invented by Fausta maliciously because the young man would not yield to her Lust she was by Constantine's order stifled in a Hot Bath After which Crimes and Calamities as appears by the second General Councel of Nice Almighty God struck Constantine with a Leprosie anxious to find a remedy the Soothsayers told him The only way to be restor'd was by a Bath of Infants Blood This detestable Medicine being abhorr'd by Constantine God was pleas'd to instruct him by a Vision of St. Peter and St. Paul in his sleep That it would be a certain remedy for him to receive Baptism at the hands of the Pope Which he did accordingly with great Solemnity In the place where he was Baptiz'd he Erected a Magnificent Chappel wherein was a Font of Porphyrie cover'd with Silver and over it hung a Phiale of Pure Gold wherein yearly 200 l. of Balsom was Burn'd on the brink of the Font was plac'd a Lamb of pure Gold weighing 30 l. and pouring forth water into the Font At the right side of the Lamb stood the Statue of our Saviour all of pure Silver weighing 170 l. On the left side was plac'd St. John Baptist holding a Scroul whereon was written Behold the Lamb of God Behold him who takes away the sins of the World c. The Emperour according to the Churches custom being for seven days cloath'd in White Consecrated each of the said days with some Signal act of Piety On the first day he publish'd a Law That Christ is the true Lord who cleans'd him from his Leprosie and whom he commanded to be Ador'd through the whole Empire On the second day he Decreed Severe Punishments on those who by Word or Deed should Dishonour him On the third day he Decreed Like Penalties against those who should Persecute or Molest any Christians On the fourth day He confer'd on the Roman Churches Imperial Priviledges On the fifth day He granted Immunities to all other Churches On the sixth and seventh he added many other Gists to Ecclesiastical Persons And the day after he appear'd in publick perfectly cleans'd from his Sins and Leprosie and coming to the Confession of St. Peter He took his Diadem from his Head and putting off his Impertal Robes with a Spade open'd the Earth for a Foundation of a new Church and in Honour of the 12 Apostles carry'd on his Shoulders 12 Baskets of Earth and with great joy receiving the Bishop into his Chariot he return'd to his Palace After all this he extended his Munificence to Gods Church all the Empire over and sent Letters to the Eastern Bishops encouraging them to Build Churches supplying them out of his publick Treasure which Churches he caus'd to be Consecrated to the Honour of the Apostles and Martyrs whose solemn Feasts he commanded to be observ'd even by the Pagans with Honour and Veneration And as for the Christians they repair'd thither with great Zeal and as Supplicants there demanded the intercession of those Martyrs a practice then us'd not only by the meaner sort but by persons of the highest rank also As St. Chrysostom witnesses He who wears the Imperial Robe saith he comes hither he embraces the Sepulchers of the Martyrs and laying aside all haughtiness and pride stands before them in the Posture of a Supplicant beseeching them to intercede on his behalf This so publick and zealous Profession of a new Religion render'd Constantine displeasing to some of the Senate who could not with Patience endure the decay of their Antient Superstition For this cause he grew weary of Rome and made a Progress into the Eastern Provinces where he establish'd a new seat of the Empire at Bizantium after from his Name call'd Constantinople and this he did the rather to compose the Tumults rais'd by the Blasphemous Heresie of Arius who deny'd the Divinity of the Son of God affirming That time was when he was not though he was first of all Creatures In which Heresie not a few Bishops joyn'd with him to the great disturbance and scandal of the Christian Church Alexander Bishop of Alexandria first admonish'd then Excommunicated Arius Constantine by Exhortations and Letters treated with both of them for the composing of their differences but finding no means available caus'd a Councel of the whole Church to be assembled at Nicaea in Bythinia consisting of 318 Bishops who desided the Controversy from Scripture and Tradition determining That the Son was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Consubstantial with the Father It is observable with what Meekness Charity and Respectfulness the Pious Emperour behav'd himself towards the Bishops how he refus'd to judge of their Recriminations how he fortify'd the Determinations of the Synod by his Authority commanding submission thereunto and how he banish'd the Arch-Heretick Arius In this Councel was further Order made For the universal Observation of Easter upon the first Sunday following the 14th day of the first Moon after the Vernal Equinox for the better finding out of which it was recommended to the care of the Patriarch