ende ye like vvise might receaue from him againe letters of friendly coÌ„sent amitie novv let Paulus vvrite to Artemas let the coÌ„plices of Artemas coÌ„municate vvith him But of these things thus farre Paulus together with his right faith was depriued also of his bishoprike Domnus as it is written before succeeded him being chosen by the synode bishop of Antioch wheÌ„ Paulus would not depart the church neither voyde the house the emperour Aurelianus being besought decreed very well coÌ„mauÌ„ded by ediâ—â— â–ª the house should be allotted for such as y â— bishops of Italic Rome with vniforme coÌ„seut in doctrine â–ª appointed for the place After this sort was Paulus with greate shame vanished y â— church by secular power thus was Aurelianus theÌ„ affected towards vs but in processe of time he so eâ—â—raunged him selfe that welnygh through the lewde motion of some men he moued persecution against vs much talke was blased farre nygh toutching him but wheÌ„ he had raysed persecution against vs now welnygh subscribed to a publicke edict preiudicial to our affaires the iust iudgement of God ouertooke him hindred his purpose craÌ„ping as it were his knuckles making manifest vnto all men that the princes of this world haue neuer any power to practise ought against the church of God vnlesse the inuincible myght of God for discipline conuersion of his people according vnto his deuine celestiall wisdome graunt pardon or licence to bring any thing about in what time it shall please him best When Aurelianus had held the imperiall scepter the space of sixe yeares Probus succeeded him And agayne after sixe yeares Carus came in his place together with Carinus and Nâ—â—erianus his sonnes Againe when these had continewed scarse three yeares Diocletianus was chosen emperour and by his meanes they were promoted vnder whome persecution and the ouerthrow of the churches preuayled a little before the raygne of this Diocletâ—â—â— Diâ—â—yâ—â—â—s byshop of Rome dyed when he had gouerned the church nyne yeares whome Feliâ— succeeded CAP. XXX Of Manes whereof the Maniches are called whence he was his conuersation and heresie ABout that tyme Manes after the etymologie of his name in no better taking than a 〈…〉 man was in armour and instructed in a deuelishe opinion through the peruersitie of his minde the deuell and satan the aduersariâ— of God leading and procuring him to the perdition of many soules He was in tongue and trade of life very barbarous by nature possessed and frenticke he practised things correspoÌ„dent vnto his witte and maners he presâ—â—â—ed to represent the person of Christ he proclaimed him selfe to be the comforter and the holy ghost and beynge puffed vp with this frenticke pride chose as if he were Christ twelue partners of his new found doctrine patching into one heape false and detestable doctrine of olde rotten and roâ—ted out heresies the which he brought out of Persia for no other then deadly poyson into the world whâ—â—â— that abhominable name of the Maniches hath had his originall CAP. XXXI Of the bishops ministers and other famous men florishing at that tyme in the churches of Rome Antioch and Laodicea SVch a fained name of false science sprong vp in those tymes in the which after Felix had gouerned the churche of Rome fiue yeares Eutychianus succeeded who continewinge seares tenne moneths committed his cleargie vnto Gaius in this our time and fyfteene yeares after Marcellinus followed whome also the persecution ouertooke In the churche of Antioch after Domnus succeeded Timaeus after him in our tyme Cyrillus was chosen bishop vnder whome we remeÌ„ber one Dorotheus then minister of the churche of Antioch to haue bene a very eloquent and singuler man he applyed holy scripture diligently he studied the Hebrewe tongue so that he read with great skill the holy scriptures in Hebrewe This man came of a noble race he was expert in the chiefe discipline of the Grecians by nature an eunuch so disposed from his natiuitie for which cause the emperour for rarenesse therof appropriated him placing preferringe him to the purple robe in the citie of Tyrus we hearde him our selues expounding holy scripture with great coÌ„mendation in the churche of God Tyrannus succeeded Cyrillus in the churche of Antloch in whose tyme the spoile of churches was very ryfe Eusebius whiche came from Alexandria gouerned the church of Laodicea after Socrates The sturre about Paulus Samosatenus was the cause of his remouing for whose sake he weÌ„t into Syria where of the godly he was hindred that he coulde not returne home againe because he was the desired Jewell hoped staye of our religion as by the testimonie of Dionysius hereafter alleaged shall manifestly appeare Anatolius succeeded him the good as they say after the good who also was of Alexandria for his eloquence and skill in the Grecians discipline and philosophicall literature he bare the bell among all the famous of our time he excelled in Arithmeticke Geometric Astronomie Logicke physical coÌ„templatioÌ„ and rhetoricall exercises for whiche his excellencie he was chosen moderator of Aristotels schoole by the cytizens of Alexandria They report at AlexaÌ„dria many other famous acts of his specially his behauiour at the slege of Pyruchium â–ª where he obâ—â—yneâ— a singuler prerogatiue of principalitie of whose doings one thing for example sake I will rehearse When vittaile as they say fayled such as were vesieged and famine pressed them sorer then foraine enemies this same Anatolius brought this deuise to passe whereas the one part of the citie helde with the Romaine hoast and therfore out of the daunger of the slege he gaue information to Eusebius who then was at Alexandria it was before his departure into Syria and conuersant amonge them which were not besieged in great estimation and credite with the Romaine captaine howe that such as were besieged almost perished for famine he beinge made priuie to their miserie by the messengers of Anatolius craued pardon of the Romaine captaine for such as left forsooke the enemie â–ª which sute when he had obtained he communicated with Anatolius he forthwith accepting of his promise assembleth together y â— senate of Alexandria first requesteth of theÌ„ all that they will ioyne in league with the Romaines when he sawe them all sett in a rage at this his request be sayd but yet in this I suppose you will not resist if I councell you to permitt such as stand you in no stede as olde men and olde women and children to depart the cytie to repaire whither please them for to what purpose do we retaine these among vs nowe ready to yelde vp the ghost to what purpose do we presse with famine such as are maymed and wounded in bodie when as men onely and yonge men are to be releaued and retayned and prouision of necessary foode is to be founde for them which keepe the citie with contine wall watch and warde when he
◠midd high wayes throughout the market places and frequented assemblies There mightest thou haue seene them who a little before after most greuous punishments were fettred and banished their natiue soyle to receaue enioy their proper houses w t a cherefull and mery countenance in so much that they which afore time cried out against vs nowe reioyced together with vs at this wonderful sight happening beyond all mans expectation CAP. II. Maximinus againe shewing his hatred against the christians forbiddeth the assemblies in churchyards and goeth about to banishe them Antioch THe tyrant enemy to all honesty and chiefe practiser of wicked counsell against all y ◠godly whome wee sayde to haue borne rule in the Easterne partes not well brookinge these things permoited them not to continewe in the same state no not six whole moneths wherfore he putteth in vre euery mischiuous practise to the ouerthrowe of peace and tranquillity first by a certaine pretense he goeth about to barre vs our liberty of meeting in churchyardes next by sending certaine malicious men he pricked and prouoked against vs the citizensof Antioch that they should begg of him for a great benefitt y ◠he would permitt no christian at all to dwell within his dominiōs This he assayed by y ◠aduise of others y e author of all which mischief was Theotecnus who solicited the cause and egged them of Antioch forewards a man he was of authority an inchaunter very spitefull and farre from the signification of his name who then was liuetenante of that city CAP. III. Theotecnus goeth about to mischiefe the christians he incenseth the tyrant against them and setteth vp an Idole at Antioch THis Theotecnus therefore when he had vehemently impugned vs and procured euery kind of way that the christians should diligently be sought out of their dennes and apprehended for haynous robbers and had imagined all meanes to the end we should be charged and accused and had bene the cause of death to an infinite number at length he erecteth the Idoll of Iuppiter as of the God of frendship with certains inchauntments and sorceryes and inuenteth thereunto impure ceremonyes execrable sacrifices detestable oblations causeth report to be made vnto the emperour of the straunge things the Oracle seemed to vtter This Theotecnus also being a flatterer wherwith he seemed to please y ◠emperour raysed a wicked spirit against the christiās and sayd God so commaunded that the christians should be banished out of the citie and the liberties thereof For that they were rebells and traitors to the crowne CAP. IIII. Maximinus againe raiseth persecution by his decrees WHen that Theotecnus first of all had done this of his owne accorde all the other magistrats inhabiting the cities of his dominion promulgated the like sentence when as the presidents throughout the prouinces sawe this pleased the emperour they egged the subiects also to do the like y ◠tyrant very promptly consented by his rescript vnto theyr ordinances so y t againe y e heate of persecutiō was blowen against vs that againe Idol priestes were ordained by the decree of Maximinus throughout euery city village and moreouer high priests which specially excelled in pollicies and passed others in all thinges who also were zelous folowers of their religion and bestowed greate labor about the seruice of them whome they worshiped Wherefore the emperours superstition and Idolatricall minde was againe as it were a fresh incensed against vs that I may vtter the whole in fewe words he brought all his dominiō both magistrats inferior subiects to practise euery kinde of mischiefe for his sake against vs to thinke they requited him fully and shoulde haue great fauour asmany as desired to obtaine any benefit at his hand if they oppressed vs w t slaughter executed certaine new mischiefs against vs. CAP. V. The heathens goe about to defame christian religion fayning blasphemyes against the actes of Christ and Pilate and with certaine womens confession extorted from them by the gouernour of Damascus AGaine they forge certaine actes as of Pilate and our Sauiour full of blasphemy against Christ the which by consent of the emperour they sende abrode throughout his dominions cōmaunding by their letters y ◠y ◠same throughout all places both city countrey should be expounded deliuered to y ◠youth by scholmaisters to be committed vnto memory in stead of their indited vulgars exercised discipline These things being thus brought to passe a certaine ruler of the host whome the Romaines call a captaine drewe from the markett place of Damascus in Phoenicia certaine infamous women and brought them by threates of torments to that passe that after a register or recorde was shewed they shoulde confesse them selues somtimes to haue beene christians priuey to the wicked and lasciuious actes which y ◠christians committed amonge thē selues at their solemne meeting on the sundayes what other things it pleased him they shoulde vtter to y ◠sclaunder of our religion the which words were registred copied and lent to the emperoure who also commaunded the same euery where in euery place and city to be published CAP. VI. The confusion of the captaine of Damascus the commendation of certaine martys and the places where they florished BUt this captaine in a while after procured his owne death with his proper hād suffred punishment due for his malicious deserte Then againe banishment greuous persecutiō was raised against the christians againe the presidents of seuerall prouinces beganne vtterly to rebell against vs so y ◠diuerse of them which excelled in y e doctrine of Christ Iesu bare away the ineuitable sentence of death of which number were three christians in Emisa a city of Phoenicia who of there owne accord professed christianity were deliuered to be deuoured of rauening beastes Among these also was Siluanus a byshop farre stroken in years hauing executed y ◠functiō of the ecclesiasticall ministery y ◠space of forty years full About y ◠time Petrus who notably gouerned y ◠churches of Alexandria excelling all other godly bishops for his vertous lif godly exercise of preaching for no other cause thē you heare without hope of any reward sodainly vnaduisedly by y ◠commaundement of Maximinus was beheaded together w t him after y ◠same maner many Aegyptian bishops were executed Againe Lucianus a notable man for his continency of lif for his skill in holy Scripture highly cōmended being an elder of y ◠church of Antioch was brought to Nicomedia in which city y ◠emperour thē abode after he had exhibited vnto the emperour enemy to all goodnes an Apollogie in defence of y ◠doctrine which he taught where with he bare rule was cast into prison and shortly after executed This Maximinus in shorte space exercised so great a tyranny crueltye towards vs that the later persecutiō seemed farre more greuous vnto vs
then craftely crept in to be Bishop of Nicomedia a city of Bithynia claue fast vnto him which thinges when Alexander had both hearde and seene done with his eyes was very much moued thereat and summoning together a counsell of many Bishops he depriueth Arius and such as fauored his opinion of the priestly order and wrote vnto the seuerall Bishops throughout the cities in this maner The epistle of Alexander Bishop of Alexandria TO the welbeloued and most reuerend brethren fellow ministers with vs throughout the churches whersoeuer In so much as we are commaunded by holy Scripture to retaine the bonde of vnity peace it is requisite that we vvrite signifie one to another the things that seuerally happen among vs to the ende that if one suffer or one reioyce vve all may suffer together or reioyce together Novv in our church there are risen certaine men vvhich transgresse the lawes which impugne Christ which leade men into Apostasie whome a man may rightly suppose iustly terme the forrunners of Antichrist I was disposed truely to be silent and not to blason at all so haynous an offence if peraduenture by any meanes possibly this blemish might haue bene wiped away from among them which alone fel from the church lest that straying abrode into straung places it might infect vvith the filth therof the eares of simple seely soules but in as much as Eusebius novv Bishop of Nicomedia supposing the vvhole state of the church to be vnder his iurisdiction and seeing vvith him selfe that he is to be charged of none for leauing the Churche of Berytus and for that he greedily gaped after the Churche of Nicomedia and in that he is become the patrone and ringleader of these Apostatas going about to publish letters into all prouinces highly extolling them that he may plung certayne of the ignorant sort into an extreame pestilent heresie altogether contrary to Christ him selfe I thinke it necessary seeing the like is vvritten in some parte of the lavve no longer to be silent but to declare vnto you all the vvhole matter vvhereby ye may not onely knovve them vvhiche fell from the trueth but also their derestable doctrine and the circumstance of their heresie and also if peraduenture Eusebius doe vvrite vnto you that you geue no eare vnto him for he hauing concealed for a season his olde festred corruption of minde and novve disposed to renevve the same fayneth to further their cause by his epistels but in very deede he shevveth plainly that these his practises be directed to the furtherance of his ovvne cause such as fell from the Church vvere these Arius Achillas Aeithales Câ—rpônes a seconde Arius Sarmates Euzoius Lucius Iulianus Menas Helladius Gaius and together vvith them also Secâ—ndus Theonas vvhich sometime vvere called Bishops the things vvhich they published abroade contrary to holy Scripture were such that God vvas not alvvayes a father but that there vvas sometime vvhen he vvas no father and that the vvorde of God vvas not from euerlasting but had his beginning of nothing For that God vvhich is made him vvhich vvas not of that vvhich is not for vvhich cause there vvas a tyme vvhen he vvas not that the sonne vvas a creature and made neyther like vnto the father in substance neyther the true vvorde of the father by nature neyther his true vvisedome but made metaphorically the worde and the vvisedome the same to be made by the proper worde of God and by the wisedome which is in God in the which God made all thinges and him toe for vvhich cause he is of a changeable and diuerous nature as all other reasonable creatures be that the vvorde is straung diuerous and seuered from the vvisedome of God that the father can not be expressed by the sonne that the sonne knovveth not the father fully neyther absolutely neyther can perfectly discerne him and that the sonne perceaueth not the substance of the father as he is but that he was made for our sakes that God by him as by an instrument might create vs and that he had not bene had not God bene moued to create vs. One at that tyme demaunded of them vvhether the vvorde of God coulde be chaunged as the deuill vvas chaunged and they vvere not afrayd to ansvvere yea it may be for that he is of a chauÌ„geable nature and begotten he is mutable Arius therefore and his adherents vvhiche vttered these thinges and impudently auoutched them together vvith all such as fauour the like fonde opinions VVe together vvith other Bishops of Aegypt and Libya in number vvelâ—â—ghe a hundred meeting for the same purpose haue pronounced to be helde of all men for accursed Eusebius and his adherents endeuer to mingle falsehoode with the trueth pietye with impietye but they shall not preuaile for trueth getteth the victory light hath no fellowship with darknes no agreement betwene Christ Belial who euer hearde of the like practises who presently if he heard the like woulde not wonder as at straung thinges and stoppe his eares lest the dregges of so detestable a doctrine should annoy the sense of hearing what man hearing Iohn affirming in the beginning was the worde will not forthwith condemne these which say there was a tyme when he was not or who is it when he heareth in the Gospell the onely begotten sonne and by him were all thinges made that vvill not detest these vvhich affirme that the sonne is one of the creatures and hovve can he resemble the thinges vvhiche vvere made by him or hovve can the onely begotten as their opinion is be numbred vvith all other liuing creatures or hovve is he made of nothinge vvhen the father sayeth My harte hath endited a good matter and Before the morning in the wombe haue I begotten thee Or hovve is he in substance different from the father being the Perfect image and brightnes of the Father and vvhen as he him selfe sayeth He that hath seene me hath seene also the Father or hovve can it be if the onely sonne of God be the vvorde and the vvisedome that there vvas a tyme vvhen that he vvas not it is as if a man shoulde saye God sometyme vvanted both vvorde and vvisedome or hovve is he chaungeable and mutable vvhen as he reporteth of him selfe I am in the Father and the Father is in me also I and the Father be both one and by the Prophet Malachyâ— also Consider me that I am God and am not chaunged and althoughe this saying may be referred vnto the Father him selfe yet presently it is applyed more aptely vnto the sonne for in that he was borne and become man he is not chaunged at all but as the Apostle vvriteth Iesus Christ yester nyght and toe daye and he is the same for euer VVhat therefore ledd them I beâ—eache you vnto so erroneous and detestable an opinion for to saye he vvas made for vs vvhen as the Apostle vvriteth For of him
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 AlexaÌ„der 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 coÌ„pacted 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 sufficieÌ„tly 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 dauÌ„ger 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 coÌ„tende 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 coÌ„cordo 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 â–ª amoÌ„g 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 expedieÌ„t 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 lâ—â— vs put to flight the temptations of the deuell And in as much as our Lord God almighty the Sauiour of all meÌ„ hath graciously geuen abrode of his commoÌ„ 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 amoÌ„g 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
once be remembred y t the church of God should no longer be troubled with y â— interpretatioÌ„ thereof and y â— for two causes first because y â— Scriptures of God made no mention thereof secondarily because that the interpretatioÌ„ thereof exceeded the sense aud capacitie of man for y â— holy Scriptures testisted that no man was able to set forth the generation of the sonne in these wordes His generation who shal be able to declare For it is most true that the father alone knoweth howe he begat the sonne againe y â— sonne alone knoweth howe he was begotten of y â— father They sayd no maÌ„ doubted but that the father was greater in honor dignitie diuinitie and fatherly title and that by the testimony of the sonne himselfe where he sayth The father which sent me is greater then I. They sayd moreouer this was Catholicke neither vnknowen vnto any that there were two persons the father and the sonne the father greater the sonne subiect together with all other things which the father made subiect vnto him the father to be without beginning inuisible immortall impatible the sonne to be begotten of the father God of God light of light and that no man as I sayde before was able to rehearse his generation saue the father alone the sonne our lorde and God to become incarnat to haue taken a body vpon him that is man euen as partly he shewed vnto the Angels and partly all the Scriptures doe informe vs of him but especially the Apostle the preacher of the Gentiles that Christ tooke manhood of the virgine Mary according vnto the which he suffred They sayd it was the principle ground of our whole faith alwayes to holdfast the faith in the trinitie as we read in the Gospell Goe teach all nations baptizinge them in the name of the Father of the Sonne of the holy Ghost The number of the trinitie is absolute perfect The comforter the holy Ghost sent by the sonne came according vnto promise for to sanctifie and lead the Apostles and all the faithfull They goe about to perswade Photinus after his depriuatioÌ„ to condescend and to subscribe vnto these thinges promising to restore him vnto his Bishopricke againe if he would recant and renounce the selfe opinion he had inuented of his owne braine and thenceforth promise to cleaue vnto their doctrine He refused the coÌ„ditions and prouoked them to disputation A certaine day was appointed for conference the Emperoure commaundeth the Bishops theÌ„ present to be at it there came thither also at the request of y â— Emperour not a fewe councellers The assembly being met Basilius who theÌ„ was Bishop of Ancyra tooke Photinus in hand the notaries penned all they spake While they reasoned one with an other the disputation waxed hot and in the end Photinus had the foile was condemned to vanishment From that time forth he liued in exile and wrote in the Greeke and Latine tonge for he was well seene in both a boke against all heresies endeuoringe therein to publishe his owne opinion So farre of Photinus We haue yet to vnderstand that the Bishops assembled at Sirmium misliked theÌ„selues with the forme of faith laid downe in the Latine tonge for after the publishing thereof they espied contradictories therein Wherefore they went about in all the hast to call in all the coppies and when as diuers were concealed the Emperour by his edicte gaue charge that all should be broughte in and such as hid theÌ„ shoulde be punished Yet were there no threats or cruelty that coulde recouer the thinges once blased abroad because they had runne through many hands CAP. XXVI Of Osius Bishop of Corduba WHereas we haue made mention a â—itle before of Osius Bishop of Corduba that he was constrained to shewe himselfe at the councell of Sirmium I thinke it requisite nowe to say somwhat of that matter Although in a while before through the lewd practises of the Arians he had bene in exile yet then at the sute and procuremeÌ„t of the Bishops which assembled at Sirmium it tell out that the Emperoure cited him purposinge with himselfe to perswade him or by foule meanes to constraine him to be of the same opinion with the assembled Bishops and in so doinge their faith shoulde seeme to cary with it greate force and creditte To this ende he was drawen against his will as I sayd before vnto the councel But when as this olde father woulde in no wise subscribe vnto their faith they scurged his sides and set his members vpon the racke So that in the end by compulsion he gaue his assent subscribed vnto the formes of faith which then were published These were the Acâ—es at Sirmium and thus were they ended CAP. XXVII Magnentius the tyrant is ouercome and dieth miserably the Iewes inhabiting Diocaesarea rebell against the Romaines and are soiled Gallus rebelleth and is put to death COnstantius the Emperoure remayned at Sirmium waytinge what ende the battell waged with Magnentius should haue But Magnentius as soone as he tooke the princely citie of Rome he executeth many of the Senators he dispatcheth not a fewe of the common multitude When the captaines of Constantius had gathered a great army of Romaine souldiers they marched towards him he theÌ„ left Rome got him to Fraunce There were many skirmishes one while this side an other while that side had the vpper hand At length Magnentius was ouercome at the castell of Mursa in Fraunce in he got him and kept it a while where such a straunge thing as followeth is reported to haue come to passe Magnentius going about to animate his souldiers nowe altogether discouraged with the foile ouerthrowe they had takeÌ„ got him vp into an highe seate The souldiers after the accustomed honor done vnto the Emperours mindinge to sounde fortunate successe vnto Magnentius by force as it were their lippes wagging before their minds they turne their good wishes vnto ConstaÌ„tius for they all with one mouth proclaimed not MagneÌ„tius but Constantius Augustus Magnentius supposinge this to be a signe of misfortune conueyed himselfe forthwith out of the castell fled into the furthest partes of Fraunce The captaines of Constantius pursued after him earnestly Againe they pitched their caÌ„pe at a place called Miltoseleucus where Magnentius being ouerthrowen ranne away alone and got him to Lions a citie of Fraunce three dayes iorney from the castell of Mursa Magnentius comming to Lions first of all he slewe his mother next his brother whome he had created Caesar last of all he became his owne murtherer This was done the sixt Consulship of Constantius the seconde of Constantius Gallus the fiftenth day of August Not long after Decenius an other brother of Magnentius hanged himselfe And although Magnentius the tyrant had such an ende yet the common wealth was not without great trouble tumults For immediatly there stept vp an other tyrant whose name
