was this Melchiades who ordain'd that of the Oblations offer'd by the People in the Church the Bishop or Priest should Consecrate Loaves of Bread cut into small parcels and kept in a pure Vessel that after the Solemnity of Mass such as had not Communicated should partake of them on all Sundays and Feasts These Morsels of Bread thus Bless'd were called Eulogia and intended to be Symbols of unity in Faith and Charity and were made of common Bread. This year whilst Constantine fought prosperously against the Germans a certain King of the Gevissi in the Western part of Britain call'd Octavius made an Insurrection against the Pro-Consul whom Constantine had intrusted with the Government of the Country against whom the Emperour sent his Uncle Traer who landing about Portsmouth soon took it Octavius having notice thereof comes against Traer with strong Forces and put him to flight but in a second Battle in Westmorland Octavius is totally vanquish'd and put to flight into Albania to King Humbert for Succour The alteration of Government in Britain might well occasion this Rebellion of Octavius in regard the Britains were now govern'd by a Vicar of the Prefect of Gaul where Constantine made his usual abode and was disquieted more by the Faction of Schismaticks than any other Commotions so as Constantine was enforc'd to procure a General Assembly or Synod at Arles for composing the Sedition rais'd by the Donatists to which Synod the British Bishops were call'd and the proceedings thereof are as follows Although Persecution was somewhat abated yet the Enemies of Christians to give them still disturbance endeavour'd to divide them into Factions The first publick Infamous Scene of which scandal was Carthage in Africk the occasion this Caecilianus Arch-Deacon of the place had reprehended Lucilla a Spanish woman living in that City for that before receiving the Holy Sacrament she had with Veneration kiss'd the Head of a certain person esteem'd by her a Martyr but not acknowledg'd for such by the Bishop The Woman being Wealthy and Powerful studied revenge against Caecilianus who was newly chosen Bishop and requir'd restitution of certain Vessels of Silver and Gold belonging to the Church which in the late Persecution had by his Predecessor been recommended to the Fidelity of some Elders of that City They to avoid restoring of these Vessels joyn'd themselves to the Faction of Botrus and Celesius who had ambitiously sought after the said Bishoprick but were rejected This repulse incited them to question the Election of Caecilianus Lucilla betook her self to this Faction who withdrew themselves from the Communion of their Bishop and by means whereof a most horrible Schism was rais'd in Africk the slame whereof could not be extinguish'd in many Ages These Factious persons invited to Carthage several African Bishops who were convicted to be Traditors such as for fear of Persecution had deliver'd up to Heathen Magistrates the Books and Vessels belonging to the Church of which Bishops the principal was Secundus Primate of Numidia they were in all 17. and kept their Assemblies at Carthage separate from Caecilianus and presum'd Sacrilegiously to ordain another Bishop of Carthage one Majorinus who had been Lectorer formerly to Caecilianus and was now a Domestick of Lucilla These Bishops though they were themselves manifest Traditors yet question'd the Ordination of Caecilianus because he receiv'd it from Felix and others whom they falsly accus'd of their own Crime They further wrongfully charge Caecilianus with denying necessary Provision to several Martyrs in Prison Notwithstanding all which Calumnies he was acknowledg'd Lawful Bishop by the Bishop of Rome and all other Catholick Bishops Now though this Schism was chiefly forg'd by Botrus and Celesius with the said Elders and Lucilla and increas'd by Secundus and other Traditor Bishops yet it took its Name from Donatus who succeeded Majorinus in the Schism and not from that Donatus who being Bishop of Casae nigrae by the instigation of Lucilla withdrew himself from the Communion of Caecilianus and was condemn'd by Pope Melchiades This unhappy Schism gain'd such strength in a short space that in three years joyning themselves unto other Traditor Bishops and drawing into their Communion most of the Numidians they assembled a Councel of no fewer than 270. Bishops who continu'd together 75 days and repeating their former Constitutions made a Decree in favour of the Traditors When Constantine had overcome Maxentius the Donatists obtain'd Letters from Anulinus Governour of Africk to write Letters to the Emperour in Gaul full of Calumnious Accusation against Caecilianus and some of these Schismatical Bishops made