of Alexandria every year to give notice to the Bishop of Rome upon what day Easter was to be observ'd and this was to be communicated unto all remoter Churches and during Mass on the Epiphany a Deacon with a loud voice declar'd the following Easter whereby Lent and all other moveable Feasts were regulated And accordingly the British Churches also were guided until recourse from Rome was interrupted by Domestick Broils and the invasion of the Saxons and when by such interruption the Britains varied from the Western Churches they kept not Easter as the quarto decimani precisely upon the 14th day of the Moon after the Jewish mode But if that 14th day hapen'd upon a Sunday they did not defer the Observation until the Sunday following as other Catholick Christian Churches us'd to do Soon after this Councel of Nice Helena the Mother of Constantine being near 80. years old had the Courage to undertake a Pilgrimage to Jerusalem to visit the Holy places sanctify'd by our Lords Actions and Sufferings and to Adore his Footsteps to which tedious Journey she is said to be incited by Divine Admonition The Sepulchre of our Lord she most ardently desir'd to see which the flagitious Impiety of the Pagans had endeavour'd to hide from the World so that it cost incredible Labour to remove that vast heap of Earth wherewith it had been cover'd on the top whereof a Temple to Venus was Erected But the place being cleans'd Constantine caus'd a most Magnificent Temple to be Erected upon it Besides which his Mother began the building of two other Sumptuous Churches one at Bethlehem where our Lord was born another on Mount Olivet where he ascended into Heaven both which after her Death were finish'd by her Son. In the Mount was yet extant the Impression of our Lords Feet which this Devout Empress Honour'd with due Veneration The Prophet Zacharias long before Prophesied saying And in that day his feet shall stand upon the Mount Olivet
and Tomb of Saints because it had been Built by the immediate Disciples of our Lord and to him Dedicated as Venerable Antiquity doth testifie All which consider'd to deny so great a Blessing confer'd on our Nation must savour of Passion and un-excusable Partiality The time and occasion of St. Joseph's Arrival here and the particular Acts of him and his Companions after so many years of change and alteration cannot befully accountable The time in all likelihood was when Suetonius Paulinus was Pretor here and when Policletus Favourite to Nero came hither with his Retinue the occasion of his coming is less certain Some write that St. Joseph was sent hither by St. Philip the Apostle or Evangelist grounding their opinion from Procalphius who speaks little to that purpose Tradition informs us that St. Joseph at his first coming Address'd himself to Arviragus then King of the Britains and said to be the Founder of the University of Oxford by the help of an Augur or Prophet named Olenus Calenus from whom it was first called Calena And although Arviragus did not submit to the Doctrine of St. Joseph yet he gave him leave to publish it in Peace so well was he prepar'd to the Entertainment of Divine Truth by humane Education Nay he was also pleas'd to afford Joseph and his Companions a place of Retreat not only commodious for their Devotions but sufficient for their Sustenance call'd by the Britains the Glassey-Island or Avallonia in which certain Lands were alloted both by Arviragus and his Son Marius containing about 12 Hydes for the Nourishment of those Godly persons being the first of ground in this Island Dedicated to the Service of God and after called Godney The first thing these new Inhabitants undertook was to build and Consecrate a Church for the Worship of God which they Dedicated to the Honour of the most Blessed Virgin Mary And as is affirm'd amongst other things relating to Glastonbury Monastery in an Epistle of St. Patrick who died there was Consecrated Miraculously by our Blessed Lord himself to the Honour of his Mother This wonderful Consecration is more fully declar'd by the Testimony of the Illustrious Bishop of St. David the Extirpator of Pelagianisme out of Britain as hath been Collected out of the Antiquities of Glastonbury by Willià m of Malmsbury to this effect following That St. David with other Bishops coming to Glastonbury invited by the Sanctity of the place resolv'd to Consecrate the Church there formerly erected to the Honour of the Mother of God and having provided all things necessary for that purpose the night before his intended Ceremony our Blessed Lord appear'd to St. David in his sleep and demanded the cause of his coming thither which St. David forthwith declar'd whereupon our Lord taking him by the Hand told him That he himself many years before had Dedicated the said Church to the Honour of his Mother and that That Holy Ceremony was not to be Profain'd by any mans repeating And having said this with his Finger