conuersant and ministred vnto him for the framing and finishing of euery vvorke of visible or inuisible things but to haue bene the vvorde in deede together vvith the father and God of God ▪ for this is he vnto vvhome the father sayde Let vs make man after our ovvne image and similitude vvho appeared in his proper person vnto the fathers of olde gaue them the lawe spake by the prophets laste of all became man made manifest his father vnto all men and raygneth vvorlde vvithout ende Neyther doe vve beleue that Christ receaued his diuinitie of late but that he vvas perfect from all aeternitie and like vnto the father in all things Such as confounde the father the sonne and the holie Ghost and impiously imagine three names in one thinge and in one person not vvithout iust cause vve forbidde them the church because they appoynt the father vvho is incomprehensble and impatible by incarnation to be both comprehensible and patible Of which heresie are the Patropassians so called of the Romaines but of vs Sabellians VVe know of certainty the father vvhich sent his sonne to haue continewed in the proper nature of his immutable diuinitie the sonne vvhich vvas sent to haue accomplished the disposed order of his incarnation In like maner such as say impiously and blaspheniously that Christ vvas begotten neyther by the counsell neyther by the vvill of the father attributinge to God the father a counsell tyed to necessitie and an essence intangled vvith the vvant of free vvill so that he begatt the sonne of cōpulsion them first of all we hold for accursed creatures and farre estraynged from the trueth in Christ because they presume to publishe such doctrine of him both contrary to the common notions vnderstanding vve haue of God and also repugnant vvith the sense and meaning of the sacred scripture inspired from aboue VVe knowe that God is of his owne power that he enioyeth his free will and we beleue godly and reuerently that he begat the sonne of his owne accord free will VVe beleue that godly which is spoken of him The Lorde made me the beginning of his wayes for the accōplishing of his works yet we vnderstand no◠that he was so made as other creatures other things were framed For that is impious farr◠frō the faith of the catholicke church to liken the creator vnto the creatures which he shaped or to thinke that he had the like maner of begetting with other thinges of different nature The holy scriptures do informe vs onely of one onely begotten sonne vnfainedly and truely begotten Moreouer when as we say that the sonne hath his being of him selfe that he liueth subsisteth in like sort with the father for all that vve seuer him not from the father neither do we imagine corporall vvise certaine spaces and distance betvvene their coherencie For vve beleeue that they ioyne together vvithout pause or distance put betvvene and that they can not be seuered asunder so that the father compriseth as it vvere in his bosome the vvhole sonne and the sonne is ioyned and fastened to the vvhole father and resteth continevvally onely in his fathers lappe VVe beleeue furthermore in the absolute perfect most blessed Trinitie and vvhen vve call the father God the sonne God in so doing we say not there be two gods but one God of equall power diuinitie and one perfect coniunction of raygne and euen as the father beareth rule exerciseth authoritie ouer all things ouer the sonne sovve say that the sonne is subiect vnto the father and that he gouerneth besides him immediatly and next after him all thinges vvhich he made and that the saincts by the vvill of the father receaue the grace of the holy Ghost aboundantly poured vpon them Thus the holy scriptures haue instructed vs to direct our talke of the monarchie in Christ After the aforesayd briefe cōpendious forme of faith vve haue bene cōstrained to explicate discourse of these thinges at large not that vve are disposed vainely and arrogantly to contend but to remoue out of the mindes of such men as knovve vs not all fonde suspicion surmise cōceaued of our censure opinion othervvise then trueth is that moreouer all the bishops of the VVest may easily perceaue not only the sclaunders of such as maintayne the contrary opinion but also the ecclesiasticall and Christian faith of the byshops inhabitinge the East confirmed out of the manifest and vnvvrested testimonies of holie scripture the vvhich the aduersaries are vvont lewdly to interpret The bishops of the west churches affirmed they would in no wise receaue these thinges partly for that they were written in a straunge tonge therfore could not vnderstand them they sayd moreouer that the creede or forme of faith layd downe by the Nicene councell was sufficient and that it was not for them curiously to search further CAP. XVI Of the generall Councell summoned at Sardice WHen as the Emperour had written againe that Paulus and Athanasius should be restored to their former rowmes and dignities and his letters had taken no place by reason of the ciuill dissention discord as yet not appeased among the multitude Paulus Athanasius make humble sute that an other councell might be called together to the end their cases should be the better knowen the faith should be decided in a general coūcell for they protested y ◠their depositiō was wrought to the end y ◠faith might be destroyed Wherfore by y ◠cōmaundemēt of both y ◠Emperours the one signifying y ◠same by his letters the other whose dominiōs lay in y ◠East willingly cōdescending thervnto there was proclaimed a generall councell that all should meete at Sardice a citie of Illyrium The eleuenth yeare after y ◠desease of Costantinus the father of these Emperours in the consulship of Ruffinus Eusebius the councell of Sardice was summoned There mett there as Athanasius sayth about thre hundred bishops of the west churches and as Sabinus declareth onely seuenty six bishops out of the East of which number was Ischyras bishop of Mareôtes whome y ◠deposers of Athanasius preferred to be bishop of that place Some alleage for them selues their infirmitie of body some cōplaine that their warning was to short therfore they blame Iulius bishop of Rome when as since the date of the proclamation the leasure of Athanasius cōtinewing at Rome expecting y ◠meeting of the councell there rame a whole yeare six moneths After that y ◠bishops of the east came to Sardice they would not come into y ◠presence of y ◠bishops which inhabited y ◠West but sent thē this message that they would not talke neither reason with them vnlesse cōditionally they would barre Athanasius and Paulus their cōpany But when Protogenes bishop of Sardice Osius bishop of Corduba a citie as I sayd
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
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
before of Spaine could in no wise brooke that Paulus and Athanasius should be absent the Easterne bishops forthwith depart and cōming to Philippi a citie in Thracia they assemble a priuate coūcell among thē selues beginne thenceforth openly to accurse the creede cōtaining the claule of One substance to sowe abrode in writing their opinion that the sonne was not of one substance w t the father But the assembly of bishops which cōtinewed at Sardice first cōdemned them which fled from the hearing of their cause next deposed from their dignities the accusers of Athanasius afterwards ratified the creede of the Nicene coūcell abrogated the hereticall opinion which said that the sonne was of a different substance from the father last of all sett forth more plainely the clause of One substance for they wrote letters therof sent them throughout the whole world Both sides were pleased with their owne doings and euery one seemed to him selfe to haue done right well the bishops of the East because the Westerne bishops had receaued such as they had deposed the byshops of the West because the Easterne bishops being deposers of others had departed before y ◠hearing of their cause the one for that they mayntained the Nicene creede the other for that they went about to condemne it Their bishoprickes are restored to Paulus and Athanasius likewise to Marcellus bishop of Ancyra in the lesser Galatia who a litle before as we sayd in our first booke was deposed who also then endeuoured with all might to disproue and confute the sentence pronounced against him saying that the phrase and maner of speach which he vsed in his booke was not vnderstoode and therefore to haue bene suspected by them as if he mayntayned the heresie of Paulus Samosatenus Yet we may not forget that Eusebius Pamphilus wrote three bookes to the confutation of