minde of the Apostle where he sayth Although we haue knowen Christ after the fleshe yet novve doe vve knovve him so no more Wherefore for this cause let vs ceasse to reason any longer of Christ but let vs endeuer to attayne vnto his perfection When as schisme and contention was hereof risen as I sayd before in the Church Nestorius going about to confirme the opinion of Anastasius for he woulde in no wise haue him whome he made so much of to be rebuked as one that had vttered blasphemies against Christ discoursed very oft of that matter as he preached in the Churche layde downe very contentiously certayne positions and condemned vtterly the clause that signified the bearing of god And because that diuers men to a diuers ende purpose disputed of this question the church was deuided the members parted asunder for much like blind folded persons men brawling and fighting in the darke they were caried here and there now they affirmed this anone they sayd that and loke what they auoutched a litle before the same they denied immediatly after Many thought that Nestorius was of the opinion that Christ was but onely man and that he went about to reuyue and to rayse vp a fresh the heresie of Paulus Samosatenus and of Photinus there was so much adoe about this matter that the summoning of a generall councell seemed needefull for the deriding of the controuersie the appeasing of the people I of mine owne part by perusing the works of Nestorius doe finde the man ignorant and altogether vnlearned I speake this from the hart and vnfainedly far it is not of hatred I owe him that I fall a ripping of his crymes and infamie neyther haue I determined by flattery and feeding of some mens humors to report lesse of him then I founde true Nestorius in mine opinion followeth neither Paulus Samosatenus neither Photinus neither thinketh he that our Lord Iesus Christ is onely man but onely auoideth this clause the mother or bearing of God as a sraying ghost This befell vnto him for his palpable error and ignorance for though of nature he had a smoth and an eloquent tongue and therefore was thought learned yet to say the trueth he was altogether vnlearned Moreouer he disdained to peruse the works of the auncient fathers he so vaimted him selfe with his rolling congue and eloquent speach that in maner he contemned the olde writers and preferred him selfe before them all Againe he was ignorant of that which was written in the olde coppies of S. Iohns Catholick epistle euery spirite which deuideth Iesus is not of God As many as went about to seuer the diuinitie from the humanitie of Christ sticked not to rase and blot this sentence out of the auncient coppyes Wherefore the olde writers signified no lesse then that certaine men had corrupted that epistle to the ende they might deuide the humanitie of Christ from the diuinitie of God his manhoode is ioyned with the godhead neyther are they two but one in which sense the auÌ„cient writers were not affraid to call Marie the mother of god Euen so wrote Eusebius Pamphilus in his third booke of the life of Constantine God among vs was borne on earth for oursakes the place of his natiuitie is called of the Hebrewes after a proper name Bethleem VVherefore Helen the most holy Empresse hath set forth the trauailing of the mother of God with goodly ornaments bedecked that hollowe rocke with sundry notable monuments Origen hath written no lesse in the first come of his commentaries vpon the epistle of S. Paul vnto the Romaines where he discourseth at large of this matter and alleadgeth the cause why Marie was called the mother of God Therefore Nestorius seemeth neuer to haue read the worâ—s of the auncient fathers and therefore he inueyed only as I said before agaynst this clause the mother of God For he saith not that Christ is onely man as Photinus and Paulus Samosatenus affirmed neither taketh he away y â— subsistencie of the sonne of God but confesseth euery where that he hath his being and that he is in the trinitie neither denieth he his essence as Photinus and Samosatenus did so did also the Manichees and Montanists as it appeareth by the sermous which he published vnto the world But though I finde that Nestorius was of that opinion partly by his bookes which I haue perused and partly by the report of his familier friendes yet his foolish and fonde doctrine disquieted not a litle the whole worlde CAP. XXXIII Of a haynous offence committed by certaine fugitine seruants at the altare of the great Church of the former councell summoned at Ephesus for the hearing of Nestorius opinion WHen these thinges were done in such forte as I sayd before a certaine haynous offence was committed in the open church and face of the whole people for some noble mans seruants by birth Barbarians when they had tasted of their Lord maisters extreame truelty and coulde not paciently away with the rigor thereof ranne for refuge vnto the Church and got them vnto the altare with swordes hanging by their sides being requested to depart they woulde not in any wise but disturbed and hindred deuine seruice Moreouer for the spare of many dayes they held their naked swordes in their hands ready to dispatch whosoeuer came vnto them Wherefore when they had killed one of the Priests and wounded an other in the ende they slewe them selues with the sight hereof one of them that were present sayde that the profanation of the Churche prognosticated some calamitie to ensue and repeated two Iambick verses out of some olde Poete to iustifie his saying Men see full oft such signes before and vvonders eke VVhen haynous crimes the holy Church to stayne doth seeke Neither was he in a wronge boxe that vttered these Iambicks for it prognosticated as it seemed vnto vs diuision to rise among the people and depriuation of him that was ringleader of the whole mischiefe Shortly after the emperour gaue forth his commauÌ„dement that the bishops out of all places should meete at Ephesus where they came together whither also Nestorius tooke his voyage immediatly after Easter holy dayes together with a greate multitude of people where he found the bishops assembled â–ª but Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria came thither in a while after it was about VVhitsontide The fift day after Pentecost Iuueâ—alis Bishop of Ierusalem was come But while Iohn bishop of Antioch lingered by the way the Bishops which were already come thither called the matter into controuersie Cyrillus bishop of Alexandria to the ende he might molest Nestorius for he thought very ill of him vsed certaine preambles of disputation When many confirmed that Christ was God Nestorius pleaded for him self I verily sayth he will not call him god who grew to mans state by two moneths and three moneths and so forth therfore I wash my handes from your blood and from
they bolden the harte stringes and entralls they gouerne the flying of birdes they sorte lotts they fifte out oracles they mingle alvvayes falsehoode and trueth together for they deceaue and are deceaued they trouble the life they disquiet the sleepe and creeping into the bodyes they fraye the secretes of the minde they bring the lymmes out of fashion they distemper the health they vexe vvith diseases that they may compell the poore seely vvretches to the vvorshipping of theÌ„ that being filled vvith the sauore from the altars and burnt bovvels of beastes loosing the thinges vvhich they bounde they may seeme to cure for this is their curing and healing vvhen they cease to hurte Nowe seeinge this harmony of learned fathers affirming the soules not to wander and that they which wander be playne deuills let vs examine what crediâ—t can be giuen to Eusebius and how it may be vnderstoode that Potamiaena appeared not onely to Basilides in sleepe but also to many others for their conuersion Pharaos cuppbearer dreamed he sawe a vine hauing three branches but it was not so according vnto the letter Ioseph telleth him that the three branches are three dayes Pharao dreamed he sawe seuen leane kyne it was not so Ioseph telleth him they are 7. yeares of famyne Mardochaeus dreamed he sawe two dragons ready to wage battaile with the iuste it was no so but Haman and the Kinge wholy bent to destroye the Iewes Polycarpus dreamed he sawe the pillowe set all on fire vnder his heade it was not so but a signe or token of his martyrdome Sophocles hauing robbed the temple of Hercules dreamed that Hercules accused him of theft it was not so but his conscience pricked him that he coulde finde no reste â–ª euen so Basilides with diuers others hauing freshe in memorye the martyrdome of Potamiaena and the villanye they practised agaynst her dreamed of her their conscience pricked them and bearing them wittnes of the facte to their repentance and conuersion so that she appeared not after the letter but her martyrdome was a corize vnto their conscience crowning them with garlands of heauenly glory if happely they woulde repente CAP. V. Of Clemens Alexandrinus Origens maister and of his bookes stromatôn CLemens succeeded Pantaenus and vnto that tyme he was a catechizer in the Churche of Alexandria so that Origen became one of his Disciples This Clemens writing his bookes stromatôn compriseth in the first volume a Cronicle containing the times vnto y â— death of Comodus so that it is euident he finished his bookes vnder Seuerus the history of whose time we doe presently prosecute CAP. VI. Of Iude an ecclesiasticall wryter and his bookes ABoute this time there florished one Iude who published comentaries vpon the 70 weekes of Daniel ending his Chronographie the tennth yeare of Seuerus raigne he thought verely that the coming of Antichrist was then at hande because the greate heate of persecution raysed against vs at that time vexed out of measure the mindes of many men and turned vpside downe the quiete state of the Churche CAP. VII Origen embracing chastitie gelded him selfe the censure of others toutching that facte of his AT that time Origen executing the office of a Catechizer at Alexandria practised a certaine acte which expressed the shewe of an vnperfecte sense and youthly hardines but a notable example of faith and chastitie he vnderstanding simply and childishly the sainge of the Lorde There be some vvhich make themselues Eunuches for the Kindome of heauens sake with all purposing to fulfill the wordes of our Sauiour for that he being yong in yeares preached and made manifest not onely to men but also to women the mysteries of God sought meanes to cutt of all occasion of wantonesse and the sclaunder of the infidels practised vpoÌ„ himselfe to performe the words of our Sauiour carefully minding to conceale from his familiar frends this facte of his but it was vnpossible to cloke and couer so great a matter which thing when Demetrius byshop of that place had vnderstoode he wondred at his bolde enterprise yet allowed of his purpose and the sinceritie of his faithfull minde he bidds him be of good cheere and continewe the office of a Catechizer Though Demetrius was then of that minde yet not long after seeing Origen luckely to prosper to be highely estemed reuerenced renowmed and famous amonge all men he was pricked with some humane passion so that he painted and published abroad vnto all the byshops throughout the worlde the geldinge of Origen as a moste foule and absurde facte yet the best accepted and worthiest byshops throughout Palaestina to wete of Caesarea Ierusalem because they had found him worthie of dignitie and great honor made him minister through the laying on of hands then after that he came to great estimation and was well accepted of all men and gotten no small commendation for his vertue wisedome Demetrius hauing no other thinge to charge him withall accused him of the olde facte done of a child for company wrapped with accusations such as aduaunced him vnto the order of the ministerie which were putt in practise within a while after from that time forth Origen without lett or hinderance fulfilled the worke he had in hand preached at Alexandria day and night the word of God vnto such as frequented vnto him appliyng his whole minde vnto holy Stripture and the profit of his disciples when Seuerus had held the emperiall sceptre the space of eightene yeares his sonne* Antoninus succeeded him And of them which manfully perseuered in the persecution of that time and after confession and sundry torments conflicts by the prouidence of God were deliuered on was Alexander whome a litle before we signified to haue bene byshop of Ierusalem He because he perseuered constante in the confession of the name of Christ was there chosen byshop Narcissus his predecessor being yet a liue CAP. VIII Of Narcissus byshop of Ierusalem his miracle and aproued innocencye THe Citizens of that seae remember many miracles wrought by Narcissus which they receaued ceaued by traditioÌ„ deliuered from one to an other among which such a miracle is reported to haue bene done when on a certaine time the solempne vigills of Easter were celebrated the ministers wanted oyle the whole multitude being therewith much greued Narcissus coÌ„maunded such as had charge of the lightes speedely to bringe vnto him water drawen vp out of the next well that being done he prayed ouer it and bad them poure it into the lamps with ferueÌ„t faith towards God which wheÌ„ they had fulfilled y â— nature of the water beyond all reason expectation by the wonderfull power of God was chauÌ„ged into the qualitie of oyle they report farther that a smale quantitie thereof for miracles sake was reserued of many of the brethreÌ„ a long while after euen vnto this our time many other notable
the eight booke of Eusebius so hath Musculus to and in maner all the tenth booke he hath not once touched Ruffinus vvrote the historie of his time in tvvo bookes and erred fovvly in certen things as Socrates doeth report of him Epiphanius Scholasticus translated the Tripartite historie Ioachimus Camerarius geueth of him this iudgement Tantam deprehendi in translatione non modo barbariem sed etiaÌ„ inscitiam ac somnolentiam istius Epiphanij vt mirarer vlli Graecorum non adeo alienam linguam Latinam sed ignoratam suam esse potuisse I founde in the translation of this Epiphanius not onely such barbarous phrases but also ignoraunce and palpable errour that I can not chuse but maruell hovve any Grecian coulde be vnskilfull not so muche in the straunge Latine tongue as ignorant in his ovvne language VVolâ—gangus Musculus a learned interpretour hath translated the histories of Eusebius yet Edvvardus Godsalfus geueth of him this Censure Hic autem satis correctis exemplaribus vt credibile est destitutus innumeris locis turpissime labitur Est porro adeo obscurus vt interpres egeat interprete adeo salebrosus vt lector identidem inhaereat adeo lacunosus vt autores ipsi Graeci historiae suae sententias non fuisse expletas grauiter conquerantur This Musculus as it is very like vvanting perfect coppies erred fovvly in infinite places Moreouer he is so obscure that the Translator hath neede of an interpretour so intricate that the Reader is novve and than graueled so briefe that the Greeke autors them selues doe grieuouslie complaine that the sentences in their Histories vvere not fullie expressed Though the reporter be partiall being of a contrarie religion yet herein I finde his iudgement to be true and specially in his translation of the tenth booke of Eusebius yet not I only but others haue founde it Iacobus Grynaeus a learned man corrected many faultes explicated many places printed in the marge many notes yet after al this his labour vvhich deserueth great commendation there are founde infinite escapes and for triall thereof Ireport me vnto the Reader Christophorson as for his religion I referre it to God and to him selfe vvho by this time knovveth vvhether he did vvell or no vvas a great Clarke and a learned interpretour he hathe Translated passing vvell yet sometimes doeth he addicte him self very much to the Latine phrase and is caried avvay vvith the sound and vveight therof If anye of the former vvryters had done vvell vvhat needed the later interpretours to take so much paines I vvoulde haue all the premisses and vvhatsoeuer hath bene spoken of these Latine Translatours by me althoughe one of them chargeth an other to be taken not that I accuse them of mine ovvne heade but by beholding their doings to excuse the faultes that myghte escape in this Englishe Translation I founde the Greeke coppie of Eusebius in manie places vvonderfull crabbed his Historie is full of allegations sayings and sentences and Epistles and the selfe same autoritie oftentimes alleaged to the confirmation of sundrie matters that the vvords are short the sense obscure hard to be traÌ„slated Yet the learning of the man the autoritie of his person the Antiquitie of his time vvill cause vvhatsoeuer may be thought amisse to be vvell takeÌ„ Socrates vvho follovved Eusebius about a hundred and fortie yeares after and continevved the Historie vvrote an eloquent and an artificiall stile he vseth to alleage vvholl Epistles perfecte sentences and hath deliuered the historic very plaine His vvords are svveete his vaine pleasaunt his inuention very vvittie though the historie be large his bookes long and the labour great in vvryting of them yet vvas I very much recreated vvith the svvetenesse of the vvorke Euagrius vvho beganne vvhere Socrates left and continevved his penne vnto the ende of the first six hundred yeares after Christ is full of Dialects and therefore in Greeke not so pleasaunt as Socrates He hath many superstitious stories vvhich might very vvell haue bene spared But in perusing of him I vvould haue the reader to note the great chaunge that vvas in his time more then in the dayes of the former vvryters and therafter to consider of the times follovving the difference that is in these our dayes betvvene the Church and the Apostolicke times the encrease augmentation daily adding of ceremonies to ceremonies seruice vpon seruice vvith other Ecclesiasticall rites and decrees is not the encrease of pietie and the perfection of godlines for our Sauiour telleth vs in the Gospel that tovvards the later dayes loue shall vvaxe colde and iniquitie shall abound but the malice and spite of the Deuell vvho vvith the chaunge of time altereth as much as he may the state of the Ecclesiasticall affaires and thrusteth daily into the church one mischiefe vpon an other Moreouer Euagrius being a teÌ„porall man stuffeth his Historie vvith prophane stories of vvarres and vvarlike engines of battailes and loudshed of Barbarians and Heathen nations In describing the situation of any soyle the erection of buildings and vertues of some proper person he doth excell Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus Martyr vvhom I haue annexed vnto these former Historiographers being vvell seene in the Hebrevv tonge and a great Antiquarie vvrote briefly the liues of the Prophets Apostles and seuentie disciples of our Sauiour The faultes that are therein I attribute them rather vnto the corrupt coppies then to any vvant of knovvledge in him Such things as are to be noted in him I haue laid them in the preface before his booke After all these Translations gentle Reader not vvithstanding my great trauell studie I haue gathered a briefe Chronographie begining vvith Eusebius and ending vvith Euagrius vvhere thou maist see the yeares of the Incarnation the raigne of the Emperours the famous men and Martyrs the kings of Iudaea and highe priestes of the Ievves in Ierusalem from the birth of Christ vnto the ouerthrovve of the Citie the Councels the Bishops of Ierusalem Antioch Rome Alexandria and all the heresies vvithin the first six hundred yeares after Christ deuided into Columnes vvhere the yere of the Lord staÌ„ds right ouer against euery one The profite that riseth by reading of these histories I am not able in fevv vvords to declare â–ª besides the vvorks of the autors theÌ„ selues they haue brought forth vnto vs Sentences Epistles Orations Chapiters and bookes of auncient vvryters such as vvrote immediatly after the Apostles and are not at this day extant saue in them Namely of Papias Bishop of Hierapolis Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus Dionysius Bishop of Corinth Apollinarius Bishop of Hierapolis Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria Melito Bishop of Sardis Serapion Bishop of Antioch Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea Aâ—atolius Bishop of Laodicea Phileas Bishop of Thumis Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Theognis Bishop of Nice Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Gregorie Bishop of Nazianzum Cyrill Bishop
the East enquiring where the King of the levves should be borne that they had seene his starre and therefore had taken so great a iorneye in hande to the ende they might worshippe God which was borne was not a litle moued supposing his principality to be in perill and his rule to goe to wracke and ruine â–ª for he inquiring of the Doctors of the Lawe among the levves where they looked that Christ should be borne had no sooner perceaued the prophecy of Micheas foretelling the byrth of Christ to be in Bethleem but with one edicte he commaundes the sucking babes in Bethleem and in all the borders thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder according vnto the tyme that he had exactly enquired and knowen of the wise men to be slayne supposing certaynly thereby as it was very likely to destroy Iesus in the same perill with his equals of the same age â–ª but the babe Iesu preuented this deceatefull pretence of his being conueyed into Aegypt his parents also being forewarned by the appearing of an Angell of that which should come to passeâ— his the holy Gospell doth declare Moreouer I thinke it not amisse to let the worlde vnderstande howe that the deâ—ine vltion without any delaye at all apprehended the bolde enterprises of Herode agaynst Christ and his equalls while breath was yet in his body shewing as it were by certayne preambles what was like to be fall him after his death And how he stayned his princely affayres which in his owne censure seemed prosperous by his interchangeable domesticall calamities that is by the truell slaughter of his wife of his children of his nearest kinsfolkes of his most familiar friendes so that it is impossible presently to repeate the whole The matter it selfe so shamefull that it ouershadowed euery tragicall action The which Iosephus hath prosecuted at large in his historyes howe that for his conspiracy and crafty counsaile which he entended agaynst Christ and the other infantes an heuye scourge from aboue apprehended him bexing him to the death it will seeme pertinent to the purpose presently to heare the wordes of the historiographer him selfe describing in the 17. booke of the Antiquities of the Ievves the lamentable ende of his life in these wordes Herods desease vexed him more more God executing iustice on him for the thinges vvhich he had impiously committed It vvas a slovve or slacke fire yet yelding not so great inflamation outvvardly to the beholders as vexation invvardly to the internal partes he had a vehement desire greedely set to take some thing yet vvas there nothing that sufficed him moreouer invvarde rotting of the bovvels and specially a greuous fluxe in the fundament a ravve and a running â—leume about his feete and the like malady vexed him about his bladder his priuey meÌ„bres puâ—rified engendring vvormes vvhich svvarmed out a shrill stretched vvinde he had great payne in breathing and a grosse breathe hauing throughout al the partes of his body such a crampe as strength vvas not able to sustaine it vvas reported by them vvhich vvere inspired from aboue and to vvhome the gyft of Diuination vvas graunted that God enioined the Prince this punishment for his great impiety These thinges the aforesayd Iosephus in his commentaryes hath made manifest vnto vs and in the second parte of his historyes the like he noteth vnto vs writing thus From that time forth sickenesse inuaded his vvhole body and brought him subiect to diuerse passions it vvas a hott burning feuer an intollerable itche ouerrunning the outvvard partes of his body a continual payne in the fundament hydropical svvellings in the feete an inflamation of the bladder putrefaction of the priuities vvhich ingendred svvarmes ofâ—ice besides this often and difficult dravving of breath vvith the crampe contracting the synevves throughout all the membres of his body so that the vvise men reported these deseases to be nothing else but sure and certayne plagues or punishments he although strugling vvith so many sores yet for all that vvholy set to saue his life hoped for health imagined after remedies Passing ouer Iordane he vsed for helpe the hoâ—â— bathes nye Calliroe vvhich runne vnto the 〈…〉 Asphaltitis vvhich also by reason of their svveetenesse are drinkeable The Phisitians there thought good that his vvhole body should be supled vvith v vhot oyle he being dimissed into a vessell full of vvhot oyle his eyes so dasled dissolued them selues that he came out as dead VVhen the seruantes by reason of these circumstances vvere sore troubled he remembred his plague and despaired thencefoorth of any recouerie at all commaunding vvithall fiftie peeces of siluer to be deuided among his souldiers but his chiefe captaines and most familiare friendes to receaue great sommes of money And taking his iourney thence he came to Hiericho al madde by reason of melancholy that abounded in him for he grevve to that passe that he threatned to him selfe death and vvent about to practise an horrible offence For gathering together the famous men in euery village throughout all levvrie he coÌ„maunded them to be shut vp into one place called Hippodromus calling vnto him vvithall his siâ— â—…lome and her husbande Alexander I knovve saith he the Ievves vvill merily celebrate as holy day the day of my death yet may I be lamented of others and so haue a glorious Epitaphe and funerall if that you vvill execute mine aduise Those men therefore vvhich are kept in close prison souldiers being circumspectly set on euery side see that you immediatly slaye as soone as breath departeth out of my body so that therby al Ievvric euery house vvill they nill they may revve and lament my death And agayne a litle after he sayth VVhen as through vvant of nourishment and griping coughe ioyned vvithall his sickenesse sore increased and novve being quite ouercome he coniectured that his fatal course vvas then to be finished For taking an apple in his hande he called for a knife for he vvas accustomed to pare and so to eate then beholding on euery side vvhether any vvas redy to hinder his enterprise lifted vp his right hande to do him selfe violence Besides these the same Historiographer writeth that a thirde sonne of his besides the couple before staine afore the ende of his life by his commaundement was put to death so that Herode left not this life without extreme paine Such was the tragicall ende of Herode suffering iust punishment for the babes destroyed in Bethleem practised purposely for our Sauiours sake After whose death an angel came to Ioseph in sleepe as he remayned in Aegypt and commaunded that he shoulde returne together with the chylde and his mother into Ievvrie in asmuch as they were dead whiche sought the childes lyfe â–ª vnto these the Euangelist addeth saying VVhen that he hearde that Archelaus raigned in Iudaea in his fathers steede he feared to go thither and being admonished in his sleepe from aboue he departed into
we learne to haue bene the first author of all heresies and they that of him holde this heresie vnto this day fayning through puritie of lyfe the chast philosophie of Christians renouned among all men put in vre agayne the pestilent superstition of pictures from the whiche they seemed once to be free falling prostrate before the pictures and carued Images of Simon his Iil Helena mentioned of before worshipping them with incense and sacrifices and sweete odours They haue as yet certayne more detestable secrecies and him which at the first heareth the same they report to become astonyed and that there is a written oracle amonge them whiche bringeth astonishment True it is these men are full of astonishment ecstasy and meere madnes so that not onely they may not be committed to writing neyther also with modesty be vttered of chaste lippes in so much they ouerflowe in filthines and obscenitie And what so euer may be imagined more fowle then any filthynes it selfe the same hath their damnable heresye surpassed who delude miserable women pressed already with all kinde of impietye CAP. XIIII How Simon Magus after his diuelish dealing in Iudaea gott him to Rome where he was mett of Peter the Apostle THe malicious power of Sathan enemy to al honestye foe to all humane health brought forth at that tyme this monster Simon a father and worker of all such mischieues as a great aduersary vnto the mighty and diuine Apostles But the diuine and supercelestiall grace succored her ministers that by their apparition and presence the kindled flame of wickednes was quenched all pride by them abated humbled which did sett it selfe agaynst the knowledge of God Wherefore neyther the striuing of Simon neyther of any other that then started vp was able to withstand those Apostolike tymes for the brightnes of trueth the diuine word lately shining from aboue preuayling on earth working in his Apostles victoriously ouercame and mightely ouer grewe all thinges But the afore sayd Sorcerer hauing the eyes of his minde lightened with a diuine and some sodayne shining from aboue after that first of all he was manifestly knowne to haue maliciously deale agaynst Peter the Apostle in Iudaea fled alonge iorneye by sea from the East vnto the West thinking to gett by that flight to liue afterwards at hartes ease And comming into the city of Rome he was so ayded by his power whiche preuayleth in this worlde that in short tyme he brought his purpose to suche a passe that his picture was there placed with others and he honoured as a God But this his impietye did not longe prosper for incontinently vnder the raygne of Claudius the wonderfull prouidence of the God of all thinges and carefull ouer mankinde guyded vnto Rome Peter that great and constant Apostle chiefe of all the rest for vertuous fauour agaynst this so greate a corruptor of Christian life who like a valyant Capitayne sensed with the diuine armour of God transported from East vnto West the precious marchandise of spirituall brightnes the wholsome doctrine and light of soules that is the preaching of the glad tydinges of the celestiall kingdome CAP. XV. The foyle of Simon and mention of the Gospell written by S. Marke WHen the heauenly worde came thither Immediatly the power of Simon together with him self came to nought and the flame was quenched But of the contrary such a light of piety shined in the mindes of such as heard Peter that they were not suffized with once hearing neither satisfied with the vnwritten doctrine that was deliuered but earnestly besought Saynct Marke whose Gospell is now in vre that he woulde leaue in writing vnto them the doctrine which they had receaued by preaching neither ceased they vntill they had perswaded him and so geuen an occasion of the Gospell to be written â–ª which is nowe after Marke It is reported that the Apostle vnderstanding of this by inspiration of the holy spirite was pleased with the motion of those men and commaunded this Gospell nowe written to be reade in the Churches Clemens in the sixt of his Hypotiposcon reporteth this story With him agreeth Papias Byshop of Hierapolis in Asia who sayth that of this Marke mention is made by Peter in his former Epistle which he compiled being at Rome and of him the citye of Rome figuratiuely to be called Babilon the whiche is signified when he sayth the Church partaker of your election vvhich is at Babylon saluteth you and Marke my sonne CAP. XVI How that Marke first of all others preached vnto the Aegyptians the knowleadge of Christ MArke is sayde first of all to haue bene sent vnto Aegypt and there to haue both preached the Gospell which he wrote and first to haue setled the Churches of Alexandria and so a greate multitude of beleeuers both men and women At the first meeting was gathered together by a certayne philosophicall and diligent exercise that Philo thought good to commit in writing vnto vs their exercise their conuenticles their dyet and all the other trade of their life â–ª It is reported that this Philo came to Rome vnder Claudius and had conference with Peter who then preached vnto the Romaynes neyther is it vnlike That Commentary whiche we knowe to haue bene compiled by him in his latter dayes contayneth manifestly the Canons hitherto conserued in the Church And in so much that curiously he hath described vnto vs the lyues of our religious men it is very like that he did not onely see those Apostolike men of his tyme by originall Ebrevves and therefore obserued the auncient rites and ceremonyes of the Ievves but also allowed of them as godly and honest CAP. XVII Eusebius reporteth out of Philo the lyues the maners the studyes the habitation the assemblies the iudgement of the interpretation of the Scriptures of the religious mâ—n in Aegypt and there about flourishing in his tyme. FIrst of all this playnely appeareth that he passed not the limites of veritye by reason of him selfe or of any other in reporting those thinges whiche he wrote in that booke by him entituled of the life contemplatiue or vvorshippers saying that the men and women were called worshippers eyther because like cunning Phisitians they cured and healed such as came vnto them of their malitious passions or els because that religiously they worshipped the celestiall godhead with pure and sincere worship But whether he gaue them this name of his proper person for the aforesayde cause or whether at the beginninge they were so called when as yet the name of Christians was not euery where published I thinke it not needefull curiously to shift out Yet first of all this he witnesseth that they renounced their substaunce and their proper goodes they vvhich deuined of philosophye gaue place they seuered them selues from all the secular cares of this life they forsaking the cities solitarily liued in fieldes gardens or Orchyardes they
practised agaynst Christ go to then hauing our recourse againe vnto the first booke of the historyes of Iosephus let vs peruse their tragicall affayres CAP. VI. Of the greate famine that fell among the Iewes and their miserable estate FOr the riche men to abide in the citye sayth Iosephus vvas nothinge but deathe and vnder pretence of their trayterous flyght vnto the enemy they vvere slayne for their substance The vvoodnes of these seditious men encreased together vvith the famine both mischiefes dayly as a double fire vvaxed hott foode there vvas no vvhere any founde manifest they rushed into the houses and made searche if they found any they beate them vvhich denied it if they founde none they tormented them as thoughe they had vvith diligence hidde it from them the carkases of the poore vvretches declared vvhether they had foode or no. they vvhich vvere of strong bodyes seemed to haue aboundance of meate but such as pined avvay vvere ouerskipped for it vvas iudged an absurde thing to slay them vvhich vvere ready to dye for vvant of vitayles Many exchaunged priuely their vvealthe the richer sorte for a measure of vvheate the poorer sorte for a measure of barley then hiding them selues in the inner and secrete corners of their houses some for meere pouertye chevved the vnready graynes of ravve vvheate some other sodde it as necessitye and feare constrayned them there vvas no vvhere any table couered the meate as yet ravve vvas snatched from the coales the meate vvas miserable the sight vvas lamentable the mightier sorte abounded the vveaker sorte lamented famyne exceedeth any dolefull passion for nothinge fayleth here so much as shamefastnes the thing othervvise reuerenced is here quit contemned vviues from their husbandes children from their parents that vvhich vvas most miserable the mothers snatched the meate from their infants mouthes and vvhen their dearest friendes pined avvay in their armes they pitied them not so muche as to permitte them one droppe of drinke to saue their lyues neyther yet escaped they thus miserably feeding for on euery side they vvere besett vvith seditious persons greedily bent vppon their spoyle vvhere they espied any dore shutt they coniectured straight that there vvas meate in preparinge and forthvvith rushinge in vvith the breakinge open of the dores they violently did vvringe out from them yea and not onely the lumpes of breade out of their iavves the olde men vvere buffeted if that egerly they endeuored to retayne their vitayles the vvomen vvere lugged by the heare of the heade if they hidde ought of that they had in their handes no compassion vvas had on the hore headed or the tender sucklinges the infantes together vvith their nourishment vvhere at they honge and helde faste vvere lyfted vp and throvvne to be crushed agaynst the pauement tovvardes them vvhiche preuented their assaulte and lauished vvhiche vvas preiudiciall to their raueninge they vsed more crueltye as if they had bene iniured by them they inuented cruell kindes of torment for the searchinge out of vitayles they stopped vnto miserable men the passage of their priuye members vvith the graynes of the herbe Orobus and pricked their fundamentes vvith sharpe tvvigges so that horrible thinges to be hearde of vvere excercysed and suffered for the extorting to confession of one lofe of breade and knovvledge of one handfull of meale but the tormentors them selues tasted not of hunger That is euer deamed of lesse crueltye vvhich commeth to passe of necessitye but they thus practising their rage prouided costage or viaticall preparation agaynst the dayes folovving and meeting them vvhich in the night season crept out as farre as the Romayne vvatche to gather pott herbes and greene grasse novv being escaped the enemy they spoyled and vvhen as they had often made supplication and called the dreadfull name of God to helpe that at least vvise they might haue some portion of that vvhich they had gotten vvith daunger nothinge vvas graunted so that at length it seemed gratefull vnto them that vvere spoyled that they perished not vvith their vitayles Vnto these thinges Iosephus addeth saying All hope of safety vvas denied the Ievves together vvith their passage excluded and the famyne encreasing throughout their houses and families deuoured the people the houses vvere full of carkases of vvomen and children and the crosse vvayes replenished vvith the carkases of olde men children and yonge men that vvandred vvere brought to the market place after the likenes of pictures and euery one fell dovvne vvhere the fitt tooke him Euery one being brought lovv vvas not able to bury his kinsfolkes therefore vvaxed faint by reason of the multitude of dead men because that euery one doubted of his ovvne life many fell dovvne dead vpon the carkases that they buried many seeing no vvay but one vvent and layd them dovvne vpon the beeres to vvelcome death neither vvas their lamentation or vveping in these calamities for famine suppressed euery ones passion they vvhiche vvere very loth to dye behelde vvith drye cheekes the death of those vvhich hastened out of this life vnto rest The citye vvas in deepe silence the nyght nothinge but deathe and theeues more intolerable then all these myseryes They digged vp houses and tumbes they spoyled the deade they tooke of the vvinding sheetes or coueringes of the deade carkases in a mockage they tryed the sharpnes of their svvordes vpon the deade bodyes they launced certaine of them vvhiche laye along and yet aliue for the triall of their speares such as prayed them to exercyse their myght and crueltye vpon them being vveary of their liues they contemptuously reserued for famine Euery one yelding vp the ghost behelde the temple vvith immoueable and stedy countenance sorovving that he left there behinde seditious persons alyue they vvhiche first by commaundement receiued revvarde out of the publike treasury to burye the deade by reason of the intollerable stinche and greatnes of the multitude threvve them into a great trenche or pitt VVhen Tytus passing by savve the trenche filled and the noysome putrefaction stilling â–ª and issuing out of the dead carkases and running dovvne the sinkes he sighed and streatched forth his handes and called God to vvitnes that he vvas not the cause of this calamitye Agayne after a fewe lynes he addeth saying I can not refrayne my selfe but that I breake out and signifie my griefe If the Romaynes vvere slacke in ouercomming vvicked persons I thinke veryly that the cytye vvoulde eyther sincke at the gapinge of the earthe or be drovvned vvith a deluge or after the manner of Sodome be ouerthrovvne vvith fyre It brought forthe abroode farre more pernicious then they are that suffer this and for their impietye all this people vvallovveth in destruction And in the seuenth booke he writeth thus of them which perished by famine the multitude vvas infinite the afflictions vvhich did fall on them can not be vttered In euery house vvhere there appeared but a shadovve or shevve of meate there vvas
