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<DATE>9-10-14</DATE>
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<NAME>John Latta</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>AN HISTORY Of the Twofold <HI>Invention of the Cro&s;s,</HI> WHEREON Our <HI>Saviour</HI> was crucified.</P>
<P>Tran&s;lated out of An antient <HI>Aramaean Biologi&s;t</HI></P>
<P>Together with An Account of the <HI>Conver&s;ion</HI> of the <HI>Ethiopians,</HI> out of <HI>Abulpharagius</HI>'s <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tory.</HI></P>
<P>By <HI>Dudley Loftus J. utriu&s;&abque; Dr.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Dublin,</HI> Printed <HI>Anno</HI> 1686</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>Alla Sacra Real Ma^t^&agrave; di Maria Regina d' Inghilterra, Scotia, Francia ed Irlandia.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Sacra Reale Mae&s;t&agrave;,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>NOn &egrave; conforme all'u|&s;anza de' &s;avi d'in|dirizzar &s;e &s;te&s;&s;i alla Ma^t^&agrave; delle Sovrane Regine, con gran preambulo di parole, &ograve; favellare con e&s;&s;o loro &agrave; briglia &s;ciolta; adunque, ci&ograve; &s;olo io voglio dire, che con l'innata Benignit&agrave; &s;ua, ella &s;ia per darmi &s;peranza, che que&s;ta Hi&s;toria &s;piegan|te la Bandiera di Chri&s;to no|&s;tro Signore, non &s;olo &s;ia per e&s;&s;erle grata, ma altre s&igrave; ac|cettata
<PB REF="3">da lei come un te&s;ti|monio della mia fedeli&s;&s;ima Servit&ugrave;, &s;empre mai pronta in co&s;e di maggior momento, ed anche di voler&s;i benigna|mente degnare di perdonar|mi; s&egrave; io &s;ia &s;tato cos&igrave; ardito di dedicar un tal libretto a V. Ma^t^&agrave;; &s;apendo io molto bene, che ancor che una gran Regina non po&s;&s;a &s;opportare co&s;a cos&igrave; di&s;dicevole al &s;uo decoro, come &egrave; la proli&s;&s;it&agrave; delle &s;overchie parole; potr&agrave; pur condonare la brevit&agrave;, Dun obedienti&s;&s;imo ed ob&s;e|quenti&s;&s;imo Servitore di</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>V. Mae^t^&agrave;,</SALUTE><LB>
<SIGNED>qual &egrave; il &s;uo Va&s;&s;allo<LB> Dudleio Loftu&s;io.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>To the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>READER,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>THis Hi&s;tory of the Cro&s;s is here tran&s;lated out of an antient Oriental Manu&s;cript, tran&s;mitted about five years &s;ince from <HI>Aleppo,</HI> by Dr. <HI>Robert Huntingdon,</HI> now Provo&s;t of the Colledge of <HI>Dublin,</HI> unto the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Fernes</HI> and <HI>Leighlin,</HI> then Provo&s;t of the &s;ame. It is contained in a Bialogie of Ea&s;tern Saints, written in a fair E&s;tran|galar Character, wherein the <HI>A|ramaeans</HI> u&s;ually write matters of mo&s;t precious concern. This
<PB REF="4">Character hath been of antient rather than of common u&s;e, and after it was once di&s;continued for the &s;pace of an hundred years, was re&s;tored (as <HI>Gregorius</HI> the <HI>Maphrinus</HI> of the Ea&s;t &s;aith) in the year <HI>1299.</HI> by <HI>Mar Jo|hannes</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Carthaman,</HI> who learnt it by &s;earch and com|paring of Manu&s;cripts, and taught it unto his Nephews; one of whom, <HI>Emanuel</HI> by name, arrived at the highe&s;t perfection in the writing of that Character that ever any one attained unto, as the &s;aid <HI>Maphrinus</HI> in his <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tory</HI> reports.</P>
<P>In the next place I am to tell
<PB REF="4">thee, that though many pious Hi|&s;t orians, and many other primitive Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Authors, who have written the Lives of Saints, and publi&s;hed Narratives of &s;acred things, were careful to repre&s;ent undoubted Miracles to Po&s;terity, as the highe&s;t motives of Belief, and others have made bold, even to temerity and pre&s;umption, in &s;welling up their Hi&s;tory above a due &s;ize, with the recital of que|&s;tionable, if not fal&s;e and incre|dible Miracles, &s;eeming by the be&s;t con&s;truction that can be made of their &s;o doing, to endeavour, under the notion of a pious Cou|&s;enage, to obtrude the belief of
