The Story of Constantine the Great In the beginning of the tenth persecution,
Dioclesian, being made emperor, took to him Maximian.
These two, governing as emperors together, chose out two other Caesars under them,
to wit Galerius and Constantius, the father of Constantine the Great.
Thus then, Dioclesian, reigning with Maximian, in the nineteenth year of his
reign, began his furious persecution against the Christians, whose reign after
the same continued not long.
For it pleased God to put such a snaffle in the tyrant's mouth, that within two
years after, he caused both him and Maximian to give over their imperial
function, and so remain not as emperors any more, but as private persons.
They being now dispossessed, the imperial dominion remained with Constantius and
Galerius, which too divided the whole monarchy between them, so that Galerius
should govern the east countries, and Constantius the west parts.
But Constantius, as a modest prince, refused Italy and Africa, contenting
himself with France, Spain, and Britain, refusing the other kingdoms for the
troublesome and difficult government of the same.
Galerius chose to him Maximian and Severus as Caesars.
Likewise, Constantius took Constantine, his son Caesar, under him.
In the meantime, while Galerius with his two Caesars were in Asia, the Roman
soldiers set up for their emperor Maxentius, the son of Maximian,
who had before deposed himself, against whom Galerius, the emperor of the
east, sent his son Severus, which Severus, in the same voyage, was slain of
Maxentius, in whose place then Galerius took Licinius.
And these were the emperors and Caesars, who, succeeding after Dioclesian and
Maximian, prosecuted the rest of that persecution, which Dioclesian and Maximian
before began, during the space of seven or eight years, which was to the year of our
Lord 313, save only that Constantius, with his son Constantine, was no great
doer therein, but rather a maintainer and a supporter of the Christians.
Which Constantius was a prince very excellent, civil, meek, gentle,
liberal, and desirous to do good unto those that had any private authority under
him.
And, as Cyrus once said, that he got treasure for himself when he made friends
rich, even so it is said that Constantius would oftentimes say that it were better
that his subjects had the public wealth than he to have hoarded it in his own
treasure-house.
Also he was by nature sufficed with a little, insomuch that he used to eat and
drink in earthen vessels, which thing was counted in Agathocles, the Sicilian,
a great commendation.
And if at any time cause required to garnish his table, he would send for plate
and other furniture to his friends.
In consequence of which virtues ensued great peace and tranquility in all his
provinces.
To these virtues he added a yet more worthy ornament, that is, devotion,
love, and affection towards the word of God.
By which word being guided, he neither levied any wars contrary to piety in
Christian religion, neither aided he any others that did the same, neither
destroyed he the churches, but commanded that the Christians should be preserved
and defended and kept safe from all contumilius injuries.
And when, in the other jurisdictions of the empire, the churches were molested
with persecution, he alone gave license unto the Christians to live after their
accustomed manner.
Constantius, minding at a certain time to try what sincere and good Christians he
had yet in his court, called together all his officers and servants, feigning
himself to choose out such as would do sacrifice to devils, and that those only
should dwell there and keep their offices, and that those who would refuse to do the
same should be thrust out and banished the court.
At this appointment all the courtiers divided themselves into companies.
The emperor marked who were the constantist and godliest from the rest.
And when some said they would willingly do sacrifice, others openly and boldly
refused to do the same.
Then the emperor sharply rebuked those who were so ready to do sacrifice and judged
them as false traitors unto God, accounting them unworthy to be in his
court, who were such traitors to God, and forthwith commanded that they only
should be banished the same.
But greatly he commended those who refused to do sacrifice and confessed God,
affirming that they only were worthy to be about a prince, forthwith commanding that
thenceforth they should be the trusty counselors and defenders both of his
person and kingdom, saying thus much more, that they only were worthy to be in office
whom he might make account of as his assured friends, and that he meant to have
them in more estimation than the substance he had in his treasury.
Constantius died in the third year of the persecution, in the year of our Lord 306,
and was buried at York, after whom succeeded Constantine as a second Moses
sent and set up of God, to deliver his people out of their so miserable captivity
into liberty most joyful.
He, Constantine, was the good and virtuous child of a good and virtuous father.
Born in Britain, his mother was named Helena, daughter of King Coilus.
