shops, for agreing for certayne matters belonging to the churche.

He writeth also an other letter to the forenamed Cecilianus bishop of Carthage.

MarginaliaThe edict of Constātinus to the rulers of the prouince of Palestina.To the prouinces likewise of Palestina and those partes about, he directeth his edict in the behalfe of the Christians: for the releasyng of such as were in captiuitie: and for the restoring agayne of them, which had sustayned any losse in the former persecution before: and for the refreshing of such as heretofore had bene oppressed with any ignominie, or molestation, for their confession sake: declaring in the said edict, how that his whole body, life and soule, and whatsoeuer is in him, he oweth to God, and to the seruice of him. &c.

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MarginaliaThe letter of Constantine to Eusebius.Moreouer an other letter he wryteth to Eusebius, for the edifieng of new Christian churches, & restoryng of them which had bene wasted before by foreyne enemies. And after he had collected the MarginaliaThe Councell of Nice.Synode of Nice, for the study of peace and vnitie of the church, he wryteth vpon the same to Alexander and Arius. MarginaliaThe effect of the letter of Constantine to Alexander and Arius.
Ex Euseb. De vita Constant Lib. 2.In which hys letters he most lamentablye complaineth, vttering the great griefe of his hart, to see and heare of their contention and diuision: whereby the peace and common harmonie of the church was broken, the synode prouoked & resisted, the holy people of the Lord diuided into partes and tumultes, contrary to the office of good and circūspect men, whose duty were rather to nourishe concorde and to seeke tranquillitie. And thoughe in some small poyntes and light trifles they did disagree from other: yet as the example of Philosophers might teache them, who although in some part of a sentence or peece of a question, some might dissent from other: yet in the vnitie of their profession, they did al ioyne as fellowes together. In like case wer it their dutye in such fruitles questions (or rather peeces of questions) to keepe thē in the cōceptions of their mindes, in silence vnto themselues, & not to bring them foorth into publicke synodes, then to breake therefore, from the communion of the reuerent councel. Declaring moreouer in the sayd epistle, the first origine and occasion of this their contentious dissention to ryse vpon vayne and trifling termes, vile causes, and light questions, & peeces rather of questions: about such matters as neither are to be moued, nor to be answered vnto being moued, more curious to be searched, and perilous to be expressed, then necessary to be inquired, magisq; puerilibus ineptiis, quam sacerdotum accordatorum virorum prudentiæ conuenientia,  

as he there doth terme them. Wherefore by all maner meanes he doth labour them, doth desire and entreate them, doth perswade thē, not onely with reasons, but also with teares and sighing sobbes, that they woulde restore agayne peace vnto the church, and quietnes to the rest of his life (which otherwise would not be swete vnto him) and that they would returne againe to the communion of the reuerend counsel. Who in so doing should open his way and purposed iourney into the East partes, which otherwyse hearing of their discord and discention, would be sory to se with his eyes, that which greueth him now to heare with his eares: with muche more in the same epistle contayned, but this is the effect of the whole. Euseb. de vita Constant. lib. 2. Thus much I thought summarely to comprehend, whereby the diuine disposition and singular gentle nature of this meke & religious Constantine myght more notoriouslye appeare to all Princes: MarginaliaConstātine set forth a spectacle to all prīces to followe.for thē to learne by his example, what zeale & care they ought to beare towarde the church of Christ, and howe gentlye to gouerne, and how to be beneficial to the same.

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Many other edictes and epistles written to other places and parties, be expressed at large in the second booke of Eusebius De vita Constantini: wherein the zealous care and princely beneficence of this noble Emperour toward the church of Christ may appeare. Wherof ina briefe recapitulation such specialties we haue collected as here followeth, & is to be sene in Sozo. lib. 1. cap. 8 9

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MarginaliaA brief recapitulatiō of such benefites wrought by Constātine vpon Christes church.First he cōmaunded al thē to be set free, who soeuer for þ^e confessiō of Christ, had bene condemned to banishmēt, or to þ^e mines of metal, or to any publike or priuate labour to thē inflicted. Such as wer put to any infamye or opē shame amōg þ^e multitude, he willed thē to be discharged from all such blemish of ignominie. Soldiours which before were depriued eyther of their place, or put out of their wages: were put to their liberty, eyther to serue agayne in their place, or quietlye to lyue at home. Whatsoeuer honour, place, or dignitie had ben taken away frō any mā, should be restored to them agayn. The goods and possessions of them that had suffered death for Christ, how soeuer they were alienated, shoulde returne to their heires, or next of kyn: or for lacke of them should be geuen to the church. He commaunded moreouer that onely Christians should beare office. The other he charged and restrayned, that neither they shoulde sacrifice, nor exercise any more diuinations and ceremonies of the Gentiles, nor set vp any images, nor to kepe any feastes of the Heathen idolaters. He corrected moreouer and abolished al such vnlawful maners and vnhonest vsages in Cities, as might be hurtful any wayes to the church, as the custome that the Egyptiās had in the flowing of Nilus, at what time the people vsed to runne together like brute beastes, both men and women, and with all kinde of filthynes and Sodomitrie to pollute their cities, in celebrating the increase of that ryuer. MarginaliaWhere wickednes is punyshed there goodnes followeth.This abhomination Constantine extinguished, causing that wicked order called Androgyni, to be kylled. By reason wherof the riuer afterward (through the benefit of God) yelded more increase in his flowing, to the greater fertilitie of the ground, then it did before.

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Among the Romanes was an old law, that suche as were baren hauing no fruit of children, should be mulcted of halfe their goods. Also, that such as being aboue the yeares of. xxv. vnmaried, shoulde not be numbred in the same priuileges with them that were maried, neyther should be heyres to them, to whom notwythstanding they were next in kinde. These lawes because they seemed vnreasonable, to punishe the defect of nature, or gift of virginitie, by mans law, he abrogated and tooke awaye. An other order was among the Romanes, that they which made their wyls being sycke, had certayne prescribed and conceiued wordes appoynted to them to vse, which vnlesse they followed, their wils stode in none effect. This law also Constantine repealed, permitting to euery mā in making his testamēt to vse what words, or what wytnesses he would. Likewise among the Romaynes he restrayned and tooke awaye the cruell and bloody spectacles & sightes, where men were wont with swordes one to kyl an other. Of the barbarous and filthy fashion of the Arethusians in Phoenicia, I haue mēcioned before, Pag. 138. where they vsed to expose & set forth their virgins to open fornicatiō, before thei should be maryed, which custome also Constantine remoued away. Wher no churches were, there he commaunded new to be made: MarginaliaThe liberalitie of Constātine in geuing to churcheswhere any were decayed, he commaunded them to be repayred: where any were to litle, he caused them to be enlarged, geuing to the same great gifts and reuenewes: not onely of such tributes and taxes cōming to him from certayn sundry Cities, which he trāsferred vnto the Churches, but also out of his own treasures. When any Byshops required any councell to be had, he satisfied their peticions: And what in their Councels and Synodes they established, being godly and honest, he was ready to confirme the same.

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The armour of his Soldiours, which were newlye come from gentilitie, he garnished with the armes of the crosse, wherby they might learne the sooner to forget their old superstitious idolatrie. Moreouer like a woor-