<PB REF="5">them on the credulity of &s;ome igno|rant Ages not long &s;ince pa&s;t, which are now &s;hamefully di&s;credited by a more di&s;cerning Generation, and &s;eem to be exploded by the pre&s;ent Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> who (as is gi|ven forth) rates que&s;tionable Mi|racles as fal&s;e Money, put in to fill the Bag, though it adds lit|tle or nothing to the value of the Sum; but &s;uch is the likelihood of this Natrative, &s;o well agree|ing with the Con&s;ent and Appro|bation of other authentick Wri|ters, and the Credit of the Au|thor, &s;o &s;ober and grave in what he relates concerning this Subject, that I &s;hall not need to argue for the
<PB REF="5">Belief of what he delivers; only this ob&s;erve, that this Author e|rects the Scheme of the Cro&s;s in a &s;ituation as far di&s;tant from te|merary Super&s;tition, as from di&s;|dainful Neglect; and though the Cro&s;s doth not bear in this Hi&s;to|ry &s;o high an Elevation, as it doth in the Romi&s;h Ritual, it can give no di&s;content to that Church, who can find nothing therein blameable; nor to the Church of <HI>England,</HI> with whom the Sig|nature of the Cro&s;s is of &s;o cele|brated a u&s;e in the Sacrament of Bapti&s;m. It is po&s;&s;ible, that they who think the u&s;e of the Cro&s;s in Bapti&s;m &s;uper&s;titious, may be
<PB REF="6">apt to exclaim again&s;t me, as Popi&s;hly inclined; but I, who have always followed the rule of the <HI>Italian</HI> Proverb <HI>[Fa bene e la&s;cia dire]</HI> need not apologize for what I think well done.</P>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="account">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<HEAD>A NARRATIVE Concerning <HI>The Wood of the Cro&s;s</HI> OF OUR REDEEMER, Setting forth in what man|ner it was revealed, and &s;hewed unto Men.</HEAD>
<P><HI>PATRONICA,</HI> the Wife of <HI>Claudius Cae&s;ar,</HI> whom <HI>Tiberius</HI> con&s;tituted the &s;econd of his Empire,
<PB N="2" REF="7">having been at <HI>Rome,</HI> when <HI>Simon Cephas</HI> re&s;ided there, and ob&s;erving the Mira|cles and Wonders which he wrought in the Name of Je&s;us Chri&s;t, &s;he renounced the Heatheni&s;m of her fore|fathers, as al&s;o the Idols which they had wor&s;hiped, and did believe in our Lord Chri&s;t, and aro&s;e con&s;ide|rately, and de&s;cended from <HI>Rome</HI> to <HI>Hieru&s;alem,</HI> and her two Sons and one Virgin Daughter accompanied her; and <HI>Hieru&s;alem</HI> went out to meet her, and they receiv|ed her with great Honour: and <HI>James</HI> was made there a
<PB N="3" REF="7">Bi&s;hop, and Commander in the Church which was built there. And when he heard for what cau&s;e the Empre&s;s came to <HI>Hieru&s;a|lem,</HI> he repaired unto her, at the Court of <HI>Herods</HI> Pa|lace, where &s;he lodged. And when &s;he &s;aw him, &s;he en|tertained him gladly with great rejoycing, as &s;he had received <HI>Simon Cephas,</HI> and he &s;hewed unto her Miracles and wondrous works, as <HI>Si|mon</HI> had done: and &s;he &s;aid unto him, Shew unto me <HI>Golgotha,</HI> where Chri&s;t was crucified, and the Wood of the Cro&s;s whereon Chri&s;t
<PB N="4" REF="8">was hung by the Jews, and the Sepulchre wherein he was laid. <HI>James</HI> &s;aid unto her, Tho&s;e three things which thou would&s;t &s;ee, are under the Cu&s;tody of the Jews, and they keep them &s;hut up from us, and they do not permit us to repair to the place where they are, to pray before the Sepulchre, or at <HI>Golgotha,</HI> neither will they give us the Wood whereon he was crucified. And moreover, they per&s;ecute us, to the end we may not teach the Name of Chri&s;t; and ma|ny times they impri&s;on us.
