Lux matutina, or, Some beams and dawnings of early light breaking forth of ancient history discovering the judgement and practice of the primitive times in reference to ceremonies and church-discipline.

Of the Idolatrous and superstitious practices of some in those dayes about the Worship of God, and the many supposed strange signs and wonders they feigned to deceive with, and bring their superstition into esteem.

Cir. 250. Dionysius the Bishop writes thus: There was one Se∣rapion an old man, one of the Church of Alexandria, who lived a long time without reprehension, but in persecution fell from the Faith; he entreated very often to be received again, but none gave ear to him, for he had sacrificed; and being sick, he said to his Kinsman, How long will you with-hold me! I beseech you make haste, and absolve me quickly, call me out one of the Priests: But he being sick, could not come with the Boy: Yet (because I gave commandment that such as were about to dye (if humbly they requested it) should be ad∣mitted, to the end that being strengthened in faith, they might depart in peace) he delivered unto the Boy a little of the Eucharist, and command∣e ••h••m to crumble or soak it, and so drop it by little and little into the old mans mouth; and when the Boy brought home the Encharist, and be∣fore he came in, the old man said, Comest thou my Son? the Priest cannot come; come thou therefore, dispatch thou that which he commanded thee to do, and let me depart: The Boy immix∣ing or soaking the Eucharist, and withall let it by drop••meal into the old mans mouth; Wherefore when he had tasted a little, forthwith he gave up the ghost. Is it not manifest that this man was so long held back, till he was absolved and loosed from the link of sin, by confes∣sion, &c. Euseb l. 6. c. 43. p. 118.

312. It is said of Constantine the Emperor, that he saw in the Skye a lightsome Pillar, in form of a Cross, wherein these

words were engraven, IN THIS OVERCOME, &c. and the night following he saw Christ saying to him, Frame to thy self the form of a Cross after the example of that which appeared to thee, and bear that against thine enemy as a fit Banner of Victory. Where∣upon he commanded a Cross to be made, and laid up in his Pallace. Soc. l. 1. c. 2. p. 213, 214.

Cir. 331: Constantines Mother went by a Vision to Jerusalem, and there sought for Christ's Sepulchre; at last she found it, and therein three Crosses, and the table on which Pilate wrote; and when she could not tell which of the three was Christs, the bishop of Jerusalem prayed for a sign to discover it; he laid the other two upon a sick woman, and they cured her not; but that did cure her, as the Bishop was perswaded it would do. Thus was the cross found out. She built a goodly and gorgeous church over the sepulchre, and called it New Jerusalem. One half of the cross she locked up in a silver chest, and left it there to be seen; and the other half sent to the Emperor, which when he had received, supposing the city to be in great safety wherein it was kept, set it upon a Pillar in the Market-place, and compassed it with his own picture: And this is received upon report, &c. And when Constantine had received the nails wherewith Christ was fastened (which his Mother also found in the sepulchre) he caused to be made therewith Bits for Bri∣dles, Helmets and Head-pieces, which they wore in battle. His Mother built two churches more, one at Bethlem, in the hollow Rock where Christ was born, and the other upon the Mount where Christ ascended, &c. Soc. l. 1. c. 13. p. 235, 236.

361. The Emperor went to the Oracle of Apollo, but the de∣vil whose dwelling was in that den, trembled for fear of Baby∣las the Martyr (whose corps lay interred not far from the place) and would give the Emperor no answer; which he per∣ceiving the cause, commanded that the Martyrs tomb should be removed: When the Christians of Antioch heard of this, they assembled, rejoiced, and sang Psalms, and they translate his corps into Antioch. Soc. l. 3 c. 16. p. 307.308.

363. It is said of the Jews when their Temple was strangely overturned, and they amazed at it, and yet would not ac∣knowledge Christ, the night following there weae forms of crosses marked in their garments, which shined like the sun∣beams; and in the morning when they saw them, they co∣veted

to wipe them off, but could not. Socrat. lib. 3. chap. 17. p. 309.

