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
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
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
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
of Aegypt so that in the end king Ioacim smote Vrias with the sworde and killed him and threwe his carkasse where the common sort of people were buried Aggaeus AGgaeus was endued with grace from aboue to prophecy of the Lord Christ vnder the person of Zorobabel he spake that which agreeth with the Lord Christ that is to say I wil make thee as a signeâ— for I haue chosen thee saith the Lord of hosts euen as Iohn the Euangelist speaking of the sonne of man saith for him hath God sealed This Aggaeus being a yong man came from Babylon to Ierusalem and prophecied very plainly of the returne of the people and as toutching the temple he saw with his eyes the buylding againe of it he dyed and was buried nigh the sepulchres of the priests with the accustomed honor done at the buriall of priests Zacharias THe spirit of God came vpon Zachary y â— he prophecied of the coÌ„ming of Christ for he saith Reioyce thou greatly O daughter Sion be glad O daughter Ierusalem for lo thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee euen the righteous sauiour lowly simple is he riding vpon an Asse and vpon the foale of an Asse Litterally he spake this prophecy of Zorobabel â–ª but y e trueth of it in the end tooke place in y e Lord Iesus Christ Againe he writeth And I wil say vnto him how came these wounds in thine hands he shal aunswere thus was I wounded in the house of mine owne friends And a litle after I wil smite the sheperd the shepe wil be scattered abrode The Lord him selfe was mindfull of this prophecy about the time of his passion alleaging it applying it to him self when he should be betrayed This Zacharie being very aged came out of Chaldaea there prophecied vnto y e people of many things for confirmation therof wrought straunge things he executed also at Ierusalem the priestly function he blessed Salathiel his sonne and called him Zorobabel he gaue by his prayer seruice which he made at Ierusalem vnto y â— Persians vnder Cyrus the victorie he prophecied of him blessed him exceedingly As toutching his propheticall visions he saw theÌ„ at Ierusalem he entreated of the end of y â— Gentils of the temple of idlenes of prophets priests and of a double iudgement he dyed being a very olde man and was buried nigh Eleutheropolis a forty furlongs of in the field Noeman but in the time of Ephidus the bishop he was reuealed to be that Zacharie the sonne of Bâ—rachie whom Esay spake of the land where he lyeth is called Betharia out of Ierusalem a hundred and fifty furlongs Malachias MAlachie euen as the rest haue done prophecied of our Lord Iesus Christ for thus he saith FroÌ„ the rising of the sonne vnto the going down of the same my name is great among the GeÌ„tiles in euery place incense shal be offered to my name and a pure offringe for my name is great among the very heatheÌ„ saith the Lorde of hostes And againe he saith Behold I will send my messenger he shall prepare the way before thee Iohn Baptist our sauiour also applied this Prophecye vnto him selfe Agayne sayth the same Prophete Vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnes arise health shal be vnder his wings ye shall goe forth like farte calues Ye shall treade downe the vngodlye for they shal be duste vnder the soles of your feete in that day that I shall doe this sayth the Lorde of hostes And beholde I will send you Elias the Thesbite before the comminge of the greate and glorious daye of the Lorde Euen as the Lord spake of Iohn vnto the Iewes And if ye vvill receaue it this is Elias vvhich was for to come This Malachie was borne in Supha after the returne of the people out of Babylon Beinge a very yonge man he tooke wonderfull straunge and diuine foode to nurishe him he led a godly life And because all the people reuerenced him as an holy man Saincte of God they called him Malachias whiche is by interpretation an Angel He was a well fauored and bewtifull yonge man What so euer he prophecied of the Angell of the Lord was seene then to instruct him â–ª euen as it came to passe in the days of old when there was no Prince as it is wrytten in the booke of Iudges He died in the prime of his florishing yeares and was laid to his fathers in his owne field Iohn Baptist out of Epiphanius IOhn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie and Elizabeth was of the tribe of Leui. This is he that shewed vs the lambe of God the sonne of the father whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde by poyntinge at him with the finger This is he that shewed mortall men the waye and sette the dores of the kingedome of heauen wide open There was neuer any that was borne of a woman greater then Iohn the Baptist He died beinge beheaded by Herode the tyrante for Herodias the wife of his brother Philip. The censure Dorothe