He was a most bountiful and gracious prince, having a desire to nourish
learning and good arts, and did oftentimes used to read, write, and study himself.
He had marvellous good success and prosperous achieving of all things he took
in hand, which then was, and truly supposed to proceed of this, for that he
was so great a favourer of the Christian faith, which faith when he had once
embraced he did ever after most devoutly and religiously reverence.
As touching his natural disposition and wit, he was very eloquent, a good
philosopher, and in disputation sharp and ingenious.
He was accustomed to say that an emperor ought to refuse no labour for the utility
of the common wheel.
An empire was given by the determinate purpose of God, and he to whom it was
given should so employ his diligence as that he might be thought worthy of the
same at the hands of the giver.
This book is continued on Disc 2.
Fox's Book of Martyrs by John Fox Disc 2 I showed before how Maxentius, the son of
Maximian, was set up at Rome by the Praetorian soldiers to be emperor,
whereunto the senate, although they were not consenting yet for fear, they were not
resisting.
Maximian, his father, who had before deprived himself, hearing of this,
took heart again to resume his dignity, and laboured to persuade Diocletian to do
the same.
But when he could not move him thereunto, he repaireth to Rome, thinking to wrest
the empire out of his son's hands.
But when the soldiers would not suffer that, of a crafty purpose, he flyeth to
Constantine in France, under pretense to complain of Maxentius his son,
but in very deed to kill Constantine.
That conspiracy, being detected by Fausta, the daughter of Maximian, whom Constantine
had married, Constantine through the grace of God was preserved, and Maximian retired
back.
In his flight he was apprehended and put to death.
Maxentius all this while reigned at Rome with tyranny and wickedness intolerable,
much like to another pharaoh or nero.
For he slew the most part of his noblemen, and took from them their goods,
and sometimes in his rage he would destroy great multitudes of the people of Rome by
his soldiers.
Also he left no mischievous nor lascivious act unattempted.
He was also much addicted to the art magical, which to execute he was more fit
than for the imperial dignity.
Often he would invocate devils in a secret manner, and by the answers of them he
sought to repel the wars which he knew Constantine prepared against him.
And to the end he might the better perpetrate his mischievous and wicked
attempts.
He feigned himself in the of his reign to be a favorer of the Christians.
And thinking to make the people of Rome his friends, he commanded that they should
cease from persecuting the Christians.
He himself abstained from no contumelious vexation of them, till that he began at
last to show himself an open persecutor of them.
The citizens and senators of Rome, being much grieved and oppressed by the
grievous tyranny and unspeakable wickedness of Maxentius, sent their
complaints with letters unto Constantine.
With much suit and most hearty petitions, desiring him to help and release their
country and city of Rome, who, hearing and understanding their miserable
and pitiful state, and grieved therewith not a little, first sendeth by letters to
Maxentius, desiring and exhorting him to restrain his corrupt doings and great
cruelty.
But when no letters nor exhortations would prevail, at length, pitying the woeful
case of the Romans, he gathered together his army in Britain and France,
therewith to repress the violent rage of that tyrant.
Thus Constantine, sufficiently appointed with strength of men, but especially with
strength of God, entered his journey coming towards Italy, which was about the
last year of the persecution, 313 A.D.
Maxentius, understanding of the coming of Constantine, and trusting more to his
devilish art of magic than to the goodwill of his subjects, which he little deserved,
durst not show himself out of the city, nor encounter him in the open field,
but with privy garrisons laid wait for him by the way in sundry straits as he should
come, with whom Constantine had divers skirmishes, and by the power of the Lord
did ever vanquish them and put them to flight.
Notwithstanding, Constantine yet was in no great comfort, but in great care and dread
in his mind, approaching now near unto Rome, for the magical charms and sorceries
of Maxentius, wherewith he had vanquished before Severus, sent by Galerius against
him.
Wherefore, being in great doubt and perplexity in himself, and revolving many
things in his mind, what help he might have against the operations of his
charming Constantine in his journey drawing toward the city, and casting up
his eyes many times to heaven, in the south part, about the going down of
the sun, saw a great brightness in heaven, appearing in the similitude of a cross,
giving this inscription, In this overcome.
Eusebius Pamphilus doth witness that he had heard the said Constantine himself
often times report, and also to swear this to be true and certain, which he did see
with his own eyes in heaven, and also his soldiers about him.