to be short a theefe for he keepeth this mountayne ouer against the church together vvith his associates the Apostle then renting his garment and beating his heade vvith greate sorrovv sayde I haue left a vvise keeper of our brothers soule prepare me a horse and let me haue a guyde he hastened out of the churche rode in post being come vnto the place appoynted he is straight vvayes taken of the theeuishe vvatch he neither flyeth neither resisteth but exclamâ—th for this purpose came I hither bringe me vnto your captaine vvho in the meane space as he vvas armed behelde him comminge but eftsones vvhen he savve his pace and knevve that it vvas Iohn he vvas stroken vvith shame and fledd avvay the olde man forgetfull of his yeares vvith might pursueth him flying and cryeth My sonne vvhy flyest thou from me thy father vnarmed and olde O sonne tender my case be not afrayde as yet there remayneth hope of saluation I vvill vndertake for thee vvith Christe I vvill dye for thee if neede be as Christ did for vs. I vvill hazard my soule for thine trust to me Christ sent me â–ª but he hearing this first stoode still turning his countenance to the ground next shoke of his armour anone trembled for feare and vvept bitterly He embraced the olde man comming vnto him aunsvvering as vvell as he coulde for vveeping so that agayne he seemed to be baptized vvith teares the shaking of the hande onely omitted The Apostle vvhen he had promised and protested to procure for him pardon of our Sauiour and prayed and fallen vpon his knees and also kissed his right hande novve clensed through repentance brought him vnto the Churche agayne VVhen that also he had povvred forth often tymes prayers for him and stroâ—gled vvith him in continuall fastinges and mollified his minde vvith diuers and sundry sermons and confirmed him departed not as the reporte goeth before he had fully restored him vnto the Churche â–ª and exhibited a greate example of true repentance a greate tryall of nevve birth and a singular token of the visible resurrection this haue I taken out of Clemens partly for the history and partly also for the profitâ— of the Reader CAP. XXI Of the order of the Gospells NOw we will forwardes and entreate of the vndoubted wrytinges of this Apostle And firste let there be no staggering at his Gospell which is well knowne of all the Churches vnder heauen Why it was of olde placed the fourthe after the other three it shall thus appeare The diuine holy men namely the Apostles of Christ leading a passing pure life hauing their mindes be decked with euery kinde of vertue vsed rude and simple speache yet of a diuine and forcible power which they had receaued of Christ neither knewe they nether endeuored they to publish the doctrine of their â—â—ister with curious paynting of wordes but vsing the demonstration of the holy spirite which wrought with them and the onely power of Christ which brought miracles to perfection they shewed the knowledge of the kingdome of heauen to the whole worlde being nothing carefull at all for the writinge of bookes And this they brought to passe being occupied with a greater worke and in maner exceeding the strength of man Paul the mightiest of all the rest in the setling of wordes and best armed with the power of perfect senses wrote but very short epistles whereas he might haue layd downe infinite thinges yea and secretes being rapt vnto the thirde heauen and behoulding celestiall things yea brought into paradyse it selfe and there thought worthy to heare secrete mysteries neyther were the rest of the Disciples of our Sauiour namely the tvvelue Apostles and the seuenty with other innumerable ignorant and vnskilful herein And yet of al these the Disciples of our Sauiour Matthew Iohn wrote gospels Who as report goeth were constrained therunto for Matthew when he had first preached vnto the Hebrevves now passing vnto other people wrote his Gospell in his contrey language supplying by writing in his absence y â— which was desired in his presence When Mark and Luke had published their gospels â–ª Iohn say they in all y â— space preached without writing but at length was moued to write for this cause It is reported that when the bookes of the three Euangelistes were through out the worlde and come into his handes he allowed them and yelded of them a true testimonye wishing that the declaration of such thinges had bene printed in their bookes which were done at the first preaching of Christ the Reader may perceaue these three Euangelistes to haue onely sett forth the doinges of our Sauiour one yeare after the imprysonment and captiuitye of Iohn the Baptist which may be gathered by the beginning of their histories for after the xl dayes fasting and the annexed temptation Matthewe sheweth the time of the beginning of his historye saying VVhen he had hearde that Iohn vvas taken he returned from Iudaea into Galilee And Marke likewise after that sayth â—e Iohn vvas taken Iesus came into Galilee And Luke also before he had mentioned the doings of Iesu obseruing the same manner Herode saythe he proceeding in his haynous offences shutt vp Iohn in prison Iohn the Apostle beinge for these causes entreated wrote the tyme passed ouer of the former Euangelistes with sylence and therein the Actes of our Sauiour namely which went before the imprisonment of Iohn which he partly signified writing thus this vvas the first of the miracles vvhich Iesus did partly with all mentioning the doinges of Iohn the Baptist who as then baptized in â—non by Salem which is euident when he sayth for as yet Iohn vvas not cast into prison Iohn then in his Gospell deliuereth such thinges as were done of Christ before the coâ—â—iâ—â—ing of Iohn the other three beginne with the mention of Iohns imprysonment vnto him that recoâ—â—yleth the Euangelistes thus they shall not seeme discrepant in so much that the Gospell of Iohn contayneth the former doinges of Christe the other the latter lastinge vnto the ende therefore not without cause Iohn passeth ouer with silence the genealogye of our Sauiour accordinge vnto the fleshe being afore amply layde downe by Matthewe and Luke and beginneth with his diuinitie reserued of the holy Ghost for him as the mightier thus much shall suffice concerning the Gospell written by Sainct Iohn The cause why Marke wrote his Gospell we haue declared before Luke in the beginninge of his historye sheweth the occasion of his writing signifying that diuers nowe already had imployed their diligent care to the setting forthe of such thinges as he was fully perswaded of deliuering vs very necessarily from their doubtful opinion why left that he by his Gospell declareth vnto vs the sure and certaine narration of such thinges whereof he had receaued the truthe sufficiently partely by the company and conuersation of Paul partely also throughe the familiaritie
he graciously commaunded so sentence should be giuen yet vve require not this as commaunded by Adrian but in as much as you knovve that at the request of the people iustice is to be craued vve haue annexed the coppy of Adrianus his epistle to the ende you may vnderstand vve tell nothinge but that vvhich is true for thus he vvrote CAP. IX The epistle of Adrian the Emperour that no Christian be accused neither suffer without iust cause VNto Minutius Fundanus Proconsul of Asia Adrian fendeth greeting I receaued an Epistle from Serenius Granianus that right vvorthy man and â—hy predecessor the occasion vvherof I can not vvith silence leaue vntoutched lest that thereby men be troubled a gappe left open to the malice of Sycophants VVherfore if your prouincialls can proue ought against the Christians vvhereof they charge them and iustifie it before the barre let them proceede on not appeach them only for the name nether crauâ— vvith outcries against theÌ„ â–ª for it is very expedient that if any be disposed to accuse the accusation be throughly knovvne of you and sifted Therefore if any accuse the Christians that they transgressed the â—â—vves see that you iudge and punish according to the qualitie of the offence but in playne vvordes if any vpon spyte or malice comense or cauill against them see you chastice him for his malice and punish him vvith reuengement This was the epistle of Adrian CAP. X. VVhat Bishops there were of Rome and Alexandria in the tyme of Autoninus AFter that Adrian ruling in the regall scepter the space of one and twenty yeares had runne the race of his naturall life Antoninus called Pius succeeded him in the empyre In the first yeare of whose raygne Telesphorus hauing gouerned the Ecclesiasticall seae eleuen yeares deparâ—ed this life whome â–ª Hyginus succeeded Irenaeus writeth that this Telesphorus was crowned at his death with martyrdome and signifieth withall that in the tyme of the sayde Hyginus â–ª Valentinus the inuentor of his owne heresy and Cerdon author of that error which Marcion afterwardes sucked were manifestly knowne at Rome For thus he writeth CAP. XI The report of Irenaeus toutching the graund heretickes of that tyme with the succession of the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria VAlentinus came to Rome in the tyme of Hyginus â—e flourished vnder Pius and continued vnto Anicetus Cerdon likevvise vvhome Marcion succeeded came vnder Hyginus the nynth Bishop from the Apostles vvho hauing protested his fayth one vvhile perseuered an other vvhile taught priuely aftervvardes confessed his error Agayne being reprehended for the doctrine vvhich he had corruptly taught refrayned the company of the brethren This he wrote in his third booke against the heresies â–ª Cerdon also sucking error of such as vvere Simons adhaerents abiding at Rome vnder Hyginus the nynth by succession from the Apostles taught that God preached of the lavv and Prophets vvas not the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ He said moreouer that Christ vvas knovvne the father of Christ vnknovven Christ vvas iust the father good After him succeeded one Marcion of Pontus a shamles blasphemer vvhich encreased this doctrine Irenaeus dilating that infinite profundity of matter inuented by Valentinus subiect to many errors discloseth openly the malice of the Hereticke being cloked and concealed as it were a serpent hid in his denne After this he remembreth one Marke by name most expert in inagical artes to haue bene in that time for he reuealing their prophane ceremonies and detestable mysteries writeth thus Some prepare their vvedding chamber and accomplish the seruice to be sayd ouer them that are to be consecrated vvith charmed vvordes and hauing thus done they call it a spiritual mariage â–ª conformable to the celestial copulation Some bring them to the vvater in baptizing say thus In the name of the vnknovven father of all thinges in the truth mother of all thinges and in him vvhich descended vpon Iesus Some other pronounce hebrevv vvords to the end the yong conuerts might thervvith be the more amazed But omitting these things after that the fourth yeare of Hyginus was expired Pius tooke the publicke ministery of y â— church of Rome At Alexandria Marke is chosen their shepherde when Eumenes had continued there Bishop thirteene yeares After Marke had bene Bishop ten yeares Celadion succeeded him in y e church of Alexandria And at Rome after y e death of Pius which departed the fiftenth yeare Anicetus was placed minister vnder whom Egesippus sayth of him self y â— he came to Rome where he remained vnto the time of Eleutherius But specially Iustinus at that time disposing the heaueÌ„ly doctrine in a Philosophers atyre contending by his commentaryes for the faith which he embraced Wrote a booke against Marcion who at y â— present time liued was wel knowne for these are his words Marcion of Pontus at this present teacheth such as harken vnto him to beleue in a certaine God greater then the maker of all things vvho among all sortes of men ayded by the subtiltie of Satan hath seduced many to blaspheme and to deny the maker of all thinges to be the father of Christ and to confesse some other that should be greater then he â–ª as many as come of him are called Christians euen as it fareth vvith Philosophers though they be not addicted to the same precepts in philosophie yet the name of a Philosopher is common to all To these he addeth VVe haue vvritten a booke against the heresies novv raigning if you please you may reade it The same Iustinus hath valiantly encountred with the Gentiles dedicated Apologies in the defence of our fayth vnto Antoninus by syrname Pius and to the Senate of Rome for he dwelled at Rome and declareth who and whence he was in his Apologie writing thus CAP XII The beginning of Iustinus Martyrs Apologie for the Christian faith VNto the Emperour Titus Aelius Adrianus vnto Antoninus Pius most noble Caesar and vnto Verissimus his adopted sonne and true Philosopher vnto Lucius sonne of the Philosopher Caesar and adopted of Pius fauourer of learninge and vnto the sacred Senate vvith all the people of Rome in their behalfe vvhich among all sortes of men are vniustly hated and reprochfully dealt vvithall Iustinus the sonne of Priscus Bacchius borne in Flauia a nevve city of Syria in Palaestina one of them and one for them all doe make this request c. The same Emperour receauing a supplication of others in the behalfe of the brethren in Asia which were greeued with all kinde of contumelyes practised vppon them by their prouincialls graciously sent vnto the commonaltye of Asia this constitution CAP. XIII The epistle of Antoninus Pius vnto the commons of Asia in the behalfe of the Christians not to be persecuted THe Emperour Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus Armenicus Pontifex maximus fiftene times tribune thryse Consul vnto the communalty of Asia sendeth greeting I am
knockt in the head vvith a clubbe by Crescens no philosopher in deed but a stately iangler It is not requisite that vve call him a philosopher vvhich of ignorance reporteth that the Christians are impious and irreligious to the ende he may please and flatter such as are ouershadovved vvith the miste of error and darkenesse For either he impugneth the doctrine of the Christians vvhich he hath neither readd nor knovven then is he full of malice farre vvorse then Idiotes that alvvayes bevvare they reason not of vnknovven matters least they beare false vvitnesse or els he readeth them but vnderstandeth not the mystery and maiesticall meaning thereof or if he vnderstande he dothe it that he be not taken for suche a one then is he agayne farre more vvicked and spitefull the bondslaue of vaynegloâ—ye and brutiâ—he seare for I vvoulde haue you vvell to vnderstande and to recount my tale for trueth that I haue proposed certayne questions and demaunded certayne interrogatoryes of him vvherein I haue founde and knovve rightvvell that he knovveth nothing If that these conferences haue bene neyther bruted neyther blased in your hearing I am ready agayne to rehearse the same vnto you This vvill be a Princely parte and a vvorthye vvorke for your honour to heare If you knevve bothe vvhat I demaunded and vvhat he aunsvvered you vvoulde soone gyue sentence that he is altogether ignorant in our doctrine Or if he knovveth it he dareth not vtter it for feare of his auditours and hereby to be proued as I sayde before no philosopher but a flatterer contemninge that vvhich Socrates highly esteemed No mans fonde vayne or foolish humor vvith flatterye to be fedde Thus farre Iustinus And that he perished through the practise of Crescens Tatianus a man instructed from his youth vp in prophane literature and praysed very much for the profit he tooke therein testifleth in his booke against the Gentiles wryting thus The famous philosopher Iustinus sayd very vvell that the philosophers then vvere to be likened to theeues A litle after he sayth Crescens being nevvly come vnto that great Citie passed all men in that vnnaturall and shamefull sinne of Sodom de filing himself vvith mankind inferior to no maÌ„ in couetousnes taught that death vvas not to be feared yet he vvas so feareful of it that he procured Iustinus death for a great mischiefe pouring out the poyson of his malice bycause that he preachinge the trueth reprehended the philosophers for gluttonous and deceitfull persons such was the cause of Iustinus martyrdome CAP. XVII Of the Martyrs mentioned in the Apologie of Iustinus THe same Iustinus before he suffred remembred in his Apologie such as were martyred before him very pertinent for this our purpose wryting thus A certain vvoman there vvas maryed vnto an husbande vvholy giuen vnto lasciuious life and leudnes vvhereunto she hir self vvas in times past addicted vvho vvhen she had learned the doctrine of Christ repented hir of hir former life and embraced chastitie and exhorted hir husbande likvvise to repeÌ„t expounding vnto him the doctrine vvhich threatned vnto intemperate and beastly liuers euerlasting punishment of endlesse fyre But he neuerthelesse altogether set vpoÌ„ the same levvd nesse separateth by his vnlavvfull meanes his vvife from him for she sayd that it vvas thenceforth vnlavvfull for hir to vse company at bedd and at borde vvith that man vvho contrarie vnto the lavve of nature beyonde all right and reason sought meanes to satisfie his filthy luste and therefore vvould be diuorced from him But through the persvvasions of her frends she reuoked hir sentence changed hir mind vvho counsayled hir a litle vvhile quietly to liue together that there vvas great hope at length of his repentance refrained hir self and continevved vvith him in vvedlocke VVhen hir husbande vvas gonne to Alexandria and there knovven to haue practised farre more levvd factes least that she should be made partaker of his vvicked factes and haynous offences by continevving in his company at bedd and boord in the bonde of matrimony she made a bill of diuorce as vve tearme it she vvas separated and vvent avvay from him Then this good man vvhen he shoulde haue reioyced that his vvife vvhich of olde vvas slaundered of hir seruantes and accused of hir levvdnesse vvhich of olde vvas giuen to dronkennesse and all kinde of spite novve had renounced hir former life and exhorted him to the same repentance vvith hir vvhome she diuorced because he kept other company accused hir that she vvas a Christian And she gaue vp a supplication vnto thee ô Emperour humbly requesting that she might first dispose hir househould affaires after the disposition and ordering thereof to aunsvvere vnto that vvhich she vvas accused for the vvhich thing thou diddest graciously grauÌ„t but he hir husband somtimes hauing no colour nor cloke to accuse his vvife bent his bovve and leueled thus at Ptolomaeus vvho instructed hir in the Christian fayth endured tormeÌ„ts vnder Vrbicius the Iudge He had to his frend the Centurion vvhom he persvvaded to impryson Ptolomaeus to entreat him roughly vvithall to demaund of him if he vvere a ChristiaÌ„ vvhich vvhen Ptolomaeus one that vvas zealous for the trueth no flatterer no dissembler had confessed himselfe to be the Centurion cast him into pryson vvhere he vvas longe punished Aftervvardes being brought before Vrbicius of this onely he vvas examined if he vvere a Christian vvhose conscience bearing him vvitnesse of no crime but in a iust cause confessed that he had preached the true and heauenly doctrine of Christ For he vvhich denyeth himselfe to be that man he is either condemneth that vvhich is in him by denyall or knovving him vnvvorthy and estranged from the matter refuseth to confesse vvhere of neither is found in a true Christian And vvhen Vrbicius commaunded that he should be brought forth one Lucius that vvas also a Christian seing the sentence giuen contrary to all reason sayde to Vrbicius VVhat reason is it O Vrbicius that thou shouldest condemne this man for confessing the name of Christ vvhich hathe committed neither adultery neither fornication neither manslaughter neither theft neither robbery neither any vvicked offence that he may iustly be charged vvithall Thy Iudiciall sentences do become neither Pius the Emperour neither the philosopher the sonne of Caesar neither the sacred Senate Vrbicius aunsvvering nothing to these thinges sayde to Lucius and thou seemest to me to be such a one Lucius aunsvvered I am so and he commaunded him forthvvith to be brought forth to the place of executioÌ„ For this Lucius thanked him sayd that by this meanes he should be deliuered from such vvicked maysters go vnto a gracious God his father and King After this a third stept forth vvhich suffred the like In the end Iustinus concludeth with y â— rehersall of that which we remembred before saying And I looke for no other then that I be betrayed by some one of them that are called philosophers
communicated his diuine and godly labour and industry not onely to such as were his charge but also to strangers shewing himself most profitable vnto all people by those Catholicke epistles which he directed vnto the Churches of which numbre is that epistle written by him vnto the Lacedaemonians â–ª contayning y e right institution of christian peace vnitie Moreouer his epistle wrytt vnto the Athenians stirreth the mindes of faythfull men vnto the embracing of the trueth and euangelicall conuersation of life repâ—enâ—endeth the gainesayers despisers thereof chargeth diuerse of them that they were now in manner fallen from the fayth although Publius there bishop in their time had there bene martyred He remembreth Quadratus the successor of Publius after his martyrdome in the byshoprick testifieth of him that by his meanes they were vnited and stirred to the fayth He sheweth moreouer howe that Dionysius Areopagita conuerted vnto the fayth according vnto that which is wrytten in the Actes of the Apostles â–ª was by Paul placed the first byshop of Athens There is extant also an other epistle of his vnto the Nicomedians where repugninge the heresie of Marcion he fortifieth the right rule of fayth And vnto the Churche of the Gortynenses together with other congregations throughout Creta he wryteth commending Philip there byshope for that the Church committed vnto his charge was beautified and bedecked by the proufe of many vertuous properties warninge withall that they should auoide the wilfulnes of peruerse heretickes And wryting to the Church of Amastris together with the rest throughout Pontus he mentioneth Bachilides and Elpistus at whose instant motion he wrote and Galma there byshop interlacing expositions of sundry places of Scripture He admonisheth them at large toutching mariage and virginitieâ— commaundinge also to receaue after repentance such as fell how soeuer it happened eyther of purpose or by heretical perswasioÌ„ Unto this there is annexed an epistle vnto the Gnosij where theyr byshope Pinytus is admonished not to charge necessarily the brethren with the greuous burthen of vowed chastitie but to haue consideration of the frail imbecillity of many natures vnto the which epistle Pinytus making answere extolleth commendeth Dionysius yet agayne by way of admonition requireth that stronger meat beinge deliuered he fead the flocke coÌ„mitted vnto his charge with more absolute and profound doctrine least that they lingering in their milkesoppes and smothe exhortacions waxe old through negligence in childish nurture In the which epistle of Pinytus the right rule of fayth diligent care for the saluation of his flocke discretion also vnderstanding of holy scripture is liuely set forth last of all there remaineth an epistle of Dionysius vnto the Romaines namely vnto Soter their byshop whereof if we alleage some parte it shall not seeme impertinent where he commendeth the Romaine manner obserued vnto the persecution of our time wryting thus It hath bene your accustomed manner euen from the beginning diuersely to benefitt all the brethren and to send relief throughout the citie supplying the vvant of the poore by refreshing them in this sorte and specially the vvante of the brethren appointed for slauishe drudgerie and digging of mettalls you Romaynes of old do retaine the fatherly affection of Rome vvhich holy Soter your bishop not onely obserued but also augmented ministringe large and liberall relief to the vse of the sainctes embracing louingly the conuerted brethren as a father doth his sonnes vvith exhortation of vvholsome doctrine Here also he remembreth y â— epistle of Clemens wrytten to the Corinthians shewing the same of auncieÌ„t custome to haue bene read in the Church for thus be writeth VVe haue this day solemnized the holy sunday in the vvhich vve haue read your epistle alvvaies vvill for instructions sake euen as vve do the former of Clemens vvritten vnto vs. The same author reporteth of his owne epistles that they were patched corrupted in these words VVhen I vvas intreated of the brethren to vvrite I vvrote certaine Epistles but the messengers of Satan haue sovven them vvith tares pulling avvay some putting to other some vvhose condemnation is layd vp for certaine no maruell then though some endeuored to corrupt the sacred Scriptures of God vvhen as they vvent about to counterfett such vvrytinges of so smale authoritie Yet be sides all these there is founde an other epistle of Dionysius to Chrysophora a faithfull sister where as it was most mete he ministreth vnto her spirituall foode conuenient for her calling thus much toutching Dionysius CAP. XXIII Of Theophilus byshop of Antioche and his workes OF Theophilus byshop of Antioch before meÌ„tioned there are found three bookes of ElemeÌ„tall Institutions dedicated vnto Antolicus again an other entitled Against the heresie of Hermogenes where he alleageth many testimonies out of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn there are also certaine other bookes of his intitled of Institutions but there was neuer no greater plague or pestilence then the poyson of heretickes which then infected after the manner of tares the true seede of Apostolicke doctrine whome the pastors of the Churches repelled from the flocke of Christ as if they had bene certen sauadge beastes partely by adinomtions exhortations vnto the brethren partly also by encountring with the heretickes them selues sometimes disputing and questioning with them face to face to the vtter ouerthrow of their trifling fantasies sometimes by theyr wrytten commentaries diligently confuting by way of reprehension theyr fonde opinions Among whome Theophilus together with others which then labored against theÌ„ was counted famous who also wrote a booke leaueling at Marcion the which we knowe together with the rest at this day to be extaÌ„t after the desease of this Theophilus Maximinus being the 7. from the Apostles succeeded him in the Church of Antioche CAP. XXIIII Of Philip byshop of Gortyna Irenaeus and Modestus PHilip whome by the reporte of Dionysius we haue learned to haue bene byshop of the Church of Gortyna wrote a most exquisite tract agaynst Marcion so did Irenaeus and Modestus which of all others chiefly detected his error vnto the worlde so did sundrye other learned men whose bookes are yet to be seene with diuerse of the brethren CAP. XXV Of Melito byshop of Sardis in Asia and his workes ABoute this time Melito byshop of Sardis and Apollinarius byshop of Hierapolis florished who both wrote vnto the Emperour of Rome then raygning seuerall bookes and Apologies in the behalfe of our faith whereof these of Melito his doinges came to our handes 2. bookes of Easter of Politicke conuersation and the Prophets of the church of the sundaye of the nature of man of the molde of man of the obedience of fayth of the senses Moreouer of the body and soule also of our regeneration or nevvbirth of the trueth â–ª of the faith and the natiuitie of Christ likewise a booke of his of prophecie of the soule body â–ª of hospitalitie And a booke
intitled a key an other of the deuell an other of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and of God incarnate last of all a booke dedicated vnto Antoninus In his booke of Easter he declareth the time when he wrote it begining thus In the time of Seruilius Paulus proconsul of Asia vvhat time Sagaris suffred martyrdome and the great sturre vvas moued at Laodicea tourchinge the Sabaoth vvhich then by reason of the time fell out these thinges vvere vvrytten of this booke Clemens Alexandrinus made mention in a seuerall tracte which he wrote of Easter and purposely as he testifieth himselfe by occasion of Melito his booke In his Apology vnto the Emperour he reporteth the thinges practised against the Christians wryting thus The godly people grened by reason of nevve edictes published throughout Asia and before neuer practised novve suffer persecution for impudent Sycophantes greedy gapers after other mens goods hauing gotten occasion through those proclamations openly robb and spoile day and night such as committee no trespasse at all And after a fewe lynes he sayth If this be done through your procuremēt let it stand for good for the Emperour that is iuste neuer putteth in practise any vniust thing vve vvillingly vvill beare avvay the honor of this death yet this onely vve hūbly craue of your highnes that you after notice and tryall had of the authors of this contention doe iustly geue sentence vvhether they are vvorthy of death punishment or of lif and quietnesse but if this be not your maiesties pleasure and the nevve edicte proceed not from your povver and authoritie vvhich vvere not seemely to be sett forthe agaynst barbarian enemies the rather vve pray you that you despise vs not vvhich are greued and oppressed vvith this common and shamefull spoyle Agayne to these he addeth The philosophie novve in aestimation amongest vs first florished among the Barbarians for vvhen as it florished vnder the great dominion of Augustus your forefather of famous memorie it fell out to be a most fortunate successe vnto your empire For thence forvvardes vnto this daye the Romaine empire increased and enlarged it selfe vvith greate glorie vvhose successor novve you are greatly beloued and haue bene long vvished for and vvilbe together vvith your sonne continually prayed for retaine therefore this religion vvhich encreased vvith the empire vvhich began vvith Augustus vvhich vvas reuerenced of your auncetors before all other religions This vvas a greate argument of a good beginning for since that our doctrine florished together vvith the happie beginning empire no misfortune befell vnto it from the raygne of Augustus vnto this daye but of the contrary all prosperous and gloriouse and gladsome as euery man vvished him selfe Onely of all others Nero Domitian through the persvvasion of certaine enuious dispitefull persons vvere disposed to bring our doctrine into hatred From vvhome this sclaunder of flattering persons raised against the Christians sprong vp after a brutishe maner or custome but your godly auncetors corrected their blinde ignorance and rebuked oftentimes by their epistles their sundry rashe enterprises Of vvhich number Adrianus your graundefather is knovven to haue vvritten both vnto Fundanus Proconsul and President of Asia and to manie others And your father yours I saye in that you gouerned all thinges together vvith him vvrote vnto the cities in our behalfe and vnto the Larissaeans Thessalonians Athenians and to all the Grecians that they should innouate nothing nether practise any thing preiudiciall vnto the Christians but of you vve are fully persvvaded to obtaine our humble petitions in that your opinion and sentence is correspondent vnto that of your predecessors yea and that more gracious and farre more religious Thus as ye reade he wrote in the aforesayde booke And in his Proeme to his annotations of the olde Testamente he reciteth the cataloge of the bookes of the olde Testament then certeine canonicall the whiche necessarilie we haue annexed writinge thus Meliton vnto the brother Onesimus sendeth greeting VVhereas oftentimes you beinge inflamed vvith earnest zeale tovvardes our doctrine haue requested of me to select certaine annotations out of the lavve and prophets concerning our Sauiour and our vvhole religion and againe to certifie you of the summe of the bookes contained in the olde testament according vnto their number and order of placinge novve at length I beinge mindefull heretofore also of your petitions haue bene carefull to performe that you looke for knovving your endeuer your care and industrie in setting forth the doctrine of faith marching forvvards vvith loue tovvards God and care of euerlasting saluation vvhich you preferre before all other thinges VVhen that I traueled into the east and vvas there vvhere these thinges vvere both preached and put in practise I compiled into order the bookes of the olde testament suche as vvere vvell knovven and sent them vnto you vvhose names are these The fiue bookes of Moses Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomium Then Iesus Naue the Iudges the booke of Ruth foure bookes of kinges tvvo of Cronicles the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Solomon the booke of VVisdome Ecclesiastes the Canticles Iob Esay and Ieremie the Prophets on booke of the tvvelue prophets Daniel Ezechiel Esdras vpon the vvhich vve haue vvritten six bookes of commentaries Thus farre Meliton CAP. XXVI Of the writings of Apollinarius and Musanus ALthoughe there were many volumes written by Apollinarius yet these onely came to our handes A booke vnto the foresaide Emperour fiue bookes against the gentiles 2. bokes of the trueth 2 bookes againste the Ievves and suche bookes as afterwardes he wrote against the Phrygian heresie whiche not longe after waxed stale then firste buddinge out when as Montanus together with his false prophetisses ministred principles of Apostasie so farre of him Musanus also spoken of before wrote a certaine excellent booke intituled Vnto the brethren lately fallen into the heresie of the Encratits which then newely had sprong and molested mankinde with a strange and perniciouse kinde of false doctrine the autor whereof is sayde to bee Tatianus CAP. XXVII Of Tatianus and his heresie WE meane that Tatianus whose testimony a litle before we haue alleaged toutchinge the renoumed Iustinus whome also we haue reported to haue bene the Martyrs disciple The same dothe Irenaeus declare in his first booke against heresies wryting of him and his heresie thus Out of the schole of Saturninus and Marcion sprange the Hereticks vvhome they call Encratits that is to say continent persons vvho taught that mariadg vvas to be abhorred contemning the auncient shape and molde of man framed of God and so by sequel reprehending him that made the generation of man and vvoman Againe they haue commaunded abstinence from liuing creatures for so they call them shevving themselues vngratefull tovvards God vvhich made all thinges for the vse of man They deny that the first man vvas saued and this blasphemie lately spronge vp Tatianus beinge originall
thereof vvho vvhilest that he vvas the auditor of Iustinus reuealed no such thinge but after his Martyrdome falling from the Church being puffed vp vvith presumptuous estimation and selfe opinion of Doctorship as though he passed all others inuented a selfe and a seuerall character or maner of Doctrine he dreamed of certaine inuisible vvorldes vvith the Valentinians preachinge of mariadge and corruption and fornication as Marcion and Saturninus had done before calling into controuersie of himselfe the saluation of Adam This doth Irenaeus write in the place before cyted and a litle after thus One Seuerus reuiued the foresayd heresi and became an author vnto his follovvers that of him they vvere called Seueriani These receaue y ◠Lavve the Prophets and the Gospells they expounde names of holy Scripture as pleaseth them best they reuile the Apostle Paul they reiect his Epistles they deny the Actes of the Apostles there first author was Tatianus who patched together I wot not what kind of mingle mangled consonancy of the Gospells and termed it Diatessaron which as yet is to be sene of many some reporte that he presumed metaphrastically to alter the wordes of the Apostle correcting as it were the order of the phrase He left in wryting vnto the posteritie a great numbre of commentaries but of all the rest that booke of his against the Gentiles is recounted famous and taken for the best and most profitable where mention is made of the former times with a bold protestation that Moses and the Prophets among the Hebrevves were farre more auncient thē the famous men among the Gentiles and thus stoode these thinges then CAP. XXVIII Of Bardesanes a syrian and his bookes VNder the raygne of the same Emperour when heresies increased a certaine man in Mesapotamia by name Bardesanes being very eloquent and skilfull in logicke published in wryting in the Syrian tongue Dialogues together with other bookes against Marcion and other graundeheretickes the which certaine learned men whereof he had then a great numbre to his disciples his gift of vtterance did so passe translated from the Syrian into the Greeke tongue of which bookes that dialogue intitled of Desteny and dedicated vnto Antoninus the Emperour is of greate force The report goeth that he wrote many other bookes by occasion of the persecution raysed in those times This man was first schooled by Valentinus but afterwards reprehendinge and condemning his fabulous dreames transformed and altered himselfe of his owne accord embracing the sounder sentence and yet scarcely so washed he altogether away the spotts of the former heresie About this time Soter byshop of Rome departed this life The ende of the fourth booke THE FIFTE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA The proëme Howe that Eleutherius succeded Soter in the seae of Rome the difference betwene the ecclesiasticall and prophane history he purposeth to write of martyrs SOter whē he had bene byshop of Rome eight yeares finished his mortall race whome Eleutherius the twelfth from the Apostles succeded And then was it the seuenteneth yeare of the raygne of Antoninus Verus the Emperour In which time sedition being raysed throughout the Cities and vehement persecution in all partes of the world encreased against vs we may easily coniecture howe many milllions of martyrs suffred throughout the worlde by such as happened vnto one nation which for moste true and euerlastinge memory hathe bene thought worthy the wrytinge is printed for the posteritie And although we haue hereheretofore compiled a booke of martyrs in moste ample wise reciting the catalogue of them and yet not onely the hystoricall narration but also enterlacing matters of doctrine neuerthelesse we minde not presently to omitt any thinge that may seeme pertinent vnto this our history which we haue nowe in hand Other historiographers haue carefully considered onely to commit to letters warlicke victories and noble triumphes against the enemies valiant enterprises of captaines notable corage of armed soldiers bespotted with bloud and innumerable slaughters of tender sucklings committed for countrey and substance sake But this our history containeth a pollicy gratefull vnto God most peaceable warres for the quietnes of the soule for the trueth of conscience rather thē triall for our country for godly fauor rather thē worldly frendshipp It contayneth the valiant constancy of champions buckling and wrastling for the trueth the most victorious fortitude triumphes agaynst firy fiendes of hell the vpper hand of our vnuisible aduersaries to be short it pronounceth for all these crownes of euerlasting memory CAP. I. Of the martyrdome of Sainctes and cruell persecution in France vnder Antoninus Verus the Emperour IT was the countrey of Fraunce wherein the theatre of this wrastlinge before mentioned laye whose chief cities and most frequented in respect of the rest in the same region are Lions and Vienna Through bothe which Cities the riuer Rhodanus doth runne compassinge that whole countrey The holy Churches there sent this letter toutching their martyrs vnto the Churches throughout Asia and Phrygia making relation of their affaires after this manner The seruaunts of Christ inhabiting Vienna and Lions Cities of Fraunce vnto the brethren throughout Asia and Phrygia obtayning with vs the same fayth and hope of redemption peace and grace and glory from God the father and Christ Iesus our Lorde be multiplied When they had premised certaine thinges by waye of preamble they followe after in these wordes The greatnes of this our tribulatiō the furious rage of the Gentiles against the Saincts and vvhat thinges the blessed martyrs haue suffred vve are able exactly neyther to expresse by vvorde nor comprehende in vvryting The aduersarie vvith all might possible applied himselfe shevving tokens of his preparatiues disposed entrance to persecution passing throughout all places acquainted and instructed his lymmes to striue against the seruants of God so that onely vve vvere not banished our hovvses bathes and common market places but altogether euery one of vs straightly charged not to shevve his face ▪ yet the grace of God vvithstoode him deliuering the vveakelinges vphoulding certaine others of the contrary as sure and immoueable pillers vvhich through their sufferance vvere able not onely to repell the violence of the despitefull aduersarie but also to prouoke him paciently abiding all kinde of sclaunder and punishment To be shorte vveyinge greate tormentes for smale trifles they hastened vnto Christ declaring as trueth is that the passions of these presente times are not vvorthie of the glorie vvhich shal be reuealed vnto vs. And first of all they bare manfully all such vexations as the clustered multitude laied vpon them exclamations scurginges draggings spoyling stoninge fettring and the like vvhatsoeuer the heady and sauadge multitude accustometh to practise against their professed enemies next being ledd vnto the open market place and examination had they vvere comdempned in presence of the people by the Tribune and
