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the Notary, who drew up the Writings, signed them in Mamians days, and was a Man of known honesty, and vertue; he put his Papers into the hands of those who managed the affairs of the Church of Emesus, upon condition he should go snips, and have such a share of the Money as should be agreed off betwixt themselves: But there being a Law in force, expresly contrary to their design, because it reduced all Processes to the Prescription of thirty years, unless in Cases of Mortgage; and several others where the Prescriptions were to extend but to forty years; they concluded to go to Constantinople, and give a round sum to the Emperor, to favor them in their pernicious design of ruining their Fellow Citizens.
Being arrived at his Court, they did as they had resolved, and the Emperor having got his Money, put forth a Decree, by which he required, That affairs which related any way to the Church, should not be restrained to the ordinary Prescription, but that any thing might be recovered, if claimed within a hundred years; and this he commanded should be observed quite thorow the Roman Empire, but more particularly in the City of Emesus; and not long after he sent Longinus thither, a high spirited, and exceeding strong man, whom he made Governor of that City, on purpose to see that new Ordinance put in execution. At first, the Officers of the Church of Emesus, having prosecuted some of their Fellow Citizens upon their pretended obligations, for a sum of Two hundred