this also howe certaine trauelers in whose company Symeon was lefte behinde them a childe about midnighte a Lion came and tooke vp the childe on his backe and brought him to Symeons Monastery Symeon bad the seruaunts go forth and take in the childe which the Lion had caried thither He did many other notable actes which haue neede of an eloquente tongue leasure conuenient and a peculiar volume all which are well knowen and rife in euery mans mouth There resorted vnto him of all nations not only Romains but also Barbarians and obtayned there sutes This Symeon in steede of meate and drinke fedde vpon certaine bowes of shrubbes that grewe in the mountaine harde by him CAP. XXIII The death of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch SHortly after Gregorie Bishop of Antioch being sore pained with the gowte tooke a certaine medicen made of Hermodactylus for so was it called the which a certaine phisicion ministred vnto him and after the drinkinge thereof died immediatlye He departed this worlde when Gregorie the successor of Pelagius was Bishop of Olde Rome Iohn of Constantinople Eulogius of Alexandria Anastasius of Theopolis who after twenty and three yeares was restored vnto his Bishopricke and also when Iohn was Bishop of Ierusalem which died shortely after and as yet there is none chosen in his rowme Here doe I minde to cut of and make an end of wryting to wit the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Mauricius Tiberius Emperour of Rome leauing such things as followe after for them that are disposed to penne them for the posterity in time to come If I haue omitted ought through negligence or lightly runne ouer any matter let no man blame me therefore remēbringe with him selfe that I gathered and collected together a scattered and dispersed historie to the end I might profitt the reader for whose sake I tooke in hande so greate and so werysome a labour I haue finished an other worke comprisinge relations Epistles decrees orations disputations with sundry other matters The relations therein contayned are for the most parte in the person of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch For the which I was preferred vnto two honorable offices Tiberius Constantinus made me Quaestor Mauricius Tiberius preferred me to be maister of the Rolles where the Liuetenants and Magistrats were registred The relations I compiled duringe his raygne at what tyme he broughte Theodosius to lighte who was bothe vnto him and to the common weale a preamble or entrance to all kinde of felicity The ende of the sixt booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Euagrius Scholasticus THE LIVES THE ENDS AND THE MARTYRDOMES OF THE PROPHETES APOSTLES AND SEVENTYE DISCIPLES OF OVR SAVIOVR WRITTEN IN GREEKE by Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus aboue a thousand yeares agoe and nowe translated by M. H. Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers 1577. THE LIFE OF DOROTHEVS GATHERED by the Translator DOrotheus vvas a rare and singular man vvell seene in the Latine Greeke and Hebrevv tongues He flourished in the time of Diocletian Constantinus Magnus Constātius Iulian the Apostata Eusebius Pamphilus one that knevve him very vvell heard his gift of vtterance vvryteth thus of him Dorotheus minister of the Church of Antioch vvas a very eloquent and singular man He applied holye Scripture diligentlye he studied the Hebrevve tongue so that he reade vvith great skill the holy Scriptures in Hebrevve This man came of a noble race He vvas expert in the chiefe discipline of the Grecians by nature an Eunuche so disposed from his natiuitye For vvhich cause the Emperour for rarenesse thereof appropriated him placing and preferringe him to be magistrate in the citie of Tyrus and to ouersee the dieing of purple VVe heard him our selues expounding holy Scripture vvith greate commendation in the Church of God So farre Eusebius Antonius Demochares saith of him that he vvas exiled in the persecution vnder Diocletian and that he returned from banishment after the death of Diocletian and Licinius and recouered his Bishopricke againe vvhere he continevved vnto the raygne of Iulian about the yeare of our Lord 365. And because Iulian persecuted not the Christians openly him selfe but secretly by his gouernours and Magistrates Dorotheus vvas faine againe to flie vnto the city of Odissus vvhere as Petrus de Natalibus vvriteth the officers of Iulian apprehended him and tormented him to death for his testimony of Christ Iesus There he died and vvas crovvned Martyr being a hundred and seuen yere old An. Dom. 366. Of his vvorkes there is none extant saue this treatise contayning the liues and endes of the Prophetes Apostles and seuenty Disciples of our sauiour mentioned in the Gospell after Luke the vvhich he entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by translation a compendium or briefe tract THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE READER TOVTCHING DOROTHEVS AND THE LIVES HE WROTE OF BY this short treatise of DOROTHEVS Christian reader we may take occasion to beholde the prouidence of God ouer his Churche scattered farre and nigh ouer the face of the earth and to praise him therefore in so much that of his great care and entire loue the inheritors of the kingdome of heauen his chosen people the Sainctes of God whose names were written in the booke of life were neuer left desolate without guides and teachers Adam in Paradise hearde the voyce of God himself there followed him such as called vpō the name of God erected diuine worship and taught their posteritie the same namely Abel Seth Enos Cainan Malalael Iared Enoch Mathusalem Lamech and Noe whome Peter calleth the eight person after Seth the sonne of Adam and a preacher of righteousnes When as the olde worlde and the first age numbred from Adam to Noe I meane as many as liued in his time were drowned for the sinnes iniquities of the whole world yet saued he eight persons to reueale his will vnto all nations to vphold his Church to multiply and to encrease the world In the secōd age of the world after Noe there liued Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Phaleg Reu Saruch Nachor Thare Abraham vnto whom God rekoned faith as S. Paule saith for righteousnes In the third age of the world after Abraham liued Isaac Iacob otherwise called Israel with the twelue patriarchs Ruben Simeon Leui Iuda Zabulon Issachar Dan Gad Aser Nepthali Ioseph Beniamin Threescore and fiue yeares after the death of Ioseph Moses was borne He gouerned Israel he guided the people God gaue him three signes from heauen to confirme his doctrine to assure him of his vocation ▪ he receaued the ten cōmaundements the law of God in moūt Sina deliuered it vnto the people him succeeded Iosue after Iosue captains Iudges namely Othoniel Aod Debora Barach Gedeon Abimelech Thola Iair Iepthe Abesan AElon Abdon Samson Heli the priest Samuel the prophet iudged Israel After these came in the kings good bad Saule Dauid c. In the fourth age of the
the substance of the father God of God light of light very God of very God begotteÌ„ not made being of one substaÌ„ce with the father by whome all things were made both the things in heaueÌ„ the things in earth who for vs men for our saluation came downe was incarnate he was made man he suffred rose the third day he ascended into the heauens he shall come to iudge both the quicke the dead And we beleue in the holy Ghost Therefore they which say that there was a time when he was not before he was begotten or that he had his beginninge of nothinge or that he is of an other substaÌ„ce or esseÌ„ce or that affirme the sonne of God to be made or to be coÌ„uertible or mutable these the Catholicke Apostolicke church of God doth pronounce for accursed â–ª wheÌ„ they had prescribed this forme of faith we ceased not diligeÌ„tly to demaund of theÌ„ how they vnderstoode that senteÌ„ce To be of the substaÌ„ce of the father that to be of one substance with the father wherevpoÌ„ there rose obiectioÌ„s resolutioÌ„s so that the right seÌ„se of the foresayd senteÌ„ces was curiously sought out They sayd that to be Of one substaÌ„ce signified nothing else theÌ„ to be of the father yet not to be as a part of the father This seemed vnto vs very well to agree with the expositioÌ„ of that blessed doctrine which teacheth the sonne to be of the father yet not to be part of his substaÌ„ce VVherefore vve accorded vvith this sentence neither reiected vve the clause Of one substance because that peace vvas placed before our eyes as a marke to beholde and moreouer vve had speciall care not to fall from the faith In like maner vve approued Begotten not made For Made they counted a common vvorde vvith other creatures vvhich vvere made by the sonne that the sonne had nothinge in him vvhich resembled or vvas like vnto them and for that cause he vvas not a creature like vnto those vvhich vvere made by him but of a farr more excelleÌ„t substaÌ„ce theÌ„ any creature is framed the which holy scripture declareth to be begotteÌ„ of the father inasmuch as no mortall nature can either by vvord expresse or by thought comprehende or attaine vnto the maner of his generation In like sort also that clause The sonne to be of one substance with the father vvas sifted and allovved to be vnderstode after no corporall maner neither to haue any likelihoode vvith mortall liuing things neither to be by diuision of substance neither by section or parting asunder neither by mutation of the fathers essence and povver that the vnbegotten nature of the father vvas farre from al these thinges And that To be of one substance vvith the father signified no other thing then that the sonne of God vvas in nothing like the rest of the creatures but altogether like vnto the father alone vvhich begate him neither begotten of any oother then of the fathers substance and essence vnto the vvhich thinge thus sett forth right and reason required that vve should condescende For vve haue knowen for suertie diuers auncient bishops and vvriters of greate learning and renovvne to haue mentioned this clause Of one substance in setting forth of the diuinitie of the father and the sonne so farre of the faith published in the councell of Nice vvhervnto vve all condescended not rashly and vnaduisedly but according vnto the sentences sett forth in the presence of the most godly Emperour which were discussed by common assent approued for the causes afore alleadged And withall we thought good to ratifie the forme of curse published after the exposition of the faith because that it forbiddeth that no man do acquaint him selfe vvith forreyne speaches and vnwritten languages vvhereby in maner all confusion and discord is drawen and crept into the churche vvhen as the sacred scripture maketh mention no vvhere of any such sentences to vvete That the sonne of God had his beginning of nothing and that there vvas a time vvhen he vvas not And such like sentences it seemed not agreable vvith reason either in vvordes to talke of them or in deede to teache them Vnto vvhich notable decree vve haue subscribed although heretofore vve neuer accustomed neither acquainted our selues vvith such speaches These things vvelbeloued vve haue necessarily sent vnto you not onely to certifie you of the censure concluded of vs after our curious sifting and assent but also to let you vnderstande that while at the first the diuersitie of reports written vnto you offended vs not a little we persisted in one the same mind as it was most meete euen to the last houre But afterwards with small adoe we embraced without any disquietnes at all such things as were not offensiue when as we with tractable mind sought out the sense and vnderstanding of the words which vvere then in controuersie and found them altogether agreable vvith the thinges contayned in the forme of fayth published by vs our selfe These things did Eusebius Pamphilus sende in writing vnto Caesarea in Palaestina CAP. VI. The Epistle of the Synode contayning their decrees and the expulsion of Arius with his complices sundry epistles of Costantine the Emperour THe councell it selfe by generall consent wrote these things which followe vnto the churche of Alexandria and vnto the inhabitants of Aegypt Lybia and Pentapolis Vnto the holy through the grace of God and the renowmed church of Alexandria to the beloued brethren throughout Aegypt Lybia Pentapolis the bishops assembled at Nice and summoned to the greate and sacred senate sende greeting in the Lorde VVhen as by the grace of God and the commaundement of the moste vertuous Emperoure Constantine vvho gathered vs together from diuers cities and prouinces the greatâ— and sacred councell of Nice is summoned it seemed expedient that letters from the vvhole sacred assembly should be sent vnto you wherby you might be certified as vvell of the thiÌ„gs called into questioÌ„ and exquisitely decided as also of the canons therein coÌ„firmed First of all the things which did concerne the impious peruerse opinion of Arius his complices were fully handled in the presence of the most godly Emperour Constantine whervpon it pleased the councell by coÌ„mon consent of all to pronounce his wicked opinion to be helde for accursed and the execrable words and blasphemous sentences he vsed â—aying that the sonne of God had his beginning of nothing that there was a time vvhen he vvas not That the sonne of God vvas of free vvill inclined to vertue to vice that he was a creature and that he vvas made all vvhich the holy councell did accurse nay it may not be permitted that his impious opinion his insolent madnesse his blasphemous vvordes shoulde come within hearing Moreouer you haue heard or at leastvvise ye shall heare of vs toutchinge him and his ende lest that vve seeme rashly and vvithout cause to
inueÌ„ted such things to deface the true and catholicke faith When they had ended these lowde speaches the Councell brake vp The Emperour vnderstaÌ„ding of this coÌ„mauÌ„ded them forthwith to exile banishmeÌ„t determineth w t him selfe to summone a generall couÌ„cell to y â— end after citing of all the easterne bishops into the west contries he might if it were possible bring them all to embrace vnitie and concorde But after better aduisement taken with him selfe he sawe it was a very hard matter to compasse by reason of the farre contries and longe iourney and therefore he commaunded the Councell shoulde be deuided into two partes the bishops then present to assemble at Ariminum a citie of Italie the bishops of the East to meete at Nicomedia a ritie in Bithynia But his purpose tooke no prosperous successe for nere nother of y â— Councells agreed â–ª within them selues both was deuided into sundry factions For neither could the bishops which mett at AriminuÌ„ in Italy agree amonge them selues neyther the bishops of the East among them selues for they raysed a newe schisme at Seleucia a citie of Isauria but howe all this came to passe I will hereafter rehearse in processe of our discourse if that first I say somewhat of Eudoxius In the very same time Leontius â–ª who preferred Actius the hereticke to the degree of Deaconship hauing departed this lyfe Eudoxius bishop of Germanicia a citie of Syria then beyng at Rome thought it high time for him to returne into the East he dealeth doubly with the Emperour forlicence to depart with speede alleadginge for him selfe that the citie of Germanicia stoode in greate neede of his helpe and ghostly counsell The Emperour litle thinkinge what fetches he had in his heade gaue him his pasport He through the sute and furtherance of the Emperours chamberlaynes left his owne citie and crept through wyle and subtletie into the byshopricke of Antioche he endeuoureth to restore Actius agayne into the church and goeth about to summone a Councell of byshops and to make him Deacon agayne But his lewde dryft was longe in brynginge about because the hatred owed vnto Actius was of more force to repell him then the hartie good wyll and furtherance Eudoxius vsed to restore him but of this we neede no more wordes Of them which assembled at Ariminum the Easterne byshops not mentioninge the businesse aboute Athanasius signified that the cause of their comminge was to discourse of other matters Vrsacius and Valens who at the firste were Arians and afterwards exhibited a recantation vnto the byshop of Rome subscribing as I sayd before vnto the clause of One substance stoode them in great stead for these two continewally cleaued vnto the stronger and the surer side There came also to take their part Germanius Auxentius Demophilus Caius In the assembly of bishops then present when diuers men would haue diuers things enacted Vrsacius Vales affirmed y â— all formes of faith layd downe in times past were thenceforth to be caÌ„celled that y â— new forme of faith published a litle before at y â— councell of SirmiuÌ„ was to be coÌ„firmed When they had so sayd they gaue forth a shete of paper which they had in their haÌ„ds to be read The second creede written before at Sirmium suppressed there as I sayd before read also at AriminuÌ„ translated out of the Latine into y â— Greeke toÌ„gue was layd downe in these words This Catholick faith was published at SirmiuÌ„ in the presence of Costantius our liege lord Flauius Eusebius Hypatius renowmed consuls the eleuenth Kalends of Iune VVe beleue in one onely true God the father almightie creator and maker of all things in one onely begotten sonne of God who was before all worlds before all beginninges before all tymes that may be imagined and begotten of God the father vvithout any passion before all comprehensible knowledge by vvhome both the vvorld and all things were made one only begotten begotten of the father alone God of God like vnto the father which begatt him according vnto the scriptures vvhose generation no man hath knovven saue the father vvhich begatt him him vve knovve his onely begotten sonne to haue come dovvne from heauen at the fathers becke to banishe and vvype avvay synne to haue bene borne of the Virgine Marie to haue bene conuersant vvith the disciples to haue fulfilled according vnto his fathers will all his message to haue bene crucified to haue suffred died to haue descended into hell and there to haue disposed all things at whose sight the porters of hell gates trembled to haue risen againe the third day againe to haue accoÌ„panied with his disciples after 40. dates were expired to haue ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of the father and shall come againe at the last day with the glory of his father to reward euery one according vnto his workes And we beleue in the holy ghost whome the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ him selfe promised to send mankind the coÌ„forter as it is written I go vnto my father I will pray my father to send you an other comforter the spirite of trueth he shall take of myne and shall teache leade you in all things The word Substance being simply layd downe of the fathers vnknowen of the ignoraÌ„t people geuing vnto many great cause of offence insomuch it is not founde in holie scripture vve haue thought good to abandone it and henceforth speakinge of God to make no mention of the vvorde Substance because the sacred scriptures haue not once remembred the substance of the Sonne or of the holie ghost VVe say that the sonne is like the father in all things that because the word of God hath affirmed taught it vs. WheÌ„ these things were read such as were not pleased with the circumstances and contents therof rose vp and sayde We came not hither as though we wanted faith and beleese for we retayne that faith which we learned from the beginning but we are come to withstand nouelties if ought be practised preiudiciall vnto y â— same If those thiÌ„gs which you haue now read neither sauor neither rend to y â— establishing of noueltie accurse renounce the heresie of Arius in such wise as the old auncient canon of the church hath banished all hereticall blasphemous doctrine It is apparent vnto the whole world what tumults troubles the blaspemous opinioÌ„ of Arius hath raysed euen vnto this day in the church of God This offer was not accepted of Vrsacius Valens Germanius Auxentius Demophilus Caius thervpon the bond of vnitie retained in the church of God was broken asunder For these men cleaued vnto such things as the councell of AriminuÌ„ had decreed y â— other confirmed the canons of the Nicene Councell derided y â— contents of the creede y â— was read in their presence but specially Athanasius so y â—
his sonne and for his familiaritie with Pamphilus martyr he was called Eusebius Pamphilus So farre Ierome THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALESTINA The proëme of Eusebius to his Historye THE successions of the holy Apostles together vvith the tymes from our Sauiour vnto vs hither to continevved and those things vvhich are sayd to be done according vnto the Ecclesiasticall historye vvhat they are hovve greate and vvho decently haue gouerned the Churche specially in the most famous prouinces also vvho in all ages haue set forth the heauenly doctrine eyther by preaching or by vvriting and agayne vvhat men hovve many vvhen through desire of noueltye and error falling into extremityes haue published them selues Authors of knovvledge falsely so called cruelly rent a sunder as rauening vvolues the flocke of Christ moreouer vvhat euils forthvvith haue fallen vpon the vvholeâ—ation of the Ievves because of their conspiracye against our Sauiour and againe hovvmany by vvhat meanes and in vvhat times the vvorde hath bene of the Gentils striuen against and vvhat singuler men in all tymes haue passed and gone throughe bitter conflicts for his name sake euen by sheding of their bloode and suffring of torments and beside â–ª all this the martyrdomes done in our tyme together vvith the mercifull and comfortable ayde of our Sauiour tovvardes euery one louingly exhibited I determining to publishe in vvriting vvill not beginne of any other place my entraunce then of the first order in doinge or dispensation of our Sauiour and Lorde Iesus Christ â–ª but truely the circumstance it selfe euen in the beginning craueth pardon being greater then our strength can sustayne I confesse in deede that vvhich vve promise to be absolute and that vvhich vve professe to omitte nothing to be a thinge incomprehensible For vve first taking this argument in hande endeuoringe to treade a solitary and vntroden vvaye praying that God may be our guyde and the povver of our Lorde and Sauiour our present helper and ayder yet can vve no vvhere finde as much as the bare steppes of suche as haue passed the same path before vs hauinge onely smaâ—â— shevves and tokens vvherevvith diuers here and there in their seueral tymes haue lefte vnto vs particuler declarations as it vvere certaine sparcles vvhilest that they lift their voyces from farre and from aboue from vvhence as from an highe place and inuisible crying as out of a certayne vvatchtovver horne vvhat vvaye vve ought to goe and hovve to directe vvithout error and daunger the vvay and order of our talke vvhatsoeuer thinges therefore vve thinke profitable for this present argument choosing those thinges vvhich of them are here and there mentioned and as it vvere culling and gathering the commodious and fitt sentences of such as haue vvritten of olde as flovvres out of medovves bedecked vvith reason vve vvill endeuour in shevving the vvay of historye to compact the same as it vvere into one body being also desirous to retayne from obliuion the successions althoughe not of all yet of the most famous Apostles of 〈◊〉 Sauiour according vnto the Churches most notable and yet freshe had in memorye I suppose verily that I haue taken in hand an argument very necessary because that I haue fouâ—â— no vvhere any Ecclesiasticall â—…ter vvhich in this behalfe vnto this day hath imployed any parte of diligence I hope 〈◊〉 it vvilbe a very profitable vvorke for the studious thâ— is earnenestly sett to knovve the vtilitie of this historye And of these thinges heretofore vvhen that I compiled certayne Chronicall Canons I vvrote an Epitome but the more ample declaration thereof I thought good to reserue vntill this present â–ª and the beginning as I sayd vvill I take of the dispensation and diuinity of our Sauiour Christ higher and deeper to be considered then that vvhich concernes his humanity for it is requisite for him that comitteth to vvriting an Ecclesiastical historye thence to beginne euen from the chiefe dispensation of Christ deuiner then it seemeth to many in so much that of him vve are termed Christians T. V. CAP. I. A summarye recit all of thinges concerning the diuinitie and humanitie of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ BEcause therefore the consideration of the maner in Christ is two folde the one consisting as a head on the bodye by the which he is vnderstoode God the other to be pondered with paces by the which he hath put on man like vnto vs subiecte to passions for our saluations sake We shal make a right rehersal of those thinges which folowe if that first we begin the declaration of the whole history from them which are principal and most proper pillers of this doctrine In the meane space the auncientrie and dignitie of Christian Antiquitie shal against them be declared which suppose this religion newe straunge of late and neuer hearde of before but to declare the generation dignitie essence and nature of Christe no speache can sufficiently serue sithence that the holy Ghost in the prophets hath testified His generation vvho shal be able to declare for the father no man hath knovven but the sonne neither at any time hath any knovven the sonne vvorthely but the father alone vvhiche begate him This light going before the worlde and all worlde 's the intellectual and essentiall wisdome and the liuing worde of God being in the beginning with the father who but the father alone hath rightly knowen which is before euery creature and workemanship both of visible and inuisible thinges the first and only sonne of God chiefe captayne of the coelestiall rationall and immortall hoaste the Angel of the great counsel executour of the secrete will of the father maker and worker of all thynges together with y â— father whiche after the father is cause and auctor of all thinges the true and only begotten sonne of God Lorde md God and King of all thinges whiche are created receauing dominion and rule of the father hy the same diuinitie power and glorye for according to the mysticall diuinitie concerning him in the scripture In the beginning vvas the vvorde and the vvorde vvas vvith God and God vvas the vvorde â–ª the same vas in the beginning vvith God â–ª all thinges vvere made by it and vvithoutit vvas nothing made that vvas made The same doth Moses the most auncient of al the prophets testifie for describing by inspiration of the holy spirite the substance and disposition of the vniuersall worlde he sheweth the framer and workeman of all thinges God to haue graunted to Christ him selfe and none other that is his deuine and only begotten worde the framing of these inferior thinges For vnto him conferring about the creation of man God sayde sayth he let vs make man after our ovvne likenesse and similitude And with this saying agreeth an other prophet thus speaking of God in Hymnes and saying He spake and they vvere made he commaunded and they
