dulgence to fome fcrupulous converts of the circumcifion, but what they writ was of firm decree to all future ages. Look but a century lower in the 1 cap. of Eufebius 8 book. What a univerfal tetter of impurity had envenomed every part, order, and degree of the church, to omit the lay herd, which will be little regarded, "those that seem to be our paftors," faith he, "overturning the law of God's worship, burnt in contentions one towards another, and increafing in hatred and bitterness, outrageoufly fought to uphold lordship, and command as it were a tyranny." Stay but a little, magnanimous bifhops, fupprefs your afpiring thoughts, for there is nothing wanting but Conftantine to reign, and then tyranny herself shall give up all her citadels into your hands, and count ye thenceforward her truftieft agents. Such were these that must be called the ancientest and most virgin times between Chrift and Conftantine. Nor was this general contagion in their actions, and not in their writings: who is ignorant of the foul errours, the ridiculous wrefting of fcripture, the herefies, the vanities thick fown through the volumes of Juftin Martyr, Clemens, Origen, Tertullian, and others of eldeft time? Who would think him fit to write an apology for Christian faith to the Roman fenate, that would tell them "how of the angels," which he muft needs mean those in Genefis called the fons of God, "mixing with women were begotten the devils," as good Juftin Martyr in his Apology told them? But more indignation would it move to any Christian that fhall read Tertullian, terming St. Paul a novice, and raw in grace, for reproving St. Peter at Antioch, worthy to be blamed if we believe the epistle to the Galatians: perhaps from this hint the blafphemous Jefuits prefumed in Italy to give their judgment of St. Paul, as of a hotheaded perfon, as Sandys in his relations. tells us.

Now befides all this, who knows not how many fuperftitious works are ingraffed into the legitimate writings of the fathers? And of thofe books that pass for authentic, who knows what hath been tampered withal, what hath been razed out, what hath been inferted? Befides the late legerdemain of the papifts, that which Sulpitius

writes concerning Origen's books, gives us cause vehemently to fufpect, there hath been packing of old. In the third chap. of his 1ft Dialogue we may read what wrangling the bifhops and monks had about the reading or not reading of Origen; fome objecting that he was corrupted by heretics, others anfwering that all fuch books had been fo dealt with. How then fhall I trust thefe times to lead me, that teftify fo ill of leading themselves? Certainly of their defects their own witness may be best received, but of the rectitude and fincerity of their life and doctrine, to judge rightly, we muft judge by that which was to be their rule.

But it will be objected, that this was an unfettled frate of the church, wanting the temporal magiftrate to fupprefs the licence of falfe brethren, and the extravagancy of still new opinions; a time not imitable for church-government, where the temporal and spiritual power did not close in one belief, as under Conftantine. I am not of opinion to think the church a vine in this refpect, because, as they take it, fhe cannot fubfift without clasping about the elm of worldly ftrength and felicity, as if the heavenly city could not fupport itself without the props and buttreffes of fecular authority. They extol Conftantine because he extolled them; as our homebred monks in their hiftories blanch the kings their benefactors, and brand those that went about to be their correctors. If he had curbed the growing pride, avarice, and luxury of the clergy, then every page of his ftory fhould have fwelled with his faults, and that which Zozimus the heathen writes of him fhould have come in to boot: we should have heard then in every declamation how he flew his nephew Commodus, a worthy man, his noble and eldest fon Crifpus, his wife Faufta, befides numbers of his friends; then his cruel exactions, his unfoundness in religion, favouring the Arians that had been condemned in a council, of which himself fat as it were prefident; his hard measure and banishment of the faithful and invincible Athanafius; his living unbaptized almoft to his dying day; thefe blurs are too apparent in his life. But fince he muft needs be the loadftar of reformation, as fome men clatter, it will be good to see further his knowledge of religion what it was, and VOL. I.

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by that we may likewise guess at the fincerity of his times in those that were not heretical, it being likely that he would converse with the famouseft prelates (for fo he had made them) that were to be found for learning.

Of his Arianifm we heard, and for the reft, a pretty fcantling of his knowledge may be taken by his deferring to be baptized fo many years, a thing not ufual, and repugnant to the tenour of fcripture; Philipknowing nothing that fhould hinder the eunuch to be baptized after profeffion of his belief. Next, by the exceffive devotion, that I may not fay fuperftition, both of him and his mother Helena, to find out the crofs on which Chrift fuffered, that had long lain under the rubbish of old ruins; (a thing which the difciples and kindred of our Saviour might with more ease have done, if they had thought it a pious duty;) fome of the nails whereof he put into his helmet, to bear off blows in battle, others he faftened among the ftuds of his bridle, to fulfil (as he thought, or his court bishops perfuaded him) the prophecy of Zechariah; "And it fhall be that which is in the bridle fhall be holy to the Lord." Part of the crofs, in which he thought fuch virtue to refide, as would prove a kind of Palladium to fave the city wherever it remained, he caufed to be laid up in a pillar of porphyry by his ftatue. How he or his teachers could trifle thus with half an eye open upon St. Paul's principles, I know not how to imagine.

