some, whych to set vp the primacie of Rome, hath most pestilently abused the autoritie of these holy and auncient fathers, to deceaue the simple church. For who is so rude, but that in considering onely the state of those terrible tymes, maye easelye vnderstande, except affection blinde them, beside a number of other probable coniectures to leade hym, that the poore persecuted bishops in that time, would haue ben glad to haue any safe couert to put their heades in: so farre was it of, that they had any list or laysure, then to seeke for any primacie or Patriarchship, or to driue all other Churches to appeal to þ^e sea of Rome, or to exempt all priestes from the accusation of any lay man: MarginaliaThe fyrst epistle of Zephirinus to the byshops of Sicilia.as in the first epistle of Zephyrinus is to be sene, written to the bishops of Sicilia. And likewise the second epistle of hys to the Bishops of the prouince of Egipt, contayning no maner of doctrine, nor consolatiō necessry for that time, but onely certayn ritual decrees to no purpose, argueth no lesse, but þ^e sayd Epistles neither sauer of that man, nor taste of þ^t tyme.MarginaliaPatins of glas borne before the priest.Of like credite also seemeth the constitution of the Patens of glasse, which Damasus sayth that the same Zephyrinus ordayned to be caried before the priest, at the celebation of the Masse. MarginaliaThe ordināces of Zephyrinusof smal credit.Agayne Platina writeth that he ordayned the ministration of the sacrament to be no more vsed in vessels of wood, or of glas, or of any other mettal, except onelye siluer, golde, and tynne. &c. But how these two testimonies of Damasus and Platina ioyne together, let the reder iudge: especially seyng þ^e same decree is referred to Vrbanus, þ^t cam after him. MarginaliaGolden chalices.
Consilium
Tibertinū
RhenienseAgain, what needed this decree of goldē Chalices to be stablished afterward in the coūcel of Tibur & Rhenes, if it had ben enacted before Zephyrin⁹? How long thys Zephyrinus sat, our writers do varie. Eusebius sayth, he died in the raigne of Caracalla: and sat. xvij. yeares, Plantina writeth that he died vnder Seuerus, & sat. viij. yeares, & so sayth also Nauclerus. Damasus affirmeth that he sat. xvj. yeares and two monethes.

MarginaliaEx Florilego.
Perpetua.
Felicitas.
Reuocat⁹.
Saturnin⁹.
Satyrus.
Secūdul⁹.
Martyrs.Mattheus autor of the story intituled Flores historiarum, with other later Chronicles, maketh mencion of Perpetua, and Felicitas, and Reuocatus her brother, also of Saturninus, and Satyrus brethren, and Secundulus, which in the persecution of this Seuerus gaue ouer their liues to martyrdom for Christ, being thrown to wylde beasts, & deuoured of the same, in Carthage & in Africke, saue that Saturninus brought againe from the beastes, was beheaded, and Sedundulus dyed in prison, about þ^e yere of our Lord. 202. as writeth Florileg⁹.

MarginaliaSeuerus Warreth in Britayne.This Seuerus the presecutor raygned, as the most part of writers accorde the terme of. xviij. yeares, who aboute the latter tyme of hys raygne, came wyth hys armie hether into Britaine, where after manye conflictes hadde wyth the Britaines, in the borders of the North, MarginaliaA wall betwene Englād & Scotland buylded. 132. miles in lēgthhe cast vp a ditche with a mighty walle made of earth and turues, and strong stakes, to the length of cxxxij. myles from the one syde of the sea to the other, beginning at Tyne, & reached to the Scottishe sea, MarginaliaSeuerus the persecutour slayne at Yorke.
214.which done he remoued to Yorke, and ther by the breaking in of the Northern men and the Scots, was beseeged and slayne, about the yere of our Lord. 214. leauing behinde two sonnes, Bassianus and Geta. MarginaliaBassianus Emperour.Which Bassianus, surnamed Caracalla, after he had slayne hys brother Geta, here in Britaine gouerned the Empire alone the space of. vj. yeres. After whose death, he being slayn also of his seruauntes (as he had slayne hys brother before) MarginaliaMacrinus wyth hys sonne Diadumenus Emperour.
219.succeded Macrinus with hys sonne Diadumenus to be Emperour, who after they had raygned one yeare, wer both slayne of their own people.