pierc'd through the Bishops Hand telling him this should be a sign that what himself had formerly Anticipated ought not again to be Renew'd and withall promis'd him that when the said Bishop the next day at the Canon of the Mass should pronounce the words Per ipsum cum ipso in ipsoâ—â— His Hand should be restor'd sound to him The Bishop awaking found his Hand pierc'd and others saw and touch'd the Wound with great Admiration and the Preparation for the Consecration was laid aside and during the Celebration of Mass the Bishops Hand became Sound The sum of what hath hitherto been here related is repeated by St. Augustine the Convertor of our Nation in an Epistle of his to St. Gregory the Great and by Copgrave in the Life of St. Joseph and is further testify'd by an Antient Inscription cut in Brass fasten'd to a Pillar in the same Church declaring in effect what hath been said already This Inscription is recorded by Sir Henry Spelman in his Collection of Councels and yet by him pretended to be Fabulous First He doubts whether any Christian Churches were Erected so early Which doubt is certainly groundless unless he mean such Magnificent Structures as have been built since Christianity hath been publickly cherish'd and countenanc'd but that even under the Harrows of Persecution the Christians made shift to Erect or Assign places to meet in and perform the Rites and Duties of Religion is Attested by all Ecclesiastical Histories Secondly If Churches were Built yet they were not Encompass'd with ground for Burial before St. Cuthbert 's time Burial within Cities being forbidden by the Roman Laws Sure this is a false conceit for King Ethelbert and his Bishop St. Augustine before St. Cuthbert's days were Buried in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul at Canterbury Constantine the first Christian Emperour was buried amongst the Relicks and Bones of the Apostles and Martyrs And as for the Roman Law forbidding Burials in Cities it was antiquated long before this however Glastonbury was no City scarce a Village rather a Desart far from Rome and under the Dominion of Brittish Princes well-wishers to Christianity and the simplicity thereof in those days Thirdly Dedication of Churches was not then in use Doubtless many Ceremonies and Solemnities have been added by the Church but as certainly the Houses or Places which the most Primitive Christians assigned for the Worship of God were by some Ceremonies Dedicated to that use as by erecting a Title fixing a Cross c. as the most antient Records testifie But lastly That which most displeases Sir Hen. is the Dedication of this Church to the Blessed Virgin for he thinks such a kind of Devotion was not thought of until many Ages after but then he must forget the Tradition of Spain attested in all their Liturgies and many of their Councils that from the first entrance of Christianity into that Kingdom several Churches have been erected to the Honour of that Blessed Virgin witness that most Famous Temple at Saragosa called Dell Pilar Celebrated above 1000 years since by St. Maximus Bishop of that City in several Hymns by him composed in Honour of that Venerable House called Angelical because the Pillar on which the Virgins Statue was fixed is thought to be brought thither by the Ministery of Angels After the Death of Arviragus Marius his Son succeeds him in the Brittish Throne resembling his Father as in Courage and other Prince-like Virtues so also in his kindness to these holy Strangers This Marius is reported to have had a great Victory over the Picts who were doubtlesly no other than the Northern Britains then unconquered and consequently unciviliz'd by the Romans but who remaining in their Barbarous custom of painting their Bodies got a new name of Picts After the Death of this Marius in the Reign of Coilus his Son our St. Joseph is said to end his Labours and Mortality in the 82 of our Lord and second year of
a Rock as provided and intended for Joseph himself But before our Saint would bury the Body he wash'd it for it was cover'd with Blood. First in regard of his late Bloody-Sweat Secondly by reason of his Cruel Scourging Thirdly The pressing of a Crown of Thorns upon his Head. Fourthly The Nails in his Hands and Feet Lastly The Souldiers Spear which did not only Wound but open a wide passage into his side Joseph also wash'd this Sacred Body in order to the Embalming of it He wash'd it saith Grosthead with an intention and Religions design to appropriate the same Blood to his own devout use as a most precious Treasure and Medicine for his Soul The Water tinctur'd with the Blood he would not cast away but kept it in a clean Vessel and the pure Blood distilling from the Wounds of his Hands and Feet he reserv'd with more Reverence But above all with more then ordinary Devotion and Holy Fear he receiv'd into a most precious Vessel the Blood mix'd with Water which he carefully press'd out of his Right