us geueth of the Prophetes and theyr workes AMonge these Prophetes some wrote and some haue not wrytten There are twelue of them called the lesse Osee Amos Micheas Ioel Abdias Ionas Naum Abacuk Sophonias Aggaâ—â—s Zacharias and Malachias There are also foure called the greate Prophetes Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel All the Prophetes prophecyed vnto the levves and admonished them of the promises of God made vnto the fathers wherein he promised to blesse all nations in the seede of Abraham through the saluation that was to come by our Lorde Iesus Christ agayne howe he with a mightie and out stretched arme broughte them out of theyr bondage in Aegypt and gaue them the land of promisse Last of all howe they were led captiues into Babylon by Nabuchodonozor and thence broughte backe agayne with honor Moreouer howe they were afflicted by Antiochus and the nations founde aboute them yet for all that by the prouidence of God they proued conquerours in the end And to shutte vppe the wholl in fewe wordes holde he shoulde come accordinge vnto the promises whiche wente before of him that was looked for and promised of the seede of Abraham to be the Sauiour of the wholl worlde And this was the common drifte of all the Prophetes Of whiche number some wrote bookes namelye Dauid who compiled the booke of Psalmes And Daniel who was commaunded in the tyme of captiuitie to wryte such things as were reuealed vnto him by visions with certayne others also As for the reste they wrote not theyr owne Prophecyes but the Scribes which were in the temple wrote euery Prophets sayings as it were with supputation of the dayes And when so euer anye Prophete was sente of God to entreate either of the captiuitie of Ierusalem or of Samaria or of other places either of theyr returne or of Antiochus or of the borderinge nations or else of Christ
him selfe looke what he prophecyed euerye daye the same was wrytten seuerallye as the Prophete vttered it He preached of some certayne matter and againe when as at an other tyme he prophecyed of an other thinge it was againe wrytten And suche thinges as were spoken followed after the chapiters that went before and had theyr titles layd downe in the beginings and thus the wholl and perfect booke was made of the diuerse and sundry sermons of that Prophete By this meanes it cometh to passe that we finde in the bookes of the Prophetes the chapiter noted and applied either vnto the captiuitie in Babylon or else vnto the returne thence and anone agayne an other chapiter either toutching Christ or concerning some other matter immediatly againe of a◠other thinge and by and by afterwardes of the former watter And to speake the wholl in one worde vnlesse a man will reade them with good aduisemente and graue iudgemente he will thinke them confusely placed and out of order They wrote not one lye the Prophetes workes in this order by peeces in the temple but also the bookes of the kinges Namelye such things as were from the dayes of Saul vnto his raygne and in the tyme of Dauid what happened vnder Saul vnto the raygne of Dauid and thus they wrote the seuerall actes of euerye kinge at seuerall tymes euen as the Chronicles are layde downe in the raygne of the kinges and so of the contrarye Moses wrote the fiue bookes called Pentateuchus to witte the historie of the thinges that were done before his time from the beginninge of the worlde what happened in his tyme and what shoulde come to passe after his dayes Iesus Naue wrote his owne booke The bookes of y ◠Iudges were wrytten in the temple that is to say in the tabernacle Euen so was Ruth Solomon him selfe wrote his owne Prouerbes the Canticle of Canticles and the booke of the preacher called Ecclesiastes For when he had receaued of God the gifte of wisedome he exhorted all men to liue wisely in this world He had not the gift of prophecy We haue rehearsed before such as were inspired from aboue to prophecye of Christ Of the twelue Apostles and Euangelistes 1. Symon Peter THe firste is Simon Peter the chiefe of the Apostles He as we are geuen to vnderstande by his Epistles preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia and in the ende preached at Rome where afterwardes he was crucified the thyrde Calends of Iuly vnder Nero the Emperour with his heade downewards for that was his desire and there also buried 2. Andrewe ANdrewe the brother of Simon Peter as our elders haue deliuered vnto vs preached the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto the Scythians Sogdians Sacians and in the middle Sebastopolis inhabited of wilde Aethiopians He was crucified by Aegeas kinge of the Edessaeans buried at Patris a citie in Achaia 3. Iames the sonne of Zebedaeus IAmes the sonne of Zebedie a fisherman preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto the twelue dispersed tribes He was slayne with the sworde by Herode the retrache of the Iewes in Iudaea where he is also buried 4. Iohn IOhn the brother