intitled a key an other of the deuell an other of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and of God incarnate last of all a booke dedicated vnto Antoninus In his booke of Easter he declareth the time when he wrote it begining thus In the time of Seruilius Paulus proconsul of Asia vvhat time Sagaris suffred martyrdome and the great sturre vvas moued at Laodicea tourchinge the Sabaoth vvhich then by reason of the time fell out these thinges vvere vvrytten of this booke Clemens Alexandrinus made mention in a seuerall tracte which he wrote of Easter and purposely as he testifieth himselfe by occasion of Melito his booke In his Apology vnto the Emperour he reporteth the thinges practised against the Christians wryting thus The godly people grened by reason of nevve edictes published throughout Asia and before neuer practised novve suffer persecution for impudent Sycophantes greedy gapers after other mens goods hauing gotten occasion through those proclamations openly robb and spoile day and night such as committee no trespasse at all And after a fewe lynes he sayth If this be done through your procuremēt let it stand for good for the Emperour that is iuste neuer putteth in practise any vniust thing vve vvillingly vvill beare avvay the honor of this death yet this onely vve hūbly craue of your highnes that you after notice and tryall had of the authors of this contention doe iustly geue sentence vvhether they are vvorthy of death punishment or of lif and quietnesse but if this be not your maiesties pleasure and the nevve edicte proceed not from your povver and authoritie vvhich vvere not seemely to be sett forthe agaynst barbarian enemies the rather vve pray you that you despise vs not vvhich are greued and oppressed vvith this common and shamefull spoyle Agayne to these he addeth The philosophie novve in aestimation amongest vs first florished among the Barbarians for vvhen as it florished vnder the great dominion of Augustus your forefather of famous memorie it fell out to be a most fortunate successe vnto your empire For thence forvvardes vnto this daye the Romaine empire increased and enlarged it selfe vvith greate glorie vvhose successor novve you are greatly beloued and haue bene long vvished for and vvilbe together vvith your sonne continually prayed for retaine therefore this religion vvhich encreased vvith the empire vvhich began vvith Augustus vvhich vvas reuerenced of your auncetors before all other religions This vvas a greate argument of a good beginning for since that our doctrine florished together vvith the happie beginning empire no misfortune befell vnto it from the raygne of Augustus vnto this daye but of the contrary all prosperous and gloriouse and gladsome as euery man vvished him selfe Onely of all others Nero Domitian through the persvvasion of certaine enuious dispitefull persons vvere disposed to bring our doctrine into hatred From vvhome this sclaunder of flattering persons raised against the Christians sprong vp after a brutishe maner or custome but your godly auncetors corrected their blinde ignorance and rebuked oftentimes by their epistles their sundry rashe enterprises Of vvhich number Adrianus your graundefather is knovven to haue vvritten both vnto Fundanus Proconsul and President of Asia and to manie others And your father yours I saye in that you gouerned all thinges together vvith him vvrote vnto the cities in our behalfe and vnto the Larissaeans Thessalonians Athenians and to all the Grecians that they should innouate nothing nether practise any thing preiudiciall vnto the Christians but of you vve are fully persvvaded to obtaine our humble petitions in that your opinion and sentence is correspondent vnto that of your predecessors yea and that more gracious and farre more religious Thus as ye reade he wrote in the aforesayde booke And in his Proeme to his annotations of the olde Testamente he reciteth the cataloge of the bookes of the olde Testament then certeine canonicall the whiche necessarilie we haue annexed writinge thus Meliton vnto the brother Onesimus sendeth greeting VVhereas oftentimes you beinge inflamed vvith earnest zeale tovvardes our doctrine haue requested of me to select certaine annotations out of the lavve and prophets concerning our Sauiour and our vvhole religion and againe to certifie you of the summe of the bookes contained in the olde testament according vnto their number and order of placinge novve at length I beinge mindefull heretofore also of your petitions haue bene carefull to performe that you looke for knovving your endeuer your care and