giuen him but he receaued it not saying In somuch that vve haue forsaken our ovvne hovv can vve receaue other mens These things were done the three and forty yeare which being translated worde for worde out of the Syrian tongue we thought not amisse to printe in this place The censure of the Translator toutching the aforesayd Epistles BE it true or be it false that there were such epistles it forceth not greatly as the effect and contentes thereof is not to be preferred before all other writing in trueth so of the contrary it is not to be reiected for falshoode and forged stuffe Ierome with other graue writers affirmeth such circumstances to haue bene Eusebius whose creditt herein is not smale reporteth the same to haue bene taken out of their recordes in the city of Edessa regestred there in the Syrian tongue and by him translated out of the Syrian into the greeke tongue I sidorus and Gelasius the first of that name bishop of Rome about the yeare of our Lorde 494. together with 70. other Bishops decreed that the Churche of God should receaue the same epistles for no other then Apocrypha one thing I may not here runne ouerwith silence but admonishe the Reader of how that late writers namely Damascenus and that fabulous Historiographer Nicephorus haue added vnto this history fabulous reportes howe that Abgarus gouernour of Edessa sent his letter vnto Iesu and with all a certayne paynter which might vewe him well bring vnto him backe againe the lively picture of Iesu the which painter as they reporte being not able for the glorious brightnesse of his gracious countenance to bring his purpose to effect our Sauiour him selfe tooke an handkerchef and layde to his deuine and liuely face and by the wiping of his face his picture was therein impressed the which he sent to Abgarus Nicephorus patcheth other fables therunto first he sayth that the King of Persia sent a paynter vnto Iesu which brought vnto him the picture of Iesu and also of Mary his mother Agayne that the Edessaeans in the time of Iustinianus the Emperour being besieged and brought to such a narrowe straicte that there remayned no hope of deliuer ance but a present foyle and ouerthrowe in the same lamentable plight to haue runne vnto this picture for a refuge wher as they say they fouÌ„d preseÌ„t remedy beleue it who wil. Eusebius who searched their records who layde downe the copye of the Epistles who translated faythfully all that he founde there toutching Christ neyther sawe neyther heard of any such thing for he promised in the preface to his history to omitt nothing that shoulde seeme pertinent if the other writers founde it why did not Eusebius finde it if the other writers thought expedient to publishe the same why did Eusebius omitt it nay it was not there founde at al but forged therefore recount them for fables the first that reported them was a hundred yeares after Eusebius The ende of the first booke THE SECONDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. Of the ordayning of Disciples after the ascention of Christ IN the former booke as by way of proëme we haue published which necessaryly did concerne the Ecclesiastical history ioyntly contriuing the declaration of the diuinitie of the worde of saluation of the auncient principles of our doctrine of the antiquitie of Gospelike policy among Christians of his late appearing among men of his passion and election of the Apostles Now it remayneth that we vewe those things which ensued after his assumption so that partly we note them out of the sacred scriptures partly out of prophane historyes knitting to our historye those thinges which we haue firmely committed to memory First of al the Apostleship is allotted vnto Matthias in the rowme of Iudas the traytour which as it is manifest was one of the disciples of the Lorde there were also seuen approued men ordayned Deacons through prayer and laying on of the Apostles handes for the publique administration of the Churches affaires ioyned with Stephen which first after the Lorde as soone as he was ordayned as though he were appoynted for this purpose is stoned vnto death by them which slewe the Lord and for this cause as the first of the triumphing Martyrs of Christ according to his name he beareth a crowne After him folowed Iames called the brother of Christ and counted the sonne of Ioseph This Ioseph was thought to be the father of Christ to whome the virgin was betrothed vvhiche before they came together vvas founde to haue in her vvombe of the holy Ghost as the holy Gospell declareth This Iames whome of olde they priueledged for his vertue with the syrname of Iustus is sayd to be the first which occupied the bishoplike Seae at Ierusalem Clemens in the 6. of his hypotyposeon writeth thus Peter saith he and Iames and Ihon after the assumption of our Sauiour though they vvere preferred by the Lorde yet chalenged they not this prerogatiue vnto them selues but appoynted Iames the Iust Byshop of Ierusalem The same Clemens in the 7. of his Hypotyposeon also maketh mention of him thus the Lorde after his resurrection endued vvith knovvledge Iames the Iust Ihon Peter They deliuered the same vnto the rest of the Apostles the Apostles aftervvards vnto the 70. disciples of vvhich number vvas Barnabas There vvere tvvo Iameses the one termed Iust vvhich vvas throvvne dovvne hedlonâ— from the pinacle and brayned vvith a fullers clubbe * the other beheaded Of him that vvas â—…d Iust Paul made mention saying I savve none of the Apostles saue Iames the brother of the Lorde Those thinges which the Lorde promised the King of the Osroënians then were performed Thomas by diuine inspiration sent Thaddaeus vnto the city Edessa to be their preacher and an Euangelist of the doctrine of Christ as a litle before out of the recordes we haue alleaged But he after his comming and hauing cured Agbarus by the word of God astonished all them with his straunge miracles workes which he wrought brought them to the worshipping of the diuine power of Christ and ordayned disciples of the doctrine of our Sauiour From that time vnto this day the whole city of the Edessaeans addicted vnto the name of Christ shew forth no smale argument of the great goodnes of our Sauiour towardes them But these thinges be premised taken out of their auncient historicall recordes and now let vs returne vnto the sacred Scripture The first and the greatest persecution being raysed of the Ievves agaynst the Church at Ierusalem about the tyme of the martyrdome of Stephen and al the distiples the 12. onely excepted being dispersed throughout Iudaea Samaria certaine of them as the holy Scripture beareth witnesse came vnto Phaenices and Cyprus and Antioche but these as yet dated not to deliuer vnto the Gentiles the word of fayth but shewed it onely vnto the Ievves At that
brethren inhabiting Fraunce layde downe in writing their godly and Catholicke censure of them and withall alleadged sundry epistles of the holy Martyrs that suffered among them which being in close prison they had written vnto the brethren throughout Asia and Phrygia in the which also they called and prouoked Eleutherius then â–ª Bishop of Rome to the defence of the Ecclesiasticall peace CAP. IIII. The Martyrs in Fraunce commende Irenaus Bishop of Lions by their epistle vnto Eleutherius Bishop of Rome THe same Martyrs highly commended Irenaeus minister of the Church of Lions â–ª vnto the foresayd Bishop of Rome as their owne wordes declare in this manner Father â–ª Eleutherius vve vvishe you health in all thinges and alvvaies in God VVe haue requested Irenaeus our brother fellovv laborer to deliuer you these letters vvhome vve pray you to accept of â–ª as a zelous follovver of the vvill of Christ for if vve vnderstoode that any mans degree yelded forth and deliuered righteousnes vnto the graduate namely as being minister of the Church â–ª vvhich this man is vve vvoulde haue chiefly commended this in him To what ende shoulde I now out of the same epistle rehearse the catalogue of Martyrs I meane of them which were beheaded and of them which were deuoured of wilde beastes and of them which dyed in prison and the number of those confessors who then as yet liued for if any man be disposed at large to reade thereof let him take in hande my booke of Martyrs where the collection thereof is imprynted these thinges were after this manner in the tyme of Antoninus the Emperour CAP. V. How that God in great necessity sent rayne at the faithfull Christian souldiers prayers vnto the hoaste of Marcus Aurelius a Heathenish Emperour THe historyes doe recorde that when his brother Marcus Aurelius the Emperour warred against the Germans and Sarmatians his hoast in manner perished with thirste so that he wist not what to do and that the souldiers of the legion called Melitana moued againe againe with faithfulnes towards their Prince bowed downe vppon their bare knees as our accustomed manner of praying is in the middest of the army turning them to the enemyes and made supplication vnto God When as this sight seemed straung vnto the enemies there was shewed a farre more straung spectacle to wit lightening which put the enemies to flight ouerthrowe withall a showre of rayne to refreshe the armye which welnigh perishing with thirst powred out their prayers before the high throne of the maiestie of God This history is reported by such as fauored not the Christian fayth yet were careful to set forth the things which concerned the foresaid persons it is also written by our men but of the heathen Historiographers them selues the miracle is mentioned not expressly to proceede by the meanes of our men yet our writers as friendes and fauorers of the true doctrine haue deliuered simply and plainly the deede as it was done wherof Apollinarius is a witnes of creditt who reporteth that this legion by whose praiers this miracle came to passe was from y â— time forth called by y e Emperour in the Romayne tongue after a peculier name the Lightening legion Tertullian also a man worthy of good creditt dedicating an Apology in y â— Latine tongue vnto y â— Romayne Senate in the defence of our faith wherof we mentioned before hath confirmed this history w t a mightier more manifest proofe for he writeth y â— the most prudent epistles of Marcus are yet extant where he testifieth him selfe y â— warring w t the Germanes through the scarsitie of water his army welnigh perished but yet was saued through y e prayers of y e Christians he saith y t this Emperour threatned them w t death which went about to accuse them vnto the aforesaid thinges he addeth vvhat maner of lavves are these against vs impious vniust cruell vvhich neither Vespasian obserued although conquerour of the Ievves vvhich Traian partly frustrated commaunding the inquisition for the Christians to cease vvhich neither Adrianus although busying him selfe vvith euery matter nether he vvhich vvas called Pius confirmed but weye of this euery man as pleaseth him we will prosecute that which followeth in order of historye When Pothinus of the age of foure score and tenne yeares had ended this life together with the other Martyrs in Fraunce Irenaeus succeeded him in the Bishoprike of Lions whome we haue learned in his youthe to haue bene the auditor of Polycarpus this same Irenaeus in his thirde booke against the heresies annecteth the succession of the Romaine Bishops vnto Eleutherius whose tymes presently we prosecute and reciteth the cataloge of them as if it were his speciall drift writing in this manner CAP. VI. The cataloge of the Romayne Bishops out of Irenaeus THe blessed Apostles planting and buylding the Church committed vnto Linus the gouernment of the ministery â–ª This Linus Paul remembred in his epistle vnto Timothe â–ª him succeeded Anacletus after him Clemens the thirde from the Apostles vvhich both savve them had his conuersation vvith them and had both the preaching and tradition of the blessed Apostles graffed in his minde and paynted before his eyes neither vvas he yet alone for there liued at that time a great many vvhich vvere ordayned by the Apostles In the time of this Clemens there vvas raysed no small sedition among the brethren at Corinthe vvherfore the church of Rome vvrote vnto the Corinthians a vvorthy epistle reconciling them vnto peace and renevving their faith and tradition lately receaued of the Apostles A litle after he sayth After this Clemens succeeded Euarestus after Euarestus Alexander after Alexander Xystus he vvas the sixt from the Apostles aftervvards Telesphorus vvhich vvas gloriously crovvned vvith martyrdome him follovved Hyginus then Pius after him Anicetus vvhome Soter succeeded Novv Eleutherius vvas the tvvelfe Bishop from the Apostles after the same order the same doctrine tradition of the Apostles truely taught in the Church at this day continevved vnto our time CAP. VII How vnto that tyme miracles were wrought by the faythfull THese thinges Irenaeus agreeable vnto the historyes mentioned before hath layde downe in those fiue bookes which he wrote to the subuersion and confutation of the falsely named science agayne in the seconde booke of the same argument he signifyeth how that vnto his tyme signes and examples of the straunge and wonderfull power of God were seene florishing in certayne Churches saying they are farre from raysing of the deade as the Lorde and his Apostles did through prayer and as many of the brethren many times the vvhole Churche of some certayne place by reason of some vrgent cause vvith fasting and chaste prayer hath brought to passe that the spirite of the deade returned to the body and man vvas by the earnest prayers of the Sainctes restored to lyfe agayne A litle after he sayth But if they say
opportunitie or subtle shift to snare men in stirred vp againe straunge heresies to molest the Church and of those Heretickes some crept into Asia and Phrygia after the manner of venemous serpents whereof the Montanists bragge and boaste of Montanus as a comforter and of his women Priscilla and Maximilla as Prophetisses of Montanus others some preuayled at Rome whose captayne was Florinus a Priest excommunicated out of the Churche and together with him one Blastus subiect to the same daunger of soule both these haue subtly circumuented many and perswaded them to their purpose euery one seuerally establishing newe doctrine yet all contrary to the trueth CAP. XIIII The censure of the olde writers toutching Montanus and his false prophetes THe victorious and inuincible power of the trueth alwayes preuailing hath raysed vp Apollinarius of Hierapolis of whome we spake before as a stiffe and strong defence together with many other discreate persons of those tymes to the confutation of the foresayd Phrygian heresie whiche haue left behinde them matter sufficient and very copious for this our historye Wherefore one of them taking penne in hande to paynte out these heretickes signifieth at the entrance how he rebuked them with vnwritten elenches he beginneth thus It is novv a great vvhile agoe vvelbeloued Auircus Marcellus since thou diddest enioyne me this taske ▪ that I should publish some booke against the follovvers of the hereticke Miltiades vvherupon I doubted vnto this day vvhat vvas best to be done not but that I vvas able to confute their falsehoode and geue testimony vnto the trueth but that I feared greatly lest by vvriting I shoulde adde something vnto the perfect vvordes of the nevv testament vvhereto nothing may be added and vvherefro nothing may be taken avvay by him that vvill leade a life agreeable to the Gospell I being of late at Ancyra in Galatia founde the Churche throughout Pontus filled not vvith Prophets as they call them but rather as it shall be proued vvith false Prophets vvhere through the Lorde as much as in me laye I disputed in the Churche the space of many dayes against them and their seuerall obiections so that the Churche reioysed and vvas thereby confirmed in the trueth but the contrary parte yet repyned and the gaynesayers vvere very sorovvefull and vvhen the Elders of that place required of me in the presence of our fellovve minister Zoticus Otrenus that I vvould leaue them in vvriting some commentary of such things as vvere vttered against the aduersaries of the trueth At that time I did not but promised that I vvoulde shortly through the helpe of the Lorde vvrite somevvhat therof vnto them these and the like thinges layd downe in the proeme in processe of his booke he writeth thus VVherefore the originall of them and their nevve founde opinion against the Churche of God vvas after this sorte there is a certaine village in Mysia a region of Phrygia called Ardabau vvhere histories recorde that first of all one Montanus a late conuerte in the time of Gratus Proconsul of Asia pufte vp vvith an immoderate desire of primacy opened a gappe for the aduersary to enter into him and being madde and sodainly estraunged and berefte of his vvitts vvaxed furious and published straunge doctrine contrary to the tradition and custome and auncient succession novv receaued vnder the name of prophecy they vvhich then vvere auditors of this vnlavvfull preaching some chasticed checked him for a lunaticke one that vvas possessed of the spirite of error forbad him to preach being mindful of the forevvarning threatning of our Sauiour tending to this ende that vve shoulde take diligent heede of false prophets others some vvaxed insolent boasted bragged of him not a litle as if he vvere endued vvith the holy Ghost the gift of prophecye being forgtefull of the forevvarning of God they called vpon the dissembling the flattering and seducing spirite of the people by the vvhich they vvere snared deceaued that through silēce he should no more be hindred the deuil through a certain arte or rather the like subtle methode vvorking the destruction of disobedient persons being more honored thē his merit did require stirred vp kindled their mindes svvarued already from the faith slumbring in sinne so that he raised tvvo vvomen possessed of a foule spirit vvhich spake fonde foolish fanaticall thinges euen as he had before they reioyced gloried in the spirite vvhich pronounced them happy and puffed them vp vvith infinite faire promises yet sometimes by signes and tokens he rebuked them to their faces so that he seemed a chasticing spirite there vvere fevve of the Phrygians seduced notvvithstanding that boulde and blinde spirite instructed them to blaspheme and reuile generally euery Church vnder heauen because they neyther did homage neyther curteously receaued amonge them that false spirite of prophecye the faithfull throughout Asia for this cause men often and in many places examined the nevve founde doctrine pronounced it for prophane ▪ they excommunicated reiected and banished this hereticall opinion out of their churches When he had written these thinges in the beginning and throughout his first booke reprehended their error in his seconde booke he writeth thus of their endes because they charge vs with the deathe of the Prophets for that vve receaue not their disordered fantasies these saye they are the Prophets vvhiche the Lorde promysed to sende his people let them aunsvvere me I charge them in the name of the liuing God ôye good people is there any one of the secte of Montanus and these vvomen vvhich hath bene persecuted by the Ievves or put to deathe by any tyrant not one of them bearing this name vvas eyther apprehended or crucyfied neyther vvas there any vvoman of them in the Synagogues of the Ievves eyther scurged or stoned at all but Montanus and Maximilla are sayde to dye an other kinde of deathe many doe vvrite that both these throughe the motion of their madde spirit not together at one tyme but at seuerall tymes hanged them selues and so ended their lyues after the manner of Indas the traytour euen as the common reporte goeth of Theodotus that iolly fellovve the first founder of their prophecye vvho being frenticke persvvaded him selfe on a certayne tyme through the spirit of error to take his flight vp into the heauens and so being caste into the ayre tombled dovvne and dyed miserably thus it is reported to haue come to passe yet in so muche vve savve it not vvith our eyes vve can not Ovvorthy Syr alleadge it for certayne vvhether Montanus Theodotus and the vvoman dyed thus orno Agayne he writeth in the same booke howe that the holy Bishops going about to rebuke the spirite which spake in Maximilla were hindered by others that wrought with the same spirite sayinge as followeth let not the spirite of Maximilla saye as it is in the Epistle to Asterius Vrbanus I am chaced as a
their saynges and vvhat he hearde out of theyr mouthes toutching the Lord of his povver and doctrine recitinge preceptes and all thinges consonante to holy Scripture out of theyr mouthes I say vvho themselues had seene vvith their eyes the vvorde of life in the flesh these thinges at that time through the mercy of God vvhich vvrought in me I diligently marked and paynted it not in papyr but printed it in my harte vvhich continually throughe the grace of God I ponder and meditate And I am able to testifie before God that if that holy and Apostolicke elder had hearde any such thinge he vvoulde haue straight reclaimed and stopped his eares and after his maner pronounced good God into vvvhat times hast thou reserued me that I shoulde suffer such thinges yea and vvoulde haue straight shunned the place vvhere he sitting or standing had hearde such speaches to bee shorte this may be reported for true out of the epistles vvhich he vvrote to the confirmation of the borderinge Churches or out of the Epistles vvhich he vvrote to certaine brethrē for admonition and exhortation sake thus farre Irenaeus CAP. XIX The Church enioyeth peace vnder Commodus the Martyrdome of Apollonius a Christian Philosopher THe same yeare vnder Comodus the Emperoure the rage of the Gentiles was mitigated towardes vs so that peace was graunted through the grace of God vnto the vniuersall Churche through out the worlde When as the heauenly doctrine leade the mindes of all mortall men to the embracinge of the true Religion of the onely and vniuersall God so that many of the nobles of Rome brewe neare to their soules health and saluation together with their whole houses and families It was a thinge altogether intollerable for the deuell whose nature is altogether enuious and spitefull therefore he taketh vs in hande againe and inuenteth diuerse snares to entrape vs in he procureth at Rome Apollonius a man amonge the faythfull of that time for learninge and philosophie very famous to be brought forth before the tribunall seate raising his accuser among them that were fitt ministers for so malicious a purpose But the vnhappie man came out of season to receaue the sentence of iudgement because it was decreed by the Emperoure that the accusers of the Christians shoulde dye the death Perennius the Iudge forthwyth gaue sentence agaynste him that his legges shoulde be broken Then the beloued Martyre when the iudge had earnestly and with many wordes entreated him to render an accompte of his fayth before the noble senate he exhibited in the presence of them all a notable Apollogie of his fayth in the whiche he suffred martyrdome Yet neuerthelesse by decree of the senate he was beheaded and so ended this life For the auncient decre was of force and preuayled amonge theym that the Christians whiche were once presented before the tribunall seate and not reuoked their opinions shoulde no more be sette at libertie Wherefore the wordes of Apollonius whiche he answered to Perenius standyng at the barre and his whole Apollogie offered to the senate who lysteth to knowe lette him reade our booke of Martyrs CAP. XX. Of the succession of Byshopes in the moste famous churches IN the tenthe yeare of the raygne of Comodus when Eleutherius had gouerned the bishopricke of Rome thertene yeares Victor succeded him at what tyme also Iulianus after he had continewed tenne yeares in the bishopes seae of Alexandria dyed and Demetrius came in place at what tyme likewise Serapion mentioned a little before was knowen to be the eyght Bishope of Antioche after the Apostles Then was Theophilus bishope of Caesarea in Palestina and Narcissus before remembred bishope of Ierusalem and Banchillus bishope of Corinthe in Hellada Polycrates bishope of Ephesus and an infinite number more as it is verye likelie besydes these excelled at that tyme. but we rehearse theim by name and that iustlye by whose meanes and writinges the catholicke fayth hath bene continewed vnto our tyme. CAP. XXI Of the controuersie about the kepinge of Easter daye AT the same time there rose no small contention because that all the churches throughoute Asia of an aunciente tradition thought good to obserue the highe feaste of Easter in the foreteenthe moone on whiche daye the Ievves were commaunded to offer their Pascall Lambe as muche to saye as vpon what daye soeuer in the weeke that moone fell the fastinge dayes finished and ended when as the other churches throughout the worlde accustomed not to celebrate Easter after this manner but obserued the Apostolicke tradition and custome as yet retayned to wete the fastinge dayes on no other daye to be broken vp afore the daye wherein our Sauiour rose from death to lyfe Wherefore synodes and meetinges of Byshopes were summoned where all with one accorde ordained an ecclestasticall decree whiche they published by their epistles vnto all churches That vpon no other then the sondaye the mysterie of our sauiours resurrection shoulde be celebrated And that one that daye and no other the fasting vsed before Easter shoulde haue an ende Theire epistle is at this daye extant who at that tyme for this cause assembled together in Palaestina whereof Theophilus bishope of Caesarea and Narcissus bishope of Ierusalem were chiefe At Rome likewise there was a synode gathered together for the same cause the whiche Victor their bishope published Agayne there was an other of bishopes at Pontus where Palmas as the moste auncient did gouerne An other of bishops throughout Fraunce whiche Irenaeus did ouersee to be shorte an other of the bishopes throughout Ostroëna and the cities therein contained and speciallye of Banchillus bishope of Corinth with many others al which with one and the same sentence and iudgement ordained the same decree and their vniforme assent was thus made manifest vnto the worlde CAP. XXII By the reporte of Polycrates the churches in Asia celebrated Easter the fouretenthe moone POlycrates moderated the bishops throughout Asia whiche affirmed that their aunciente custome deliuered them of olde was to be retayned This Polycrates in his epistle vnto the churche of Rome sheweth the custome of Asia obserued vnto his tyme in these wordes VVe celebrate the vnuiolated daye of Easter neither addinge anye thinge thereto neither takinge oughte therefro for notable pillers of Christian religion haue rested in Asia vvhiche shall rise at the laste daie vvhen the Lorde shall come from heauen vvith glorie and restore all the sainctes to ioye Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles novve lienge at Hierapolis his tvvo daughters vvho kept them selues virgins all the dayes of their liues the third also after the ende of hir holie conuersation rested at Ephesus Againe Iohn vvho laye on the Lordes breast being a Priest vvore the priestlie attire both a Martyr and a Doctor slept at Ephesus Moreouer Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and a Martyr Thraseas an Eumenian both a Bishop a Martyr slept at Smyrna VVhat shal I speake of Sagaris