the booke of Marcellus where he citeth the words of Marcellus and refuteth them plainly declaring that Marcellus no otherwise then Sabellius the Aphrick Paulus Samosatenus thought that the Lorde Iesus was but onely man CAP. XVII An Apologie or defence in the behalfe of Eusebius Pamphilus that he was no Arian as diuers malicious persons wrote of him BEcause that diuers haue bruted abroade sclaunderous reports of Eusebius Pamphilus affirming that in his workes he sauoured of the heresie of Arius I thinke it not amisse presently to laye downe in fewe wordes what of trueth we may thinke of him Firste of all he was both present at the Councell of Nice and subscribed vnto the clause of One substance In his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine he hath these wordes of that Councelll The Emperoure dealt so farre vvith them for the reducinge of them vnto concorde and vnitie that he lefte them not vntyll he had brought them to be of one mynde and of one opinion toutchinge all that afore tyme vvas called into controuersie so that vvith one voyce they all embraced the fayth decided in the Councell of Nice If Eusebius then mentioninge the Councell summoned at Nice doth saye that all quarells and questions were there ended and that all were of one minde and of one opinion howe is it that some dare presume to charge him with the spotte of Arianisme The Arians them selues also are foulie deceaued if they take him for a fauourer of their opinion But some man peraduenture wyll saye that he seemed to smell of Arianisme in that he vsed often tymes in his bookes this phrase By Christ. Whome I answere that not onely he but also other ecclesiasticall writers yea and the Apostle him selfe who was neuer once suspected to be the author of any lewde opinion vsed this phrase before them which wrote such kinde of speache and sundrie other sortes of sentences for the liuely settinge forth and expressinge of the order and maner of our sauiours humanitie But what Eusebius thought when Arius taught that the lonne was a creature and to be accompted as one of the other creatures nowe vnderstande for in his first booke agaynst Marcellus he writeth thus He alone and none other is both called and is in deede the onely begotten sonne of God VVherefore they are vvorthy of reprehension vvhich are not ashamed to call him a creature and to say that he beganne of nothinge as other creatures did Hovve shall he be the sonne or after vvhat sort may he be called the onely begotten of God vvhen as he hath as they say the same nature vvith other creatures and is become one of the vulgare sort of men to wete hauinge the like beginninge vvith them and beyng made partaker vvith them of the creation vvhich is of nothinge But the holie scriptures Ivvis teache vs no such thinges of him And agayne a litle after he sayeth VVhosoeuer then sayeth that the sonne vvas begotten of nothinge or that the principall creature beganne of nothing he attributeth vnto him vnaduisedly the onely name of the sonne but in very deede and in trueth he denyeth him to be the sonne For he that is begotten of nothinge can in no vvyse be the true sonne of God no more can any other thinge that hath the lyke beginninge But the sonne of God truely begotten of the father him selfe is to be termed the onely begotten and the vvelbeloued of the father and so he shall be God For vvhat other thinge is the budde or branche of God then that vvhich resembleth the begetter The kinge is sayde to buylde or make a cytie but not to begette a cytie and so he is sayde to begette a sonne but not to buylde or make a sonne In respect of the vvorke he vvrought he is not called a Father but a cunninge vvorkeman and in respect of the sonne he begatte he is not called a vvorkeman but a father VVherefore the God of all vniuersalitie is worthely to be called the father of the sonne yet the framer and maker of the worlde Although it be once found written in a certaine place of holie scripture The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his workes yet as I am minded immediatly to interpret it behoueth vs to skanne narowly and to sift out with diligence the sense vnderstanding thereof not after the maner of Marcellus with one word to shake the chiefe principles of christian religion These many other such like reasons hath Eusebius alleaged in his first booke against Marcellus to y ◠cōfutation of his opinion In his third booke he hath expounded how this word Made or created is to be vnderstood as followeth These things being after this sort it remaineth that we cōsider of this sentence The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his works which is no otherwise to be taken then the other thinges we expoūded before For in case he say that he is made he sayth it not as if he became something of nothing or that he
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—
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
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
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
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
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
phrase correspoÌ„dent vnto y â— capacitie both of learned and vnlearned readers Wherefore entring to discourse of him we purpose to proceede in this order after our preamble hath vsed a litle digressioÌ„ fet a small coÌ„passe for to lay downe his kinred his nurture the maner how he attained vnto y â— emperiall crowne Constantinus y â— Emperour who chauÌ„ged y â— name of ByzantiuÌ„ termed it CoÌ„stantinople had two brethren of one father but by diuers mothers the one was Dalmatius y â— other Costantius Dalmatius had a sonne of his owne name Constatius also had two soÌ„nes Gallus Iulianus When as after the death of CoÌ„stantinopls fosider y â— yoÌ„ger Dalmatius had ben staine of y â— souldiers these orphanes likewise bereaued of their naturall father escaped narowly the vnlucky successe of Dalmatius for they had bene cut of dispatched had not sicknesse diseases as it was thought incurable saued Gallus life youthly age of eight yeare old preserued Iulianus aliue kept him from y â— tyraÌ„ts clawes But after y t the Emperour was appeased his furie withdrawen froÌ„ raging against theÌ„ Gallus was trained vp vnder schoolemaisters at Ephesus in Ionia where their auncetors had left either of theÌ„ great legacies Iulianus also being come to y â— stature of a spriÌ„gall gaue him selfe to learniÌ„g in y â— cathedrall church of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople where was a free schoole he went in simple meane attire was taught of Macedonius y â— Cunuch he learned graÌ„mer of Nicocles y â— Laconian Rhetorike of Ecebolius y â— sophist who theÌ„ was a ChristiaÌ„ The Emperour ConstaÌ„tius prouided very well lest y â— by hauiÌ„g an ethnike to his maister for Iulianus was a ChristiaÌ„ froÌ„ his cradell he should fall to y â— superstitious idolatry of pagaÌ„s WheÌ„ he had profited very much in good discipline godly literature y â— fame weÌ„t of him amoÌ„g y t people y t he was a man both able fit to gouerne beare office in the coÌ„mon wealth The which thing afterwards being then rife in euery mans mouth disquieted y â— Emperour not a litle Wherfore he caused him to be remoued from y â— princely citie of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople into Nicomedia charged him not to treade in y â— schoole of Iabanius y â— Syrian Sophist Iabanius then was expelled by y â— schoolemaisters of ConstaÌ„tinople kept a schoole at Nicomedia who powred out y â— poison of his caÌ„kred stomake displeasure coÌ„ceaued agaiÌ„st y â— schoolemaisters in a certaine booke which he published agaiÌ„st theÌ„ though Iulianus was therfore forbiddeÌ„ to frequent Libanis lessoÌ„s because he professed paganisme and heathenishe literature yet for all that was he so in loue with his works that he procured them vnto him secretly and by stelth and perused them with greate labor and diligence When he had taken good successe and great profit in Rhetorike it fell out that Maximus the philosopher not the Byzantian the father of Eucleides but the Ephesian came to Nicomedia â–ª whome the Emperour Valentinianus afterwardes founde to be a coniurer and recompenced him with present death â–ª but that as I sayde before fell afterwards At that time there was no cause that draue him thither but the fame of Iulian. Of this man it was that Iulian learned the precepts of philosophie but as for religion he had such a maister as inflamed his minde to aspire vnto the imperiall scepter When these thinges came to the Emperours eares Iulian nowe