industrie in setting forth the doctrine of faith marching forvvards vvith loue tovvards God and care of euerlasting saluation vvhich you preferre before all other thinges VVhen that I traueled into the east and vvas there vvhere these thinges vvere both preached and put in practise I compiled into order the bookes of the olde testament suche as vvere vvell knovven and sent them vnto you vvhose names are these The fiue bookes of Moses Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomium Then Iesus Naue the Iudges the booke of Ruth foure bookes of kinges tvvo of Cronicles the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Solomon the booke of VVisdome Ecclesiastes the Canticles Iob Esay and Ieremie the Prophets on booke of the tvvelue prophets Daniel Ezechiel Esdras vpon the vvhich vve haue vvritten six bookes of commentaries Thus farre Meliton CAP. XXVI Of the writings of Apollinarius and Musanus ALthoughe there were many volumes written by Apollinarius yet these onely came to our handes A booke vnto the foresaide Emperour fiue bookes against the gentiles 2. bokes of the trueth 2 bookes againste the Ievves and suche bookes as afterwardes he wrote against the Phrygian heresie whiche not longe after waxed stale then firste buddinge out when as Montanus together with his false prophetisses ministred principles of Apostasie so farre of him Musanus also spoken of before wrote a certaine excellent booke intituled Vnto the brethren lately fallen into the heresie of the Encratits which then newely had sprong and molested mankinde with a strange and perniciouse kinde of false doctrine the autor whereof is sayde to bee Tatianus CAP. XXVII Of Tatianus and his heresie WE meane that Tatianus whose testimony a litle before we haue alleaged toutchinge the renoumed Iustinus whome also we haue reported to haue bene the Martyrs disciple The same dothe Irenaeus declare in his first booke against heresies wryting of him and his heresie thus Out of the schole of Saturninus and Marcion sprange the Hereticks vvhome they call Encratits that is to say continent persons vvho taught that mariadg vvas to be abhorred contemning the auncient shape and molde of man framed of God and so by sequel reprehending him that made the generation of man and vvoman Againe they haue commaunded abstinence from liuing creatures for so they call them shevving themselues vngratefull tovvards God vvhich made all thinges for the vse of man They deny that the first man vvas saued and this blasphemie lately spronge vp Tatianus beinge originall
as were present affirmed that he had sacrificed departed with silence one being halfe dead was borne away being throwen of them for dead the same was tormēted with bondes reckned among the sacrificers an other lifted his voyce protested that he had not yelded at all the same was beaten on the mouth constrayned to kepe silence by the force of many hands which stopped his breath violētly excluded him when he had not sacrificed at al. so it pleased them well if at least wise they might seeme to bring their purpose to effect but for all their mischieuous deuises the blessed martyrs of God only bare away y ◠victory againe y ◠seuēteenth day of y ◠moneth Dius after the Romaynes the fifteenth of the Calendes of December Alphaeus and Zachaeus after they had bene lashed with whipps mangled with rasors after racking and greuous tormentes therein after sundry questions demaunded of them after they had layen in y ◠stocks many dayes and many nights their feet stretched foure spaces asunder last of all whē they had freely confessed and boldely pronounced that there was but one onely God one kinge captaine ouer all Iesus Christ as if herein they had vttered blasphemy or treason they were in like maner beheaded euen as the martyr mētioned a litle before Moreouer the history toutching Romanus y ◠martyr who suffred the same day at Antioch is worthie of memory He was borne in Palaestina he was deacon and exorcist of the church of Caesarea as it fell out being in Antioch at the ruyne and desolation of y ◠churches beholding with his eyes great multituds both of men women and children flocking vnto the altars and offering sacrifices to the Idols supposed it was his duety in no wise to winck thereat wherefore he being moued with singular zeale of the spirit of God drewe nigh vnto them exclaimed against them and sharpely rebuked them Who for so bold an enterprise was apprehended shewed him selfe a valiāt witnes or testifier if then there was any such in the world of the trueth in Christ For when the iudge threatned him death with flashing fire that