hath Porphyrius written in his third-booke agaynst the Christians truely reporting of this mans exercises and sundry kindes of knowledge but vntruely in that he sayde he should degenerate from the Gentiles For how can he pronounce the trueth when as he practiseth to write againste the Christians he sayeth that Ammonius from leading a good and a godly lyfe fell into heathenish idolatrie for the doctrine of Christ the which Origen receaued of his forefathers the same he retayned as we haue largely declared before And Ammonius also contrary to his reporte kept styll and retayned the sounde and vncorrupted philosophie of God euen vnto his laste ende as his commentaryes at this daye beare recorde whiche he lefte behinde him namely that famous worke entituled The agreement of Moses and Iesu and other tractes whatsoeuer other men haue founde written These thyngs are layde downe to the coÌ„mendation of Origen agaynst the sclaunderous mouthe of that despitefull man and of the greate skyll of Origen in the Grecians discipline and doctrine Toutchinge the whiche when he was reprehended of soâ—e for his studye therein he defended him selfe in a certaine epistle writinge after this manner CAP. XIX Howe Origen defended him selfe againste such as reprehended him for studying Philosophie Of his voyage into Arabia and Palaestina WHen that I studyed for the increase of knovvledge and that a rumor or fame vvas spredde abrode of the perfection of my learninge and doctrine heretickes and speciallie such as vvere profounde in philosophie and in the doctrine of the Gentils resorted vnto me vvherefore I thought good to searche out the selfe opinions of heretickes and vvhat soeuer myght be sayde out of philosophie for the confirmation of the trueth This haue I done firste of all after the example of Pantaenus vvho profited a greate manye before my tyme and had singular skyll and knovvledge therein secondly after the example of Heraclas novve a minister of the churche of Alexandria vvhome I founde vvith a professor of philosophie vvhiche vvas his mayster fyue yeares before I applyed my minde to the studie of theyr sciences VVho also in tymes paste vsed the common and vsuall attyre novve layinge that asyde he tooke the philosophers habite the vvhiche he retayneth as yet and ceaseth not vnto this daye vvith earnest labour industrie to reade ouer the philosophers bookes These thinges hath he written to the clearinge of him selfe for his studie in prophane writers When as at that tyme he continewed at Alexandria there came a certayne souldier from the gouernour of Arabia with letters vnto Demetrius Byshope of that seae and vnto him who then was Liuetenante of Aegypte requestinge them with all speede to sende Origen vnto him whiche myght communicate vnto him some parte of his doctrine Origen then beynge sente of them taketh his voyage into Arabia Not longe after when he had accomplished the cause of his iourney he returned into Alexandria In the meane whyle there was raysed such a sedition in the cytie and the warres were so hotte that there was no beynge for him there he lefte Alexandria and foreseeynge that he coulde be safe no where in all Aegypt he went into Palaestina and remayned at Caesarea where he was intreated by the byshopes of that prouince to dispute in the open churche and to expounde holie scripture beynge as yet not called to the ministerie Whiche thinge may euidently appeare by that whiche Alexander bishope of Ierusalem and Theoctistus bishope of Caesarea wrote in defence of the facte vnto Demetrius concerninge him after this manner he layde this downe in his letters that there was neuer suche practise hearde of that there coulde no where the like president be founde that laye men in presence of bishops haue taught in the churche VVe knovve not for vvhat cause he reporteth a manifest vntrueth vvheÌ„ as there may be found such as in opeÌ„ assemblies haue taught the people yea vvhen as there vvere present learned men that coulde profite the people and moreouer holie byshops at that tyme also exhortinge them to preache For example sake at Laranda Euelpis vvas requested of Neon at Iconium Paulinus vvas requested by Cellus at Synada Theodorus vvas requested by Atticus vvho vvere godly brethren It is like also that this vvas practised in other places though vnknovven to vs. Thus was Origen honored beynge a yonge man not onely of his acquaintance but of byshops that were straungers vnto him Afterwardes when Demetrius had called him whome by his letters and diuers Deacons of the churche had earnestly solicited his returne he taketh his voyage agayne into Alexandria and there diligently applyeth his accustomed maner of teachinge CAP. XX. Of the famous writers in Origens tyme and how the Emperours mother sent for him THere florished at that tyme many other learned and profounde ecclesiasticall persons whose epistles writing from one to an other are at this daye to be seene and found reserued in the librarie buylded at Jerusalem by Alexander who was bishope there at that tyme. from whence we haue compiled together the substance of this our present historie of this number Beryllus besides his epistles and commentariesâ— hath lefte vnto the posteritie sundrye monumentes of his sounde fayth for he was bishope of Bostra in Arabia Likewise Hippolytus bishope of an other place There came also into our handes the disputation of Gaius a notable learned man had at Rome in the tyme of Zephyrinus agaynste Proclus a patrone of the Phrygian heresâ—e â–ª in the which to the confutation of the temeritie and bolde enterprise of the contrarye parte in alleaginge of newe founde scriptures he maketh mention of therteene epistles of Sainct Paul not naming the epistle vnto the Hebrevves in the number For neither as yet of diuerse Romaines is that epistle thoughte to be Pauls When Antoninus had bene Emperour seuen yeares and sixe moneths Macrinus succeeded him in the empire And after that this Macrinus had departed this lyfe in the firste yeare of his raygne an other Antoninus tooke the imperiall scepter to rule ouer the Romaines in the first yeare of whose coronation Zephyrinus bishop of Rome dyed wheÌ„ he had gouerned the ecclesiasticall seae the space of eyghteene yeares whome Calâ—stus succeeded who continewing the space of fyue yeares lefte the churche to Vrbanus Agayne after that Antoninus had bene Emperour foure yeares full he dyed in whose rowme Alexander immediately folowed at what tyme Philetus succeeded Asclepiades in the churche of Antioche Then Mamâ—â— the Emperours mother a woman if there was then any suche in the worlde very godly and religious when the fame of Origen was spredde farre and nyghe enen vnto hir eares thought hir selfe a happie woman if she myght see him and â—eare his wisedome in holye scripture whiche all men wondered at Wherefore remayning at Antioche she sent of hir garde for him who also came and after that he had continewed there a while and published many thinges to
vvithin them selues they nodded vvith their countenance beckened vvith their handes exhorting them to constancy vvith all signes and iestures of the body the vvhich vvhen the multitude in compasse had perceaued before that any layd handes on them preuenting their doinges they steppe forth before the barre and proclayme them selues to be Christians so that the President and his assistantes vvere amazed and the Christians vpon vvhome the sentence had paste 〈…〉 thereby boldened to suffer and the iudges maruelously afraide those departed from the tribunall seate very cherefull reioycing in the testimony of their faith God gloriously triumphing in them CAP. XLI Of Ischyrion the martyr with others â–ª of receauing after repent as fell in persecution MAny others sayth Dionysius throughout the â—itâ—es and villages vvere quartered and dis membred by the Ethnâ—ckes vvhereof one for examples sake I vvill reliâ—â—â—sâ— â–ª Ischyrion being a noble mans hyred seruant by office his stâ—vvarde vvas commaunded by his maister to doe sacrifice he obeyed not vvherefore he vvas reuiled all to nought The heathen maister seing his christiaÌ„ seruant so constaÌ„t persisting in his former opinion taketh a great cudgill in his hande and beates his body and bovvels till breath departed death had ended the combatt vvhat shall I say of the multitude of them vvhich vvander in the desert vvast mountaines consumed vvith famine and hunger colde and diseases spoyled by theeues deuoured of beastes vvhose blessednes and victories they that remayne aliue are able to testisie Of these also I vvill alleage one for example There vvas one Chaeremon a very olde man byshop of Nilus vvho together vvith his vvife â—â—eâ—d vnto the vvaste mountaynes of Arabia he returned vvhome no more his company coulde neuer aftervvardes be seene And for all that they vvere often times sought out of the brâ—thren yet colde neither they nor their carâ—ases euer be found Many also in these deserts of Arabia vvere taken captiues of the barbarous Saracens vvhereof some vvere hardly for great sommeâ— of money ransomed some not as yet no neuer vnto this day appeared And these thinges brother I vvrite not in vaine but that thou mayest vnderstand vvhat hovv great euels and mischiess haue happened amongest vs vvherof they knovv more vvhich among al others haue â—elt most And after a fewe lines againe he wryteth thus The Martyrs theÌ„selues vvhich liued amongest vs novve associates vvith Christ coheres of his kingdome partakers of his iudgement in that they shall iudge together vvith him haue receaued agayne certayne of the bretherne vvhich svvarued frome the fayth and fell to offer sacrifice vnto Idols beholdinge their conuersionâ— â–ª and repentance knovvinge for surety that they vvere to be receaued In somuche as God vvill not the death of a sinner they embraced them they retayned them and made them partakers of their prayers and trade of life but vvhat doe ye aduise vs my brethren concerninge such VVhat haue vve to doe in this case Shall vve be one and the same vvith them Shall vveretaine theyr sentence and fauour And shall vve tender such as they haue pitied Or shall vve reiecte theire censure and sâ—â—tin iudgement vpon theyr sentence Shall vve doe iniurie vnto pitie Shall vve destroye order Shall vve prouoke God agaynst vs These things to good purpose hath Dionysius mentioned toutching them which fell in tyme of persecuton CAP. XLII Of receauing agayne such as fell The testimony of Cornelius byshop of Rome The heresie of Nouatus and his impietie A synode helde at Rome for the condemning of his heresie NOuatus a priest of Rome puffed vp with pride against suche as fell in time of persecution through infirmitie of the fleshe as though there were no hope of saluation lefte for them yea if they accomplished all that appertained vnto true conuersion and right confession of the fayth became him selfe the author ryngleader of his owne heretical sect to wete Of such as through their svvelling pride do call themselues puriâ—â—nes Wherefore there was a synode gathered together at Rome of threescore hyshops besides many ministers and deacons Againe there mett seuerally many pastors of other prouinces determining what was to be done in this case where by vniforme consente of all it was decreed that Nouatus together with such as swelled consented vnto this vnnaturall opinion repugnant to brotherly loue should be excoÌ„municated and banished the church and that the brethern fallen through the infirâ—nitie of y â— flesh in the troblesome times of persecution should be receaued after that the salue of repentance and medecine of consession were applied vnto their maladies Thâ—re came to our hands the Epistles of Cornelius byshop of Rome wrytten vnto Fabius bishop of Antioch toutchinge that synode held at Rome shewinge therein what was decreed by all the byshops of â—talye and Aphricke and of other prouinces Againe other epistles of Cyprian in the Romaine tongue with the subscription of diuerse other byshops wherein they shewed their consent in this behalfe that such as shrinked were to be vpholden and cured and that accordinge vnto iustice the author of this heresâ—e together with his adherentes was to be banished the Catholicke Church â–ª vnto these there was annexed an other Epistle of Cornelius of the Synods decrees Againe an other of the cause that moued Nouatus thus to fal from the Church whereof it will not be amisse here to alleage some part that the reader may vnderstande what manner of man he was â–ª and to the ende he woulde certifie Fabius of Nouatus his disposition Cornelius wryteth thus I geue thee to vnderstand that this â—olly Nouatus longed of olde after a byshopâ—â—ke and to th ende he might conceale this his piâ—â—â—sh desire vsed this cloke of arrogancye but first I vvill declare hovve he linked to his side certaine confessors Maximus one of our ministers Vrbanus vvho by confessinge of theyr fayth procured vnto them selues tvvise a notable name and estimation amonge vs againe Sidonius and Celerinus vvho through the goodnes of God endured constantly all kinde of tormentes confirminge the vveakenesse of the flesh through the strength of his faith and valiantly ouercame the aduersary these men vvhen they had considered better of him and perceaued his guile and inconstancye his periurie and falsehood his inhumanitie and suspicious head returned vnto the holy Church reuealed and detected vnto many byshops and elders and laye people vvhich then vvere present all his sleyghtes and deuelishe subtletyes the vvhich of long time they had concealed vveepinge and vvaylinge that they had beleeued this deceatefull and malicious monster and that they had forsaken the Church yea although it vvas but a little vvhile Againe after a fewe lines in the same epistle he sayth VVe haue seene in him vvelbeloued brother a vvonderfull alteration and suddaine chainge in a shorte space This good man vvhâ— he had protested vvith certaine dreadfull othâ—s that he neuer coueted any
spoken he vvas speachelesse agayne The boye ranne vnto the Priest it vvas night the Priest vvas sicke and could not come vvith him And because I gaue commaundement sayth Dionysius that such as vvere aboute to dye if humbly they requested shoulde be admitted to the ende they being strengthened in faith might departe in peace he deliuered vnto the boy a litle of the Eucharist commaunded him to crimble or soke it and so droppe it by a litle a little into the olde mans mouth the boy returneth and bringes vvith him the Eucharist vvhen he vvas hard by before he came in Serapion sayd comest thou my sonne the priest caÌ„not come vvhy then dispatch thou that vvhich he commaunded thee to doe and lett me departe the boy immixed or loked the eucharist and vvith all lett it by droppe meale into the old mans mouth vvhereof vvhen he had tasted a litle forth vvith gaue vp the Ghost â–ª is it not manifest that this olde man vvas so longe helde backe vntill he vvere absolued and loosed from the linke of sinne by confessing in the presence of many the fault he had committed Thus farre Dionysius CAP. XLIIII The epistle of Dionysius byshop of Alexandria vnto Nouatus NOwe let vs see what he wrote vnto Nouatus who at that time molested the Churche of Rome Because that he pretended the cause of his fall and the occasion why he embraced that Apostasie and schisme to rise through the perswasion of certaine brethren as if he were thereunto compelled by them Marke howe he wryteth vnto him Dionysius vnto the brother Nouatus sendeth greeting If thou vvast constrayned against thy vvill as thou sayest thou vvilt declare the same if thou returne vvillingly â–ª thou shouldest haue suffred anything rather then to rent a sunder the church of God neither is this martyrdome vvhich is suffred for not seueringe and deuidinge the Church of lesse glorie then that vvhich is tollerated for denyall of sacrifice vnto deuels â–ª yea in my iudgement it is offarre greater glorye For in the one martyrdom is suffred for one soule in the other for the vniuersall church but if thou ether persvvad the brethren or constraine them to returne to vnitie this notable fact vvilbe farre greater then the fault that vvent before the one vvill not be imputed the other vvilbe comended If thou canst not persvvade the rebellious and disobedient saue at leaste vvise thine ovvne soule I desire thy health in the Lord and thy embracing of peace vnitie Thus he wrote to Nouatus CAP. XLV The catalogue of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epistles concerning repentance HE wrote an Epistle of repentance vnto the bretherne throughout Aegypt where he layeth downe his censure of such as fell and describeth meanes to correct vices of the same matter there is extant an epistle of his vnto Conon byshop of Hermopolis and an exhortation vnto his flocke of Alexandria among these there is an other wryten vnto Origen of martyrdome likewise he wrote of repentance vnto the brethern of Laodicea whose byshop was Thelymidres to the bretherne throughout Armenia whose byshop was Meruzanes Moreouer he wrote vnto Cornelius byshop of Rome approuinge his epistle against Nouatus where he reporteth that he was called of Elenus byshop of Tarsus in Cilicia and other his companions Firmilianus byshop of Cappadocia and Theoctistus byshop of Palaestina to meete them at the synode held at Antioch where diuerse went about to establish the schisme of Nouatus he addeth besides howe he signified Fabius there to haue deseased and Demetrianus to haue succeded him byshop of Antioch He wrot of the byshop of Ierusalem these wordes The renovvmed Alexander dyed in pryson There is extaÌ„t an other epistle of Dionysius vnto the Romayns deliuered by Hippolytus againe he wrote an other of peace and repentance an other vnto the confessors which cleaued vnto the opinion of Nouatus Againe other two epistles vnto such as were conuerted vnto the churche and to many others he wrote very profitable tractes for the studious readers to peruse The ende of the sixt booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The wickednesse of Decius and Gallus the Emperours the death of Origen NOwe takinge in hande the seuenth booke of the ecclesiasticall historye the great Dionysius byshop of Alexandria who partely by his commentaries and partely by his Epistles described all the seuerall actes of his time shall stande vs in good steede Here hence will I beginne this present booke â–ª when Decius had not raygned full two years he was slayne together with his sonnes whome Gallus succeeded at what time Origen of the age of threscore nine yeares departed this life but of the foresayd Gallus Dionysius wrote vnto Hermammon in this manner Neyther did Gallus perceaue the implety of Decius neyther did he foresee what seduced him but stumbled at the same stone which laye right before his eyes who when the emperiall scepter prosperously befell vnto him and his affayrs went luckely forvvardes chaced awaye the holy men which prayed for peace and his prosperous estate and so he banished together vvith them the prayers continually powred vnto God for him And this much of him The translator vnto the reader IN so much that Ensebius throughout his sixt booke almost in euery chapiter hath wrytten at large of the famous clarke and greate doctor of Alexandria by name Origen and nowe also in the beginninge of his seuenth booke reporteth of his ende and that in fewe wordes I thought good for the readers sake for the more absolute and perfect deliuer aâ—â—â— of the story and for the further knowledge of his ende to annexe here vnto a worthie history out of Suydas a greeke writer who liued about a thousande years agoe toutching the thinges which happened vnto Origen a litle before his death his wordes are these The life of Origen out of Suydas Origen is sayd to haue suffred much afliction for Christs sake being famous eloquent and trayned in the Church euen from his youth vp but through enuy he was brought before the rulers magistrats through the despitefull subtlely crafty â—nuâ—tion of Satan he was brought into great sclaunder blemish of infamy A man they say the authors of iniquitie deuised to vvorke the feat as much to saye they prepared an Aethiopian or foule blacke moore beastly for to abuse his body but he not able to avvaye neyther vvillinge to here so horrible an Acte brake out into lovvd speach and exclaymed at both the thinges vvhich vvere giuen him in choyce rather then the one that he vvoulde doe the other in the end he consented to sacrifice vvherefore vvheÌ„ they had put frâ—kensence in his hand they threwe it into the fire vpoÌ„ the altar by this meanes he was by the iudges put froÌ„ martyrdome also banished the church wheÌ„ he had thus done he was so ashamed that
the blessed Martyrs not vvithout great daunger And yet vnto this day the President ceaseth not cruelly to slay some that are brought forth to teare in pecces other some with torments to consume other with emprisonment fetters commaunding that none come nigh them enquiring daily if any such men be attainted For all that God refresheth the afflicted with cheerefulnes frequenting of brethren These thinges hath Dionysius writteÌ„ in y â— aforesaid epistle yet haue we to vnderstand y â— this Eusebius whom he calleth a deacon was in a while after chosen bishop of Laodicea in Syria Maximus whom he calleth a minister succeded Dionysius in y â— bishops sea of Alexandria Faustus who theÌ„ endured coÌ„fessâ—oÌ„ w t him was reserued vnto the persecution of our time â–ª a very 〈…〉 hauing liued many dayes at length among vs was beheaded and â—cowned a martyrsiâ—â—â— were the thinges which happened vnto Dionysius in those dayes CAP. XI Of the Martyrs in Caesarea AT Caesarea in Palaestina in the persecution vnder Valerianus there were three famous men for their sayth in Christ Iesu deliuered to be deuoured of wilde beastes and bewtified with diuine martyrdome whereof the first was called Prisonâ— the seconde â–ª Malchus the thirde Alexander â–ª the reporte goeth firste of all that these men leading an obscure and contrey life blaâ—â—d them selues for negligence and â—touthfulnes because they stroue not for the crowne of martyrdome but despised those maisteries which that present time distributed to such as couered after celestiall thinges and taking further advisement therein they came to Caesarea they went vnto y â— iudge â—â—nigyed the i◠〈…〉 Moreouer they write a certayne woman of y â— same citie in the same persecution with like triall to haue ended her life and as they report one that enclyned to the heresie of Marcion CAP. XII How that peace in the steade of persecution was restored by the benefitâ— of Galienus the Emperour NOt long after Valerianus hauing subdued the Barbarians his sonne got the supremacyâ—â— and ruled the empire with better aduisement and forthwith released and stiâ—â—ed the â—erâ—â—cution raysed agaynst vs with publike edices and commaunded that the Prisâ—deâ—â—s and chiefe of our doctrine shoulde freely after their wonted maner execute their office function The coppy whereof faythfully translated out of Romaine letters and interlaced in this our history is read as followeth The Emperour Câ—sar Publiâ—◠〈…〉 Galienus vertuous fortunate â–ª Augustus vnto Dionysius Pinna Demetrius together vvith the rest of the Bishops sendeth greeting The benefit of our gracious pardon vve commaunde to be published throughout the vvhole vvorlde that they vvhich are detayned in banishment depart the places inhabited of Pagans for the execution vvhereof the coppy of this our edict shal be your discharge lest any go about to molest you and this vvhich you novv may lavvfully put in vre vvas graunted by vs long agoe VVherefore Aâ—â—relius Cyrenius our high Constable hath in his keeping the coppy vvhich vve deliuered vnto him There is extant also an other constitution of his vnto other Bishops wherein he permitteth them to enioye and frequent they places called Churchyardes CAP. XIII The famous Bishops of that time ABout this time was Xystus Bishop of Rome â–ª Demetrianus after Fabius Bishop of Antioch Firmilianus of Caesarea in Cappadocia Gregorius ouer the Churches throughout Pontus and his brother Athenodorus familiars of Origen At Caesarea in Palaestina after the death of Theoctistus Domnus was chosen Bishop whome in a short time after Theotecnus succeeded who also was of the schoole of Origen and at Ierusalem Mazabanus being departed this life Hymenâ—ns enioyed the Bishopricke who liued with vs many yeares CAP. XIIII How that Marinus a souldier through the perswasion of Theotecnus sufferedmartyrdome at Caesarea ABout that time when as the Church enioyed peace throughout the worlde at Caesarea in Palaestina there was one Marinus a famous souldier for seates of armes of noble â—ynage and great substance beheaded for the testimony of Christ The cause was this There is a certayne dignity among the Romayns called the Centurions vine the which whosoeuer doth obtayne is called a Cenâ—ution When the rowme was voyde the company called Marinus to this degree Marinus being preferred an other came before the tribunall seate and accused him affirming it was not lawefull by the auncient lawes for him to enioy that Romayne dignitie because he was a Christian and sacrificed not vnto the Emperours that it was his turne next to come in place the iudge being very much moued with this his name was Achainâ— firsto he demaundeth what opinion Marinus was of when he saw him constantly confessing him selfe to be a Christian he graunted him three houres space to deliberate This being done Theotecnus Bishop of Caesarea calleth vnto him Marinus from the tribunall seate taketh him in hande with exhortations leadeth him by the hande into the Churche setteth him downe in the Chauncell layeth his cloke aside sheweth him the sworde that honge by his side afterwards pulleth out of his pocket the newe testament setteth it ouer agaynst the sworde and bad him chuse whether of those two he preferred or liked best for the health of his soule When he immediatly stretching forth his right hande had taken vp the booke of holy scripture holde fast then sayth Theotecnus vnto him cleaue vnto God and thou shalt enioy the thinges thou hast chosen being strengthened by him and goe in peace After he had returned thence the cryer lifted his voyce and called him to appeare at the barre the time graunted for deliberation was now ended standing therefore at the barre he gaue tokens of the noble courage of his sayth wherefore in a while after as he was ledd heard the sentence of condenmation and was beheaded CAP. XV. Of the fauor which Astyrius a noble man bare towards the Martyrs HEre is mention made of Astyrius because of his most friendly readines and singuler good will he bare vnto the persecuted Christians This man was one of the Senators of Rome well accepted of the Emperours in good estimation with all men for his noble stocke well knowne for his great substance who being present at the execution of the Martyr tooke vp his body layed it on his shoulders being arayed in gorgeous and costly attyre and prouided for him a most noble funerall infinite other thinges are reported by his familiers to haue bene done of him whereof diuers liued vnto this our time CAP. XVI Astyrius by his prayers repressed and bewrayed the iuggling and deceate of Satan ANother straung facte is reported to haue bene practised at Caesarea Philippi which the Phaenicians call Paneas at those fountaynes which spring out of the foote of the mount Paneius whence the riuer Iordan hath his originall they reporte that the inhabitants of that place haue acustomed vpon a festiual day to offer some sacrifice or other which through