side and which he judg'd to issue from his Heart This he esteem'd a Treasure invaluable to be reserv'd for himself and his Successours This was the Discourse and these the Sentiments of that Venerable Prelate upon the fore-mention'd occasion It may seem strange that Joseph accounting this Blood so inestimable a Treasure should yet ordain it to be put into the Grave with him as it is said he did He may be thought to do it least in such a time when Paganism prevail'd the Holy Relick might be Profan'd and if Christianity ever came to be uppermost Devout Christians might know whither to resort for it or perhaps he might have the same design with the Emperour Constantine who carefully collected the Relicks of the Apostles and after they were richly adorn'd commanded they should be laid up in his Tomb To the end as Eusebius tells us that being dead he might be made partaker of the Prayers which there in Honour of the Apostles should be offer'd unto God. After the death of S. Joseph S. Phagan succeeded in the Prefecture of this Holy Place and continu'd in it about 30 years and under him and other his Successors who enjoy'd the Possessions bestow'd upon them by the British Kings a Monastical Conversation was upheld until the Reign of King Lucius at which time the publick Preaching of the Gospel was not only permitted but encourag'd So as these Holy men in all likelihood were invited and by Charity compell'd to leave God for God to forsake their Solitude and imploy their Devotion and Labours in Converting and Saving the Souls of others by reason whereof it is reported that this place became Desolate Howbeit not long after the memory of St. Joseph stir'd up Devout Christians to visit and enlarge the Church here Dedicated to the Blessed Virgin as the Fountain and Original of Christian Religion in this Island A little before the death of St Joseph Julius Agricola was sent Pretor into Britain in the last year of Vespasian and was entertain'd with Opposition in Wales which with extraordinary diligence he resisted and made his Victory compleat at the Isle of Anglesey from whence Paulinus had lately been re-call'd by the Dreadful Rebellion of the foremention'd unhappy Queen of the Trinobantes Boadicea Agricola after took care to govern the Province in Peace to restrain the Avarice of the Roman Souldiers to defend the Natives from injuries and by his Courtesie and Civility invited them to delight in Peace Thereupon he encouragâ—d them to conform to the Roman Fashion of Life by building Houses Temples and Market-Places He caus'd their Children to be instructed in Arts and good Literature Applauding their Wits and Natural Endowments so as thereby the Roman Tongue became Familiar to the Britains and the Roman Eloquence in request amongst them In the third year of his Pretorship he March'd Northward and wasted the Country as far as Tweed and the Summer following he extended his Conquests as far as Bodotria now Edinborough Frith Eastward and Glotta now the Frith of Dunbritton Westward and strengthen'd the narrow space between them with Forts and Garrisons So as the only Enemies remaining unconquer'd were the Caledonian Britains at a Town thereabouts now called Abercurven an Antient Structure is at this day extant all of square Stones which the inhabitants call Julius's Hoft and fancy to have been built by Julius Caesar but more probably was rais'd by this Julius Agricola as a Monument of his Conquests In the fifth year of his Expedition he pierc'd into the Northwest Provinces toward Ireland as if he had an intent to pass over thither and indeed he is said to be invited over by a Petty Prince of that Island who compell'd by his Rebellious Subjects thereunto made some Addresses unto him The following year he spent in a March from Edinborough Northward to sind out the limits of the Country the Romans as yet not knowing whether Britain were an Island or not in which march of his he caus'd his Navy to keep pace with his Land-Army both for his Security and Supply but to the great Terrour of the poor Britains who to free themselves from this danger attempted the ninth Legion separated from the rest of the common Army yet were defeated but after under the Conduct of Galgacus eminent both for Nobility and Courage resolv'd to put all to the hazard of a Battle and assembling all their Forces upon the mountain Grampus after a Cruel and Bloody Fight were entirely Defeated This Battle was Fought in the last year of Agricola's Government For in the beginning of the year following which was the 5th of Domitians Reign he return'd to Rome where after some shew of Honour he became the object of that Tyrants Envy and not long after the Sacrifice of his Cruelty After the departure of Agricola it doth not clearly appear who succeeded some say Cneus Trebellius others Salustius Lucullus whom Domitian put to Death because he fram'd new fashion'd Lances and call'd them after his own Name this