consumeth to ashes he of the contrary embraced his offer most willingly with cherefull countenance and gladsome courage and with all is brought vnto the place of execution Being bounde to the stake while the officers threwe fagotts about him and such as were appointed to kindle the fire wayted for the emperours watch worde pleasure who then was presente he shouted vnto them from the stake where I pray you is the fire The whiche he had no sooner spoken but the Emperour called him vnto him to the ende he shoulde suffer a newe and straūge kinde of torment to wete that his tongue might be plucked out of his mouth the which he constantly endured and thereby declared at large howe that the deuine power and grace of God neuer fayleth them which suffer for godlines sake but alwayes ether easeth their labours slaketh theyr griefs or els graunteth courage and might to endure paciently vnto the ende This blessed sainct as soone as he had vnderstoode of their newe deuised torment beinge valiantly disposed neuer staggered thereat but voluntarily put out his tongue yelded the same which was fully instructed in the word of God vnto the tormentors hands After which tormēt he was clapt in prison and there plagued alonge time at length when the twentieth yeare of the Emperours raygne was nowe expired at what time a generall pardon was proclaimed y t all prisoners should be sett at liberty he alone lying in the stockes and his feete stretched fiue spaces asunder had his necke compassed with a haulter and thus in prison stifled to death so that hereby according vnto his desire he was crowned with martyrdome This man although he suffred out of the bounds of his natiue soyle yet being a Palaestinian by birth is worthy to be canonized amōg the martyrs of Palaestina Such were the tragicall affayrs of the church in Palaestina the first yeare of the persecution which was chiefly bent against y ◠presidents of our doctrine byshops of y ◠church of God CAP. XXI Of the martyrs which suffred in Caesarea the seconde yeare of the persecution vnder Diocletian and of the alteration of the Empire THe second yeare nowe being come when the persecution raised against vs waxed hott the proclamations of the Emperours where it was generally cōmaunded that both mē women children throughout euery citie and village should be constrained to sacrifice offer incense to Idols were newly come to the hands of Vrbanus then lyuetenant of y ◠prouince Timotheus of Gaza in Palaestina after infinite torments the which he endured laste of all being boūd to the stake enuironed with slacke slowe fire gaue forth a worthy triall of his zeale godwards through pacient sufferance in all the bitter punishments laid vpon him and in the end bare away the garlande of victory vsually graunted to all y ◠valiant champions which wrastle for piety the seruice of God At y ◠same time Agapius Thecla also which liued in this our age she wed y ◠worthy constancy of their noble minds when as at y ◠cōmaundement of the iudge they were throwen at the feete of wild beasts to be ether deuoured or torne in peeces What man is he that ether beholdinge with his eyes the thinges which ensued will not fall into admiration or lendinge onely the bare eare vnto the recitall of them will not be astonied thereat For when as the Ethniks solemnized their publick feastes and celebrated their wonted spectacles amongst other their mery newes gladsome wishes it was commonly noyced abrode that the christians lately condemned to wild beasts made all the sport and finished the solemnity This report being farre and nigh and euery where bruted abrode yonge striplings to the number of six whereof one was of Pontus by name Timolaus the second of Tripolis a citie in Phaenicia called Dionysius the third by name Romulus subdeacon of the church of Diospolis the fourth Pausis the fift Alexander bothe Aegyptians the sixt Alexander of the same name with him that went before of the citie of Gaza ioyning handes and hartes together signifiyng thereby the feruent loue they owed to martyrdome went with speede vnto Vrbanus who a litle before had let loose the raueninge beastes to rent the christiās in peeces and frely protested the christian faith declaring by this their promptnes and willing minds as it were absolutely furnished to giue the onsett of what aduenture soeuer that suche as glory in the title worshipp and seruice of the great God creator of the whole world haue not to tremble at y ◠fierce rage of furious and sauadge beastes Wherevpon both the president and the people fell into great admiration and the confessors were forth with clapt in prison Not longe