a Voyage to the Emperour whom they requested to appoint some Judges of their Cause He gave them this Answer with indignation You require a Secular Judgement from me who my self expect the Judgement of Christ Yet at last with extream importunity they wrested from him for their Judges Materinus Bishop of Colonia Aggrippina Rhetitius Bishop of Austim and Marius Bishop of Arles Howbeit soon after considering the Authority of the Roman Bishop he commanded both Parties to attend the said Judges at Rome that the difference might be debated and concluded before Melchiades to whom the Emperour wrote to the end that the Contestants might receive their Judgement from Him and the other Judges As you know saith he the Holy Law of God requires a Synod Therefore being Assembled at Rome the result of it was that Donatus Bishop of Casaenigrae was condemned and Caecilianus acquitted From this Judgement they impudently appeal'd to the Emperour who cryed out O the rabid impudence of these mens fury they have presum'd to interpose an Appeal as the custom is among Heathens in Secular Causes Yet after all this the Donatists were so shameless as to boast that Constantine had given Judgement for them and to deprave the Judgement of Pope Melchiades they traduce him for a Traditor Still they continue their Tumults in Africa and principally direct their malice against Felix who ordain'd Caecilianus and whom they accus'd of being a Traditor Constantine left the determination of this difference to Aelianus Pro-Consul of Africa who detecting many Lyes and Frauds of the Donatists legally pronounc'd the Innocence of Felix Yet once more they Appeal'd to the Emperour to whose Court many of their Bishops repair'd complaining that many of their most weighty Allegations had not been taken into consideration by Aelianus Whereupon as St. Augustine saith not daring to become a Judge of a Judgement given by the Bishop of Rome he refer'd the matter to a Synod of all the Western Bishops appointed to meet at the City of Arles whose Charges were defray'd by the Emperour's order In this Councel 200. Bishops met who in the first place re-examin'd the Cause of Felix and declar'd him guiltless of the Crime of Traditor And this Cause being determin'd they thought fit to frame several Canons touching Ecclesiastical Discipline to be observ'd throughout the whole Church First they Ordain'd That the Feast of Easter
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
Orthodox Howbeit at the same time his prime Disciple Caelestius was Condemn'd for his Heresies at Carthage in a Synod there held from which he Appeal'd to the Roman See but not daring to pursue his Appeal he fled into Asia where by fraud he obtain'd the degree of a Priest These Errors were afterwards condemn'd at a Synod held at Milevis in Numidia and both Condemnations were approv'd by Pope Innocentius who Excommunicated as well Pelagius as Caelestius yet so as upon their revoking their Errours they might be restor'd to Catholick Communion Nevertheless their Heresies still spreading the African Bishops of both Councels deputed St. Augustine to confute them which Charge he perform'd to his great Renown Both these Hereticks cloak'd their Doctrines in Ambiguity of words and endeavour'd to surprize the Popes by a dissembled submission to their Judgements but their fraud being detected and their Tergiversations at last discover'd Pope Zosimus again Condemn'd their Doctrine and Excommunicated their Persons which Sentence was Solemnly pronounc'd by Sixtus a Roman Priest not long after Pope whom the Pelagians esteem'd their Patron but without cause Now this Heresie having been Proscrib'd by so many Synods and more than once by the Roman See the Emperour Honorius publish'd an Imperial Sanction by which he not only Banish'd Caelestius and Pelagius out of Rome but ordain'd That the Teachers thereof should incurre the same Punishment Notwithstanding all this care yet inregard this so execrable an Heresie favour'd the Corruption of Nature and Humane Pride and Sensuality it continu'd in many Countries especially in Britain so as the Churches of Gaul thought fit to send two Eminent Bishops thither At the same time another Infamous Heretick Vigilantius infected Gaul also St. Hierom would rather have him call'd Dormilantius for that being full of an unclean Spirit he went about to Combat against the Spirit of Christ by teaching That the Sepulchres of Martyrs were not to be venerated and condemning the Devout Vigils Celebrated before the Festivals of Gods Saints He likewise with Jovinian Declaim'd against Fasting preferr'd Riches before voluntary Poverty and Marriage before Virginity which Errours saith St. Jerom Were detested by the whole