<PB N="5" REF="8">And when the Empre&s;s heard this, &s;he commanded, and they brought before her <HI>Honia</HI> the Son of <HI>Hanan</HI> the Prie&s;t, and <HI>Gorho</HI> the Son of <HI>Kiphas,</HI> and <HI>Judah Vari|bed&s;halam</HI> the Chief of the Jews, and &s;he &s;aid unto them, Deliver <HI>Golgotha,</HI> and the Sephulchre, and the Wood of the Cro&s;s unto <HI>James,</HI> and tho&s;e who &s;hall accompany him; and after|wards &s;he went unto the Sepulchre of our Lord, and found therein three Cro&s;&s;es, the one of our Lord, and two of the Thieves: and at the time that &s;he came un|to
<PB N="6" REF="9">the Sepulchre, her Sons being with her, her Virgin Daughter fell down, and died without Pain or Sick|ne&s;s; and when &s;he &s;aw that her Daughter was dead, &s;he immediately drew nigh, and wor&s;hiped, praying in the Sepulchre, and in her Prayer &s;aid, Our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t, who gave him|&s;elf for man, and was cruci|fied in this place, and aro&s;e, and rai&s;ed with him many from the dead; the cru|cifying Jews, and Gentiles will hear, that I have re|nounced their Images, and their Wor&s;hip, and will
<PB N="7" REF="9">triumph over me, &s;coffing at me, and will &s;ay, the&s;e things happened unto her, by rea&s;on that &s;he renounced the Gods whom &s;he wor|&s;hiped, and profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;t. Thou, O Lord, have a re|gard unto thy holy Name, that it be not bla&s;phemed in this place. And when &s;he had thus &s;aid, her eld|e&s;t Son came unto her, and &s;aid, Hear what I have to &s;ay before thy Maje&s;ty, that I am &s;o per&s;waded in my thoughts, that the &s;udden Death of my Si&s;ter was not void of Providence, but that God might be magnified by
<PB N="8" REF="10">a wonderful act. For behold, we entered into this Sepul|chre, and found therein three Cro&s;&s;es, not knowing which of them was the Cro&s;s whereon our Saviour was crucified: and I am of opi|nion, that by the Death of my Si&s;ter we &s;hall be able to know which of them is it. Then the Empre&s;s (though much afflicted at that time) under&s;tood that the Boy had &s;poken wi&s;ely, and rightly, and &s;he took in her hand one of tho&s;e Cro&s;&s;es, and placed it on the Corps of her Daughter, and &s;aid in Prayer, Chri&s;t,
<PB N="9" REF="10">who &s;hewed wonderful Works in this place, if this be thy Cro&s;s, &s;hew thy Pow|er, and revive my Daugh|ter; and let thy Name be glorified, and let thy Wor|&s;hipers rejoyce, and let thy Foes be put to &s;hame. And when &s;he had expected one hour, &s;he took the &s;econd Cro&s;s and laid it on the Corps, and prayed again. And after &s;he had expected one hour, &s;he took up the third Cro&s;s, and as &s;he would have lifted up her eyes to Heaven, and have be&s;ought her Lord, and be|fore &s;he &s;pake, as the Wood
<PB N="10" REF="11">touched her Corps, &s;he re|vived, and aro&s;e immedi|ately. And the Empre&s;s, when &s;he &s;aw the Miracle that was done, &s;he magni|fied the Lord with prai&s;es, and commanded that a great and &s;tately Building &s;hould be rai&s;ed over <HI>Golgotha,</HI> and over the Sepulchre, and that it &s;hould be a place for Di|vine Admini&s;tration. And the Jews, who rejoyced at fir&s;t, turned their Joy into Sorrow, and the Report thereof &s;pread it &s;elf into remote places, and where|&s;oever the Apo&s;tles had preached it.</P>
<PB N="11" REF="11">
<P> And when the Empre&s;s returned unto <HI>Rome,</HI> &s;he de|clared before <HI>Claudius</HI> the Emperor what things were done; and he gave com|mand that the Jews &s;hould be driven out of <HI>Rome,</HI> and from the Regions of <HI>Ita|ly.</HI></P>
<P>Furthermore al&s;o, in the days of <HI>Trajan</HI> the wicked Emperor, he commanded, that who&s;oever did a&s;&s;ent unto the Doctrine of Chri&s;t &s;hould receive extreme Pu|ni&s;hment; and the Horn of the Jewi&s;h Nation was ex|alted, and they began to torment the Chri&s;tians, as
<PB N="12" REF="12">did their forefathers in the Prophet. And they gather|ed them&s;elves together a|gain&s;t <HI>Simon,</HI> who was made Bi&s;hop in <HI>Hieru&s;alem,</HI> and they ca&s;t their hands upon him, and u&s;ed him contu|meliou&s;ly; fora&s;much as the people who profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;t were not yet much multi|plied: and the Jews, who tormented <HI>Simon,</HI> took away the Wood of the Cro&s;s of our Saviour (and this <HI>Si|mon</HI> was the Son of <HI>Cleophas,</HI>) and the Jews took coun&s;el to hide it in the earth, that the Chri&s;tians might not a|ny more wor&s;hip Cnri&s;t;