MarginaliaThe monstrous lyfe of Heliogabalus emperour.After them followed Varius Heliogabalus in the Empyre, rather to be called a monster, then a man, so prodigious was hys lyfe in all glotonie, filthines, and ribaudry. Such was hys pompe, that in hys lampes he vsed balme, and filled his fyshpondes wyth rosewater.To let passe his sumptuous vestures which he wold not weare but onelye of golde, and most costlye silkes: hys shoes glystering with precious stones finely engraued: He was neuer. ij. dayes serued with one kinde of meat, he neuer wore one garment twyse, and likewise for hys fleshly wickednes: some daies his companye was serued at meale with the braynes of Ostriges, & a straūge fowle called Phenocapterie, an other day w^t the tonges of Popingeis, and other sweete singing birdes. Being nie to the sea, he neuer vsed fishe: in places farre distant from the sea, al his house was serued with most delicate fishes. MarginaliaA prodigious belygod.At one supper he was serued with. 7000. fishes, and. 5000. fowles. At his remouing in his progres, often there followed hym. 600. chariotes, laden onelye with baudes, common harlots, and ribaudes. He sacrificed with yong children, and preferred to the best aduauncements in the common weale, most lightest personages, as baudes, minstrels, carters, and suche like. In one word, he was an enemie to al honesty and good order. And when he was foretold by his Sorcerers and Astronomers, that he should dye a violent death, he prouided ropes of silke to hang himselfe, swordes of golde to kill himselfe, & strōg poyson in iacinctes & emeraudes to poisō himself, if nedes he must therto be forced. Moreouer he made an high tower, hauing the flour of boords couered with gold plate, bordered with precious stones, from the which tower he would throw himselfe downe, if he should be pursued of his enemies. MarginaliaHeliogabalus slayne of hys soldiours.
Ex Eutropio.But notwithstanding all his prouision, he was slayne of the soldiours, drawn through the Citie, & cast into Tiber, after he had raaigned. 2. yeres and. 8. monethes, as witnesseth Eutropius, other say. 4. yeares.

MarginaliaAlexander Seuerus Emperour.
224.This Heliogabalus hauing no issue, adopted to hys sonne and heire Aurelius Alexander Seuerus, the sōne of Mammea, who entring his raygne the yeare of our Lord. 224. continued. xiij. yeares, well commended for vertuous, wyse, gentle, liberal, and to no man hurtful. And as he was not vnlearned himselfe, through the diligent education of Mammea his mother, so he was a great fauourer of men, wyse and learned. Neyther did he any thing in the cōmon weale, without the assistence of learned and sage Counsaylours. MarginaliaAgaynst corrupt iudges.It is reported of hym, to beare suche stomacke agaynst corrupt Iudges, that when he chaunced to meete with anye of them, by the commocion of hys mynde, he would cast vp choler, being so moued with them, that he could not speak, and was ready with his two fingers to put out their eyes. From hys court hee dismissed all superfluous and vnneedefull seruauntes, MarginaliaThe saying of Alexander to be noted and followed.
Idle seruauntes eat vp the bowels of the common weale.saying that he was no good pupill, whych fedde idle seruauntes with the bowels of his common weale.

Amōg his other good vertues, it appeareth also that he was friendlye and fauourable vnto the Christians, as by this act may be gathered: For when the Christiās had occupied a certayne publicke place in some good vse, belyke for the assembling and conuenting together of the congregation, the company of the Cookes or tiplers made chalenge of that place to belong vnto them. The matter being broughte before the Emperour, he iudged it more honest, the place to serue to the worshyp of God, howsoeuer it were, then to the dyrty sloobering of Cookes and Skullyans.

MarginaliaA note worthy to bee marked.By this it may be vnderstand, that in Rome no christian churches were erected vnto this time, when as yet (notwithstanding this fauour of the Emperour) no publicke house could quietly be obtayned for the Christiās. So that by the reason hereof may appeare the decretall epistle and ordinance of Pope Higinus concerning the dedication of churches aboue mencioned, pag. 78. to be falsefied. And likewyse the ordinaunce of Pius his successor, concerning the Altare, or Superaltare, to be also false. For what Superaltare was it lyke they had, in the