of Iames who was also an Euangeliste whome the Lorde loued preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in Asia The Emperour ▪ Traian exiled him into the Isle Patmos for the worde of God where he wrote also his Gospell the which afterwardes be published at Ephesus by Gaius his hoaste and Deacon of whome Paul the Apostle wryting to the Romaines hath testified saying Gaius myne hoast and of the wholl Church saluteth you After the death of Traian he returned out of the Isle Patmos and remayned at Ephesus vntill he had liued a hundred twenty yeres Which being expired he liuing as yet y ◠Lord would so haue it buried him selfe There are some which wryte that he was not banished into y ◠Isle Patmos vnder Traian but in the time of Domitian the sonne of Vespasian 5. Philip. PHilip of the city Bethsalda preached the Gospell in Phrygia he was honorably buried at Hierapolis with his daughters 6. Bartholomewe BArtholomewe preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto the Indians and deliuered vnto them the Gospell of Mathewe He rested and was buried in Albania a citie of Armenia the greate 7. Thomas THomas as it hath bene deliuered vnto vs preached the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ Iesus vnto the Parthians Medes and Persians He preached also vnto the Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magicians He rested at Calamina a citie in India beinge slayne with a darte which they call a speare or iauelin where he was also honorably buried 8. Mathewe MAthewe the Euangelist wrote the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in the Hebrewe tongue and deliuered it vnto Iames the brother of the Lorde accordinge vnto the flesh who was Bishop of Ierusalem He dyed at Hierapolis in Parthia where he was also honorably buried 9. Simon Zelotes SImon Zelotes preached Christ throughout Mauritania Aphricke the lesse At lengthe he was crucified at Brettania slayne and buried 10. Iude the brother of Iames. IVdas the brother of Iames called also Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus preached vnto the Edessaeans and throughout all Mesopotamia He was slayne in Berytus in the time of Agbarus king of Edessa and buried very honorably 11. Simon Iudas otherwise Iames the sonne of Alphaeus SImon syrnamed Iudas who succeeded Iames in the Byshopricke of Ierusalem I take him to be Iames the sonne of Alphaeus was crucified vnder Traian and slaine in Ostracina in Aegypt whē he had liued a hundred and two yeares 12. Mathias MAthias beinge one of the seuentye Disciples was afterwardes numbered with the eleuen Apostles in y ◠rowme of Iudas the traitor He preached the Gospell in Aethiopia about y ◠hauen called Hyssus and the riuer Phasis vnto barbarous nations and rauenours of fleshe He died at Sebastopolis where he was also buried nigh the temple of Sol. Paul PAul being called of the Lorde Iesus Christ him selfe after his assumption and numbered in the Catalogue of the Apostles beganne to preache the Gospell from Ierusalem and wente on still vnto Illyricum Italy Spayne His Epistles are extant at this day ful of all heauenly wisedome He was beheaded at Rome vnder Nero the third Calendes of Iuly so died a Martyr lieth there buried with Peter the Apostle Marke the Euangelist MArke the Euangelist the first Bishop of Alexandria preached the Gospell vnto the people of Alexandria all the bordering regions frō Aegypt vnto Pentapolis In the tyme of Traiā he had a cable rope tied about his necke at Alexandria by the which he was drawen frō the place called Bucolus vnto the place called Angels where he was burned to ashes by the furious Idolatrers in the moneth of Aprill and buried at Bucolus Luke LVke the Euangeliste of the citye of Antioch
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
the Machabees because it contayneth the combats of the Hebrues so termed in the bookes of the Machabees manfully fighting in the defence of their pietye towardes God And about the ende of the twentieth booke of Iudaicall Antiquities Iosephus him selfe signifieth that he wrote foure bookes of the proper opinions of the Ievves of God of his essence of the lavves and vvhy according vnto them certayne thinges are lavvfull and certayne forbidden He mentioneth in his workes other treatyes of his it shall seeme agreable with order if we recite those thinges which he wrote about the ende of his Iudaicall Antiquities that our allegations may the better be confirmed for he endeuoring to confute Iustus Tyberianus who writinge the historye of that tyme reported many vntruthes among others of his confutations thus he sayth I feared not thy censure so much of my vvritings but that I exhibited my bookes vnto the Emperours themselues vvhen the dedes done vvere novv fresh in memory my conscience bare me vvitnes that Ierred not but deliuered the trueth hauing obtayned their testimonies vvhich I hoped for And to diuers others I offred my historye vvhere of some vvere encombred vvith the