pray to theyr God for the Emperor. Then forthwyth was the persecution stayed, and the Imperiall proclamations in euery citie were set vp, conteyning the retraction or countermaund of those thinges which agaynst the Christians were before decreed, the copy wherof ensueth

Marginalia Maximinus coūtermaūde in the behalfe of the Christians.Amongst other thynges which for the benefite & commodity of the common weale we established, we commaūded to reforme all thinges accordyng to the auncient lawes and publicke discipline of þ^e Romaines, & also to vse this policy, that the Christians which had forsaken the religion of their forefathers should be brought agayne to þ^e right way. For such phātasticall singularitie was amongst them, that those thynges which theyr elders had receyued & allowed, they reiected & disallowed, deuising euery man such lawes as they thought good, and obserued the same, assemblyng in diuers places greta multitudes of people.

Therfore when our foresayde decree was proclaymed, many there were that felt the penalty therof, and many beyng troubled therfore suffred sundry kindes of death. And because we see yet that there be many which perseuere in the same, which neyther geue due worship vnto the Celestiall gods neyther receyue the God of the Christians, we hauing respect to our accustomed benignitie wherwith we are wont to shew fauour vnto all men, thynke good in this cause also to extend our clemency, that the Christians may be agayne tollerated and appoynt them places where again they may meete together, so that they do nothyng contrary to publicke order and discipline. By an other Epistle we meane to prescribe vnto the iudges, what shalbe conueniēt for them to do. Wherefore accordyng as this our bountifull clemency deserueth, let them make intercession to God for our health, common weale, and for themselues, that in all places the state of the commō weale may be preserued, and that they thēselues, may be able safely to lyue within theyr bondes. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. vltimo.

But one of hys inferior officers whose name was also Maximinus was not well pleased whē this countermaund was published throughout all Asia, and the Prouinces where he had to do. Yet he beyng qualified by this example, that it was not conuenient for him to repugne the pleasure of those Princes which had the chiefe authoritie as Constantius and Maximinus, set forth of himselfe no edicte touching the same: but commaunded his officers in the presence of others, that they should somewhat stay from the persecution of the Christians: of which commaundement of the inferior Maximinus, eche of thē gaue intelligence vnto their fellowes by their letters.MarginaliaSabinus in the fauour of the Christians publisheth the decree. But Sabinus which then amongst them all, had the chiefest office and dignitie: to the substitutes of euery countrey wrote by his letters the emperors pleasure in this wyse.

The Maiestye of our most gratious and soueraygne lordes the Emperors, hath lately decreed with speciall diligence and deuotion, to induce all men to a vniforme lyfe, so that they which seemed to dissent from the Romaine custome by a straunge maner of liuing, should exhibite to the immortall gods, their due and proper worshyp, but the wilfull and obstinate mynde of diuers so muche, and so continually resisted the same, that by no lawfull meanes they might be reuoked from their purpose, neither made afrayde by any terror or punishment. Because therfore it so came to passe, that by this meanes many put themselues in perill and ieoperdy: The maiestie of our soueraigne Lordes the Emperors accordyng to their noble pietie, considering that it was farre from the meanyng of their princely maiesties that such thinges should be, wherby so many men & muche people should be destroyed: gaue me in charge that with diligence I should write vnto you, that if any of the Christians from henceforth fortune to bee taken in the exercise of their religion, that in no wise you molest the same, neyther for that cause you do iudge any man worthy of punishmēt: for that in all this tyme it hath euidently appeared that by no meanes they myght be allured from such wilfulnesse. It is therfore requisite that your wisdom write vnto þ^e Questors, Captaynes, and Constables of euery city & village, that they may know it not to be lawful for them, or any of them, to do contrary to the prescript of this cōmaundement, neither that they presume to attempt the same. Euseb. lib. 9. cap. 1.