muzinge betwene hope and fearefull hatred howe he myght be voyde of suspition who of late had bene a true Christian but nowe an hypocriticall dissembler shaued him selfe and counterfayted a monkishe life For all that priuely he applyed heathenishe and philosophicall discipline but openly he read holy scripture so that he was made reader in the church of Nicomedia Thus craftely vnder cloke of religion did he appease the furious rage of the Emperour incensed agaynst him These things did he of feare yet not dispayring of hope for he sticked not to tell diuers of his familiar friends that it woulde be a happie worlde if he were made Emperour When it went thus with him Gallus his brother was created Caesar who taking his iourney into the East came by Nicomedia for to see him After that Gallus in a while after was slayne immediatly from that time forth Iuliamus was had in greate suspicion of the Emperour and therevpon commaunded that he shoulde be straightly looked vnto he espying fitt opportunitie to escape his keepers conueyed him selfe away and saued his life At length Eusebia y â— Empresse finding him by chaunce lurking in some secret and obscure place intreated the Emperour in his behalfe that he would not onely doe him no harme but also graunt him his lawfull fauour for to repaire to Athens for further knowledge in philosophie To be short he sent for him made him Caesar gaue him his sister Helen to wife and sent him into Fraunce for to wage battaile with y â— barbarian nations which rebelled agaynste their Christian Emperour For the Barbarians whome the Emperour Constantius had hyred a litle before to geue battaile vnto Magnentius the tyraÌ„t when as they preuayled nothing against him they fell a ransacking and spoyling of the cities within the Romaine dominions and because Iulian had but a greene head and of no great yeares the Emperour gaue him charge to enterprise nothing without the aduise and counsell of his sage expert captaines When y â— they hauing this large commission waxed negligent so y â— the Barbarians had the vpper hand Iulianus permitted the captaines to banquet to take their pastime pleasure layd downe a sett and certaine reward for euery Barbarian that was slayne whereby he did the more incourage the souldiers By this meanes it fell out that the power of the Barbarians came to nought and that he him selfe was greatly beloued of his souldiers The fame goeth that as he entred into a certaine towne a greene garland hanging by a corde betwene pillours wherewith commonly they are wont to trimme their houses and sett forth the beautie of their cities fell vpon his head and sitted him very well insomuch that all the people then present gaue a great shout thereat â–ª for it was thought that the falling garland prognosticated vnto him the glory of the imperiall seepter following after Some say that Constantius sent him against the Barbarians hoping that in skirmishing with them he shoulde there be dispatched â–ª but whether they report truely or no I knowe not For after that he had maryed him to his sister if then he shoulde pretende him friendship and practise mischiefe towards him what other thing were that then to procure vengeance to lyght vpon his owne pate but whether it be thus or otherwise lett euery man iudge as he thinkes best When Iulian had signified vnto the Emperour the carelesse and sâ—outhfull disposition and negligence of
in the later I take the immortall godds to vvitnesse vvhen that I endeuour as duetie requireth to prayse you the horrible offence vvhich you committed stoppeth my mouth and stayeth my penne VVhat dareth the subiect as a madde dogge pull man in peeces vvith his teeth ought not he be ashamed of so haynous an offence Is this to purifie and clense the handes and to holde them vp streatched vvide vnto the gods as if they vvere not polluted vvith the blemishe and infamie of murther But Georgius had no other then vvas devve vnto his desert and peraduenture I my selfe might iustly haue affirmed that by all ryght he shoulde haue suffered farre vvorse But you vvill say that he deserued it for his dealinge tovvards you and therein I am of your opinion But if you say that it behoued you to punishe him that vvill I in no vvyse graunte You haue lavves the vvhich ought greatly to be honored and embraced of all men both publiquely and priuately But notvvithstandinge though it commonly fall out that manie be founde faultie and seuerall trespassors yet ought vve to fauour the publique state of the common vveale to obey the lavves and in no vvyse to violate the auncient and godlie decrees Thinke your selues happie O ye people of Alexandria that this haynous offence vvas committed by you in my tyme for I can not in maner chuse but embrace you vvith brotherly affection partly for the reuerence I ovve vnto God and the affection I beare vnto my graundfather of the same title vvith me vvho sometyme gouerned both Aegypt and your citie For the prince that vvyll not brynge him selfe vnder the gyrdle of his subiect the discrete and vpryght magistrate may not vvinke at so haynous an offence of the people lest that necessitie constrayne to cure so greeuous a maladie vvith farre greater griefe and more desperate medicine But I for the aforesayd causes doe applie vnto these your sores most gentle and tollerable salues to wete exhortation and curteous language vvhervnto I am certainely persvvaded you vvill yeelde if you be the men I take you for descendinge of the auncient stocke of the Graecians retaining in your breasts that noble valiant courage hauing also all the properties of curteous and ciuill life I speake vnto you my louinge citizens of Alexandria impressed in the secret closets of your mindes This was the epistle of the Emperour CAP. IIII. Howe that after the death of Georgius Athanasius returninge vnto Alexandria tooke agayne the gouernement of the bishopricke of Luciser and Eusebius and howe that Lucifer made Paulinus byshop of Antioche NOt longe after the people of Alexandria receaued with louinge and chearefull mindes their byshop Athanasius returninge from exile at what tyme also the Arians were banished the Christian congregations and the Church restored to the gouernment of Athanasius But the Arians meetinge in priuate houses appoynted Lucius to succeede Georgius in the byshopricke At that tyme thus went the affaires of Alexandria In the meane whyle Lucifer and Eusebius by the Emperours edict were called home from banishment Lucifer was byshop of Caralitanum a citie in Sardinia Eusebius as I sayde before was byshop of Vercellae a citie of the Ligurian Italians Both they returninge from the hygher countries of Thebae consulted together by what meanes they myght recouer their byshoprickes without preiudice to the canon and decree of the churche Wherefore after aduisement taken it seemed good that the one of them I meane Lucifer shoulde goe to Antioche in Syria the other that is Eusebius shoulde take his voyage to Alexandria where by the meanes of Athanasius a Councell myght be called together and the canons of the church therein confirmed Lucifer sent thither a Deacon signifyinge by him that he woulde subscribe vnto the decrees of the Councell He him selfe went to Antioche where he founde the state of the churche very troublesome For the multitude was deuided and the congregations at variance not onely by reason of Euzoius hereticall opinion but also as I sayde before because that the sect of Meletius for the singular fauour they bare vnto him seuered them selues from the faithfull Lucifer therefore when he had ordayned Paulinus to be byshop of that seae departed thence CAP. V. Howe that Eusebius ioyninge with Athanasius called a Councell at Alexandria where the blessed Trinitie was pronounced to be of one and aequall substance AFter that Eusebius came to Alexandria he dealte earnestly with Athanasius for the summoninge of a Councell so that the byshops assembled out of diuers cities decreed very necessarie doctrine confirmed the diuinitie of the holie Ghost to be of one substance in the blessed Trinitie affirmed the sonne of God at his incarnation to haue taken not onely humaine fleshe but also a reasonable soule as the auncient fathers of olde haue deliuered vnto vs. They woulde not establishe neither thrust into the church of God any newe opinion But such things as of old were inioyned by ecclesiasticall decree and layd downe vpon good consideration by such as were wise learned and zelous Christians For thus did the elders of old tyme reason of this matter and deliuer in writinge vnto the posteritie Irenaeus Clemens Apollinarius