vvartes as king Agrippa and diuers of his kinsfolkes And the Emperour Tytus him selfe vvoulde haue the certayne knovvledge of these vvarres deliuered vnto the vvorlde by my bookes onely commaunding them to be published vvith the priuiledge of his ovvne hande King Agrippa vvrote threescore tvvo epistles vvherin he testifieth of the true history deliuered by me Two of these epistles he alleadgeth but so farre concerning Iosephus now we wil proceede to that which foloweth CAP. XI How after Iames the Iust Simeon was Bishop of Ierusalom AFter the martyrdome of Iames and the captiuity of Ierusalem now ended the reporte â—â—â—eth that the Apostles and Disciples of our Lorde which then were aliue whereof many yet remayned gathered them selues from euery where vnto one place together with the kinsmen of the Lorde according to the fleshe there to haue consulted who was thought best worthy to succeede Iames so that all with one voyce iudged worthy of the seae of Ierusalem Simeon the sonne of Cleopas mentioned in the Gospell and called the cosin of Christ for Aegesippiâ—â— writeth that Cleopas was the brother of Ioseph CAP. XII How Vespasian commaunded the posteritie of Dauid diligently to be sought out in the Churche of Ierusalem MOreouer he declareth that Vespasian after the siege of Ierusalem caused enquirie to be made of such as were of the lyne of Dauid lest that any remayned yet among the Ievves of the royall bloude so that thereby agayne there was raysed a great persecution among the Ievves CAP. XIII After Vespasian and Titus Domitian raigned vnder Titus Linus and Anacletus were Bishops of Rome vnder Domitianus Anianus and Abilius were Bishops of Alexandria WHen Vespasian had raigned tenne yeares Titus his sonne succeeded him in the empire in the seconde yeare of whose raygne Linus after he had bene Byshop of Rome the space of xii yeares deseased and him succeeded Anacletus When Titus had raygned two yeares and two monethes his brother Domitian tooke the imperiall crowne In the fourth yeare of the raigne of Domitian Anianus the first Bishop of Alexandria hauing continued there xxii yeares dyed the seconde after him that succeeded was Abilius CAP. XIIII Of Clemens his Bishoprike his testimony his epistle IN the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Domitian when as Anacletus had bene Bishop of Rome twelue yeares Clemens succeeded whome S. Paul writing to the Philippians calleth his felovv laboter when he sayth vvith Glemens and the rest of my felovv laborers vvhose names are vvritten in the booke of life one vndoubted epistle there is of his extant both worthy notable y â— which he wrote from Rome vnto Corinthe when sedition was raysed among the Corinthians the same Epistle we haue knowne to haue bene reade openly publikely in many churches both of olde and amongest vs also â–ª that at that tyme there was raysed a sedition amongest the Corinthians Aegesippus is a witnes of creditt CAP. XV. Of the persecution and ende of Domitian warring agaynst God DOmitian when he had executed much cruelty agaynst many and put to death no smal multitude of the Nobles of Rome and notable men beyond all rightfull iudgement and punished an infinite company of famous men with the hurtful exile losse of their substance dyeth and appoynteth him selfe successor of the hatred owed to Nero of the warre against God this man secondarily raysed persecution agaynst vs although his father Vespasian practysed no presumptuous Lordlynes towards vs. CAP. XVI VVhen Iohn the Euangelist was banished into Patmos ABout this time Iohn y â— Apostle Euangelist is sayd to haue bene banished into y â— I le Patmos for the testimony of the worde of God Irenaeus in his fift booke agaynst the heresies writing of the epitheton of Antichrist layde downe in the reuelation of S. Iohn sayth thus word by word of Iohn If his name ought publikely to haue bene preached at that present tyme by him veryly it vvas preached vvhich vvrote the reuelation for it vvas not seene a long time after but vvelnigh in this our age about the ende of the raygne of Domitian Our religion so florished in the forsayd times that the heathen writers noting exactly the tymes voutchsafed to publish in their historyes this persecution and the martyrdomes suffred in the same CAP. XVII Of Flania Domicilla a noble gentlewoman banished into the I le Pontia and the edict of Domitian for the destroying of the posteritie of Dauid THey haue written that in the fiftenth yeare of Domitian one Flauia descending of the sister of Flauius Clemens which then was of the Romayne Consuls was exiled with many others vnto the I le Pontia for the testimony of Christ When Domitian commaunded such as lynealy descended out of Dauid to be slayne the old report goeth that certayne of this opinion were accused to haue come out of the auncetors of Iudas who was the brother of Christ according vnto the fleshe as if by this meanes they were of the stocke of Dauid and the kinsmen of Christ this Aegesippus declareth saying there suruiued as yet certayne of the kindred of the Lorde nephevves of Iudas called his brother according vnto the flesh vvhom they brought forth as being of the line of Dauid these Iocatus doth bring before the Emperour Domitian for he feared the comming of Christ euen as Herode did and demaunded of them vvhether they vvere of the stocke of Dauid vvhich vvhen they had acknovvledged he demaunded againe vvhat possessions they enioyed and vvhat money they had They aunsvvered both vve haue onely ix thousande pence so that halfe that summe sufficeth either of vs yet this summe haue vve not in money but in vallovved land contayning not aboue xxxix acres out of the vvhich vve pay tribute and relieue our selues through our
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
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
Martyre or a martyr an immoderate desire of plenteousnesse and gathering vnto a prophete vvhen as Christ cōmaunded you shall not possesse gold neither siluer neither tvvo coates these of the contrarye seke after the possession of vnlavvfull substance vve haue declared that they vvhome they call prophetes and martyrs haue extorted money not onely of the riche but of the poore the fatherlesse and the vvidovves but if they pleade innocency let them staye and ioyne vvith vs in ishvve in the same matter vpon this condition that if they be ouerthrovven at leaste vvise from hence forthe they vvill cease to committe the like sinne agayne VVe haue to proue the vvorkes of Prophetes The tree is to be knovven by his fruyte And that the case of Alexander maye be knovven of suche as desire it ◠he vvas condemned at Ephesus by Aemilius frontinus liuetenant not for his pofession but for presumpteous and boulde enterprised theft being a levvd person and vnder false pretense of Christian profession vvherevvith he cloked the mater seducinge the faythfull of that place he vvas pardodoned and sett at liberty the congregation vvhereof he vvas pastor because he vvas a thiefe vvoulde not admitt him They that vvill knovve further of his offences I referre them vnto publicke recordes ▪ for by confutinge him vvhome the prophete hathe not knovven by dvvellinge together many yeares vve declare vnto the vvorlde by him the stedfastnesse of the prophete VVe are able to shevve at large the conformity of bothe partes But if they haue any confident perseuerance lett them beare the reprehension Agayne in an other place of the same booke he wryteth of theyr Prophetes thus If they deny they re Prophetes to haue bene bribers lett them affirme it condicionally that if it be proued they be no longer Prophetes hereof vve are able to alleadge many particular proufes all the vvorkes of a Prophete are necessarily to be proued tell me I beseche you is it seemely for a Prophete to paynte himselfe in coloures is it seemly for a Prophete to smothe himselfe vvith the vvhite glisteringe stibium is it seemly for a Prophete neatly to pyncke and gingerly to sett forthe himselfe is it seemely for a Prophete to dise and to carde is it seemely for a Prophete to be an vsurer let them ansvvere me vvhether these be lavvefull or vnlavvefull I vvill proue these to be they re practises This Apollonius in the same booke sheweth the time of his wryttinge to be the fortyeth yeare since Montanus inuented this false and forged prophecy Agayne he declareth howe that Zoticus mentioned before by the former Author went about at Pepuza to reprehende and confute the fayned prophecy of Maximilla and the spirite which wrought in her but yet was forbidd by such as fauored her folly he remembreth one Thraseas a martyr of that time he declareth as receaued by tradition that the Lorde commaunded his Apostles not to departe from Ierusalem vntill the twelfe yeares ende he alleageth testimonyes out of the Reuelation and reporteth howe that Sainct Iohn raysed at Ephesus by the deuine power of God one that was deade to life againe other thinges he wryteth by the which he hath fully confuted and ouerthrowen the subtle sleighte of the foresayed heresie these thinges of Apollonius CAP. XVII The censure of Serapion byshop of Antioche toutching the Phrygian heresie THis Serapion remembred the workes of Apollinarius where he confuted the sayed heresie who then is sayd to haue succeeded Maximinus in the byshopricke of Antioche he maketh mention of him in a peculier Epistle vnto Caricus Ponticus where also the sayed heresie is confuted thus I vvoulde haue you to vnderstande this also hovve that the operation of this deceatefull purpose called the nevve prophecy is impugned and counted for detestable and cursed doctrine of all the Churches throughout Christendome I haue sent vnto you the learned vvrytinges of Claudius Apollinarius that holy byshope of Hierapolis in Asia In this Epistle of Serapion there are subscriptions of many byshops one subscribeth thus I Aurelius Cyrenius martyr vvishe you health An other thus Aelius Publius