translations of it differ each from other. A reason more childish then the former, sith euery man hath a seuerall conceit of that he translateth, and sometimes the very Originalls, (by transcribers igno∣rance or omission) cause variety of translation, as may appeare in the variae lectiones of this Copy prefixed. The last, but most saucy and ignorant exception is, that the places of Scriptures mentioned in the letter, are so *sottishly and senselesly applied, as is vnworthy to be fa∣thered on the learned Eleutherius. Let vs therefore in a word, bring the diuinity of this Grand-censurer to the touchstone: For Eleutherius proueth, first, that Kings are Gods Vicars in their kingdome, because the whole Earth is properly Gods, and therefore Kings haue it not as their owne, but as his Lieutenants: Next, that as Dauid typically, and Christ impliedly, was by God an∣nointed King, for the execution of Righteousnesse and Iustice, so euery godly King ought to make that the on∣ly end of his high honor, that being by God aduanced, he might likewise aduance Righteousnesse, Iustice, and the seruice of God, whose vassall he is: and that there∣fore Gods iudgements and Lawes, are to be preferred by them, before all humane Lawes: with which they should rule and cherish their godly subiects as their children: and protect them and gather them vnder one faith as Christ (their master) doth, who therefore compareth him∣selfe, to a Hen gathering her Chickens vnder her wings.

The defects of which Princely duties, Eleutherius most liuely expresseth afterward, in so proper appli∣cations, as if the learnedst fathers on these places be duly examined, they will be found no whit to exceed the apprehensions of this Godly Bishop. But if Robert Cowback, would haue cast his eie on the moderne Popes, and their Cardinals applications of Scrip∣tures, what would he then say? God made a greater light and a lesse: therefore the Pope is as much greater then the Emperor, as the Sunne is bigger then the Moone. Christ said to Peter, Kill and eat: therefore the Pope may excommunicate and depose Kings (yea and kill them too for a need.) Peter said, Behold two swords; therefore the Pope hath both Temporall and Spirituall Iurisdiction ouer the world. So God said to Ieremy, he should plant and transplant: therefore the Pope may dispose and transpose all Kingdomes at his pleasure. Christ to Peter,*thou art Cephas, and Cephas is a head; therefore the Pope is head of the Church. Domini sunt Cardines Terrae. The earth is the Lords: therefore the Cardinals are the Lords of the Earth. On such pillers and applications of Scriptures, is the whole Papall greatnesse founded, and yet these late Scribes can scoffingly cauill at the godly applications of ancient Eleutherius. But to our purpose.

* (10.) This Epistle with two other Preachers, Faganus and Daminius, sent vnto King Lucius, did not a little encourage him in his godly purpose, in so∣much that receiuing Baptisme, the Temples of the * Heathenish Flamines and Arch-Flamines euen thirtie one in number, were conuerted into so many Christi∣an Bishops Sees, whereof London, Yorke and Carlein, now Saint Dauids, were made the Metropolitants of the Pro∣uince.

(11.) A table remaining in the Parish Church of Saint Peter in Cornhill London, recordeth that the foundation thereof was by this King Lucius, and that Church to haue been the Cathedrall to that Arch∣bishops See. There be that ascribe the foundation of *Saint Peters Church at Westminster vnto him; vnlesse the places are mistaken. Others affirme that this King Lucius likewise built a Church within D•uer-castle, to the seruice of Christ, endowing it with the Toll or customes of that Hauen. Differences there are about the time of his Raigne, but none at all for his conuer∣sion and establishing of the Christian Faith. As for *those who would haue this Lucius after his Baptisme to saile into Gallia and other forrein parts, where sub∣duing many Pagans, he became the Apostle to the Ba∣uarians,*and that his sister Emerita fifteene yeeres after was martyred in the City Augusta: I find thereof no warrant in any sufficient writer; but in this all others agree, that he raigned twelue yeeres, and lieth buried in Gloucester.

(12) This good Emperour possessed the Seate of Maiestie, nineteene yeares and eleuen daies; where∣in he alwaies approued himselfe, in wit excellent, in life vertuous, verie learned and eloquent, full of Cle∣mency, Iustice, and Temperance, nothing inferiour to Page  224 most of the worthiest Emperours before him, nor *matchable in qualities by many of the Monarchs that followed him: He died the seuenteenth day of Aprill the yeare of our Sauiour one hundred eighty one, and of his owne age fiftie nine: leauing to the world a misse for the present, and to posterities a perpetuall memorie of his vertues; and happy had he been, saith *Capitolinus, had he not left behind him a Sonne.