brethren inhabiting Fraunce layde downe in writing their godly and Catholicke censure of them and withall alleadged sundry epistles of the holy Martyrs that suffered among them which being in close prison they had written vnto the brethren throughout Asia and Phrygia in the which also they called and prouoked Eleutherius then â–ª Bishop of Rome to the defence of the Ecclesiasticall peace CAP. IIII. The Martyrs in Fraunce commende Irenaus Bishop of Lions by their epistle vnto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome THe same Martyrs highly commended Irenaeus minister of the Church of Lions â–ª vnto the foresayd Bishop of Rome as their owne wordes declare in this manner Father â–ª Eleutherius vve vvishe you health in all thinges and alvvaies in God VVe haue requested Irenaeus our brother fellovv laborer to deliuer you these letters vvhome vve pray you to accept of â–ª as a zelous follovver of the vvill of Christ for if vve vnderstoode that any mans degree yelded forth and deliuered righteousnes vnto the graduate namely as being minister of the Church â–ª vvhich this man is vve vvoulde haue chiefly commended this in him To what ende shoulde I now out of the same epistle rehearse the catalogue of Martyrs I meane of them which were beheaded and of them which were deuoured of wilde beastes and of them which dyed in prison and the number of those confessors who then as yet liued for if any man be disposed at large to reade thereof let him take in hande my booke of Martyrs where the collection thereof is imprynted these thinges were after this manner in the tyme of Antoninus the Emperour CAP. V. How that God in great necessity sent rayne at the faithfull Christian souldiers prayers vnto the hoaste of Marcus Aurelius a Heathenish Emperour THe historyes doe recorde that when his brother Marcus Aurelius the Emperour warred against the Germans and Sarmatians his hoast in manner perished with thirste so that he wist not what to do and that the souldiers of the legion called Melitana moued againe againe with faithfulnes towards their Prince bowed downe vppon their bare knees as our accustomed manner of praying is in the middest of the army turning them to the enemyes and made supplication vnto God When as this sight seemed straung vnto the enemies there was shewed a farre more straung spectacle to wit lightening which put the enemies to flight ouerthrowe withall a showre of rayne to refreshe the armye which welnigh perishing with thirst powred out their prayers before the high throne of the maiestie of God This history is reported by such as fauored not the Christian fayth yet were careful to set forth the things which concerned the foresaid persons it is also written by our men but of the heathen Historiographers them selues the miracle is mentioned not expressly to proceede by the meanes of our men yet our writers as friendes and fauorers of the true doctrine haue deliuered simply and plainly the deede as it was done wherof Apollinarius is a witnes of creditt who reporteth that this legion by whose praiers this miracle came to passe was from y â— time forth called by y e Emperour in the Romayne tongue after a peculier name the Lightening legion Tertullian also a man worthy of good creditt dedicating an Apology in y â— Latine tongue vnto y â— Romayne Senate in the defence of our faith wherof we mentioned before hath confirmed this history w t a mightier more manifest proofe for he writeth y â— the most prudent epistles of Marcus are yet extant where he testifieth him selfe y â— warring w t the Germanes through the scarsitie of water his army welnigh perished but yet was saued through y e prayers of y e Christians he saith y t this Emperour threatned them w t death which went about to accuse them vnto the aforesaid thinges he addeth vvhat maner of lavves are these against vs impious vniust cruell vvhich neither Vespasian obserued although conquerour of the Ievves vvhich Traian partly frustrated commaunding the inquisition for the Christians to cease vvhich neither Adrianus although busying him selfe vvith euery matter nether he vvhich vvas called Pius confirmed but weye of this euery man as pleaseth him we will prosecute that which followeth in order of historye When Pothinus of the age of foure score and tenne yeares had ended this life together with the other Martyrs in Fraunce Irenaeus succeeded him in the Bishoprike of Lions whome we haue learned in his youthe to haue bene the auditor of Polycarpus this same Irenaeus in his thirde booke against the heresies annecteth the succession of the Romaine Bishops vnto Eleutherius whose tymes presently we prosecute and reciteth the cataloge of them as if it were his speciall drift writing in this manner CAP. VI. The cataloge of the Romayne Bishops out of Irenaeus THe blessed Apostles planting and buylding the Church committed vnto Linus the gouernment of the ministery â–ª This Linus Paul remembred in his epistle vnto Timothe â–ª him succeeded Anacletus after him Clemens the thirde from the Apostles vvhich both savve them had his conuersation vvith them and had both the preaching and tradition of the blessed Apostles graffed in his minde and paynted before his eyes neither vvas he yet alone for there liued at that time a great many vvhich vvere ordayned by the Apostles In the time of this Clemens there vvas raysed no small sedition among the brethren at Corinthe vvherfore the church of Rome vvrote vnto the Corinthians a vvorthy epistle reconciling them vnto peace and renevving their faith and tradition lately receaued of the Apostles A litle after he sayth After this Clemens succeeded Euarestus after Euarestus Alexander after Alexander Xystus he vvas the sixt from the Apostles aftervvards Telesphorus vvhich vvas gloriously crovvned vvith martyrdome him follovved Hyginus then Pius after him Anicetus vvhome Soter succeeded Novv Eleutherius vvas the tvvelfe Bishop from the Apostles after the same order the same doctrine tradition of the Apostles truely taught in the Church at this day continevved vnto our time CAP. VII How vnto that tyme miracles were wrought by the faythfull THese thinges Irenaeus agreeable vnto the historyes mentioned before hath layde downe in those fiue bookes which he wrote to the subuersion and confutation of the falsely named science agayne in the seconde booke of the same argument he signifyeth how that vnto his tyme signes and examples of the straunge and wonderfull power of God were seene florishing in certayne Churches saying they are farre from raysing of the deade as the Lorde and his Apostles did through prayer and as many of the brethren many times the vvhole Churche of some certayne place by reason of some vrgent cause vvith fasting and chaste prayer hath brought to passe that the spirite of the deade returned to the body and man vvas by the earnest prayers of the Sainctes restored to lyfe agayne A litle after he sayth But if they say
vvolfe from the sheepe I am no vvolfe I am the vvorde the spirite and povver but let him manifestly expresse that povver by the spirite and preuayle let him compell such men as then vvere present to trye and conferre vvith that talkatyue spirite namely these vvorthy men and Bishops Zoticus of Comanum and Iulian of Apamia to confesse the same vvhose mouthes vvhen the companions of Themison had stopped they suffered not the lying spirite and seducer of the people to be rebuked In the same booke after he had layde downe other thinges to the confutation of Maximilla his false prophecyes he declareth with all the tyme when he wrote and their prophecyes foreshewing warres and sedicions whose fonde fantasies he confuteth in this sorte And hovv can it othervvise fall out but that this be founde a manifest vntrueth and open falsehoode For novve it is more then thirtene yeares agoe since this vvoman dyed and yet in all this space hath there happened in this vvorlde neither ciuill neither generall vvarres but especially the Christians through the mercy of God haue had continuall peace Thus much out of the seconde booke out of the thirde booke we will alleadge a fewe lynes agaynst them which gloried that many of them were crowned with martyrdome for thus he writeth VVhen as they are in the premisses blanked confuted and voyde of arguments they flye for shift and refuge vnto martyrs reporting them selues to haue many affirming that to be a sure and a certayne proofe of the propheticall spirite raygning among them neither is this a most euident proofe as it appeareth for diuers other hereticall sectes haue many Martyrs vnto vvhome for all that vve neither condescende neither confesse that they haue the trueth among them And first for all the Mareionites affirme they haue many Martyrs vvhen as for all that their doctrine is not of Christ him self according vnto the trueth a litle after he sayth these that are called to their tryall and to testifie the true fayth by suffring of Martyrdome are of the Churche they communicate not vvith any of the Phrygian hereticall Martyrs but are seuered from them consenting no not in one iote vvith the fonde spirite of Montanus and his vvoman and that this vvhich I saye is moste true it shall euidently appeare by the examples of Caius and Alexander Martyrs of Eumenia vvho suffered in our tyme at Apamia situated vppon the ryuer Maeander CAP. XV. Of Miltiades and his workes IN the afore sayd booke this Apollinarius remembred the Commentaries of Miltiades who likewise wrote a booke against the foresayd heresie the wordes by him cyted were in this sort these things haue I briefly alleadged and found vvritten in some one of their commentaries vvhich confute the booke of Alcibiades vvhere he declareth that it is not the property of a Prophet to prophecye in a traunce a litle after he rehearseth the Prophets of the newe Testament among whome he numbreth one Ammias and Quadratus saying as followeth A false Prophet in a traunce vvhere licence and impunitie doe concurre beginneth vvith rashe ignoraunce endeth vvith furious rage and frensie of mind as it is sayd before of this sort in such traunce of spirite they shal be able to shevve vs non of the prophetes ether of the olde or of the nevve testament neyther shall they be able to glory of Agabus of Iudas of the daughters of Philip of Ammias the Philadelphian of Quadratus neither of any other vvhich may any thing auaile them Againe he wryteth If that as they say after Quadratus and Ammias the Philadelphian these vvomen of Montanus succeeded in the gift of prophecy lett them shevve vvho aftervvardes succeeded Montanus and his vvomen for the Apostle thinketh good that the gift of prophecie should raigne in euery Church euen vnto the ende but novve for the space of these fouretene yeares since Maximilla dyed they are able to shevve vs not one so farre he this Militiades whome he remembreth leaft vnto vs in wryting other monumentes of his laboure and industrie in the holy Scriptures aswell in the bookes he wrote agaynst the Gentiles as also in the books agaynst the Ievves satisfieng confuting in two books their seuerall argumentes and opinions afterwardes he wrote an Apologie of the Christian philosophie which he embraced vnto the potentates and princes of this world CAP. XVI Apollonius his iudgement of the same heresie TO be briefe this Phrygian heresie was confuted by Apollonius an ecclesiasticall writer who then I saye at that time florished in Phrygia he published a seuerall booke against it he refuted their prophecyes accompting them for vayne lyes he plainely opened and reuealed the conuersation of such as were principall and chief patrons of this heresie of Montanus he wrote in this manner But vvhat kinde of nevve Doctor this is his vvorkes and doctrine doe declare This is he vvhich taught the breakinge of vvedlocke this is he vvhich prescribed lavves of fastinge this is he vvhich called Pepuza and Timium peltinge parishes of Phrygia Ierusalem to the ende he might entice all men from euery vvhere to frequent thither this is he vvhich ordayned tolegatherers taxers of money â–ª this is he vvhich vnder pretense and colour of oblations hath conningely inuented the arte of bribinge this is he vvhich giueth greate hyre vnto the preachers of his doctrine that by feedinge of the panche his prophecies may preuaile Thus much of Montanus and immediatly of his Prophetisses he wryteth VVe haue shevved before these first prophetisses from the time they vvere filled vvith theyr false spirite to haue forsaken theyr husbandes hovve shamefully then do they lye calling Priscilla a virgin He addeth sayinge Doth not the-vvhole Scripture forbydde that a prophete shoulde receaue revvardes and money VVhen I see a prophetisse receaue golde and siluer and precious garmentes hovve can I chuse but detest her Agayne of an other he sayth And besides these Themison also inflammed vvith the burninge thurst of couetousnesse tasted not of the tarte conyzance of confession before the tyrant but shifted himself out of fetteres vvith much money And vvhen as therefore he shoulde haue humbled himselfe yet he all in braggery as if he vvere a martyr after the example of the Apostle vvrote a catholicke epistle very presumptuously to enstructe them vvhich beleued better then he did and to exhort them to striue for the nevve doctrine together vvith him and to reuile the Lorde and his Apostles and his holy Churche Againe speakinge of one of theyr highlye esteemed Martyrs he wryteth in this sorte And that vve trouble not our selues vvith many lett the prophetisse tell vs toutchinge Alexander vvho called himselfe a Martyre vvith vvhome she hathe banqueted vvhome also many doe adore vvhose theftes and other haynous crimes vvhich he suffred for I vvill not presently rehearse for they are publickely knovven and registered vvhose sinnes hathe he pardoned vvhether doth a prophete yeld thefte vnto a
coÌ„mentaries of Heraclitus vpoÌ„ Paul Maximus of y â— common question in hereticks mouthes vvhence euill proceedeth and that this substance vvas made Candidus of the creation of vvorke of the sixe dayes Appion of the same argument Sixtus of the resurrection and a certein tracte of Arabianus with a thousande mo all whiche writers time doth not permitte neither is it possible to publishe them in this our history because they minister no occasion to make mention of them CAP. XXV Of suche as from the beginning impugned the heresie of Artemon the behauiour of the hereticke and his presumption in reiecting and corrupting the scriptures AMong these bookes there is found a volume written against the heresie of Artemon â–ª which Paulus Samosatenus in our daies endeuored to reuiue wherin is coÌ„tained ah history worthy to be published among these our histories diuersly from euery where collected â–ª wheÌ„ this boke had coÌ„futed y â— said presuÌ„ptuous heresy which affirmed Christ to be a bâ—â—e naked maÌ„ that the authors therof had gloried of it as an auncient opinioÌ„ after many lynes leaues to the coÌ„fuâ—acion of this blasphemous vntrueth he writeth thus They affirme that all our aunâ—â—â—ours â–ª yea and the Apostles them selues vvere of that opinion and taughte the same vvith them and that this their true doctrine for so they call it vvas preached embraced vnto the time of Victor the thirtenth bishop of Rome after Peter corrupted by his successour Zephyrinus this peraduenture might seeme to haue some likelyhoode of trueth vnlesse firste of all the holy scriptures reclamed next the bokes of suÌ„dry meÌ„ loÌ„g before the time of Victor vvhich they published against the gentiles in the defence of the trueth in the confutation of the hereticall opinions of their time I meane Iustinus Meltiades Tatianus and Clemens vvith many others in all vvhich Christ is preached and published to be God VVho knovveth not that the vvoorkes of Irenaus Melito and all other Christians do confesse Christ to be both God and man to be shorte hovve many psalmes and hymnes and Canticles vvere vvritten from the beginninge by the faythfull Christians vvhich â—ounde and singe Christ the vvorde of God for no other then God in deede hovv then is it possible accordinge vnto their report that our auncetors vnto the time of Victor should haue preached so vvhen as the ecclesiasticall censure for so many yeares is pronounced for certeine and knovven vnto all the vvorlde and hovve can they chuse but be ashamed thus vntruely to reporte of Victor vvhen as they knovve for suretie that Victor excommunicated Theodotus a tanner the father and founder of this Apostasie vvhich denyed the diuinitie of Christ because that he firste affirmed Christ to be but onely man if Victor as they reporte had bene of their blasphemous opinion hovv then could he haue excoÌ„municated Theodotus the author of that heresie but Victor was thus affectionated when he had gouerned y â— ecclesiasticall function the space of tenne yeares Zephyrinus succeeded him about the tenth yere of the raigne of Seuerus The same author which wrote the aforesaid booke against the founder of this heresie declareth a certeine historie that was done in the time of Zepherinus after this maner Therfore to the ende I may aduertise diuerse of the brethren I vvil rehearse a certaine historie of our time vvhiche as I suppose if it had bene in Sodome they vvold haue fallen to repentaÌ„ce There vvas one Natalius vvho not loÌ„g before but eueÌ„ in our time becam a coÌ„fessor this Natalius vvas on a tyme seduced by Asclepiodotus an other Theodotus an exchauÌ„ger they both vvere disciples of Theodotus the taÌ„ner vvho theÌ„ being author of this blasphemous opinioÌ„ as I sayd before vvas excoÌ„municated by Victor bishop of Rome for Natalius vvas persvvaded by theÌ„ for a certeine hire revvarde to be called a bishop of this heretical opinioÌ„ to vvete a huÌ„dreth fifty peÌ„ce monethly to be payd him Novv he being thus linked vnto theÌ„ the Lord vvarned him oft by visions for God and our Lord Iesus Christ full of mercy compassion vvold not that the vvitnesse of his passioÌ„s should perishe vvithout the churche for that he vvas altogether carelesse negligeÌ„t in marking the visions froÌ„ aboue being novv as it vvere hooked vvith the svveete baites of primacie honour filthy lucre vvherby thousands do perishe at leÌ„gth he vvas scurged by an Angel of the Lord. for the space of a vvhole nyght chasticed not a little so that vvhen he rose earely in the morning couered in sackcloth sprinckled in ashes vvith much vvoe many teares he fel dovvn flatte before the feete of Zephyrinus bishope of Rome not after the manner of a cleargie man but of the laye people beseaching the churche prone alvvayes to compassion vvith vvatrishe eyes and vvette cheekes for the mercie of Christ to tender and pitie his miserable case so that vsinge many petitions and shevvinge in his bodie the printe of the plaguye stripes after muche adoe he vvas receaued vnto the communion We thinke best to adde vnto these other relations of the same author for thus he writeth They corrupted the holye sacred scriptures vvithout any reuerence they reiected the canon of the auncient faith they haue bene ignorant of Christ not searching vvhat the holie scriptures affirmed but exercisinge them selues therein siftinge it to this ende that some figure or forme of a syllogisme myght be founde to impugne the diuinitie of Christ and if any reasoned vvith them out of holie scripture forthvvith they demaund vvhether it be a coniuncte or a simple kinde of syllogisme layenge asyde holye scripture they practise Geometrie as beynge of the earth they speake earthlye and knovve not him vvhiche came frome aboue Euclides amonge a greate many of them measureth the earth busielie Aristotle and Theophrastus are hyghlye esteemed Galen is of diuerse vvorshipped but vvhat shall I saye of these vvho beynge farre from the fayth abuse the arte of infidels to the establyshinge of theyr hereticall opinion and corrupt the simplicitie of holy scripture through the subtle craft of sinfull persons for to this purpose they put their prophane handes to holie scripture sayinge they vvolde correcte them and that I reporte not this vntruely of them or parciallie agaynste them if any man please he may easily knovve it for if any vvill peruse their copies and conferre one vvith an other he shall finde in them great contrariety The bookes of Asclepiades agree not vvith them of Theodotus there is found betvvene them great difference for their disciples vvrote obscurely such things as their masters had ambiciously corrected againe vvith these the copies Hermophilus do not consent neither are the copies of Apollonius at concord among theÌ„ selues if their alligatioÌ„s be coÌ„ferred vvith their traÌ„slatioÌ„s alteratioÌ„s there shal be found great diuersity belike they are altogether ignoraÌ„t vvhat presumptioÌ„
him selfe in a certaine place reporteth when as none occupied the rowme of Catechizing at Alexandria because that euery one was fayne to flye away by reason of the threatning thunderbolts of persecution diuers of the Gentils came to him to heare the preaching of the word of God whereof he sayth the first to haue bene Plutarch who besides that he liued well was crowned with martyrdome The seconde was Heraclas y ◠brother of Plutarch who after he had profited very much and sucked at his lippes the iuyce of christian religion and heauenly philosophy succeeded Demetrius in the bishopricke of Alexandria Origen went nowe on y ◠eyghtenth yeare when he catechized in the schoole of Alexandria at what time he happely prospered whilest that vnder Aquila Lieuetenant of Alexandria in the heate of persecution he purchased vnto him selfe a famous opinion among all y ◠faithful in that he chearefully embraced all the martyrs not only of his acquaintance but such as were vnto him vnknowen he visited not only such as were fettered in deepe dungeons close imprisonmēt neither only such as looked for the last sentence of execution but after iudgment geuen sentence pronounced he was present with the martyrs boldly accompanying them to y ◠place of execution putting him selfe in great peril oftentimes boldly embracing kissing saluting them so that once the furious rage of the fonde multitude of the Gentiles had stoned him to deathe if the diuine power of God had not maruelously deliuered him y ◠same diuine celestial grace of God at other times againe againe so oft as can not be told defended him being assaulted of the aduersaryes because of his noble hardines prompt mind to publish the doctrine of Christ so extremely was he dealt withall of the Infidels that souldiers were commaunded to watch his house in compasse for the banishing of the multitude that came to be instructed of him in the Christian faythe The persecution daily preuailed and was so vehemently bent against him that he could no where passe safely throughout Alexandria but often chaūging lodging◠he was from euery where pursued bicause of the multitude which frequented vnto him for instructions sake for his workes expressed moste notable rules of the most true christian philosophie they say as he taught so he liued and as he liued so he taught Wherfore the diuine power of God specially preuayling with him 〈◊〉 infinite number were sturred vp by his zeale when he perceaued many Disciples to frequent 〈◊〉 to him that the charge of the schoole was now by Demetrius the Bishop committed vnto him alone he supposed the reading of humanitie to be out of season and transformeth the schoole as altogether vnprofitable by reason of profane literature humanitie opposite vnto sacred letters to the exercise of godly discipline againe after good aduise taken for necessary prouision he soulde the profane writers which he had diligently perused lay by him enioyning the buyer to pay him daily foure halfepence of the set price wherwith he contented him selfe this philosophicall trade continewed he y ◠space of many yeares cutting of from him self all occasion of youthly concupiscence ▪ for throughout the whole day he tooke no small labor in this godly exercise the greater part of the night also he spent in meditating of holy Scripture and in his philosophicall life as much as lay in him he vsed fasting taking his reste at certayne temperate tymes of the yeare not on his bedde but very warely on y ◠bare ground specially aboue al other places he supposed y ◠sayings of our Sauiour in the Gospell to be obserued which exhorted vs not to weare two coates neyther shoes neither to care for the time to come with a greedy or couetous desire for he endured colde and nakednesse more chearefully then became his yeares suffered such extreame neede necessitie which greatly amazed his familier friends offended many that willingly woulde haue supplied his want and necessity for the paynfulnes they sawe him take in setting forth the heauenly doctrine of Christ Iesus our Sauiour but he being geuen to pacient sufferance passed many yeares without the wearing of shoes ioyning naked foote to bare grounde and he is sayde moreouer for the space of many yeares to haue abstained from wine other such like necessary sustenance onely excepted so that he ranne in great danger lest that through weakenes of lymmes fayntnesse of body he shoulde destroy cast away him selfe this philosophicall trade of life being wondred at of others stirred vp a great many Disciples to imitate the like trade and study so that of the faythfull vnfaithfull of the learned and wise the same not of the meaner sort a great number became zelous and earnest followers after his doctrine in so much that the heauenly worde of God taking deepe roote in their faythfull mindes florished and continewed stedfastly during the persecution of that time so that some of them were apprehended and suffered martyrdome CAP. III. Of the martyrs that suffered out of the schoole of Origen THe first of them was Plutarchus remembred a litle before whome Origen accompanied to the place of execution not without great danger of his life when as his owne citizens went about to practise violence towards him as being author of Plutarchus death yet the wisedome of God deliuered him then The next of the disciples of Origen after Plutarchus was Serenus who is sayd to be the seconde Martyr which gaue triall and proofe of the faith he receaued that by fire The third Martyr out of the same schoole was Heraclides the fourth after him Heron. of the which two latter the first was a Catechumenist the second lately baptized but both beheaded ▪ as yet out of the same schoole came forth the fift champion a seconde Serenus who after pacience in great torments and greeuous payne was beheaded and of the women also Rhais as yet a Catechumenist baptized as Origen him selfe reporteth in fire departed this life CAP. IIII. The martyrdome of Potamiaena a virgine Marcella her mother and Basilides a souldier BAsilides shal be numbred the seuenth among the former Martyrs which led forth the renowmed virgine Potamiaena to execution of whome vnto this day a great fame is blased abroade among the inhabitants of that prouince how that for the chastitie of her body and puritie of minde she stroue very stoutly with her louers she was endued with ripenes of mind and goodly bewty of body when she had suffered infinitely for the faythe of Christ last of all after great and greeuous and dreadfull and terrible torments to be tould of together with her mother Marcella she is burned with fire and consumed to ashes ▪ the report goeth that Aquila the iudge commaunded her whole body to be scurged ouer and that very sore and threatned her he woulde deliuer her body shamefully to be
chosen byshop of Alexandria There is also of the same author an epistle vnto Aristides of the difference or disagreeinge in the Genealogie of Christ written by Mathewe and Luke where manifestly he proueth the consent and agreement of the Euangelistes out of a certaine historie which came to his handes whereof in his proper place that is in the firste booke of this present historie we haue made mention before CAP. XXXI VVhen and where Origen wrote vpon the Prophets ABout this tyme Origen published commentaries vpon Esaye afterwardes vpon Ezechiel of the whiche vpon the thirde parte of the Prophete Esaye vnto the vision of the fourefooted beastes in the wyldernesse there came vnto our handes thirtye tomes and vpon the Prophet Ezechiel in the whole fiue and tvventie the whiche he wrote beyng at Athens He beganne to comment vpon the Canticles so that therevpon he finished fiue bookes and afterwards returninge from Caesarea he made them out tenne bookes What neede we presently to recite an exacte catalogue of his workes for it requireth a seuerall volume when as we haue runne them ouer in the lyfe of Pamphilus who suffered martyrdome in our tyme. where we commendinge the lyfe of Pamphilus his earnest and greate studie haue made catalogues and indexes for the librarie whiche he buylded gatheringe together both the workes of Origen and also of other ecclesiasticall writers â—here if any man be so disposed he shall readily finde all the perfect volumes of Origen as many as came to our knowledge Nowe let vs proceede on further to the discourse of that whiche followeth in this present historie CAP. XXXII Origen reduceth Beryllus into the ryght waye who aforetyme sauored not a ryght of the deuine nature in Christ. BEryllus byshop of Bostra in Arabia of whome we haue spoken a little before went about to establyshe forrayne and straunge doctrine from the fayth to the ouerthrowe of the ecclesiasticall canon he was not afrayde to saye that our Lorde and sauiour before his incarnation had no beynge accordinge vnto the circumscription of a proper and seuered substance neither had a proper but onely his fathers diuinitie dwellinge in himselfe When as by reason of this matter many byshops had dealt with him by conference and disputation Origen also amongest others was sent for who conferred with him at the fyrste to vnderstande the grounde of his opinion whiche beynge vnderstoode and perceauinge him not to beleeue aryght rebuked him perswaded him with reasons conuinced him with manifest proofe restrayned him with true doctrine and restored him agayne to his former sounde opinion The actes of Beryllus the synodes summoned for his sake the questions moued by Origen vnto him the disputations helde in his owne congregation with all the other circumstances thereunto appertayninge are at this daye extant and many mo infinite things haue our elders remembred of Origen all which I passe ouer as impertinent to this present purpose Such thinges as concerne him and are necessarie to be knoweÌ„ may be gathered out of the Apollogy the which we wrote in his behalfe together with Pamphilus Martyr a man that florished in our tyme against contentious quarellers CAP. XXXIII Of Philip a Christian Emperour and his humilitie WHen Gordianus had bene Emperour of Rome sixe yeares Philip together with his sonne Philip succeeded him of this man it is reported that he beinge a Christian and desirous vpon the last day of the Easter vigils to be partaker and ioyned with the multitude in their ecclesiasticall prayers coulde not be admitted before he had firste rendred an accompt of his faith coupled him selfe with them which for their sinnes were examined and placed in the rowme of penitents otherwise he shoulde not be addmitted because that in many thinges he was fautye which Emperour willingly obeyed and declared by his workes his syncere and religious minde towards God CAP. XXXIIII Dionysius succeeded Heraclas at Alexandria IT was the thirde yeare of the raygne of Philip and the sixteenth yearâ— of Heraclas Bishop of Alexandria when Dionysius succeeded him in the Bishops seae CAP. XXXV VVhat time Origen sett his scriueners â—mâ—rke and when his other workes were written ABout that tyme fayth as it was very requisite taking roote and the Gospell freely preached throughout the world Origen as they reporte aboue threescore yeare old being much worne and wasted by reason of his longe studie and painfull exercise now at length firste permitted and not before that those things which he had publiquely preached and disputed should by notaries be coppied out Then wrote he agaynst the booke of Cellus the Epicure intitled the vvorde of trueth eyght bookes after them fiue and tvventy tracts vpon the Gospel after Matthewe and others vppon the tvvelue Prophets whereof we haue founde fiue and tvventy in the whole there is extant an epistle of his vnto the Emperour Philip and an other vnto his vvife the Empresse Seuera with sundry others vnto other men of the which as many as we coulde finde being scattered here and there which exceeded the number of a hundred we haue collected and comprised in seuerall volumes to the ende they should no more be dispersed He wrote also to Fabianus Bishop of Rome and to sundry other Bishops and gouernours of Churches of his sounde opinions and doctrine the specialities thereof thou maist see in the sixt booke of our Apollogie written in his behalfe CAP. XXXVI Origen confuted the Arabians which taught that the soules were mortall THere rose certayne at that time in Arabia which were authors of pernicious doctrine they taught that in this present life the soules dyed and perished together with the bodye and that in the generall resurrection they rose together and were restored to life agayne A great synode was summoned together for this cause so that agayne Origen was sent for who publikely so discoursed and disputed of this question that he purged withdrewe their seduced minds from this foule error CAP. XXXVII Origen openeth and confuteth the heresie of the Helcesaits THen also sprange vp the poysonâ—d opinion namely the heresie of the Helcesaitae whiche was no sooner risen but it was rooted out Origen made mention thereof expounding in the open audience of the congregation the fourescore and seconde Psalme where he sayth thus In these our dayes stept forthe one vvhich faced out that he vvas able to auoutche the most detestable opinion called the heresie of the Helcesaitae lately sovven in the Churche â–ª vvhat cancred poyson is contayned in this opinion I vvill tell you lest that ye also be deceaued This heresie disalovveth of some of the holy Scripture vvholy agayne allovveth of some other both in the olde and nevv testament This heresie denieth Paul vvholy This heresie counteth it an indifferent thing if thou deny or not deny vvith thy mouth in the time of persecution so that thou persist faithfull in thine hearte They vse a certayne booke vvhich as
spoken he vvas speachelesse agayne The boye ranne vnto the Priest it vvas night the Priest vvas sicke and could not come vvith him And because I gaue commaundement sayth Dionysius that such as vvere aboute to dye if humbly they requested shoulde be admitted to the ende they being strengthened in faith might departe in peace he deliuered vnto the boy a litle of the Eucharist commaunded him to crimble or soke it and so droppe it by a litle a little into the olde mans mouth the boy returneth and bringes vvith him the Eucharist vvhen he vvas hard by before he came in Serapion sayd comest thou my sonne the priest caÌ„not come vvhy then dispatch thou that vvhich he commaunded thee to doe and lett me departe the boy immixed or loked the eucharist and vvith all lett it by droppe meale into the old mans mouth vvhereof vvhen he had tasted a litle forth vvith gaue vp the Ghost â–ª is it not manifest that this olde man vvas so longe helde backe vntill he vvere absolued and loosed from the linke of sinne by confessing in the presence of many the fault he had committed Thus farre Dionysius CAP. XLIIII The epistle of Dionysius byshop of Alexandria vnto Nouatus NOwe let vs see what he wrote vnto Nouatus who at that time molested the Churche of Rome Because that he pretended the cause of his fall and the occasion why he embraced that Apostasie and schisme to rise through the perswasion of certaine brethren as if he were thereunto compelled by them Marke howe he wryteth vnto him Dionysius vnto the brother Nouatus sendeth greeting If thou vvast constrayned against thy vvill as thou sayest thou vvilt declare the same if thou returne vvillingly â–ª thou shouldest haue suffred anything rather then to rent a sunder the church of God neither is this martyrdome vvhich is suffred for not seueringe and deuidinge the Church of lesse glorie then that vvhich is tollerated for denyall of sacrifice vnto deuels â–ª yea in my iudgement it is offarre greater glorye For in the one martyrdom is suffred for one soule in the other for the vniuersall church but if thou ether persvvad the brethren or constraine them to returne to vnitie this notable fact vvilbe farre greater then the fault that vvent before the one vvill not be imputed the other vvilbe comended If thou canst not persvvade the rebellious and disobedient saue at leaste vvise thine ovvne soule I desire thy health in the Lord and thy embracing of peace vnitie Thus he wrote to Nouatus CAP. XLV The catalogue of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epistles concerning repentance HE wrote an Epistle of repentance vnto the bretherne throughout Aegypt where he layeth downe his censure of such as fell and describeth meanes to correct vices of the same matter there is extant an epistle of his vnto Conon byshop of Hermopolis and an exhortation vnto his flocke of Alexandria among these there is an other wryten vnto Origen of martyrdome likewise he wrote of repentance vnto the brethern of Laodicea whose byshop was Thelymidres to the bretherne throughout Armenia whose byshop was Meruzanes Moreouer he wrote vnto Cornelius byshop of Rome approuinge his epistle against Nouatus where he reporteth that he was called of Elenus byshop of Tarsus in Cilicia and other his companions Firmilianus byshop of Cappadocia and Theoctistus byshop of Palaestina to meete them at the synode held at Antioch where diuerse went about to establish the schisme of Nouatus he addeth besides howe he signified Fabius there to haue deseased and Demetrianus to haue succeded him byshop of Antioch He wrot of the byshop of Ierusalem these wordes The renovvmed Alexander dyed in pryson There is extaÌ„t an other epistle of Dionysius vnto the Romayns deliuered by Hippolytus againe he wrote an other of peace and repentance an other vnto the confessors which cleaued vnto the opinion of Nouatus Againe other two epistles vnto such as were conuerted vnto the churche and to many others he wrote very profitable tractes for the studious readers to peruse The ende of the sixt booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The wickednesse of Decius and Gallus the Emperours the death of Origen NOwe takinge in hande the seuenth booke of the ecclesiasticall historye the great Dionysius byshop of Alexandria who partely by his commentaries and partely by his Epistles described all the seuerall actes of his time shall stande vs in good steede Here hence will I beginne this present booke â–ª when Decius had not raygned full two years he was slayne together with his sonnes whome Gallus succeeded at what time Origen of the age of threscore nine yeares departed this life but of the foresayd Gallus Dionysius wrote vnto Hermammon in this manner Neyther did Gallus perceaue the implety of Decius neyther did he foresee what seduced him but stumbled at the same stone which laye right before his eyes who when the emperiall scepter prosperously befell vnto him and his affayrs went luckely forvvardes chaced awaye the holy men which prayed for peace and his prosperous estate and so he banished together vvith them the prayers continually powred vnto God for him And this much of him The translator vnto the reader IN so much that Ensebius throughout his sixt booke almost in euery chapiter hath wrytten at large of the famous clarke and greate doctor of Alexandria by name Origen and nowe also in the beginninge of his seuenth booke reporteth of his ende and that in fewe wordes I thought good for the readers sake for the more absolute and perfect deliuer aâ—â—â— of the story and for the further knowledge of his ende to annexe here vnto a worthie history out of Suydas a greeke writer who liued about a thousande years agoe toutching the thinges which happened vnto Origen a litle before his death his wordes are these The life of Origen out of Suydas Origen is sayd to haue suffred much afliction for Christs sake being famous eloquent and trayned in the Church euen from his youth vp but through enuy he was brought before the rulers magistrats through the despitefull subtlely crafty â—nuâ—tion of Satan he was brought into great sclaunder blemish of infamy A man they say the authors of iniquitie deuised to vvorke the feat as much to saye they prepared an Aethiopian or foule blacke moore beastly for to abuse his body but he not able to avvaye neyther vvillinge to here so horrible an Acte brake out into lovvd speach and exclaymed at both the thinges vvhich vvere giuen him in choyce rather then the one that he vvoulde doe the other in the end he consented to sacrifice vvherefore vvheÌ„ they had put frâ—kensence in his hand they threwe it into the fire vpoÌ„ the altar by this meanes he was by the iudges put froÌ„ martyrdome also banished the church wheÌ„ he had thus done he was so ashamed that