370. In the city of Edessa there is a goodly and gorgeous Temple, where infinite troops of men, for the reverend opinion conceived of the holy place, are wont to frequent. Soc. l. 4. c. 14. p. 325.

Cir. 375. They report, that one saw the soul of Ammon the Monk carryed into Heaven by the Angels; and thereupon ma∣ny chose that trade of life; and note how they commend their superstitious, strange, yea wicked life. Socrat. l. 4. ch. 18. p. 327, 328, 329. &c.

Cir. 412. Upon a report that Acasias the Martyr was hanged upon a Hazel-tree in Constantinople, there was for that cause a church erected at the tree. Soc. l. 6. c. 21. p. 374.

Cir. 425. When the Novatians had brought the corps of one Sabbatius from an Isle, and placed it in a Tomb, buried it so∣lemnly, and prayed upon his Tomb, Atticus the bishop caused it to be taken away; so they ceased to honor the Tomb. Yet he at another time caused that John being dead, should be so∣lemnly remembred at service-time, to idolize the Johannites, as they used to do other dead bishops. Socrat. lib. 7. chap. 25. p. 389.

437. In Constantinople there being a great fire, and the Nova∣tian church like to be burned, Paulus the bishop went in, and prayed for its preservation; and being preserved, the Novati∣ans kept yearly an holy-day to give thanks for it. All men do reverence that church for the miracle; and not onely the Christians, but the Ethnicks also do honor it as an holy place. Soc. l. 7. c. 38. p. 398.

Cir. 445. It is said of Symion, that he withdrew from compa∣ny, and lived in a Pillar; and Evagrius commends him and his life very much, and also saith, that the Religious men of the Desert sent a Messenger to him to demand of him what he meant by that new-found and unknown kind of life, and wherefore he forsook the steps of the Saints that went before, &c. They gave order, that if he were willing to come down, being required, they should let him alone, as being a testimony that it was of God; but if he re∣fused, then to pull him down; but he yeilding, they let him alone, and concluded his Mansion was (no doubt) of God. When he dyed, his holy corps was brought to Antioch, where

'twas kept by a guard, lest the bordering cities should by force carry it away. And after working of many miracles by the way, the Emperor sent for the corps; the Citizens request its continuance upon this account, that there was no Walls about their city, and we (say they) have transported hither the holy corps of Symion, that it may be both to us and our city instead of a fortified Wall. Many parts of his carkase were reserved to this day; I saw his skull. Philippius required that Reliques of the Saints for the speedy expedition of Martial Affairs, should be sent. There was laid up the Iron-chain that hung about his neck, and with it the corps, so much renowned of all men for endu∣ring such hardness and misery, was honored with Divine prai∣ses. Evagr. l. 1. c. 13. p. 419, 420.

Cir. 448. Theodosius the Emperor translated the greater bones of Ignatius, and buried them in the Church-yard of An∣tioch, a long time after his Martyrdom; and there he saith, For it was Almighty God (no doubt) that inspired Theodosius with that good motion, highly to reverence that good Martyr, and to consecrate the Temple unto Ignatius the holy Martyr; and that which was dedicated unto, Fortune, is now become a Sanctuary, and a famous Temple, to ce∣lebrate the memory of Ignatius, whose holy bones in a Chariot with great solemnity, he brought and buryed within the Temple, for which cause there is a holy-day kept with great joy, even as at this day. Saith further, that these things came there to pass in this sort, because God would have the memorial of his Saints celebrated there with honor and reverence. Julian translated the corps of Babilas, aad built a goodly church that stands without Antioch, &c. After (he saith) it came to pass through the providence of God, partly that the force and virtue of Martyrs might be seen; and partly also that the holy bones of this blessed Martyr should be buryed in hallowed ground, and beautified with so gorgeous a building. Evag. l. 1. ch. 16. p. 421.

Evagrius commends the life of the Monks or religious men in Palestina, who drove such a retired trade of life; although (as it's set forth) it be very abominable. See at large Evag. l. 1. c. 21. p. 423, 424.

