And, to conclude, we grant, that the people, being newly brought to the knowledge of the Gospel, after they had pulled down the Scutchins of the Idol Serapis,1 & other like Monuments of Idolatry, in the place thereof, straight way set up the Cross of Christ in token of Conquest,2 in their entries, in their Walls, in their Windows, in their Posts, in their Pillars: briefly in their Flags, Banners, Arms, Scutchins, Targets, and Coins.3 Al these things, I say, we yield unto M. Harding without exception. Even so Christian Princes this day use the same Cross in their Arms, & Banners, both in peace, & in war, of divers forms, and sundry colours, as in token,4 they fight under the banner of Christ. Labarum among the old Romans was the Imperial standard of Arms, richly wrought in Gold, & beset with stone, carried only before the General of the field, & therefore reverenced of the soldiers above all other. Sozomenus as a Greek writer, & therefore not able to guess rightly of the Latin tongue,5 seemeth to call it, Laborum. For thus he writeth:[Greek or Hebrew]: The one of the standards, which the Romans call Laborum: 6Onles there be an error in the Greek. Notwithstanding it may be thought, The Emperor Severus had some respect unto the same,7 when he gave this Watchword unto his Soldiers, Laboremus, Let us labour. Likewise S. Gregorie writeth, Christum belli socium habuisti, cuius Labarum insigne gestasti, ipsā dico vivificatricem Crucem: This standard the Christian Emperor Constantinus so blazed with the Cross, as others before him had done with Minotaurus, 8or with Aquila. And, notwithstanding Eusebius say, Constantinus used this Cross, as a preservation of his safety, yet doubtless his affiance was only in Christ, and not in the Material Cross. For Nicep•orus saith, Constantinus caused these words to be graven in the Cross,9 [Greek or Hebrew]. Jesus Christus vincit, Jesus Christ conquereth, and not the Cross. Otherwise S. Ambrose writeth thus, Helena the Empress, by whose means the Cross was found out, Inuenit Titulum: Regem Adoravit, non Lignum utique. Quia hic Gentilis est error, & Vanitas impiorum: 10She found out the Title: but she Worshipped Christ the King, and not the Wood. For that is an heathenish error, and the vanity of the wicked.
And, to conclude, we graunt, that the people, being newly brought to the knowlege of the Gospel, after they had pulled downe the Scutchins of the Idolle Serapis,1 & other like Monumentes of Idolatrie, in the place thereof, streight way set vp the Crosse of Christe in token of Conquest,2 in their entries, in their Walles, in their Windowes, in their Postes, in their Pillers: briefely in their Flagges, Bāners, Armes, Scutchins, Targets, and Coines.3 Al these thinges, I say, we yelde vnto M. Hardinge without exception. Euen so Christian Princes this day vse the same Crosse in their Armes, & Banners, bothe in peace, & in warre, of diuers formes, and sundrie colours, as in token,4 they fight vnder the banner of Christe. Labarum emonge the olde Romaines was the Emperial standarde of Armes, ritchely wrought in Golde, & beset with stoane, carried onely before the General of the fielde, & therefore reuerenced of the souldiers aboue al other. Sozomenus as a Gréeke writer, & therefore not hable to gheasse rightly of the Latine tongue,5 séemeth to cal it, Laborum. For thus he writeth:〈non-Latin alphabet〉: The one of the standerdes, whiche the Romaines cal Laborum: 6Onles there be an errour in the Gréeke. Notwithstandinge it may be thought, The Emperour Seuerus had some respect vnto the same,7 when he gaue this Watchewoorde vnto his Souldiers, Laboremus, Let vs labour. Likewise S. Gregorie writeth, Christum belli socium habuisti, cuius Labarum insigne gestasti, ipsā dico viuificatricem Crucem: This standarde the Christian Emperour Constantinus so blased with ye Crosse, as others before him had donne with Minotaurus, 8or with Aquila. And, notwithstandinge Eusebius saie, Constantinus vsed this Crosse, as a preseruation of his safetie, yet doubtelesse his affiance was onely in Christe, and not in the Material Crosse. For Nicep•orus saithe, Constantinus caused these woordes to be grauen in the Crosse,
- 1Sozomen. lib. 7. ca. 15.
- 2Rufinus lib. 2. cap. 9.
- 3Cassiodor. lib. 1. cap. 9.
- 4Tertullian. in Apologetico.
- 5Sozomenus lib. 9 cap. 4.
- 6Aelius Spartianus.
- 7Gregor. ad German. Patriarch. in Concil. Nicene. 2. Action. 6.Gregor. ad German. Patriarch. in Cōcil. Nicen. 2. Action. 6.
- 8Eusebius in vita Constantini. ratio. 1.Eusebius in vita Constantini. •ratio. 1.
- 9[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
- 10Nicephor. lib. 8. cap. 32.