very carnall lusted after for the pampering of his paÌ„ch the same he dreamed should come to passe to wete the satisfiyng of the bellye and the thinges vnder the belly with meates drinks mariages festiuall dayes sacrifices slaughters for oblatioÌ„s whereby he imagined he should conceaue greater ioy pleasure but I truely durst not presume to reiect this booke because that many of the brethren read it diligently conceaued a greater opinion thereof then the vnderstanding my capacitie atayned vnto I surmise there is a certaine hidd and wonderfull expectation of thinges to come contayned in the seuerall chapiters thereof â–ª for where I vnderstand him not I bethinke my selfe the words contayne a deeper sense or more profound vnderstanding neither do I sift or pronounce sentence of these after my grosse vnderstanding but resting rather with fayth doe forthwith thinke they are higher then may be vnderstoode of me â–ª neither doe I vnaduisedly refute the thinges I perceaued not but rather maruell that I my selfe haue not manifestly seene them â–ª after these things Dionysius alloweth of all y â— doctrine contained in the reuelacion declareth that it is impossible to vnderstande the meaninge thereof by light reading ouer of the letter writing thus vvhen he had finished as I may so terme it all the prophecy the prophete pronounceth them happie which kepe it yea himselfe to â–ª happy sayth he is he which keepeth the words of the prophecy of this booke I Iohn savv these things heard wherefore I denyonot but that his name was Iohn and that this worke is Iohns I thinke verely the booke is of some holy maÌ„ indued with the holy Ghost â–ª but that it is the Apostles the sonne of Zebedie the brother of Iames whose is the gospell intitled after Iohn and the Catholicke epistle I can hardely be brought to graunt for I coniecture by the behauiour of both by they re frase of wryting drift of the booke that he was not the same Iohn The euangelist layd downe no where his name neyther preached he himselfe ether by gospell or epistle Againe after a fewe lines he sayeth Iohn no vvhere made mention as of himselfe or of any other but the author of the reuelation forthvvith in the begininge of the booke prefixed his name sayinge The reuelation of Iesus Christ vvhich he gaue him that he should shevve vnto his seruantes thinges vvhich shortly must be done vvhich he sent and shevved by his Angell vnto his seruant Iohn vvho bare record of the vvord of God and of the testimony of Iesus Christ of all things that he savve Againe Iohn vvryteth an epistle vnto the seuen Churches in Asia Grace be vvith you and peace The Euangelist prefixed not his name no not to his Catholicke epistle but orderly beginnes of the mysterie of Gods seerets after this manner that vvhich vve hearde that vvhiche vve savve vvith our eyes â–ª for the like reuelation the Lord pronounced Peter blessed saying happy art thou Simon bar Iona for fleshe and bloode haue not reuealed that vnto thee but my father vvhich is in heauen â–ª and yet neyther in the seconde neyther in the thirde epistles commonly vnder his name for all the shortnes thereof is his name prefixed but vvithout name vvrote himselfe an elder The author hereof not contente after once naming himselfe to prosecute the matter he had in hand but againe repeateth and sayth I Iohn your brother partener in tribulation and in the kingdome and pacience of Iesu vvas in the I le patmos for the vvord of God and the testimony of Iesu and about the end he vvriteth thus happy is he that keepeth the vvordes of the prophecie of this booke and I Iohn heard and savve these things vvherefore vve haue to beleue that one Iohn vvrot these things according vnto this his saying but vvhat Iohn he vvas it is vncertayne â–ª he named not himselfe as in sundry places of the gospell the disciple beloued of the Lord neyther him vvhich leaned on his brest neyther the brother of Iames neyther himselfe vvhich savve and hearde the Lord no doubt he vvoulde haue vttered one or other of these had he bene disposed to reueale himselfe â–ª he layd dovvne not one of these but called him selfe our brother and partener the vvitnesse of Iesu and happie because of the vision and hearinge of the reuelations I suppose there vvere many of the same name vvith the Apostle Iohn vvho for the loue they bare vnto him and for that they had him in admiration and imitated his stepps vvoulde be loued alike of the Lord and therefore vsurped this name euen as Paul and Peter are often repeated of faythfull vvryters There is an other Iohn in the Actes of the Apostles vvhose sirname vvas Marke vvhome Barnabas and Paul tooke together vvith them of vvhome he sayth aftervvards they had Iohn to theyr minister â–ª and vvhether this vvas he that vvrote the reuelation I dare not affirme it is not recorded that he came vvith them into Asia â–ª for vvheÌ„ they loosed sayth he from Paphos they vvhich accompanied Paul came to Perga in Pamphilia but Iohn departed from them and returned to Ierusalem and I take him to be some other of them vvhich vvere in Asia the report goeth that there are tvvo monumeÌ„ts at Ephesus and ether of them beares the name of Iohn agayne if thou consider and vveye the sense the vvordes the frase of them not vvithout iust cause shall he be found an other not the Euangelist â–ª the gospell and the epistle do ansvvere one an other theyr beginings are a like The Gospell In the begining sayth he vvas the vvorde The epistle that vvhich vvas sayth he from the begining The Gospell and the vvord sayth he became fleshe and dvvelled among vs and vve savve the glorie thereof as the glorie of the onely begotten of the father The epistle hath the like but othervvise placed that vvhich vve heard sayth he that vvhich vve savv vvith our eyes that which vve behelde our hands haue handled of the worde of life the life vvas made manifest for to this ende he vsed this pâ—eface as in processe more playnely appeareth to impugne the hereticks vvhich affirmed that Christ vvas not come in the flesh vvherefore diligently he ioyned these together and vve testifie vnto you that vve savve and shevve vnto you the euerlasting life vvhich vvas vvith the father and appeared vnto vs vvhich vve savve and heard that declare vve vnto you here he stayeth and svvarueth not from the purpose but throughout all the seuerall chapiters inculcateth all the names vvhere of some breefly I vvill repeate he vvhich diligently readeth shall often finde in both life often light dehortinge from darkenes very oft trueth grace ioye the fleshe and blood of our Lord iudgement remission of sinnes the loue of God towards vs a commaundement to loue one an other that all the commaundements are to be kept
the misery and lamentable state of such as were thus afflicted but also their owne case and the ignominie redounding therby vnto nature the common parent of all This spectacle of mans fleshe not in one place deuoured but piteously scattered euery where was subiect to euery mans eye rounde about the walls of the towne and exceeded all that thereof may be spoken and euery lamentable and tragicall shewe Some reported they sawe quarters whole carkasses and peeces of bowells within the walls of the citie while this continewed the space of many dayes such a miracle was seene as followeth When the weather was calme aud the ayre cleare and the cloudes vnder heauen which compasseth all banished away the pillers of the citie vpon a sodaine which helde vp the great and common porches swett or rather poured out many droppes of water much like vnto teares the markett place also and the streetes when as there fell not a droppe of rayne I wot not how neither whence soked with moysture and sprinkled dropps of water so that immediatly the rumor was bruted abroad in euery mans mouth that the earth being not able to away with the hainous and horrible offences of those dayes poured out infinite teares after a wonderfull sort and that the stones and senselesse creatures bewayled those detestable mischieues reprouing man most iustly for his stoâ—y heart his cruell minde voyde of all pitie and compassion but peraduenture this story will seeme fabulous and ridiculous vnto the posterity yet not vnto such as then were present and were fully perswaded with the trueth thereof CAP. XXVIII The martyrdome of Ares Promus Elias Petrus Apselamus and Asclepius a Bishop of the opinion of Marcion THe fourteneth daye of the moneth Apellaeâ—s which next ensued that is about the nynetenth of the Calends of Ianuary certaine godly men trauellers out of Aegypt their iourney was into Cilicia minding to finde some reliefe at Caesarea for the confessors whiche there abode were taken of the watch which sate at the gates of the citie searched incommers Of which men some receaued the self same sentence as they had before whom they went about to relieue to were y â— pulling out of their eies the maiming of their lyâ—â—â—es and left legges Three of them yelding forth a maruelous constancie at the confession of their faith ended their liues with diuers kindes of torments at Ascalon where they were apprehended One of them whose name was Ares was throwne into a great flaming fire and burned to ashes â–ª the other two whose names were Promus and Elias had their heads stroken of from their shoulders The eleuenth day of y â— moneth Audinaeus y â— is about the thirde Ides of Ianuary Petrus called also Apselamus a worshipper or religious man borne in the village Anea which bordered vpon Eleutheropolis being very often entreated by the iudge and his asistents to remember him selfe to pity his case and to tender his youthly yeares and florishing age contemned their perswasions and cast his whole care vpon Almighty God preferring that before all other thinges yea and before his proper life and at Caesarea tried by fire his faith in Christ Iesu with a noble and valiant courage much like vnto most pure golde together with him on Asclepius a Bishop as men sayd of the heresie of Marcion with godly zeale as he thought but not with that which is according vnto knowledge departed this life in the selfe same burning fire and thus much of them CAP. XXIX Of 12. Martyrs that suffred together in one day with Pamphilus and of the martyrdome of Adrianus and Eubulus TIme now draweth me away to paynt forth vnto the posteritie that noble and glorious theatre of Martyrs which suffred together with Pamphilus whose name I doe alwayes honour and reuerence They were twelue in number and thought worthy not only of y â— Prophetical or rather the Apostolike gift but also the number of the Apostles whose captayne and principall was Pamphilus â–ª minister of the Churche of Caesarea a man very famous for sundry his vertues throughout the whole race of his life singuler in despising and contemning this present worlde bountifull for liberalitie bestowed vpon the poore wonderfull in neglecting the care fixed vpon transitory thinges excelling in behauiour and Philosophicall trade of liuing moreouer passing all the men of our age for feruent zeale and earnest desire and study of holy Scripture maruelous constant in all his doings and enterprises and also very ready to ayde and helpe such as were of his kinne and familiar acquaintance other his vertues and well doinges because it required a longer treatise we haue lately and that largely published in a seuerall and peculier volume entitled of his life and deuided into three bookes Therefore such as are desirous to learne more exactly and more exquisetly to knowe his vertuous life we referre thither and presently we minde onely to prosecute such thinges as concerne the Martyrs which suffred persecution together with him The seconde after Pamphilus that came forth to wrastle was the reuerent whore headed Valens Deacon of the city Aelia a graue father in euery mans eye and greatly skilled in holy Scripture if then there was any such in the worlde he was so expert therein that if he hearde any percell thereof by any man alleadged forthwith was he able by rote to repeate it as well as if then he read it out of the booke The thirde was Paulus a man wonderfull zealous and feruent in the spirite borne in the citye Iamnia where he grewe to greate fame before martyrdome he endured the scorching and searing of his fleshe with hott yrons and passed through a worthy combatt at the confession of his fayth the martyrdome of these was differred by reason of their continewance in prison two whole dayes In the meane while came the brethren of Aegypt which suffered martyrdome together with them these Aegyptians when they had accompanied the confessors of Cilicia vnto the place appoynted for the digging of mettals returned home againe in their returne they were taken of the watch which kept the gates of Caesarea which were barbarous and rude groomes and examined who they were and whence they came when they could not conceale the trueth they were layde in holde as if they had bene haynous trespassers and had committed some horrible crime In number they were fiue which were brought before the tyrant and after their examination clapt in prison The thirde daye being the sixtenth of the moneth Peritius after the Romaynes about the fouretenth of the Calendes of March these together with Pamphilus and the rest of his companions mentioned a litle before by commaundement were brought before the iudg This iudge first of all trieth with sundry and manifold torments with new and straung deuises the inuincible constancy and valiant minde of the Aegyptians And with all he demaunded of the chiefe principal in this combat what his name was then
out the inchaunters which had foully deceaued him he punished with torments the prophets and priests of the late erected image made inquisition in what sort they cloked y â— deceate When as they driuen by torment could not conceale y e trueth they reueled the whole secretie to be a deceite wrought by the subtletie of Theotecnus Wherfore he rewarded all with punishment dewe for their desert and first of all Theotecnus him selfe afterwards the other coÌ„panioÌ„s of inchauntments when he had first diuersly tormented theÌ„ he executed to death After all these the next turne lyghted vpon the children of Maximinus whome he had made companions of the imperiall honour of the pictures and publique ensignes Last of all the kinsmen of the tyrant who afore time by their insolencie oppressed all men together with the aforesayde tyrant now suffred punishment with vtter shame For they receaued not the discipline they knewe not neither vnderstoode they the admonition which speaketh in holy scripture Putt not your trust in princes nor in any child of man for there is no help in them VVhen the breath of man goeth forth he shall returne againe to his earth in that daye all his thoughts and deuises shall perishe The impious persons after this sort being bereaued of their liues the empire stood very stable voyde of all enuie vnto CoÌ„stantinus and Licinnius alone These men when as before all things they had wiped out of this life the enemies of God ioyfully possessinge benefits and graces from aboue shewed forth the studie of vertue and of godlines pietie and thankfulnes of minde towards God by a constitution published in the behalfe of the Christians The ende of the nynth booke THE TENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The thankefulnes of the Christians for the peace graunted vnto them from aboue after the great storme of persecution MAny and infinite thankes be geuen in all thinges vnto God almightie and kinge of all kings and to Iesus Christ the sauiour and redemer of our soules through whome we wishe vnto vs continewally the preseruation of such thinges as concerne peace both from outward vexations as also firme and immouable inwardly in our minds Seeing that hitherto we were furthered by thy prayers and nowe hauing finished nyne bookes of the ecclesiasticall historie we annexe the tenth and dedicate it vnto thee most holy Paulinus sealinge and shuttinge vp the whole worke with the publishinge abroad of thy prayse Justly therfore we place heere in a perfect number the absolute and solemne sermon gratulatorie of y e repayring of the churches obeying no doubt herein the holy ghost commaunding after this sort Singe vnto the Lorde a nevve songe because he hath done maruelous things with his ovvne ryght haÌ„d with his holy arme hath he gotten him selfe the victory The Lord hath shewed his saluation in the sight of the heathen hath he openly declared his ryghteousnes Insomuch that these words of y e Prophet require a new song of duety then we must haue a songe in our mouth because that after vglesome and darke spectacles after thunderinge and terrible threates we haue bene thought worthie nowe to see such thinges and to celebrate such solemnities such as I saye before vs manie iuste men and Martyrs of God haue desired to see vpon earth and haue not seene to heare and haue not hearde But they passinge very speedely haue possessed farre more myghtie ioyes beynge taken awaye into the heauens them selues vnto the celestiall Paradise and to deuine dayntyes but we confessinge these present thinges to be greater then we deserued do honor aboue measure the grace of Gods greate goodnesse We honor him iustly reuerencinge the same with all the myght of our mindes and testiflyng truely accordinge vnto the prophecies written where it is sayde Come and see the vvorkes of the Lorde vvhat maruelous thinges he hath done vpon earth he maketh the vvarres to ceasse vnto the endes of the vvorlde He breaketh the bovve bruyseth theyr armour and burneth theyr chariots vvith fyre Reioycinge therefore together in this sorte because of these thinges which in vs manifestly are fufilled we wyll ioyne this booke to the other former treatyses For the whole rable of the hatefull persons and enemyes to God was wyped awaye and so sodaynly taken out of the sight of men that agayne the worde of God was fulfilled sayinge I savve the vvicked lyfred vp and exaulted lyke the ceders of Libanus and I passed by and beholde he vvas not I sought his place and it coulde not be founde This daye beynge lyghtsome and cleare caste ouer with no darke cloudes hath shyned to all the churches of Christ throughout the worlde with the sonne beames of celestiall bryghtnesse Neyther dyd any foreyner enuie at our ioyfull assemblyes or at the enioyinge of the same gracious benefites but all mortall men beynge deliuered from tyrannicall oppression had libertie to communicate with vs in the thinges gyuen vs from aboue CAP. II. The heathens are gladd of the Christians successe the churches are repayred and the Emperours shewe themselues liberall and bountifull 〈◊〉 heathen being deliuered 〈…〉 the only true 〈◊〉 was y â— defender of the godâ—… ioy which wiâ—… gladnes inspired all seeing the places a litle before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the tyrants â–ª to be raysed vp as it were out of a long and deadly calamitie and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the foundations to be erectâ—◠〈◊〉 an vnâ—â—easâ—â—able height â–ª and to receaue greater 〈◊〉 then euer they enioyed before their destruction Moreouer the most puysant Emperours by their often 〈◊〉 published in the behalfe of the Christians haue 〈◊〉 and enlarged the 〈◊〉 graunted â—e by the â—â—ee â—oâ—â—tifulnes of God vnto the Bishops also â—â—ere came fauorable letters from the Emeprour dignities were bestowed 〈◊〉 of money and presents were sent them the â—oppy of which letters translated out of the Romayne into the greeke tongue it shall not be amisse in his proper place to annexe it vnto this present history as vnto a certayne piller to the ende they may be committed to the memorie of all posteritie to come CAP. III. Of the dedication of the temples then euery where celebrated and their festiuall orations THen the wished and desired sight was seene of vs to weâ—e the celebrating of the dedications throughout the cityes and consecrations of oratories lately buylded the meeting of Bishops the comming together of them which being farre seuered asunder 〈◊〉 in forreyne contreyes the loue of nation towards nation the knitting together of the members of Christ closing into one harmonie so that according vnto the foreshewing of the Prophet signifying mystically before the thing which should come bone was ioyned to bone â–ª ioynt to ioynt and what so euer other thing the saying of the Prophet though darkly yet truely foretold vs. One power of the diuine spirite wrought in all the
you for that it concerneth not any weyghty substance of all our religiō there is no reason why it should breed any diuision at all in mind or discorde in doctrine And this doe I say not to compell you in this light and fonde question of what sorte soeuer it be alltogether to condescende vnto the same sentence though you dissent among yourselues about a matter of small importance for neither truely are we all in all things like minded neither haue we all the same nature and gifte ingraffed in vs neuerthelesse for all that it may come to passe that the sacred vnity may soundlye inuiolably be retained amōg you one cōsent fellowship cōserued betwene all But toutching the prouidēce of God let there be one fayth amōg all one cōsent of mind one opinion cōcerning God as toutching the sleyghty subtle sifting out of these vaine questiōs though you agree not altogether in one yet should you haue limited thē within the boūds of your cappacity layd them vp within the secrete closett of your minde let the cōmon lincke of amity let true fayth let the honor due vnto God the reuerēce of his lawe dwell for sure certaine amōg you ioyne hāds together be friends one with an other render vnto the whole multitude of the people theyr wonted familiarity purging your mindes of the spott of cōtention embraceye againe one an other after the most louing friendlyest maner for oftentimes vvhē enmity is banished amity is of more delectable force amōg friēds let me therefor enioy the days in peace the nights vvithout molestation that the pleasure vvhich riseth of the pure light of cōcord quiet life may hēceforth inuiolably be cōserued If it othervvise happē it behoueth vs to sobe sigh to shede many a salt teare for it can not be that hēceforth we leade the rest of our life in peace trāquility for it can not be that the people of God I meane that people which ioyntly with vs is tied to the seruice of god as long as they thus iniustly dāgerously disagree one frō an other doe liue peaceably or hovve can I in this case quiett my selfe and setle my conscience And that you may perceaue the great griefe sorow I conceaue in my harte for the same I beseche you geue eare vnto me Of late as I came vnto the cyty of Nicomedia forthvvith I purposed in minde speedely to trauell tovvards the Easte and vvhen I hastened tovvards you and had passed the greater parte of my iourney so that novve I seemed in maner to be with you tydings hereof constrained me to alter my mind lest that I shoulde vvith mine eyes behould the thinges vvhich I verely supposed my selfe not able to tollerat with mine ears Toutching that vvhich remayneth see that vvith your peace concordeye make plaine and sett vvide open the vvay for my iourney into the East the vvhich you haue shut vvith your debate discord kindled of the one against the other And bringe speedely to passe that I may perceaue not onely you to holde together but also the whole multitude of the laye people reioycinge and let vs all ioyntly render thankes as our bounden duety requireth vnto God almighty vvith conuenient laude and praise for the publique peace the common vnity and liberty of all men CAP. V. Constantinus the Emperour summoneth the Nicene councell it was held at Nicaea a Citie of Bithynia for the debatinge of the controuersie about the feast of Easter and the rootinge out of the heresie of Arius THough the emperours letters contained a wonderfull exhortation full of graue and sobre councell yet y ◠poyson of dissention had takē such roote that neither the industry of the emperoure neyther the credit of the messenger which brought the letters colde suppresse it For neither Alexander neither Arius tempered the madnes of their cōtentious minds for all the emperours letters There was moreouer no small contention and a greate tumulte amonge the vulgare sorte before the which there was an other pestilēt kind of sedition scattered abrode into certaine particular prouinces which greatly molested the quiet estate of the church to weete the schisme about the time of the celebration of the feast of Easter which then had onely possessed the Easterne partes whilest that some curiously obserued the Iudaicall celebration of the feaste some other the generall custome and maner of the christians throughout the worlde And while they thus contende about the feaste they communicate neuerthelesse one with an other and accomplishe the solemnity with bitter contention of minde When therefore the Emperour sawe the church vehemently tossed by reason of both these troublesome tumultes he summoned a generall councell and cited by his letters from euery where the byshops to appeare and meete at Nicaea a city of Bithynia So that many byshops out of many prouinces and cityes came thither of the which Eusebius called Pamphilus in his thirde booke of the life of Constantine wryteth thus There vvere gathered together into one the chiefe ministers of God inhabitinge all the churches throughout all Europe Aphrick and Asia there vvas one sacred senate framed as it vvere by the handye vvorke of God vvhich also embraced vvithin the boundes thereof both Syrians and Cilicians such as came from Phoenicia Arabia Palaestina Aegypt Thebais Libya and Mesopotamia there vvas also in this Synode the byshop of Perses neyther vvas the Scythian absent from this company Pontus Galatia Pamphilia Cappadocia Asia and Phrygia ministred chosen men from amongest them Moreouer the Thracians Macedonians Achaians Epirotae and they vvhose dvvellinge vvas farre distant came thither of the Spaniardes also there vvas present together vvith many others in that company * one that vvas counted notable of greate fame and renovvne But the byshop of the princely cytye by reason of his olde age absented himselfe yet there vvere then presente of his clergie vvhich supplied his rovvme Suche a garlande of immortall memory tvvisted the emperour Constantine beinge but one through the bonde of vnity vnto the glory of Christ and to the ende he mighte be founde thankefull vnto his Sauiour he sett vp that renovvmed signe of victory agaynst the enemye liuely resemblinge in this our assemblie the Apostolicke quire For it is wrytten that in those tymes there were gathered together holy men of euery nation vvhich is vnder heauen amonge vvhome there vvere Parthians Medes Elamits and inhabitors of Mesopotamia Iudaea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphilia Aegypte and the partes of Libya vvhiche is beyonde Cyren straungeres of Rome Ievves and Proselytes Cretes and Arabians But this one thinge fayled them for all they that mette there vvere not of the ministers of God The number of Bishops in this assemblie vvas three hundred and ouer but of Priestes Deacons Acolyts and others vvhich accompanyed them the number coulde not be tolde And of the ministers of God some
for their sage and sober speache some for their grauitie in life and patience in aduersitie some other for their trade of liuing as meane betwene both vvere highly commended There vvere of these not a fevv vvho for their old yeares and auncient dayes vvere greatly honored other some in the flower of their youth for sharpnes of vvitt gaue a glistering shine certaine others vvere late practitioners and nouices in the ministerie vnto all vvhich the Emperour commaunded that all necessaries large and liberall foode for sustenance should dayly be ministred And so farre out of Eusebius toutching that assemblie When the Emperour had finished the triumphe solemnized in remembrance of his victorie against Licinnius he tooke his iorney vnto Nicaea Among the bishops there assembled Paphnutius bishop of the vpper Thebais and Spiridion bishop of Cyprus were recounted famous But the cause that moued vs to rehearse them hereafter shal be shewed There were present also many of the laytie which were skilfull logicians ready to defend ereother part Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia as I haue sayde before Theognis and Maris maintayned the opinion of Arius This Theognis was bishop of Nicaea and Maris bishop of Chalcedon a cytie of Bithynia Againste these Athanasius deacon of the church of Alexandria stroue manfully this Athanasius did Alexander the bishop highly esteeme and therefore there ensued greate enuie against him as hereafter shal be declared Before the bishops mett together in one place the logicians busted them selues propoundinge against diuers others certaine preambles of disputation and when diuers were thus drawen to disputation and allured as it were by bayte a lay man one of the number of confessors of a simple syncere mind sett himselfe against the Logicians and tolde them thus in playne wordes that neyther Christ neither his Apostles had deliuered vnto vs the arte of Logicke neyther vayne fallacies but an open and plaine minde to be preserued of vs with faith and good works The which when he had spoken all that were present had him in admiration and helde with his sentence Then the Logicians after they had heard the pure words of playne trueth quieted and setled them selues aright So that at length by that meanes the sturre raysed by occasion of Logicke was wholly suppressed The day after all the bishops mett in one place after them came the Emperour beinge come he standeth in the middest neither woulde he first sit downe before he had beckened to the bishops to do the same So greate a reuerence of person and shamefastnesse of minde did the Emperour shewe vnto those graue fathers After that all were silent as the opportunitie of the tyme dyd require the Emperour as he sate in his seate made an oration vnto them exhorting them to embrace vnitie of minde concorde and agreement wherein also he counselled them to remoue from their mindes all priuate malice and grudge which they dyd owe onē towardes an other For diuers of them had accused eche other and putt vp the daye before vnto the Emperour libells one against the other But he exhorted them earnesty to applye them selues vnto the purposed busynesse which was the cause of their assemblye and commaunded the libelles to be burned ioyninge withall this onely sayinge that Christ commaunded him that looketh for forgeuenesse to forgeue likewise his brother When that he had largely entreated of concord and peace to be preserued amonge them he referred vnto their discretion to discerne more exquisitely of the principles of Christian religion euen as the selfe same Eusebius reporteth in his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine whose allegation may presently seeme very commodious For thus he wryteth VVhen many thinges of eyther syde vvere alleadged and a greate controuersie raysed euen at the entrance into disputation the Emperour gaue pacient and peaceable eare vnto all he receaued theire positions vvith earnest and carefull studie some tymes he holpe in reasoninge ere other parte vvhen that they disputed vvith heate of contention he reconciled them by little and little he conferred vvith euery one louingly and curteously he vttered his minde in Greeke neither was he ignorant of that language his speache was both sweete and pleasaunt perswading with some pacifying some other vvith gentle vvordes praysing others for their sage sentences He ceased not to reduce them all vnto concorde vntill that he had brought them to that passe that they all became of one mind and concluded with one opinion toutching all the thinges that euer toe fore vvere called into question so that not onely there florished among thē one faith but also they agreed all together to celebrate the solempne feast of Easter at one and the same tyme throughout the vvorlde Nowe therfore the canons concluded vpon by common consent of all were ratified by the subscription of euery one and recorded for the posteritie These things hath Eusebius to like purpose rehearsed and left behinde him in writing neither haue we in this place cyted them out of season yea we haue vsed his words for witnesses and knitte them to this our historie to the ende we geue not eare vnto some which haue condemned the counsell assembled at Nice as though it had crred in the fayth againe that we creditt not Sabinus the Macedonian who called the men that mett there idiots and rude persons For this Sabinus bishop of the Macedonians which inhabit Heraclaea a citie of Thracia whilest that he gathereth into one volume those things which diuers councells and assemblies of bishops haue committed to writing he condemneth with opprobrious languages the bishops which mett at Nice for vnlearned and ignorant men not remembring that in so doing he cōdemneth Eusebius for an idiote who published the same faith with the greate tryall and experience he had therein Moreouer some things of sett purpose he ouerskippeth some other he peruerteth those thinges which seemed to make for his purpose which tended to the marke he shott at all those he culled out diligently And though he praiseth Eusebius Pamphilus for a witnesse to whome creditt may worthely begeuen and though he hyghly commende the Emperour as one that preuayled very much in the establishing of Christian religion yet for all that doth he reprehende the faith published in the councell of Nice as deliuered by such as were rude and all together vnlearned And whome he calleth a wise man and counteth a true witnesse the same mans testimonie of sett purpose doth he reiect For Eusebius reporteth that of the ministers of God which then were present some excelled for their sage and sober sentences some for their grauitie of life and that the emperour with his presence reduced them all vnto concorde and linked them together in one mind and in one opinion but of Sabinus if tyme do serue and occasion hereafter be offred we will say more The vniforme doctrine of faith agreed vpon published by open cōsent of all in the
phrase correspoÌ„dent vnto y â— capacitie both of learned and vnlearned readers Wherefore entring to discourse of him we purpose to proceede in this order after our preamble hath vsed a litle digressioÌ„ fet a small coÌ„passe for to lay downe his kinred his nurture the maner how he attained vnto y â— emperiall crowne Constantinus y â— Emperour who chauÌ„ged y â— name of ByzantiuÌ„ termed it CoÌ„stantinople had two brethren of one father but by diuers mothers the one was Dalmatius y â— other Costantius Dalmatius had a sonne of his owne name Constatius also had two soÌ„nes Gallus Iulianus When as after the death of CoÌ„stantinopls fosider y â— yoÌ„ger Dalmatius had ben staine of y â— souldiers these orphanes likewise bereaued of their naturall father escaped narowly the vnlucky successe of Dalmatius for they had bene cut of dispatched had not sicknesse diseases as it was thought incurable saued Gallus life youthly age of eight yeare old preserued Iulianus aliue kept him from y â— tyraÌ„ts clawes But after y t the Emperour was appeased his furie withdrawen froÌ„ raging against theÌ„ Gallus was trained vp vnder schoolemaisters at Ephesus in Ionia where their auncetors had left either of theÌ„ great legacies Iulianus also being come to y â— stature of a spriÌ„gall gaue him selfe to learniÌ„g in y â— cathedrall church of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople where was a free schoole he went in simple meane attire was taught of Macedonius y â— Cunuch he learned graÌ„mer of Nicocles y â— Laconian Rhetorike of Ecebolius y â— sophist who theÌ„ was a ChristiaÌ„ The Emperour ConstaÌ„tius prouided very well lest y â— by hauiÌ„g an ethnike to his maister for Iulianus was a ChristiaÌ„ froÌ„ his cradell he should fall to y â— superstitious idolatry of pagaÌ„s WheÌ„ he had profited very much in good discipline godly literature y â— fame weÌ„t of him amoÌ„g y t people y t he was a man both able fit to gouerne beare office in the coÌ„mon wealth The which thing afterwards being then rife in euery mans mouth disquieted y â— Emperour not a litle Wherfore he caused him to be remoued from y â— princely citie of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople into Nicomedia charged him not to treade in y â— schoole of Iabanius y â— Syrian Sophist Iabanius then was expelled by y â— schoolemaisters of ConstaÌ„tinople kept a schoole at Nicomedia who powred out y â— poison of his caÌ„kred stomake displeasure coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st y â— schoolemaisters in a certaine booke which he published agaiÌ„st theÌ„ though Iulianus was therfore forbiddeÌ„ to frequent Libanis lessoÌ„s because he professed paganisme and heathenishe literature yet for all that was he so in loue with his works that he procured them vnto him secretly and by stelth and perused them with greate labor and diligence When he had taken good successe and great profit in Rhetorike it fell out that Maximus the philosopher not the Byzantian the father of Eucleides but the Ephesian came to Nicomedia â–ª whome the Emperour Valentinianus afterwardes founde to be a coniurer and recompenced him with present death â–ª but that as I sayde before fell afterwards At that time there was no cause that draue him thither but the fame of Iulian. Of this man it was that Iulian learned the precepts of philosophie but as for religion he had such a maister as inflamed his minde to aspire vnto the imperiall scepter When these thinges came to the Emperours eares Iulian nowe muzinge betwene hope and fearefull hatred howe he myght be voyde of suspition who of late had bene a true Christian but nowe an hypocriticall dissembler shaued him selfe and counterfayted a monkishe life For all that priuely he applyed heathenishe and philosophicall discipline but openly he read holy scripture so that he was made reader in the church of Nicomedia Thus craftely vnder cloke of religion did he appease the furious rage of the Emperour incensed agaynst him These things did he of feare yet not dispayring of hope for he sticked not to tell diuers of his familiar friends that it woulde be a happie worlde if he were made Emperour When it went thus with him Gallus his brother was created Caesar who taking his iourney into the East came by Nicomedia for to see him After that Gallus in a while after was slayne immediatly from that time forth Iuliamus was had in greate suspicion of the Emperour and therevpon commaunded that he shoulde be straightly looked vnto he espying fitt opportunitie to escape his keepers conueyed him selfe away and saued his life At length Eusebia y â— Empresse finding him by chaunce lurking in some secret and obscure place intreated the Emperour in his behalfe that he would not onely doe him no harme but also graunt him his lawfull fauour for to repaire to Athens for further knowledge in philosophie To be short he sent for him made him Caesar gaue him his sister Helen to wife and sent him into Fraunce for to wage battaile with y â— barbarian nations which rebelled agaynste their Christian Emperour For the Barbarians whome the Emperour Constantius had hyred a litle before to geue battaile vnto Magnentius the tyraÌ„t when as they preuayled nothing against him they fell a ransacking and spoyling of the cities within the Romaine dominions and because Iulian had but a greene head and of no great yeares the Emperour gaue him charge to enterprise nothing without the aduise and counsell of his sage expert captaines When y â— they hauing this large commission waxed negligent so y â— the Barbarians had the vpper hand Iulianus permitted the captaines to banquet to take their pastime pleasure layd downe a sett and certaine reward for euery Barbarian that was slayne whereby he did the more incourage the souldiers By this meanes it fell out that the power of the Barbarians came to nought and that he him selfe was greatly beloued of his souldiers The fame goeth that as he entred into a certaine towne a greene garland hanging by a corde betwene pillours wherewith commonly they are wont to trimme their houses and sett forth the beautie of their cities fell vpon his head and sitted him very well insomuch that all the people then present gaue a great shout thereat â–ª for it was thought that the falling garland prognosticated vnto him the glory of the imperiall seepter following after Some say that Constantius sent him against the Barbarians hoping that in skirmishing with them he shoulde there be dispatched â–ª but whether they report truely or no I knowe not For after that he had maryed him to his sister if then he shoulde pretende him friendship and practise mischiefe towards him what other thing were that then to procure vengeance to lyght vpon his owne pate but whether it be thus or otherwise lett euery man iudge as he thinkes best When Iulian had signified vnto the Emperour the carelesse and sâ—outhfull disposition and negligence of