bishop of Hieratopolis and Serapion byshop of Antioch haue w t generall consent layd downe euery where throughout their works that the sonne at his incarnation was endued with reasonable soule Moreouer y â— councell summoned for the hearing of Cyrillus cause who was bishop of Philadelphia in Arabia â–ª signified y â— selfe same by their letters vnto Cyrillus Orige likewise who throughout his works teacheth y â— the soÌ„ne in takiÌ„g fleshe tooke also soule yet in y â— ninth homily vpoÌ„ Genesis he openeth this mystery more plainly where at large he discourseth how y â— Adam â—are y â— figure of Christ Eue y â— figure of the church Hereof PaÌ„philus and Eusebius who of him tooke his appellation are witnesses sufficient for both they imploying their labor ioyntly for to penne in paper the life of Origen and preuenting w t Apollogies in his behalfe the sclauÌ„derous accusations of the aduersaries haue affirmed y t Origen was not the first that entreated of this matter but y t he interpreted vnto the posteritie the mysticall tradition of the church in y â— behalfe Moreouer the bishops which mett in the councell of Alexandria haue discussed the controuersie of the clause of essence and substance For Osius bishop of Corduba in Spaine of whome we haue spoken before being sent by the Emperour Constantine to appease the tumult raysed by Arius in disputinge of essence and substance to the ouerthrowe of Sabellius the Aphricks opinion he ministred occasion to the raysinge of a newe controuersie But at that tyme there was not a worde of this matter in the Councell of Nice for afterwards when diuers contended and reasoned among them selues hereof this councell tooke order toutching the clauses of essence and substance
that sea◠departed this life all was there on an vprore about the election of a bishop and great strife there was whilest that some woulde preferre this man some other that man vnto the bishopricke The tumult beinge raysed Ambrose Liuetenant of the citie who also was a Consull fearing greatly lest that schisme woulde breéde mischiefe in y ◠citie came purposely into the church for to appease the sedition After that his presence had preuayled very much with the people after that he had geuen them many notable exhortations after he had mitigated the rage of the heady and rashe multitude all of a sodayne with one voyce and with one mouth nominated Ambrose to their byshop For in so doinge there was hope that all woulde be reconciled and that all woulde embrace one faith and opinion The bishops that were present thought veryly that the vniforme voyce of the people was the voyce of God him selfe Wherefore without any further deliberation they take Ambrose and baptize him for he was a Catechumenist and stall him bishop But when Ambrose came willingly to the baptisme yet denyed vtterly he would be bishop they make the Emperour Valentinianus priuie to their doings He wonderinge at the consent and agreement of the people supposed that which was done to be the worke of God him selfe and signified vnto the bishops that they shoulde obey the will of God who commaunded they shoulde create him bishop that God rather then men preferred him vnto this dignitie When that Ambrose was thus chosen bishop the citizens of Millayne who aforetime were at discord among them selues thenceforth embraced peace and vnitie CAP. XXVI Of the death of Valentinianus the Emperour AFter the aforesayde sturre was ended when the Sarmatians assaulted the Romaine dominions the Emperour raysed great power and made expedition against them The Barbarians vnderstanding of this and foreseeing their owne weakenes that they were not able to encounter with so great a power sent embassadours vnto the Emperour crauinge of him that he would ioyne with them in league establishe peace betwene them As soone as the embassadours had presented them selues before him and seeynge that they were but abiects and raskalls demaunded of them what be the rest of the Sarmatians such men as you are When the Embassadours had answered yea O Emperour thou seest the chiefest of the Sarmatians before thee Valentinianus was wonderfully incensed against them and brake out into vehement language that the Empire of Rome had yll lucke to fall into his handes vnder whose raygne so beggerly and so abiect a kinde of Barbarians coulde not quiete and content them selues with safetie within their owne boundes but they muste take armour rebell agaynste the Romaine Empire and so boldely proclayme open warre He strayned him selfe so muche in exclayminge agaynste them that he opened euery vayne in his bodie and brake the arteries asunder whereof there gushed out such a streame of bloode so that he dyed in the Castell commonly called Bergitium in the thirde Consulshippe of Gratianus together with Ecoetius the sixtienth of Nouember He lyued foure and fiftie yeares and raygned thirteene The sixt daye after the desease of Valentinianus the souldiers of Italie proclaymed Emperour Valentinianus the yonger so called after his fathers name who was of very tender yeares at Aconicum a citie in Italie The rest of the Emperours vnderstāding of this tooke the matter very grieuously not because Valentinianus who was y ◠ones brother the others brothers sonne was chosen Emperour but because he was appointed without their consent vnto whome it belonged to create him Emperour But both gaue their cōsents that he shoulde be Emperour and thus was Valentinianus the yonger sett in the emperiall seate of his father We haue to learne that this Valentinianus was gott vpon Iustina whome his father maryed for all that Seuera his firste wyfe was alyue and that for this cause Iustus the father of Iustina who a good while agoe in the raigne of Constantius the Emperour was Liuetenant of Picenum sawe in his sleepe that his right side was deliuered of the emperiall purple robe When that he awoke he tolde his dreame to so many that at length it came to the Emperour Constantius eare He thereby was geuen to coniecture that there shoulde one be borne of Iustus which shoulde be Emperour and therefore he sent from him that shoulde dispatche Iustus out of the waye Wherefore Iustina nowe bereaued of her father contineweth a virgine In processe of time she became acquainted with Seuera the Empresse and had often conference with her When that there grewe greate familiaritie betweene them they vsed both one hath for to bayne them selues Seuera seeyng the beautie of this virgine as she bayned her selfe was wonderfully in loue with Iustina she tolde the Emperour also what a goodly mayde she was that the daughter of Iustus passed for beautie all the women in the worlde that she her selfe though she were a woman yet was wonderfully enamored with her sweete face The Emperour printinge in his harte the wordes which seemed onely to pearce but the eare deuised with him selfe howe he myght compasse this beautifull Iustina to his wyfe not diuorcinge Seuera ▪ vpon whome he had gotten Gratianus whome also he had made Emperour a little before Wherefore he made a lawe that as many as woulde myght lawfully haue two wyues the which he proclaymed throughout euery citie When the lawe was proclaymed he tooke Iustina to his seconde wyfe vpon whome he gotte Valentinianus the yonger and three daughters Iusta Grata Galla. Of the which two lead they re lyues in virginitie the thirde Galla by name was maryed to Theodosius Magnus on whome he gotte his daughter Placidia For he gotte Arcadius and Honorius of Placidia his former wyfe But of Theodosius and his children in an other place CAP. XXVII After that Themistius the Philosopher had made an Oration in the hearinge of Valens the Emperour relented from persecuting of the Christians and howe the Gothes in the tyme of Valens embraced the Christian faith VAlens makinge his abode at Antioche although he warred but litle with forayne nations the Barbarian nations kept them selues within their boundes yet pursued he continewally such as helde the faith of One substance and ceassed not dayly to inuent newe deuises and straung torments wherewith he myght plague them ▪ vntyll that his fierce and cruell minde was somewhat mitigated with the Oration which Themistius the Philosopher pronounced before him where he admonished the Emperoure not to maruayle though the Christians varyed amonge them selues in religion that if Christianitie were compared with infinite multitudes of opinions raygninge amonge heathen philosophers sure he was that there were aboue three hundreth opinions and greate dissention about rules and preceptes wherevnto euery sect necessarily addicted them selues it woulde seeme but a very small thing and that God woulde sette forth his glorie by the diuersitie and discorde in opinions to
