were adjudged to go to Hell withstood them stifly and under the Name of Divine Grace which they said Pelagius was an Enemy to establish'd their own Opinion among the Christians which before was scarce ever heard of in the World At the same time Attalus and Heracliaenus set up for Tyrants in Italy and Africa but quickly lost their Usurped Power while the Goths in the mean time waged War against the Alans and Vandals in Spain and Gaul under the Conduct of Vallias Ataulphus's his Successor who restored Placidia to Honorius and was marry'd to Count Constantius 514. This year the first Synod at Diospolis in the Land of Palestine was held against Pelagius where he is said to have retracted his Errors and to be absolved Another Synod in conformity to this condemned the Pelagian Errors in Africa and sent Letters to Innocent Bishop of Rome to induce him to do the like The same thing was done that year by the Synod held at Milevitum in Numidia But Coelestius the Disciple of Pelagius coming to Rome after the death of Innocent cleared himself before Zosimus then Pope who wrote to the Clergy in Africa That if they knew of any one that were minded to accuse Coelestius they should send him to Rome And he did at the same time inveigh bitterly against Lazarus and Herotes two Gaulish Bishops for their rash Accusation of Coelestius and Pelagius He wrote also not long after such other Letters in favour of Pelagius which Pelagius's Adversaries say were obtained through cunning Dissimulation But there is no reason we should believe them before Pelagius seeing they used all the Artifice imaginable to defame his Doctrine and obtained an Order from Honorius against him See Ger. John Vossius in Historia Pelagiana From thence in the mean time arose Contentions about Appeals from Places beyond the Seas while Zosimus in opposition to the African Bishops urged That Appeals to the See of Rome were lawful and for this he insisted upon I do not know what Canon of the Council of Nice whereby he said it was manifest those Appeals were Canonical But the African Fathers found the Canon was fictitious by sending some to the East to bring them the Canons of that Council And hence sprung a Schism between the Roman and African Churches 420. While the Romans waged War against the Persians in the East and that Honorius who govern'd the Western Empire wasted away his time in Idleness the Kingdom of the Franks under Pharamond is said to have begun 424. A few years after when Placidia with her Sons Valentinian and Honorius were drove away by the Emperor Honorius she fled to Theodosius into the East where she had the Dignity of Augusta conferred upon her as her Son Valentinian had that of Caesar This Prince upon the death of Honorius was sent into Italy to suppress John Principal Notary who had invaded the Empire of the deceased Which he successfully performed and in a little time after did by the help of Aetius a valiant Man to whom he was much obliged overthrow Count Boniface who had seized upon the Empire in Africa 428. Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople is said to have spread his Doctrine at that time whereby he contended as they would have it That there were Two Persons in Christ Cyril Bishop of Alexandria opposed him vehemently though it 's very likely the whole Contest was nothing but meer Word-warring nay if Cyril's words were as rigidly scann'd as those of Nestorius the Bishop of Alexandria would appear to be more Heterodox than the other But yet the Synod assembled at Ephesus which was called the Third General one and which consisted of Two hundred Bishops condemned Nestorius But John Bishop of Antioch coming thither with his Party did on the fifth day after Nestorius's Condemnation serve Cyril the same turn and annull the Council's Decrees From whence arose a Schism in the Eastern Churches which could scarce be composed again The whole Controversy had its beginning from the ambiguity of the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For while some confounded the terms and said there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ Others who made a Distinction between them contended That there were indeed Two Natures in him but One Person Besides which there were also some who said there were but One Nature and One Person in him from whence afterwards sprang the Opinion of the Eutychians of whom by and by At length when Cyril's Party who were at first inferiour to the other got the better on 't with the Emperor Theodosius Nestorius's Books were condemned In Defence whereof the Nestorians published the Books of Diodorus of Tarsus and Theodorus of Mopsuestenum who defended both Natures which were condemned by some and approved by others when they did not rightly understand one another Then was the Theodosian Code publish'd being the year after Vincentius Larinensis put out his Book called Commonitorium The Goths Huns and Vandals about these times molested the Roman Empire in divers Parts tho' the Roman Generals craftily made use sometimes of one sometimes of another's friendship in order to appease the rest 437. Valentinian the Second marry'd Eudoxia Theodosius's Daughter to whom he had been betrothed a long time before