Indeed it might have been surprising if I had said as he reports me, that they were more numerous; but I saw reason not to say so, though what reason there was to impose it on me I know not: I cited Soc: misprinted Soz. saying, Constantine built two Churches at C. P., but laid no stress on it at all. (k)It is true, he says not that he built no more than two, but his expression plainly implies it, and he was concerned if he had known any more to have mentioned it, when in the same Line, he says Constantine intended to make it equal to Rome. Eusebius's words agree well enough herewith, he says Constantine adorned it, [Greek or Hebrew], with more Churches, and that's true, if he built but two more, or any more than was there formerly, or any more than was usual. And these more Churches were not in the City, but (as the Historian speaks) partly there, and partly [Greek or Hebrew], which as the word is used, may denote places many Miles distant from the City, as the Gentleman elsewhere observes after Valesius. Sozomen says he built [Greek or Hebrew], many Churches, (not very many as he will have it) but if he thereby meant more than are named by Socrates, we need not understand that done before the time Theodoret speaks of; Nor should a lax expression be more relied ⟨p. 8⟩on, than one that is punctual and definite; unless we have a mind either to be misled, or to set the two Historians together by the ears. Sozomen names but one Church more than Socrates did, and that not in, but a good distance from the City, (70 Furlongs by Land,) and 3 may pass for many, when it was a rare thing for any City to have more than one. The best Authors, as they sometimes express very few by none, and a generality by all; so they express more than ordinary by many; and two or three such Churches in one City were more than ordinary at that time, when one City in an Hundred had not two Churches, and one in a Thousand had not three Churches, that could be styled [Greek or Hebrew]: all that Constantine built here were such, both Eusebius his more, and Sozomen's many, are said, by them to be very great, [Greek or Hebrew]. But no considerable Author that I meet with in that Age, or some Hundreds of years after, names more than two very great Churches erected by Constantine in that City.
Indeed it might have been surprizing if I had said as he reports me, that they were more numerous; but I saw reason not to say so, though what reason there was to impose it on me I know not: I cited Soc: misprinted Soz. saying, Constantine built two Churches at C. P., but laid no stress on it at all. (k)It is true, he sayes not that he built no more than two, but his expression plainly implyes it, and he was concerned if he had known any more to have mention'd it, when in the same Line, he sayes Constantine intended to make it equal to Rome. Eusebius's words agree well enough herewith, he sayes Constantine adorn'd it, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, with more Churches, and that's true, if he built but two more, or any more than was there formerly, or any more than was usual. And these more Churches were not in the City, but (as the Historian speaks) partly there, and partly 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, which as the word is used, may denote places many Miles distant from the City, as the Gentleman elsewhere observes after Valesius. Sozomen sayes he built 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, many Churches, (not very many as he will have it) but if he thereby meant more than are named by Socrates, we need not understand that done before the time Theodoret speaks of; Nor should a lax expression be more relyed ⟨p. 8⟩on, than one that is punctual and definite; unless we have a mind either to be misled, or to set the two Historians together by the ears. Sozomen names but one Church more than Socrates did, and that not in, but a good distance from the City, (70 Furlongs by Land,) and 3 may pass for many, when it was a rare thing for any City to have more than one. The best Authors, as they sometimes express very few by none, and a generality by all; so they express more than ordinary by many; and two or three such Churches in one City were more than ordinary at that time, when one City in an Hundred had not two Churches, and one in a Thousand had not three Churches, that could be styled 〈non-Latin alphabet〉: all that Constantine built here were such, both Eusebius his more, and Sozomen's many, are said, by them to be very great, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉. But no considerable Author that I meet with in that Age, or some Hundreds of years after, names more than two very great Churches erected by Constantine in that City.
- (k)Soc. l. 1. c. 12.
