The dayes, yeares, monethes, and times, keepe their appoynted turnes The earth abideth firme and vnremoueable at thy worde, and the winde at the time (by thee directed) stormeth & bloweth. The streaming waterie floudes, ebbe in time according as they flow. The raging sea abideth within her bounded limites And for that the Ocean Sea stretcheth out her selfe in equall length and breadth with the whole earth: this must needes be wrought with some marueilous workmanship of thine owne hand:MarginaliaThe earth stayd vp by the power of God. which thing vnlesse it were at thy will made and disposed, without all doubt, so great difference and partition betweene, woulde or this time haue brought vtter ruine & destructiō, both to the life of man, as to all that belōgeth to man beside. Which for that they haue such great and huge conflictes amongest themselues, as also the inuisible spirites haue: we geue thee thankes, O Lorde most mighty God of all Gods, that al mankinde hath not bene destroyed thereby. Surely, euen as greatly as thy benignitie and gentlenes, is manifested by diuers & sundry benefites bestowed vpon vs: so much also is the same set foorth and declared in the discipline of thy eternall word, to those that be heauenly wise, & apply themselues to the attainement of sincere & true vertue.MarginaliaWho they be that Constant. accompteth wise in deede. But if any such there be, that litle regard or haue but small repect vnto the consideration thereof: let them not blame or lay a fault in others that do the same. MarginaliaExperience a trial of the truth.For that Phisicke whereby health is obtained, is manifestly offered vnto all men: now therefore let no man go about to subuert that, which experience it selfe doth shew (of necessitie) to be pure and good. Let vs therefore altogether vse the participation of this benefite bestowed vpon vs, that is to say, the benefite of peace and tranquillitie, setting a part all controuersie. And let no man hurt or be preiudiciall to his fellowe for that thing, wherein he thinketh him selfe to haue done wel. If by that, which any man knoweth and hath experience of, hee thinketh he may profite hys neighbour, let him doe the same, if not, let him geue ouer, and remit it til on other time. For there is a great diuersitie betwixt the willing and voluntary embracing of religion, and that whē a man is thereunto inforced and coacted. Of these things haue I made a more larger discourse, then in deede, the scope of medicoritie requireth: especially because I woulde not haue my faith (touching the veritie) to be hid.MarginaliaConstantinus neyther for feare dissembleth hys fayth, neyther through pollicye defaceth Gods glory. For that I heare there be some, which complaine the olde accustomed haunting of their temples, & that the power of such darkenesse is cut of and taken away: which thing surely I would take in better part, were it not that the violent rebellion of flagitious errour, were so fixed in many mens heartes, whereby they thirst after the vtter subuersion of the common weale and Empire.

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Such was the goodnesse of this Emperour Constantinus, or rather such was the prouidēce of almighty God toward his Church, in stirring him vp: that al his care and study of minde was set vpon nothing els, but onely howe to benefit & enlarge the commodities of the same. Neither was it to him inough to deliuer the Church and people of God, from outward vexation of foraine tyrants and persecutors. MarginaliaConstantinus compared to Moses, in deliuiring the people, and agreeing them together.No les beneficial was his godly care also in quieting the inward dissentions and disturbaunce within the Church among the Christian bishops themselues, according as we read of Moses the deliuerer of þ^e Israelits, in agreing the brethren together, when he saw them at variance. Exod. 2. No lesse also did his vigilant study extend in erecting, restoring, & enriching the Churches of God in al Cities, and in prouiding for the ministers of the same. MarginaliaThe letter of Constantinus to Anilinus hys captayne.And therefore wryting to Anilinus his chiefe captaine, declareth his will & minde to him in letters, concerning the goodes whych did appertaine to the Churches of the Christians: that hee shoulde procure vigilantly for the same: that all suche goodes, houses, and gardens, belonging before to the right of Churches, shoulde agayne be restored in all speedie wise: and that hee therein might be certified with speede. &c.

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MarginaliaAn other letter of Constantine to Anilinus.Moreouer, he writing to the saide Anilinus in an other letter, signifieth vnto him in this effect: that for so much as the contempt of God his reuerent religion, is & hath bene euer the greatest decay to the name & people of Rome, as contrary the maintaining and reuerencing the same, hath euer brought prosperitie to all common weales:MarginaliaThe contempt of gods religion, chiefest decay of common weales. Therfore he in consideration therof, hath taken that order, & geueth to him in charge, that through þ^t prouince, where he hath to doe, which was in Aphrica where Cecilianus was Byshop, he should there see & prouide, that all such ministers and Clerkes, whose vocation was to serue in the Church, should be freed and exempted from all publike duties and burdens: whereby they being so priuileged, and all impediments remoued, which shoulde hinder their diuine ministration: thereby the cōmon vtilitie of the people might the better flourish. &c.