to bloodshed yet doubted they not to deale with the Persians who nowe were come forthe to meete them so that in the ende they putte them to flighte and wonne the fielde The Emperoure himselfe was a horsebacke at the battell to the ende he mighte animate and incourage the souldiers but trusting to much to his prosperitie and thinkinge himselfe cockesure wente into his campe without complete harnesse Therefore an arrowe beinge soddaynely shotte at him pearced throughe his arme and stucke in his ribbes whiche gaue him his deathes wounde but who did it was neuer knowen Some reporte that he was wounded by a fugitiue Persian some other that he was slayne by one of his owne souldiers whiche is rife in euerye mans mouthe yet Calistus one of the Emperours housholde garde who wrote his life in Heroycall verse and the battell whiche he gaue then vnto the Persians say the that it was a wicked fiende or Deuell that runne him throughe whiche peraduenture is fayned after the maner of Poeticall inuention and yet it may very well be true for we learne that the furies of Hell haue often times recompenced suche lewde persons with extreme punishmente But howe so euer it was euerye man knoweth that for his headye rashenesse he was subiecte to daunger for his eloquence and gifte of vtterance he was desirous of vayne glorie and for his counterfete grauitie he was contemned and derided of all men Thus he ended his life in Persia as I sayde before in his fourth Consulship the whiche he enioyed with Salustius beinge the sixt and twentieth of Iune and the thirde yeare of his raygne the seauenth yeare after he was made Caesar by Constantius the one and thirtieth yeare of his age CAP. XIX Iouianus is created Emperoure A notable confutation of Libanius the Heathen Rhetorician THe souldiers beinge doubtefull knowinge not what was best to be done the nexte day after the death of Iulian without any further deliberation they proclaime Iouianus a man of valiante and noble courage theyr Emperoure This man beinge a tribune when Iulian by proclamatioÌ„ gaue the souldiers in choice eyther to doe sacrifice or to leaue warefare chose rather to throwe awaye his swordegirdle then to satisfie the wicked and detestable edicte of the Emperoure For all that Iulian when the necessitie of the warres then in hande constrayned him retayned him in the number of his Captaines But Iouianus beinge nominated Emperoure refuseth the crowne and beinge compelled thereunto agaynste his will by the souldieres breaketh out into lowde speache sayinge In that he was a Christian he woulde not be Emperour where Ethnickes shoulde become his subiectes yet when all with one voice confessed themselues to be Christians he yelded and was crowned Emperour Beinge in Persia and sodainely put to his shiftes his souldiers also being almost famished to death vpon certaine conditions he ioyned in league with the kinge of Persia and so ended the warres The couenantes as the Romaynes thoughte were vnlaweful yet consideringe the case of that presente time they were not to be misliked For he was contente to loose the dominion of Syria and to deliuer the Persians Nisibis a citie in Mesopotamia When these tidinges were blased abroade the Christians conceaued no small ioye at the departure of Iulian the whole armie also misliked very muche with his vndiscreete and headye rashenesse and laye to his charge that the boundes of the Empire were cutte shorte For be beinge deceaued by a Persian that was a fugitiue sette afire certaine vessells vpon the seaes whiche broughte them corne and thereof it rose that the famine grieued them sore At that time Libanius the Sophist made a funerall oration where he be wayled the death of Iulian and entitled it Iuliana or the Epitaph of Iulian. In the whiche he paynted forthe his life with loftye stile in prayse of his person and to his further commendation reporteth of the bookes he had wrytten agaynste the Christians and howe that in them he had proued theyr doctrine for triflinge and ridiculous stuffe If this Rhetorician had extolled the Emperoure onely for his other Acts I would haue proceeded with silence to discourse of that which remayneth of the historie but in so muche he hath mentioned the bookes of Iulian and like a graue and wise orator inueyed bitterly againste Christian religion therefore I haue thoughte good to saye somewhat thereof and firste I will laye downe his owne wordes In the vvinter season sayth he vvhen the nights are somevvhat longe the Emperoure perusing those bookes vvhiche affirme that the man vvhose originall vvas in Palaestina is bothe God and the sonne of God confuted them vvith manye reasons and stronge argumentes and condemned them for ridiculous doctrine affirmed moreouer that the glorious religion highly esteemed of them was full of toyes and trifles vvhere he proued himselfe to be farre vviser then the olde grayberde of Tyrus VVherefore let the olde man of Tyrus he meaneth Porphyrius conceaue no displeasure at all but patientely vveye vvherein his childe doth preiudice his creditte These are the wordes of Libanius the Sophiste Truely I will saye no lesse but that he was a notable Rhetorician and I am verelye perswaded that if he had not consented vnto the Emperours religion he woulde haue had no other speache in his mouthe then the Christians haue at this day and that by all likelyhoode beinge an excellent Rhetorician he woulde haue extolled Christian religion vnto the skies For he wrote in the prayse of Constantius while he liued after his desease he wrote to his disprayse and made inuectiues agaynste him Wherefore if Porphyrius had bene Emperoure he woulde haue preferred his workes before the wrytinges of Iulian againe if Iulian had bene a Sophist as he wrote of Ecebolius in his funerall oration of Iulian he would haue called him a â—auâ—â—e Rhetorician In as muche as then he beinge of the same religion with the Emperoure beinge a Rhetorician beinge also his friende wrote his pleasure of him we also after our habilitie will fall to answere his sclaunderous workes First he sayth that in the winter season the nights beinge somwhat longe he tooke great paines in perusing the christians bookes He signifieth by taking of paines in this place that his trauell was greate in wrytinge of inuectiues as Rhetoricians doe vse when they traine vp youth to the knoweledge of their art A good while agoe he read those bookes in deede tooke greate paynes discoursed at large not as Libanius sayth with stronge argumentes but with weake in somuche they were contrarie to the trueth and endeuored skoffinge wise to refell suche thinges as of themselues were of force inoughe For whosoeuer disputeth with an other laboureth to foile his aduersarie sometime by corrupting and peruerting some other time by concealinge of the trueth Whosoeuer also he be that oweth spite and hatred vnto any man he will endeuer like a deadly enemy not onely to doe but also to speake the worste of him he
looke for no other then fire and fagott and deadly foes all was destroyed whilest that some were brought before the barre some clapt in prison some others diuersly tormented for they vexed thē w t sundry punishments which lead a peaceable quiet life When these things were practised at Alexandria accordinge vnto Lucius his pleasure when that Euzoius also was come backe from Antioche the captaine with great power together with the companie of Lucius the Arian who was nothing behinde but without all pitie and compassion vexed these holy men farre more grieuous then the souldiers did marched forwards towards the Monasteries of Aegypt When they came to the place they founde the men after their wonted maner powringe out of prayers vnto God curing of diseases casting out of deuells These men making no accompt of miracles would not suffer them in their accustomed places to accomplishe their vsuall lyturgie but chased them away Neither were they content with this but they proceeded forwardes in the raginge furie of their minde and set vpon them with the heady and rashe troope of souldiers This Russinus reporteth him selfe to haue seene and to haue bene partaker with them of the same calamitie Furthermore the things specified in the Apostle semed in them to be fulfilled anew For many of thē were sett at nought scurged spoyled of their rayment fettered in prison crushed with stones beheaded with bloody swords shut vp in the desert couered with sheepe goats skinnes destitute of ayde succour grieuously afflicted wōderfully troubled w t aduersity whome y ◠world was not worthy to enioy neither y ◠earth to beare so holy a burthē many wādred in deserts daungerous waies they hid thē selues in mountaines in denns in caues hollow rocks These afflictions they suffred for their faith for their works for their gift of healing y ◠which God miraculously wrought by them Yet as we haue to cōiecture it pleased y ◠prouidēce of almighty God that they should endure such great calamittes to y ◠end their miserie might be a medicine to reduce other vnto y ◠health of their soules purchased by God him selfe y ◠end proued y ◠the premisses were no lesse for after that these notable men through their inuincible pacience sufferāce had ouercome these sundry manifold torments Lucius being deceaued of his purpose perswaded y ◠captaine to exile the fathers ringleaders of these religious mē by name Macarius y ◠Aegyptiā Macarius y ◠Alexādriā These men were banished into an isle where there was not a Christiā In this Isle there was an Idoll groue a priest whome all y ◠inhabitāts worshipped for their god whē these holy mē came thither all y ◠deuels y ◠were conuersant there began to trēble for feare At y ◠time such a miracle as followeth is sayd to haue bene wrought The priests doughter was sodainly possessed of a deuell she raged out of measure kept a foule sturre neither could her furie any kinde of way he mitigated but she exclaimed cryed out against these godly men saying Why came ye hither to chace vs away then the holy men reuealed made manifest vnto all those inhabitants y ◠gift which God had bestowed vpon them For they cast y ◠deuell out of y ◠maide they deliuer her safe sound vnto her parents cōuert both priest people vnto y ◠Christian faith Immediatly they chaunged their religion and were baptized and willingly embraced the seruice of almightie God Wherefore those holy men beīg grieuously persecuted for y ◠faith of One substāce were proued sufficiētly tried thē selues ministred both health and saluation vnto others and also cōfirmed that holie and reuerende faith CAP. XX. Of Didymus a blinde man yet of great skill and knowledge ABout that time God raysed in the world an other rare singular man by whose meanes he made the faith to florishe for Didymus a notable mā excelling in all kind of literature was famous at that time who being a yong man entring into the principles of learning was wonderfully plagued w t sore eyes so long vntill y ◠at length he was bereaued of all his sight But God in steede of the outward sense of the eye endued him of his goodnes with rare gifts vnderstanding of the minde For looke what he could not attaine vnto by the eye that got he by the eare Because that of a child he was of great towardnes sharpe witted and singular capacitie he farre excelled all the famous witts of his time For he was quickly seene in all the preceptes of grammar Rhetoricke he runne ouer sooner then the other it was a wonder to see in how short a space he profited greatly in philosophie first he learned Logike next Arithmetike then Musicke afterwardes the reste of the liberall artes the which he so applyed that he was able to encounter with them who by the helpe of their eye sight had profitted very much therein He was so perfect in the old and newe testament that he made therevpon many cōmentaries He published three books of the Trinitie He interpreted the bookes of Origen intituled Of principall beginnings left commentaries thereof cōmended the bookes highly condemned for fooles such as not vnderstanding what he wrote found fault with the works accused the writer Wherefore if any be desirous to knowe y ◠profound skill great study of Didymus let him peruse his works there he shal be fully perswaded The report goeth that Antonie a good while agoe in the time of the Emperour Valens comming out of the desert because of the Arians into the citie of Alexandria had conference with this Didymus and vnderstandinge of his great skill and knowledge he sayde vnto him Let it not grieue thee at all ô Didymus y ◠thou art bereaued of the corporall eyes carnall sight for though thou want such eyes as cōmonly are geuen to flies gnatts for safetie yet hast thou greatly to reioyce that the eyes wherwith the Angells do behold wherwith God him selfe is seene wherwith the cleare shining of the celestiall godhead is cōprehended are not dygged out of thy head These as they say were the wordes of Antonie vnto Didymus At that time Didymus was a great patron and defender of the true faith against the Arians he withstoode them he dissolued their captious fallacies and confuted their lewde and false arguments CAP. XXI Of Basilius bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and Gregorie byshop of Nazianzum EUen as Didymus by the appointment of God him selfe withstoode the Arians at Alexandria so in other cities did Basilius of Caesarea Gregorie of Nazianzū of whome now fit opportunitie is ministred to discourse Although the fame of them is ryfe in euery mans mouth and the great profitt that riseth by their workes is of greate force to their prayse and commendation yet seeinge that then the Christian faith
should be oppressed with tyranny vnder colour of the Emperiall title Therefore he gathered his power together and made hast to Millayne for Maximus was lately come thither CAP. XIII Of the tumult which the Arians raised at Constantinople AT the very same time when the Emperour made all y ◠expeditiō he could to wage this battaill with the tyrant the Arians raised a wonderfull great stur at Constantinople y ◠maner was as followeth Men commonly are wōt to fitten and faine leasings of things they know not and if that by chaunce they get hold of any tale forthwith they brute abroade false rumors and reports according to their fond vaine and foolishe desires euer chatting of newes and harkeninge after chaunge The which then was seene in the citie of Constantinople For of the warres that were so farre of they blased abroade of theyr owne braine one this thing an other that thinge hoping in their traiterous hartes that y ◠godly Emperour had euery daye worse successe then other For although there was nothing as yet done in the warres neuerthelesse they auoutch y t tidinges being coyned in the closet of their gigled braine they knew not to be as true as if they had seene thē with their owne eyes they reported that y ◠tyrant foyled the Emperours power y ◠there were slaine so many hundreds so many thousands of his souldiers that the tyrant had almost taken the Emperour himselfe The Arians being very much troubled in minde ready to burst for griefe that they whome they persecuted aforetime nowe enioyed the churches within the walls of y ◠city scattered sundry false rumors abroade And because y ◠diuers other reports perswaded the first autors of these false rumors that their sigments were most true for others which learned it onely by hearesay affirmed vnto the autors thereof y ◠it was euen as they at y ◠first had reported vnto thē the Arians plucke vp their hartes they beginne to venter a fresh and they set on fire the pallace of Nectarius y ◠Bishop of Constātinople These thinges were done in the second Consulship of Theodosius but the first of Cynegius CAP. XIIII The victory of Theodosius the Emperour and the foyle of Maximus the tyrant WHen the souldiers of Maximus the tyrant vnderstoode of the Emperours comming his great power they coulde in no wise digest the rumor thereof they were taken with sodaine feare they bound the tyrant their maister brought him vnto the Emperoure who presently executed him in the aforesaid cōsulship the eight and twentieth of August But Andragathius who slewe the Emperour Gratian hearing y ◠discomfiture of Maximus ranne headlōg into the next riuer drowned himselfe Wherefore y ◠Emperoures now hauinge gotten y ◠victorie tooke their voyage to Rome Honorius of tender yeares went together in their company For his father after the foyle of Maximus had sent to Constantinople for him They solemnized y ◠triūphe at Rome At what time y ◠Emperour Theodosius yelded forth a notable signe of his singuler clemēcy in the trouble of Symachus the consul This Symachus was heade Senator of Rome and for his great skill eloquence in Romaine literature had in great estimatiō He had wrytten many books among the rest one in the praise of Maximus the tyrant repeated in his hearing while he liued the which afterwards being extāt charged the autor with treason Wherefore he fearing death ranne vnto y ◠church for refuge The Emperour according vnto the great zeale godly affection he bare vnto the Christian faith reuerenced not onely the priests of his owne beliefe and opinion but also entreated curteously the Nouatians who embraced together with him y ◠faith of one substāce to the end he mighte gratifie Leontius Bishop of the Nouatian church at Rome which made sute for him he graunted Symachus his pardon Afterwardes he wrote an Apologie vnto the Emperoure Theodosius ▪ Thus y ◠warres which at y ◠first threatned great calamity to ensue were quickly ended CAP. XV. Of Flauianus Bishop of Antioch AT the same time we haue learned such thinges as followe to haue bene done at Antioch in Syria After the desease of Paulinus the people of that Churche abhorred Flauianus and therefore chose Euagrius a man of theyr owne disposition to their Bishop He liued not many dayes after him there was none chosen to y ◠rowme for Flauianus through his deuise brought that to passe As many then as detested Flauianus for the breakinge of his othe had theyr priuate conuenticles But Flauianus rolled as commonly we say euery stone put euery deuise in vre to the end he might bring them within his iurisdictiō the which not long after he brought to passe For the spite and grudge betwene him and Theophilus bishop of Alexādria was layd aside and by his meanes Damasus Bishop of Rome was reconciled vnto him They had bothe bene offended with him not onely because he forswore himselfe but also for that he had broken the league concluded betwene them and the linke of peace and vnity Wherefore Theophilus being nowe pleased with him sent Isidorus a priest for to appease the displeasure which Damasus had cōceaued against Flauianus to enstruct him that it was according vnto the vse maner of y ◠church if respecting the vnitie and concorde to be retayned among the common people he woulde not thinke amisse of Flauianus for so doing Whē Flauianus was thus restored vnto the communion of the faithfull the people of Antioch in processe of time were brought to loue and amitie one with another the affaires of Antioch had such an ende as you heare before The Arians then being thrust out of the churches raised conuenticles in the suburbes In the meane space when Cyrill bishop of Ierusalem ▪ had departed this mortall life Iohn came in his rowme CAP. XVI Howe the Idolgroues and temples of the Ethnickes were ouerthrowen at Alexandria and of the skirmish betwene the paganes and the christians ABout y t time there was a lamentable sturre at Alexandria and the maner as followeth By the procurement industrie of Theophilus y ◠bishop the Emperour commaunded that all the Idolgroues of the Ethnicks within Alexādria should downe to y ◠ground and that Theophilus should ouersee it Theophilus being thus autorized omitted nothinge that might tend to the reproch and contumely of Hethenish ceremonies downe goes the temple of Mithra his foule closets being full of Idolatricall filth and superstition are clensed and rid out of the way downe goes the God Serapis temple the embrued and bloody mysteries of the God Mithra are publiquely derided the vaine ridiculous practises both of Serapis others are shewed forth vnto the open face of the world he caused such things as among them resembled the yards of men to be caried throughout the market place to their vtter shame ignominy The Ethnikes
Marcianus the Nouatian Bishop departed this life in whose rowme Sisinius of whome we spake before succeeded CAP. II. The death of Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople whome Iohn Chrysostome succeeded SHortly after Nectarius bishop of Constantinople departed this life in the Consulship of Caesareus and Atticus the eyght and twentieth of Septembre immediatly there was much adoe about the election of a Bishop And when some thought on this man some on that man after longe aduisement and deliberation in the ende it seemed good vnto them to sende for Iohn a priest of Antioch for the report went of him that he was a profounde Interpretor and a notable Rhetorician Wherefore not long after the Emperour Arcadius with the generall consent both of Priest and people sent for him And to the ende his consecration might be of more authoritie by the commaundement of the Emperour there were present many other Bishops and namely Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria who went about by all meanes to discreditt Iohn and to preferre vnto the bishopricke one Isidorus a Priest of his owne Churche Theophilus made very much of this Isidorus because that for his fake he had taken a perilous peece of worke in hande And what the same was I am nowe about to declare When the Emperour Theodosius waged battell with Maximus the tyrant Theophilus sent presents by Isidorus vnto the Emperour together with two letters charging him with all to present him that had the vpper hande with the gift and one of the letters Isidorus being carefull of his busines went diligently about this feate gott him to Rome and harkneth after the victory but his fetch was not longe ere it was founde out for his Reader that kept him company stole away his letters Wherupon Isidorus being afraide to be taken with the maner tooke his heeles in all the hast to Alexandria this was it that made Theophilus to labour so earnestly for Isidorus but all that were of the Emperours court preferred Iohn to the Bishopricke And afterwards when as many charged Theophilus with haynous crimes and presented vnto the Bishops then present libells and articles agaynst some for this thinge and some for that Eutropius one of the Emperours chamber came by the articles and enditements shewed them to Theophilus bad him chuse whether he woulde create Iohn Bishop or stand at the barre and holde his hande to the crimes that were layd to his charge Theophilus was so affrayde with this that by and by he consented to the stalling of Iohn He was consecrated to execute the priestly function of a Bishop and stalled in the seae of Constantinople the six and twentieth of February the Consulship following when as the Emperour Honorius gouerned the common weale of Rome and Eutychianus the Senator in the Emperours steede ruled Constantinople CAP. III. The linage and education of Iohn Chrysostome Bishop of Constantinople IN so much that Iohn was a famous man partly for the bookes he penned and left vnto the posteritie partly also for the greate perills and persecution which befell vnto him it seemed very necessary vnto vs not to runne ouer with silence but briefly to rehearse such things as of him might largely be entreated and so to declare out of what contrey he came what parents he had howe he came by Priesthoode and wherefore he was thereof depriued last of all howe that after his death he purchaced more fame and renowme then euer he did in his life tyme. Iohn was borne in Antioch a citie of Caelosyria his father was cleped Secundus his mother Anthusa he descended of the noble race of Senators he was the disciple of Libanius the Sophist and the auditor also of Andragathius the Philosopher When that he purposed with him selfe to apply his minde vnto the lawe and publique affayres of the common weale and perceaued howe lewde and howe vnrighteous a trade of life they leade which busie them selues therein he left that troublesome trade and transformed him selfe vnto a quiet and solitary kinde of life the example of Euagrius as I thinke allured him thereunto who being brought vp vnder the same teachers schoole maisters addicted him selfe a litle before vnto a solitary life voyd of all trouble molestation Immediatly he chaunged both habite and behauiour and gaue him selfe wholly to the study of the sacred Scriptures he deuised with him selfe howe by all meanes possible be might become a profitable member in the Churche of God he perswaded Theodorus and Maximus his fellow students who together with him frequented the schoole of Libanius to forsake that trade of life which was wholly sett on lucre and gaine and to followe that which was satisfied with a litle of these men the one was afterwards Bishop of Mopsiestia a citie in Cilicia the other was bishop of Seleucia in Isauria These men being then wonderfully inflamed with godly zeale and desire of vertue learned the trade of worshipers of Diodorus and Carterius who then were ouerseers of the religious conuenticles but afterwards Diodorus being made Bishop of Tarsus wrote many bookes and while he addicted him selfe onely vnto the bare and naked letter of holy Scripture he erred fouly in the sense and mystical vnderstanding thereof but of these things so much shall suffice Iohn when that he had of a long time accompanied Basil who then was made Deacon of Meletius but afterwards Bishop oâ— Caesarea in Cappadocia was made Reader in the Church of Antioch by Zeno bishop of lerusalem being Reader he wrote that booke which he intitled against the Ievves In a while after Meletius made him Deacon at what time he wrote the bookes intitled of priesthoode with them also which he made against Stagirius Moreouer the bookes of the incomprehensible nature with the tracts he made of closely kept vvomen In processe of time when that Meletius had departed this life at Constantinople the election of Gregorie Nazianzene had driuen him thither Iohn forsooke the Meletians left also the communion of Paulinus and for the space of whole three yeares he led a solitary life seuered from all the troublesome affayres of the worlde Agayne in a while after that Euagrius who succeeded Paulinus in the seae of Antioch made him Priest His maner of liuing and behauiour before he was made Bishop as I may vse in fewe wordes was in such sorte as followeth He was a man by reason of his maruelous great temperance in life very austere and as one that knewe him from his youth vp did report more ruled by choler then geuen to curteous ciuilitie A man he was of no great forecast he made no accompt of the worlde and because of his plaine and simple meaning he was soone deceaued He was very copious and free of speach with all such as had conference with him as he was very painfull to the ende by teaching he might reforme the maners and liues of his auditors so againe of such as were not acquainted with
also as many Barbarians as were in his company This muche by the waye of Gainas If any be disposed to knowe all the circumstances of that battaile lette him reade the booke of Eusebius Scholasticus intitled Gainias who at that tyme was the disciple of Troylus the Sophiste This man beinge present in the warres wrote in Hexameter verse all that there in was done deuided it into foure bookes And because the acts thereof were freshe in memorye his poeme was of greate price and estimation Ammonius also the Poete of late dayes wrote the same argumente in verse the whiche he reade in the hearinge of the Emperoure aboute the eleuenth Consulshippe of Theodosius the Yonger the which he enioyed with Faustus and therefore was highely commended This battaile was ended in the Consulshippe of Stilichon and Aurelianus The yeare followinge Phranitus was made Consul who thoughe he were a Gotth borne yet was he greatly beloued of the Romaynes he behaued himselfe so valiauntly in that battaile that the Romaynes thoughte him worthye the dignitye of a Consull The same yeare and the tenth daye of Aprill the Emperour Arcadius had a sonne to wit the good Theodosius So farre of these things CAP. VII Of the schisme betwene Theophilus Byshop of Alexandria and the religious men inhabitinge the deserte and howe Theophilus condemned the bookes of Origen WHile the common weale of y t Romaine empire was tossed w t these troublesome stormes of rebelliō such as were promoted vnto y ◠reuerent functiō of pristehood were at dissention among thēselues to y ◠great sclaunder of christian religiō then was one set against y t other the originall of which pestilent schisme came from Aegipt the occasiō was as followeth There was a question broched a litle before whether God were a bodye and made after the likenesse and forme of man Or whether he were without bodye and not onely without the forme of man but also as I maye vtter the wholl in one worde voyde of all corporall shape Hereof there rose sundry contentions and quarells whilest y t some affirmed this other some that Certen of the rudest vnlearned sorte of religious mē thought y ◠God was corporeal that he was of the forme and figure of man but the greater parte condemned them with theyr hereticall opinion affirming that God had no corporeall substance that he was voyd of all bodly shape Of the which opiniō was Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria so that in the hearing of the wholl congregation he inueyed bitterly agaynst suche as attributed vnto God the forme of man where he proued that he had no bodye at all The worshippers of Aegypt vnderstandinge of this lefte they re religious houses came to Alexandria flocked about Theophilus condemned him for a wicked person and foughte to bereaue him of his life Theophilus beinge made priueye vnto theyr conspiracie was wonderfull pensiue deuised with himselfe howe he mighte escape theyr handes and saue his life As soone as he came into they re presence he saluted them curteouslye and sayde thus vnto them When that I lasten myne eyes vpon you me thinkes I doe see the liuely face of God With these words the rash heat of the vnruely monkes was delayed Againe they replie in this sorte If that be true that thou sayest that the countenance of God is no otherwise then ours why then accurse the workes of Origen For diuerse of his bookes doe impugne our opinion But incase thou refuse to doe this assure thy selfe to receaue at our handes the punishment due vnto the impious and open enemy of God Nay sayth Theophilus I will doe that which shall seeme right well in your eyes I pray you be not offended with me for I hate the bookes of Origen and thinke them worthie of great reprehension which allowe of them When he had thus appeased the monkes he sent them away quietly This question peraduenture had layen in the dust vnto this daye had it not bene blowen vp reuiued vpon an other occasion in such sorte as followeth The religious houses in Aegypt were ouerseene of foure worthy men Dioscorus Ammonius Eusebius and Euthymius These men were naturall bretherne and by reason of the goodly stature of theyr taule bodies they were called Longe Men they were of greate fame for they re doctrine and godly trade of life And therefore at Alexandria they were muche spoken of Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria loued them entirely and made muche of them Wherefore one of them whose name was Dioscorus he in maner constrayned to leaue the deserte and made him Bishoppe of Hermopolis two of the other he entreated to leade theyr liues with him The which he coulde hardely with fayre meanes obtayne yet as Bishop he compelled them The men makinge a vertue of necessitye in so much they coulde not otherwise choose applied themselues about the ecclesiasticall affaires yet it grieued them very much that they coulde not at theyr pleasure adict themselues vnto the sollitary life and the wonted exercise of true Philosophie When that in processe of time theyr conscience was prieked perceauinge that the Bishop was sette vpon heapinge and hurdinge vp of moneye and that all his labour tended to gatheringe they woulde no longer dwell with him but got them into the deserte assirminge the sollitarie life to be farre better then the trade and conuersation vsed in cities Theophilus all the while he knewe not the cause that moued them to departe entreated them earnestely to continewe with him but as soone as he vnderstoode they abhorred his maner of liuinge he was wonderfullye incensed and promised to worke them a displeasure When they had made lighte of his threates and departed into the deserte Theophilus as it seemed beinge prone of nature to anger and reuengemente besturred himselfe agaynst them endeuored by all meanes to worke them mischiefe And moreouer he beganne to spite Dioscorus theyr brother whome he had made Bishop of Hermopolis It grieued him to the guties that the worshippers made so much of Dioscorus and reuerenced him so highly Remembring with himselfe that he coulde no kinde of waye molest those godly men vnlesse that he alienated and withdrewe the mindes of such monkes as were subiect vnto theyr gouernemente from fauoringe of them he wrought such a kinde of feat as followeth He called to memory that in conferring with thē they had affirmed that God was wtout body void of humane forme or figure for had he y ◠shape of man it would follow necessarily that he could suffer after the maner guise of man that Origen w t other auncient wryters had exquisirely sifted out the trueth thereof But Theophilus for all that he was himselfe of that opinion yet to the end he might reuenge him of his enemies sticked not to oppugne their syncere opinion sound doctrine yea he perswaded many Monkes simple and plaine soules such as were idiotes and diuerse also of them which were altogether vnlearned
then immediatly after his returne from Rome beyng called of Peter to beare wittnesse affirmed playnly that the woman which had bene of the Manichees opinion was receaued by the consent of Theophilus the byshop and that he him selfe had ministred the communion vnto her Theophilus hearinge this fretted within him selfe for anger and thrust them both out of the church This was y â— cause that made Isidore to accompanie Dioscorus into Constantinople that both in presence of the Emperour and Iohn the bishop the sleyghts and wyles which Theophilus practised against them myght be reuealed Iohn vnderstanding these circumstances of them entertayned the men with great reuerence made them partakers of their common and publique prayers but he woulde not receaue them into the communion before that firste he had throughly examined their cause When these thinges were thus come to passe it was falsely reported vnto Theophilus that Iohn both receaued them into the communion and was also ready to take their part Wherefore Theophilus endeuoured with might and mayne not onely to reuenge him of Dioscorus and Isidorus but also to thruste Iohn besides his bishopricke and therevpon he sent letters vnto the bishops throughout euery citie where he concealed his principall drift pretending onely vnto them that he misliked with the works of Origen whence Athanasius before his tyme borowed testimonies to the confutation of the Arians Moreouer he reconciled and lynked him selfe with Epiphanius bishop of Constantia a citie of Cyprus with whome aforetyme he had iarred and bene at variance For Theophilus had charged him a litle before that he thought of God basely and abiectly attributing to him y e forme or shape of man And for all that Theophilus was of this opinion and accused them which beleued that God had the figure of man yet for the hatred and spite he owed vnto others he denyed openly in word that which he beleeued secretly in minde and linked vnto him Epiphanius in the league of friendship who lately had bene his foe but then as it were repented him of his folly ioyned with him in one faith and opinion of God Through his ayde and furtherance he purposed to summone a Councell at Cyprus for the condemning and rooting out of Origens workes Epiphanius beinge a vertuous and a godly man was easily perswaded therevnto by the letters of Theophilus To be short the bishops of that Isle assembled together and decreed that thenceforth none shoulde reade the workes of Origen moreouer they write vnto Iohn bishop of Constantinople exhortinge him to abstayne from perusinge the bookes of Origen requesting him also to summone a Councell and to ratifie the same with vniforme consent of them all When Theophilus had snared Epiphanius a man of greate fame and renowme to his side and perceaued that his fetches nowe framed according vnto his owne desire he dealt more boldly summoned a synode within his owne prouince where euen as Epiphanius had done before he condeÌ„ned the works of Origen which had departed this life about two hundred yeares before him this was not his principall drifte but he purposed verely to reuenge him this waye of Dioscorus and his brethren Iohn made small accompt of the thinges which Epiphanius and Theophilus had signified vnto him by their letters for he occupyed him selfe to the furtherance and profit of the churches and therin he excelled as for the conspiracie mischiefe intended agaynst him he made very light of it As soone as it was openly knowen and manifestly perceaued that Theophilus bent all his myght to depose Iohn of his bishopricke diuers that bare Iohn ill will fell a deuisinge and a forginge out of false crimes and accusations agaynst him Many of the cleargie sundry also of the magistrates which were in great fauour with the Emperour supposing now they had gotten fit opportunitie to reuenge them of Iohn determined with them selues partly by writinge of letters and partly also by sendinge of messengers to summone together at Constantinople a great Councell of byshops CAP. X. Of Seuerianus and Antiochus the Syrians howe and vpon what occasion they fell from Iohn AN other thinge gaue occasion to encrease the hatred and ill will owed vnto Iohn in suche sort as followeth There were two bishops by byrth Syrians which florished at one tyme the ones name was Seuerianus the other Antiochus the one was bishop of Gabale in Syria the other of Ptolemais in Phoenicia both excelled in the gift of vtteraÌ„ce but Seuerianus although he were learned yet pronounced he not the Greeke toÌ„gue distinetly neither skilfully for he spake Greeke as a Grecian yet pronounced it like a Syrian Antiochus coÌ„ming from Ptolemais to CoÌ„stantinople continewed there a while and preached with great diligeÌ„ce after that therby he had got vnto him selfe good store of money he returned home to his owne church Seuerianus hearing that Antiochus had got much money by preachinge at Constantinople was very desirous to doe the like him selfe He exercised him selfe diligently he patched together a great companie of boosome sermons and came to Constantinople Being there friendly louingly entertained of Iohn he applied him selfe craftely for a while to please Iohn and gott greate fauour by flatterie He was much set by and in great estimation and as he was highly coÌ„mended for preaching so in like maner purchased he vnto him selfe great credit with the chiefe magistrates and w t the Emperour In the meane space because that the bishop of Ephesus was departed this life Iohn of necessitie was coÌ„strained to take his voyage into Ephesus for to chuse there a bishop After his comming thither when that some would haue this man some that man preferred to the rowme and thervpon fell to bitter words contention whilest that euery one would haue his friend aduaunced to the dignitie Iohn perceauing that they were all set on tumults and that by no meanes they would be ruled by him endeuoured to ende the quarell without offending of either side He assigned one Heraclides a deacon of his church yet borne in Cyprus to be bishop With that both parts were pleased and gaue ouer contention Iohn was faine for this matter to continewe a greate while at Ephesus In his absence Seuerianus had brought his auditors at Constantinople to beare him farre better good will then euer they did before neyther was Iohn ignorant of this for it was tolde him quickly When Serapion of whome I spake before had signified vnto Iohn that Seuerianus had deuided the churches he forthwith was kyndled with the flame of contention Wherefore when as he had not fully ended all such thinges as he determined with him selfe for he had depriued â—oth the Nouatians and such as celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth day of the moneth of many churches he returned to Constantinople and applyed him selfe after his vsuall maner vnto the ouersight of the ecclesiasticall affayres The insolent disdayne and hautie stomacke of Serapion was
