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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A00440	The auncient ecclesiasticall histories of the first six hundred yeares after Christ, wrytten in the Greeke tongue by three learned historiographers, Eusebius, Socrates, and Euagrius. Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Cæsarea in Palæstina vvrote 10 bookes. Socrates Scholasticus of Constantinople vvrote 7 bookes. Euagrius Scholasticus of Antioch vvrote 6 bookes. VVhereunto is annexed Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus, of the liues of the prophetes, apostles and 70 disciples. All which authors are faithfully translated out of the Greeke tongue by Meredith Hanmer, Maister of Arte and student in diuinitie. Last of all herein is contayned a profitable chronographie collected by the sayd translator, the title whereof is to be seene in the ende of this volume, with a copious index of the principall matters throughout all the histories; Ecclesiastical history. English	Eusebius, of Caesarea, Bishop of Caesarea, ca. 260-ca. 340.; Hanmer, Meredith, 1543-1604.; Socrates, Scholasticus, ca. 379-ca. 440. Ecclesiastical history. English. aut; Evagrius, Scholasticus, b. 536? Ecclesiastical history. English. aut; Dorotheus, Saint, 255-362, attributed name. aut	1577 (1577)	STC 10572; ESTC S121374	989,961	618

brethren inhabiting Fraunce layde downe in writing their godly and Catholicke censure of them and withall alleadged sundry epistles of the holy Martyrs that suffered among them which being in close prison they had written vnto the brethren throughout Asia and Phrygia in the which also they called and prouoked Eleutherius then ▪ Bishop of Rome to the defence of the Ecclesiasticall peace CAP. IIII. The Martyrs in Fraunce commende Irenaus Bishop of Lions by their epistle vnto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome THe same Martyrs highly commended Irenaeus minister of the Church of Lions ▪ vnto the foresayd Bishop of Rome as their owne wordes declare in this manner Father ▪ Eleutherius vve vvishe you health in all thinges and alvvaies in God VVe haue requested Irenaeus our brother fellovv laborer to deliuer you these letters vvhome vve pray you to accept of ▪ as a zelous follovver of the vvill of Christ for if vve vnderstoode that any mans degree yelded forth and deliuered righteousnes vnto the graduate namely as being minister of the Church ▪ vvhich this man is vve vvoulde haue chiefly commended this in him To what ende shoulde I now out of the same epistle rehearse the catalogue of Martyrs I meane of them which were beheaded and of them which were deuoured of wilde beastes and of them which dyed in prison and the number of those confessors who then as yet liued for if any man be disposed at large to reade thereof let him take in hande my booke of Martyrs where the collection thereof is imprynted these thinges were after this manner in the tyme of Antoninus the Emperour CAP. V. How that God in great necessity sent rayne at the faithfull Christian souldiers prayers vnto the hoaste of Marcus Aurelius a Heathenish Emperour THe historyes doe recorde that when his brother Marcus Aurelius the Emperour warred against the Germans and Sarmatians his hoast in manner perished with thirste so that he wist not what to do and that the souldiers of the legion called Melitana moued againe againe with faithfulnes towards their Prince bowed downe vppon their bare knees as our accustomed manner of praying is in the middest of the army turning them to the enemyes and made supplication vnto God When as this sight seemed straung vnto the enemies there was shewed a farre more straung spectacle to wit lightening which put the enemies to flight ouerthrowe withall a showre of rayne to refreshe the armye which welnigh perishing with thirst powred out their prayers before the high throne of the maiestie of God This history is reported by such as fauored not the Christian fayth yet were careful to set forth the things which concerned the foresaid persons it is also written by our men but of the heathen Historiographers them selues the miracle is mentioned not expressly to proceede by the meanes of our men yet our writers as friendes and fauorers of the true doctrine haue deliuered simply and plainly the deede as it was done wherof Apollinarius is a witnes of creditt who reporteth that this legion by whose praiers this miracle came to passe was from y ● time forth called by y e Emperour in the Romayne tongue after a peculier name the Lightening legion Tertullian also a man worthy of good creditt dedicating an Apology in y ● Latine tongue vnto y ● Romayne Senate in the defence of our faith wherof we mentioned before hath confirmed this history w t a mightier more manifest proofe for he writeth y ● the most prudent epistles of Marcus are yet extant where he testifieth him selfe y ● warring