reprehension of the world the deuell Antichrist promise of the holy ghost adoption of God fayth euery vvhere required of vs euery vvhere the father and the sonne and if throughout all the character of both vvere noted the frase of the gospell epistle shal be found altogether on but the reuelation farre differeth froÌ„ both resembleth not the same no not in one vvord neither hath it any one syllable correspondeÌ„t to the other vvrytings of Iohn for the epistle I vvill say nothing of the Gospell neuer thought vpon neither made any mention of the reuelation neither the reuelation on the other side of the epistle vvhen as Paul gaue vs an inklinge or somvvhat to vnder stand in his epistles of his reuelations yet not intitling them so that he vvould call them reuelations moreouer by the frase thereof vve may perceaue the difference betvvene the Gospell the epistle and the reuelation â–ª for they are vvrytten so artificially accordinge vnto the greeke frase vvith most exquisit vvords syllogismes and setled expositions that they seeme farre from offending in any barbarous terme soloecisme or ignoraÌ„t error at all for the Euangelist had as it appeareth both the gift of vtterance the gift of knovvledge for as much as the Lord had grauÌ„ted him both the grace of vvisdom science as for the other I vvll not gaynsay but that he savv a reuelation but that also he receaued science and prophecy yet for all that I see his greeke not exactly vttered the dialect and proper frase not obserued I find him vsing barbarous frases in some places soloecismes vvhich presentlye to repeate I thinke it not necessary neither vvrite I these thinges findinge fault vvith oughte lett no man accuse me thereof but onely I doe vvey the diuersitie of both vvorkes CAP. XXV The epistles and workes of Dionysius b. of Alexandria BEsides these there are extante other epistles of Dionysius whereof some he wrote agaynst Sabellius vnto Ammon byshop of Bernice â–ª afterwards on to Telesphorus one to Euphranor an other to Ammon and Euporus of the same argument he wrote foure bookes and dedicated them to Dionysius of the same name with him byshop of Rome againe sundry other epistles and volumes in forme of epistles as his Physicks dedicated vnto his sonne Timotheus An other tracte of temptations the which also he dedicated to Euphranor And wrytinge to Basilides byshop of Pentapolis diocesse he reporteth him selfe in the beginninge to haue published commentaries vpon Ecclesiastes he left behinde him sundry epistles for the posteritie But so farre of Dionysius workes Nowe it remayneth that we deliuer vnto the posteritie the history of this our age CAP. XXVI Of Dionysius byshop of Rome of Paulus Samâ—satenus the Hâ—reticke denyinge the diuinitiâ— of Christ and the Synode heldâ— at Antioch condemninge his heresie WHen Xystus had gouerned the Churche of Rome eleuen yeares Dionysius of the same name with him of Alexandâ—ia succeeded him About that time also when Demetrianus byshop of Antioch had departed this life Paulus Samosatenus came in his place And because he thought of Christ basely abiectly and contrary to the doctrine of the Church to wete that he was by nature a common man as we are Dionysius byshop of Alexandria was sent for to the Synode who by reason of his greate age the imbecilitie of his body differred his comminge and in the meane while wrote his censure of the sayde question in an epistle â–ª the other byshops one from one place an other from an other place hastened to Antioch and mett with the rotten sheepe which corrupted the flocke of Christ CAP. XXVII Of the famous byshops which were present at the Synode helde at Antioch AMonge these as chiefe florished Firmilianus byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia Gregorius and Athenodorus who were bretherne and byshops of the Churches in Pontus besides these Elenus byshop of Tarsus and Nieomas byshop of Iconium Moreouer Hymenaus byshop of Ierusalem Theotecnus byshop of Câ—sarea in Palaestina and Maximus byshop of Bostra I might haue repeated an infinite mo both ministers and deacons who mett for the same cause at Antioch but these aforenamed were the most famous amonge them â–ª When all came together at seuerall times and sundry sessions they did argue and reason hereof Samosatenus together with his complices endeuored to couer and conceale the variablenes of his opinioÌ„ but the rest practised with all might possible â—o saye bare and â—ett wyde open his blasphemy against Christ In the meane while Dionysius byshop of Alexandria departed this life the twelfe yeare of Galienus his raygne after he had gouerned the Churche of Alexandria seuenteene yeares and him succeeded Maximus CAP. XXVIII Of Claudius the Emperour and the seconde Synode held at Antioch where Malchion confuted Samosatenus WHen Galienus had raygned vnder the regall scepter the space of fifteene yeares Claudius his successor was created Empetour This Claudius hauinge continewed two yeares committed the empire to Aurelianus vnder whome was summoned the last the greatest synode of all celebrated of many bishops where the author of that heresie and strauÌ„g doctrine was taken shorte publiquely condemned of all seuered banished excommunicated the Catholicke and vniuersall Church vnder heauen and among all the rest Malchion a man besides sundry other his gifts very eloquent skilfull in sophistry moderator in morall discipline of the schole at Antioch for his sincere faith in Christ made minister there of the same congregatioÌ„ reproued him in reasoning for a slippery waueringe and obscure marchant â–ª he so vrged with reasons this Samosatenus and the notaries penned them which vnto our tyme were extant that alone of all the rest he was able to â—osse and wringe this dissemblinge and wily hereticke CAP. XXIX The Epistle of certaine byshops contayninge the Actes of the Synode helde at Antioch against paulus Samosatenus and of the heretickes life and trade of liuing WIth vniforme consent of all the byshops then gathered together they wrote an epistle vnto Dionysius byshop of Rome Maximus byshop of Alexandria senâ— it abrode into all prouinces in the which they reuealed vnto the world their great labor industry the peruerse variablenes of Paulus the reprehensions and obiections proposed against him his conuersation trade of liuing whereof for memories sake I thinke it not amisse to alleage some part for the posterity which is thus written Vnto Dionysius Maximus and all our fellowe byshops elders deacons throughout the worlde to the whole vniuersall catholicke church vnder heauen Helenus Hymenaeus Theophilus Theotecnus Maximus Proclus Nicomas Aemilianus Paulus Bolanus Protegenes Hierax Entychius Theodorus Malchion Lucius with all the other byshops who with vs inhabite the borderinge cyties and ouersee the nations togetherwith the elders and deacons and holy Churches of God to the beloued brethren in the Lord sende greeting Vnto this salutation after a fewe
and by him are all thinges no maruell at all in that they falsely reported the sonne not fully and perfectly to knovve the Father for vvhen they had once determined vvith them selues to vvarre agaynste Christ they vtterly reiected the vvordes of our Lorde vvhere he sayth as the Father knoweth me sayth the sonne so doe I knowe the Father if the Father knovveth the sonne vnperfectly then is it manifest that the sonne knovveth the Father vnperfectly also but if this be impiety and open blasphemye and that the Father knovveth the sonne perfectly and fully then doth it follovve that euen as the Father knovveth his ovvne vvorde so the vvorde knovveth his ovvne father vvhose vvorde he is but vvhen as at sundrye tymes vve conuinced them vvith allegations and expositions out of the sacred and heauenly Scriptures for all that they agayne chaunged them selues like vnto the chaungling diuerously bespotted beaste Chamaeleon vvresting vvith all might possible to light vpon their owne pates the saying of the wise man VVhen the vngodly person commeth to extreame impietie then he disdayneth and though many heresies sprange before their tyme vvhiche exceeding out of measure in impudencye fell out at length for all that into extreame follye yet these men vvhich endeuer vvithal their gloses to take avvay the diuinity of the vvord dravving nerer vnto the time of Antichrist doe in manner declare those heresies in comparison of the impitie of their blasphemous opinion to be in the right trueth VVherefore they vvere excommunicated banished the church and pronounced to be held of all men for accursed And though vve tooke theyr fall heauyly specialy because that sometime they supped the svvete ioyce of the ecclesiasticall doctrine and novve are fallen from the same yet vve maruell not greatly at thē For the like happened heretofore not only to Hymenaeus Philetus but also before them vnto Iudas vvhich vvas the disciple of our Sauiour aftervvardes a traytor and an Apostata Neither are vve here of ignorant or vnmindefull For our Sauiour hath forewarned take heede lest any deceaue you For many vvill come in my name saying I am and the time is novve at hand And they wil deceaue many goe not after thē Paul vvhē he had learned these things of our Sauiour wrote that in the latter times some shall fall from the sounde fayth and shall geue eare vnto spirites of error doctrines of deuells oppugning the trueth Novve therefore in as much as our Sauiour Iesus Christ hath commaunded the same and signified the same also vnto men by his Apostle and vve truely hearing their impiety vvith our eares not vvithout iuste cause haue as vve sayd before pronounced this kind of men for accursed and proclaimed openly that they are cut of from the Catholick church farre frō the right fayth And vve haue certified your holynes wel beloued and most reuerende brethren vvhich are ioyned vvith vs in the same fellovvship of the publique ministery that if peraduenture some of them ouerboldly presume to presente themselues before you ye geue no heede vnto them neyther be persvvaded by Eusebius neyther by any other vvhosoeuer that shall vvrite vnto you in they re behalfe For it behoueth vs that be christians to eschevve all such as open theyr mouthes agaynst Christ and suche as are alienated in minde from him as enemyes of God and rotten sheepe corrupting the sense of mans mind and that vve bid not such kinde of men as Saynct Iohn hath commaunded no not so much as God speede lest that vve become partakers of they re offences Salute them vvhich are amonge you bretherne the bretherne vvith vs salute you also When Alexander had wrytten these letters vnto the byshops euery where throughout the seuerall cities this pestilence infection hereby was the more scattered abrode because that these vnto whome these letters were directed beganne to burne amonge themselues with the sparcles of contention and discorde For some condescended and subscribed vnto the letters some others with all might impugned them But specially amonge all the rest Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia was prouoked to the schisme and dissention for that Alexander had often in his letters charged him by name And at that time Eusebius was able to do much because that the emperour then made his abode at Nicomedia where Diocletian a litle before had buylded a princely pallace For which cause many byshops fauored the opinion of Eusebius But he seased not to wryte vnto Alexander that he woulde lette passe the controuersie raysed betwene them that he woulde admitte againe Arius and his adherentes into the churche and others also throughout the cities he exhorted that they shoulde by no meanes condescende vnto the drifte of Alexander whereby theyr rose euery where no smale tumult For then a man might haue seene not onely the presidentes and chiefe rulers of the churches inueying one against an other with spitefull and opprobrious tearmes but also the laye multitude seuered a sunder into two partes the one fauoring the one side the other the other side Wherefore the case became so haynous and shamefull and into so lamentable a plighte that the christian religion was openly derided of all men euen in the publique theatres and solemne spectacles The inhabitors of Alexandria contended very childishely yea without all modestie about the chiefe poinctes of christian religion they sente also legates and embassadours vnto the byshops throughout the other prouinces who seueringe themselues vnto eyther side raysed the like contention The Meletians who not longe before were cutt of from the churche ioyned themselues with the Arians I thinke it expedient to note what kinde of men they are Meletius byshop of a certaine citie in Aegypte besides sundrye other causes specially for that in the tyme of persecution he had renounced the fayth and sacrificed to Idols was depriued of his byshoricke by Peter byshop of Alexandria which suffred Martyrdome vnder Diocletian Who beinge depriued and fauored of many for all his fonde doinges became the ringeleader of the heresie amonge them who in Aegypt of him vnto this present daye are called Meletians and hauinge no iuste cause or cloke to defende his doinges in that he presumed to separate himselfe from the churche made a sleeuelesse answere sayinge that he was greatly iniuryed wherefore he brake out into raylinge speaches and reuiled Peter And as soone as Peter in that heate of persecution had ended his life with Martyrdome he posted ouer his opprobrious tearmes and rayling speaches to the paintinge of Achillas who succeeded Peter in the seae of Alexandria And last of all he leueled the pearcinge dartes of spitefull language at Alexander who after the death of Achillas was there placed byshop While this tumulte and dissention was tossed to and froe the opinion of Arius was called into controuersie then Meletius with his complices tooke part with Arius and together with him conspired against the byshop But they vnto whome the
in meate and serue them her selfe Many things she gaue to churches and to poore people she liued godly and religiously and departed this life being fourescore yeare olde her body was brought to Constantinople called Nevve Rome and buried there with princely funerall CAP. XIIII Howe the emperour Constantine destroying the Idole groues of the Gentiles erected in sundrie places many notable Churches THe emperour after this went about to promote christian religion with greater care industrie to banish the rites ceremonies of the ethnicks to restrayne the lewde combats of fencers and sworde players and to sett vp his owne image in theyr Idolatricall temples And when as the Ethnicks affirmed that the God Serapis was he which made the riuer Nilus to ouerflowe and to water the countrey of Aegypt because that a certaine elle was brought into the temple of Serapis the emperour commaunded that elle to be conueyed into the churche of Alexandria When that it was noysed that Nilus woulde no longer ouerflowe because the God Serapis tooke greate indignation that he was thus abused the yeare followinge the riuer did not onely ouerflowe after his wonted maner and from that time forth kept his course but also thereby declared vnto the worlde that Nilus was accustomed to ouerflowe not after theire superstitious opinion but by the secret determination of the deuine prouidence Although the Sarmatians Barbarians and Gotths at the same time assayled the right of the Romayne empire yet for all that the emperours care and industry for the buyldinge of churches was not slacked but diligently with great aduise did he prouide for both For he valiantly ouercame these nations vnder the banner of the crosse which is the peculiar cognizance of christian profession so that not onely he depriued them of the tribute which the emperours of olde were wonte to pay vnto the Barbarians but also they beinge astonished at this straunge victory yelded themselues then first of all wholly to embrace christian religion by the meanes of the which Constantine had preserued himselfe Constantinus againe applied himselfe to the buyldinge of other churches and one he erected in the okegroue of Mambre where holy scripture reporteth the Angels to haue bene harbored by Abraham When that he was certified that altars were erected at that oke and that the Ethnicks offred sacrifice and incense in that place to theyr fayned Gods he sharply rebuked Eusebius bishope of Caesarea by his letters because that through his slackenes in executinge his office that wickednes was committed He commaundeth therefore the altars to be turned vpside downe and a church harde by the oke to be builded He commaundeth an other church to be builded in Heliopolis of Phoenicia and that for this cause What lawe maker the Heliopolits had of olde I am not able to saye but the lawes and customes of the cytie doe manifestly declare what kinde of man he was By the custome of their countrey they haue all women in common therefore of the children there can no certainty be had Amonge them there is no difference ether of father or sonne They geue their virgins to straungers which come amongst them to be defloured The emperour endeuored wholly to abrogat this old and rotten custome of theirs For when he had taken away this brutishe and beastly kind of behauiour he made a sacred and a seuere lawe that kindreds and families shoulde be knowen amongest thē and seuered one from the other To be short when he had buylded churches amonge them he hastened to consecrate them a bishop to ordaine the holy company of clergy men Thus the state of the Heliopolits after the remouing of theire former filth was reformed into modeste behauiour In like maner he ouerthrewe the temple of Venus in Aphaca standing at the foote of mount Libanus and rooted out al the wicked rites and ceremonies which were wont to be done there both impudently vnreuerently What shall I speake of the familiar deuell and the spirite of diuination the which he foyled in Cilicia commaunded the Idole in whose closettes he had craftely hid himselfe to be destroyed furthermore he was so feruent in promoting christian religion that when he should haue warred against the Persians he made him a tente much like the tabernacle of Moses in the desert in forme and figure resembling the churche of God and the same of a chaūgeable colored vaile the which he caried about with him that in the waste wildernesse and deserte places he mighte alwayes finde readye an holy Churche to singe hymnes and deuoutly to serue the liuinge God But the same battaile wente not forewardes the Persians feared the power of the Emperoure and so all iniuries were putte vp and peaceably ended That the Emperoure also imployed greate laboure and trauell in buyldinge townes and Cyties and that of diuerse peltinge villages he made princely Cyties for example Drepane after his mothers name and Constantia in Palaestina after the name of his sister Constantia I thinke it presently not needefull to committe in wrytinge for the posterity For it is not our drifte to declare the other famous actes of the Emperoure but onely those whiche appertaine vnto christian religion and speciallye the estate of the churches Wherefore in as much as the famous actes of the Emperoure tend to an other purpose and require a proper and a peculiar kinde of handlinge I leaue them for others whiche bothe knowe and can sufficiently discourse thereof I of mine owne parte woulde neuer haue layde penne to paper if the Church had beene at vnitie and concorde within it selfe For where there is no matter ministred to wryte there the wryter seemeth to be fond and his trauell frustrat But in as much as the subtletye of sophisters fonde quirckes and fallacies of Satan depraued in those dayes the Apostolick and syncere Character of Christian religion seuered also and as it were vnioynted the membres of Christ I thought good to saye somethinge of them whereby the ecclestastical affayrs may not fall into the dust of obliuion For the knoweledge thereof is much sett by amonge moste men and settleth for experience the minde of suche a one as is well seene therein For when any vaine controuersie riseth about the signification of a worde it teacheth him to haue a stayed heade CAP. XV. Howe that in the time of Constantine the midle Indians embraced the faith of Christ by the meanes of Aedesius and Frumentius for Athanasius Byshop of Alexandria created Frumentius byshop and sent him to preache vnto the Indians NOwe it remaineth that we declare howe and by what meanes christian religion enlarged and spredd it selfe vnder the raygne of this Emperoure For the nations which inhabited the middle India and Iberia then first of all receaued the faith of Christ and why I haue ioyned thereunto the middle India I will declare in fewe wordes When the Apostles by lot had sorted them selues to trauell vnto certaine
to be worshipped he was a fauorer of fatall desteny and denied free will in man He sayd plainely the soules went from one body into an other following herein the fond opinions of Empedocles Pythagoras and the Aegyptians He woulde not confesse that Christe was borne but sayde that he had the forme or figure of a man He reiected the lawe and prophetes and called himselfe the comforter all which thinges are farre from the true and right faith of the churche of God In his epistles he was not ashamed to intitule him selfe an Apostle But his Iewde and shamelesse leasinges were recompenced with dew punishment and that for this cause The â—inge of Persia his sonne fell into a daungerous disease the father vsed all meanes possible to â—â—â—â—orâ— his sonne to his former health Beynge tolde of Manes and perswaded that his â—eates were â—aâ—â—e â—â—om falshoode and â—eiurdemayne sent for him by the name of an Apostle hopinge with himselfe that by his meanes his sonne shoulde recouer Beinge come he takes the kinges sonne in â—â—â—es with sorâ—â—tis and wiâ—â—â—â—castâ— the kinge seeynge his sonne already gone and departed vndeâ— his handes commaunded the â—orâ—eâ—er shoulde be clapt in pryson and prouided execution for him but he brake pryson fledde into Mesopotamia and so shifted for him selfe The kinge hearinge that he was in those coasts made him to be apprehended flayde him alâ—â—e tooke his skinne fylled it full of chaffe and hanged it at the gates of the cytie These thinges we report to de most true and faithfully alleadged by vs out of the booke intituled The disputation of Archelaus byshop of Cascharum a citie in Mesopotamia This Archelaus reporteth that he disputed with him face to face and there layeth downe all that we wrote before of his lyfe and conuersation Thus as I sayde before it falleth out in all ages that the spyte of â—aâ—â—n wyll not suffer godlinesse to haue good successe but sendes such lewde varletts to entrappe the simple people But what is the reason thereof why our louing and mercifull God permitts such lewdnesse whether it be to try and sift the true doctrine of his church and to cut of the vaine conceats and opinions which many haue of religion or whether it be for some other cause whatsoeuer as it is hard to determine therof so few words will not suffice neither is presently fit opportunity occasion ministred to discourse of that matter It is not verily the marke we shoote at exquisitely to entreatâ— of diuers and variable opinions and sentences of men neither to search out the secret and hid mysteries of the prouidence and wisdome of God but truely as much as iâ— vs lyeth to set forth the ecclesiasticall historie And because we haue reported after what sort the cursed opinion of the Maniches sprange vp a little before the raygne of Constantine nowe let vs returne to discourse of the times incident to this our purposed historie CAP. XVIII Howe that Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia and Theognis byshop of Nice remembring them selues after their recantation wrought all the spite they could to ouerthrow the faith established in the Councell of Nice and sought meanes to mischiefe At hanasius Of the Councell summoned at Antioche which deposed Eustathius about whome there rose such a sedition in Antioche which destroyed in maner the whole citie EVsebius and Theognis returning from exile receaued their former dignities remouing as I sayde before such as were placed in their seaes They were in great reuerence and estimation with the emperour and enioyed greate libertie for that they had forsaken the cursed and â—ankred opinion of Arius and geuen themselues to the true and right faith But these men for all that abused their libertie and made more sturre in the worlde then euer was before Two things droue them therevnto the detestable heresie of Arius which helde their mindes of a longe time and the deadly hatred they bare vnto Athanasius Because he valiantly withstoode them as they disputed in the Councell of Nice firste of spite they chalenge his degree and vocation saying he was no fitt man for the rowme of a bishop next that he was elected by vnlawfull persons But for all that he cleared him selfe of those opprobrious and sclaunderous reports his vpryght conuersation was such he coulde not be remoued from the bishops seae of Alexandria and contended earnestly for the faith decreed by the Councell of Nice Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia endeuoured with might and mayne through wiles and subtletie to depose Athanasius and to bring Arius into Alexandria For by this meanes he thought best to roote out of the church the faith of Homousion to wete of One substance ratified by the councell and to plant the pestilent doctrine of Arius And as at some tymes he entreated him by letters and â—aire wordes so of the contrary at other tymes he went aboute to terrifie him with threates But when as Athanasius woulde in no wyse yeelde he sought to perswade the Emperour that of his wonted clemencie he woulde geue Arius the hearinge and pardon him that he myght returne vnto Alexandria But what treacherie he practised to brynge this his purpose to effect I will shewe in an other place Afore that these thinges were fully come to an endâ— there rose an other hurlyburlye in the churche For the members them selues brake asunder the peaceable and quiets bondâ— of the church Eusebius Pamphilus reporteth that immediately after the breakinge vp of the Councell a ciuill dissention rose throughout all Aegypt the cause be hath concealed whereby he was of diuers suspected of double dealinge He was thought with silence to haue ouershipped the causes for that he had determined with him selfe not to subscribe vnto the decrees of the Nicene Councell But as we haue learned manifestly by diuers epistles the which byshops wrote priuately one to an other after the Councell the clause of One substance troubled exceedingly their mindes and whylest that they sifted and searched out the â—ense and vnderstandinge thereof euen vnto the nuycke they raysed ciuill discorde amonge them selues so that their conclusions seemed nothinge else but combats in the nyght and darkenesse or blynofolded bablinge It seemed that nere nother syde vnderstoode well the cause that made them to reuyle eche other For such as reiected the clause of One substance thinkinge verylie that they which receaued it went about to establishe agayne the heresie of Sabellius and Montanus called the true professors blasphemoâ—s persons as if they had gone about to take awaye the substance of the sonne of God Such as of the contrarie cleaued vnto the canon of One substance thought theyr aduersaries brought in the seruice of manie goods and abhored them as furtherers of Paganisme Moreouer Eustathius byshop of Antioche sharpely rebuked Eusebius Pamphilus as though he had gone about to corrupt the Nicene Creede but Eusebius Pamphilus both cleared him selfe of that sclaunder and also charged Eustathius with the heresie of
exceptions as were lawefully prescribed for the defendant And first of all he excepteth against Eusebius and his adherents as open enemyes saying by lawe it was not permitted for the enemyes to be iudges Secondarily he requireth that they shewe vnto him whether Ischyaas the accuser had lawfully receaued orders and priesthoode for so it was layd downe in the bill of enditement But the iudges considered nothing of these circumstances the lawe proceedeth against Macarius When the accusers were to seeke for proofe the sute is delayd vpon this consideration that certayne chosen men shoulde goe in commission to Mareôtes and there sitt vpon this matter When that Athanasius perceaued such as he had excepted against to haue bene pricked in the commission for Theognis Maris Theodorus Macedonius Valens Vrsacius were sent he exclaymed that there was deceat double dealing in the handling thereof He pronounced that it was open wrong for to keepe Macarius the Priest in fetters and close prison and to suffer his accuser to accompany such iudges as were knowen to be his professed enemies He sayd moreouer that it was for no other ende but that records and the doings of the one side might be knowen the other vnknowen the one quitted the other condenmed When that Athanasius had sounded out these and the like sentences when that he had both called the whole assembly to wittnesse and also opened this lamentable plight before Dionysius the Senator and no man pityed the case he pryuily conueyed him away Such as were sent into Mareôtes recorded onely the Actes of one side and looke what the accuser reported the same was iudged to be most true As soone as Athanasius was gone and straight way taken his iourney to the Emperour he was first of all condenmed by the councell the party being absent and the cause vnknowen Next when as the dealings in Mareôtes were ioyned with these they agree vpon his deposition many sclaunders are contumeliously fathered vpon him at the recitall of the causes which moued them to depose him but not a worde of the sclaunderers for they runne them ouer with silence that of malice falsely accused him and were shamefully foyled them selues Arsenius who afore was reported to haue bene slayne is nowe entertayned of them And he who afore time was counted a Bishop of the Meletian sect euen then subscribed to the deposition of Athanasius and called him self Bishop of Hypsepolis And that which seemeth incredible he that was said to haue died vnder the handes of Athanasius is now aliue and deposeth Athanasius CAP. XXII How that the councell assembled at Tyrus remoued to Ierusalem and celebrated the dedication of the newe Ierusalem at what tyme the Arians were admitted to the communion And how that the Emperour by his letters caused the councell summoned at Tyrus to meete at Constantinople that in his presence the trueth toutching Athanasius cause might the more narrowely be sifted out Immediatly after these thinges the Emperours letters came to the councels handes signifying that with all speede his will was they shoulde repayre to Ierusalem Therefore the bishops laying all other matters aside do leaue Tyrus and take their iourney to Ierusalem A solemne feast is there held for the consecration of those places Arius with his confederats is admitted into the Church for the bishops sayd that in that behalf they would satisfie the Emperours letters wherby he had signified vnto them that he allowed very well of the sayth of Arius and Enzoius The bishops also wrote vnto the Churche of Alexandria that they shoulde banishe from among them all rankor spite and malice and setle their Ecclesiasticall affayres at peace and quietnes They signified moreouer by their letters that Arius had repented him of his heresie that he had acknowledged the trueth that thenceforth he would cleaue vnto the Church and that therefore they had not without good cause receaued him and by the consent of them all exiled Athanasius Of the selfe same things likewise they wrote vnto the Emperour While these things were in handling there came eftsones other letters from the Emperour vnto the councell signifying that Athanasius was fledd vnto the Emperour him selfe and that of necessity they must meete at Constantinople about his matters The letters sent from the Emperour were written as followeth Constantinus the puysant the mighty and noble Emperour vnto the Bishope assembled at Tyrus sendeth greeting VErily I knowe not what matters your assemblie through tumult and troublesome sturre hath decreed me thinkes the trueth it selfe you haue in maner subuerted by meanes of your hurlyburly and kindled heat of contention for whilest that you prosecute your priucy spire and hatred one towards an other the which you wil leaue in no wisovnpractised you seeme to neglect the seruice of God the furtherance of his truteh But I trust the diuine prouideÌ„co of God willâ—…gâ—o passe that after the proofe of this pestileÌ„t contention it may wholy be banished that we may also perceaue whether your couÌ„cel assembly hath had any care of the trueth also whether you haue decided of the matters called into question geuen sentence without parcial fauor poysoned malice VVherfore my wil is that with spede you all repaire vnto me to the end you your selues by no other then your selues may yeld an exquisite accoÌ„pt The cause that moued me to writ this vnto you to suÌ„mone you hither by my letters you may learne by that which followeth As I rode in my waggon vnto a certain place within the city that happy soil called after thy name CoÌ„stantinople Athanasius the bishop together with certaine other priestes in his company meâ—â— me in the middest of the streete vpon a sodame vnlooked for which amazed me not a litle â–ª I take God to witnesse who seeth al things that I coulde not haue knowen him 〈◊〉 the first fight had not some of my trayne when that I gaue diligent eare thereunto as reason did require both tolde me who he was and what iniury he had done vnto him I truely did neyther talke vvith him at that time neyther reason of any circumstance And when he entreated that I woulde geue him the hearing I was so farre from it that with the deniall I had almost caused him to be sent packing with rough entertainment His sute was nothing else but that all you might be brought thither to the ende he might in our presence expostulate face to face with you the iniurie he suffred ne cessity driuing him thereunto The which sute of his seeminge very reasonable vnto me and the season also requiring the same made me very willing to write this vnto you that all you being already assembled at Tyrus shoulde forthvvith hasten vnto my campe and iustifie in my presence whome you will not denye to be the right seruant of God your right and syncere iudgement and sentence in this behalfe For peace raigneth euery where through my religious