intollerable for he bouldened him selfe vpon Iohn and inueyed contumeliously without all modestie and shamefastnesse agaynste all men which turned to the encrease of the spite and hatred borne vnto Iohn Moreouer when Seuerianus on a certaine tyme came to the place where Serapion sate Serapion gaue him not the honor and reuerence dewe vnto a bishop neyther rose vp in so doing he declared that he regarded not the person of Seuerianus This contempt and disdayne of Serapion was not taken paciently of Seuerianus for he exclaimed against him in these wordes If Serapion dyeth a Christian then was Christ neuer incarnate Serapion tooke this as a fitte occasion ministred vnto him made Iohn to become his foe whilest that he concealed the firste sentence to wete If Serapion dyeth a Christian and repeated the later to wete that Christ was neuer incarnate affirming y ◠he heard it of Seuerianus owne mouth And to the end he woulde iustifie the reporte he brought forth men of his owne degree and callinge to testifie that they heard the words To be short Iohn without any more adoe banished Seuerianus the citie Eudoxia the Empresse vnderstanding of the circumstance founde great fault with Iohn caused Seuerianus to be sent for out of Chalcedon in Bithynia who came immediately Iohn kept him selfe on t of his companie he woulde not be brought with any mans entreatie and perswasion to become friendes with Seuerianus At length when that Eudoxia the Emperours mother in the Apostles churche had throwen her sonne Theodosius the Emperour who though he were then of tender yeares yet gouerned he y e common wealth with good successe and prosperous ouersight at the feete of Iohn and craued of him with solemne protestations that of all loue and friendship he woulde not denye her request with muche adoe he was wonne to embrace Seuerianus agayne But for all that outwardly they bare a shewe and a countenance of friendship neuerthelesse inwardly they continewed their spite and hatred one towards the other The cause that deuided Iohn and Seuerianus was in such sort CAP. XI Howe that Epiphanius comming to Constantinople celebrated the communion gaue orders without the licence of Iohn therein to gratifie Theophilus SHortly after Epiphanius the bishop came from Cyprus to Constantinople at the request of Theophilus and brought thither with him the decree of the bishops where he had not excommunicated Origen but onely condemned his bookes Wherefore after his comming into the church of Sainct Iohn which was not farre from the walls of the citie he celebrated the cōmunion made a deacon went forth out of the churche and came to Constantinople When that Iohn had inuited him requesting he woulde take a peece of a lodging with him he for to feede the humor of Theophilus refused his curtesie and tooke vp an Inne by him selfe After that he had called together the bishops which then by chaunce were at Constantinople he read in their hearinge the decree where he had condemned the works of Origen Of the bookes I haue nothing to say but thus muche that it pleased Epiphanius and Theophilus to condemne them Of the byshops some for reuerence of Epiphanius subscribed vnto the decree some other denyed it vtterly Of which number Theotimus bishop of Scythia made Epiphanius this answere I of myne owne part ô Epiphanius will not so much iniurie the man who is departed to rest many yeares agoe neither dare I presume once to enterprise so haynous an offence for to condemne the bookes whiche our auncetors haue not condemned specially seeyng I vnderstande not as yet neither read any parcell of the doctrine within contayned And when that a certaine booke of Origen was brought forth he read it and shewed there the interpretation of holy scripture agreeable vnto the faith of the catholicke churche last of all he concluded with these wordes They that reprehende these things doe no lesse then mislike vvith the matter vvhereof these bookes doe intreat This was the answere of Theotimus vnto Epiphanius a man he was of great fame both for sound doctrine and godly conuersation CAP. XII A kinde of Apologie in the behalfe of Origen IN so much that many were drawen headlong through the procurement of malicious sclaunderers much like a blast of hurlwinde to reuile Origen it shall not be amisse to saye somewhat of them Obscure men odde felowes such as haue no pythe or substance in them to the ende they myght become famous goe about moste commonly to purchase vnto them selues glorie and renowme by dispraysing of such men as farre excell them in all rare and singular vertues Of which sort of backebiters first I remember Methodius bishop of Olympus a citie of Lycia next Eustathius who for a while was bishop of Antioch thirdly Apolinarius last of all this Theophilus This messe of raylers if I may so tearme them fell a sclaūdering of Origē neither yet all for one thing One charged him with this an other with that wherby they all seuerally declared vnto the world that they allowed wholly all such thinges in him as they had not reprehended by name For in as much they blamed him seuerally for seuerall doctrine it appeareth they tooke that for trueth in him which they concealed and misliked not withall and they approued in very deede that which they denyed not in worde Methodius though at the beginning he inueyed bitterly against Origen yet afterwardes as it were by way of recantation he extolled him vnto the skies in that dialogue which he intitled Zeno. Their reuiling in myne opinion encreased the renowne fame of Origen For while they charged him with haynous crimes as they thought and yet findinge no faulte with him as toutching the blessed Crinitie they are witnesses them selues that he was of y ◠right and sound faith Euen as these men being not able iustly to accuse him beare witnes w t him of his true beliefe so Athanasius voyd of all parcialitie a zealous maintayner of the clause Of one substance alleageth him for a witnesse of his faith in the orations which he wrote to the cōfutation of the Arians citeth his words for testimonies among his works sayth thus of him That notable man that paynfull writer Origen confirmeth in plaine words the faith opinion we haue of the sonne of God in that he auoutcheth him to be coaeternall with the father Wherefore such as goe about to reuile Origen they vnwares doe sclaunder Athanasius which hyghly commended him Thus much by the way of Origen and nowe againe to the storie CAP. XIII How that Iohn sent for Epiphanius to come vnto him and charged him that he had behaued him selfe contrary to the canons of the church after they had brawled a while together Epiphanius returned homewards IOhn at the first tooke not the matter very grieuously for all that Epiphanius contrary to the canon had made a Deacon in his church but requested him to accept
went about but aboue all others he vsed the aduise of Troilus the Sophist a man very wise of great experience and singuler pollicie he was nothing inferior to Anthemius and therefore Anthemius retayned him of his counsell in all his affayres CAP. II. Of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople WHen the Emperour Theodosius went on the eyght yeare of his age the thirde yeare of Atticus bishop of Constantinoples consecration the which he enioyed with great commendation was expired a man he was as I sayd before of meane learning yet in life godly and of great wisedome and therfore the Churches in those dayes encreased and florished exceedingly He reconciled not onely such as were fauorers of his owne faith but also made the hereticks to haue his wisedome in admiration whome he would in no wise molest but after that he had ratled them againe he woulde shewe him selfe louing and amiable towards them He was a painfull student for he bestowed great labour he spent the greater part of the night in reading ouer the works of auncient wryters in so doing there was no grounde of philosophy no quirck in sopistrie that coulde blanke or astonish him He was gentle and curteous vnto such as conferred with him and with the sorowfull he seemed to sorowe him selfe In fewe wordes he became as the Apostle writeth all vnto all men First as soone as he was made Priest the sermons which with great labour he framed together he learned out of the booke and pronounced in the Churche In processe of tyme by dayly exercise and greate diligence he so boldned him selfe that he preached ex tempore his maner of teaching was very plaine his Sermons were so simple that the auditors thought them not worthy the bearing away neyther the writing in paper to the knowledge of the posterity following Thus much of his conditions behauiour learning and gift of vtterance now to the history of that tyme. CAP. III. Of Theodosius and Agapetus Bishops of Synada THeodosius Bishop of Synada a citie of Phrygia pacatiana was a sore scurge vnto the here ticks for in that citie there were many of the Macedonian sect he banished them not onely the towne but also the contrey Neyther did he this according vnto the rule of the Catholicke Church which accustometh not to persecute men neyther with zeale of the right and sincere fayth but in hope of fifthy suere and foule gayne for to wringe money from the hereticks Wherefore there was no way that might grieue the Macedonians left vnassayed he mayntayned his owne clergie against them there was no deuise but he practised for to afflict them with he sticked not to bring them in fetters to holde vp their handes at the barre but aboue all others he plagued their Bishop Agapetus with sundry griefes and vexations And when as he perceaued that the chiefe Magistrats within that prouince were not of autoritie sufficient and that their commission ertended not to the punishment of the Macedonians he gott him in all the hast to Constantinople and sued out a commaundement of the Lieuetenant of that prouince for the sharpe correction of them Whilest that Theodosius the Bishop made friends at Constantinople for the furtherance of his sute Agapetus whome I tearmed the Macedonian Bishop was conuerted and fell to embrace the right and sound faith For after he had assembled together all the clergie and layty within his iurisdiction he perswaded them to receaue the faith of one substance This being done he went with speede together with a great multitude nay with the whole citie into the church where after prayers and solemne seruice he gott him into the seate of Theodosius Immediatly after the linking of the people together in the bonde of loue and vnitie thenceforth he maintayned the faith of one substance so that he obtayned the gouernment of the Churches belonging vnto the diocesse and citte of Synada Shortly after Theodosius came home to Synada and brought with him autoritie from the Lieuetenant whereof he bragged not a litle and being ignorant of all the thinges that were done in his absence straight way he gott him into the Church there he founde but small welcome for the dores were made fast against him and after that he vnderstoode of their dealing againe he posteth to Constantinople There he be wayled his state before Atticus the Bishop and openeth vnto him how that he was iniuriously thrust beside his bishoprick Atticus vnderstanding that all fell out to the great profitt and furtherance of the Church of God beganne to pacifie him with milde and curteous languages exhorting him thenceforth to embrace a quiet life voyd of all trouble and molestation and not to preferre his owne priuate gaine and lucre before the profit and commoditie of the whole Church he wrote moreouer vnto Agapetus willing him to enioy the bishoprick and not to feare at all the displeasure of Theodosius CAP. IIII. Howe a lame Iewe being baptized of Atticus Bishop of Constantinople recouered againe his lymmes EVen as the aforesayde circumstance which fell out in the florishing dayes of Atticus was a great furtherance to the church of God so likewise miracles with the gift of healing which raygned in those times turned to the glory of God and the profitt of his people for a certayne Iewe being helde the space of many yeares with a paulsey was faine to keepe his bed and hauing tried all the salues and medicens all the practises and prayers of the Iewes was not a iote the better at length he fled for refuge vnto the baptisme ministred in the Churche of Christ perswading him selfe for suertie that by the meanes of this being the true phisicke of the soule he might recouer the former healthe of his bodye Atticus was immediatly made priuey vnto this his deuoute minde and godly disposition he instructed the Iewe in the principles and articles of Christian religion he layd before him the hope that was to be had in Christ Iesu he bidds that Iewe bed and all shoulde be brought vnto the font and place appoynted for the ministration of baptisme This Iewe being grieuously taken w t the paulsey was no sooner baptised in the faith of Christ and taken out of the font but his disease left him so that he recouered his former health This gift of healing being wrought by the power of Christ preuayled in the worlde amonge the men of these our dayes Many of the Gentils hearing the fame of this miraculous power receaued the faith and were baptized but the Ievves for all they sought after signes and wonders yet could they not with signes be brought to embrace the Christian faith CAP. V. Howe that Sabbatius a Iewe borne being Priest of the Nouatian Church fell from his owne sect FOr all that Christ the sonne of God bestowed the aforesayd graces and benefitts of his singuler loue and goodnes towards mankinde yet the greater part weying not thereof more is the ptty wallowe still in
but sodainly rushed in vpon y â— Romaines But as they skirmished together a Romaine captayne y â— was sent by Procopius for the purpose looking downe as God would from the top of a hill behelde his felow souldiers in great peril went behinde the Persians and kept them in so y â— they which a litle before besett the Romaines were now besette them selues Wherefore the Romaines when as in shorte space they had foyled these foremen they turned them selues backe towards them which rushed in vpon them through wyles and in like sort dispatched them euery one Thus it came to passe that they which called them selues immortall proued them selues mortall and thus Christ reuenged him of the Persians because that they had executed many godly men and holy saints which serued him deuoutly The king of Persia vnderstanding of this slaughter and ouerthrow fained he knewe of nothing accepted of the embassie and reasoned thus with the embassadour It is not for the Romaines sake that I now assent vnto peace but only to gratifie pleasure thee whome I have tried by experience to be for pollicie and wisdome of the chiefest among the Romaines To conclude by this meanes the warres which the Romaines held with the Persians in the quarell and defence of the persecuted Christians were ended in the thirteenth Consulship of Honorius and the tenth of Theodosius the fourth yeare of the three hundreth Olympiad and also the fiery flame of persecutioÌ„ kindled there against the Christians was wholly quenched CAP. XXI Of the pitie and compassion which Acacius bishop of Amida had on the captiues of Persia ACacius bishop of Amida was renowmed and much spoken of for a notable worke of mercie which he wrought in those dayes When the Romaine souldiers purposed in no wise to restore againe vnto y â— king of Persia such captiues as they had takeÌ„ at y â— winning of Azazena there were of them about a seuen thousande to the great griefe of the kinge of Persia all which were almost starued for foode Acacius lamented their state and condition called his clergy together and sayd thus vnto them Our God hath no neede either of pottingers or of cups for he neither eateth neither drinketh these be not his necessaries wherfore seeing the church hath many precious Jewels both of gold of siluer bestowed of the free wil liberalitie of the faithful it is requisite that the captiue souldiers should be therwith redeemed deliuered out of prison bondage that they also perishing with famine should with some part therof be refreshed relieued When he had used these other such like reasons he coÌ„maunded that the treasure should be cast traÌ„slated he made money therof sent the wholl price partly for to redeeme the captiues out of prison and partly for to relieue theÌ„ that they perished not w t famine Last of all he gaue theÌ„ their costage to were necessary prouision for their voyage and sent them back to their king This notable act of y â— renowmed Acacius brought the king of Persia into great admiration that the Romaines endeuoured to winne their aduersaries both w t warrs and w t well doing The report goeth moreouer y â— the king of Persia desired greatly y â— sight of Acacius coueted y â— presence of his persoÌ„ that the Emperour Theodosius coÌ„mauÌ„ded Acacius y â— bishop to gratifie the king therin When y â— so famous a victory was geueÌ„ from aboue many notable writers layd penne to paper published vnto y â— world y â— praises vertues of y â— Emperour extolling his name vnto y â— skies The Empresse also being y â— doughter of Leontius the Athenian sophist instructed of her father trained up in all kind of good literature set forth a poëâ—e of the same argument in heroicall verse WheÌ„ the Emperour tooke her to his wife Atticus the bishop which christened her in steede of Athenais called her Eudocia at the time of baptisme CAP. XXII Adiscourse in commendation of the vertues of Theodosius the yonger ALthough many writers as I sayd before published abroade the praises of the Emperour of which number some endeuoured by y â— meanes to crepe into his fauour some other desired thereby to blase abrode in the world the fame of their skill and knowledge lest the doctrine which they had gotteÌ„ w t loÌ„g study should be trodeÌ„ in the dust of obliuioÌ„ I of mine owne part which desire not the acquaintaÌ„ce familiaritie of the emperour neither couet arrogaÌ„tly to geue y â— world a tast of my doctrine have determined w t my selfe simply without the glorious painted shewe of Rhetoricke to publishe abrode the bertues of the Emperour For if that I should passe them over with silence being as they are both noble frutefull containing many examples for the amendement of life I shoulde in my opinion iniurie not a litle the posteritie in time to come Firste of all though he was borne brought up in y â— very pallace of the emperour yet was he nothing geueÌ„ for all y â— trade of life vnto light idle behaviour but so wise discrete y â— he seemed vnto such as had coÌ„fereÌ„ce w t him to be a maÌ„ of great experieÌ„ce Againe he was a maÌ„ of such hardines sufferaÌ„ce both inwardly in minde and outwardly in body that he could endure with great pacience the pinching colde of winter and the parching heate of sommer He was wont often to fast but specially on the wensdayes fridayes this did he to the end he might liuely expresse the Christian trade of liuing His pallace court seemed uo other then a religious house For at the dauning of the day his maner was to singe hymnes and psalmes interchaungeably together with his listers He was able to repeate holy scriptures out of the booke he reasoned of theÌ„ w t the bishops as if he had bene a priest of great continewance he was more earnest far more diligent in gathering together the bookes of holy scripture the works of the auncient fathers then me reade of old of Ptolomaus Philadelphus Furthermore he excelled all men in pacience curtesie clemencie The Emperour Iulian for all he professed the study of philosophie yet coulde he not put up the hatred of such as reuiled him at Antioch but punished extremely one of them whose name was Theodorus as for Theodosius he layd aside the subtilities quircks of Aristotle practised dayly in life the profession and study of true philosophie He learned to bridle anger to take griefe and sorow paciently to reuenge him of none that did him iniurie nay there is not the man that euer saw him angry When that one of his familiars had demaunded of him why he neuer executed any y â— had done him iniurie his answere was I would to God it laye in me to reuiue them that be dead Unto an other that
sonnes he vsed to make Cardinals sometimes in their cradles Bishops and Archbishops in many countreis descende of noble houses Osorius Bishops of Lusitania in Portingall writing against M. Haddon sticked not to giue vs an inklinge of his parentage Neyther doe I mislike with this in the churche of Rome sicaetera essent paria for I reade that Nectarius a noble man by office praetor of Constantinople was chosen to be byshop of that seae of a hundred and fiftie byshops which then assembled together at Constantinople partly for that and partly for other things Ambrose also lieuetenant of a prouice was made byshop of Millayne Chrisostō byshop of Constantinople descended of the senators of Antioch Thalassius Senator of Constantinople lieuetenant of Illyrium was made byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia I see that Euagrius vvho in the time of Tiberius Constantinus was Quaestor and in the time of Mauricius Tiberius was maister of the rolles together with diuers others occupied themselues about Ecclesiasticall affaires but I highly commend such as shewe forth tokens of their nobilitie by studie of vertue politicke gouernement of their countrey noble prowesse valiauntnesse of courage maintenance of the trueth and furtheraunce of the Gospell some thinke it is inough for them to bayte at the vniuersitie there steale a degree and forth with be counted gentlemen or to be in commons in one of the Innes of court where there are many wise zealous and learned gentlemen or to get into some noble mans seruice and by vertue of the cognizance to be called a maister or to purchase for a piece of money a coate armour or to begge a farme and by vertue of the valuation in the queenes bookes to become a gentleman Euery one thinkes not I am sure that these sorts of men are to be numbred among the auncient noble houses though in processe of time antiquitie seeme topreuaile very muche with suche kinde of men long possession is a great matter in lawe and an olde deede though it be forged will further the matter very much The Arcadians called them selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a progeny farre more auncient then the Moone of them Ouid writeth thus Ere Moone vvas set in skies aboue if fame doe them not faile The soile vvas calld of Arcas highe vvhose creditt must auaile But they contended for Antiquitie with the AEgyptians and to try out the trueth Psammitichus King of AEgypt did as followeth he shut vp in a certaine close lodging farre from cities and company of people two newly borne babes some say with nurces charged not to speake a worde some say amonge goates and that for the space of three whole yeares at the three years end to see what language the children would speake he caused one of his familiars sodainely to goe in among the children whiche did so and tooke one of the children by the hand which saide vnto him Becos that is in the Phrygian tongue bread the king hearing this confessed him selfe ouercome and yelded vnto his aduersaries for antiquitie thenceforth were they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Suidas thinketh that the childrē being acquainted with the bleting of goats cried beck and so that it was nothing else but a iest and a deluding of the king Yet Iohn Goropius a phisicion of Antvverpe taketh the matter in earnest to th ende he might currie fauour with the Germanes he faith that the Grecians were herin fouly deceaued that beck or weck in the Germane tongue signifieth bread the AEgyptians being foyled turne them vnto the Scythians and of them likewise they were ouercome here is much a do all for gentry The AEthiopians alleage reasons for themselues and they must be heard the Brittaines can tell you they come from Troy and thence they can bring you the straighte way to Adam nexte to God and then a full point Poggius writeth that a noble man of Fraunce espied on an Italian soldiers bucklar the oxe heade ingrauen stomaked him therefore tolde him it vvas his cognizance that his house was farre more auncient and to the ende all quarells might be ended chalenged him to the fielde the Italian made litle adoe tolde him he woulde meete him on the daye appointed the noble man came with a great troupe the souldier likewise mette and ioyninge together he asked of him whye his noble bloode vvas so muche out of temper VVhen that the noble man aunsvvered that his auncetors had euer geuen the oxes head and that he and his vvould thenceforth giue it or else knovv a cause to the contrary why an please you syr saith the soldier this is no oxe head it is the head of a cowe It was about gentrie betweene Phaëton and Epaphus that moued Phaëton as the Poëts faine to craue license for one day to sitte in the chariot of Sol. for when he minded to roote out the posteritie of his aduersarie almost he set the whole world on fire Maximinus the emperour borne in a pelting village of Thracia misliking with him selfe therfore slew as many as knew his pedegree and had seene the raggs of his parents Herode burned the Genealogies of the Iewes that he might affirme him self as wel as they to haue descēded of a noble race Themistocles a bastard borne for to cloke his birth to remoue the il opinion conceaued that way entised the yong nobility of Athens to frequent Cynosarges a schole without the city where bastards did onely frequent many shifts are made Iacke would be a gentleman if he could speake frenche Amasis king of AEgypt being basely borne made his image of gold set it vp to be worshipped that the people might reuerence him the more Smerdes a sorcerer because he was in person like Smerdes the brother of Cambyses King of the Assyrians whose death Cambyses procured fearinge he woulde aspire vnto the kingdome made the worlde beleeue he was the man in deede ouercame Cambyses and was crowned King but his wife and bedfellow with clipping and other wonted familiarity felt his head found that Smerdes had no eares reuealed it abrode and so was he betrayd and deposed his kingdome Prompalus fained himselfe to be the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes A certaine AEgyptian the sonne of Protarchus the marchant called him selfe the sonne of Alexander Zebenna and the adopted sonne of Antiochus wept bitterly at the funerall of Antiochus as if he had bene his owne father Archelaus made the worlde beleeue that he was the sonne of Mithridates when Perseus the last king of the Macedonians had ended this lyfe Andristus a cuntrey fellow woulde needes perswade men that he was his sonne Equitius affirmed that without all doubt he was the sonne of Tiberius Gracchus Citharaedus endeuored to perswade the Romanes that Nero had not dispatched him self but that he was Nero. many of the aforsaid cloked their gentry fained thē selues noble mē conquered kingdoms deluded the
world in the end deceaued thē selues Iulius Caesar espied a rude an homely mā aspiring vnto the kingdome of Cappadocia he resēbled very much the fauour of Ariarathes whom al the vvorld knevv to haue bene dispatched by Marcus Antonius this counterfet Ariarathes had vvon al the cuntreis the crovvne vvas going to his head but ere the crovvne came Iulius Caesar tooke his head frō of his shoulders so dealt Augustus the Emperour vvith such as had proclaimed a yong man to be king of the Iewes after the desease of Herod because he resembled his sonne Alexander vvhome in his life time he had put to death When Henry the fourth had taken Richard the second that vvas king of England and imprisoned him the Earle of Salisbury vncle of the mother side vnto king Richard either to redeeme the prisoner or to reuenge him of the king or peraduenture both sette vp a priest in princely atyre one of king Richardes Musicians resemblinge his person verie muche and blazed that the Kinge had broken prisone and vvas gone the people hearinge of this ranne after the counterfeite Kinge but Henry came vvith povver and made the priest he coulde signe no more What vvill not al these shiftes auayle vs can vve not face out the matter vvil Abbey gentry helpe at al no doubt antiquity must take place vvil you he are what Lycurgus the lavvgiuer of the Lacedaemonians said somtime vpō like occasion vnto the bragging nobility of Lacedemon O noble citizens saith he the vaunte and glory vve make of Hercules the auncient race and progenie descending of his loines vvilauaile vs not a iote vnlesse that with al care and industry vve practise in ou◠liues such vertuous acts as made him famous and renowmed and moreouer that we learne exercise continually honest noble behauiour Agesilaus king of the Lacedemoniās misliked very much with the behauiour of his nobility whē he vttered these words vnto thē you see the force strength of the host to be on the side of the Spartane soldier you your selues follow after as a shadow cōmonly goeth after the corporall substance Theodorus Zuinger reporteth thus of the nobility of his cuntrey They wil be coūted the best men that take vpon thē to maintain encrease the honor of their auncestors they are the most sluggish sort of men they giue them selues to hunting to banqueting to pouling oppressing of the pore people they thinke that onely thing sufficient for their honor that they either through an other mans vertue or through an other mans vice attained vnto the name of nobilitie or vnto auncient armes that thence forth they may without controlement together with such like companions banquet day and night in their pauillions haunt brothell houses and frequent places of beastly pleasure because they are scarse worthie the companie of men they consume the rest of their dayes in follovving after dogges I except them euer and in all places vvhiche liuely expresse in vertuous life the noble fame and great renowme of their auncestors so farre Theodorus But God be praised for it we are able to report farre better of England that there are of the nobilitie valiant men vertuous godly studious politicke zealous of auncient houses and blood neuer stayned There is hope the dayes shall neuer be seene vvhen the prophesie of Chaucer shall take place vvhere he sayth VVhen fayth fayleth in priestes savves And Lordes hestes are holden for lavves And robberie is holden purchase And lecherie is holden solace Than shall the land of Albion Be brought to great confusion And to the end our vvished desire may take effect let vs hearken vvhat exhortation he geueth vnto the chiefe magistrate his vvordes are these Prince desire to be honorable Cherishe thy folke and hate extortion Suffer nothing that may be reproueable To thine estate done in thy region Shevve forth the yarde of castigation Dreade God doe lavve loue trueth and vvorthinesse And vvedde thy folke ayen to stedfastnes Novve that my penne hath ouer rulde me and runne so far vvith the race of mine autors nobilitie I vvill returne vnto Euagrius againe that vve may be the better acquainted with so singuler a man that hath ministred the occasion of so singuler a matter He studied a while at Apamea for so he testifieth of him self in the time of the Emperour Iustinian about the yeare of our Lorde 565. he vvas so carefull ouer the studious reader that he recited vnto him about the latter ende of his fift booke all the histories both diuine and prophane from the beginning of the vvorlde vnto his time He vvas a great companion of Gregorie byshop of Antioche he bare him companie to Constantinople vvhen he vvent to cleare him self he reporteth of himself that he vvas maryed in Antioche vvith great pompe and royall solemnitie vvhen the great earthquake the night follovving shooke the vvhole citie His state and condition I doe gather vvhere he writeth of the pestilent contagious disease which raigned throughout the vvorlde the space of two and fiftie yeares the vvords he vvrote are these The greatest mortalitie of all fell vpon mankinde the second yeare of the reuolution vvhich comprised the terme of fiftene yeares so that I my selfe vvhich vvrite this historie vvas then troubled vvith an impostume or svvellinge about the priuie members or secrete partes of the bodye moreouer in processe of time vvhen this sicknes vvaxed hot and dispatched diuersly and sundry kinds of wayes it fell out to my great griefe and sorowe that God tooke from me many of my children my wife also with diuers of my kinsfolkes whereof some dwelled in the citie and some in the cuntrey such were my aduentures and such were the calamities which the course of those lamentable times distributed vnto me When I wrote this I was eight and fiftie yeare olde two yeares before this sicknesse had bene foure times in Antioche and when as at length the fourth reuolution and compasse was past besides my aforesaide children God tooke away from me a daughter and a nephewe of mine The iudgement that Nicephorus geueth of his historie is in this sort Euagrius a noble man wrote his Ecclesiasticall history the which he continwed vnto the raygne of Iustinus handling especially prophane matters the substance whereof he gathered out of Eustathius the Syrian Sozimus Priscus Iohannes Procopius of Coesarea and Agathus all which were famous orators of that time ▪ and out of sundrie other good autors but the autor reuealeth him selfe in the plainest sort where he endeth his historie writing in this sort Here doe I minde to cut of and make an ende of writinge that is the twelfe yere of Mauricius Tiberius the emperour leauing such things as followe for them that are disposed to pennethem for the posteritie in time to come I haue finished an other worke comprising relations epistles decrees orations disputations with sundrie other matters The
through the procurement of Anastasius his disciple called the blessed mother of God not the mother of God but the mother of Christ and therefore was counted an hereticke In so much that Nestorius who called together against Christ a seconde councell with Caiphas who builded a slaughterhouse of blasphemies where Christ a newe is both slaine and solde who seuered and deuided a sunder his natures that hong on the crosse and had not as it is written no not one bone broken throughout all the members of his bodie neither his vnseamed coate parted of such as put the Lorde to death reiected the clause of the mother or bearing of God framed of the holy Ghost by the meanes of many learned and godly fathers set against it this saying the mother or bearing of Christ leudly forged of his owne braine and filled the Churche of God with sedition ciuill warres and cruell bloodshed I thinke verily my penne can not wante matter to paint and orderly to continue the historie and so to proceede vnto the ende if that first of all through the helpe of Christ the ayder of all men I beginne with the blasphemie of Nestorius the schisme which thē rose in the church had such a beginning as followeth Anastasius a certain priest of a corrupt and peruerse opinion an earnest maintainer of the Jewishe doctrine of Nestorius and his companion in the voyage he tooke from Antioch to be byshop of Constantinople whē he heard the leude reasons and conference which Nestorius had with Theodolus at Mopsouestia in Cicilia he fell from the right fayth and as Theodorus writeth of that matter in a certaine epistle he presumed in the open audience of the Church of Constantinople in the hearing of such people as serued God deuoutly to say these wordes let no man call Marie the mother of God for Marie saith he was a woman and it is vnpossible that God shoulde be borne of a woman when the religious people misliked with his reasons and counted not without cause of his doctrine as of blasphemie Nestorius the ringleader of his impietie not onely not forbad him neither maintained the right opinion but first of all confirmed his sayings to be true and was very earnest in the defence of them Wherefore after he had annexed and lincked thereunto his owne opinion and the deuise of his owne braine when he had powred into the Church of God the venome of his poysoned doctrine he endeuoured to establish a farre more blasphemous sentence to his owne destruction he said as followeth I verily will not call him God who grewe to mans state by two monethes three moneths and so forth euen as Socrates Scholasticus and the former councell helde at Ephesus haue informed of him CAP. III. VVhat Cyrill the great wrote vnto Nestorius the hereticke and of the third◠councell of Ephesus whereunto Iohn byshop of Antioch and Theodoritus came shorte CYrill byshop of Alexandria a man of great fame and renowne confuted the leude opinion of Nestorius in seuerall letters yet for al that Nestorius stiffely withstood his confutation yelded not one iote neither vnto Cyrill neither vnto Celestinus byshop of olde Rome but vomited out the venome of his cankered stomacke vpon the Churche and made sute vnto Theodosius the younger who was Emperour of the East that by his authoritie the first councell of Ephesus might be called together Wherfore the Emperour wrote vnto Cyrill and to all y ◠other ouerseers and byshops of the Churches throughout euerie citie geuinge them to vnderstand that the day of Pentecost was prescribed for their assemblie on which day the liuing and ghostly spirit descending from heauen shined among vs. but Nestorius by reason that Ephesus is not farre from Constantinople was there before them Cyrill together with his company came thither also before the day appointed Iohn byshop of Antioch was absent with his prouince not of set purpose according vnto their report which defend his doings but because he coulde not in so short a space call together the byshops of his prouince for many of their cities were distant from Antioch of olde so called but now Theopolis vnto a swift and stoute goer twelue dayes iourney vnto some others more and Ephesus is from Antioch about thirtie dayes iourney And when as Iohn aunswered plainely he was not able to meete them on the Sundaye appointed for so was the day called all his diocesse sturred not a foote from home CAP. IIII. Howe Nestorius the hereticke was deposed by the councell of Ephesus in the absence of Iohn byshoppe of Antioch When the day appointed for their meeting and fifteene dayes ouer were expired the byshops which assembled at Ephesus thinking verily that the easterne byshops would not come or if peraduenture they came it woulde be long ere they mette together when as Cyrill also moderated the councell in steade of Celestinus who as I said before gouerned the seae of Rome called Nestorius before them and willed him to aunswere vnto the crimes that were laid to his charge And when as the first day he promised to come if the case so required and being afterwardes thrise cited to appeare made light accompt of his promise the byshops that were present called the matter into controuersie and began to reason thereof Wherefore after that Memnon byshop of Ephesus had numbred the dayes that were past since the prescribed time to wit seuenteene after they had reade the epistles of the reuerende Cyrill vnto Nestorius and suche as he wrote vnto Cyrill againe together with the holy epistle of the renowmed Celestiniu sent in like sort vnto Nestorius after that Theodotus byshop of Ancyra and Acacius byshop of Melitina had made relation of the blasphemous sentences whiche Nestorius bolted out at Ephesus and after that many notable sayinges to the iustifying of the sincere fayth were vttered in that assembly of holy and learned fathers interlacing sometimes the vnaduised and blasphemous phrases of Nestorius the holy councell pronounced this sentence against Nestorius in maner as followeth Omitting other hainous crimes of the reuerend Nestorius in so much he was cited and would not appeare neither entertaine the most holy and religious byshops which we had sent vnto him vve were driuen of necessitie to sifte and examine his leude and wicked doctrine And seeinge vve founde him to haue belieued impiously and to haue taught heretically partly by perusing of his bookes and epistles and partly also by the blasphemous sentences he vttered of late in this noble citie we were moued both by the canons of the Church and the graue censure of the most holy father our College Celestinus byshop of Rome yet not without sheding of many teares to pronounce against him this seuere and sharpe sentence VVherefore our Lord Iesus Christ in derogation of whose maiesty Nestorius sticked not to pronounce such horrible blasphemie hath decreed and ordained by this sacred assembly that he shoulde both be deposed of his