Sisinius to succeede him in the bishopricke a priest of his owne church and a man very well seene in prophane literature trayned vp in philosophie together with Iulian the Emperour vnder Maximus the philosopher And when the Nouatians charged Agelius for appoynting them Sisinius and not Marcianus who was a godly man by whose meanes they were rid from trouble molestation in the time of Valens he for to pacifie their heate and to satisâ—â—e their minde assigned Marcianus vnto them In a while after although he was very weake yet went he into the church and sayd thus vnto the people Immediatly after my desease you shall haue Marcianus to your bishop after Marcianus Sisinius When he had sayde thus he tooke his leaue of them and not longe after dyed But Marcianus beyng byshop of the Nouatians their church was deuided vpon such an occasion as followeth Sabbatius a certaine Iewe embraced Christian religion whome Marcianus preferred to the function of priesthood notwithstanding his conuersion and preferment he sauored of the old infection and addicted him selfe vnto Jewishe obseruations neither was he onely coÌ„tented with this but nedes he would be made a bishop Wherfore after that he had gotten of his side a coople of priests men of like disposition and aspiring mindes by name Theoctistus and Macarius he went about to reuiue the time and maner of solemnizing the feast of Easter euen as according vnto our former relation the Nouatians attempted vnder Valens at Pazus a peltinge village of Phrygia And though at the first he seuered him selfe from the church vnder pretence colour of the monasticall trade of life affirminge that certaine men were stumbling blocks vnto his conscience whome he thought vnworthy of the holy mysteries yet in processe of time whilest that he raised priuate conuenticles his drift was manifestly perceaued Marcianus vnderstandinge of this misliked very much w t him selfe that he had not taken better aduisement in geuing of orders y â— he had preferred such vayneglorious persons aspiring minds vnto the function of priesthoode he fretted within him selfe for anger and wished that his haÌ„ds had bene set vpon pricking thornes when they were layde vpon Sabbatius heade To be short he summoned a councell of Nouatian bishops at Angaris the mart towne of Bithynia â–ª adioyning vnto Helenopolis he cited Sabbatius to appeare before them and expostulated w t him in presence of the councell the cause that gaue him occasion of offence As soone as he had pleaded for him selfe the variance toutchiÌ„g y â— celebration of Easter to haue layen vpon his stomack for he was of y t opinion y t therein it behoued theÌ„ to obserue the Jewishe custome and the order prescribed by such as afore that time met for the same cause at Pazus the bishops suspecting that he had enterprised the same in hope of a bishoprick made him sweare that he would neuer take vpon him to be bishop When he had taken his â—th they read to him the Canon contayninge a matter of indifferencie that it was not a sufficient cause to part asunder the vnitie of the church about the celebration of Easter and that their assemblie at Pazus was no preiudice vnto the generall canon They sayd moreouer that the elderswhich immediatly succeeded the Apostles varied among them selues about this feast yet brake not asunder y â— bonde of vnitie and that the Nouatians inhabitinge the princely citie of Rome for all they neuer retayned the maner of the Iewes but alwayes kept Easter after the Aequinoctiall space yet communicated notwithstanding with such as were of the same faith obserued a contrary custome When they had vsed these and other such like reasons to the same purpose at length they concluded that the canon of Easter was an indifferent matter that it was lawfull thenceforth for euery one to celebrate that feaste euen as he had aforetyme determined with him selfe moreouer there was a prouiso layde downe for the remouinge of dissention that if some varyed about the celebration of Easter notwithstanding they shoulde be at vnitie and concorde in the churche of God These thinges were then in this sort layde downe of them for the rootinge out of variance from amonge them about the celebration of Easter Sabbatius beynge bounde with an oth for all the celebration of that feaste was variable and diuers was before hande with them alone for fastinge and vigils for he kept Easter vpon the saturdaye yet mette he the daye followinge with others in the churche and was partaker together with them of the holie mysteries That dyd he for the space of many yeares and therefore coulde not be concealed from infinite multitudes of men By occasion whereof many simple and ignorant soules especially in Phrygia and Galatia hopinge verylie to be iustified thereby became earnest followers of him and obserued in secrete his celebration of Easter In the ende Sabbatius raysed priuate conuenticles and forgetting the othe he had taken was chosen byshop as hereafter shall more manifestly appeare of suche as addicted themselues to his kinde of discipline CAP. XXI The diuersitie of obseruations in diuers places toutching Easter fastinge mariadge seruice with other ecclesiasticall rites PResently mee thinkes fitte opportunitie serueth to discourse of Easter For neyther had the elders of old neither the fathers of late dayes I meane such as fauored the Jewishe custome sufficient cause as I gather so egerly to coÌ„tend about the feast of Easter neither weyed they deepely with theÌ„ selues that when Jewishe formes figures were translated into christian faith the literall obseruation of Msoes law and the types of things to come wholly vanished away The which may euidently be gathered when as there is no lawe established by Christ in the Gospell whiche alloweth of the obseruation of Jewishe rites nay the Apostle hath in playne wordes forbidden it where he abrogated circumcision and exhorted vs not to contend about feasts and holydayes For writinge vnto the Galathians he sayeth in this sorte Tell me you that desire to be vnder the lawe doe ye not heare what the lawe sayeth When that he had discoursed a whyle therof he concludeth that the Iewes were become seruants vnto the law that such as were called vnto the Christian faith were thereby made free he admonisheth vs further not to obserue dayes neither moneths nor yeares And vnto y â— Colossians he is as plaine as may be saying that y â— obseruatioÌ„ of such things was nothing but a shadow his words are these Let no maÌ„ therfore iudge you in meate or in drinke in a peece of an holidaye or of the newe moone or of the sabbaoth which are but shadowes of thiÌ„gs to come And in y â— epistle to y â— Hebrewes he coÌ„firmeth the same where he sayth In so much the priesthood is traÌ„slated of necessity there must be a translation of the law Wherfore neither doth y â— Apostle nor y â—
the pudle of sinne and incredulitie neither were the Iewes onely they which made light accompt of the signes and wonders wrought among men but others also which are proude of their rites yea and are proued to be no lesse then plaine Iewes in faith and religion Sabbatius of whome I spake a litle before coulde not quiet him selfe with the inferior degree of priesthoode but coueted to clime vp vnto the rowme of a Bishop tooke occasion then of the Iewishe obseruation of the feaste of Easter and seuered him selfe from the Nouatian Churche Wherefore as he frequented seuerall and priuate conuenticles from his Bishop Sisinius in a certaine place of the citie called the drie Hillock where nowe the market of Arcadius is kept he presumed so haynous an offence that hanging might seeme to be to small a punishmēt for his labour For on the daye appointed for the celebration of the communion as he reade a certaine peece of the Gospell which beganne with these words The feast of sweete bread drewe nigh which is called Easter he added of his owne that which was neuer founde written neuer hearde of before in these wordes cursed be euery one that keepeth Easter without sweete breade Which wordes sticked in the mindes of many mē so that diuerse of the simpler sorte of the Nouatian laiety being thus drawen from the fayth adicted them selues vnto his fonde opinion But this his craftye and subtle forgery fell otherwise out then he hoped for such as presume to corrupte the worde of God haue euer an ill ende and an vnfortunate successe For shortly after when as he kept the feaste of Easter accordinge vnto the corrupte opinion conceaued