MarginaliaPersecution ceaseth for a tyme The gouernours therfore of euery prouince, supposing this to be the determinate pleasure (and not fayned) of the Emperor, do first aduertise therof, the rusticall & Pagan multitude: After that they released & set at liberty all such prisoners as were condēned to the mettall mynes, & to perpetuall imprisonmēt for their faith, thinking therby (where in dede they were deceyued) that the doyng therof would well please the Emperor. This therfore seemed to them as vnlooked for, and as light to trauellers in a darke nyght. They gather themselues together in euery Citie, they call their Synodes and councels, and much maruell at the sodayne chaunge and alteration.MarginaliaThe Infidels acknowledge the God of the Christians. The Infidels themselues extoll the onely and true God of the Christians. The christians receyue agayne all their former liberty, and suche as fell away before in the tyme of persecution, repent thēselues, and after penance done, they returned agayne to the congregation. Now the Christians reioyced in euery Citie, praysing God with hymnes and Psalmes Eusebius ibidē.MarginaliaOne alteration vpon an other. This was a meruaylous sodaine alteration of the church, from a most vnhappy state into a better, but scarse suffered Maximinus the tirant the same. vj. monethes vnuiolated to continue. For whatsoeuer seemed to make for the subuersion of the same peace (yet scarcely hatched) that dyd he onely meditate. And first of all he toke from the Christians all libertye and leaue for them to assemble and congregate in churchyardes vnder a certayne coulour. After that he sent certayne Miscreantes vnto the Athenians, to sollicite thē agaynst the christians, and to prouoke them to aske of him as a recompence and great reward, that he would not suffer any Christian to inhabite in their countrey: and amongest them was one Theotechnus, a most wicked miscreant, an inchaunter, and a most deadly enemy agaynst the Christians. He first made the way whereby the Christiās were put out of credite, and accused to the Emperour, to whiche fraud also he erected a certaine Idole of Iupiter, to be worshipped of the inchanters and coniurers, and mingled the same worship with ceremonies, full of deceiuable witchecraft.MarginaliaThe deuelish practise of Theotechnus. Lastly, he caused the same Idole to geue thys sounde out of hys mouth. That is: Iupiter cōmaundeth the christians to be banished out of the Citie and suburbes of the same, as enemies vnto hym. And the same sentence dyd the rest of the gouernours of the prouinces publish against the Christians, and thus at length persecution began to kyndle agaynst them. Maximinus appoynted and instituted hyghe priestes and bishops in euery city to offer sacrifice vnto Idoles, and inueigleth all those that were in great offices vnder hym, that they should not onely cease to pleasure them, and to do for them, but also that they should with new deuised accusations agaynst them, at their pleasure, put as many to death as by any meanes they might.MarginaliaThe vayne practises of the Heathen against Christe and hys religion. They also dyd counterfet certayne practises of Pilate agaynst our sauior Christ full of blasphemy, and sent the same into all þ^e Empire of Maximinus by their letters, commaunding that the same should be published and set vp in euery citie and suburbes of the same, and that they should be deliuered to the scholemaisters, to cause their scholers to learne by roate the same.

MarginaliaA deuised accusation against the Christians by harlots. After that one named Præfectus castrorum, whom the Romaynes do call captayne, allured certaine light women, partly by feare, and partly by punishment, dwelling at Damascus in Phenicia, and taken out of the courte wherein they were accused, that they should openly say in writyng that they were once Christians, and that they knew what wycked and lasciuious actes the Christians were wont to execute amongst themselues vpon the sondayes, and what other things they thought good to make more of their own head, to the slaunder of the Christians. The capitain sheweth vnto the emperour their wordes, as though it had bene so in deede, and the Emperour by and by commaunded the same to be published throughout euery citie.MarginaliaMaximinus countermaunde geuen in brasse. Furthermore, they dyd hange vp in the mydst of euery Citie (which was neuer done before) the Emperours edicts agaynst þ^e Christiās, grauen in tables of brasse. And the childrē in þ^e scholes with great noyse and clappyng of handes did euery day resound the contumelious blasphemies of Pilate vnto Iesus, and what other things so euer were deuised of the magistrates, after most despightfull maner. Euseb. lib. 8. cap. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. And this is the copy of the edict, which Maximinus caused to be fastened to pillers fraught with all arrogant & insolent hate agaynst God and Christ.

MarginaliaThe copye of the recountermaund made against the Christians. The weake and imbecyl rebellion of mans mynde (all obscuritie and blindnesse of ignoraunce set aparte, which hetherto hath wrapped the myndes of impious and miserable men, in the pernitious darknesse of ignorance) is now at the length able to discerne, that the same is gouerned, as also corroborated by the prouidence of the immortall gods the louers of vertue: which thyng, howe acceptable it is to vs, how pleasaunt and gratefull, and how much proofe the same hath declared of your wel disposed willing 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 fayth is not known by bare and naked wordes, but by your worthy and notable deedes. Wherfore worthely is your Citie called the ha-