other For fleshlye pleasure hauinge once takē place obserueth no meane endeth not in good time but by occasiō of one an other is kindled one flame of firy luste flasheth after an other vntill that one hathe gotten either the gouernement of him selfe and geuen vices the ouerthrowe and thenceforth become conquerour or else is ouercome with the tyrannicall slauery of them leade by them vnto the last gaspe and in the end plungeth like a wretch into the deepe pitt of hell CAP. II. Howe the Barbarians inuaded both the East and west contreyes ZEno in the beginning of his raigne leade such a life as I haue described before His subiects throughout the East and West dominions were vexed out of measure and sustayned greate losses for the Barbarians called Scenitae destroyed all places a great multitude of Hunni called of olde Messagetae inuaded Thracia and passed ouer the riuer Danubius without lettor stay Zeno. also was by force after a Barbarian sorte bereaued of the other partes which remained of the Empire CAP. III. Howe Basiliscus the tyrant tooke armour agaynst Zeno and put the Emperour to flight THis Zeno when Basiliscus the brother of Bernia made preparation to take armour agaynst him was of so faynt a courage that he fledde away geuinge vnto Basiliscus the Emperiall honor and victorye without any trauell He was so odious vnto his subiectes who by right detested his abhominable life he had no stomacke at all no shewe of a noble mynde but all luskish and lither of a naughty condition the whiche his sensualitye declared bearinge rule ouer his cowarde minde and slouthfull disposition Wherefore this Zeno together with Ariadne his wife whome he had with him who also had fledde awaye from her mother and if there were any other that bore him good will gotte him into Isauria where he had bene broughte vp and there he was besieged Thus Basiliscus came to be Emperoure of Rome proclaymed his some Marcus Caesar and layde downe a platforme of gouernemente farre contrary both vnto the maner of Zenos raygne and such as were Emperours before him CAP. IIII. Howe Basiliscus called Timotheus Aelurus Bishop of Alexandria home from exile and by his perswasion sent letters into euery Coast wherein he condemned the councell of Chalcedon THis Basiliscus spoken of before at the request of certaine citizēs of Alexandria that were sent vnto him called Timothee home from exile where he had continewed eighteene yeres Acacius then beinge Byshop of Constantinople Timothe after his comming to Constantinople perswaded Basiliscus to send letters vniuersally vnto all Priests throughout the Churches vnder heauen and therein to accursed both the acts of the councell held at Chalcedon and the decree of Leo as toutchinge the fayth the whiche letters were wrytten in this forme The Emperoure Caesar Basiliscus Pius Victorious triumphant chiefe Lorde perpetuall Augustus and Marcus the moste noble Caesat vnto Timothe the moste reuerende and moste holye Archebishop of the noble city of Alexandria sendeth greetinge The lawes and canons hitherto compiled in defense of the sincere and Apostolicke fayth by the moste holye Emperoures our predecessors who worshipped aright the blessed eternall and liuinge trinity seeinge they were godly decreed haue euer bene foūd wholsom for the welth of the whollworld we will neuer haue cancelled nay rather our will is they should be published for our owne proper decrees for we preferre piety and singular loue towards God our Sauiour Iesus who both made and aduaunced vs to glory and renoune before all the care and trauell that is imployed in worldly affayres and we beleue verely that the fastening and knitting together of Christs flock in loue charitie is both a safety vnto vs our selues and vnto all our subiectes vnto our Empire a fundation that can not be shaken and a wall that can not be battered and throwen downe wherefore being moued with the instinct of the holy spirit we haue determined with our selues to offer for a sacrifice vnto God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ the vniforme cōsent of the holy church as the first fruites of our raigne and Empire and ordayned that the ground and bulwarke of the blessed life geuen vnto men to wit the Creede of the three hundred and eighteene holy fathers of olde assembled together in the holy Ghoste at Nice in the which faith bothe we and all our ancestors were baptized shoulde onely be kept and retayned of the faythfull people throughout all the most holy Churches of God for in this one Creede the syncere fayth is so sufficiently decided both to the ouerthrowe of all erroneus opinions and to the establishing of concord vnity throughout the holy Churches of God And moreouer the canons published to the confirmation of the same faith are of no lesse force vertue Againe we doe ratifie the faith of the hundred fifty holy fathers which assembled in this noble city of Constantinople accursed the blasphemers of the holy Ghost In like sorte we approue the acts of the councel called at Ephesus against wicked Nestorius and such as afterwards embraced his opinion As for such decrees as disturbe the quiet estate of the holy Churches of God the peace of the wholl world to wit the decision and decree of Leo all the canons of the councell helde at Chalcedon whatsoeuer they desined toutching the exposition of the Creede interpretation doctrine and deciding thereof to the end a newefound faith might be established contrary to the Creede of the three hundred and eighteene Godly Bishops spoken of before we ordayne and decree that the most holy Bishops both here in euery the seuerall Churches wheresoeuer doe acurse them whersoeuer they are found that they be burned to ashes for so the godly Emperours of famous memory Constantinus Theodosius iunior who liued before our time commaunded as concerning the hereticks bookes and blasphemous pamphlets VVe will haue them so abolished that they be banished for euer out of the one the onely Catholick Apostolicke faithfull church as constitutions which derogate from the whollsome decrees of the three hundred eighteene holy fathers whiche alwayes oughte to be of greate force and vertue and from the canons established in the holy Ghost of the godly Bishops at the councell of Ephesus To be short that it be not lawefull either for Prieste or for people to transgresse that moste diuine canon of the holye creed but that together with all the newe sanctions published in the councell of Chalcedō the heresie also maye be rooted out of suche as confesse not that the onelye begotten sonne of God was cōceaued by the holy Ghost borne of holy Mary the perpetuall virgine and mother of God truely incarnate and made man but that his flesh came downe from heauen so faine it very monstrously to be figurated in some phātasticall sorte or other we will and commaund that euery erroneus opinion at what time in what sorte or place soeuer throughout
where the old tabernacle of the Arke out of Armathen the towne of Heli the Priest was to be seene This is that Prophet which prophecied of Salomon the sonne of Dauid that he woulde fall from the Lord. He rebuked Ieroboam saying that when he came to be king he woulde deale vnfaithfully with the Lord. He sawe in a vision a yoke of oxen destroying the people and assaulting the priestes He prophecied vnto Solomon that women woulde withdrawe his minde from the Lord. This Ahias became so olde that his sight was dimme he died not farre from the Oke in Silo and there was buried Asaph ASaph was a fear that is a Prophet in the time of Dauid He appoynted him chiefe of those that praised the Lorde in Psalmes Idithum IDithum was one of king Dauids Prophets and appoynted by him to prophecie with harpes psalteries and cymbals Addo ADdo of some called Iddo was a prophet in the time of Solomon Roboam and his sonne Abia. The doings of Solomon are said to be wrytten in his visions he is sayde to haue wrytten the genealogie of Roboam The maners and sayings of Abia the sonne of Roboam are sayde to be wrytten in the storie of the prophet Iddo which is not extant Semeia SEmeia prophecied in the dayes of Roboam king of Iuda and wheÌ„ Roboam would haue fought with Ieroboam the word of God came vnto Semeia saying speake vnto Roboam the sonne of Solomon king of Iuda and vnto all the house of Iuda and Beniamin and to the remnaunt of the people ye shall not â—ight against your brethern c. VVhen Roboam forsooke the lawe of the Lord Semeia was sent vnto him with this message Thus sayeth the Lord ye haue left me and therefore haue I also left you in the handes of Sesac king of Aegypt Ioath THis Ioath was of y â— land of Samaria A Lion smote him y â— he died and was buried in Bethel nighe y â— false prophet which deceaued him Epiphanius wryteth thus of Ioath whom he calleth Ioam THe Prophet Ioam was of Samaria a Lion mette him by the way and slewe him This is he that reprehended Ieroboam for the goldeÌ„ calues he erected that tooke away also that wicked oblation and sacrifice VVhen Ieroboam stretched forth his hand against him his hand was withered Immediatly after an olde prophet deceaued this Ioam for when he had constrained him to eate breade and to drinke water otherwise then the Lord had commaunded Ioam a Lion met him and killed him without any harme done to his asse He was buried in Bether harde by this olde false prophet VVhen that shortly after this false prophet died he requested of the priests he might be buried where Ioam was laide because he had deceaued him and that either of them was to receaue at the resurrection according vnto their doings VVherefore they were both laide in one sepulchre Oded ODed the prophet and father of Azarias the prophet liued very long vnto the time of Achas king of Iuda his abiding was in Samaria when the host of the king of Israel had taken great spoile and made great slaughter of the tribe of Iuda Oded the prophet went forth before the host that came to Samaria and sayd vnto them Beholde because the Lord God of your fathers is wroth with Iuda he hath deliuered them into your hand and ye haue slaine them with crueltie that reacheth vp to heauen And nowe ye purpose to keepe vnder the children of Iuda and Ierusalem and to make them bondmen and bondwomen and doe ye not lade your selues with sinne in the sight of the Lord your God now heare me therefore and deliuer the captiues againe which ye haue taken of your brethren for els shall the great wrath of God be vpon you Azarias THis Azarias was of Synatha put away froÌ„ Israel the captiuity of Iuda he died was buried in his owne countrie Epiphanius writeth thus of Azarias AZarias the prophet was of the house linage of Symphata this is he that took away by his prayers the captiuitie that was threatned in IerusaleÌ„ to light vpon Iuda he prophecied somewhat of the comming of the Lord. he rested in the Lord in his owne countrey where he was also buried Hanani THe prophet Hanani prophecied in the daies of Asa king of Iuda when Asa for fear of Baasa king of Israel ioyned in league with Benhadab king of Syria Hanani the prophet came to Asa and said vnto him because thou hast trusted in the king of Syria not rather put thy trust in the Lord thy God therfore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand had not the Aethiopians Lubin an exceeding great host with many chariots horsemen and yet because thou didest trust in the Lord he deliuered them into thine hand for the eies of the Lord behold all the earth to strengthen them that are of perfect heart toward him herein thou hast done folishly therefore from henceforth thou shalt haue war so Asa was wroth with the prophet and clapt him in prison for he was displeased with him because of his prophecie Iehu IEhu the son of Hanani the prophet liued in the daies of Iosaphat king of Iuda he prophecied against Baasa king of Israel that god wold root him out with al his posterity for murthering of Nadab the sonne of Ieroboam when Iosaphat tooke part with Achab king of Israel against the king of Syria Iehu went forth to meete him saide vnto him wouldest thou helpe the vngodly loue them that hate the Lord therfore is wrath come downe vpon thee froÌ„ before the Lord. neuertheles there are some good acts founde in thee in that thou hast hewen downe the groues out of the land hast prepared thine heart to seek God this Iehu is said to haue noted the acts of Iosaphat in the book of the kings of Iuda Iehaziel IEhaziel prophecied in the daies of Iosaphat king of Iuda when all Iuda stood in great feare of the host multitude of enemies that came against them the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iehaziel in the mids of the congregation he said hearken al Iuda ye inhabitors of Ierusalem thou king Iosaphat thus saith the Lord vnto you be not affraid nor faint hearted by reason of this great multitude for the battel is not yours but Gods to morow go ye'downe against them behold they come vp by the clift of Ziz and ye shall finde them at the end of the brooke before the wildernes of Ieruel ye shal not neede to fight in this battel but step forth stande and behold the helpe of the Lord which is with you feare not nor let your hearts faile you O ye of Iuda and of Ierusalem to morow go out against them for the Lorde will be with you when they came to the enemies they found them all dead karkasses Eliezer ELiezer prophecied vnder Iosaphat
there remaineth no hope for vs he perswaded them by prophecying of dead bones that there was comfort inough left for Israel both for the present and for the time to come This Prophet Iudged Israel and shewed what shoulde become both of Ierusalem and the Temple He was taken from Babylon that he came to Ierusalem the same houre to rebuke suche as beleeued not in God This Prophet sawe euen as Moses did before him the fygure of the Temple the Wall and what was thereabout and the gate through the whiche the Lorde was to enter in and toe goe out and that it woulde come to passe that the same gate woulde be shut and that all nations shoulde put their trust in the Lorde In Babylon he iudged the tribe of Dan and of Gad because they wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord in persecuting them that kept the â—awe and he gaue them a terrible token for Adders destroyed their children and all their cattell for their sinne and iniquitye He prophecyed also that for their sakes the people shoulde not returne vnto their owne countrey but shoulde remayne in Media vntill they had repented them One of these was he that slewe this Prophet Daniel THe prophet Daniel prophecied in Babylon and was accepted of as one that was fit to prophecy of Christ. Know therefore vnderstand saith he that froÌ„ the going forth of the coÌ„maundement to bring againe the people and to build Ierusalem vnto Messias the prince there shal be seuen weeks and threescore two weekes c. Againe in an other place There vvas a sâ—one cut vvithout hands the stone smote the image it became also a great mountaine and filled the vvhol earth Againe And behold there came one in the clouds of heauen like the sonne of man vvhich vvent vnto the auncient of dayes vnto him there vvas geuen honor povver wyth other things that ther are laide downe This Daniel was of the tribe of Iudah a noble man borne being a yong childe he was led into captiuity out of Iudaea into the land of the Chaldees he was in the vpper Betheron so chasâ—â— man that the Ievves thought he had bene gelded he bewayled verye muche both the people and the holye citie Ierusalem He brought him selfe verye Iowe and weake by fastinge and abstayninge from delicate foode feedynge vpon the fruite of the earth In forme of bodye he was drye and leaue but in the fauour of God he was moyste and of good likinge At the request of Balthasar the kings sonne this prophet prayed very much for king Nabuchodonosor who was transformed into the figure of a monstrous beast that his father should not be cast away In the fore partes and the heade he was like an Oxe the hinder partes with the feete resembled the Lyon his heares were as Egles feathers and his nayles lyke byrdes 〈◊〉 â–ª It was reuealed vnto this holye man that the Kinge for his brutishe sensualitye and stifneckednesse â–ª shoulde be transformed into a beaste That is to saye he shoulde be made subiecte vnto Belial lyke an Oxe vnder yoke and resemble a Lyon for his raueninge tyrannye and crueltye These are the propertyes of Potentates in their youth vntill at length they are become bruite beasts rauening slaying practising tyrauny and all kinde of impieâ—y and in the end they receaue of the iust iudgment of God the reward of their wickednes The spirit of God gaue this holy man to vnderstand that like an Oxe he woulde â—eede vpon hay which was his food Wherefore Nabuchodonosor after he had digested this meate he recouered the sense and vnderstandinge of man he wept he made supplication vnto the Lord day night he prayed vnto y e Lord forty times And being come vnto him self yet forgate he that he had bene made a man The vse of his tongue was taken away that he could not speak and vnderstanding of that immediatly he fel a mourning His eyes by reason of his continuall lamentation gaue forth a dead look Many went out of y e citie to see him yet only Daniel would not go for al â–ª y â— while he was so transformed Daniel ceassed not to pray for him his saying was he wil become a man again theÌ„ wil I see him but they gaue no credit vnto his words Daniel by praying vnto y â— most highest brought to passe y t the seuen years whoÌ„ he called seuen times were turned into seuen moneths that y e mystery of y e seuen times should in theÌ„ be finished within y â— space ofâ—enen mâ—â—eths he was restored vnto him selfe y e sixe yeares y t were behind the fiue moneths he prostrated him self before the Lord confessing his sinnes iniquity And when he had obtained remission of sinne he gaue his kingdome vnto y e prophet he eat neither bread neither flesh nor dronk wine but coÌ„fessed his sinnes vnto y e lord For Daniel had coÌ„maunded him to feed vpoÌ„ pulse herbs so to please y e Lord â–ª wherfore he called Daniel Balthasar would haue made him cahere w t his sonnes â–ª but as toutching the kingdome the holy prophet would none of it his aunswere was be fauourable vnto me O Lorde that I forsake not the inheritance of my fathers and become heire vnto the vncircumcised He wrought many straunge wonders in the presence of the other kings of Persia whiche are not written Daniel dyed in Chaldaea and was honorably buried alone in a princely sepulchre he gaue a terrible token as toutchinge the mountaines ouer Babylon saying When ye see them smoke of the North side the destruction of Babylon is at hand When ye see them burne then the whole worlde is nigh to an ende If out of these mountaines in time of calamitie there shall flowe out water then the people shall returne into their owne lande if blood doe runne out there will be greate slaughter throughout the worlde After all this holy man of God rested in peace Baruch BAruch liued in the time of the prophet Ieremy he was his scribe he wrote out of Ieremies mouth read it before Ioachas the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda after he had read it he was faine to flye awaye and hide him selfe together wyth Ieremy for the booke was burned It appeareth after this â—light he was verye timorous God sent Ieremye to reproue him for it Beinge ledde captiue into Babylon when Ieremye went downe to Aegypt he wrote that booke which beareth his name the which was sent from thence to Ierusalem to be read in the temple vpon high dayes Vrias VRias was of Cariath-iarim the sonne of Semei he prophecied against the citie of Ierusalem and the whole lande of ludaea euen as Ieremye did Ioacim the sonne of Iosias kinge of Iuda sought to kill him therefore Vrias hearing of it was very much affraide fled away and got him into Aegypt but king Ioacim sent meÌ„ after Vrias which brought him out
constrained to come to the councell helde at Tyrus where he was deposed Socrat. lib. 1. ca 20 Arius borne in Libya yet a prieste of Alexandria hearing Alexander the bishop entreatinge curiously of the trinitie thought verily that he maintayned the opinioÌ„ of Sabellius set him self agaynst the bishop and sayde that the sonne of God had a beginninge of esseÌ„ce that there was a time when he was not he sayde that God was not alwayes a Father that the sonne was not froÌ„ euerlasting but had his beginninge of nothinge Being called before the Emperour he woulde subscribe vnto the Nicene councell sweare toe His deceate was to carie in his bosome his hereticall opinion wrytteÌ„ in a peece of paper and when he came to the booke he woulde sweare that he thought as he had written meaning in his bosome His ende was lamentable for comming from the Emperoure after the oth he had taken with greate pompe throughe the streete of Constantinople he was taken with suddayne feare and withall he felt a laske immediatlye he asked of them where there was any house of office thither he weÌ„t voyded his gutts as manye as went by were wonte to poynte at the place with the finger and say In yonder iakes dyed Arius the heretick Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 3. 25. Epiphan haeres 68. 69.  Alexander b. of Alexandria to Arius the heretick exhorting theÌ„ to vnitie â–ª wheÌ„ he was 60. 5. yeares old he dyed after that he had raigned 31 yeares Euseb li. 8. ca. 14. 15. 16. lib. 9. cap. 9 10. lib. 10. cap. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 2 4. 26. He differred his baptisme vnto his last end purposing fullye to haue it in Iordaine where Christ was baptized It was Eusebius b. of Nicomedia as Eusebius Ierom and Socrates doe write that baptised him for all the trauell that Cardinal pool tooke and the flattering glosses to proue the contrarye The donation that is fathered vpon him is but a meere fable in the iudgement of the best wryters Eusebius Pamphilus bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina wrote the ecclesiasticall historie froÌ„ the byrth of Christ vnto the raygne of ConstaÌ„tine the great he was at the councel of Nice wrote the Nicene creede seÌ„t it to Caesarea condeÌ„ned Arius with his own haÌ„de yet was he thoughte to be an Arian and to cleare him of the suspicion Socrates wrote an Apology in his behalfe whiche is to be seene in his history ConstaÌ„tine had hiÌ„ in greate reuerence Because of his familiaritye with Pamphilus the martyr he was called Eusebius Pamphilus he wrote many notable bookes died in the time of ConstaÌ„tine the yonger Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 1. 5. 18 lib. 2. cap. 3. 17. Ierom catalog Frumentius was made bishop by Athanasius and sent to conuert the Indians Socrat lib. 1. ca. 15. Eusebius Emisenus a godly bishop was a great clerke a profounde philosopher in the days of Constantine Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 18. lib. 2. cap. 6. There was at Rome in the time of Siluester a Councell of 277. bishops whiche ratified the Nicene couÌ„cell coÌ„demned Arius Photinus Sabellius tom 1. coÌ„cil In the time of CoÌ„stantine sayth Marianus Scotus Helen his mother writeth vnto him that he should renouÌ„ce Christ becom a Iewe. To trye the trueth HeleÌ„ brought with her 120. Iewes Constantine brought Siluester b. of Rome with 24. other bishops they disputed of Christ in the ende the Iewes were ouerthrowen to 1. concil  Eustathius was b. of Antioch after Philogonus he was at the councel of Nice But he fel into the heresie of Sabellius and was deposed in a councell held at Antioch Eusebius PaÌ„philus confuted him after his deposition the seae was voyde the space of 8. yeres Socrat. li. 1. cap. 9. 18. Marcus was b. of Rome after Siluester and coÌ„tinewed 8. moneths Ierom.   Alexander b. of Constantinople a godlye father sett him selfe against Arius he trusted not to the quirckes of logick but to the power of Christ helockt him self in the churche and prayd thus vnto God I besech thee o lord if the opinioÌ„ of Arius be true that I my selfe maye neuer see the ende of this disputatioÌ„ but if the faith which I holde be true that Arius may receau due punishmeÌ„t for his blas phemous opinion whiche in deede sell out as it is to be seen in Arius ende Alelexander was 118. yeare olde when he dyed Socrat lib. 1. cap 25. li. 2 cap. 4. Siluester called at Rome 284. bishops in the presence of CoÌ„stantine and Helena his mother where they layd downe canons for the gouernmeÌ„t of the clergie tom 1. coÌ„cil A councell held at Antioche deposed Eustathius b. of Antioche for maintaining the heresie of Sabellius Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 18. A councel held at Eliberis in Spayne in the time of CoÌ„staÌ„tine decreed that the vsurer should be excoÌ„municated that tapers shold not burne in the daye tyme in church yardes that women shoulde not frequent vigills that images should be banished the church that nothinge should be painted on the wall to be worshipped that euery one should coÌ„municate thrise in the yere tom 1. concil    They accused him at ConstaÌ„tinople be fore the Emperour that he should say he woulde stay the cariadge of corne froÌ„ AlexaÌ„dria to ConstaÌ„tinople for the which Constantinus magnus â—an ished him into Treuere a citie of FrauÌ„ce lib. 1. ca. 23. CoÌ„stantine the yonger called him home froÌ„ exile lib. 2. cap. 2. The councel of Antioche charged hiÌ„ that he tooke the bishoprike after his exile without the warrant of a councel they deposed him and chose Eusebius Emisenê° when he refused it they chose Gregorius an Arian who was brought thither with armed souldiers so that A thanaâ—ius fled away to saue his life afterwardes they misliked with him placed Georgius in his rowme whiche had a miserable end lib. 2. ca. 5. 6. 7. 8. 10. lib. 3. ca. 2. he weÌ„t to Iulius b. of Rome and came to enioy his bishopricke by vertue of his letters lib. 2. ca. 11. Againe the AriaÌ„s accused him to the emperor that he had taken the corne which the emperor gaue to the poore and sold it to his owne lucre so that he was faine the seconde time to slye vnto Iulius b. of Rome where he coÌ„tinewed one yeare six moneths vntil the couÌ„ cel of Sardice where he was restored to his bishoprick lib. 2. ca. 13. 16. but CoÌ„staÌ„tius beyng an Arian banished him againe so that Constans his brother threatned him with warres and coÌ„strayned him to doe it lib. 2. ca. 18. after the death of Constans Constantius exiled him againe lib. 2. cap. 21. After the death of Constantius he came to AlexaÌ„dria but he was fayne to flie in the time of lulian the Apostata li. 3 ca. 4. 12. He came hom in the time of Iouianus and fled away in the time of Valens the A rian he was b. six forty yeres
matters he banished all the Iewes out of Alexandria for murthering of the christians he coÌ„demned Nestorius in the councell of Ephesus Socrat lib. 7. cap. 7. 13. 33 Rhetorius was of a wonderfull vaine opinion He thought that all heretikes walked aright and maintayned the trueth August lib. de haeres Paterniani were heretickes which thought that the nether parts of mans bodyâ— were made not by God but by the deuell there fore yeelded all those partes vnto all beastly life some called these men Venustianos August   Acacius b. of Amida was famous for his godly acts in the dayes of Theodosius the yonger he pytied the Persian captiues which the Romaines had taken lamented to see them perishe for want of foode he called his clergy sayd thus vnto them Our lord hath no neede either of poâ—â—iÌ„gers or of cups for he neyther â—ateth neither drinketh c. he perswaded them so that he sould the treasure relieued the prisoners and redeemed the captiues Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 21. The councell held at TaurinuÌ„ at the foote of the alps was held for the reformatioÌ„ of the clergy tom â— concil The councel of Malta condemned the Pelagians Donatists and concluded that all meÌ„ wer sinners that the grace of God was geueÌ„ to the fulfilling of the law that infants were to be baptized to 1. coÌ„cil â–ª A couÌ„cell helde at Telene in the time of Zosimus thrust vpon the clergye vowed chastitie which Siricius had first commaunded tom 1. concil The 6. councell of Carthage ratified the canoÌ„s of the Nicene councell tom 1. concil   Celestinus was b. of Rome after Bonifacius Anno Donini 425. continewed 9. yeres Soc. lib. 7. cap. 11 Prosp chro this Celestinus sent Palladius to be bishop of the Scotts  Tertullianistae were heretickes which denyed second mariadges and sayd that the soules of wicked men became deuells after theyr departure out of this life and that the soule is continewedby goinge from one into an other as muche to say by carnall descent and succesâ—ion August 425.  Isidorus a Peleusian was of greate fame in the dayes of Cyrill and wrote a boke vnto him Fuag lib. 1. cap. 15. The 7. councell of Carthage layd down what kind of meÌ„ were fit to beare witnes againste the clergy to 1. coÌ„c A councell was held in Aphrike where all the prouinces came together in the tyme of Bonifacius Celestinus bishops of RoÌ„â— where they coÌ„deÌ„ned Pelagiâ—s decreed that no bishop shold be called the heade of all priests that no appeale should be made out of Aphrick to any other bishop c. tom 1. concil   In the time of Celestinus sayth Socrates the bishop of Rome passinge the bosides of his priestly order presumed to chaleÌ„g vnto him self secular power autoritiâ— lib. 7. cap. 11.  Nestorius the hereticke by birth a Germayne yet prieste of Antioch was sent for by Theodositis to Constantinople and there made bishop for his crucltie he was called a fire braÌ„d he brought from Antioch a priest in his coÌ„panie whose name was Anastasius whiche taught in the churche that Marie was not to be called the mother of God whome he defended auoyded as Socrates sayeth this clause the motheror bearing of God as a bugg or frayinge ghost yet he proceeded in spite beynge called to the councell of Ephesus he denyed that Christ was God and seeyng that there rose greate sturre thereof he seemed to repent but the councell deposed and banished him into Oasis God winked not at his impietie but plagued him diueâ—sly from aboue his toÌ„ge was eaten vp of wormes and so he dyed Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 22. 23. 29. Euag. lib. 1. cap. 2. 3. 7.  Synesius b. of Cyrene an eloquent man and a profouÌ„d philosopher florished in the time of Theodosius Euagr. lib. 1. cap. 15. A generall couÌ„cell called at Ephesus an Do. 434. Prosper chron of 200. bishops where Nestorius the he retick was condemned Socrat. lib. 7. cap. 33. Euagr lib. 1. cap. 4. A councell was held at RhegiuÌ„ for the redresse of ecclesiasticall matters tom 1. concil     Abelitae were heretickes aboute Hippo in Aphricke so called of Abel the sonne of Adam wiues they abhorred yet liued they not without men and women vnder colour of chastitie lyued in one house and to be their heire they wold alwayes adopt one or other of their neyghbours children Augu. 434.  Prudentius and Sedulius christiaÌ„ Poetes liued about this time Gennad catalog Prosper Aquitanicus one that wrote many notable tractes whose sentences are to be seene amonge Augustines works florished in the raigne of Theodosius He wrote also a notable chronographie Gennad A councell was called at Rome by Valentinianus the yoÌ„ger wher Sixtus the b. purged him self of certaine crimes that wer layde to his charge     A sect of here ticks the first authors name is not knowen sayde that after the resurrectioÌ„ this world should not be chaunged but remayne still as it doeth contrarit to the scripture which sayth there shall be a newe heauen and â— newe earth August 435. In the raigne of this Theodosius the bryttaynes sâ—t for the Saxones out of Germanie to asist them against the Scots and Picts â–ª Polidor Symeon a religious man in the time of Domnus b. of Antioche was the author of a straunge kinde of life he liued many yeres in a pilloure He was knoweÌ„ to be a godlye man Euagr. lib. 1. cap. 12. lib. 2. ca. 10. Sixtus called a councell at RoÌ„e to examine the doings of Polychronius b of lerusaleÌ„ to 1. coÌ„c The couÌ„cell of Agatha decreed that none should be made priest afore he were 30. yeares olde that the clergie shoulde weare suche attire as became their profession with manie other constitutions to 1. coÌ„cil     An other sect wente always barefoote not for the aflictioÌ„ of the bodye but because they vnderstoode foÌ„dly certaine places of the scripture August An other sect would neuer eate meaâ— with men They tooke the holy ghost for a creature August   Socrates Scholasticus which coÌ„tinewed in seueÌ„ bookes the ecclesiasticall history of Eusebius Pâ—philus froÌ„ Constantinus magnus vnto the better parte of Theodosius iunior his raygne was about this time of greate fame through out all Greece The 1. 2. couÌ„cell held at Aurenge decreed amonge other things that such as fled to sanctu aries shoulde be ayded coÌ„deÌ„ned free will and grace of merits tom 1. concil The 1. and 2. councells helde at Vasio in the tyme of Theodosius decreed that in suche churches where preachers were not Deacons shoulde reade homilies tom 1. concil I find tom 1 concil That in the tyme of Sixtus b. of Rome there was one Polychronius b. of IerusaleÌ„ a very shorte while deposed in a councell helde at Rome for Simony extorcion But other wryters make no meÌ„tion of him and say
Antioche after Peter Euagr. li. 3. cap. 23. Gelasius was b. of Rome after Felix Anno Do. 494. where he continewed 4. yeres â—om 2. concill Athanasius succeeded Peter in the bishopricke of Alexandria Euagr. lib â–ª 3. cap. 23. The monkes of ConstaÌ„tinople were hereticks of Eutyches opinion Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 31. Certaine Manâ—ches were fouÌ„deâ— at Rome in the time of Gelasiuâ— they were banished theyâ— bookes burned to asses Palmeâ— chron   Boëtius a christian philosopher endured greate perse â–ª cution vnder Theodoricus the Arian Volat. A synod mett at Epaunis and decreed that no clergy maÌ„ shold either hunt or hauke that throughout the prouince suche diuine seruice as the Metropolitane liked of should be retained tom 2. coÌ„c  Flauianus was b. of Antioche after Palladius but Anastasius the Emperour deposed him for sedition Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 23. 30. 31. Anastasius 2. was b. of Rome after Gelasius 2. yeares rom 2. coÌ„c  The monkes oâ— Syria were heretickes camâ— in a heate to Antioch madâ— there an insurrection so thaâ— a great numbeâ— of them in steâ—â— of earth were buryed in thâ— riuer Oronteâ— Euag. li. 3. ca. 3â— some do write of him that he shoulde commaunde not a Trinitie but a quaternitie to be worshipped and therefore was â—â—itten with a thunderbolt and so dyed P. dâ—â—c blond Remigius a bishop of Fraunce florished about this time Volat A couÌ„cell held at Râ—uenna in preseÌ„ce of Theo doricus debated the schisme that iose aboute the election of a b. of Rome and choâ—e Symaâ—hus Palmer chron Six synods wer helde at Rome in the tyme of Symaâ—hus toutchinge the election of a b. oâ— Rome and the preseruation of church goodes tom 2. concil Helias was b. of Ierusalem after Salustius Euag. lib. 4. cap. 36. Seuerâ— was b. of Antioche after the deposition of Flauianus before he was prieste he was a counceller pleaded law at Berytus after he was made Byshop he fel into the he resie of Eutyches Eua. lib. 3. ca. 33 34. Symachus was b. of Rome after Anastasius 15. yeres tom 2. concil Iohn succeeded Athanasius Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 23. Olympus an Arian bishop as he bayned him selfe at Carthage and blasphemed the blessed trinitie was sodainly smitten from heauen with three firye dartes and burned quick Palmer chronic 519. Iustinus a thracâ—aÌ„ succeeded Anastasius he fauored the couÌ„cell of Chalcedon He dispatched through wilâ—s a greate number of tyrants whome he suspected WheÌ„ he had â—aygned 8. yeres 9. moneths and three dayes he proclaimed Iustinianus his felowe Empeâ—our raygned with him four moneths then dyed Vuagr li. 4. cap. 1. 23. 9. Zosimas Iohn Chuzubites wer famous for their godly lif strauÌ„g miracles Euag. lib. 4 cap. 7. A councel held at Ilerda in Spayne decreed that suche as slewe the child in the wombe with potions simpersauces shoulde be banished the commumoÌ„ the space of 7. yeres that clergymeÌ„ being desamed should purge them selues tom 2. coÌ„c A councel held at Valentia in Spaine decâ—eed the Gospell shoulde be read after the Epistle tom 2. concil A councel held at Auâ—â—lia in the time of Hormisda decreede that Lent shold be solemnelye kept before Easter the roâ—atioÌ„ weeke with the ember dayes about the ascention tom 2. coÌ„c A councel held at Gerunda in Spayne decreed that euery prouince shold obserue one order of diuineseruice that baptisme shold be ministred onely at Easter and witsontide and at other times if necessitie so required that the Lordes prayer shoulde be sayde at morninge euening prayer tom 2. concil A councel held at Caesaraugusta accursed suche as receaued the sacrament eate it not in the church tom 2. concil Petruâ— b. of Ierusalem after Helias Euagr. lib. 4. ca. 36 the generall councell held at ConstaÌ„tinople wrot vnto him what they had done to 2. coÌ„cil  Hormisda was b. of Rome after Symachus anno Dom. 516. where he coÌ„tinewed 9. yeares Anto. chro Ioh succeeded the former Iohn Euag. lib. 3. ca. 23 Seuerus b. of Antioch was of Eutyches opinion Iustinus the emperour in the first yeare of his raigne caused his toÌ„gue to be pulled out of his mouth because he reuiled the councell of Chalcedon preached raylinge sermons Euag. lib. 4. cap. 4. Deuterius an Arian b. of Constantinople as he baptised one Barbas he vsed this forme I baptize Barbas in the name of the father throughe the sonne in the holy ghost Theod. collect   Brigida a mayde whose reuelations are at this day extant florished about this time Palmer chron   Paulus was b â–ª of Antioche after Seuerus E uagr. lib. 4. cap. 4. Euprasius succeeded Paulus he dyed in the earthquake which was at Antioch the 7. yere of Iustinus Euag. lib. 4 cap. 4. 5.  Theodosius was b of AlexaÌ„dria after Iohn Iustinianus deposed him for maintayninge the heresie of Eutyches Euag. lib. 4 cap. 9. 11. 36. Benedictus the first fouÌ„der of the order commonlye called S. Benedictes dyed sayth Volateran li. 21. Anno Do. 518. He was the firste and the onely deuiser of a seueral trade of lif within the firste 600. yeres after christ because he presumed to inuent a new way which all the godly fathers before him neuer thought of I layde him heere downe for a schismaticke and couched him in the catalogue of heretickes 525.  Priscianus the greate graÌ„marian liued in the dayes of Iustinian Palmer chron The 2. councell held at Toledo decreed that all what so euer the clergie held de iure should returne vnto the church after theyr desease to 2. conc In the time of Iohn 2. b. of Rome  Euphremius a noble man succeeded Euphrasius in the bishop ricke of Antioche Euagr. li. 4. cap. 6. Iohn was B. of Rome after Hormisda an Dom. 525. and continewed there 2. yeares and 10. moneths Palm chron  Monothelitae were heretickes whiche denied that Christ had 2. wils a diuine humane Volater lib. 17. 528. Iustinianus succeded Iustinus in the empire he was couetous cruell carelesse of that whiche was good the Empresse his wife fauored the hereticall opinion of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lie hiÌ„ self fell into a blasphemous opinioÌ„ whiche is to be seene in the cataloge of the hereticks â–ª he raygned 38. yeares 8. moneths dyed went straight down to hell as Euagrius thinketh Euagr lib. 4. ca. 9. 10. 29. 31. 38. 40. lib. 5. cap. 1. Barsanuphius a religious maÌ„ was of great fame in the time of Iustinianus â–ª Eâ—â—gr lib. 4. cap. 32. A generall councell was called at Constantinople in the 27. yeare of Iustinianus the Emperour and in the time of Vigilius b. of Rome where they condemned the heresies of Anthimus b. of Constantinople Seâ—eâ—â—â— â— of Antioche â–ª Peter Cnapheia Theodorê° Loâ—ras allowed the 4. former general councells decreed that Marie shoulde be called the mother of God and condemned Origen tom 2. conc Euag. lib. 4. cap. 37. A 2. and 3.