the things that vvere rightly and reuerently decided but especially to intermedle vvith the canons of the Nicene Councell so exquisitely handled so throughly sifted out by the ayde succour of your father of famous memory the Emperous Constantine the sage doctrine graue censures of vvhich councell pearced the eares hath bene prīted in the minds of all people by whose only force it came to passe that the heresie of Arius was foyled ouerthrowen by whose meanes also not only this but all other rotten heresies whatsoeuer are rooted out VVhat may well be added therevnto it is doubtfull to take any thinge therefro is daungerous If ere other be permitted there vvill ensue there of such libertie that euery one vvill sovv such levvde doctrine as pleaseth him best VVherfore Vrsacius and Valens beyng of late infected vvith the pestilent here sie of Arius and therefore iustly banished our communion they did not onely repent them of their fond dealing their conscience yelding manifest testimonie accusing thē of the same to the end they might againe be made partakers of the same communion but also as their ovvne vvrytinges doe beare vvittnesse they craued pardon vvith humble and earnest petitions so that in the ende all theyr levvde behauiour all their corrupt learning was forgeuen forgotten these things were done at what time the councell of Mediolanū was held in the presence of certaine priests of Rome But when we call to remembrance how that Constantine the Prince worthy of noble praise among all posterity imployed great labor industry for the curious sifting true knowledge of the Nicene Creede it seemed vnto vs a thinge contrary to all reason for to renewe any thinge thereof or to innouate any thing preiudicial to the same after his desease who first was baptized then departed this life now resteth in ioy to make light accompt of so many blesled confessors martyrs who framed furthered this doctrine vvho also according vnto the auncient purpose of the catholick church were so perswaded persisted in the same vnto their liues end VVhose faith God the father through our Lord Iesus Christ hath cōtinewed vnto the yeares of your imperiall raigne by whose helpe your kingdome is enlarged your self become Lord of all these our coūtries dominions vnder heauen But of the contrary those miserable men bewitched mindes caried away with a furious kind of motion haue gone about to proclayme them selues authors preachers of wicked doctrine vnder colour of well doing to ouerthrowe the right sincerity of the trueth For as soone as the coūcel at your cōmaundement met together they laid wide open their cōcealed fraude couered deceat as soone as also they perceaued Germanius Auxentius Caius who had brought discord dissentiō into the church of god to be in all respects like affectioned with thē they assayed through wiles wilful assēblies to establish some nouelty whose doctrine opiniō though but one in name yet in number it farie exceeded the heape of all blasphemies But when as they sawe they would not cleaue vnto their opinion neither condescend vnto their lewde practises they transported them selues into our side as if they had determined to subscribe vnto the contrary doctrine but not long after their cankred minds were knowē well mough VVherfore that the quiet estate of the church may not be tossed with such waues of troublsome dissētion that all be not set on tumults vprores it seemed very necessary vnto vs to ratifie the decrees confirmed of olde inuiolably to conserue them to forbid these men our cōmunion For this cause haue we sent legats with our letters vnto your maiesty of whome you may vnderstand the mind meaning of the coūcell whome also we haue charged first of all to proue the manifest trueth by autority testimony of old aūciēt lawes wisely decreed to opē vnto your indifferēt censure iust sentēce not as Vrsacius Valens affirmed that quietnes shoulde ensure if the canons lavvfully decreed and aduisedly decided shoulde be ouerthrovven hovv can they pleade for peace which haue pearced through and broke asunder the bonde of vnitie but that discorde and debate shoulde rise thereof not onely in other cities but also in the Churche of Rome VVherefore vve humbly request your maiestie of your gracious fauour and vvonted clemency to accept this our message that you permitt no noueltie to creepe into the church of god to the cōtumelie of such as already are departed this life but that you graunt vs licence and your lavvfull fauour firmely to perseuere in those thinges vvhich our auncetors haue decreed in as much as it is euident vnto all men that vvhatsoeuer they did it vvas throughe vvell aduised councell prudent consideration and the ayde of the holy Ghost for the innouations of these men doe graffe in the mindes of the faythfull incredulitie in the mindes of the vnfaythfull crueltie Also vve humbly request your highnes that the Bishops vvhich vvander in farre and foraine regions grieuously afflicted by reason of great yeares and the misery of vvant and necessitie may by your safe conduyte returne home from exile to the ende the Churches remayne not desolate destitute of their Bishops being thus farre asunder last of all our humble sute is vnto your maiestie that nothing be either diminished or added vnto the old aūcient decrees but that all whatsoeuer haue bene obserued vnto this day through the godly procuremēt of your father may henceforth be of force strength vertue that hereafter there may rise no molestation vnto vs about those things that you suffer vs not to be banished our churches but that bishops may be resiant with their slocke that they may enioy peace tranquillity for prayers deuout seruice of God that they may pray cōtinewally for the preseruation of your healthe your empyre and prosperous estate the which God of his goodnes long continewe Our legats wil enforme you of the subscriptions the bishops names they are also of learning sufficient to let you vnderstand by testimonies of holy Scripture all the circumstances of the decrees These things y ◠councell wrot sent vnto y ◠Emperour by certaine bishops but Vrsacius Valens preuenting their comming reuiled discredited y ◠councell w t the emperour shewing vnto him a patched forme of faith which they had brought in their pocket y ◠Emperour in so much he was afore time infected w t y ◠Arian opinion began wonderfully to stomacke y ◠councel to aduaūce into honor estimation Vrsacius Valens Wherfore y ◠bishops y ◠were sent by y ◠councel wayted very long about his court yet coulde they get no answere of him At length by other messengers the Emperour wrote vnto the councell in this maner The epistle of Constantius vnto the councell assembled at Ariminum Constantius the mighty and triumphant Augustus vnto
of their owne but in so much they haue written and annexed something of their owne braine it is requisite that we rehearse it againe They wrote as followeth VVe beleue in one God the father almighty of whome are all things in the only begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes before all begininge by whome all thinges were made both visible inuisible the one only begottē begottē of the father alone God of God like vnto the father which begate him according vnto the Scriptures whose generatiō as holy Scripture doth witnesse no man knoweth but the father alone which begat him This only begottē sonne of God vve knovve to haue bene sent frō the father to haue come dovvne from heauē as it is vvritten to haue bene conuersant vvith his disciples after the accōplishing of his message according vnto the vvill of his father to haue bene crucified dead buried to haue descended into hell at vvhose presence the infernall povver trembled to haue risen againe the third day from the dead againe to haue accōpanied his disciples after forty dayes vvere expired to haue bene taken vp into heauē vvhere he sittteth at the right hande of the father shall come at the generall resurrectiō vvith the glorie of the father to reward euery one according vnto his vvorks and vve beleue in the holy ghost vvhom the only begottē sonne of God himselfe our Lord God promised to send mankind a comforter as it is vvrytten the spirit of trueth whome also he sent after his assumptiō into heauē The clause of substāce being of diuers simply layd downe because the ignorant people vnderstood it not gaue greate occasion of offence It semed good therefore in as much as there was no mentiō thereof in holy scripture quite to take it away henceforth not to reason thereof because the word of God hathe no where remembred the substāce of the father of the sonne For the substance or subsistēcie of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost may not be once named or reasoned of we therefore as we are taught by holy scripture doe affirme that the sonne is like the father All heresies whatsoeuer either heretofore condemned or lately sprong vp if they be found contrary to this faith let them be held for accursed These things as you see were then decreed at Cōstantinople Nowe hauing at length runne ouer the confuse multitude of Creeds formes of faith let vs once againe briefely repeate the number of them After the Creede that was laid downe by the Nicene councell the Bishops framed two others at Antioch when they assembled to the dedication of the church the third was made in Fraunce of the bishops which were with Narcissus exhibited vnto the Emperoure Constantine the fourth was sent by Eudoxius vnto the Bishops throughout Italie Three were published in wryting at Sirmium where of one being gloriously intitled with the names of Consulls was red at Ariminum The eight was set forth at Seleucia procured to be red by the complices of Acacius The ninth was geuen abroade with additions at Constantinople there was thereunto annexed that thenceforth there should be no mention made of the substance of subsistencie of God Whereunto Vlphilas Bishop of y ◠Gotthes then first of all subscribed For vnto that time he embraced the faith established by the councell of Nice and was an earnest follower of Theophilus steps Bishop of the Gotthes who had bene at the Nicene councell subscribed vnto the Creed But of these things thus much CAP. XXXIII Howe that after Macedonius was deposed Eudoxius was made Bishop of Constantinople and of Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia ACacius Eudoxius together with their faction made foule tumults greate sturre at Constantinople fully purposing to remoue frō their bishopricks some of the contrary side And here also we may not passe ouer with silence howe that both parts inuēted causes of depriuatiō not for piety religion sake but of priuat malice quarellous spite for though they varied in the faith yet in deposing one an other they charged not ech other with their beleefe but such as were of Acacius side tooke the Emperours displeasure who purposed among diuers other to reuenge him of Macedonius as a fit occasion first they depose Macedonius frō his bishoprick partly for that he had bene the cause of great slaughter partly also because he admitted into the communion a certaine deacon that was taken in adultery They remoued Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicū for baptizing one Heraclius a sacrificing priest of Hercules at Tyrus who was knowē to be a great coniurer preferring him to the order of deaconship they depriued Basilius otherwise called Basilas who was made Bishop of Ancyra in Marcellus rowme for that he cruelly tormented imprisoned a certaine man for because he forged sclaundres discredited diuers persons and lastly for molesting the quiet estate of the churches in Aphricke by his epistles they suspended Dracontius for leauing Gallacia remouing to Pergamus they displaced moreouer Neonas Bishop of Seleucia where y ◠coūcel was held Sophronius bishop of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia Elpidius bishop of Satalum in Macedonia Cyrillus Bishop of serusalē many mo for sundry other causes Neither had Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia licence permitted him for to purge himselfe because that a little before he had bene deposed by Eulauius his owne naturall father who was Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia for apparelling himselfe in such weede as was not decent for the dignity order of priesthood In this Eustathius rowme Meletuis of whome I mind hereafter to speake was made Bishop Moreouer Eustathius was afterwards condemned by the councell held at Gangra that was summoned for the hearing of his matters because that after his former deposition in the councell of Caesarea he had attempted many things cōtrary to the canons customes of the church He forbad mariadge set forth precepts of abstuēce He parted asunder diuers that were coupled together in wedlock perswaded suche as refrained the churches publick assembly to raise conuenticles brotherhood in their priuat houses He tooke seruāts frō their maisters vnder colour of religion He himselfe vsed the Philosophers habite constrained his followers to vse a straunge kind of Atyre He caused the women to be shauen He forbad the accustomed prescribed fasting dayes commaunded abstinence on the sundays He abhorted y ◠prayers that were made in maried mēs houses He detested the offring and the communion of the maried priest who when he was a lay man had lawefully coupled himselfe in the bonde of wedlocke This Eustathius when he had taught and set abroch these and many other such lewd precepts was as I said before deposed by y ◠councell held at Gangra in Paphlagonia and his doctrine accursed But these things were done a good while after When that
altogether vnequall and vnlike the father not onely in substance but also in will and also that he had his beinge as Arius dreamed of nothinge Suche as then also were at Antioch of the secte of Aetius intangled them selues in the snares of this pestilente opinion Therefore besides that the Arians were called Anomoioi whiche signifieth that they affirmed the Sonne to be vnlike the Father they were of the Antiochians who defended the faythe Of one substance and then were deuided for the foresayde cause of Meletius called Exoucoutioi signifying they had affirmed the Sonne of God to haue had his beinge of nothinge When they were demaunded wherefore they constantely affirmed in their Creede that the Sonne was God of God and nowe durst presume to say that he was vnlike the father and had his beinge of nothinge they weÌ„t about to bleare their eyes with a ridiculous kind of fallacie Whereas we affirmed saye they the sonne to be God of God we meante it in that sense as the Apostle wrote where he sayde that all thinges were of God Therefore the sonne is of God in as muche as he is included in the worde all And for this cause we layde downe in our Creedes the Clause accordinge vnto the Scriptures The author of this lewde and fonde Glosse was Georgius Bishoppe of Laodicea who beinge ignorante and vnskilfull in suche kinde of phrases perceaued not howe Origen in tymes paste had playnely interpreted suche siguratiue kinde of speaches contayned in the Epistles of Paul The confederacie of Acacius though they were iustely charged with captious and sopisticall dealing yet weyinge neyther the sclaunder risinge thereof neither the sentence pronounced against them repeated there the forme of fayth whiche they had rehearsed at Constantinople this beinge done cuery one repayred to his owne home Georgius after his returne to Alexandria for there after the departure of Athmasius who then hidde himselfe in some obscure place he was placed Bishop vered very sore and punished extremely suche as were of the contrary opinion and plagued the people of Alexandria whiche hated him as a tode Herenius was chosen Byshoppe of lerusalem in Cyrillus rowme Whome Heraclius succeeded after him Hilarius after all Cyrillus returned to lerusalem and recouered the Bishopricke againe CAP. XXXVI Of both Apollinariuses the father the sonne and their heresie ABout that time there sprange vp a newe heresie the occasion was as followeth At Laodicea a ciue of Syria there were two men the father and the sonne of one name for both was called Apollinarius whereof the one I meane the father was a priest the other that is the sonne was a reader Both were professors of humanity The father caught grammer the sonne Rhetorike The father beinge borne at Alexandria first kept schoole at Berytus afterwardes remouinge to Laodicea he got him a wife on whome he begate Apollinarius They both florished at Laodicea in the time of Epiphanius the sophist and hauing greate familiarity with him they were neuer seene out of his company Theodotus Bishop of that seae fearinge greatly lest their familiarity with him shoulde bringe them from the faith and so fall to embrace paganisme forbadde them his company They made no accompt of the Bishops commaundement but kept still company with Epiphamus In processe of time Georgius the successor of Theodotus hauinge oft assaied and seinge he coulde by no meanes separate them from Epiphanius excommunitated them bothe hopinge thereby with punishment to perswade them to the contrary But the yonger Apollinarius stomaking this dealinge put considence in his painted figures of Rhetorike and inuented a newe opinion the whiche at this day after the name of the author is called the heresie of Apollinarius Some doe affirme that they fell not out with Georgius for the aforesayd cause but for that they hearde him preache straunge and contradictorie doctrine affirminge sometimes the sonne to be like vnto the father as in the councell of Seleucia at other tymes maintayninge the heresie of Arius and so for triflinge and lighte occasion to haue fallen from the churche Whilest that no man gaue eare vnto them they endeuored to establishe a newe kinde of doctrine firste they taughte that Bod the worde tooke manhoode accordinge vnto the order of incarnation without soule againe recantinge the same they affirmed he tooke soule yet not the minde or reason beinge the highest and chiefest parte of the soule but that God the worde was shutte vp included and comprised in man in place of the minde Onely in this they varie from the church which are called their followers as for the Creed containing y â— clause Of one substance to be in the blessed Trinitie they stedfastly cleaue vnto it But I will heare ceasse and differre the discourse of bothe these Apollinariuses vntill an other conuenient place CAP. XXXVII Of the death of Constantius the Emperoure WHile the Emperoure Constantius remayned at Antioch Iulianus Caesar had muche adoe in Fraunce with many barbarous nations After that he had gotte the vpper hande the souldiers did so loue him that they proclaimed him Emperour Constantius hearing of this was wonderfully troubled and disquieted in minde so that the griefe thereof cast him into a daungerous disease Wherefore beinge first baptized of Eâ—â—oius he made expedition to geue him battaile And comming as farre as Mopsus wells betwene Cappadocia and Cilicia by reason of the great thought and sorowe he conceaued of his vnlucky affayres he fell into y t senseles heady sicknesse called Apoplexia thereof presently dyed in the Consulship of Taurus Florentius the third day of NoucÌ„ber the first yeare of the two huÌ„dreth eightie fift Olympiad Costatius lyued fiue forty yeares he raigned thirtie eight that is thirtene together with his father and fiue and twentie after his fathers death This second booke compriseth the historie of so many yeares The ende of the seconde booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Socrates THE THIRDE BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Of Iulianus his linage and bringing vp also howe that being Emperour he left Christian profession and embraced paganisme and gentilitie WHen the Emperour Constantius had departed this life in the borders of Cilicia the thirde of Nouember within the Consulship of Taurus Florentius lulianus the eleuenth of December following the same Consulship leauing the west parts of the world came to CoÌ„stantinople there was proclaimed Emperour Now therfore in as much as I haue determined w t my selfe to discourse of this Emperour Iulian a maÌ„ passing eloquent let none of his friends looke at my haÌ„ds for curious lofty stile as though it behoued my penne to couÌ„teruaile y â— excelleÌ„cie of y â— person But seeing our drift is otherwise beÌ„t namely for to deliuer y â— posteritie in writing y â— true histories of y â— church we will follow accordiÌ„g vnto out former promise a lowly soft kind of
Origen where the oration of Gregorie in the praise of Origen is layd downe in writing To be short there were foure Gregories first this auncient father the disciple some times of Origen next Gregorie Nazianzene thirdly Gregorie the brother of Basil and the fourth of Alexandria whome the Arians after the exile of Athanasius chose to their bishop Thus much of these men CAP. XXIII The originall of the Nouatian hereticks and how that as many of them as inhabited Phrygia celebrated the feast of Easter after the Iewishe maner ABout that time the Nouatians inhabiting Phrygia chaunged the dayes appoynted by the councell of Nice for the celebration of Easter but howe that came to passe I will declare if that first I lay downe the cause originall why so seuere a canon of the Nouatian church preuailed so much with the Phrygian and Paphlagonian nations Nouatus the priest seuered him selfe from the church of Rome because y ◠Cornelius the bishop receaued into the communion after repentance the faithfull that fell from the church sacrificed vnto Idols in the persecution vnder Decius the Emperour When he had deuided him selfe from y ◠church for the aforesayd cause first he was made bishop of such bishops as were of his opinion next he wrote epistles vnto all churches euery where that they should not receaue as meete partakers of the holy mysteries such as had sacrificed vnto Idolls but exhort them vnto repentance referring y ◠forgeuenes and remission vnto God who is of power and authority sufficient to remit sinne when the letters were brought into euery prouince euery one iudged thereof as pleased him best Because Nouatus had signified that such as after baptisme committed a sinne vnto death were not afterwards to be admitted vnto the communion the publishing of that canon seemed vnto some toe seuere vnto others but right reason auailable also for the direction of godly life Whē this controuersie was tossed toe and fro the letters of Cornelius were sent abroade signifying that there remained hope of pardon for such as had sinned after baptisme They both wrote contrary letters and cōueyed them vnto the churches abroade And whilest that both went about to confirme his opinion with testimonies of holy scripture euery man as the maner is looke where affection lead him there he addicted him selfe For such as were geuen to sinne tooke occasion by the libertie and fauoure that was graunted them went forewardes headlonge into euery shamefull crime The Phrygians are a nation farre more temperate and modest then others for they sweare very seldome The Scythians and Thracians are hotter more prone vnto anger For they that are nearer vnto the rising of the sunne are set more vpon lust concupiscence The Paphlagonians Phrygians are inclined to nere nother of these perturbations For at this daye they vse no running at tilte no such warlike exercise neither doe they vse to pastime them selues with spectacles and stage playes Wherefore these kind of men in myne opinion draw neerest vnto the drift disposition of Nouatus letters Adulterie is counted among them for a detestable and horrible sinne It is well knowen that the Phrygian and Paphlagonian trade of lyfe is farre modester and more chast and continent then any other hereticall sect whatsoeuer I coniecture that they shott at the same modest trade of lyfe which inhabited the west parts of the worlde and leaned to Nouatus opinion Nouatus him selfe though he varyed from the church of Rome by reason of a certaine seuere trade of liuing yet altered not he the tyme appointed for the celebration of Easter For he alwayes obserued the custome of the West churches ▪ and celebrated it as they did For such as lyue there since they were Christians kept alwayes that feast after the Equinoctiallspringe And though Nouatus him selfe was putt to death in the persecution vnder Valerianus yet such as in Phrygia are so called of him for all they are fallen from the faith of the Catholicke churche were licenced to become partakers of his communion at what time they altered the celebration of Easter day For in the village Pazum where the springs of the floode Sangarius are founde ▪ there was a Councell summoned of fewe and the same very obscure Nouatian bishops where they decreed that the maner custome of the Iewes who kept thē dayes of vnleauened bread was to be obserued and that the time appoynted by them was not to be broken This haue we learned of an olde man who was a priests sonne and present at the Councell with his father whereat Agelius the Nouatian byshop of Constantinople was not neyther Maximus of Nice neither the Nouatian bishop of Nicomedia neyther the bishop of Cotuaium who was of the same opinion with the rest for these were they that chiefely layde downe the canons of the Nouatian churches These things were of olde in this sort Not longe after because of this Councell as it shall be shewed in an other place the Nouatian churche was deuided within it selfe CAP. XXIIII Of Damasus bishop of Rome and Vrsinus his deacon of the greate sturre and slaughter that was at Rome because of them NOwe lett vs returne vnto the affaires of the West that were done at the same time When the Emperour Valentinianus lead a peaceable and quiet life molestinge no kinde of sect Damasus succeeded Liberius in the bishopricke of Rome at what time the quiet state of the Romaine church was wonderfully troubled the cause as I could learne was as followeth Vrsinus Deacon of that church in the vacancie of the seae made sute for him selfe agaynst Damasus to be chosen bishop Who seeing that Damasus was preferred and him selfe put backe seeinge also that all his canuasse was to no purpose fell from the church to raysinge of priuate and particular conuenticles and perswaded certaine base and obscure bishops to consecrate him bishop Wherfore they created him not in the open church but in an odde corner of the cathedrall church called Sicona This being done the people was all on an vprore the tumult was not toutchinge y ◠faith or heresie but whether of them both by ryght should be bishop The heat of thronging multitudes was so grieuous and the contention so greate that it cost many their liues For which schisme and rebellion many both of the laytie and cleargie were grieuously tormented by the cōmaundement of Maximmus the gouernour and so was Vrsinus foyled the enterprises of his factiō suppressed CAP. XXV After the death of Auxentius the Arian byshop of Mediolanum when there rose a great schisme about the election of a bishop the which Ambrose Liuetenant of that prouince suppressed he him selfe by the voyce of all that were present and by the consent of the Emperour Valentinianus was chosen Byshop ABout that time an other straunge act fell out at Mediolanum When Auxentius whome y ◠Arians chose to be bishop of