Eudoxia the Mother of this Prince went to Jerusalem the next year to pay her Vows where she stayed for the space of a year for then it was that holy Places began to be had in much veneration and many Pilgrimages were under taken thither several also of the Reliques of the Saints long since deceased began to grow famous by which great Miracles were said to be done whereby it came to pass that Men began to invoke the holy Martyrs and others by whose Prayers they believed those things they asked of God would be more easily obtained From henceforward the Thirteenth Book of Dionysius Petavius de Doct. Temp. is stuffed with a great many Monkish Stories he neglecting no opportunity of taking notice of those Reliques which at that time grew in vogue with the People 439. Carthage was taken by the Vandals after it had been almost for Six hundred years in the hands of the Romans The Conquerors are said to have vented their rage against the Christians and especially the Priests by the Command of King Geisericus It 's said there were several Manichaeans discovered at this time in Italy who were sharply prosecuted by Leo Bishop of Rome Bleda and Attila Kings of the Huns ravaged Illyricum and Thrace and besides that extorted great Summs of Money from Theodosius But Attila after his Brother Bleda was slain had the whole Power in his hands and not long after over-ran almost all Europe 448. Eutyches this year is said to have been convicted of Heresie in the Synod of Constantinople because he confounded the Natures of Christ which Nestorius had over separated But next year there was a Synod held at Ephesus wherein Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria restored him to Communion again from
made a difference between Arius and Alexander the Bishop and that from thence it was that occasion was taken to preach the Consubstantial Doctrine This Philostorgius was indeed a favourer of Arius's Opinion but there is no reason we should give him no manner of credit and all as is usual to those of the opposite Party 324. About the same time began Licinius out of hatred to Constantine to trouble the Christians and soon after brake out into open War but being overcome by Constantine in some Engagements both by Sea and Land he was brought to comply yet Constantine finding at last that he and Martinianus whom the other had made Caesar could not forbear forming of new Designs and Attempts he commanded his Head to be struck off 325. But as the Controversie about the Celebration of Easter of which we have already made mention in the time of Victor Bishop of Rome did still the more heighten the Differences between Arius and his Opponents there was a Synod appointed to be called to meet at Nice from all the Roman Empire wherein met cccxviii Bishops and the same began on the 14th of June and ended on the 25th of August following In this Council it was Enacted That all should celebrate Easter on the same Day that is the first Sunday after the Fourteenth Day of the New Moon next succeeding the Vernal Equinox There was also a Creed or Confession of Faith made wherein that Opinion that opposed Arius's Sentiments was confirmed As for the Creed you will find it in Socrates l. i. c. 8. of his Eccles Hist But because this Synod was accounted to be the first Oecumenical Council we shall contrary to our custom say somewhat more concerning it In the first place There were great Contentions between the Bishops which is expresly affirmed by Eusebius cap. xiii lib. 3. of the Life of Constantine though Constantine in a grave Speech exhorted them all to Peace and Unanimity These are his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Some began to accuse their Neighbours while others defended themselves and returned the Accusation upon their Opponents Neither could their Wranglings be composed any otherwise than by throwing their Petitions into the fire There is no small Controversy about the meaning of the Nicene Creed concerning which you may read Stephen Curcellaeus's Dissertation de Vocibus Trinitatis c. where he shews the Nioene Fathers believed there were Three Gods equal to one another There were Five Bishops who would not subscribe and they were Eusebius of Nicomedia Theognis of Nice Maris of Chalcedon Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais These said they could not consent to admit of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that may be said to be Consubstantial which proceeds from another either by Partition or Flowing or Eruption by Eruption as the Bud is from the Roots by Flowing as Children from their Parents and by Partition as two or three small vials from a mass of Gold But none of these ways can the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Word be the Son of God But the Synod said that the Son was from the Father without any Partition as it might be in Corporeal things but they made use of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as signifying only the Equality of the Substance and not Numerical Unity Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea who sat near the Emperor in the Synod was at first dubious whether the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be allowed of but