pa. 23. 32. 33. 35. 46. 47 â–ª 53. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 72. 73. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80 81. 96. 97. 98. 99. 101. 111. 114. 115. 116. 117. 128. 129. 130. 131. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 175. 176. 273. 274. 284. 285. 298. 305. 306. 307. 310. 319. 320. 322. 326. 327. 328. 329. 332. 333. 386. 476. 493. 519. Persia receaued the faith pa. 38. Pertinax the Emperour and his end pa. 469. Peter the Apostle was imprisoned by Herode Agrippa and deliuered by an Angel pag. 23. he met SimoÌ„ Magus at Rome in the time of Claudius pag. 27. he was crucified at Rome about his later time after he had preached in other contreyes pa. 35. 36. 519. his workes pa. 36. he was maried and his vvife martyred pag. 52. Peter b. of Alexandria was beheaded page 144. 153. 176. Peter the Emperour Diocletians page after sundry tormentes was broyled to death pa. 148. Peter the successor of Athanasius in the seae of Alexandria pa. 328. 340. Petirus a monke pa. 330. Petrus Apselamus was burned for the fayth pag. 168. Peucetius a persecutinge Magistrate is executed pa. 183. Pharises and theyr heresie pag. 70. Phileas b. of Thmuis vvas beheaded pag. 150. Philetus b. of Antioch pa. 108. Philip the tetrarch pa. 13. 14. Philip one of the seuen Deacons preached in Samaria baptised Simon Magus the Eunuch pa. 19. 20. Philip the Apostle rested at Hierapolis pa. 53. 93 his martyrdome pag. 519. his life pa. 532. Philip the 9 b. of Ierusalem pa. 59. Philip b. of Gortyna wrote against Marcion pa. 71. 72. Philip was Emperour after Gordianus a Christian pa. 112. his end pa. 469. Philip a Priest of Sida wrote a booke to the confutatioÌ„ of Iulian the Apostata intitled it the Christian historie pa. 392. Philo Iudaeus a man of greate fame was sente in Embassie from the lewes of Alexandria vnto the Emperour Caligula pa. 21. he is alleaged pa. 22. 28. 29. he talked with Peter the Apostle at Rome pa. 28. his workes pa. 30. 31. Philoromus gouernour of Alexandria was beheaded for the faith pa. 150. Philosophie is studied and commended pag. 105 106. 107. 308. 309. Philumena an hereticke the Prophetesse yoke mate of Apelles pa. 86. Photinus b. of Sirmium and his heresie pag. 262. 264. 274. 275. 277. 323. Pictures of Simon Magus and Helena the vvitch pag. 27. Pierius a minister of Alexandria pag. 144. Pilate was made President of Iudaea the 12 yere of Tiberius pag. 13. he certified Tiberius that our Sauiour was risen from the dead pag. 20. he plagued the Ievves pag. 22. he slevve him selfe pa. 22. 23. Pinytus b. of Creta pag. 70. Pinytus b. of the people Gâ—o sij pa. 71. Pionius was burned for the faith pag. 67. Pior a Monke pag. 329. Pius vvas b. of Rome 15 yeares pag. 62. 83. Placitus b. of Antioch pa. 256. a Plague in Alexandria pa. 134. 135. a Plague throughout the vvorld pa. 182. a Plague in the time of Maximinus pa. 178. Plinius Secundus a Liuetenant vvas sorie that the Christians vvere persecuted vvrote therof vnto Traian pag. 54. Plutarchus a Martyr pa. 97. 98. Pneumatomachoi and their heresie pa. 293. Polybius b. of Tralleis pa. 55. Polybius an historiographer pa. 501. Polycarpus b. of Smyrna wrote an Epistle vnto the Philippians page 54. 55. 64. 93. he was at Rome with Anicetus pa. 63. he met MarcioÌ„ in the face pag. 64. his Martyrdome pag. 64. 65. 66. 67. Polycrates b. of Ephesus wrote vnto Victor b. of Rome pa. 53. 92. 93. Pompei besieged Ierusalem and sent Aristobulus captiue to Rome pa. 9. Pontianus b. of Rome pa. 108. Ponticus a yonge man of 15. yeare old was martyred pa. 80. Pontinus an hereticke pag. 86. Pontius a learned man pa. 103. Porphyrius an Atheist wrote against the Christians and disputed vvith Origen pag. 106. 229. Porphyrius the SeruaÌ„t of Pamphilus martyr vvas burned for the faith pa. 170. Potamiaena a virgine was burned for the faith p. 98. 99. Pothinus b. of Lions is tormented put in prison and their dieth pa. 78. Primus was b. of Alexandria 12 yeares pag. 58. 59. Primus b. of Corinth pag. 70. Priscilla the Prophetesse of Montanus pa. 86. 89. 90. Priscus a Christian was torne in peeces of wilde beasts pa. 131. Priscus Rhetor an historiographer pa. 502. Probus was Emperour after Auâ—â—lianus â–ª pa. 141. Proclus a Cataphrygian hereticke page 35. 53. 108. Procopius was beheaded for the faith pag. 159. Procopius a tyrant dieth miserably pag. 320. Procopius Rhetor an historiographer pag. 502. Promus was beheaded for the fayth pag. 168. the Prophetes sawe God vvith the clensed eye of the mind pag. 3. Prophecy was in the Churche after Christ page 69. 82. 83. 88. 89. Proterius the godly b. of Alexandria vvas cruelly slaine pa. 433. Protogenes a godly b. of Sardice pag. 265. Psathyriani and theyr opinion pag. 357. Ptolomaeus a Martyr pag. 68. 69. Ptolomaeus a confessor pag. 116. Publius b. of Athens and a Martyr pag. 71. Publius b. of Ierusalem pag. 85. Q. Quadratus had the gift of Prophecy pag. 55. he vvrote an Apollogie of the Christian fayth vnto Adrian pag. 58. 59. 88. 89. Quadratus b. of Athens pa. 71. Quinta a vvomaÌ„ after torment is stoned to death pag. 115. Quintus fell in persecution pag. 64. R. REpentance of a thiefe pag. 49. Rhais a vvoman vvas burned for the faith pag. 98. Rhodion the disciple of Tatianus a learned vvriter pag. 86. Rome is called Babylon pag. 28. Romanus had his tongue pulled out aftervvardes stifled to death pag. 159. 160. Romulus Subdeacon of Diospolis was beheaded for the faith pag. 160. Rufus a Disciple pa. 55. Ruffus a Liuetenant of Iudaea destroyed the Ievves in Ierusalem pag. 59. Rugas a rebell was slayne with a thunderbolt pa. 400. S. SAbellius heresie pag. 126. 264. Sabinus a President of Maximinus the persecutor pag. 174. Sabinus a Macedonian hereticke pag. 224. 229. 260. Saduces and their heresie pa. 70. reade the Chro. Sagaris a martyr pag. 72. 93. Salome the â—ister of Herode pag. 13. Samaritans their heresy pa. 70. reade the Chro. Samosatenus the hereticke looke Paulus Samosatenus Samuel the Prophet and his life pag. 521. Sanctus Deacon of Vienna vvas beheaded pag. 76. 77. 78. Saracens receaued the Christian faith pag. 339. Saturnilians vvere heretickes pag. 70. Saturninus of Antioch an hereticke pag. 60. 74. Sclaunders raised vpon the godly pag. 60. 69. 76 77. 102. 116. 176. 177. 246. 247. 248. 250. 26â— 272. 369. 504. 505. Scriptures looke Canonicall Scripture Secundus b. of Ptolomais an Aâ—ian pa. 224. 227. Sedition in Alexandria pa. 135. Seianus vexed the Ievves pa. 22. Seleucus vvas beheaded for the fayth pa. 170. Semeia the prophet and his life pa. 5â—2 Sennecas the tenth bishop of Ierusalem pag. 59. Septuagints translation of the old Testament pa. 84. 105.
Martyrs enioyned to kill one an other Auxentius â—orne of wild beasts The gelding of christians PaÌ„philus had his sides maÌ„â—led with â—â—arpe rasors Vrbanus for his crueltie fel into great shame misery in the ende he was put to death A hundreth Martyrs tormented and sent to digging of mettalls 2. womeÌ„ burned Valentina The prayer of Paulus be fore his mar tyrdome Paulus prayed for his persecutors Paulus beheaded 130. Confessors The edict of Maximinus against the Christians Antonius be headed Zebinas beheaded Germanus beheaded Maxis a wicked tribune Ennathas a virgine burned quicke A miracle Ares burned Promus beheaded Elias beheaded Petrê° Apsela mus burned Asclepius a Marcionite burned Pamphilus Valens Paulus 5. Martyrs be headed Galâ—â— 4 Heb. 12. Porphyrius the seruant of Pamphilus after torment was burned to death Seleucus beheaded Theodulus crucified Iulianus burned Adrianus be headed Eubulus beheaded Firmilianus the wicked tyrant was beheaded Cap. 2. Peleê° burned Nilê° burned A minister burned Patermythius burned Siluanus Iohn a blind man of a singuler memory and rare gifts 39 Martyrs beheaded Sabinus vnto the presideÌ„ts through out the dominions of Maximinus Such as fell in persecutioÌ„ repented theÌ„ of their fall Iuppiter philius Three christians deuoured of beasts Siluanus martyrd Petrus b. of Alexandria beheaded Lucianus martyred Maximinus against Christians He coÌ„mendeth the superstition of the Tyrians their cruelty against the ChristiaÌ„s A sclaunder Maâ— 24. The Christiâ—ns alone â—ere enduâ—d with comâ—assion Exod. 14. Psal 7. Exod. 15. Maximinus in the behalf of the Chistians An impudeÌ„t lye he shewed no such curtesie Maximinus wageth battaile with Licinnius Psal 33. Cap 10. in the Greeke Maximinê° in the behalfe of the Christians He dissembleth with his subiects The death of Maximinus the tyrant God plagued Maximinus Famine Inward burning Hewme Blindnesse His last confession The ignominy that befell Maximinê° after his death The executors of tyrannie are plagued Peucetius a wicked magistrate Culcianus a wicked magistrate Theotecnus Inchaunters idolatrerâ— punished Maximinus children and kinsmen receaued theyr deserts Psalm 146. CoÌ„stantinus Licinnius Emperours He begâ—neth with thankes vnto God for the peace after persecution Psalm 98. Psalm 46. Psalm 37. The temples builded agayne Consecrations and the dedications of temples Ezech. 37. An vniforme consent of the Christians He prayseth Paulinus the Bishop Beseleel Solomon Zorâ—babel Psal 44. Psal 48. 1. Timoth. 3. Psal 87. Psal 122. Psal 26. Psal 48. Psal 113. Luc. 1. Psal 106. Psal 107. Psal 136. Psal 105. Esay 53. Satan the enemy of mà kinde worker of all mischiefe Christ aideth the comfortlesse The ornaments of the temple and the meaning thereof Psal 33. Psal 148. Iohn 5. Beselc cl The clensing of the polluted temple Psal Psal 8. Psal 37. Psal 9. Psal 18. Psal 73. Esay 35. Psal 74. Psal 80. Prouerb 3. Heb. 12. Esay 35. The wall of the church The porch A space betwene the Sanctuary the porche Welspringes cockes or cundâ—â—â—s Gates Porches Windowes Psal 104. The floore or pauement Esay 61. The church â—ioyâ—eth Esay 54. Esay 51. Esay 52. Esay 49. 2. Corinth 6. Esay 54. Act. 2. 1. Corinth 2. The copy of the Imperiall edicts traÌ„slated out of the latine into the Greeke out of the Greeke into Englishe ConstaÌ„tinus Licinnius the Emperours vnto Anilinus proconsul of Aphrick ConstaÌ„tinus the emperours vnto Militiades byshop of Rome ConstaÌ„tinus the emperour vnto Chrestus bishop of Siracusa ConstaÌ„tinus vnto Cecilia nê° byshop of Carthage Pholes according vnto Epiphaniê° is a weyght other wise called TalantiuÌ„ and the same is too folde the one containing 312. pouÌ„des six ounces the other weying 208. pence it is vsed of Suidas and Augustine de ciuit Dei lib. 22. cap. 8. for a halfpeny ConstaÌ„tinus vnto Anilin ' gouernour of Aphrick Licinniê° had maried Constantinus sister Socrat. lib. 6. eccl hist cap. 12. Volater li 19. Anthropolog Socrat. li. 7. cap. 47 Theodor. Zuinger Volaterr Socrat. li. 5. cap. 23. Niceph. lib â–ª 9. cap. 13. lib. 11. cap. 14. Euseb lib. cap. 2. Euseb lib. cap. 27. 28 â–ª Euseb lib. cap. 23. Socrat. li. 1. cap. 9. Socrat. li. 2. cap. 30. Socrat. lib. 1. cap. 5. lib. 2. cap. 17. Tritenhemius li. de eccl scrip Socrates in this his first booke contayneth the history of 31 yeares being the whole raigne of Constantine and the ende of 340 yeres after Christ Where Socrates beginneth his history Diocletian Maximinian Maximinus Seuerus Constantinê° Maxentius Licinnius The tyranny of Maxentiê° The signe of the crosse was seene of Constantinê° in the aëre Christ appeareth to Constantine in his sleepe Maxentius died about the yeare 318. The godly study of Constantine The death of Diocletian Anno Dom. 318. * Cap. 4. in the Greeke The humanitye of Constantine LiciÌ„nius was put to death for his periurie breakiÌ„g of league Anno Dom. ni 327. Cap. 5. in the Greeke Peter Achillas Alexander Arius contraryeth his Bishop and ordinary The original of Arius heresie * Cap. 6. in the Greeke Two Eusebius the firâ—t was writer of the former historâ— the 2. Bishop of Nicomedia an Arian The blasphemies of Arius and his complices The confutation of Arius Iohn 1. Psal 44. Psal 109. Coloss 1. Heb. 1. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 14. Ioh. 10. Malach. 3. Hebr. 13. 1. Corinth 8. Ioh. 10. Prouer. 18. Arius his complices excommunicated 2. Timoth. 2. Math. 24. 1. Timoth. 4. 2. Iohn The meletiaÌ„ heretickes ioyne with the Arians Meletius why he was depriued by Peter byshop of Alexandria Arians Eunomians MacedoniaÌ„s Cap. 7. in the Greeke Osius a Spaniard byshop of Corduba The epistle of Constantinus vnto Alexander Arius takeÌ„ out of the 2. booke of Eu sebius of the life of Constantine The contention of Philosophers Brethren and christiaÌ„s may not brawle coÌ„tentiously about words Cap. 8. after the greeke The messenger was Osius byshop of Corduba â—n Spaine The first generall councell of Nice â—â—seb lib. 3 〈◊〉 vita CoÌ„st Osius byâ—â—op of Corâ—â—bâ— as I supâ—â—se â—â—e byshop Rome was â—t at the â—â—uncell but â—â—t thither â—â—taine of 〈◊〉 clergie â—â—â— 2. Paphnutiê° b. of Thebais Spiridâ—on b. of Cyprus Euseb Nicomed Theognis an Arian Maris an Arian Athanasius Alexander Ruffinus in his first boke cap. 3. layeth downe the circuÌ„stances of this historie more at large Constantine the Emperour sheweth greate reuereÌ„ce vnto tâ— bishops Constantine exhorteth tâ— vnitie and burneth theâ—â— libells Mat. 18. Euseb lib 3 â–ª de vit Constantini He coÌ„futeth the sclaunderous report which Sabinus made of the bishops assembled in the councell of Nice * this Nicene creede was not founde thus placed in the greeke coppy wherfore the Greeke seemed vnperâ—ect for to what ende â—hold Socraâ—es write The â—niforme doâ—trine of faith â–ª c. is this â—nlesse some â—hing folowâ—d or howe â—oulde he afâ—er all conâ—lude as he â—oth This â—â—th vnlesse â—â—ere were â—â—mewhat â—terlaced we â—â—ue thereâ—ore suppliâ—d the want 〈◊〉 this vnperâ—â—ct place by â—rowinge â—e coppy of â—â—is Creede â—ritteÌ„ truely the same
Cap. 38. in the greeke The craft of Arius in swea ring before the Emperour The miserable ende of Arius the he retike The sonnes of Constantinus magnus 1. Constantinus 2. Constantius 3. Constans Cap. 39. in the Greeke The death â—f Constanâ—â—nus magnê° â—nno Dom. 40. â—ap 40. in 〈◊〉 Greeke The seconde booke of Socrates compriseth the history of 25. yeares being the full raign of Constantius ending Anno Dom. 365. * The error of Ruffinus By this we gather that there be two editions of Socrates history the first as he sayth him selfe vnperfect the seconde the last which is this very perfect absolute One rotten sheepe infecteth an other Illyrium is nowe called Sclauonia Cap. 3. in the Greeke The epistle of Constantinus the yonger vnto the Churche of Alexandria for the admission of Athanasius their Bishop Cap. 4. in the greeke Eusebius Pamphilus dyeth Acarius bishop of Caesarea * Cap. 5. in the Greeke Cap. 6. in the Greeke AlexaÌ„der bishop of CoÌ„stantinople dyed beingfourescore and eightene yeares olde Macedonius signifieth excellency Templum pacis Templum Sophiae Cap. 7. in the grecke * Cap. 8. in the Gâ—â—el e. A councell of Arians summonâ—d at Antioch Anno Dom. 344. Maximus b. of Ierusalem Iultus b. of Rome Placitus b. of Antioch Athanasius is sclaundered in the councell of Antioch Cap 9. in the Greeke Georgius b. of Laodicea Cap. 10. in the Greeke Gregorie an Arian bishop of Alexandria A forme of fayth layde downe by the hypocriticall Arian bishops which assembled at the councell of Antioch denying that they followed Arius An other Creed of the Arian byshops which is to be rede waryly Iohn 1. Iohn 6. Math. 28. Earthquake Cap. 11. in the greeke Athanasius was fayne to runne awaye for the â—aâ—egaâ—de of his lite Cap 12. in he Greeke Eusebius â—ome time â—â—shop of Nicomedia â—fterwardes â—â—ishop of â—onstaunoâ—le dyeth an 〈◊〉 The Arians caused greate murther and slaughter in the church Cap. 13. in the greeke The Greeke measure was 2. folde one was called Atticus coÌ„tainiÌ„g of our measure six galloÌ„s 1. pottel 1. quart An other was called Georgicus of our measure one bushell a peck one pynt * Cap. 14. in the Greeke Cap. 15. in the greeke The epistle of Iulius vnto the bishops of the East their answere vnto him againe is to be seene in the first â—ome of the Councells The church of Rome hath nothiÌ„g to doe with the churches of the East and so of the contrary Sabinus This Sabinus â—rot a booke â—tituled the collection of â—he couÌ„cells Socra lib. 1. â—ap 13. lib. 3. â—ap 21 where â—e â—ayth noâ—ing of the â—uersaries â—f the trueth â—ap 16. in 〈◊〉 Greeke The greate slaughter which the Arians caused at Constantinople about the placing of Macedonius the hereticke Cap. 17. in the Greeke Athanasius is falsely accused Cap. 18. in the Greeke Paulus b. of CoÌ„stantinople gott him to Rome The Creede of certaine AriaÌ„ bishops exhibited vnto Constans the emperour where they dissemble egregiously The heresie of Photinus Cap. 19. after â—he Greeke The bishops â—f the East summone a councell and sende abrode this theyr Creede with long expositions therof 1. Corinth 11. The heresie of Paulus Samosatenus The word of God is no vocal or meÌ„tall worde Marcellians Photinians Ancyrogalatians Gen. 1. 2. Gen. 12. 18. Exod. 19. 20. Hebr. 1. Sabellians PatropassiaÌ„s Prouerb 8. The bishops â—f the VVest â—hurches â—ere stayed â— religion Cap. 20. in the Greeke The couÌ„cell of Sardice was held An. Dom. 350. The Arians were loth to come to the couÌ„cel therfore they dissemble and fayne excuses The Acts of the councell of Sardice Paulê° bishop of CoÌ„stantinople Athanasius bishop of AlexaÌ„dria Marcellê° b. of Ancyra are by the councell restored to their churches Cap. 21. in the Greeke Euseb de vit Constantini lib. 3. Euseb lib. 1. contra Marcellum Prouer. 8. Euseb lib. 3. contra Marcellum 1. Pet. 2. Act. 2. Psal 50. Ephes 2. Cap. 22. in the Greeke The diuision of the East West churches The letters of Constanâ— the Emperour vnto his brother Constantius * Cap. 23. in the greeke 1. Corinth 2. The conference of Constantius and Athanasius Ca. 24. in the Greeke The councell of Ierusalem Anno Dom. 351. Maximus bishop of Ierusalem forsooke the Arians Vrsacius and Valens being Arians repeÌ„â— theÌ„ of there folly Cap. 25. in the Greeke Magnentius the tyrant is of Futropius called MaxeÌ„tius Bretanion a tyrant Nepotianus a traitor Cap. 26. in the Greeke Athanasius is accused The councel of AlexaÌ„dria Paulus Bishop of Constantinople exiled and there stifled â—o death Marcellus is deposed Lucius dieth in prison Theodulus Olympius Cap. 27. in the greeke The persecution of the christians by the AriaÌ„ heretickes Cap. 28. in the Greeke Athanasius Apollogie Sabastianusa captaine yet a Manichee and a greate blood sucker These bishops were sent to exile by the AriaÌ„s The clemeÌ„â—y of Constantius towards Bretanion Gallus Caesar The signe of the Crosse seene in the aër * Cap. 29. in the Greeke Photinus the hereticke The councel of Sirmium was held Anno Dom. 355 Cap. 30. in the greeke A forme of faith exhibited by Marcus Bishop of Arethusa vnto the councell of Sirmium Act. 2. 〈…〉 â— say 43. 44. Iohn 1. Gen. 1. 2. Gen. 32. Gen. 19. Psal 110. Iohn 15. 16. This forme of fayth is so â—atched together without time or â—asoÌ„ that in many places â— requireth a â—â—ry reader â—e authors â—ereof misâ—â—ed with it â—â—emselues â— called it in â—gaine as apâ—â—areth in â—e ende of â—s chapiter â—â—m 3. Esay 53. Math. 28. Photinus the hereticke was â—oyled in open disputation Cap. 31. in the Greeke Cap. 32. in the Greeke The crueltie of Magnentius The miserable death of Magnentius Decenius hanged himselfe Siluanus the tyrant was no sooner vp but he was dispatched * Cap. 33. in the Greeke The Iewes become rebells are ouercome * Cap. 34. in the greeke Gallus a rebell being in great trust became a traitor so lost his head This Iuliamus was Emperoure after Constantius became an Apostata â—uhus Bishop of Rome 15. yeares Liberius Bishope of Rome Anno â—om 352. â—a 35. in the â—â—ecke Cap. 35. in the Greeke VVhere in Aëtius differed from the Arians Leontius b. of Antioch The Greeke worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speciall title of Aristotles predicaments yet doth it signifie as the sense here otherwise geueth vs to vnderstand his booke of Elenches by him intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhy Aëtius was called an Atheist Eunomius the hereticke Cap. 36. in the Greeke The couÌ„cel of Millayne * Cap. 37. in the Greeke Eudoxius b. of Antioche A forme of faith layde downe in the councell of Aâ—imino in â—â—aly by certaine Arian â—ishops â—h 14. 16. The answere of the Catholicke bishops The epistle of Athanasiê° vnto his familier frieÌ„ds where he laieth downe his censure of the creede going before condemning it for hereticall Luc. 2.
was conuersant and situate in corners of fountaynes and welspringes but of all other most populous and most religious secure as toutching daunger and of inuincible minde ayded continually by the deuine power of God at certaine secret seasons sodenly appeared the same I say being bewtified among all men by the the title and name of Christ the which one of the Prophets being astonished and fore seeing to come to passe with the single eye of the deuine spirite vttereth thus vvho hath hearde such thinges ▪ or vvho hath spoken after this maner hath the earth traueling brought forth in one day hath ere a nation spronge vp sodenly and at one time in an other place also he hath signified the same to come to passe where he sayeth They that serue me shal be called after a nevve name vvhich shal be blessed on earth Although presently we playnely appeare to be vpstarts and this name of Christians of late to haue bene notified vnto all nations yet that the life and conuersation of Christians is neither new founde neither the inuention of our owne brayne but from the auncient creation of mankinde and as I may say rectified by the naturall cogitations and wisedome of the asicient godly men we wil thus by godly examples make manifest vnto the world The nation of the Hebrevves is no new nation but famous among all people for their antiquity and knowen of al. They haue bookes and monuments in writing containing auncient men Though their nation were rare and in number few yet they excelled in piety righteousnes and al kinde of vertues some notable and excellent before the flood and after the flood others as the sonnes Nephewes of Noe as Atar Abraham in whom the children of the Hebrevves do glory as their chiefe guide and forefather if any affirme these famous men set forth by the testimony of righteousnes though not in name yet in deede to haue bene Christians he shal not erre therin * for he that vvil expresse the name of a Christian must be such a man as excelleth through the knovvledge of Christ and his doctrine in modesty and righteousnes of mind in constancy of life in vertuous fortitude in confessing of sincere piety tovvardes the one the onely vniuersall God They of olde had no lesse care of this then we nether cared they for the corporall circūcision no more do we nether for the obseruation of the Sabaoths no more do we nether for the abstinence from certaine meates the distinction of other things which Moses first of all instituted deliuered in signes figures to be obserued no more do Christians the same now but they perceaued plainely the very Christ of God to haue appeared to Abraham to haue aunswered Isaac reasoned with Israel that he commoned with Moses and afterwards with the Prophets we haue entreated before Whereby thou maist finde the godly of old to haue sorted vnto them selues the surname of Christ according vnto that of them spoken se that ye touch not my * Christs nether deale peruersly vvith my Prophets It is manifest that the same seruice of God inuented by the godly of old about the the time of Abraham and published of late vnto all the Gentils by the preaching of the doctrine of Christ is the first the eldest and the auncientest of all but if they obiect that Abraham a long time after receaued the commaundement of Circumcision yet afore the receit therof by the testimony of his faith hath bene accompted righteous the Scripture declaring thus of him Abraham beleued God it vvas imputed vnto him for righteousnes he being the same before circūcision heard y ◠voyce of God which also appeared vnto him The same Christ then the worde of God promised vnto the posterity folowing that they should be iustified after the maner of Abrahams iustification saying and all the tribes of the earth shal be blessed in thee againe thou shalt be a great a populous nation all the nations on earth shal be blessed in thee this is manifest in so much that it is fulfilled in vs for he through faith in the word of God and Christ which appeared vnto him was iustified when as be forsooke the superstition of his natiue contrey and the error of his former life confessed the only God of al worshiped the same with vertuous works not with the Mosaical ceremonies of the law which afterwards ensued vnto him in this case it was sayd In thee shal al the tribes al the nations of the earth be blessed The same maner of sanctimony was seene excercised of Abraham in workes farre excelling the words vsualy receaued among the Christians alone throughout the worlde what then hindereth but that we may confesse the sole and the same conuersation of life the same maner of seruice to be common vnto vs after the time of Christ w t them which haue sincerely serued God of olde so that we shew the same to be nether new nether straunge but if it be lawful to testifie the trueth the auncientest the only and the right restauration of piety deliuered vnto vs by the doctrine of Christ of these thinges thus farre CAP. VI. Of the time of our Sauiours comming vnto the worlde NOwe that we haue conueniently proposed hitherto as by waye of preface this our Ecclesiasticall history it remayneth then that we beginne after a compendious sorte from the comming of our Sauiour Christ in the flesh that this may take effect we pray God the father of the word and the reuealed Jesus Christ our Lorde and Sauiour the heauenly worde of God to be our helper and felowe laborer to the setting forth of the true declaration therof It was the two and forty yeare of the raygne of Augustus the Emperour after the subiection of Aegypt and the death of Antonius and Cleopatra where last of all the Ptolemaees in Aegypt ceased to beare rule the eyght and twentieth yeare when as our Sauiour and Lorde Jesus Christ at the time of the first taxing Cyrenius then President of Syria was borne in Bethleem a city of Iudea according vnto the prophecyes in that behalfe premised The tyme of which taxing vnder Cyrenius Flauius Iosephus an auncient historiographer among the Hebrevves maketh mention of adding thereunto an other history of the heresye of the Galilaeans which sprong vp about the same time wherof amongest vs also Luke in the Actes of the Apostles mentioneth writing thus After this maner started vp on Iudas of Galilee in the dayes of tribute drevve avvay many of the people after him he also him selfe perished and as many as obeyed him vvere scattered abrode The same doth Iosephus before mentioned in his eyghtenth booke of Antiquities confirme thus by worde Cyrenius of the number of Consuls vvhich enioyed other principalities and by the consent of all men so preuailed that he vvas thought vvorthy of the Consulship
counted great by reason of other dignities came vvith a fevve into Syria sent for this purpose by Caesar that he should haue there the iurisdiction of the Gentiles be Censor of their substance And a litle after Iudas sayth he Gaulanites a man of the city Gamala hauing taken vnto him on Sadoâ—hus a Pharisee became a rebell affirmed together vvith this Pharise that the taxing of this tribute inferred nothing els but manifest seruitude exhorted the Gentils to set their helping hand to the maintenance of their libertie And in his second booke of the warres of the Ievves he writeth thus of him About that time a certaine Galilaean by name Iudas seduced the people of that region misliking vvith this to vvit that they sustained the payment of tribute vnto the Romaine empire vnder God that they suffred mortall men to beare rule ouer them So farre Iosephus CAP. VII That according vnto the prescript tymes foreshewed by the Prophets the Princes of the Iewes which vnto that tyme by succession helde the principalitie surceassed that Herode the first of the Aliens became their King VVHen Herode the firste of them whiche vnto Israel are counted straungers receaued rule ouer the Jewishe nation the prophecye written by Moses in that behalfe was fulfilled which said There shal not vvant a Prince in Iuda neither a leader faile of his loynes vntil he come for vvhom it vvas kept reserued vvhom he pronounced to be the expectation of the Gentils Then were not these thinges come to an ende which concerned this prophecy at what time it was lawful for this natioÌ„ to be gouerned by their owne Princes which lasted by line of succession euen from Moses vnto the raygne of Augustus the Emperoure vnder whome Herode the foreyner became ruler ouer the Ievves beinge graunted vnto him by the Romaines who as Iosephus writeth was by father an Idumaean by mother an Arabian as Aphricanus one not of the vulgare sort of Historiographers writeth by the report of them which diligently read him The sonne of Antipater the same to be the father of on Herode Ascalonites on of the number of them which ministred in the temple of Apollo This Antipater being a childe was taken by Idumaean theues among whome he remayned because his father being poore was not able to redeme him being bred brought vp in their maners he became very familiar with Hyrcanus the high Priest of the Ievves this had then a sonne borne called Herode which raygned in the time of our Sauiour The principalitie of the Ievves being at this point then present was the expectation of the Gentils according vnto the rule of prophecy when as their Princes by succession from Moses ceased to beare rule to raygne ouer the people before they were taken captiue and led to Babylon their Kings began to raigne from Saul who was the first from Dauid Before their Kings Princes bare rule whom they called Judges beginning the gouernment after Moses his successor Iesus After their returne from Babilon there wanted not those which gouerned the state wherin the best ruled the state wherin few bare authority Priestes had the preeminence vntil that Pompeye the Romayne captaine had by mayne force besieged Ierusalem polluting the holy places by entring into the sanctuaries of the temple sending him which had continewed the succession of Kings from his progenitors vnto that time Aristobulus by name Prince Priest captiue together with his sonnes to Rome committed the office of high Priesthood vnto his brother Hyrcanus so that from that time forth the Ievves became tributaryes vnto the Romaynes Anone after that Hyrcanus vnto whome the succession of the highe priesthoode befell was taken of the Parthians Herode the first foreyner as I sayd before tooke of the Romayne senate and the Emperour Augustus the gouernement of the Ievvish nation vnder whome when as the presence of Christ was apparent the saluation of the Gentils long looked for tooke effect and their calling consepuently folowed according vnto the prophecye in that behalfe premised since which tyme the Princes and Rulers of Iuda ceasing to beare rule the state of highpriesthoode which among them by order of succession after the decease of the former befell vnto the next of bloode was forthwith confounded Hereof thou hast Iosephus a witnes worthy of creditte declaring how that Herode after that he had receaued of the Romaines the rule ouer the Ievves assigned them no more Priests which were of the priestly progeny but certayne base and obscure personages the like did his Sonne Archelaus and after him the Romaines bearing rule committed the same against the priestly order The sayd Iosephus declareth how that Herode first shutt vp vnder his owne seale the holy robe of the high Priest not permitting the high Priests to retayne it in their proper custody So after him Archelaus and after Archelaus the Romaynes did the like To this ende be these thinges spoken of vs that we shewe what effecte toutching the prophecye of the comming of our Sauiour Christ Jesu ensued but most playnly of all other the prophecye of Daniel describing the number of certayne weekes by name vnto Christ the ruler whereof we haue in an other place entreated foretelleth that after the ende and terme of those weekes the Ievvishe anoyntinge should be abolished This is playnly proued to haue bene fulfilled at the comming of our Sauiour Jesus Christ in the fleshe these thinges I suppose to haue bene necessaryly obserued of vs for the tryall of the trueth toutching the tymes CAP. VIII Of the disagreing imagined to be among the Euangelists about the genealogie of Christ. IN so much that Matthew and Luke committing the Gospell to writing haue diuersly deliuered vnto vs the genealogie of Christ and of diuerse are thought to disagree amonge them selues so that euery one of the faythfull throughe their ignoraunce in the trueth endeuour to commente on those places nowe therefore concerning the premises let vs propose a certayne history which came to our handes the which Aphricanus of whome we mentioned a litle before in an Epistle to Aristides remembred wryting of the concordancye of the genealogye of Christ set forth in the Gospels makinge there with al a relation of the wrested and false opinions of others the historye after his order of discourse he hath in these wordes deliuered to the posteritie * The names of the kinredes in Israel are numbred eyther after the lyne of nature or after the rule limited in the Lavve after the lyne of nature as by succession of the naturall seede after the rule in the Lavve as by his succession vvhich raysed seede vnto his barren brother deseased * For as yet the hope of the resurrection vvas not made manifest they imitated the promise to come vvith mortall resurrection * leste the name of the deseased vvith his deathe shoulde quite be