w t the Germanes through the scarsitie of water his army welnigh perished but yet was saued through y e prayers of y e Christians he saith y t this Emperour threatned them w t death which went about to accuse them vnto the aforesaid thinges he addeth vvhat maner of lavves are these against vs impious vniust cruell vvhich neither Vespasian obserued although conquerour of the Ievves vvhich Traian partly frustrated commaunding the inquisition for the Christians to cease vvhich neither Adrianus although busying him selfe vvith euery matter nether he vvhich vvas called Pius confirmed but weye of this euery man as pleaseth him we will prosecute that which followeth in order of historye When Pothinus of the age of foure score and tenne yeares had ended this life together with the other Martyrs in Fraunce Irenaeus succeeded him in the Bishoprike of Lions whome we haue learned in his youthe to haue bene the auditor of Polycarpus this same Irenaeus in his thirde booke against the heresies annecteth the succession of the Romaine Bishops vnto Eleutherius whose tymes presently we prosecute and reciteth the cataloge of them as if it were his speciall drift writing in this manner CAP. VI. The cataloge of the Romayne Bishops out of Irenaeus THe blessed Apostles planting and buylding the Church committed vnto Linus the gouernment of the ministery ▪ This Linus Paul remembred in his epistle vnto Timothe ▪ him succeeded Anacletus after him Clemens the thirde from the Apostles vvhich both savve them had his conuersation vvith them and had both the preaching and tradition of the blessed Apostles graffed in his minde and paynted before his eyes neither vvas he yet alone for there liued at that time a great many vvhich vvere ordayned by the Apostles In the time of this Clemens there vvas raysed no small sedition among the brethren at Corinthe vvherfore the church of Rome vvrote vnto the Corinthians a vvorthy epistle reconciling them vnto peace and renevving their faith and tradition lately receaued of the Apostles A litle after he sayth After this Clemens succeeded Euarestus after Euarestus Alexander after Alexander Xystus he vvas the sixt from the Apostles aftervvards Telesphorus vvhich vvas gloriously crovvned vvith martyrdome him follovved Hyginus then Pius after him Anicetus vvhome Soter succeeded Novv Eleutherius vvas the tvvelfe Bishop from the Apostles after the same order the same doctrine tradition of the Apostles truely taught in the Church at this day continevved vnto our time CAP. VII How vnto that tyme miracles were wrought by the faythfull THese thinges Irenaeus agreeable vnto the historyes mentioned before hath layde downe in those fiue bookes which he wrote to the subuersion and confutation of the falsely named science agayne in the seconde booke of the same argument he signifyeth how that vnto his tyme signes and examples of the straunge and wonderfull power of God were seene florishing in certayne Churches saying they are farre from raysing of the deade as the Lorde and his Apostles did through prayer and as many of the brethren many times the vvhole Churche of some certayne place by reason of some vrgent cause vvith fasting and chaste prayer hath brought to passe that the spirite of the deade returned to the body and man vvas by the earnest prayers of the Sainctes restored to lyfe agayne A litle after he sayth But if they say

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 ●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 knowē 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 year● of Heraclas Bishop of Alexandria when Dionysius succeeded him in the Bishops seae CAP. XXXV VVhat time Origen sett his scriueners ●m●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 poyson●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 ▪ 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

times past made priest in that Church Anastasius byshop of that seae because Thomas had at sundry times wrought him great displeasure and vexation boxed this monke about the eares When they that were then present were sory to see this combat Thomas saide vnto them that he would take that no more at Anastasius hands and that Anastasius would neuer offer it him againe Both which fell out to be true For Anastasius within one day after departed this worlde and Thomas as he went home from Antioch left this worlde and posted to immortall blisse at the hospital in the suburbes of Daphne and was buried in the sepulchre that was prouided for straungers When they had buried one or two other dead carkasses in the same sepulchre with him God after his death wrought that great miracle his corps was cast vpermost the other carkasses were seuered and pushed farre asunder the men seeing this had the Sainct in admiration and reuealed the whole vnto Euphremius Wherefore his most holy corps was caried to Antioch with greate pompe and