qui sub sensus cadunt & oculis cernuntur hostium impetus propulsant tantum, sed etiam invisibilium daemonum insidias, omnesque diaboli fraudes subvertunt ac dissipant.--Neque vero tantum adversus hominum insidias aut adversus fallacias daemonum utilis nobis est haec possessio, sed si nobis communis dominus ob peccatorum multitudinem irascatur, his objectis corporibus continuo poterimus eum propitium reddere civitati_. This Oration was written at _Antioch_, while _Alexandria_ was yet the Metropolis of the _East_, that is, before the year 381, in which _Constantinople_ became the Metropolis: and it was a work of some years for the _Egyptians_ to have distributed the miracle-working reliques of their Martyrs over all the world, as they had done before that year. _Egypt_ abounded most with the reliques of Saints and Martyrs, the _Egyptians_ keeping them embalmed upon beds even in their private houses; and _Alexandria_ was eminent above all other cities for dispersing them, so as on that account to acquire glory with all men, and manifest herself to be the _Metropolis_ of the world. _Antioch_ followed the example of _Egypt_, in dispersing the reliques of the forty Martyrs: and the examples of _Egypt_ and _Syria_ were soon followed by the rest of the world. The reliques of the forty Martyrs at _Antioch_ were distributed among the Churches before the year 373; for _Athanasius_ who died in that year, wrote an Oration upon them. This Oration is not yet published, but _Gerard Vossius_ saw it in MS. in the Library of Cardinal _Ascanius_ in _Italy_, as he says in his commentary upon the Oration of _Ephraem Syrus_ on the same forty Martyrs. Now since the Monks of _Alexandria_ sent the reliques of the Martyrs of _Egypt_ into all parts of the earth, and thereby acquired glory to their city, and declared her in these matters the Metropolis of the whole world, as we have observed out of _Chrysostom_; it may be concluded, that before _Alexandria_ received the forty Martyrs from _Antioch_, she began to send out the reliques of her own Martyrs into all parts, setting the first example to other cities. This practice therefore began in _Egypt_ some years before the death of _Athanasius_. It began when the miracle-working bones of _John_ the Baptist were carried into _Egypt_, and hid in the wall of a Church, _that they might be profitable to future generations_. It was restrained in the reign of _Julian_ the Apostate: and then it spred from _Egypt_ into all the Empire, _Alexandria_ being the Metropolis of the whole world, according to _Chrysostom_, for propagating this sort of devotion, and _Antioch_ and other cities soon following her example.