<PB N="13" REF="12">and this <HI>Simon</HI> was the &s;e|cond Bi&s;hop that &s;at in the Church of <HI>Hieru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>And when they took a|way the Cro&s;s of our Lord, he was nece&s;&s;itated to de|liver it unto tho&s;e Jews, and they digged in the earth about twenty cubits, and hid it, and it was hid|den in the Earth from the time that <HI>Patronica</HI> the Empre&s;s gave it unto <HI>James</HI> the Bi&s;hop during the days of fifteen Bi&s;hops; the fir&s;t of them was this <HI>James,</HI> the Brother of our Lord, <HI>Si|mon, Ju&s;tus, Zaccheus, Tobno, Benjamin, John, Matthew,
<PB N="14" REF="13">Philip, Di&s;incus, Ju&s;tus, Levi, Ephraim,</HI> and the la&s;t of the fifteen was <HI>Judas,</HI> in who&s;e days the Cro&s;s a&s;cended the &s;econd time from the earth.</P>
<P>Furthermore, it is decla|red, how <HI>Helen</HI> the Queen, and the Mother of <HI>Con&s;tan|tine</HI> the Faithful Emperour, found it in the &s;eventh year of the Reign of <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> in the month of the &s;econd <HI>January,</HI> the Forces of the <HI>Babarians</HI> were mu&s;tered on the Bank of a certain Ri|ver called <HI>Danubie,</HI> with de|&s;ign to pa&s;s over, and de|&s;troy the whole Dominion
<PB N="15" REF="13">of the <HI>Roman</HI> Empire; and the Forces of the <HI>Barbarians</HI> increa&s;ing, <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> inga|ged in battel, and di&s;com|fited them; and on the day of the morning that they were to ingage in battel, at midnight, <HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> &s;aw the Light of the Cro&s;s, as glo|rious as an Angel, bright|er than the Sun holding the &s;ame, and it illumi|nated the whole earth, and there were in it Letters of Stars, who&s;e Compaction &s;ignified unto him by this &s;ign, <HI>Thou &s;halt overcome.</HI> And he awaked, and was much terrified, and rea&s;oned in
<PB N="16" REF="14">his mind, of which of the Gods is this Sign, and he declared the Vi&s;ion which he &s;aw unto the wi&s;e men of his Empire, and he com|manded, that they &s;hould make an En&s;ign like there|unto, and it should be born before him to the Battel, and they did &s;o, and there was a mighty Battel on that day, and the <HI>Barbarians</HI> turn|ed their backs, and he gave them a great blow, and &s;uch as remained of them, he ca&s;t them into Chains, and &s;traigtway he a&s;&s;embled all the Prelates, and de|manded of them, to which
<PB N="17" REF="14">of the Gods doth this En&s;ign belong, and they an&s;wered, Lord Emperour, this En|&s;ign doth not belong to the terre&s;trial Gods, whom we wor&s;hip, but to the Ho&s;t of God from Heaven; and the Chri&s;tians were called at this time <HI>Nazarites,</HI> and they approached unto the Emperour, and &s;aid unto him, Lord Emperour, this En&s;ign appertains unto Je|&s;us Chri&s;t the Son of the living God. And when he heard tho&s;e words, he &s;ent, and called for <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> Bi|&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> and was in|&s;tructed
<PB N="18" REF="15">by him concerning the coming of our Lord Je|&s;us into the world, and concerning his Conception, and Birth, and Original, his Crucifixion, his Re&s;urrection, and A&s;cen&s;ion into Heaven; and the Emperour believed gladly with his whole heart, and with his whole mind; and he aro&s;e, and was bap|tized, he, and his Mother, and all his Palace; and then he per&s;waded his Mother, and &s;ent her with <HI>Eu&s;ebi|us</HI> the Bi&s;hop, and a great Train of <HI>Romans,</HI> and he com|manded his Mother dili|gently
<PB N="19" REF="15">to inquire for the Wood of the Cro&s;s, and that &s;he &s;hould build a Church in <HI>Golgotha:</HI> And from the Re&s;urrection of our Saviour, until the &s;e|cond finding of the Cro&s;s had pa&s;&s;ed three hundred &amp; one years, and in the month of <HI>Augu&s;t,</HI> on the twenty and eighth day thereof, the Em|pre&s;s &s;et forth on her Jour|ney to <HI>Hieru&s;alem</HI> to inquire after the Wood of the Cro&s;s, and that &s;he might leave behind her a Report that &s;hould la&s;t for ever.</P>