then immediatly after his returne from Rome beyng called of Peter to beare wittnesse affirmed playnly that the woman which had bene of the Manichees opinion was receaued by the consent of Theophilus the byshop and that he him selfe had ministred the communion vnto her Theophilus hearinge this fretted within him selfe for anger and thrust them both out of the church This was y â— cause that made Isidore to accompanie Dioscorus into Constantinople that both in presence of the Emperour and Iohn the bishop the sleyghts and wyles which Theophilus practised against them myght be reuealed Iohn vnderstanding these circumstances of them entertayned the men with great reuerence made them partakers of their common and publique prayers but he woulde not receaue them into the communion before that firste he had throughly examined their cause When these thinges were thus come to passe it was falsely reported vnto Theophilus that Iohn both receaued them into the communion and was also ready to take their part Wherefore Theophilus endeuoured with might and mayne not onely to reuenge him of Dioscorus and Isidorus but also to thruste Iohn besides his bishopricke and therevpon he sent letters vnto the bishops throughout euery citie where he concealed his principall drift pretending onely vnto them that he misliked with the works of Origen whence Athanasius before his tyme borowed testimonies to the confutation of the Arians Moreouer he reconciled and lynked him selfe with Epiphanius bishop of Constantia a citie of Cyprus with whome aforetyme he had iarred and bene at variance For Theophilus had charged him a litle before that he thought of God basely and abiectly attributing to him y e forme or shape of man And for all that Theophilus was of this opinion and accused them which beleued that God had the figure of man yet for the hatred and spite he owed vnto others he denyed openly in word that which he beleeued secretly in minde and linked vnto him Epiphanius in the league of friendship who lately had bene his foe but then as it were repented him of his folly ioyned with him in one faith and opinion of God Through his ayde and furtherance he purposed to summone a Councell at Cyprus for the condemning and rooting out of Origens workes Epiphanius beinge a vertuous and a godly man was easily perswaded therevnto by the letters of Theophilus To be short the bishops of that Isle assembled together and decreed that thenceforth none shoulde reade the workes of Origen moreouer they write vnto Iohn bishop of Constantinople exhortinge him to abstayne from perusinge the bookes of Origen requesting him also to summone a Councell and to ratifie the same with vniforme consent of them all When Theophilus had snared Epiphanius a man of greate fame and renowme to his side and perceaued that his fetches nowe framed according vnto his owne desire he dealt more boldly summoned a synode within his owne prouince where euen as Epiphanius had done before he condeÌ„ned the works of Origen which had departed this life about two hundred yeares before him this was not his principall drifte but he purposed verely to reuenge him this waye of Dioscorus and his brethren Iohn made small accompt of the thinges which Epiphanius and Theophilus had signified vnto him by their letters for he occupyed him selfe to the furtherance and profit of the churches and therin he excelled as for the conspiracie mischiefe intended agaynst him he made very light of it As soone as it was openly knowen and manifestly perceaued that Theophilus bent all his myght to depose Iohn of his bishopricke diuers that bare Iohn ill will fell a deuisinge and a forginge out of false crimes and accusations agaynst him Many of the cleargie sundry also of the magistrates which were in great fauour with the Emperour supposing now they had gotten fit opportunitie to reuenge them of Iohn determined with them selues partly by writinge of letters and partly also by sendinge of messengers to summone together at Constantinople a great Councell of byshops CAP. X. Of Seuerianus and Antiochus the Syrians howe and vpon what occasion they fell from Iohn AN other thinge gaue occasion to encrease the hatred and ill will owed vnto Iohn in suche sort as followeth There were two bishops by byrth Syrians which florished at one tyme the ones name was Seuerianus the other Antiochus the one was bishop of Gabale in Syria the other of Ptolemais in Phoenicia both excelled in the gift of vtteraÌ„ce but Seuerianus although he were learned yet pronounced he not the Greeke toÌ„gue distinetly neither skilfully for he spake Greeke as a Grecian yet pronounced it like a Syrian Antiochus coÌ„ming from Ptolemais to CoÌ„stantinople continewed there a while and preached with great diligeÌ„ce after that therby he had got vnto him selfe good store of money he returned home to his owne church Seuerianus hearing that Antiochus had got much money by preachinge at Constantinople was very desirous to doe the like him selfe He exercised him selfe diligently he patched together a great companie of boosome sermons and came to Constantinople Being there friendly louingly entertained of Iohn he applied him selfe craftely for a while to please Iohn and gott greate fauour by flatterie He was much set by and in great estimation and as he was highly coÌ„mended for preaching so in like maner purchased he vnto him selfe great credit with the chiefe magistrates and w t the Emperour In the meane space because that the bishop of Ephesus was departed this life Iohn of necessitie was coÌ„strained to take his voyage into Ephesus for to chuse there a bishop After his comming thither when that some would haue this man some that man preferred to the rowme and thervpon fell to bitter words contention whilest that euery one would haue his friend aduaunced to the dignitie Iohn perceauing that they were all set on tumults and that by no meanes they would be ruled by him endeuoured to ende the quarell without offending of either side He assigned one Heraclides a deacon of his church yet borne in Cyprus to be bishop With that both parts were pleased and gaue ouer contention Iohn was faine for this matter to continewe a greate while at Ephesus In his absence Seuerianus had brought his auditors at Constantinople to beare him farre better good will then euer they did before neyther was Iohn ignorant of this for it was tolde him quickly When Serapion of whome I spake before had signified vnto Iohn that Seuerianus had deuided the churches he forthwith was kyndled with the flame of contention Wherefore when as he had not fully ended all such thinges as he determined with him selfe for he had depriued â—oth the Nouatians and such as celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth day of the moneth of many churches he returned to Constantinople and applyed him selfe after his vsuall maner vnto the ouersight of the ecclesiasticall affayres The insolent disdayne and hautie stomacke of Serapion was
as a simple lodging a peece of the byshops pallace Epiphanius answered him in this sorte I will neyther lye with thee neyther praye together with thee vnlesse thou both banishe Dioscorus with his brethren out of the citie and also subscribe with thine owne hande vnto the decree which condemneth the works of Origen When that Iohn paused vpon the matter and sayde that he ought not rashly neyther without good aduisement determine any thinge of that matter afore that he had generally examined and that narrowly the whole circumstance the aduersaries of Iohn set Epiphanius otherwise on worke For at the celebration of the blessed and holie Communion in the churche commonly called the Apostles they sette Epiphanius in the myddest they cause him in the open audience to condemne the workes of Origen to excommunicate Dioscorus and his brethren laste of all to rebuke Iohn for takinge of their parte When Iohn hearde of this he sent vnto Epiphanius who the daye followinge was at churche this message by Serapion Epiphanius thou doest manie thinges contrarie to the Canons firste in that thou hast presumed to make ministers vvithin my Diocesse secondly in that thou hast ministred the Communion of thyne ovvne heade vvithout my licence agayne in that thou dyddest refuse it vvhen I requested thee and novve thou doest it of thy selfe VVherefore take heede lest the people stomacke thy dealinge and be sett on an vprore if ought come amysse thou hast thy remedie in thy hande Epiphanius receauinge this message was strucken with sodayne feare left the church inueyed bitterly agaynst Iohn and tooke shippinge towards Cyprus The reporte goeth that as he went downe to the rode to take shipping he prophecied thus of Iohn I hope thou shalt neuer dye a bishop that Iohn answered him thus againe I hope thou shat neuer come aliue into thy contrey Whether they that told mee these things reported truely I am not able to say but sure I am that it fell to ether euen as eche one wished to the other For neyther came Epiphanius aliue to Cyprus he dyed on the seas by the way neyther dyed Iohn a bishop for he was deposed and banished the church as hereafter shall more manifestly appeare CAP. XIIII Howe that after the departure of Epiphanius Iohn made a sermon agaynst allwomen which made both the Emperour and the Empresse to summone a Councell at Chalcedon where Iohn was deposed In his absence the people made much adoe to appease them Iohn is called home to Constantinople againe AS soone as Epiphanius had hoysed vp sayle reporte came vnto Iohn that Eudoxia the Empresse had bolstered Epiphanius against him he beinge very hot and a hasty man of nature euer ready for his gift of vtterance did so serue him immediatly went vp into the pulpitt made a whole sermon in the dispraise of all women The multitude tooke it in the worst part as if therby he had determined secretly to pay home y ◠Empresse The sermon was borne away of ill-willers and brought to the Emperour the Empresse also hearinge therof complayned vnto the Emperour that therein she was contuineliously dealte withall and that the reproche thereof redounded also vnto him Wherfore she worketh through Theophilus to summone a councell against Iohn Seuerianus likewise went about the same neither was the dealing of Iohn towards him as yet gone out of his stomacke Shortly after Theophilus came thither who called together at the Emperours commaundement many bishops out of diuers cities But aboue all other men they came thither apace which for diuers quarells owed Iohn a displeasure They also came thither whome Iohn had deposed put by their bishopricks ▪ for he had depriued many of the bishops in Asia in the voyage he made to Ephesus at what time he made Heraclides bishop wherfore w t one cōsent they meete all at Chalcedō a citie of Bithynia At that time Cyrinus an Aegyptiā borne being bishop of Chalcedō inueyed bitterly against Iohn in presence of all y ◠bishops he reported of him y ◠he was a wicked mā that he was an arrogāt a sollyne bishop the rest of y ◠bishops were glad of that But Maruthas bishop of Mesopotamia trode against his will on Cyrinus foote and hurt him sore The broise so encreased pained Cyrinus so much y ◠he could not goe w t the rest of the bishops to Cōstātinople but taryed behind at Chalcedō the rest sayled to Cōstantinople When as none of y ◠clergie of Constantinople went forth to meete Theophilus neither exhibited vnto him the accustomed honor and reuerence for then all beganne to hate him the matiners of Alexandria who then by chaunce were there and had brought corne to Constantinople went to meete him and receaued him with gladsome shoutes He went not to the house of prayer but vnto the Empresse pallace called Placidia Then the aduersaries of Iohn went about to forge many false accusations agaynst him they brabble no longer about the bookes of Origen but they take other absurde matters in hande When these thinges were thus adoynge the Bishops assembled together in the suburbs of Chalcedon in a place called the Oke immediately they cite thyther Iohn for to answere vnto such crimes as he was charged withall Besyde him they charge Serapion Tygris the Eunuche prieste and Paulus the reader for they were also accused to appeare before them When Iohn had excepted agaynst such as had cited him thither as his open enemies he appealed from them vnto a generall Councell they without any other circumstance called him foure tymes And seeyng that he would not come but sent them still the same answere they proceeded against him they condemned and deposed him of his bishoprick for no other crime but because he being cited would not appeare When tydings thereof about euentyde were brought to Constantinople the whole citie was on an vprore Wherefore they watched all nyght they would not suffer him to be thrust out of the churche they exclaimed that his cause ought to haue bene hearde in a greater assemblie of Bishops But the Emperours commaundement was that as soone as he were remoued he shoulde be conueyed to exile This beyng knowen for certayntie Iohn the thirde day after his deposition about noone vnknowinge to the multitude for he was loth there shoulde be any adoe for his lake yeelded him selfe voluntarily into the handes of his aduersaries and so went awaye The people were all sette on fyrie sedition and as it commonly falleth out in suche hurlyburlies many of them which aforetyme pursued him with deadly hatred then chaunginge they re mind pitied his case many others who lately desired to see his depriuation reported then that he was craftely dealt withall and falsely accused Many cryed out agaynste the Emperour and exclaimed at the Councell but aboue all others they inueyed agaynst Theophilus who was knowen to haue bene the author of all that treacherie and malicious sclaunders
raysed of Iohn For the cōspiracie and wayte he layd for Iohn could do longer be concealed and though it was diuersly found out yet specially in that he cōmunicated with Dioscorus and his brethren called Longe immediatly after the deposition of Iohn Seuerianus also as he preached in the church thought now he had fit opportunitie geuen him to inuey against Iohn he sayde playnely though Iohn were conuicted of no crime yet was he iustly deposed for his insolent and hautie behauiour that all sinnes were to be forgiuen yet as holy scripture bare witnesse that God resisted the proude With the hearinge of these and suche lyke contumelious phrases recited the people was the more prone to contention Wherefore the Emperour in all the hast caused Iohn agayne to be sent for and to returne to Constantinople Briso being the messenger he was an Eunuche of the Empresse found him at Prenetum a mart towne ouer agaynst Nicomedia and brought him to Constantinople But for all he was thus called home from exile yet purposed he with him selfe not to treade within the citie afore he were proued and founde innocent by the censure of the hygher Iudges therefore he continewed a whyle in the suburbes called Marianae When that he lyngered from returnynge into the Cytie the multitude tooke it grieuouslye and forthwith fell a reuilinge of the Magistrates Wherefore of necessitie he was constrayned to come home the people went forth to meete him they bring him to the church w t great reuerence they request him to continew their bishop and thenceforth after the vsuall maner to praye for the peace and prosperous estate of the church of God When that he refused so to doe and pleaded for him selfe that it must not so be afore his cause were hearde of indifferent Iudges the deposers had chaunged their mind absolued him they were the more desirous for they longed to see him stalled againe in the bishops seae and preache afreshe vnto the people To be short the people cōpelled him so to doe When that Iohn was placed in the bishops seate and prayed after the accustoined maner for peace vnto the people and congregations throughout the worlde he was constrayned also to preache The which thinge ministred occasion vnto the aduersaries to accuse him againe although for a while they suffred it to lye for deade CAP. XV. Howe that when Theophilus woulde haue Heraclides matter hearde in his absence and Iohn resisted it the citizens of Constantinople and Alexandria went together by the eares so that Theophilus with other bishops was fayne to leaue the citie and flye away IN the meane space Theophilus went craftely aboute for to call into question the consecratinge of Heraclides to the ende he myght thereby if it were possible finde matter to charge Iohn afreshe and so to depose him the seconde tyme. Heraclides for all he was not present yet they proceede againste him they laye to his charge that he had iniustly punished certaine persons imprisoned them last of all lead them throughout the open streetes of Ephesus to be ignominiously derided When Iohn made answere that of ryght no man ought to be iudged in his absence without the presence of the partie and the hearinge of his owne cause the people of Alexandria brged very earnestly that the accusers of Heraclides were to be hearde for all he him selfe were absent Herevpon there rose greate strife and contention betweene the citizens of Constantinople and the inhabitants of Alexandria And while they skirmishe one with the other many were sore wounded and diuers also presently dispatched When the heade of this combatt was past and the trueth come to light Theophilus gott him in all the hast to Alexandria the other bishops ranne likewise away fewe onely excepted which helde with Iohn and repaired euery one to his owne bishopricke After that these thinges were thus come to passe euery man was readie to speake ill of Theophilus The hatred grew and increased agaynst him dayly because he sticked not studiously to peruse the workes of Origen secretly though openly he condemned them And being demaunded why he made so much of the bookes he had lately condemned his answere was that the bookes of Origen were like meddowes clad with euery kinde of flowers therefore sayeth he if I finde in them ought that is good I cull it out if otherwise bryers or brambles I sett nought by them because of their prickes This was the answere of Theophilus when he called not to remembrance the saying of the wise man that the wordes and counsells of sages resemble very much prickinge thornes and that such as are toutched therewith ought not to kicke agaynste the pricke The aforesayde causes made Theophilus to be hated of all men Dioscorus Bishop of Hermopolis one of these religious men which commonly were called Longe departed this lyfe shortly after the departure of Theophilus into Alexandria and enioyed an honorable funerall at the Church called the Oke where the Councell was summoned for the hearinge of Iohns cause Iohn gaue him selfe wholly to teache and to preache vnto the people he made Serapion who had procured vnto him great hatred bishop of Heraclea a citie of Thracia CAP. XVI Howe the picture of Eudoxia was erected all of siluer with playes and spectacles Iohn reprehended the authors that did the whole was therfore banished SHortly after such things as followe ensued A siluer picture couered with a mantell of Eudoxia the Empresse was set vp vpon a pillour of redd marble The place of this erected pillour was not very nygh the church called VVisdome neither very farte of onely the broade streete went betwene the picture the church There were cōmon playes showes as the maner was celebrated Iohn supposing verely that these things redounded to the great sclaunder and infamie of Christian religion not forgetting his wonted audacitie and libertie of speache prepared him selfe for the authors therof and in steede of the exhortation he should haue vsed to the perswasion or rather the reformation of the princes and magistrates he skoffed with nipping tauntes at such as had caused those vanities to be solemnized The Empresse likewise applying these things to her selfe supposing that all was vttered to her disgrace and reproche procured an other Councell of bishops to be called together agaynst him Iohn vnderstanding of this made that famous notable sermon in the church which beginneth in this sort Herodias rageth afreshe stomacketh anewe daunceth againe seeketh as yet the head of Iohn in a platter This sermon made the Empresse mad set her on fire against him Not long after the bishops met there together Leontius bishop of Ancyra in Galatia the lesser Ammonius bishop of Laodicea a citie in Pisidia Briso bishop of Philippis in Thracia Acacius bishop of Beroea in Syria w t diuers others The accusers which lately charged Iohn with haynous crimes are nowe brought forth before these bishops Iohn trusting to the iust
dealing of the bishops requireth of them that the accusations may indifferently be examined By that time the seast of our sauiours natiuitie was come on which day y ◠Emperour went not to the church after the wonted maner but sent Iohn this message that he would not communicate w t him before he had cleared him selfe of the crimes layd to his charge And when as the accusers seemed to mistrust them selues that Iohn through the vprightnes equitie of his cause boldened him selfe the bishops then present affirmed they ought not to examine any other offence saue only whether he of him selfe had takē possession of the bishoprick after he was deposed without the sentence admission of a councell When Iohn made answere y ◠he had the consent of fiftie bishops which cōmunicated w t him Leontius replied against him but more saith he in the coūcell withstoode thy admission Againe when Iohn sayd that the canon which cōtained such a clause appertained not vnto their churche but was to be executed where y ◠Arians did raigne for such as assembled at Antioch to roote out y ◠faith of one substance layd downe y ◠canon against Athanasius they neuerthelesse makinge no accōpt of his answere proceeded gaue sentence against him not weying with thēselues that such as were authors of this canon were also deposers of Athanasius These things were done a litle before Easter Then also the Emperour sent vnto Iohn y ◠he had no authoritie to go into the church insomuch he was deposed condemned in two seuerall councells Wherefore Iohn gaue ouer executing of the ecclesiasticall function refrained from going into the church Immediatly also such as fauored him departed y ◠churche they keepe Easter in the cōmon bathes called Cōstantianae together with many bishops priests other ecclesiasticall persons who thenceforth because of their seuerall conuenticles were called Iohannits For the space of two moneths Iohn was neuer seene abrode vntill y ◠by the Emperours cōmaundemēt he was brought to exile so at length being banished the church he was bereaued of his contrey soyle The same day certaine of such as were called Iohannits set the church on fire with that the easterne wind being vp blew the flame into the senatours court cessed not from burning vntill all was cōsumed to ashes This was done the twentieth of Iune in the sixt Consulship of Honorius the which he enioyed together w t Aristanetus For which conspiracie treason what heauy penalties grieuous punishments Optatus gouernour of Constantinople in religion a pagane and therfore a sore plaguer of Christians made them endure I thinke it best to ouerskip them with silence CAP. XVII Howe that after the deposition of Iohn Arsacius was made byshop of Constantinople of Cyrinus byshop of Chalcedon that was payned with the sore foote and of the death of Eudoxia the Empresse ARsacius an old man aboue the age of fourescore yeares who sometime gouerned the bishopricke of Constantinople before the dayes of Iohn was shortly after made byshop of that seae In his time when as the church enioyed greate ease and quietnesse by reason of his singular modestie and meeke behauiour Cyrinus bishop of Chalcedon whose foote Maruthas bishop of Mesopotamia had trode on and hutt against his will had such infortunate successe y t his foote rotted of the broise and therfore of necessitie he was cōstrained to saw it of Neither suffred he that once but twise and oftenner toe For the putrefaction ranne ouer his whole bodie and fell at length into his other foote then was he fayne to lose both I haue therefore remembred these thinges because it was rife in euery mans mouth that Cyrinus suffered this plague or punishment for reuiling of Iohn and terming him as I sayd before a stuburne Bishop Againe when as great haile the bignesse whereof was not remembred to haue bene seene before fell in the suburbes of Constantinople y ◠thirtieth day of Septembre the aforesayd Consulship y ◠report likewise went that it was a token of Gods wrath for the deposition and banishment of Iohn The death of the Empresse which followed immediatly after confirmed this rumor for she departed this life the fourth day after the fall of this haile Some there were also which sayd that Iohn was iustly deposed because that in the voyage when he made Heraclides Bishop of Ephesus he thrust many out of their Churches namely the Nouatians and such as celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteeneth day of the moneth with many others both in Asia and in Lydia But whether Iohn was iustly deposed as they said which bare him ill will whether Cyrinus was plagued for his opprobrious languages and sclaunderous reports last of all whether the haile and the death of the Empresse were signes of Gods high displeasure for banishing of Iohn or whether they happened for some other causes God alone knoweth which searcheth the secrets of mans hart and pronounceth here of the right sentence of iust iudgement I of myne owne parte committed to writing such things as then were rife in euery mans mouth CAP. XVIII Howe that after the desease of Arsacius Atticus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople ARsacius continewed not Bishop very long for the yeare following to wit in the second Consulship of Stilicon but the first of Anthemius and the eleuenth of Nouembre he departed this life When that the election of a bishop fell out to be a troublesome peece of worke and the contention endured a very long time the next yeare after in the sixt Consulship of Arcadius and the first of Probus Atticus a godly mā by birth of Sebastia in Armenia by order a religious man trayned in the monasticall discipline from his youth vp of meane knowledge yet of singuler wisedome naturally ingraffed in him was chosen bishop of Constātinople but of him more hereafter CAP. XIX Howe that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople died in exile IOhn being banished his Churche bereaued his contrey soyle dyed in exile at Comanum situated vpon the sea Euxinus the foureteeneth of Nouembre the seuenth Consulship of Honorius the seconde of Theodosius a man he was as I sayd before more lead with heate of burning choler then ruled by ciuill curtesie and because he was a man of wonderfull boldnes he vsed liberty of speach and had tongue at will I can not verily but wonder at him why he addicting him selfe so much to temperance taught in some sermons that temperance was in maner to be sett at nought for when as by the councell of Bishops there was admission left and pardon graunted for such as had once fallen after baptisme to be receaued againe after repentance into the Church he sticked not to say If thou fall a thousand times repent thee of thy folly come boldly into the Church for which doctrine besides that he was misliked of many his familiars yet was