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MarginaliaAn other letter of Constantine to Miltiades Byshop of Rome.Furthermore, the sayde Constantinus in an other letter wryting to Miltiades, Byshop of Rome, and to Marcus, declareth in his letters to them, howe Cecilianus Byshop of Carthage, hath ben accused vnto him by diuers of his col-leages and fellow byshops. Wherfore his will is, that the sayd Cecilianus, with x. byshops his accusers, with x. other his defendants should repaire vp to him at Rome,MarginaliaThe feruent desire of Constantinus to peace and vnitie. where in the present assistance of the foresayde Miltiades, Rheticus, Maternus, Marinus, and of other their fellowe Colleages, the cause of Cecilianus myght be harde, and rightly examined, so that all schisme and deuision might be cut of from among them: wherein the feruent desire of Constantinus to peace and vinitie, may well appeare.

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MarginaliaThe letter of Constantine to Crestus Byshop of Syracusa.Vpon the lyke cause and argument also, he wryteth to Chrestus Byshop of Syracusa, so desirous to nourish peace and concord in the church, that he offereth to him with his vnder Ministers and three seruaunts, hys free caryage to come vp to him vnto the Councel of other bishops, for the agreeing of certaine matters belonging to the Church.

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Hee writeth also an other letter to the forenamed Cecilianus Byshop of Carthage.

MarginaliaThe edicte of Constantinus to the rulers of the prouince of Palestina.To the prouinces likewise of Palestina & those partes about, hee directeth his Edict in the behalfe of the Christians: for the releasing of such as were in captiuiite[illegible text]: and for the restoring againe of them, which had sustained any losse in the former persecution before, & for the refreshing of such as heeretofore had bene oppressed with any ignominie, or molestation, for their confession sake: declaring in the sayd Edict, howe that his whole body, life and soule, and what soeuer is in hym, hee oweth to God, and to the seruice of him. &c.

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MarginaliaThe letter of Constantine to Eusebius.Moreouer an other leter he wryteth to Eusebius, for the edifying of newe Christian Churches, & restoring of them whych had bene wasted before by forreine enemies. And after hee had collected the Synode of Nice, for the studie of peace and vnitie of the Church, he wryteth vpon the same to Alexander and Arrius.MarginaliaThe councell of Nice. The effect of the letter of Constantine to Alexander and Arrias. ex Euseb. de vita Constan. Lib. 2. In which hys letters hee most lamentably vttered the great griefe of his heart, to see and heare of theyr contention and diuision: whereby the peace and common harmonie of the Churche was broken, the Synode prouoked & resisted, the holy people of the Lorde deuided into partes and tumultes, contrary to the office of good and circumspect men, whose duetie were rather to nourish concorde and to seeke tranquillity. And though in some small poynts 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 vnitieof their profession, they did all ioyne as fellowes together. In like case were it theyr duetie in such fruitles questions (or rather peeces of questiōs) to keepe them in the conceptions of their mindes, in silence vnto themselues, and not to bring them foorth into publicke Synodes, to breake therefore from the communion of the reuerent Councell. Declaring moreouer in the sayde Epistle, the first origine and occasion of thys theyr contentious dissention to ryse vpon vaine & trifling termes, vile causes, and light questions, and peeces rather of questions: about such matters as neither are to be moued, nor to be answered vnto, being mooued, more curious to be searched, and perillous to be expressed, then necessary to be inquired, magisque puerilibus ineptijs, quam sacerdotum ac cordatorum virorum prudentiæ conuenientia  

, as he there doth terme them. Wherefore by al maner meanes he doth labour them, doth entreate them, and perswade them, not onely with reasons, but also with teares and sighing sobbes, that they would restore againe peace vnto the Church, and quietnesse to the rest of his life (which otherwise would not be sweet vnto him) and that they would returne againe to the communion of the reuerent Councell. Who in so doing should open his way and purposed iourney into the East partes, which otherwyse hearing of their discorde and dissention, would be sorye to see with his eyes, that which greeueth him nowe to heare with hys eares: with much more in the same Epistle contained, but this is the effect of the whole. Euseb. de vita Constant. Lib. 2. MarginaliaConstantine set forth a spectacle to all Princes to follow.Thus much I thought summarely to comprehende, whereby the diuine disposition and singular gentle nature of this meeke & religious Constantine might more notoriously appeare to all Princes: for them to learne by hys example, what zeale and care they ought to beare toward the Church of Christ, & how gently to gouerne, and how to be beneficiall to the same.

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Many other Edicts & Epistles wrytten to other places and parties, be expressed at large in the seconde booke of Euseb De vita Constantini: wherein the zealous care and Princely beneficence of this noble Emperour toward the Church of Christ may appeare. Wherof in a briefe recapitulation such specialities we haue collected as here followeth, and is to be seene in Zozo Lib. 1. Cap. 8. 9.

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First hee commaunded all them to be set free, who soeuer for the confession of Christ, had bene condemned to ba-