<P>And &s;he entered into <HI>Hieru|&s;alem</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="16">in great pomp, and &s;he gave commandment, that all the Jews who remain|ed about <HI>Hieru&s;alem</HI> &s;hould be a&s;&s;embled together, and <HI>Hieru&s;alem</HI> was almo&s;t wa&s;te; and about thirty thou&s;and men being a&s;&s;embled, &s;he &s;aid unto them, I am taught from Books of the Prophets, that you are the Seed of the Righteous, and that God loved you more than all Nations, and that he was to &s;end unto you his Son, the Splendor of his Glory, and the Splendor of his E&s;|&s;ence. Ye under&s;tood him
<PB N="21" REF="16">not, but cho&s;e Darkne&s;s in|&s;tead of Light; and there|fore choo&s;e me from a|mong&s;t you men, Scribes, and expert in the Law, who may be able to return me an An&s;wer concerning what&s;oever thing I &s;hall de|mand of them, and they departed from before her with great fear, and cho&s;e from among&s;t them about two thou&s;and wi&s;e men and Scribes out of the City, and Villages of <HI>Judea;</HI> and at their return they came un|to the Empre&s;s, and &s;aid unto her, The&s;e are the
<PB N="22" REF="17">learned men which we have, and are expert in the Law, then she confidently &s;aid unto them, Are ye able to inform me of what&s;oever thing I shall ask you, le&s;t ye dye a bad Death de&s;erv|edly by my hand? Return again, choo&s;e for me from among&s;t you &s;uch as are mo&s;t expert in the Law, and they went and cho&s;e one thou&s;and men.</P>
<P>And again, she &s;aid unto them, Ob&s;erve tho&s;e who are the wi&s;e&s;t among&s;t you, and choo&s;e for me thirty men. Have ye not heard what <HI>E|&s;aias</HI>
<PB N="23" REF="17">&s;aid? <HI>A Child is born un|to us, and a Son is given unto us, who&s;e Mother Man hath not known.</HI></P>
<P>And again, <HI>David</HI> &s;aid, <HI>I have placed the Lord before me for ever.</HI> And moreover <HI>E|&s;aias</HI> &s;aid concerning you, <HI>I exalted the Children of the Hou&s;e, and they rebelled again&s;t me; the Ox knoweth his Ma|&s;ter,</HI> and &s;o forth.</P>
<P>And now behold, ye are pre&s;erved from my hand for two hours, ob&s;erve, and in|form me of what&s;oever I shall ask you, let the blind|ne&s;s of your forefathers &s;uf|fice
<PB N="24" REF="18">ye the Children of <HI>I&s;ra|el,</HI> who &s;aid of Je&s;us, He is not God, though the Law and the Prophets te&s;tifie of him, that he is God over all. And the Jews an&s;wered, and &s;aid, We have read the Law and the Prophets, that they might inform us concerning this very thing whereof we have been interrogated by thee, and we have an&s;wer|ed unto thee.</P>
<P>And again &s;he per&s;waded them, &s;aying, Go, and choo&s;e for me the wi&s;e&s;t among&s;t you, who know Wi&s;dom; and they went out from
<PB N="25" REF="18">before her with fear, and &s;aid among&s;t them&s;elves, What a &s;ad thing is this which the Empre&s;s hath ca&s;t among us! and one of them, who&s;e name was <HI>Ju|das,</HI> an&s;wered and &s;aid unto his Brethren, I am of opi|nion, that this que&s;tion, which the Empre&s;s de|mands of us concerning the <HI>Wood of the Cro&s;s,</HI> whereon Je&s;us was cruci|fied by our Ance&s;tors, is, that &s;he may be revenged at our hands, and if none &s;hall make it known, &s;he will de&s;troy the Doctrine
<PB N="26" REF="19">which our forefathers have delivered unto us. For <HI>Zac|cheus,</HI> who was Prie&s;t to <HI>Si|mon</HI> my Father, informed him of this thing, and my Father al&s;o when he was dying &s;aid, I know, my Son, that when the time &s;hall come, that the Cro&s;s, where|on Je&s;us was hung, &s;hall be inquired after, thou art to reveal, and to give infor|mation thereof, le&s;t it de|&s;troy thee: For the King|dom of the <HI>Hebrews</HI> will fail, and afterwards the Em|pire of tho&s;e who &s;hall wor|&s;hip him who was hung
<PB N="27" REF="19">upon the Cro&s;s &s;hall prevail, and this &s;hall govern the World.</P>
<P>And I &s;aid unto my Father, If therefore you knew that he was Chri&s;t, wherefore did our forefa|thers lay hands upon him, and crucifie him? And he an&s;wered me, I knew well, my Son, that I never a|greed in opinion with them, but at all times oppo&s;ed them who did not believe in him. And I know, that when they crucified him, took him down, and laid him in the Sepulchre, he
