maundement, be it so well done. For a good Prince will neuer commaunde but good things. And so we will be contented to sustaine the honour of this death. This onely we most humbly beseech of your Maiestie, that callyng before you and examinyng the authors of this tumult and contention, than your grace would iustly iudge whether we are worthy of cruell death, or quyet lyfe. And then if it be not your pleasure, and that it proceedeth not by your occasion (which in deede agaynst your barbarous enemyes were to badde) the more a great deale we are petitioners to your hyghnesse, that hereafter you will voutchsafe to heare vs thus so vexed and oppressed with these kynde of vylanous robberies.MarginaliaChristian religion began with the Empyre of Rome.
Christian religion maketh common weales to florish. And verely our Philosophiy and doctrine did first amongest the barbarous take place, whiche doctrine first in the dayes of Augustus you predecessor, when it dyd raigne and florish, thereby your Empire became most famous and fortunate: and from that tyme more and more the state of the Romaine Empire increased in honor, wherof you most happely were made successour, and so shall your sonne to. Honour therfore this Philosophie, which with your Empire sprang vp and came in with Augustus which your progenitors aboue all other honored and most estemed. And verely this is no small argumēt of a good begynnyng: That since our doctrine flourished in the Empire, no misfortune or losse happened from Augustus tyme: but cōtrary alwayes victory, good and honorable yeares, as euer any man would wishe. Onely among all, and of all Nero and Domitian beyng kindled by diuers naughty and spitefull persons, cauillyngly obiected agaynst our doctrine, of whom this Sicophanticall slaundryng of vs by naughty custome first came and sprang vp. But your godly fathers espyeng the ignoraunce of these, often tymes by their writing corrected their temerous attemptes in that behalfe. Among whom your graunfather Adrian w^t many other is read of, to haue written to Fundayne the Proconsul and Lieuetenaunt of Asia. And your father, your owne father I say, with whom you ruled in all thynges, wrote to the Cities vnder his signet, as the Laersens, Thessalonicensi0s, Atheniēses and Grecians, rashly to innouate or alter nothyng. Of your highnes therfore, who in this case is of that sect as your predecessours were, yea and of a more benigne and Philosophicall mynde, we are in good hope to obtayne our peticion and request.

MarginaliaThe bookes of the olde Testament autentik & receaued. Thus much out of the Apologie of Melito, who writyng to Onesimus, geueth to vs this benefite to know the true Catalogue, and the names of all the autēticke bookes of the old Testament, receaued in the auncient tyme of the primitiue Church. Concernyng the number and names wherof, the said Melito in his letter to Onesimus declareth,MarginaliaEx Eusebio ibidem. how that he returnyng into the partes where these thinges were done and preached, there he diligently inquired out the bookes approued, of the old Testament, the names wherof in order he subscribeth and sendeth vnto him, as followeth: The fiue bookes of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leuiticus, Numeri, Deuteronomi. Iesus Naue, The Iudges: Ruth: Foure bookes of Kyngs: Two bookes of Paralipomenon: The Psalmes, Prouerbes of Salomon: The booke of Wisedome: The preacher: The song of songes: Iob. The Prophetes, Esay, Hieremie, twelue Prophetes in one booke, Daniel, Ezechiel, Esdras. And thus much of this matter, whiche I thought here to recorde, for that it is not vnprofitable for these latter tymes to vnderstand, what in the first tymes was receaued, and admitted as autenticke, and what otherwise.

But from this litle digression to returne to our matter omitted that is to the Apologies of Apolianarius and Melito: in the story so it foloweth, that whether it was by the occasiō of these two Apologies, or whether it was through the writyng of Athenagoras a Philosopher, and a Legate of the Christians, it is vncertaine: but this is certaine, that the persecution the same tyme was stayd. Some do thinke, whiche most probably seeme to touche the truth, that the cause of staying this persecution, did rise vpon a wonderfull miracle of God, shewed in the Emperours campe by the Christians, the storye wherof is this:MarginaliaA miraculous rayne obtained by the Christians At what tyme the twobrethren Marcus Antonius, and Marcus Aurelius Commodus Emperours, ioynyng together, warred agaynst the Quades, Vandales, Sarmates, and Germaines, in the expedition agaynst them their army by reason of the imminent assault of their enemies, was cooped and shut in within the straightes and hoate dry places, where their souldiours besides other difficulties of battaile, beyng destitute of water. v. dayes, were like to haue perished, which dread not a litle discomfited them, and did abate theyr courage. Where in this their so great distresse and ieopardye, sodainly withdrewe from the army a legion of the Christian souldiours for their succour: who fallyng prostrate vpon the earth, by ardent prayer, by and by obtained of God double reliefe: by meanes of whom God gaue certaine pleasaunt showers from the element, whereby as their souldiours quenched their thirst: so were a great number of their enemyes discomfited & put to flight by cotinuall lightenyngs which shooted out of the ayre. This miracle so pleased and won the Emperour, that euer after he waxed gentler and gentler to the Christians, and directed his letters to diuers of his rulers, as Tertulian in hys Apologie witnesseth, commaūdyng them therein to geue thanke to the Christians, no lesse for his victory, then for the preseruation of him and all his men. The copy of which letter hereafter ensueth.

