CONSTANTINE THE GREAT ad. 



c. 300. 

 Empire were to be continued and strengthened to him 

 by prayer and holy workes : and oftentimes taking upon 

 him as it were the person of a notable preacher of 

 Christian discipline, he would teach his children and 

 nobilitie, that godlinesse was to be preferred before riches, 

 yea, before the Monarchic of all the world. 



He overthrew the false gods of the heathens, and by 

 many lawes often revived, he abrogated the worshipping 

 of Images in all the countries of Greece, Egypt, Persia, 

 Asia, and the whole Romane Empire, commanding Christ 

 onely by his Edicts to be worshipped, the sacred Gospell 

 to be preached, the Ministers thereof to be honoured and 

 relieved, and the temples of Idoles every where to be 

 destroyed. 



Whithersoever he went hee caused the booke of the 

 Gospell of Christ to be still caried before him, that thereby 

 it might appeare to be a forme of faith to all men, and to 

 appertaine generally to all nations. 



He was the first that appointed an Imperiall Diademe, 

 or Crowne to the Kings of Britaine. 



He was most beneficiall to all Churches, bestowing 

 upon them lands and fields, and upon the poore, sicke 

 persons, widowes and orphanes, corne and wood, being as 

 carefull of them as if hee had bene their naturall father. 



He used learned men most familiarly, as Eusebius, 

 Lactantius and others, and they are witnesses that this 

 was his usuall prayer to God. O Lord we know thee to 

 be the onely God, we are sure that thou art the onely 

 King, and we call upon thee as our helper : through thee 

 we have gotten the victorie, and by thee we have over- 

 throwen the enemie. 



Sextus Aurelius reporteth, that it was his greatest 

 delight to imbrace the studie of learning, to favour good 

 Arts, to read, write and meditate, and that he composed 

 many bookes and Epistles both in the Greeke and Latine 

 tongues. 



He died at Nicomedia, being then 66. yeres of age, in 

 the 32. yere of his reigne, and in the 339. yeere after 



275 