How should then the dim taper of this emperor's age, that had fuch need of fnuffing, extend any beam to our times, wherewith we might hope to be better lighted, than by those luminaries that God hath set up to shine to us far nearer hand. And what reformation he wrought for his own time, it will not be amifs to confider; he appointed. certain times for fafts and feafts, built ftately churches, gave large immunities to the clergy, great riches and promotions to bishops, gave and miniftered occafion to bring in a deluge of ceremonies, thereby either to draw in the heathen by a refemblance of their rites, or to fet a gloss upon the fimplicity and plainnefs of chriftianity; which, to the gorgeous folemnities of paganifm, and the fenfe of

the

the world's children, feemed but a homely and yeomanly religion; for the beauty of inward fanctity was not within their profpect.

So that in this manner the prelates, both then and ever fince, coming from a mean and plebeian life on a fudden to be lords of stately palaces, rich furniture, delicious fare, and princely attendance, thought the plain and homefpun verity of Chrift's gospel unfit any longer to hold their lordships' acquaintance, unless the poor threadbare matron were put into better clothes: her chafte and modeft vail, furrounded with celestial beams, they overlaid with wanton treffes, and in a flaring tire befpeckled her with all the gaudy allurements of a whore.

Thus flourished the church with Conftantine's wealth, and thereafter were the effects that followed; his fon Conftantius proved a flat Arian, and his nephew Julian an apoftate, and there his race ended: the church that before by infenfible degrees welked and impaired, now with large steps went down hill decaying: at this time Antichrift began first to put forth his horn, and that faying was common, that former times had wooden chalices and golden priests; but they, golden chalices and wooden priefts. "Formerly,' faith Sulpitius," martyrdom by glorious death was fought more greedily than now bifhoprics by vile ambition are hunted after," fpeaking of these times: and in another place," they gape after poffeffions, they tend lands and livings, they cower over their gold, they buy and fell: and if there be any that neither poffefs nor traffic, that which is worse, they fit ftill, and expect gifts, and profitute every endowment of grace, every holy thing, to fale." And in the end of his hiftory thus he concludes: "All things went to wrack by the faction, wilfulness, and avarice of the bishops; and by this means God's people, and every good man, was had in fcorn and derifion ;" which St. Martin found truly to be faid by his friend Sulpitius; for, being held in admiration of all men, he had only the bishops his enemies, found God lefs favourable to him after he was bishop than before, and for his laft fixteen years would come at no bishop's meeting. Thus you fee, fir, what Conftantine's doings in the church brought forth, either in his own or in his fon's reign.

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might ail this author thus to hamper the bishops of thofe days, I will bring you the opinion of three the famousest men for wit and learning that Italy at this day glories of, whereby it may be concluded for a received opinion, even among men profeffing the Romish faith, that Constantine marred all in the church. Dante, in his 19th Canto of Inferno, hath thus, as I will render it you in English blank verfe:

Ah Conftantine! of how much ill was caufe
Not thy converfion, but those rich domains
That the first wealthy pope receiv'd of thee!

So, in his 20th Canto of Paradise, he makes the like complaint, and Petrarch feconds him in the fame mind in his 108th fonnet, which is wiped out by the inquifitor in fome editions; fpeaking of the Roman Antichrist as merely bred up by Conftantine.

Founded in chafte and humble poverty,

'Gainft them that rais'd thee doft thou lift thy horn,
Impudent whore, where haft thou plac'd thy hope?
In thy adulterers, or thy ill-got wealth?

Another Conftantine comes not in hafte.

Ariofto of Ferrara, after both these in time, but equal in fame, following the fcope of his poem in a difficult knot how to reftore Orlando his chief hero to his loft fenfes, brings Aftolfo the English knight up into the moon, where St. John, as he feigns, met him. Cant. 34.

And to be short, at laft his guide him brings
Into a goodly valley, where he fees

A mighty mafs of things ftrangely confus'd,
Things that on earth were loft, or were abus'd.

And amongst these fo abused things, liften what he met withal, under the conduct of the Evangelift.

Then pafs'd he to a flowery mountain green,
Which once smelt fweet, now ftinks as odioufly:
This was that gift (if you the truth will have)
That Conftantine to good Sylveftro gave.

And this was a truth well known in England before this poet was born, as our Chaucer's Ploughman fhall tell

you