at last upon granting him to make his Interpretation he gave way to it He said He approved of it for peace sake as he did also of those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Begotten not made because they said Made was a word that was common to all other Creatures that were made by the Son wherewith the Son had nothing like unto them and moreover that he was not made like unto those things made by him but was of a much more excellent Substance than all the Creatures which indeed the Divine Oracles taught us to be of the Father by some secret method of Generation That he was Consubstantial with the Father implied no more than that the Son hath nothing of likeness in him to the Creatures he had made but that he was like unto 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Father alone of whom he was begotten and that he was of no other Subsistence or Substance but of the Father These things which are taken out of Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea's Epistles as you have them in the foremention'd place of Socrates and others that might be mention'd do sufficiently manifest unto us that the Nicene Fathers had other sort of Sentiments than what the Modern Christians have in relation to the said Point The Arians also themselves did at length acquiesce except Theonas and Secundus with the Creed of that Synod and allowed of it but upon that Condition as you have it in Athanasius's Second Apology That Arius who himself also allowed thereof should not return to Alexandria Athanasius next year was advanced into the See of Alexandria who while he was yet but Deacon stiffly opposed Arius Philostorgius hath many things in relation to him that are not much to his Reputation which perhaps are as little to be credited as what the Consubstantial Men have said concerning Arius and therefore are yet no more to be rejected than these 326. The same year which was next after the Synod Crispus Caesar upon account of his being suspected to have committed Incest with his Mother-in-Law was put to death by his Father's Command And Fausta being kept in custody till the following year was killed in a Bath because she was thought to have falsly accused Crispus Ablavius who afterwards attained to the Honour of being Consul hath set forth Constantine's Cruelty in the following lines Saturni aurea saecla quis requirat Sunt haec gemmea sed Neroniana Then Constantine and his Mother Helen built several Churches in Judaea Jerusalem Mount Olivet and Bethlehem 330. The Council of Nice by the Definition they made could not extinguish the Dissentions reigning among the Christians In Egypt there were great Animosities between the Arians and Athanasians Which last the Consubstantial Writers have so far favoured that they have condemned the other's Proceedings in all Points This year there happened a Tumult at Antioch arising from the same Cause which Petavius after Baronius hath mistakingly assigned to the Year 324 and cites Eusbius's Authority for it to no purpose when that Author in Constantine's Life lib. iii. cap. 60. speaks of things quite different therefrom and such as happened five years after the Synod was held as H. Valesius upon that place in Eusebius hath demonstrated Vpon the death of Paulinus Bishop of Antioch they had great feuds amongst them in that City about the Choice of a Successor the Arians being obstinately bent to have Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea translated thither Euseb lib. iii. de Vita Constantini cap. 57. At
Discourse was also forbid concerning the Two Natures of Christ condemned the Type as impious The Emperor endeavoured next year by the means of Olympius Exarch of Ravenna to compell the Italian Bishops to subscribe the Type but to no purpose In the mean time the Saracens invaded Cyprus and Sicily with other Islands and grew stronger and stronger daily the Emperor Constantine being not forward enough to oppose their growth who was forced to buy his Peace of them with Money 653. Cedrenus says that Mavias General of the Saracens having seized upon the Isle of Rhodes found there a piece of the Colossus which had been thrown down above Eight hundred and seventy five Years before by an Earthquake after it had stood almost Eight hundred Years It was eighty Cubits high and the Legs of it stood so far asunder that Ships might sail between them Cedrenus says that Nine hundred Camels were laden with the remains of it So that considering the ordinary burthen of a Camel is Eight hundred Pounds weight it follow'd that the Weight thereof amounted to above Seven hundred thousand Pounds of Brass But it 's not likely that the Brass should be so much despised that none of the Christian Emperors thought it worthy to be taken away till those times Next year Constans the Emperor was overcome in a Sea-Engagement by Mavias when the former had dream'd the night before that he was at Thessalonica Which by the Interpreters of Dreams was construed to amount to as much as if God had told him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yield the Victory to another The same year Othman King of the Arabs who had seized on the Persian Empire being slain was succeeded by Hali whom the Persians