<PB N="28" REF="20">aro&s;e the third day, and &s;hewed him&s;elf to his Di&s;ci|ples, and that for this cau&s;e <HI>Stephen,</HI> the Brother of my Father, believed in him, and began to teach the Jews in the Name of Je&s;us, and for this rea&s;on they layed &s;nares to intrap him, and they condemned him to be &s;toned to death, and he &s;tretched forth his hands unto Heaven, and &s;aid, My Lord receive my Spirit, and lay not this Sin to their charge. And the&s;e words my Father <HI>Simon</HI> command|ed me to declare unto <HI>Zac|cheus,</HI>
<PB N="29" REF="20">his Prie&s;t, and this <HI>Zac|cheus</HI> was the <HI>Nicodemus</HI> who came to Je&s;us by night, and <HI>Stephen</HI> was his Companion. And behold, I &s;ubmit all the&s;e things unto you,; If the Empre&s;s &s;hall interro|gate us concerning the Cro&s;s, what will ye that I &s;ay un|to her? They &s;aid unto him, The&s;e words which thou &s;peake&s;t, we have not heard from any but from thy &s;elf; and if the que&s;tion &s;hall be concerning the Cro&s;s, thou knowe&s;t better than all of us, and thou al&s;o art informed of the place.</P>
<PB N="30" REF="21">
<P> And when they had &s;aid thus, the Souldiers followed them, and &s;aid, Ari&s;e, come away, for the Empre&s;s in|quires for you: and when they came, they &s;tood be|fore her, and &s;he interro|gated them concerning ma|ny things, and they &s;aid not unto her any thing that was true; wherefore &s;he commanded that they &s;hou'd be ca&s;t into a fiery Furnace, and they out of fear took hold of <HI>Judas,</HI> and pre&s;ent|ed him unto her, and they &s;aid, This man was the Son of a Prophet, and he is ju&s;t,
<PB N="31" REF="21">and more skilful in the Law than we are, and he will inform thee concerning what&s;oever thou &s;halt de|&s;ire; for in this we &s;hall all be Witne&s;&s;es again&s;t him. Then &s;he commanded, that all &s;hould be di&s;mi&s;&s;ed, and that <HI>Judas</HI> only &s;hould be apprehended: and the Em|pre&s;s &s;aid unto him, There are placed before thee Death and Life, and choo&s;e which of them thou wilt. <HI>Judas</HI> an&s;wered, What man is there, or what per&s;on is there, who having Bread &s;et before him, will take a
<PB N="32" REF="22">Stone, and eat in&s;tead there|of? And the Empre&s;s &s;aid unto him, If therefore thou would&s;t live in the Earth, or Heaven, tell me where they have hidden the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t. <HI>Judas</HI> &s;aid, as an|cient Memorials declare, this thing was done about two hundred years &s;ince, more or le&s;s, and we be|ing Children of this time, from whence &s;hould we know it?</P>
<P>The Empre&s;s &s;aid unto him, Behold, thou ha&s;t con|fe&s;&s;ed before me, that ye have Books of Memorials
<PB N="33" REF="22">touching the&s;e things.</P>
<P><HI>Judas</HI> &s;aid unto her, I did not &s;peak of my &s;elf before thy Maje&s;ty, and this Hi|&s;tory may be known out of Books, but we have no Hi|&s;tories.</P>
<P>And the Empre&s;s &s;aid, We have the Word of Truth in the Go&s;pel which ccurately declares where he was crucified; but do thou only &s;hew me the place which is called <HI>Golgotha;</HI> and I will command, by my Power, the di&s;covery of the the particular place; and I am confident, that I &s;hall
<PB N="34" REF="23">obtain the de&s;ire, by which I &s;hall live.</P>
<P><HI>Judas</HI> &s;aid, Neither do I know that place.</P>
<P>The Empre&s;s &s;aid unto him, I know, that unle&s;s thou wilt confe&s;s, and &s;peak the truth unto me, I will take away thy Life by the torment of Hunger and Thir&s;t. And &s;he command|ed, that they &s;hould ca&s;t him into a dry Pit, and keep him for the &s;pace of &s;even days, without giving him any Meat.</P>
<P>Then after &s;even days <HI>Ju|das</HI> cried out with a loud
<PB N="35" REF="23">voice, and &s;aid, Rai&s;e me out of this pit, and I will &s;hew you the place where the Cro&s;s of Chri&s;t is.</P>
<P>Then the Empre&s;s com|manded, and they took him out, and he went to the ve|ry place, although he was not well a&s;&s;ured that it was there.</P>
<P>And <HI>Judas</HI> rai&s;ed his voice in the <HI>Hebrew</HI> tongue, and &s;aid, Lord, who made Hea|ven and Earth at his beck, if it be thy plea&s;ure, that Je&s;us the Son of <HI>Mary</HI> &s;hould reign, perform for us this Mi|racle, as thou did&s;t hear <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI>