Catholick World. In the year of Grace 406. the Picts and Scots wasted the Confines of Britain Marcus was then Governour whom on a suddain the Army Saluted Emperour but the inconstant Soldiers finding his Incapacity as suddainly depos'd him and chose Gratianus born in this Island Him also within four Months they slew which being divulg'd abroad Scots Norwegians and Danes march'd Cross the Island wasting all with Fire and Sword. In this extremity the British Army proclaim'd a Soldier call'd Constantine Emperour not for merit but the fancy of his Name as if the present ruines could not be repair'd but by another Constantine Geffery of Monmouth tells another Story of the Election of this Constantine as if he had been Brother to a King of Armorica or Little-Britain of British Extract this indeed is little better then a meer Fiction For first this Constantine as Bede witnesseth was chosen Ex infima Militia out of the lowest rank of the Army Secondly He directed Messengers to Honorius to excuse himself as compell'd by the Soldiers to accept the Title Howbeit this Constantine passes over into Gaul where gathering an Army he subdu'd all the Regions on this side the Cottian Alpes and then accounted his possession of the Empire secure So as he drew his Son Constans out of his Monastical Solitude and created him Caesar He placed the seat of his Empire at Arles planted Guards upon the River Rhine and broke the Forces ef the Vandals and other Nations who had wasted those Provinces Constans prov'd successful in Spain and for his good success there was pronounc'd Emperour by his Father to whom he repair'd leaving Gerontius General in Spain but the year following Constans was sent back into Spain attended by Justus a famous Captain which so offended Gerontius that he took sides with the Barbarous Soldiers in Gaul so as Constantine could not repress them which caus'd both in Gaul and Britain a Revolt from the Roman dependance although some Authors insinuate That Honorius himself by his Letters exhorted the Britains to shift for themselves Gerontius hereupon assumes the Title of Emperour and Invests Maximus whom he left in Spain with the same Purple Afterwards he marcheth against Constantine whom he Besieg'd at Arles Honorius sent an Army into those parts upon the approach whereof the Soldiers of Gerontius forsook him and the remaining Spaniards attempt to kill him setting the House on fire in which he was whereupon having first kill'd his Wife he kills himself Constantine afterwards having been Besieg'd and past hope of Relief devests himself of the Imperial Purple and flying for refuge to a Church was there Consecrated a Monk and after slain with his Son Julian in his passage to Italy A year before whose death Rome was sack'd by the Goths and not only the Immense Wealth of that City but the Ornaments of Churches also became a Prey to the Barbarous Soldiers About this time mention is made of Melorus a young British Martyr He was the Son of Metianus Duke of Cornwall dispossess'd of his Dukedom and slain by Rinaldus his Brother Melorus at his Fathers Death was not above seven years old The Cruel Uncle to secure himself in his unlawful possession designes the death of the Child a whole Synod of Bishops there Assembled intercede for the Life of it so as the Tyrant contented himself with the cutting off the Childs Right-hand and Left-foot in place whereof were fram'd a Hand of Silver and Foot of Brass Melorus thus maim'd was Educated in a Monastery of Cornwall till he was fourteen years Old spending his time in Reading Holy Scripture and every day growing in Innocence Virtue and Piety Rinaldus at last by many Gifts and Promises tempted the Childs Guardian to cut off his Head which he sent to Rinaldus the Messenger who carried it by the just judgement of God fell from the Castle-Wall with the Head in his Hands and broke his own Neck It is said That the Childs Nurse coming to the place where the Body lay there she saw a Vision of Angels and Heavenly Lights shining with unspeakable Brightness The Body was after Buried in a Decent place but the day following found above ground three several times it was Buried and still the same accident happ'ned By common advice therefore the Body was laid upon a Cart to which were fastned too young Bulls never us'd to the yoak These were permitted to go at liberty without any Leader whether Gods Providence should direct them The Bulls becoming Tame carried the Body to a certain place and then stood still but the Company attending the Cart not liking the place as not fit for the Childs Burial us'd all means by forcing the Wheels and otherwise to drive the Cart further but found it so fix'd by Divine Power that it could be no