Cir. 448. The Wife of Theodosius the Emperor founded a goodly church in remembrance of Stephen the first Deacon and Martyr, not a furlong off the City of Jerusalem. Evag. l. 1. c. 22. p. 424.

Cir. 451. There was a Temple built to Euphemia the Mar∣tyr, described scituate in the fields, in sight of Constantinople: There is a place in it (saith the story) where its lawful for every one to pray to the Martyr, and partake of the Mysteries: And that she appeared to certain Bishops, charged them to celebrate a Feast in the church; and thereupon the Emperor and People ran thither to partake of the Mysteries. She lay in a Chest there, they let down a spunge upon her, and took up holy blood enough; and such as come where she is, are filled with fragrant smells, breathing out of her dead body. Evagr. l. 2. c. 3. p. 427, 428.

Cir. 458. Proterius the bishop being in danger, (it's said) he made his refuge unto the reverend Font; the which place of all others, yea the Babarians and brutish people (being altoge∣ther ignorant of the virtue and grace which issueth thence) are loath to prophane; yet these men reverenced not the Religi∣ous place, nor honored the time, being the Feast of Easter; stood in no awe of holy Priesthood, which is a mediation between God and man, &c. they spared him not, no, not in those pri∣viledged places. Evagr. l. 2. c. 8. p. 434.

Cir. 540. I remember a certain miracle worth noting: At Apamia, when the Citizens there heard Antioch was set on fire, they desired Thomas (although it were contrary to order & custom) to bring out the wholesome and lively cross, and to set it before them all, to the end they might behold it, and embrace it when their last hour came, for therein the health of man consisted: and now taking their voyage into ano∣ther world, they might have the reverend Cross for their wayfare, to fafe conduct them into a better Soyle Wherefore Thomas did as they request∣ed him; and after the limitation of some certain time for the preparation thereof, he brought forth the lively tree of the cross, that all the neighbors might come together, and participate of the health that proceedeth there∣of: Then went my Parents and took me, and after we were licensed to honor and embrace the Reverend Cross, whereby the old curse of sin was wiped away, Thomas lifted up his hands, and let all see the Wood of the Cross, and compassed the Sanctuary (as the use was upon high and solemn Feasts:) But as Thomas passed from place to place, there follow∣ed a great flame, not of burning, but of shining fire; so that all the place where he stood and shewed the Reverend Cross, was enflamed; which sight foreshewed the health and safeguard that was to ensue. After this was put in a Picture in the roof of the Sanctuary, and there continued till af∣terwards both City and Church was burned. Evagr. l. 4. c. 25. p. 480, 481.

550. After Thomas the Monk was buryed, and one or two more after him in the same place, God after his death (saith the story) wrought a great miracle; his corps was cast upper∣most; the men seeing this, had the Saint in admiration; where∣fore his most holy corps was carryed to Antioch with great pomp and solemnity, and there was buryed in the Church∣yard, by reason whereof it came to pass, that the plague which then reigned in the City, ceased; in honor of whom the peo∣ple of Antioch have kept an holy-day yearly unto this our time. Evag. l. 4. c 34. p 486.

560. Justinus the Emperor wrote a Creed, and therein saith, Our Lady Mary, the holy and glorious Mother of God, and perpetual Virgin. Evagr. l. 5. c. 4. p. 492.

Cir. 580. Its said of Anatolius, that he had offered to Idols; and being sent for by the Emperor, he ran to the picture of Mary the Mother of God, that hung aloft in the prison by a cord, set his hands behind him, made his supplication, and prayed to it; the Image detesting him as a wicked person, as one that God abhorred, and turned it self from him, a spectacle very strange, and worthy of everlasting memory, &c. and fur∣ther saith, that the holy Virgin appeared to divers of the faithful, and set them against Anatolius, saying, that he hath reviled her son and her, &c. Evagr. l. 5. c. 18. p. 499.