in his mynde when as manye flocked vnto him after the wonted maner and solemnized throughout the wholl nighte the accustomed vigills they were all sette on a furious and frentike kinde of tumulte They imagined with them selues that they sawe Sisinius theyr Bishoppe sette vpon them with an infinite multitude of men Wherefore the thronge beinge greate and as it is very like in the nighte season beinge shutte vp in a narrowe rowme smothered one an other so that there dyed aboue threescore and tenne persons This beinge done manye shrinked from Sabbatius but diuerse others for all that cleaued earnestlye vnto the foolishe and fonde opinion they had conceaued of that celebration of Easter But howe this Sabbatius forswore him selfe a litle while agoe and aspired vnto the calling of a Byshop we will declare hereafter CAP. VI. Of such as were the captaines and ringleaders of the Arian opinion DOrotheus an Arian Bishop whome we haue remembred before to haue bene translated by the Arians from Antioch to Constantinople departed this life when he had liued a hundreth and nynteene yeares the sixt of Nouember in the seauenth Consulship of Honorius and the seconde of Theodosius Augustus After his desease the Arian sect chose Barbas to theyr bishop in whose time the Arians had amongest them two notable men by whose meanes theyr heresie beganne to reuiue againe the ones name was Timotheus the other was called Georgius but priests both Georgius excelled in prophane literature Timothee of the cōtrary gaue himselfe wholly to the reading of the worde of God Georgius was neuer seene without Aristotle or Plato in his hand Timothee againe was a great mā in Origen and as he expounded holy Scripture he shewed him selfe to be well seene in the Hebrew tōgue Timothee was aforetime of the Psathyrian sect and Georgius was made priest of Barbas I my selfe by conferring with Timotheus perceaued howe redy he was to satisfie and resolue euery doubt that was demaunded of him and plainely to set wide open the obscure places of holy Scriptures he was euer wont to cite Origen for a witnesse to testifie that his sayings were no other then true Wherefore I can not verily but maruell why these two men continewed Arians seing that the one was a great reader of Plato the other euer a perusing of Origen For Plato affirmed that the seconde and thirde cause so he was wonte to tearme them had no begininge of essence Origen likewise confesseth euerye where the sonne to be coeternall with the father And althoughe they perseuered in they re Churche yet priuelye and by a litle and a litle they reformed the Arian opinion and purged theyr doctrine of many pernicious pestilent blasphemies of Arius Of these men so farre Shortly after when Sisinius the Nouatian bishop had departed this life in the aforesayd Consulship Chrysanthus of whome I mind to speake more hereafter was chosen to be theyr Bishop CAP. VII Howe that Cyrillus succeded Theophilus in the Bishopricke of Alexandria SHortly after Theophilus bishop of Alexandria being fallen into a lethargie departed this life y e nynth Consulship of Honorius the fift of Theodosius y e fifteenth of October Then ther rose a great stur contentiō about y e electiō of a bishop some would haue Timotheus y e archedeacō some other wold haue Cyrillus Theophilus brothers sonne preferred to y e bishoprick while y e people were thus at variance for all that Abudatius captaine of the garrison in Alexandria labored for Timothee and furthered his sute yet three dayes after the desease of Theophilus Cyrillus was chosen Bishop and enioyed the bishopricke and withall he challenged vnto himselfe more authoritie then euer Theophilus had before him From that time forth the Bishop of Alexandria besides the ouersight and iurisdiction of his clergie and ecclesiasticall matters tooke also the gouernement of temporall affayres Wherefore Cyrillus immediatly after he had shutte vp the Nouatiā churches within Alexandria he not only rified them of all the treasure but also bereaued Theopemptus their Bishop of all his substance CAP. VIII Of Maruthas Bishop of Mesopotamia and howe that by his meanes the faith of Christ tooke great increase in Persia IT fell out in those dayes that the faith in Christ florished in Persia and that vpon such an occasion as followeth Betwene the Romaines and the Persians there doe commonlye passe manye Embassadours sundry causes doe cōstraine ech of them to send in Embassie vnto y ◠other That very instant did require that Maruthas bishop of Mesopotamia of whome I made mentiō before should be sent from the Emperour of Rome vnto the king of Persia The king perceauing by him y ◠he was a godly man had him in greate reuerence was ruled by him as by a rare singuler man This grieued the Magicians which were much made of and in great credit with the king of Persia For they were wonderfully affrayd lest the king through the counsell of Maruthas would become a Christian Maruthas by the meanes of prayer had rid the king of his cōtinewall headach which the Magicians and Sorcerers could not doe Wherefore they deuise a certaine sleight for to delude the king withall And because the Persians worship the fire for theyr God the king is alwayes
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
canon the which they thought best not to be recorded whereunto some gaue their consents some other would not when they had suppressed y ◠contrary voices the Senators affirmed vpon Dioscorus owne reporte that he had deposed Flauianus for saying there were two natures in Christ that the decree bore wittnes that he cōsisted of two natures Then replied Anatolius Dioscorus was not deposed for heresie but because he excommunicated Leo and being thrise called vnto the councell would not come After this y ◠Senators would haue the Epistle of Leo layd downe among the decrees but the bishops sayd no it should not be they would not drawe any other forme for that was perfect inough in the end they referred that vnto the Emperour who commaunded that three bishops of the East churches three out of Pōtus three out of Asia three out of Thracia and three out of Illyrium together with Anatolius and the substitutes of the Bishop of Rome should meete at the Church and orderly reason of the fayth that either they should lay downe theyr seuerall Creedes or els knowe of a surety y ◠he would call a councell to decide that controuersie in the West Beinge demaunded whether they would hold with Dioscorus who affirmed y ◠Christ consisted of two natures or subscribe with Leo who sayd that there were two natures in Christ they cried that they beleued with Leo held such as sayd y ◠contrary for Eutychians The Senators replied y ◠Leo him selfe affirmed there were two natures so coupled in Christ that they could be neither chaunged diuided nor confounded with this saying they went into the temple of Euphemia accōpanied with Anatolius the substituts of Leo Maximus bishop of Antioch Iuuenalis bishop of Ierusalem Thalassius bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and many others Being set the canon of the councell was read Our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ c. as we haue wrytten before After it was read they cried This is the faith of all the Fathers we are all followers of this we are all of this opinion Then sayd the Senators the decrees and canons of the Fathers are to be referred vnto the Emperours most excellent maiesty ▪ Martianus the Emperour was present at the sixt session made an oration of peace vnity vnto the Bishopps and commaunded Aetius Archdeacon of Constātinople to read in his hearing that which was decided whereunto they subscribed euery one Thē the Emperour asked them whether the decree was established by their generall consent they all the second time answered yea Againe the Emperour made vnto them two orations which were highely commended of them all In the end the canons by the meanes of the Emperour were confirmed and the seae of Chalcedon was made an Archbishopricke the Emperour moreouer commaunded the Bishops to continewe there three or foure dayes and to propose before the Princes and Senators what euery one thought good to be decided that they should decree that which seemed expediēnt Then the session brake vp There were other decrees and other canons established and there was an other councel held by Iuuenalis Maximus where it was decreed that the bishop of Antioch should haue either of both Phaenicia and Arabia annexed vnto his prouince the Bishop of Ierusalem all the three Palaestinas the which after consultation had both by the Presidents and Bishops was confirmed In