But howsoeuer the case standeth, truth it is, that Lucius reioising much, in that he had brought his people to the perfect light and vnderstanding of the true God, that they needed not to be deceiued anie longer with the craftie temptations and feigned miracles of wicked spirits, he abolished all prophane worshippings of false gods, and conuerted all such temples as had beene dedicated to their seruice, vnto the vse of christian religion: and thus studieng onlie how to aduance the glorie of the immortall God, and the knowledge of his word, without seeking the vaine glorie of worldlie triumph, which is got with slaughter and bloudshed of manie a giltlesse person, he left his kingdome; though not inlarged with broder dominion than he receiued it, yet greatlie augmented and inriched with quiet rest, good ordinances, and (that which is more to be esteemed than all the rest) adorned with Christes religion, and perfectlie instructed with his [Sidenote: Polydor. Fabian. Iohn Hard.] most holie word and doctrine. He reigned (as some write) 21 yeares, though other affirme but twelue yeares. Againe, some testifie that he reigned 77, others 54, and 43.
Moreouer here is to be noted, that if he procured the faith of Christ to be planted within this realme in the time of Eleutherius the Romane bishop, the same chanced in the daies of the emperour Marcus Aurelius Antonius; and about the time that Lucius Aurelius Commodus was ioined and made partaker of the empire with his father, which was seuen yeere after the death of Lucius Aelius, Aurelius Verus, and in the 177 after the birth of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, as by some chronologies is easie to be collected. For Eleutherius began to gouerne the see of Rome in the yeere 169, according to the opinion of the most diligent chronographers of our time, and gouerned fifteene yeeres and thirteene [Sidenote: Gal. Mon. Matth. West.] daies. And yet there are that affirme, how Lucius died at Glocester in the yeere of our Lord 156. Other say that he died in the yere 201, and other 208. So that the truth of this historie is brought into doubt by the discord of writers, concerning the time and other circumstances, although they all agree that in this kings daies the christian faith was first by publike consent openlie receiued and professed in this land, which as some affirme, should chance in the [Sidenote: Polydor.] twelfe yeere of his reigne, and in the yeere of our Lord 177. Other iudge that it came to passe in the eight yeere of his regiment, and in the yeere of our Lord 188, where other (as before is said) [Sidenote: Nauclerus.] alledge that it was in the yeere of the Lord 179. Nauclerus saith, [Sidenote: Hen. Herf.] that this happened about the yeare of our Lord 156. And Henricus de Herfordea supposeth, that it was in the yeere of our Lord 169, and in the ninteenth yeere of the emperor Marcus Antonius Verus; and after other, about the sixt yeere of the emperor Commodus.