<PB N="36" REF="24">thy Servant, &amp; did&s;t &s;hew unto him the Bones of <HI>Jo|&s;eph;</HI> &s;o &s;hew unto us this hidden Trea&s;ure, and cau&s;e to a&s;cend from this place a perfume of rich Odour, that I al&s;o may believe in the Cro&s;s of thy Chri&s;t, and may declare that he is a King for ever.</P>
<P>And when <HI>Judas</HI> prayed, &s;traightway there was thun|der in that place, and much Incen&s;e of Aromaticks eva|porated on every &s;ide, and great wonder took hold on <HI>Judas,</HI> and he clapped his hands together, and lifted
<PB N="37" REF="24">up his voice, and &s;aid, Thou art truly Chri&s;t the Re|deemer of the World, I beg of thee, O Chri&s;t, make me equal, and join me, and bring me to thy Servant <HI>Stephen</HI> my Brother.</P>
<P>And when <HI>Judas</HI> had &s;aid the&s;e words, he took up I|ron, and he feared as <HI>Abra|ham</HI> did, and he began to digg, and then he cau&s;ed tho&s;e who were command|ed by the Empre&s;s to draw nigh, and when they de|&s;cended about twenty cu|bits, they found three Cro&s;|&s;es hidden, and <HI>Judas</HI> took
<PB N="38" REF="25">them up, and brought them to the faithful Empre&s;s.</P>
<P>Then &s;he &s;aid unto him, Which of them is the Cro&s;s of our Lord? He &s;aid, I I do not know; the &s;he laid them in the middle of the City, and when &s;he expect|ed to &s;ee in them the Glo|ry of God, and it being the ninth hour of that day, be|hold, there was a young man dead, whom they carried on a Bier, going to his Se|pulchre, and when he &s;aw this, he immediately re|joyced, and &s;aid unto them, Now, my Lady, thou &s;halt
<PB N="39" REF="25">&s;ee the Power of the Cro&s;s, and the Glory that is hid therein. Then he made them to let down the Bier, and he took up every one of the Cro&s;&s;es, and laid them on the Bier, and when the third Cro&s;s came to be pla|ced on the Corps, the young man aro&s;e immediately. Then <HI>Satan,</HI> the enemy, cry|ed with a loud voice, and &s;aid, Who is this, which doth not permit me to take tho&s;e Souls that are mine? Wo is me by rea&s;on of thee, <HI>Je&s;us the Nazarene!</HI> and for that thou ha&s;t revealed
<PB N="40" REF="26">again&s;t me thy Cro&s;s which was hidden: Wo is me from thee, <HI>Judas!</HI> what is this that thou ha&s;t done again&s;t me? formerly thou made&s;t the world to &s;in by the hand of <HI>Judas,</HI> and now by the hand of <HI>Judas,</HI> behold I am per&s;ecuted from hence. I know what I will do un|to thee, thou great Per&s;e|cutor: For behold, another Emperour &s;hall ari&s;e, who will for&s;ake the Cro&s;s, and will fulfil and perform my words, and I will deliver thee into his hands, and he &s;hall bring down upon
<PB N="41" REF="26">thee dreadful Judgments, and thou out of bitter Tor|ment &s;halt renounce him that was crucified.</P>
<P>Then <HI>Judas</HI> was comfort|ed by the Holy Gho&s;t, and &s;aid, He who rai&s;ed the dead will pre&s;erve me from the infernal depth of flaming Fire.</P>
<P>And when the Empre&s;s heard the&s;e words, &s;he ad|mired the Power of God, and the true Faith of <HI>Judas,</HI> and &s;trictly gave order con|cerning the <HI>Wood of the Cro&s;s,</HI> and &s;he cau&s;ed to
<PB N="42" REF="27">be made for it a Che&s;t of Silver, and put it therein, and depo&s;ited it in that Church which was built in <HI>Golgotha:</HI> And &s;he called for <HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> Bi&s;hop of <HI>Rome,</HI> and he gave unto <HI>Judas</HI> the &s;ig|nature of Bapti&s;m, and cal|led him by the bapti&s;mal name of <HI>Kuriacus,</HI> and laid upon him the Hand of a Bi&s;hop, and placed him in the City of <HI>Hieru&s;alem;</HI> and then <HI>Hellen</HI> the Empre&s;s commanded, that the <HI>Jews,</HI> who did not believe in Chri&s;t, &s;hould be per&s;ecut|ed, and at that time the
<PB N="43" REF="27"><HI>Jews</HI> were driven from the land of <HI>Hieru&s;alem.</HI></P>
<P>Moreover, <HI>Kuriacus</HI> made great inqui&s;ition concerning the Nails of the Cro&s;s, and he prayed unto God, and there appeared unto him a glorious Sign, like Lighten|ing, on the place of the Cro&s;s, and the Nails appear|ed in the Du&s;t; and he ap|proached with reverence, and took them up, and pre|&s;ented them to the faith|ful Empre&s;s, and &s;he re|&s;olved in her mind, to make of them an Orna|ment