Iulius byshop of Debeltum a citie of Thracia as sure as the Lorde liueth in heauen vvhen as holy Zotas of Anchia vvoulde haue cast out the deuell vvhich spake in Priscilla the dissemblinge hypocrites vvoulde not permitt it And many other byshops gaue the same censure and subscribed with theyr owne handes to the sayed Epistle the affayres then went after this forte CAP. XVIII The Industry of Irenaeus in refutinge the heresies blased at Rome by Blastus and florinus I Renaeus wrote diuers Epistles to the confutation of suche as corrupted at Rome the sincere rites of the Churche he wrote one to Blastus of schisme an other to Florinus of Monarchie or the rule of one or she winge that God is not the author of euell which opinion Florinus seemed to be of but afterwardes he being seduced with the error of Valentinus Irenaeus wrote against him that booke intitled ogdoas by interpretation the number of eightie where he signifieth himselfe Immediatly to haue succeeded the Apostles the ende of which booke hathe this notable protestation necessarily to be graffed in this our history for it is read as followeth I charge thee in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his glorious comminge at vvhat time he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead vvho so euer thou be that copiest this booke that thou peruse this copie and diligently correcte it after the example of my ovvne hande vvrytinge and that thou putt to likevvise this charge and sett it dovvne after the vvrytten copye This was profitably spoken and faithfully remembred of vs that we may behoulde the aunciente and right holy men as a moste exquisite and right paterne of earnest care and diligence Againe Irenaeus in his epistle to Florinus reporteth that he had conuersation with Polycarpus sayinge This doctrine O Florinus if I may boldly pronounce the trueth sauoreth not for sounde this doctrine disagreeth from the Churche and bringeth such as geue care vnto it into extreme impietie this doctrine no not the heretickes vvhich vvere out of the Church euer durste to publishe this doctrine such as vvere elders before vs and disciples of the Apostles neuer deliuered vnto thee I savve thee vvhen I vvas yet a boye vvith Polycarpus in the lovver Asia liuinge gorgeously in the Emperoures palace and busienge thy selfe vvith all might to be in fauoure and creditt vvith him For I remember better the thinges of oulde then the affayres of late For the thinges vve sucke of a childe sincke farther in our mindes and grovve together vvith vs. So that I remember the place vvhere Polycarpus sate vvhen he taughte his goinge out and his comminge in his trade of life the figure and proportion of his body the sermon he made vnto the multitude the reporte he made of his conuersation vvith Iohn and others vvhich savve the Lorde hovve he remembred
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
he layeth downe the cause that moued him to repeate at large such things as afore time he had briefly written in his first and seconde booke RVffinus who wrote the Ecclesiasticall historye in the latine tongue was very much deceaued in the tymes for he thought that the perill and daungers which Athanasius stoode in happened vnto him after the death of the emperour Constantine He was ignorant of his banishment into Fraunce of many other miseryes that happened vnto him But we imitating his opinion and censure in discourse of the Ecclesiasticall affayres haue written the first and seconde booke of our historye â–ª from the thirde vnto the seuenth booke by borowing some out of Ruffinus by picking and culling other some out of sundry other writers also by laying downe some thinge we learned of others who as yet be aliue we haue sett forth the historye in a most absolute and perfect maner But after that by meare chaunce the workes of Athanasius came to our handes where both he complayneth of the misery he endured also declareth after what sorte he was exiled through the sclaunderous faction of Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia we thought farre better to attribute more credit vnto him who suffred these things and to others who sawe them with their eyes then to such as coniecture and gesse at them and so plunge them selues in the pitt of error Moreouer by searching diligently the epistles of sundry men who liued at that tyme we haue sifted out as much as in vs laye the trueth it selfe Wherfore we haue bene constrayned to repeate agayne such thinges as we mentioned in the firste and seconde booke of our historye and haue annexed thereunto out of Ruffinus such histories as were agreeable vnto the trueth Not only that but this also is to be vnderstoode how that in the first edition of these our bookes we layd downe neyther the depriuation of Arius neyther the Emperours epistles but explicated in fewe words without figures of Rhetorick the matter we tooke in hande lest the tediousnes of our long historye shoulde tyre the louing Reader When