is all is mention'd in the Roman Histories during the remainder of Domitians Reign and his two Successors Nerva and Trajan little more is written concerning the state of Christianity in these times here in Britain save only that the Church of Britain in the year of Grace 100. sent a Legation to St. Clement Bishop of Rome desiring him to communicate unto them the Order and Rites of Celebrating Divine Service and it is deliver'd by Tradition that St. Clement set down the Order of offering Sacrifice instituted by St. Peter which was after us'd with some Addition throughout the whole Western Church In Trajan's time Britain was divided only into two Provinces call'd the first and second greater and less or the upper and lower Britain the former contain'd the Southern part as far as the River-Thames first possessed by the Romans the latter the Western Provinces as Cornwal Wales c. Toward the
the Catholick Bishops in the Synod unanimously subscrib'd to this definition wherein it is observable that although it was grounded on the Holy Scriptures yet those Scriptures were interpreted by the successive Tradition of the Church Whereas what the Faction of the Arrians separately Decreed according to the practice of other Hereticks agreed only with the bare words of Scripture by themselves interpreted For as Athanasius writes in a Creed made by them They profess the Son of God to be like the Father who begat him whose Generation according to the Scriptures no man knows but the Father only As for the word Substance it being simply set down by the Fathers not understood by the People and occasioning great Scandal in as much as it is not expresly contain'd in the Scriptures they Decreed that it should be quite abolish'd and that for the future no mention should be made of the Substance of God because the Holy Scriptures never mention the Substance of the Father and the Son but they say That the Son is in all things like the Father as the Scriptures in their judgement teach Now when the Arrian Bishops of whom Valens and Vrsacius were chief saw that they could not impose upon the Western Bishops they separated themselves from the rest of the Councel and were thereupon pronounc'd by the unanimous Suffrages of the Orthodox Bishops to be Hereticks and excluded from the Communion of the Church which done the Councel by common Letter inform'd the Emperour of all these things And whereas the Arrian Bishops to induce the Catholicks to comply with them argued That Peace and Vnity would be restor'd to the Church in case Catholicks should relinquish that one word Substance They therefore in their said Letter inserted That it was not as Valens and Ursacius affirm'd that Peace would follow by the subversion of things just and true but that rather more contention would arise both at Rome and other Cities They therefore Pray'd that the Councel might be dissolv'd considering the Poverty Age and Infirmity of many Bishops in it Constantius thus frustrated in his design of introducing his Arrian misbelief into the Western Churches broke forth into open Tyranny some of the Catholick Bishops he shut up in Prison others he afflicted with Famine and all manner of despightful usuage not suffering any to depart until they had subscrib'd a form of Faith wherein though nothing Heretical was express'd yet the True Faith was at least dissembled consequently the Arrian Faction prevail'd in Power through the whole Empire Constantius creates Gallus his Uncles Son Caesar and three years after Beheads him for his Cruelties and enormous Crimes and the next year assumes into the same Dignity and Succession of the Empire Julian younger Brother to Gallus call'd the Apostate Him he sent into Gaul to repress the Irruptions of the Franks In the fourth year of his Government troubles arising in Britain by the Excursions of the Picts and Scots he sent over Lupicinus to compose them who in the midst of Winter went with his Army to London but could not perform any considerable Exploit against his Enemies for that Julian who was proclaim'd Emperour by his Army was jealous of him least he should hinder his proceedings and therefore re-call'd Lupicinus and sent Gumobarius in his place to be General of the British Army who did little worthy of memory for notwithstanding any thing he could do the Scots a barbarous People first mention'd about this time coming out of Ireland rooted themselves so firmly in the Northern parts of this Isle that they establish'd a Kingdom there to themselves and their Posterity to this day It is written that when Nâ—le obtain'd the Monarchy of Ireland which was in the time of this Constanttus the six Sons of Mured King of Vlster passing over with a considerable Fleet possess'd themselves of the Northern parts of Britain and it is likely that the Eldest of those six Sons was that Reuda mention'd by Beda and his People from him call'd Dalreudini They at first possess'd themselves of a Corner of this Island but after encroaching upon the Picts enlarg'd their Seats until at last about the time when the Kingdom of Northumberland was in a manner ruin'd by Civil Contentions and the Incursions of the Danes they almost wholly consum'd the Picts and destroy'd their name and memory introducing to those Nothern parts the name of Scotland It is not likely that Arrianism ever took any great footing in this Island for when St. Hilary was banish'd into Phrigia by the false suggestions of Saturninus the Arrian Bishop of Arles he wrote Letters to the British Bishops especially to the Aged Restitutus Bishop of London Congratulating and Commending their firmness in the Faith that notwithstanding the attemps of Saturninus to infect them yet their constancy was famous over all the Empire insomuch as some of the Eastern Bishops became thereby asham'd of their Heresie Howbeit about this time this Restitutus being full of years dy'd and is worthily counted amongst the Illustrious British Writers and many Letters to St. Hilary are reckon'd to be of his writing A further proof of the Orthodoxy of the British Church was St. Kebius Sir-nam'd Corinius Son of Solomon Duke of Cornwall who took a Journey into Gaul to St. Hilary after his return from Exile to be by him instructed more perfectly in the Catholick Faith Copgrave in the Life of this Saint says That he abode several years with S. Hillary improving himself in Learning and Sanctity whereunto God gave Testimony by conferring on him the Grace of Miracles so that he gave Sight to the Blind Cleans'd the Leprous Cur'd those which were Dumb Heal'd the sick of the Palsey and those who were possess'd with Divels Afterwards being admonish'd thereunto by an Angel having been Consecrated Bishop by St. Hilary he return'd into his own Country and plac'd his See in the Isle of Anglesey and by his good Example and sound Doctrine instructed the Northern People of Wales It is He who was requested to take the Principality of Cornwall but refus'd to accept of any Worldly Authority and not long after he is said To descend with ten Monks who were his Disciples into a Meadow of King Ethelic pitching his Tents there wherewith when the King was acquainted he went with Company to cast these Monks out of his Country by the way he fell from his Horse which dy'd immediately and both He and his Followers were stricken with blindness Thereupon the King prostrates himself before St. Kebius devoting himself to God and the Saint by whose Prayers they were all presently Healed After this the King gave to the man of God two Churches and he giving the King his Benediction retir'd to Menevia afterwards call'd St. David's from whence he sail'd into Ireland and having built a Church remain'd there four years Very probable it is that this St. Kebius was that British Priest who Baptiz'd the Irish St. Albeus for in his Life written
insomuch as that Constantius advis'd with many Eastern Bishops about it Who resolv'd him It was better to allow of Athanasius then hazard a Civil War. The year following Athanasius return'd into the East and was at first receiv'd by Constantius with some Kindness and permitted to return to his See at Alexandria But the year following the Arrian Bishops becoming boundless in their Power and Malice by the death of the Orthodox Emperour Constans who by the Conspiracy of Magnentius Chrestius and Marcellinus was Traytorously slain at Helena a Town in France It is said he had a Prediction That he should die in his Grand-Mothers Lap. His death was greatly bewail'd by St. Athanasius who foresaw the danger was like to ensue unto the Catholick Faith by the loss of Constans and the evil of the sole remaining Emperour who was yet at present very much incumber'd by two Tyrants the one was Vetranio who had once govern'd in Britain and was after Proclaim'd Emperour in Illyricum but was soon depos'd by Constantius who yet not only spar'd his Life but suffer'd him to spend the remainder of his Life in Retirement full of Pleasure and Abundance The other Tyrant was Magnentius who took the Title of Emperour at Augustodunum in France and held it three years and then after the loss of a Battel was forc'd to kill himself After this Victory Constantius would be call'd the Emperour of the whole World and assum'd the Impious Title of his Eternity and then extended all his Pride and Power to oppress the Catholick Faith and establish the Arrian Heresie even in the Western Churches also commanding a Councel to be Assembled at Arles in France where he extorted the Suffrages of the Bishops in favour of his Heresie and condemnation of St. Athanasius drawing in the Legate of Pope Liberius who had newly succeeded Julius Howbeit Liberius more than once sollicited the Emperour by Legates and Epistles on the behalf of St. Athanasius complaining That the Suffrages of Bishops were mercenarily sold according to the Princes inclination Whereupon