<PB N="44" REF="28">for the Emperours Armour, and for the Bri|dle of his Hor&s;e; and &s;he &s;ent for a skilful Artificer, of a good report, and &s;aid unto him, Take the&s;e Nails, and make a Signiture on the Emperours Armour, and on the Bridle of his Hor&s;e, that it may be a Pre&s;ervative for the Em|perour; for it behooved, that this Writing of the Prophet &s;hould be fulfil|led, that there &s;hall be at that time on the Hor&s;es Bridle <HI>Holine&s;s to the Lord Almighty.</HI></P>
<PB N="45" REF="28">
<P> Then <HI>Hellen</HI> the faithful Empre&s;s reigned in <HI>Hie|ru&s;alem,</HI> and commanded, that there &s;hould be a Commemoration of the Cro&s;s on the fourteenth of <HI>September.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>The Hi&s;tory concerning the Finding of the Holy Cro&s;s is fini&s;hed, according as we are able.</TRAILER>
<CLOSER>Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Ho|ly Gho&s;t now, and for ever and ever. <HI>Amen.</HI></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="account">
<PB N="46" REF="29">
<HEAD>It is thought fit, as well for the &s;atisfying of the Curious, as for the filling up of blank Paper, to give the following Account of the Conver&s;ion of the <HI>Ethiopians,</HI> as it is found in <HI>Abulpharagius</HI> his Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tory, and tran&s;lated by <HI>D. L. J. utri|u&s;que Dr.</HI></HEAD>
<P>AT this time a certain orthodox Presbyter na|med <HI>Julianus,</HI> and a Mini&s;ter of Pope <HI>Diony&s;ius Alexandrinus,</HI> had &s;o great a zeal of affe|ction
<PB N="47" REF="29">to the <HI>Ethiopick</HI> Nation of <HI>Nubida,</HI> that he endea|voured to convert them to the Faith; they being then <HI>Gentiles,</HI> and very trouble&s;om to the <HI>Roman</HI> Provinces, which when he had &s;ignified unto <HI>Theodora</HI> the Faithful Em|pre&s;s, he affected her with very great joy, and &s;he de|clared the matter to the Emperor, and be&s;ought him that he would be &s;olicitous with her for the &s;ending of <HI>Julianus</HI> thither; but the Em|peror was more de&s;irous to &s;end the Bi&s;hop of <HI>Chalcedon</HI> on that Errand, and de&s;ign|ed
<PB N="48" REF="30">Nuntioes, furni&s;hed with Gifts and Pomp, to the King of the <HI>Nubidians;</HI> which when the Empre&s;s perceived, &s;he &s;ent <HI>Julianus</HI> with &s;peed, and wrote an Epi&s;tle to <HI>Docus Thebiden&s;is</HI> of this tenor;</P>
<LETTER LANG="eng">
<P><HI>I and the King have determi|ned with our &s;elves to &s;end Nun|tioes unto the</HI> Nubidian <HI>Na|tion; and behold, I, for my part, have &s;ent</HI> Julianus, <HI>and the Emperor he is to &s;end others with greater &s;olemnity of Pomp; but have you a care that this my Nuntio may have fir&s;t acce&s;s, and make way for them.</HI></P>
</LETTER>
<PB N="49" REF="30">
<P> And <HI>Docus</HI> having read the Queens Letter, did as &s;he commanded him, and &s;tayed the Kings Emba&s;&s;a|dors until <HI>Julianus</HI> came, who pre&s;ented the Letter of the Queen, and baptized the King &amp; his Nobles, and informed them of the Schi&s;m which the <HI>Chalcedonians</HI> had made, and of the injuries where|with they had affected holy men; how al&s;o they had de|termined a new Creed diffe|rent from the <HI>Nicene:</HI> And the Emperors Emba&s;&s;adors being arrived, with Letters and Pre&s;ents, dehorted the
<PB N="50" REF="31"><HI>Nubidien&s;es,</HI> that they &s;hould not adhere to bani&s;hed and condemned per&s;ons; unto whom the King and his No|bles made an&s;wer, We have received this Honour from the Emperor, and we &s;hall return double Honour unto him: nor will we adhere to Per&s;ecutors, nor calumnious men: but fora&s;much as we have already received holy Bapti&s;m by the Mini&s;try of this excellent man, we will not admit any other: and &s;o the whole Nation of the <HI>Chu&s;hites</HI> was in&s;tructed in the Orthodox Faith, and
<PB N="51" REF="31">&s;ubjected them&s;elves to the See of <HI>Alexandria.</HI> And this <HI>Julianus</HI> remained for the &s;pace of two years, preach|ing from the third hour to the tenth, ve&s;ted in a Lin|nen Surplice; he &s;tood in &s;ubterraneal Caves abound|ing with water, and baptiz|ed there; for that there were not to be found pure waters above them</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