I Geue you hereby to vnderstand, what I intende to do, as also what successe I haue had in my warres in Germany, and with how much difficultie I haue vitled my campe, beyng compassed aboute with lxxiiij. fierce Dragons, whom my Scootes descryed to be within ix. miles of vs. and Pompeianus our Liefetenaunt hath vewed as he signified vnto vs by his letters: Wherefore I thought no lesse but to be ouer runne and all my bandes of so great multitude, as wel my vaward, mayne ward as reare ward, with all my souldiours of Ephrata. In whose hoste there were numbred of fighting men ix. hundreth seuenty and fiue thousand. But when I sawe my selfe not able to encounter with the enemy, I craued ayde of our countrey Gods, at whose hands I findyng no comfort, and beyng driuen of the enemy vnto an exegent, I caused to be sent for those men which we call Christians who beyng mustred were found a good indifferent number, with whom I was in farther rage, then I had good cause, as afterwardes I had experiēce by their marueilous power, who forthwith dyd their indeuour, but without either weapon, munitiō armour, or trumpets, as men abhorryng such preparation and furniture, but onely satisifed in trust of their God, whō they cary about with them in their cōsciences. It is therfore to be credited, although we call them wicked men, that they worship God in their hartes. For they fallyng prostrate vpon the ground, prayed not onely for me, but for the hoste also which was with me, besechyng their God for helpe in that our extremitie of vittels and fresh water. For we had ben now. v. dayes without water, and were in our enemyes land, eū in the middest of Germany, who thus fallyng vpon their faces, made their prayers to a GOD vnknowen of me: and there fell amongest vs from heauen a most pleasaunt and cold shower, but amongest our enemyes a great storme of hayle mixt with lightnyng, so that immediatly we perceiued the inuincible ayde of the most mighty God to be with vs. Therfore we geue those men leaue to professe Christianitie, least perhap by their prayer, we be punished with the lyke, and thereby make my selfe the author of such hurt as shall be receaued by the Christian profession. And if any shall apprehend one that is a Christian, onely for that cause: I will that he beyng apprehended without punishment, may haue leaue to confesse the same, so that there be none other cause obiected agaynst him, more then that he is a Christian: But let his accuser be burned aliue. Neither will I that he confessing and beyng found a Christian, shalbe enforced to alter the same his opinion by the gouernor of any of our prouinces, but left to his owne choyse. And this decree of myne I will to be ratified in the Senate house, and commaunde the same publickely to be proclaimed and read in the Court of Traianus, and that farder frome thence it may be sent into all our Prouinces by the diligence of Veratius gouernor of our Citie Polione. And further we geue leaue to all men to vse and write out this our decree, takyng the same out of our copie publiquely in the common hall set forth.

Thus the tempestious rage of persecution agaynst the Christians began for a tyme to asswage, partly by the occasion hereof, partly also vpon other causes incident, compellyng the enemies to surcease their persecution, as great plages and pestilence lying vpon the countrey of Italy: likewise great warres, as well in the East partes, as also in Italy and Fraunce, terrible earthquakes, great floudes, noysome swarmes of Flies and vermine deuouryng their corne fieldes. &c.MarginaliaAntoninus Ve. M. Aurelius Commodus Emperours. And thus much of thynges done vnder Antoninus Verus, which Antoninus in the begynnyng of his raigne ioyned with him in the gouernment of the Empire, hys brother Marcus Aurelius Commodus, who also was with him at the miraculous victory gotten by the Christiās, as Eusebius cap. 5. Lib. 5. recordeth.MarginaliaThe discrepence betwene Eusebius and Platina. Cōtrary Platina in vita Soteris, and the booke intituled Flores Historiarum, referre the