as for the cause aboue mentioned it behoued vs so to doe Theodorus most holy Prieste of God yet nowe to the ende the epistles may be knowen in forme and fashion as the Emperours wrote them selues and the thinges also which Bishops in sundry councells haue published vnto the worlde whylest that they laboured dayely to sett for the more exquisite decrees and constitutions to the furtherance of Christian religion we haue diligently added to this our latter edition such thinges as we thought fitt for the purpose â–ª that truely we haue performed in the first booke and in the seconde nowe in hande we minde to doe no lesse â–ª but nowe to the historye CAP. II. How that Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia endeuored agayne to establishe the doctrine of Arius so that tumults were raysed in the Churche afreshe and howe that Athanasius by vertue of Constantine the yongers letters returned to Alexandria AFter the death of the Emperour Constantine Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia and Theâ—gâ—is Bishop of Nice supposing now they had gotten a fitt time endeuored with all might possible to wipe out of the Churche of God the creede contayning the clause of one substance and to setle in the rowme thereof the detestable heresie of Arius But this they knewe full well they coulde not bringe to passe if Athanasius came agayne to Alexandria They went about to compasse their drift very craftely vsing the Priest by whose meanes we sayd before Arius returned from exile as an instrument to their purpose But the maner of the handling thereof I thinke very needefull to be layde downe This Priest presented vnto Constantius the Emperours sonne the last will and testament and the bequeathed legacies of the Emperour deseased He perceauing y t to haue bene laid downe in his fathers wil which greatly he desired for byy â— wil he was emperour of the Easterne parts made very much of the priest graunted him great libertie charged him to vse his pallace freely and boldly at his pleasure After this libertie was graunted him by the Emperour he forthwith acquainted him selfe with the empresse with the Eunuches and chamberlaynes At the same time there was an eunuch by name Eusebius chiefe of the emperours chamber who through persuasion of this lewde Priest became an Arian and infected also the other eunuches of his company And not only these but the Empresse also through the entisement of the Eunuches and the aduise of the Priest fell into the pestilent heresie of Arius In a while after the Emperour him selfe called the same opinion into controuersie and so by a litle and a litle it was spredd euery where And first the Emperours garde tooke it vp next it occupied the mindes of the multitude throughout the city The Emperours chamberlaynes euen in the very pallace it selfe contended with women about the opinion in euery house and family throughout the city they brawled and went together by the eares This infection spred it selfe quickly ouer other contries and regions and the controuersie much like a sparcle of fire rising of small heate or scattered embers kindled the mindes of the hearers with the fiery flame of discorde and dissention For euery one that desired to knowe why they made such a tumulte by and by had an occasion geuen him to reason and euery one was not satisfied with questioning but contentiously woulde argue thereof â–ª thus the heate of contention turned all vpside downe and troubled the quiet estate of the Churche This sturre and sedition preuailed onely in the cities throughout the East for Illyrium and other contryes of the West enioyed peace and quietnes â–ª for they could in no wise permitt the canons of the Nicene councell to be abrogated and sett at nought After that the heate of contention was blowen abroad and burned euery day more and more the faction of Eusebius tooke this tumult to be a furtherance to their purpose for so they hoped it would come to passe that some Bishop or other woulde be chosen of Alexandria which woulde maintayne the same opinion with them But at the very same time Athanasius by the meanes of Constantine the yongers letters who was one of the Caesars and so called after his fathers name returned to Alexandria the letters were written by the Emperour vnto the people of Alexandria from Triuere a citie of Fraunce in forme as followeth Constantinus Caesar to the people of the Catholicke Church of Alexandria sendeth greeting I hope it is not vnknowen vnto your discreete wisedome that Athanasius the professor of sacred diuinitie was for a tyme banished into Fraunce lest that through the mischieuous dealing of lewde men for bloodesuckers and cruell beastes sought to bereue him of his life his innocent person shoulde of necessitie be constrained to take his deaths wounde VVherfore to the ende he might auoyde the malice of these dispitefull
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
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