the ninth session the cause of Theodoritus was heard who accursed Nestorius in these words cursed be Nestorius whosoeuer besides him denieth Marie the virgine to be the mother of God and deuideth the one onely begotten sonne into two sonnes I sayth he haue subscribed vnto the canons of the councell and the Epistle of Leo. After deliberation had amonge them selues they restored him vnto his Bishoprick In the tenth session the sute of Ibas was heard and the sentence which Photius Bishop of Tyrus and Eustathius Bishop of Berytus had pronounced against him was read but the finall end was differed vnto the next day In the eleuenth sessiō when many Bishops would haue him restored diuerse Bishops were against it and sayd that his accusers were at the dore and redy to come in At lēgth they read what they had decreed toutching him Yet the Senators moued the councell that the Actes of the councell held at Ephesus whiche concerned Ibas should be read and that all the acts of the second councell of Ephesus shoulde be abrogated the creation of Maximus Bishop of Antioch onely excepted they intreated therein the Emperour that nothinge whatsoeuer was decreed since the first councell of Ephesus where holye Cyrill Byshop of Alexandria was chiefe shoulde be of force and they gaue sentence that Maximus should enioy his Bishoprick In an other session Basianus the Bishop of Ephesus matter was called and decreed that Basianus should be remoued out of his Bishopricke and Stephan placed in his rowme In the thirteenth session Eunomius Bishop of Nicomedia and Anastasius Bishop of Nice were called for they contended among them selues about their cities The foureteeneth session was helde for the hearinge of Basianus Last of all it was decreed that the seae of Constantinople should enioy the next prerogatiue after Rome The ende of the seconde booke of Euagrius Scholasticus THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Howe Zeno the Emperour gouerned and liued WHen Zeno after the deceasse of his sonne had attayned vnto the Emperiall scepter as if he were certainely perswaded he could not enioy y ◠Empire of the wholl world vnlesse w t outrage and riott he yelded him selfe vnto all fleshly pleasure whatsoeuer gaue him selfe at y ◠beginning so much vnto sensuality that he left no filthy or shamefull act no haynous offence vnpractised but so wallowed in them that he thoughte it the parte of a base and abiect minde to commit them in the darke in secret but to doe them openly in the face of y ◠whollworld was a princely parte such an act as became only the Emperour His disposition herein was both lewde and seruile for the Emperour is not to be counted of thereafter as he gouerneth others but as he ruleth and guydeth him selfe It behoueth him to suffer no lasciuious motion to roote within his breste but valiauntlye to encounter with intemperancy and to make his life as a paterne of vertue or a lanterne for his subiectes to followe after thereby to leade them vnto godly instruction But this man gaue himselfe ouer vnto voluptuousnesse and fell by a little and a little vnto suche shamefull seruitude that he coulde by no meanes be withdrawen from it he chaunged oftentymes suche enormityes as maystred him no otherwise then vnthriftes and castawayes doe vse whome infinite carnall delites doe leade captiue tickle theyr mindes and sooth theyr senses and that whiche is moste daungerous vices be so linked together that one moste commonly followeth in the necke of an
Epist ad philem â— Tim. 4. Act. 20. 21. 2. Tim. 4. 67. Pudas Pudens The Apostle remembred Pudas also Pudens  68. Trophinus Trophimus S. Paule likewise made mention of this Trophimus these three last were partakers w t Paule in all his afflictions his dayly companions last of all they were beheaded together with him at Rome vnder Nero crowned martyrs Trophimus These three were partakers of y â— Apostles persecutions and beheaded at Rome after him  69. Marke the Euangelist Marke the Euangelist who receaued at the mouth of Peter the Gospell as he preached at Rome  70. Luke the Euangelist These two also are numbred in the catalogue of the seuentie Disciples the Eunuch likwise of Candace Queene of the Aethiopians preached the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ in Arabia Felix the Isle Taprobana and throughout all Erythra It is reported also he was there gloriously martyred and buried that his tumbe is an inuincible bulwerke for the faithfull discomfeiting the wicked Barbarians and curing diseases vnto this day The Eunuch  The ende of DOROTHEVS Faultes escaped in the Printing Page 9. line 10. for maner read man page 9. in the marge for 3963 read 3970. page 10. liue 6. for consepuently read consequently page 14. line 17. for Velerius read Valcrius page 14. line 53. for thy read they page 17. line 34. for fortwith read forthwith page 22. line 51. the parenthesis should be after Christ page 23. line 2. for Olimpâ—ades read Olympiades page 31. line 17. for thirteeneth â–ª read thirteene page 56. line 6. for they read the. page 94. line 41. for ah read an page 103. line 46. for and other read an other page 111. in the marge for NazianzeÌ„ read Neocaesariens page 122. line 26. for darned read darkened page 131. in the marge for Gregorie Nazianzen reade Neocaesariens pag. 140. line 51. for depart read departed page 139 in the marge for Gregorie Nazianzen reade Neocaesariens page 150. line 11. for frendas read friendes page 150. line 40. for the and read and the. page 159. line 35. for violent read violently page 175. line 16. for permoited read permitted page 187. line 53. for alloweded read allowed page 189. line 2. for berewed read bereaued page 189. line 15. for wih read with page 202. line 2. for beloued God read beloued of God page 213. line 18. for two hundreth eight and twentie read three hundred and fift page 236. line 12. for cause read clause page 240. line 16. for leage read league page 242. line 51. for sonne read sunne page 246. line 43. for Muâ—son read Mursa page 248. line 40. for Isâ—hyas read Ischyras page 256. line 2. for Constantinus read Constantius page 284. line 24. for our read your page 303. line 37. for not read to page 383. line 32. for Alexander read Alexandria page 411. line 48. for neither read either page 427. line 32. for cogeled read congealed The rest which thou findest gentle reader correct them thy selfe A CRONOGRAPHIE CONTINEVVED FROM THE BIRTH OF CHRIST WHERE EVSEBIVS SOCRATES EVAGRIVS AND DOROTHEVS BEGINNE TO WRITE VNTO THE TWELF YEARE OF THE raygne of Mauricius the Emperour beinge the full time of six hundred wantinge onely fiue yeares after Christ and the purest age containing the Acts of Christ the yeares of the incarnation the famous men with the martyrs and fauorers of the trueth in all those times the raygne of the Emperours the kinges of Iudaea the succession of high priestes in Ierusalem as longe as they lasted after them the succession of Bishops specially in the moste famous Churches as Ierusalem Antioch Rome Alexandria with others The Councells within this time summoned and the heretickes condemned All which are faithfully collected chiefly out of Eusebius Socrates Euagrius and where they seeme vnperfect out of other auncient writers by M. H. Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers 1576. THE PREFACE OF THE AVTOR to the Reader toutching his Chronographie SEeing that hitherto gentle Reader in the translation of these auncient Historiographers Eusebius Socrates Euagrius and Dorotheus I haue imployed great labour and industrie referring the paynes to myne owne person and the profit to the furtherance of thy studie knowledge I haue determined yet once agayne to gratifie thy louing minde with this Chronographie followinge a worke which with more ease thou mayest runne ouer and peruse and the sooner committe to memorie then the former though my paynes herein were nothinge aslaked but aequiualent with the other trauayle I hope the treatise will be acceptable insomuch the Englishe tongue hath not at this day extant any Ecclesiasticall Chronographie continewed from so long a tyme. Well we may haue catalogues of kings recitall of Bishops pedegrewes of our gentries â–ª with other priuate particular summaries seuerally handled by sundry men yet the generall Antiquitie the ioynte contriuing the relatioÌ„ to the fouÌ„taine the searching of the original out of farr foraigne countreyes seeing the Gospell vvas not first preached heere in England I find not extant in our mother tongue Therefore orderly to proceede as the aforesayd learned vvriters haue layd dovvne their example I vvill