solemnitie and there was buried in the churhyard by occasion whereof it came to passe that the plague whiche then raigned in the citie ceassed In honor of whom the people of Antioch haue yearely kept holiday vnto this our time but now let vs returne vnto our historie CAP. XXXV Of Menas the patriarch and the miracle then wrought in the Hebrewe boye VVHen Anthimus byshop of Constantinople was deposed as I saide before Epiphanius tooke his rowme after the deceasse of Epiphanius Menas in whose time a worthie miracle was wrought succeeded him in the byshopricke There was an olde custome at Constantinople that if there remained many portions of the pure immaculate body of Christ our God yong children which went to schoole shoulde be called to eate them When it was done a certen mans childe in religion an Hebrewe or Iewe in trade of life a glasiar kept company with the other children who after y t his parents demaunded the cause that made him tarie so longe behinde tolde them plainely the matter as it was and howe that he eate for companye with the other boyes The Hebrewe hearing this boyled within for anger was all set on rage and furie he tooke the boye and threw him into the firie fornace where he vsed to make his glasse The mother missinge the childe sought him out yet coulde not finde him she went throughout the citie and to euery streete calling vpon God with deepe sighes and lamentable teares The third day after as she sate at the doore of her husbands shop being nowe pitifully wasted with weeping she gaue out sighes and withall called the boy by his name the childe knowinge the mothers voyce aunswered her out of the fornace The mother burst open the doores and in she went she was no sooner in but she espied her child in the middes of the hot burning coales yet preserued that the fire toutched him not The childe being asked whether he felt not great heate and howe it came to passe that he was not burned to ashes made aunswere sayinge A woman clad in purple came very oft vnto me reached me water to quenche the firie flames which compassed my body last of all gaue me meate as oft as I was an hungred Iustinian hearinge of this thought good that the boye with his mother shoulde be baptised and that the father which refused to become a Christian shoulde be hanged on the gallowes at a place called Sycae And so an end of that CAP. XXXVI The Bishops of the famous cities about that time liuing WHen Menas had runne the race of his mortall life Eutychius succeeded him in the Byshopricke of Constantinople after Martyrius Bishop of Ierusalem came Salustius and him succeeded Helias Peter followed Helias and after Peter Macarius crept into y ● Byshoprick when as yet the Emperour had not geuen him his consent He was afterwards deposed for the report went of him that he defended the opinions of Origen In the seae of Alexandria when Theodosius as I sayd before was deposed Zoilus gouerned the Bishopricke and after his desease Apolinarius CAP. XXXVII Of the fist holy and generall councell and wherefore it was summoned AFter the desease of Euphraemius Domninus was chosen Bishop of Antioch Now therefore when Vigilius was Byshop of old Rome Menas at the first Bishop of newe Rome whome Eutychius succeeded Apolinarius Bishop of Alexandria Domninus Bishop of Antioch Eustochius was Bishop of Ierusalem Iustinianus summoned the fift councell vpon such an occasion as followeth When the patrons of Origens opinions preuayled in many places but speciallye at Newe Laura so did they call it Eustochius imployed his wholl care and industry to the banishing of them He made a voyage into Newe Laura droue them all out of that coaste and in so doing he seemed to put to flighte the common plague and destruction of them all They beinge scattered abroade into sundrye cuntreys perswaded many to embrace theyr opinions There fauored them Theodorus syrnamed Ascidas Bishop of Caesarea the heade citie in Cappadocia who was continewally with Iustinian one that was bothe faithfull and necessarie When this Theodorus incensed the Emperours courte and pallace againste Eustochius makinge relation vnto them as of an haynous and horrible matter Eustochius sente Rufus Abbot of Theodosius Monastery and Conon Abbot of Saba to Constantinople bothe which partly for theyr vertue and excellency and partly also for the biggenesse of theyr Monasteries were counted chiefe and principall of the Monkes which inhabited the desertes There accompanied them also other religious men not much inferiour vnto them for worthines These men as theyr speciall drifte called into controuersie the opinions of Origen the behauiour of Euagrius and Didymus But Theodorus Byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia beinge desirous to bringe them from that argumente proposed the cause of Theodorus Bishop of Mopsouestia Theodoritus and Ibas neyther did he this without the prouidence of