Constantius perceiving the endeavours of Liberius render'd the Sentences of his pack'd Synods invalid sought to win him by Promises and Favours to his Party that proving ineffectual he sent for him when Liberius was come to him he stoutly protested He would suffer any thing rather than being a Christian to become an Arrian At which the Emperour being offended sent him into Banishment to Beraea a City of Thrace whereto he chearfully submitted rejecting 500 Crowns which the Emperour sent for his Maintenance In his place was substituted a certain Roman Priest call'd Felix one who though in judgement a Catholick yet comply'd with the Arrians Liberius wanting constancy and weary of his Banishment after two years return'd from it with as much Infamy as he had submitted to it with glory yielding at last to the condemnation of St. Athanasius and subscribing to a Confession of Faith fram'd in a Synod at Sirmium wherein though there was nothing Haeretical yet the word Consubstantiality being left out his subscription to it was scandalous and argu'd an unlawful complyance with the Arrians After all this returning again to Rome he breaks off all Communion with the Arrians and joyns himself in Communion with Athanasius to whom he thus writes Our Confession belov'd Athanasius is that the Word is the Son of God being according to his Nature begotten of God his Father not created he is God his Fathers Colleague in his Empire and obtains an endless Kingdom for infinite Ages Amen Whilst Constantius in the West thus afflicted the Catholick Church and Faith Gratian Father of Valentinian afterwards Emperour was Pro-Praetor of Britain He was rais'd from a vile Original to this high degree for his Courage and Virtue in his younger Age he is said to have been a Seller of Ropes such was his strength that five Soldiers were not able to wrest a Rope out of his Hands for his favouring Magnentius he was depriv'd both of Office and Estate Martinus succeeded him in his Pro-Praetorship of Britain who govern'd this Island with great Justice and Kindness to the Britains his Government was shortned upon this unhappy occasion Constantius being a Prince very Suspitious imploy'd Officers to search out such as were practising against him One Paul a Notary was very much esteem'd of him for his Malicious Sagacity in such matters and therefore sent by him into Britain to bring over in Chains such Soldiers as had intermedled in the Conspiracy of Magnentius Paul executed this Authority with such Cruelty and Injustice that the Pro-Praetor to prevent the Miseries of so many Innocents first intercedes by way of Intreaty and being therein unsuccessful protested he would leave the Province rather than behold such Oppression This Paul for his Subtilty call'd Catena being thus thwarted in his Cruelty Craftily involves the Pro-praetor himself in a Suspition of the same Guilt and Treason so as he presumes to seize upon him and put him in Fetters with the rest Martinus betakes himself to his Sword in defence of himself and therewith wounds Paul but not Mortally and thereupon turns his Sword upon his own Breast and so dy'd lamented of all men In the year of our Lord 359. the Church of God was expos'd to great danger and infamy by the Councel of Ariminum then Assembled by the Authority of the Arrian Emperour Constantius with design to abolish the Faith of the Consubstantiality of the Son of God. He commanded his Praefect Taurus That when the Bishops were met together he should not permit them to depart till they had all consented in one Faith It is said that out of Illyricum Italy Africk Spain and Gaul and out of Britain also under the notion of Gaul he gather'd together more than 400 Bishops The Emperour commanded allowance of Necessaries to these Bishops but those of Gaul and Britain refus'd it as an unseemly thing and chose rather at their own Costs to maintain themselves Three only out of Britain excepted who being destitute of Subsistence out of their own Sees made some use of the Emperour's Liberality and perhaps were not to be disprais'd for it These Bishops being assembled were prescrib'd what they should do by the Emperours Letters and severely enjoyn'd to determine nothing which might touch the Eastern Bishops and when they had finish'd their Decrees they were to send them to Court by two Bishops In these Letters it is observ'd that he Subscribes himself Constantine not Constantius Notwithstanding all which the Holy Bishops Couragiously perform'd their Duties for they confirm'd the Nicene Creed sorbidding any addition or diminution thereof and protesting They would never depart from the Faith which they had receiv'd from God the Father by the Prophets and our Lord Jesus Christ which the Holy Spirit taught in the Gospels according as was deliver'd by Tradition of the Fathers succeeding the Apostles to the times when this Controversie was debated at Nicaea against an Heresie which then arose All