make to be equal with Mahomet 663. The Saracens being engaged in a Civil War among themselves the Emperor Constans took an opportunity to go into Italy where at first he gave the Lombards several Overthrows but being afterwards often beaten by them he was forced to return to the East Whither as he was going he was slain in a Bath at Syracuse 668. One Mizizius an Armenian was chosen Emperor in his room who was quickly overcome and slain by Constantine the Son of Constans This Constantine was he that had left Constantinople when Beardless and returned thither a Bearded Man and was called Pogonatus The Saracens in his Reign began to invade Africa and return with a Fleet again to Sicily wasting all before them 672. They did the same in other Provinces of the Empire and with their Fleet set upon Constantinople it self but they were stoutly repulsed by Constantine as also by Bambas King of Spain upon whose Coast they came 678. The Bulgarians so named from the River Volga or Bulga making an Irruption from the Northern Shores of the Euxine-Sea even unto Thrace began to be troublesome unto the Roman Empire and grew so powerful that the Emperor was forced to pay them Tribute 681. At last after many Contests the Sixth General Council was assembled at Constantinople wherein the Monothelites were condemned the Western Bishops proving great Sticklers against them 685. Four years after died the Emperor Constantine and was succeeded by his Son Justinian H. who in the beginning of his Reign drove the Saracens out of Armenia and made them pay him Tribute But they in a short time violated the Conditions of the Peace by removing the Emperor's Garrisons from Mount Libanus who were posted there At which the Emperor growing angry he proclaimed War against them though they now offered to pay him a greater Tribute than ordinary and in a submissive manner sued for Peace He did indeed in the first Battel give them the Overthrow they being uprovided for it but the Sclavi whom he led against them being corrupted he was overcome again and lost Armenia 692. Ten years after the Sitting of the Sixth Council another was called by Callinicus Patriarch of Constantinople wherein he put forth several Canons in the Name of the Sixth Council and among others allowed the Clergy to have Wives provided they abstained from the use of them in the time of the Administration of the Sacred Mysteries These Canons were received by the Eastern Churches but rejected by the Western and from henceforward the Church of Constantinople was in a manner divided from the Communion of that of Rome 694. When Justinian II. had done many cruel things and designed to bring his Soldiers to Massacre the People of Constantinople Leontius a Patrician whom he kept in Prison having set the Prisoners at liberty possess'd himself of the Empire and having cut off his Nostrils banish'd him to Taurica Chersonesus where he lived for the space of ten years Leontius in the beginning of his Reign happily drove out the Saracens who had invaded Africa by the Conduct of John his Brother But the same John not long after growing negligent of his Affairs was overcome by them and when the Army for that reason required he should be brought forth to be punish'd they made Absimarus who was also called Tiberius Emperor This Man marching unexpectedly to Constantinople seized it and Leontius also whose Nostrils he commanded should be cut off and sent him Prisoner to a Monastery in Dalmatia 698. We have hitherto omitted the barbarous Names of the French Kings and their Neighbours and the continual Wars they almost always waged against one another the knowledge whereof is not very material but it were a crime to say nothing of Pepin Mayor of the Palace in France who about these times begot Charles Martell upon his Concubine Alphaida who succeeded his Father in the same Charge The Kings of France in this Age gave themselves up wholly to Sloth and left the Management of all their Affairs to the Mayor of the Palace which made them have the Sirname of Faineant or Slothful given them and the Regal Dignity at last devolved upon Pepin's Family 703. Though Absimarus and his Brother Heraclius often overcame the Saracens and governed the Empire very well yet they could not defend themselves against Justinian who was Emperor before Leontius For he being assisted by the Bulgarians took Constantinople and having taken Absimarus and Heraclius in their flight hung them upon the Walls and held the Empire nine years He gave the Bulgarians at first Thanks suitable to their Service but afterwards violating the Peace he made a great slaughter of them for which they took severe Revenge not long after 709. Roderick fearing an Insurrection by the Spaniards over whom he was King took away their Arms and rased the Walls of their Cities Which gave Walidus King of the Arabs an opportunity by his General Tarichus to attempt something upon Spain and having sent a Fleet thither brought off a very great Booty But being invited thither two years after by Count Julian whose Daughter Roderick had debauched he went over with twelve thousand Men into Spain fortify'd his Camp upon a Mountain near the Streight of Gibraltar anciently called Calpe and