beginne vvith the birth of Christ peÌ„ning in the first colume such vvorthy actes as the Euangelists haue recorded of him during his abode here on earth aftervvardes the yeares of his incarnation The next rovvme is an abridgement of the raygne of â–ª the Emperours Luke the Euangeliste thought good euen in the very entrance of his discourse to laye dovvne the birth of Christ in the raygne of Augustus the Emperour and the preaching of Iohn the baptist to haue begonne the fifteenth yeare of Tiberius Caesar Socrates in the fift booke of his ecclesiastical history tooke the catalogue of the Emperours to be one of his principall drifts his reason vvas because the ecclesiastical affayres seemed alvvayes to depende very much of the Emperours and Princes The thirde place contayneth the famous men vvith the fauorers of the trueth â–ª the Martyrs and Sayncts of God The gladsome tidings of the glorious Gospell vvas not first reuealed vnto Princes Presidents vnto the mighty vvise of this vvorld for God needed not their ayd povver but vnto the vveake simple ignorant foolish and contemptible in the sighte of men such as were sheperds fishermen tolegatherers and tentmakers The fourth riglet contineweth the raigne of the kings of Iudaea Mathevv and Luke beganne their Gospells vvith the raigne of Herode But they lasted not very long In the dayes of Herode Christ vvas borne in the flesh after him came Archelaus the third was Herod the tetrach vvhich beheaded Iohn the baptist the fourth vvas Herode Agrippa vvhich beheaded Iames the brother of Iohn vvith the svvord and dyed miserably him selfe The last vvas Agrippa minor before vvhome Paul pleaded in the Actes of the Apostles in vvhose dayes Ierusalem vvas destroyed Anno Dom. 73. Iosephus vvriteth that vvithin the compasse of
Augustus was Emperour 56. yeares in the 42. yeare of his raygne our Sauiour Christ Iesus was borne into the worlde Aristobulus his brother deposed him bothe of his priesthoode and princely power    But Pompei ouertooke this Aristobulus and broughte him captiue to Rome    Antigonus Aristobulus and Hircanus raygned 34. yeres by turnes  3970.  Herode an aliene in the 10. yeare of Augustus the Emperour was made kinge of Iudaea In the 34. yeare of his raygne Christe Iesus was borne into the world  Toutching the yeare of the world when Christ was borne diuerse men be of diuerse opinioÌ„s Eusebius in his ChronicoÌ„ layd downe 5199. contrarye to the supputation of the Hebrewes as Ierom noteth reckoninge 2000. for one 1000. Ierom 3965. Epiphanius aduers heres lib. 2. tom 2. 5480. Nicephorus eccl hist lib. 1. ca. 10. 5505. The old Rabins 3759. Ludouicus Carettus a Iewe 3760. Carion 3944. Phrigio 3962. Theodorus Zuinger 3964. Cytreus 3962. Luther 3960. Eliot 3962. The ministers of Tigurine 3974. Demochares 3959. but saith he there be some which couÌ„t 3969. As I herein can gather by supputation of the yeares from Adam to Christ there are 3970. neither do I herein preiudice all the rest neither arrogat singularity vnto my self PantaleoÌ„ a learned chronographer of this our age is of myne opinioÌ„ me thinkes it staÌ„deth with goodreason If ye referre the age of Iohn who beganne to preach wheÌ„ he was 30. yeares old vnto the later nuÌ„ber to wit 3970. it vvill rise iust to 4000. The receaued opinion namely of Augustine Iustinus Martyr quest 71. Irenaeus li. 5. MuÌ„ster Ludouicus Carettus with others is that the vvorld shall last 6000. yeares 2000. before the lavve 2000. vnder the lavve 2000. vndeâ— Messias that is Christ Againe I reade that our Sauiour sayd in the Gospell the lavve the Prophetes to haue ended in Iohn and if the common opinion is true then vvere the 4000. yeares expired From thence let vs beginne vvith Christ as it is in the Chronographie follovvinge A Chronographie THe Hebrewes the Israelits the Iewes were gouerned first by captaines beginning at Moses and his successor Iosua next by Iudges as Othoniel Aod afterwards by Kings beginning at Saul whome Dauid succeeded Last of all by Priests who were also their Princes vntill that Pompeye the Romaine captaine besieged Ierusalem and tooke captiue Aristobulus the Prince and Priest of the Iewes which vnto that tyme had continewed the succession of Kinges from his progenitors together with his sonnes to Rome committing the office of Highpriesthoode to his brother Hyrcanus From that tyme forth the Iewes became tributaries vnto the Romaines Not longe after when Hyrcanus was taken of the Parthians Herode 34. yeares after their siege vnder Pompeye Euseb Chronic. by father an Idumaean by mother an Arabian tooke of the Romaine Senate and Augustus Caesar the gouernement of the Iewishe nation Then the prophecie of Iacob written by Moses Genes 49. was to take place and to be fulfilled which sayde The scepter shall not depart from Iuda neyther a lawegeuer fayle of his loynes vntill the Messias come Then I say at that tyme vvas the scepter taken from Iuda that is from the Ievvishe tribe and geuen to Herode a straunger Then vvas the Messias borne into the vvorlde to vveâ—e our Sauiour Christ Iesu Euseb Eccles Hist lib. 1. cap. 7. THE Acts of Christ and the yeares of his incarnation THE raygne of the Emperoures THE famous men fauorers of the trueth THE Kings of Iudaea THE highpriests of the Ievves in Ierusalem SECTS and hereticks as vvell among the Ievves as aftervvardes among the Christians The promised MESSIAS the annoynted of God our sauiour Christ â–ª Iesus was conceaued in Nazareth and borne in Bethleem from the beginninge of the world the 3970 yeare in the 42. of the raigne of Augustus Caesar Euseb lib. 1. cap. 6. Cytraeus in Genes Epiphan lib. 1. tom 1. AVGVSTVS CAESAR was in the 42. yeare of his raygne when Christ was borne Euseb lib. 1. cap. 6. Epiphan lib. 1. tom 1. The shepheardes had the firste tydinges that Christ was borne Luc. 2. The wise men commonly called the KINGES of COLEN sawe his starre the same nyght in the East Mat. 2. Ioh. Huss HERODE was kinge of the Iewes went on the 34. yeare of his raygne when Christ was borne Eusebius in Chronic. SIMON the sonne of Boethus the father in lawe of kiÌ„g Herode was Highpriest of the Iewes wheÌ„ Christ was borne whom Herode the laste yere of his raigne deposed suspectinge him to be of the conspiracie treason practised for the poysoninge of the kinge Ioseph Antiq lib. 17. cap. 5. By that which S. Paul wrote vnto the Colossians cap. 3. that in Christ Iesu there was neyther Iewe neyther Gentile neyther Scythian neither Barbarian we gather that the nations of old were distinguished and noted one from an other and that for sundry considerations Some time in the good parte as of Heber the Hebrewes were called of Israel the Israelites of the tribe of Iuda the Iewes of Leui the Leuites of Christ the Christians so agayne in the ill parte and worse sense diuers haue had theyr appellation and were called Heretickes after their names whose steps they followed and whose opinion they maintayned The which Epiphanius noteth very well libâ—de haeresibus  Augustus rained 57. yeares Euseb lib. 1. cap. 10. Although others doe write that he raygned but 56. yeares ZACHARIE the prieste the father of Iohn Baptist no highpriest but an inferiour one of the 24. orders meÌ„tioned in 1. Paral. 24. of the eyght lott called Abia Lyra in Luc. Zacharie at the byrth of his sonne Iohn Baptist songe Benedictus Luc. 1. Herode burned the Genealogies of the Hebrwes to make him selfe a geÌ„tleman Euseb lib. 1. cap. 8. MATHIAS the sonne of Theophilus is by Herode appointed to succeede Simon Ioseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 5. Amonge the Iewes there were sundrie sectes whiche continewed also the tyme of Christ Euseb Eccles hist lib. 4. cap. 21. allegeth out of Egesippus that in the tyme of the Circumcision there were sundrie sectes amonge the children of Israel varyinge in opinions and set opposite agaynste the tribe of Iuda and Christ namely these the Essâ—ans the Galilaeans Hemerobaptists Maâ—â—oâ—haans Samaritans Sadduces and Pharises Epiphanius besides these numbreth others â–ª to were the Gorthaeans Sebuaeans Dosithaeans Scribes Ossaeans Nazaraeans Herodians  In the tyme of Augustus there was a generall taxing Luc. 2. Zacharias was slayne betweene the temple the altare as Basilias Origen in Mat. hom 26. do write The cause was as they sayde in the defence of the virginitie of Marie The virgins had a seuerall place in the teÌ„ple to pray Marie after the was deliuered knowen to haue had a soÌ„ne resorted thither neuertheles the Pharisies withstoode her Zacharie affirmed she was a virgine therefore was he flame Ioseph bell Iud. lib. 5.