almighty God who disposed all the circumstances so notably to the end euery prophane and wicked opinion of whether side so euer it were might be rooted out First of all when the questiō was propounded whether it were lawefull to accurse the deade or no Eutychius then presente a man very well seene in holy Scripture yet none of the famous personages or of great authority Menas was then aliue whome he succeeded in the bishopricke and at that time he sate to answere for the Bishop of Amasia when he perceaued that the councell went not a right but rather the wrōg way he tolde them plainely there was nothinge to be doubted in that question neyther any thing that required deliberation at all That kinge Iosias not onely executed the Idol Priestes then aliue but caused also the tumbes of suche as were lately deseased to be digged vp These wordes of Eutychius beinge so well applied pleased them all and satisfied them fullye Iustinianus also hearinge of this

opinion of Arius seemed absurde approued of Alexanders sentence toucchinge Arius and affirmed the condemnation pronounced agaynst suche as were of that opinion to be iuste and accordinge to right But Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia and as many as fauored the fonde opinion of Arius wrote vnto Alexander that he shoulde reuoke the depriuation and digraduation past and admitte into the churche suche as were excommunicated and excluded the companye of the faithfull and that they maintained no detestable doctrine at all So then when of eyther side letters were brought vnto Alexander byshop of Alexandria the letters of both sides were gathered together into one Arius tooke such as were in his behalfe Alexander gathered the contrary Here occasion was ministred vnto the hereticall sectes of the Arians Eunomians and Macedonians which in these dayes disperse themselues abrode to defende theyr damnable doctrine For euery one seuerally alleageth for proufe and testimonye of his opinion the epistles of suche as are of his owne secte CAP. IIII. Howe Constantinus the Emperour beinge carefull for the concorde vnity of the churche sent Osius a Spanyarde vnto Alexandria to reconcile Alexander and Arius wrytinge also an epistle vnto both the parties WHen the emperour was certified hereof he was wonderfull sorye and supposed this schisme to be his owne calamitye Forthwith therefore he wente seriously about to quenche the heate of discorde kindled among them and sent letters vnto Alexāder and Arius by a man worthy of creditt whose name was Osius byshop of Corduba a citye of Spayne this man the emperour loued entierly and highely honored Some parte of which letters I supposed not impertinent for this place which are wholy alleaged by Eusebius in his bookes of the life of Constantine Constantine the puysant the mighty and noble emperoure vnto Alexander and Arius sendeth greetinge Hereby I gather the originall grounde of this controuersie in that thou Alexander hast demaunded of the elders toutching a certaine place of holy Scripture yea rather toutching a certaine vaine peece of a question vvhat euery ones opinion vvas and thou Arius hast vnaduisedly blased abrode and sett abroche that vvhich thou shouldest not at the first haue conceaued and hauing conceaued it thou shouldest haue past it ouer vvith silence VVhereby this dissention is risen among you the vvonted assembly of the church hindred the most deuout people diuersly distracted into ether side rente a sunder being afore time one body cōpacted together in harmoniacal vnity wherefore let ether of you pardoning ech other like of that the which your felowe minister not without cause exhorteth you vnto and what is that that you neyther obiecte at all neither answer any obiection that concerne such matters For such questions as no law or ecclesiasticall canon necessarily defineth but the frutelesse contention of idle braine setteth abrode though the exercise thereof auaile for the sharpening of the witt yet ought we to retaine them within the inner closett of our mind not rashly to broch them in the publique assembly of the vulgare people neither vnaduisedly to graunt the common sorte the hearing thereof For hovve many be there that can worthely explicate sufficiētly ponder the weyght of so graue so intricate and so obscure a matter but if there be any such that persuadeth himselfe able easily to compasse and to attaine vnto it howe many partes are there I beseche you of the multitude whome he can sufficiently instruct therein and who is there in sifting out so curious a question that can well passe the perill of plunging error wherefore in suche cases we must refrayne from verball disputations lest that ether we by reason of the imbecillity of our witt can not explicate our minde ether our auditors when we teach by reason of theyr dull capacity can not comprehende the curious drift of our doctrine whereby the people