henceforth I will no more come into your company Immediatly after he had spoken this he went aside ioyned him selfe with the Bishops which held with his opinion â–ª so that the bishops then present were deuided into two parts â–ª such as of the councell held w t Cyrillus called Nestorius before them he came not but answered that he would differr the hearing of his cause vntill the comming of Iohn bishop of Antioch Wherfore Cyrillus together with the other Bishops of the councell after they had read ouer the Sermons of Nestorius the which he had preached vnto the people and gathered out of them that in good earnest he had vttered open blasphemies against the sonne of God deposed him of his bishoprick This being done the Bishops which helde with Nestorius assembled together seuerally by them selues and deposed Cyrillus and Memnon Bishop of Ephesus Shortly after Iohn Bishop of Antioch was come who vnderstanding of all circumstances blamed Cyrillus greatly as the autor of all that sturre and because that vpon a head he had so soone deposed Nestorius Cyrillus taking Iuuenalis on his side for to reuenge him of Iohn deposed him also When the contention grewe to be very trouble some when also Nestorius perceaued that the poysoned infection of discorde was scattered farre and nighe amonge the common â—orte of people he as it were recanting his folly called Marie the mother of God his wordes were these Let Marie be called the mother of God and I pray you conceaue no longer displeasure But no man thought that he spake this and repented from the hart therefore as yet he dwelleth in Oasis both deposed of his bishoprick and banished his contrey Thus was the councell of Ephesus at that tyme broken vp it was in the Consulship of Bassus and Antiochus the eyght and twentyeth of Iune Iohn Bishop of Antioch after his returne vnto his proper seae called many Bishops together and deposed Cyrillus who nowe was gone to Alexandria Shortly after for all that they layde aside all spyte grudge and enmitie they became friendes and restored eche to other their bishoprickes againe After the deposition of Nestorius there rose a greate schisme in the Church of Constantinople for the vayne and foolish doctrine of Nestorius parted the people asunder All the Elergie with vniforme consent accursed him openly for so we Christians doe call the sentence which we pronounce against the autor of blasphemie whereby we minde to make it so manifest vnto the worlde as if it were ingrauen in a table and nayled to an open post CAP. XXXIIII How that after the deposition of Nestorius Maximianus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople AT Constantinople there rose an other schisme about the election of a Bishop â–ª for some would haue Philip of whome I spake a litle before some other would haue Proclus chosen bishop Proclus verily had preuailed had not some of great autoritie bene his back friends and signified playnly that the canon of the Church forbad any should be nominated Bishop of one city and translated to an other â–ª the which saying being alleadged was of such force that the people were therewith appeased and satisfied Wherfore three moneths after the deposition of Nestorius Maximianus was chosen Bishop a man he was which led a monasticall life by degree a Priest one that of late had purchased vnto himselfe a good name and was thought to be a godly man because he had buylded vpon his owne costes and charges the sepulchres and tumbes where godly men shoulde be interred â–ª he was a man altogether vnlearned who determined with him self to leade a quiet life void of all care and molestation CAP. XXXV Socrates proueth that it is not forbid but that there may be a translation of Bishops from one seae to an other INsomuch that some by reason of the Ecclesiasticall Canon which they allendged for them selues haue inhibited Proclus intitled Bishop of Cyzicum from being placed in the Bishops â—eae of Constantinople I thought good presently to say somewhat thereof â–ª such as tooke vpon them to iustifie that saying in myne opinion did not reporte the trueth but eyther of enuie against Proclus forged such a decree or of wilfull ignorance considered not then of the canons and other constitutions oftentimes established for the profitt and commoditie of the Church of God â–ª for Eusebius Pamphilus in the sixt booke of his Ecclesiasticall history reporteth that one Alexander Bishop of some citie in Cappadocia taking his voyage towards Ierusalem was of the citizens of Ierusalem caused to tary and stalled Bishop in the rowme of Narcissus where he continewed vnto the ende of his life It was an indifferent matter of olde time among the auncient fathers as oft as the Ecclesiasticall affayres so constrayned to translate bishops from one seae vnto an other If it be any thing auaileable to annect the canon decreed in this behalfe vnto this our present history let vs see howe shamelesse these men were who therefore thrust Proclus besides the bishopricke of Constantinople and how vntruely they reported of the canon for it is read as followeth If any Bishop be assigned to gouerne any Church whatsoeuer goeth not thither the fault being not in him selfe but either that the people repelled him or some other necessary cause doe staye him vnto him be it lawfull to enioy the honour the priestly function so that he be not troublesome vnto the Church whereof he is appointed Bishop but approue whatsoeuer the prouinciall councell shall determine of the matter called in controuersie These be the wordes of the Canon But that it may appeare more euidently that many Bishops were translated from one citye vnto an other vpon necessary and vrgent causes I wil here lay downe the names of such as were remoued Perigenes being chosen bishop of Patras in Achaia and refused by the citizens of that place was by the commaundement of the Bishop of Rome placed in the Metropolitane seae of Corinth to succeede the late deseased where he continewed all the rest of his life Gregorie Nazianzene was first bishop of Sasimum a city in Cappadocia next of Nazianzum afterwards of Constantinople last of all he went back againe to Nazianzum Meletius was chosen Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia but afterwardes remoued to Antioch Dositheus Bishop of Seleucia was by Alexander Bishop of Antioch translated vnto Tarsus in Cilicia Berentius Bishop of Arcae in Phaenicia was brought thence into Tyrus Iohn was sent from Gordus a city of Lydia to gouerne the bishoprick of Proconesus Palladius was translated from Helenopolis to Aspunis Alexander from Helenopolis vnto Adrian Theophilus from Apamea in Asia to Eudoxopolis which of old was called Salabria Polycarpus from Sexantapristae a city in Mysia vnto Nicopolis in Thracia Hieroâ— hilus from Trapezupolis in Phrygia vnto Plotinopolis in Thracia Optimus from Andagamia in Phrygia vnto Antioch in Pisidia and Siluanus bishop of Philippopolis in Thracia
feruent that he wrote freely vnto the Emperour Theodosius who had made a lawe that the Iewes inhabitinge Antioch shoulde enioye againe suche synagogs as the Christians had taken from them rebuking him sharply for he feared only God who was his emperour that Theodosius for to please the Christians called in his proclamations deposed the magistrate which put in his head the restoringe of the synagogs entreated this holy man and namely Erius the martyr to pray for him vnto God to make him partaker of his blessing This Symeon leading so austere a life continued his mortal race six and fiftie years for he liued nine years in the monasterie where he was trained vp in the diuine precepts of vertuous life in Mandria so was the place called seuen and forty yeares tenne of these he spent in a very narrowe rowme seuen in straicter pillours and thirtie yeares in a pillour of forty cubits After his deceasse his holy corps was brought to Antioch in the raigne of Leo the Emperour and Martyrius byshop of Antioch vnto that time Ardaburius captaine of the Easterne garison remained in Mandria together with his power keepinge the corps of holye Symeon leste the borderinge cities shoulde by force carie it away Wherefore the holye corps of Symeon is brought to Antioch after the workinge of manye miracles by the way the whiche Leo the Emperour afterwardes requested of the people of Antioch but the Antiochians of the other side made humble sute vnto the Emperour in suche sort as followeth In so muche our citie is not inuironed vvith vvalles the Emperours furious rage had ouerwhelmed them to the grounde VVe haue transported hither O Emperour the holy corps of Symeon that it may be both vnto vs and to our citie in stede of a fortified wall Leo being thus intreated of theÌ„ yelded vnto their request grauÌ„ted theÌ„ their sute â–ª many parts of his carcasse were reserued vnto these our days I my self saw his skul at what time Gregorie a man of great renowne bishop of y â— church and Philippicus required that the reliques of the saincts for the speedier expedition of his martial affaires in the East shoulde be sent vnto him And that which was greatly to be marueiled at the heare of his heade was not worne away but remained whole as if he had bene a liue and conuersaunt amonge men the skinne of his foreheade beinge onely shronke into wrinkles and withered yet was not consumed many also of his teeth being not pulled out by the handes of the faythfull declared vnto the worlde the shape and stature of holy Symeon moreouer there was laid vp the iron chaine which hong about his neck and with it the corps so much spoken of of all men for enduringe suche great hardnesse and miserie was honored with diuine prayses All which circumstances both for mine owne profitt and the commonditie of the reader I woulde rehearse at large were it not that Theodoritus as I sayde before had sufficiently discoursed of them CAP. XIIII Of the starre that was sene in the porche of Symeons pillour the which Euagrius together with many others sawe NOwe I am about to write a certaine thing whiche I sawe with mine owne eyes I was wonderfull desirous to see the Churche of holy Symeon it standes at the furthest from Theopolis that is Antioch three hundred furlongs set vpon the top of a hill the cuntreymen call that place Mandria borowinge the name as I suppose of the seuere discipline and austere trade of life exercised by Symeon therein the hill riseth in height to a twentie furlongs the buildinge of the Church is after the manner of a crosse notably set forth with porches of fouresquare The porches haue pillours annexed vnto them finely wrought of freestone which lift vp the roufe on high and that very artificially The entire that is to the middes of the temple is wide open very cunningly wrought where the aforesaide pillour of forty cubites standes in the which the earthly and corporeal angel ledde an heauenly life The porches haue as it were lattises on high the which they cal windowes fallinge both towardes the entrie and porches them selues At the left hand of the pillour in one of the lattises I my self together with many cuntrey men assembled together and compassing the pillour sawe a starre of a wonderfull bignesse running and wandringe hither and thither throughout the chinkes and clefte lattises twinkelinge in the eyes of the beholders neither that once twise or thrise but oftener and the same oftentimes fading and vanishinge away afterwardes immediatly appearinge againe the whiche is commonly scene on this sainctes holiday There are which report and verily we haue to belieue the myracle partly for their creditt which testifie the same and partly also for that which we sawe our selues that they sawe the very shape of his person houering here and there in a long berde with a hatt on his heade after his wonted manner suche men as trauell that way may easily goe in and see all and some times they ride about the pillour There is a porter which continually watcheth the porches of the Church that no woman enter in the cause I doe not learne but if any drawe nigh they stand without and beholde the miracle for one of the porches standeth ouer against the bright starre CAP. XV. Of Isidorus the pelusian and Synesius byshop of Cyrene VNder the raigne of the same Emperour there florished one Isidorus the fame of whose sayings and doinges is spred farre and nigh and rife in euery mans mouth he so tamed the flesh with continuall toyle and labour and so fedd the minde with misticall and heauenly doctrine that he led on earth the life of an Angell and commended vnto the worlde the liuely and expresse forme of the monasticall and contemplatiue trade of liuinge he wrote beside many other notable workes of his great labour and studie one vnto Cyrill whereby we gather that he liued at one time with the renowmed Cyrill Nowe that I haue runne ouer these thinges aftermy sclender hability let vs not forget Synesius byshop of Cyrene that the excellencie of his vertues may set forth the simplicitie of our stile This Synesius was so eloquent a man and so profounde a philosopher that he was had in great admiration of suche christians as iudged of him without parcialitie respectinge neither the venome of malice neither the vaine flatterie of friendship Wherefore they perswade him to be baptized and to take vpon him the priestly function though he admitted not the article of the resuâ—ection neither woulde be brought to belieue the same hopinge of him very charitably that these things woulde followe after his other vertues and that the grace of God woulde suffer nothing to want in him that appertained vnto his soules health saluation which hope of theirs was not frustrate for how excellently he proued both the learned epistles he wrote after the receauing of priesthood
the deuelâ— Epiphan haeres 45. Euseb li. 4. ca. 27 â–ª 182. Comodus succeeded Antoniâ—â—s Verus in the empire he raigned 13 yeares was smotheâ—ed to death or as â—tâ—op writeth poisoned Pantentes moderater of the schoole of Alexandria in the time of Iulianus bishop there was the maister of Clemens     Iulianus was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Agrippas in the first yeare of Comodus where he coÌ„tinewed 10. yeares Euse lib. 5. cap. 9. 20. Apelles was a Marcionite he sayd that Prophecies were of a contrary spirit he was guyded by one Philumena a woman He thought it was not for men to reason of religion but euery one to continew as he beleued Euseb lib. 5. cap. 12.  Euse lib. 5. cap. 9. 24. 〈◊〉 chronic Alexandrinus He wente about a preaching as farr as India Euseb lib. 5. cap. 9. 10.     Demetrius was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Iulianus he gouerned the church 43. yeares Euseb lib 5. cap. 20. lib. 6. cap. 25. Potinus Basilicus Lycus Synerus were Marcionits whome Rhodon confuted Euseb lib. 5. cap. 12.  Anno 10. Comodi RhodoÌ„ an Asian the disciple of Tatianus wrote agaynst the heresie of Marâ—ion he disputed with Apelles face to face Euse lib. 5. cap. 12. Scrapion held a synode at Antioch where together with many other bishops he condemned the MoÌ„tanists Euseb lib. 5. cap. 17. There was a Synode helde at Rome in the time of Victor tout chinge the time of the celebratioÌ„ of the feast of Easter when he excommunicated all the eastern churches for which cause he was reprehended of diuers but sharply of Irenaeus Euseb lib. 5 cap. 21. 22. 23. Narcissus of him are many thiÌ„gs writteÌ„ first that he turned water into oyle for the laÌ„ps of the church he was accused of a haynous crime and although he was innocent yet left he his church and fledd away into the wildernes where he coÌ„tinewed a loÌ„g time In the meane whyle his accusers were wonderfully plagued froÌ„ aboue to the exaÌ„ple of all periured persoÌ„s Euseb lib. 5. cap. 11. lib. 6. cap. 7. 8. Serapion succeeded Maximinus in the seae of Antioch he remeÌ„bred the works of Apollinarius against MoÌ„tanus whoÌ„ he also together with many other byshops condemned Euseb lib. 5. ca. 17. 20 about the 10. yere of Comodus Victor was b. of RoÌ„e after Eleutherius in the 10. yere of Comodus the Emperour an Do. 193. where he continewed 10. yeres Euseb lib. 5. ca. 20. 25.  Pepuziani were heretickes which came out of the village Pepuza their abiding was in Galatia and Cappadocia â–ª they were called Quintilliani Prisâ—illiani because that Christ in the forme of a woman laye with Quintilla a mayde or as some say Priscilla and reuealed vnto her diâ—â—ne mysteries Women are priests among them they re sacrifice is alike with the Montanists aboue â–ª Epiphan haer 49 193.  Miltiades wrote against the Phrygian heresie of Montanus Euseb lib. 5. cap. 15.      Artotyritae were hereticks which offred breade and cheese in the sacrament Epiphan haer 49. August   Apollonius a PhrygiaÌ„ wrot against the Montanists Euseb lib. 5. cap. 16.      Alogi were heretickes whiche denyed Christ to be the worde they condemned the Gospell after Iohn they sayd that Cerinthus the hereticke wrote the reuelation Epiphan haeres 51. August   Thraseas a martyr ibid.      Adamits were heretickes which deuised them a churche after an hotte house to keepe them from colde for the space of an houre or seruice tyme they were all naked men women the virgines preached vnto the rest their churche they called Paradise them selues Adam and Eue. Epiphan haeres 52.         Theodotus a Montanist through sorcerie tooke his flight towardes heauen but downe he fell dyed miserablie Euseb lib. 5. cap. 14.         Florinus Blastus fel from the church and taught at Rome that God was the author of euill whome Irenaeus confuted Euseb lib. 5. cap. 13. 18.  Apollonius a christian philosopher at Rome exhibited an Apollogie vnto the Romaine Senate afterwardes he was beheaded vnder Comodus Euseb lib. 5. cap. 19 Theophilus b. of Caesarea in Palaestina BaÌ„chyllus b. of CoriÌ„th in Hella da. Polycrates b. of Ephes â—â—orished about this time Euseb li. 5. ca. 20 ClemeÌ„s called Alexandrinus because he was of Alexandria was the disciple of PaÌ„taenus the maister of Origen he moderated after PaÌ„taenus the schoole of AlexaÌ„dria he florished chiefly in the tyme of Seuerus and his sonne Antoninus Euseb lib. 6. cap. 5. 12. 13. At Caesarea in Palaestina there was a synod held toutchinge the feaste of Easter Where Theophilus b. of Caesarea and Narcissus b. of IerusaleÌ„ were present and the chiefe pastors Euseb lib. 5. cap. 21. 24.     Theodotus a tanner denyed the diuinitiâ— of Christ he was the firste autor of the heresie of Artemon For whiche cause Victor b. of Rome excommunicated him Euseb lib. 5. cap. 25.   Ierom. catalog Heraclitus wrot vpoÌ„ the epistles of Paul In Pontus there was a Synode toutchinge the aforesayd feaste of Easter where Palmas was chiefe Euseb li. 5. cap. 21.     Artemon tooke Christ but for a bare a naked man He lyued in the time of Victor and Zephyrinus b. of Rome He was the disciple of Theodotus the tanner and had to his companions Asclepiodotus Natalius which repented him selfe fell at the feete of Zephyrinus b. of Rome for absolution Euseb lib. 5. cap. 25.   Maximus wrote of the author of euell agaynst Artemon Candidus wrote of the 6. dayes works Appion wrot of the same argumeÌ„t Arabianus wrote sundrie good volumes all florished the same tyme. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 24. In Fraunce ther was a Synode toutchinge the feaste of Easter where Irenaeus was chiefe Euseb lib. 5. cap. 21.     Marcianus the Hereticke maintayned a self opinion out of the Gospell after Peter whom Serapion b. of Antioch confuted Euseb lib. 6. cap. 11. 194. Pertinax was emperour after Comodus as Euseb writeth six monethes lib. 5. ca. 24. Eâ—trop lib. 8. sayth it was but 3. moneths Iul. Capit. sayeth he liued 60. yeares 7. monethes 26. dayes He raygned 2. moneths 25. dayes Tertullian b. of Carthage in Africke florished in the tyme of Seuerus and his soÌ„ne Antoninus at leÌ„gth through emulation betwne hi the Romaine clergie he fell into the opinion of MoÌ„tanus Ier. catalog Iude a famous writer wrote vpon the 70. weekes of Daniel ending the 10. yeare of Seuerus Euseb lib. 6. cap. 5. Leonides the father of Origen was be headed the 10. yere of Seuerus leauinge Origen very yong of 17. yere olde Euseb lib. 6. cap 1. 2. In Ostroëna there was a synode toutching the feast of Easter where BaÌ„chyllus b. of
23. after the greeke Publius a Martyr Quadratus Dionysius Areopagita 1. b. of Athens Philip. Bachilides Elpistus Galma Pinytus Vowed chastitie forbidden Dionysius wryteth of the Romains then if he were nowe to wryte he could tell an other tale Dionysius readeth in the Churche of Corinthe the epistle of the Churche of Rome and of Clemens Dionysius complaineth that heretickes corrupted his epistles Cap. 24. after the greeke Theophilus Maximinê° b. of Antioche Anno Domini 179. cap. 25. after the greeke Philip. Irenaeus Modestus Cap. 26. after the greeke Melito and the cataloge of his bookes Melito in his booke of Easter Sagaris martyred Apece of the Apologie of Melito vnto the Emperour Christian religion began to be made manifest in the time of Augustus for then Christ was borne Melito writeth vnto Onesimus of the canonical Scripture of the olde testament These 2. chapters in the Greeke were one Apollinarius Montanus the heretick Musanus Encratitis Tatianus Irenaeus li. 1. cap. 30. 31. Saturniani Marcionitae Tatianus Valentiniani Seuerus Seueriani Diatessaron Tatianus though an hereticke yet wrote â—e a learned book agaynst the Gentiles Bardesanes a Syrian Anno. 179. Eleutherius â–ª b. of Rome Anno Domini 179. The epistle of the french meÌ„ vnto the Churches of Asia Phrygia Rom. â— Vegetius Epagathus martyred Luke 1. Tenne fell in persecution Sclaunders raised against the ChristiaÌ„s Iohn 16. Sanctus a Deacon Maturus a late conuert Blandina a woman 1. Corinth 1. Blandina sheweth great pacieÌ„ce in her tormentes Blandina coÌ„fesseth her selfe to be a Christian Sanctus sheweth greate pacience Sanctus confesseth him selfe a Christian A notable saynge of Sanctus Biblis a womaÌ„ pitiously tormented Many of the Martyrs died in pryson Pothinus b. of lyons after great torments is cast into pryson where after 2. dayes he departeh this life A comparison or difference betwene such as faynted such as continwed faythfull in persecution Maturus and Sanctus beheaded Blandina hanged in gibbets so lowe that the wild beasts might reache her Blandina is cast into prison Attalus brought forth clapt in prison Many that fell repented them againe Ezech. 16. Alexander a Phisician coÌ„forteth the martyrs Alexander torne in peeces of wilde beastes Attalus fryed to death Ponticus of the yeares of 15. martyred Blandina beheaded Apocalyp 22. Deade carkases throwne vnto dogges The ashes of the burned bodyes were throweÌ„ into the riuer Rhodanus to take away the hope of the resurrection The French men write thus of their martyrs Philip. 2. The suffring of Christ is rather to be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption 1. Pet. 1. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 martyrdome Who be martyrs and who confessors 1. Pet. 5. Act. 7. They receaue after repentaÌ„ce such as fell in persecution The Frenchmen in their foresayd epistle writ thuâ— also of Alcibiades Montanus Theodotus and Alcibiades not the former false prophets The Martyrs in Fraunce to Eleutheriê° b. of Rome in the commendation of Irenaeus b. of Lions Eusebius wrote a boke of Martyrs which is not extant Marcus Aurelius the brother of Antoninus The Christian souldiers doe pray for rayne immediatly it lightened rayned The lightening legion Tertullian in Apologâ—â— Irenaeus who in his youth was the auditor of Polycarpê° succeedeth Pothinus in the Bishoprik of Lyons in Fraunce Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 3. 2. Timoth. 4. Paul Peter Linus Anacletus Clemens Euarestus Alexander Xystus Telesphorus Hyginus Pius Anicetus Soter Eleutherius Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 57. Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 58. Irenaeus lib. â— Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 1. Matthewe Marcke Luke Iohn Irenaeus lib. 5 VVhen the reuelation of Sainct Iohn was first sene Irenaeus allea geth pastor lib. 2. maÌ„dat 1. Marcion Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 23. 24. Esay 7. TheodotioÌ„ Aqnila Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 25. The septuagints * Comodus succeeded Antoninus Anno Domi 1826. Agrippinê° b. of Alexandria Iulianus b. of Alex. Pantaenê° mo derated the schole of Alex Euangelistes * Cap. 10. after the greke The Gospell of Matthewe in Hebrew at India Bartholomew preached in India Cap. 11. after the Greeke Clemens Alexandrinê° lib. 1. Stromatôn Cap. 12. after the greeke Narcissus b. of Ierusalem Marcus Cassianus Publius Maximus Iulianus Caius Symachus Caius Iulianus Capito Valens Dolichianus Narcissus Cap. 13. after the Greeke Rhodon an Asian Apelles Philumaena Marcion Pontinus Basilicus Lycus Synerus Rhodon reporteth of the disputati on betwene him and Apelles Rhodon in Hexameron Apelles the Hereticke wrote infinit bookes Cap. 14. after the greeke Montanus Priscilla Maximilla * Cap. 15. after the greke Florinus Blastus cap. 16. after the greeke Apollinarius b. of Hierapolis toutching Montanus his originall Apollinarius disputed and coÌ„futed MoÌ„tanê° figmeÌ„ts at Ancyra in Galatia Zoticus Otrenus Ardabau Montanus Matth. 24. 2. womeÌ„ the prophetisses of Montanê° The Churches the synodes faith full of Asia â–ª condemned Montanus Apollinarius of the endes of the false prophets Montanus Maximilla hanged them selues Theodotus the hereticke flying vp broke his necke Apollinarius of the salse prophecies of the Montanists Apollinarius lib. 3. Not the death but the cause of it proueth a Martyr Cap. 17. after the greeke Apollinarius out of Miltiades works alleadgeth this Agabus Iude. The daughters of Philip. Aminias Quadratus Miltiades bookes Cap. 18. after the greeke Apollonius against the Montanistes The prophetisses of Mon tanus receaue gifts Themison a montanist with money deliuered himself from pryson Alexander a thief yet a martyr of Montanus secte Math 10. Luk. 9. Math. 7. Stibium is a white stone founde in siluer mines by rubbinge the skinne it maketh it looke very faire Thraseas a martyr * This tradition first is to be suspected for that christ Matth. 28. Marc. 16. commauÌ„ded the Apostles to passe throughout the worlde to preache the Gospell secondly for that he charged them Luc. 24. Act. 1. to tary in Ierusalem but vntill they were endued with power from an high which was fifty dayes after the ascention Cap. 19. after the Greeke Serapion byshop of Antioch Epist ad Cari cum ponticuÌ„ * Cap. 20. after the Greke Irenaeus lib. de Ogdoade which is not extant Irenaeus vnto Florinus the schismaticke Florinus a courtier then a schismatick last an hereticke Polycarpus vsed oft to re peate this saying Cap. 21. after the Greeke The accuser of Apollonius with the breaking of his legges died miserably Apollonius a Christian philosopher exhibited an Apollogie vnto the senate of Rome and afterwards is beheaded A cruell law Cap. 22. after the Greeke Anno Dom. 192. all these bishops florished at one tyme. Victor b. of Rome Demetrius Serapion Theophilus Narcissus Banchillus Polycrates Cap. 23. after the greeke Anno Dom. 199. Exod. 12. Easter the fasting dayes going before layde downe by decree Theophilus Narcissus were chiefe in Palaestina Victor at Ro. Palmas aâ— PoÌ„tus Irenae us in FrauÌ„ce The bishops of Ostroëna in their prouinces Banchillus at Corinth not the bishope of Rome ouer all cap. 24. after the greeke