so Maximinus was not well pleased when this countermaund was published throughout all Asia, and the prouinces where he had to doo. Yet he beyng qualified by this example, that it was not conuenient for him to repugne the pleasure of those prouinces which had þ^e chief auctoritie as Constantius and Maximinus, set forth of himselfe no edicte touching the same: but commaunded his officers in the presence of others, that they shoulde somewhat stay from the persecution of the Christians: of which commaundement of the inferiour Maximinus, eche of them gaue intelligence vnto their fellowes by their letters. MarginaliaSabinus in the fauour of the Christians published the decree.But Sabinus which then amongest them all, had the chiefest office and dignitie: to the substitutes of euery countrey wrote by his letters the Emperoures pleasure in this wyse.

The Maiesty of our most gratious and soueraign Lordes the Emperours, hath latelye decreed with special diligence and deuotion, to induce all men to a vniforme lyfe, so that they which semed to discent from the Romayne custome by a straunge manner of lyuing, should exhibite to the immortal gods, their due and proper worshyp, but the wilfull and obstinate mynde of dyuers so muche, and so continually resisted the same, that by no lawfull meanes they mighte bee reuoked from their purpose, neither made afrayde by any terror or punishment. Bicause therfore it so came to passe, that by this meanes many put themselues in perill and ieoperdy: The maiestie of our soueraigne Lordes the Emperours according to their noble pietie, cōsidering that it was farre from the meaning of their princely maiesties that such things should be, wherby so manye men & muche people should be destroyed: gaue me in charge that with diligēce I should wryte vnto you, þ^t if any of the Christians frō henceforth fortune to be taken in the exercise of their religion, þ^t in no wyse you moleste the same, neither for þ^t cause you do iudge any man worthy of punishment: for that in al this time it hath euidently appeared that by no meanes they might be allured frō such wilfulnes. It is therefore requisite that your wisdome wryte vnto the questors, Capitaines, and Constables of euery city and village, that they maye knowe it not to be lawful for them, or any of them, to do contrarye to the prescripte of this commaundement, neyther that they presume to attempt the same. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 1.

MarginaliaPersecution ceaseth for a tymeThe gouernours therfore of euery prouince, supposing this to bee the determinate pleasure (and not fayned) of the Emperour, do first aduertise therof, the rustical and Pagan multitude: After that they released and set at liberty all suche prisoners as were condemned to the mettal mynes, and to perpetuall imprisonment for their faith, thinking therby (wher in dede they were deceaued) that the doing therof would well please the Emperour. This therfore seemed to them as vnlooked for, & as light to trauelers in a dark night. They gather thē selues together in euery Citye, they call their Synodes and councels, and much maruel at the sodain chaunge and alteration. MarginaliaThe Infidels acknowledge the God of the christians.The Infidels them selues extoll the onely and true God of the Christians. The Christians receaue agayne al their former liberty, and such as fell away before in the time of persecution, repent thē selues, and after penance done, they returne agayne to the cōgregation. Now the Christians reioyce in euery City, praysing God with hymnes and Psalmes Eusebius ibidem. MarginaliaOne alteration vpon an other.This was a marueylous sodaine alteration of the church, frō a most vnhappi state into a better: but scarse suffred Maximinus the tirant þ^e same. vj. monethes vnuiolated to continue. For what soeuer seemed to make for the subuersiō of the same peace (yet scarsly hatched) that did he onely meditate. And first of al he tooke from the Christians all libertie and leaue for them to assemble and congregate in church yardes vnder a certayne coulour. After that he sent certayne Miscreantes vntothe Athenians, to sollicite them against the Christians, and did prouoke them to aske of him as a recompence and great reward, that he would not suffer anye Christian to inhabite in their country: and amongest them was one Theotechnus, the most wyckedest miscreant, an inchaunter, and a most infest enemie against the Christians. He first made the way whereby the Christians were put out of credite, and accused to the Emperour, to which fraude also he erected a certayne Idole of Iupiter, to be worshipped of the inchaunters and Coniurers, & mingleth the same worship with ceremonies, ful of deceiuable wytchcraft. MarginaliaThe dyuelish practis of Theotechnus.Lastly, he caused the same idole to geue this sound out of his mouth. That is: Iupiter commaundeth the Christians to be banished out of the Citie and suburbes of the same, as enemies vnto him. And the same sentence doth the rest of the gouernours of the prouinces publish against the Christians, & thus at lēgth persecution began to kindle against them. Maximinus apointed and instituted high priestes & byshops in euery citie to offer sacrifice vnto Idoles, and inueigleth all those that were in great offices vnder him, that they should not onely cease to pleasure them, and to do for them, but also that they should with new deuised accusations against them, at their pleasure, put as many to death, as by any meanes they might. MarginaliaThe vayne practises of the Heathē agaynste Christe and hys religiō.They also dyd counterfet certayne practises of Pilate against our sauiour Christ full of blasphemie, and sent the same into al þ^e Empire of Maximinus by their letters, commaunding that the same should be published & set vp in euery citie and suburbes of the same, and that they should be deliuered to the schole maysters, to cause their scholers to learne by rote the same.

MarginaliaA deuised accusation against the Christians by a harlotAfter that one named Præfectus castrorum, whom the Romaynes doo call Capitayne, allured certayne light women, partlye by feare, and partlye by punishment, dwelling at Damascus in Phenitia, and taken out of the court wherein they were accused, that they should openly say in writing that they were once Christians, and that they knewe what wicked and lasciuious actes the Christians were wont to execute amōgest them selues vpon the sondayes, and what other things they thought good to make more of their own head, to þ^e sclaunder of the Christians. The Capitaine sheweth vnto the Emperour their wordes, as though it had bene so in dede, and the Emperour by and by commaunded the same to be published throughout euery citie. MarginaliaMaximinus countermaund geuē in brasse.Furthermore, they did hang vp in the myddest of euerye Citye (which was neuer done before) the Emperours edictes against the Christians, grauen in tables of brasse. And þ^e children in the scholes with great noyse and clapping of handes did euery day resound the cōtumelious blasphemies of Pylate vnto Iesus, and what other thing so euer were deuised of the magistrates, after most despightful maner. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. And this is þ^e coppy of the edict, which Maximinus caused to be fastened to pyllers fraught with all arrogant and insolent hate agaynst God and Christ.

MarginaliaThe copye of the recountermaunde made against the Christians.The weake and imbesyl rebellion of mans mynde (all obscuritie and blindnes of Ignoraunce set aparte, which hetherto hath wrapped the myndes of impious & miserable mē, in the pernitious darknes of ignorance) is now at the length able to discerne, that the same is gouerned, as also corroborated by the prouidence of the immortal Gods the louers of vertue: which thing, howe acceptable it is to vs, how pleasant and gratefull, and how much proofe the same hath declared of your well disposed wylling myndes, is incredible to be told: Although this was not vnknowen before with what diligence and deuotion ye serued the immortall Gods, whose wonderful and constant faith is not knowen by bare and naked wordes, but by your woorthy and notable deedes. Wherfore worthely is your city called the