of necessity incurreth the daūger ether of blasphemye or the poysoned infection of discorde wherefore both the rashe obiection and the vnaduised answere being cause of the heretical sectes of the Arians Eunomians and of as many as fauor the like folly ought ere other of ech other craue pardone Neither is there occasion ministred to cōtende about the chiefest commaundement in holy Scripture neither is there sprong any new opinion toutching the seruice of God for you retaine the on and the same sentence in substance of fayth so that you may easily embrace the vniforme consent of vnity cōcordo For it is not well that for your contention about so sclender matters and trifling toyes so great a multitude of the people of God through your negligence should be at such discorde among themselues Yea it is supposed not onely not well but alltogether intollerable And that in fewe wordes I may lay before your eyes some president hereof I will reason with you ye are not ignorant as I suppose that the philosophers agree ▪ amōg themselues all ioyntly professe one title and name of discipline yet for all that they vary and disagree in some odde opinion which seuerally they holde who though they dissent by reason of theyr seuerall opinion yet because of there compacted profession they ioyne hands and holde together like birdes If then the case be thus why may it not be thought farre more expediēt that we wearing the cognizance of the most mighty God euen for the christian religion the which we professe should be at peace vnity among our selues but let vs vveygh more diligently and consider more deepely vvith our selues vvhat I shall novve say vvhether it be right or reason that for light and vayne contention about vvordes one brother should dissent from an other and the renovvmed peace by pestilent discord through vs vvhich spite one an other for sclender vnnecessary matters should thus miserably be prophaned and rent in peces These practises are rather popular farre more agreable vvith the youthly rashenes of greene heades then vvith the sobriety of the graue and priestly personages vvherefore of our ovvne accorde l●● vs put to flight the temptations of the deuell And in as much as our Lord God almighty the Sauiour of all mē hath graciously geuen abrode of his commō light vnto all therefore be it lavvefull vnto me I beseche you as much as in you lieth that I being ayded vvith the helping hand of his prouidence may happely bring my purpose to good effect and that also I may leade his people partely vvith often calling vpon them partely vvith the diligent ouersight of theyr life partely also vvith sharpe admonition to mutuall loue amity one with an other And seing that as I sayd there is but one faith amōg you one consent of profession one trade of life and order of lawe the which with mutual consent of the mind linketh and compacteth into one the vvhole body with the seuerall membres of the same that therefore which through your discorde moued no small sturre among

was translated vnto Troas but these many shall suffice in steede of many others who were translated from their proper seaes vnto other bishopricks CAP. XXXVI Of Siluanus who being Bishop of Philippopolis was remoued to Troas NOwe I thinke it not amisse to write a fewe lynes of Siluanus whome we sayd a litle before to haue bene translated from the bishoprick of Philippopolis in Thracia vnto Troas This Siluanus first studied Rhetorick in the schoole of Troilus the Sophist who though he was an earnest embracer of Christian religion and exercised the monasticall trade of liuing yet wore he still the philosophicall habit In processe of tyme Atticus the Bishop sent for him and made him Bishop of Philippopolis who hauing continewed in Thracia the space of three yeares when he coulde no longer away with the pinching colde of that contrey for he had a thinne and a weake bodye he requested Atticus to substitute an other Bishop in his rowme protestinge that he left Thracia for no other cause but onely to auoyde the extreame colde Siluanus then hauing procured an other bishop to succeede him remayned at Constantinople and exercised continewally the monasticall trade and discipline ▪ he was so farre from pride and hautines of stomack that often times in the thick assemblies and solemne meetings of the citizens he wore scandals and bus kin● of twisted haye Shortly after the Bishop of Troas departed this life and immediatly the people Troes came to Constantinople for to seeke a Bishop Atticus muzing with him selfe whome he might prefere to the rowme Siluanus by chaunce came by as soone as Atticus espied him he ceassed to bethinke him selfe and turned vnto Siluanus with these wordes thou mayst no longer excuse thy selfe but of necessity thou must take vpon thee the gouernment of the Church for in Troas there is no chilling colde beholde God hath prouided for the infirmitie of thy