At the sight whereof when he was greatly astonied, and consulting with his men upon
the meaning thereof, behold, in the night season in his sleep, Christ appeared to
him with the sign of the same cross which he had seen before, bidding him to make
the figuration thereof, and to carry it in his wars before him, and so should he have
the victory.
Wherein is to be noted, good reader, that this sign of the cross, and these
letters added withal, in Hark!
Vince, was given to him of God, not to induce any superstitious worship or
opinion of the cross, as though the cross itself had any such power or strength in
it to obtain victory, but only to bear the meaning of another thing, that is,
to be an admonition to him to seek and inspire to the knowledge and faith of him
who was crucified upon the cross, for the salvation of him and of all the
world, and so to set forth the glory of his name.
The day following this vision Constantine caused a cross after the same figuration
to be made of gold and precious stone, and to be borne before him instead of his
standard, and so with much hope of victory and great confidence, as one armed from
heaven, he speedeth himself toward his enemy.
Against whom Maxentius, being constrained perforce to issue out of the city,
sendeth all his power to join with him in the field beyond the river Tiber,
where Maxentius, craftily breaking down the bridge called Pons Milvius,
caused another deceitful bridge to be made of boats and wherries, being joined
together and covered over with boards and planks in manner of a bridge, thinking
therewith to take Constantine as in a trap.
But herein came to pass that which in the seventh psalm is written.
He made a pit and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made.
His mischief shall return upon his own head, and his violent dealing shall come
down upon his own pate, which here in this Maxentius was rightly verified,
for after the two hosts did meet, he, being not able to sustain the force of
Constantine, fighting under the cross of Christ against him, was put to such a
flight, and driven to such an exigence, that in retiring back upon the same bridge
which he did lay for Constantine, for haste thinking to get to the city,
he was overturned by the fall of his horse into the bottom of the flood, and there
with the weight of his armour he was drowned, and his host drowned in the Red
Sea.
Pharaoh, not unaptly, seemeth to bear a prophetical figuration of this Maxentius.
For as the children of Israel were in long thralldom and persecution in Egypt till
the drowning of their last persecutor, so was this Maxentius the last persecutor
in the Roman monarchy of the Christians whom this Constantine, fighting under the
cross of Christ, did vanquish, setting the Christians at liberty,
who before had been persecuted, now three hundred years in Rome.
In histories we read of many victories and great conquests gotten, yet we never read,
nor ever shall, of any victory so wholesome, so commodious, so opportune to
mankind as this was, which made an end of so much bloodshed, and obtained so much
liberty and life to the posterity of so many generations.
Constantine so established the peace of the church, that for the space of a
thousand years we read of no set persecution against the Christians unto
the time of John Wycliffe.
So happy, so glorious was this victory of Constantine, so named the great.
For the joy and gladness whereof the citizens who had sent for him before,
with exceeding triumph, brought him into the city of Rome, where he was most
honorably received, and celebrated the space of seven days together, having,
moreover, in the marketplace his image set up, holding in his right hand the sign of
the cross, with this inscription, With this wholesome sign, the true token
of fortitude, I have rescued and delivered our city from the yoke of the tyrant.
Constantine with his fellow Licinius, Ephsuns, set forth their general
proclamation, not constraining any man to any religion, but giving liberty to all
men, both for the Christians to persist in their profession without any danger,
and for other men freely to adjoin with them whosoever pleased.
Which thing was very well taken, and highly allowed of the Romans and all
wise men.
I doubt not, good reader, but thou dost right well consider with thyself the
marvellous working of God's mighty power.
To see so many emperors confederate together against the Lord and Christ His
Anointed, who, having the subjection of the world under their dominion,
did bend their whole might and devices to extirpate the name of Christ and of all
Christians.
Wherein, if the power of man could have prevailed, what could they not do?
Or what could they do more than they did?
If policy or devices could have served, what policy was there lacking?
If torments or pains of death could have helped, what cruelty of torment by man
could be invented which was not attempted?
If laws, edicts, proclamations, written not only in tables but engraven in
brass, could have stood, all this was practised against the weak Christians.
And yet, notwithstanding, to see how no council can stand against the Lord,
note how all these be gone.
And yet Christ and His church doth stand.