body a delectable and pleasant soyle make no more adoe brother but in hast get thee to Troas To be short Siluanus went thither Here I thinke very well to lay downe the miracle which he wrought A greate ship or hulke for the bredth thereof called plate being fraighted and laden with great pillours newely made vpon the shore or rode of Troas could not be drawen from the land to take sea no for all the Pilote together with a greate multitude of men drewe her with cable ropes she woulde not moue When they had the space of many dayes assaid what they could doe and nothing preuayled they thought verily that some deuill helde the hulke from mouing Wherefore they went vnto Siluanus the Bishop and request him to pray in that place for so they hoped it woulde come to passe that the ship might be drawen into y ● sea ▪ but he excused him self very modestly sayd that he was a sinner told them that he could not helpe them that it was the office of a iust man But seeing they were so importunate vpon him that they woulde not be answered he came to the shore there he prayed vnto God tooke the rope by the ende and bad the rest doe their endeuour The ship being shaken with a litle violence was brought by a litle and a litle into the mayne seae This miracle which Siluanus wrought allured many of that prouince to embrace with feruent zeale the christian faith Siluanus also expressed no lesse in other acts and dealings of his the good motion of his godly mind When he perceaued that the clergie respected nothing but gaine in deciding the controuersies of their clients he suffered thence forth none of the clergie to be iudge but tooke the supplications and requests of suters appoynted one of the laytie whome for certainty he knewe to be a iust and a godly man gaue him the hearing of their causes and so ended quietly all contentions and quarells ▪ for the aforesayd causes Siluanus became renowmed and famous among all men Thus farre of Siluanus though we may seeme herein to haue digressed yet haue we remembred such things as may tende to the profitt commoditie of the reader But now let vs returne where we left When Maximianus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople in the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus the church enioyed peace and quietnes CAP. XXXVII Of the Iewes in Crete how they were deceaued and in the ende perceauing their folly embraced the Christian faith ABout that time many Ievves inhabiting Crete receaued the Christian faith being brought thereunto by such a calamitie as followeth A certayne Iewe being a subtill knaue fayned himself to be Moses and said that he came downe from heauen for to leade the Ievves which inhabited that Isle through the seae into the firme and mayne lande that he was the same who of olde did safe conduyte Israel through the redde seae For the space of one whole yeare he did nothinge else but wander from one cytye to the other throughout the Isle vsinge all meanes possible to perswade the Ievves which dwelled there to creditt him and exhorting them to leaue all their wealthe and substance behynde them ▪ for he promysed to brynge them through the seae drye footed into the lande of promise When that he had bewytched them with suche vayne and deceatefull hope they left their worke and trade of life they sett nought by their wealthe and substance and they gaue lycence to him that lysted for to possesse them When the daye appoynted of the false Ievve for the voyage was come he led them the waye all the rest beganne to followe after together with women and children ▪ he brought them to a certayne mountayne whiche laye as it were an elbowe into the seae warde and thence he bad them caste them selues into the seae Wherefore such as firste came vnto the fall did so wherof some were crushed tumbling downe the hyll some other were drowned in the seae and dyed immediatly it woulde haue cost many more theyr liues had not the prouydence of God prouyded better for them For as God would there were nigh them many Christians whereof some were fishermen and some other marchants they drewe vp some which were almost choked vp with water saued their liues who being in this lamentable plight acknowledged their folly they stayd others frō plunging thēselues in the waues of the seae laying before their eyes y e death of the Iewes which leade them the daūce They perceaued then the guyle they blamed them selues for being so credulous they went about to kill the counterfait Moses But they could not catch him for he conueyed him selfe priuely from among thē Whereupon diuerse men did coniecture that it was a deuell which endeuored by borowing the shape of man to destroy y ● natiō vtterly to roote the Iewes from of the face of the earth Wherefore y ● calamity schooled the Iewes which inhabited Crete made thē for sake Iudaisme and cleaue vnto the Christian faith CAP. XXXVIII Howe the Church