dealing of the bishops requireth of them that the accusations may indifferently be examined By that time the seast of our sauiours natiuitie was come on which day y ◠Emperour went not to the church after the wonted maner but sent Iohn this message that he would not communicate w t him before he had cleared him selfe of the crimes layd to his charge And when as the accusers seemed to mistrust them selues that Iohn through the vprightnes equitie of his cause boldened him selfe the bishops then present affirmed they ought not to examine any other offence saue only whether he of him selfe had takē possession of the bishoprick after he was deposed without the sentence admission of a councell When Iohn made answere y ◠he had the consent of fiftie bishops which cōmunicated w t him Leontius replied against him but more saith he in the coūcell withstoode thy admission Againe when Iohn sayd that the canon which cōtained such a clause appertained not vnto their churche but was to be executed where y ◠Arians did raigne for such as assembled at Antioch to roote out y ◠faith of one substance layd downe y ◠canon against Athanasius they neuerthelesse makinge no accōpt of his answere proceeded gaue sentence against him not weying with thēselues that such as were authors of this canon were also deposers of Athanasius These things were done a litle before Easter Then also the Emperour sent vnto Iohn y ◠he had no authoritie to go into the church insomuch he was deposed condemned in two seuerall councells Wherefore Iohn gaue ouer executing of the ecclesiasticall function refrained from going into the church Immediatly also such as fauored him departed y ◠churche they keepe Easter in the cōmon bathes called Cōstantianae together with many bishops priests other ecclesiasticall persons who thenceforth because of their seuerall conuenticles were called Iohannits For the space of two moneths Iohn was neuer seene abrode vntill y ◠by the Emperours cōmaundemēt he was brought to exile so at length being banished the church he was bereaued of his contrey soyle The same day certaine of such as were called Iohannits set the church on fire with that the easterne wind being vp blew the flame into the senatours court cessed not from burning vntill all was cōsumed to ashes This was done the twentieth of Iune in the sixt Consulship of Honorius the which he enioyed together w t Aristanetus For which conspiracie treason what heauy penalties grieuous punishments Optatus gouernour of Constantinople in religion a pagane and therfore a sore plaguer of Christians made them endure I thinke it best to ouerskip them with silence CAP. XVII Howe that after the deposition of Iohn Arsacius was made byshop of Constantinople of Cyrinus byshop of Chalcedon that was payned with the sore foote and of the death of Eudoxia the Empresse ARsacius an old man aboue the age of fourescore yeares who sometime gouerned the bishopricke of Constantinople before the dayes of Iohn was shortly after made byshop of that seae In his time when as the church enioyed greate ease and quietnesse by reason of his singular modestie and meeke behauiour Cyrinus bishop of Chalcedon whose foote Maruthas bishop of Mesopotamia had trode on and hutt against his will had such infortunate successe y t his foote rotted of the broise and therfore of necessitie he was cōstrained to saw it of Neither suffred he that once but twise and oftenner toe For the putrefaction ranne ouer his whole bodie and fell at length into his other foote then was he fayne to lose both I haue therefore remembred these thinges because it was rife in euery mans mouth that Cyrinus suffered this plague or punishment for reuiling of Iohn and terming him as I sayd before a stuburne Bishop Againe when as great haile the bignesse whereof was not remembred to haue bene seene before fell in the suburbes of Constantinople y ◠thirtieth day of Septembre the aforesayd Consulship y ◠report likewise went that it was a token of Gods wrath for the deposition and banishment of Iohn The death of the Empresse which followed immediatly after confirmed this rumor for she departed this life the fourth day after the fall of this haile Some there were also which sayd that Iohn was iustly deposed because that in the voyage when he made Heraclides Bishop of Ephesus he thrust many out of their Churches namely the Nouatians and such as celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteeneth day of the moneth with many others both in Asia and in Lydia But whether Iohn was iustly deposed as they said which bare him ill will whether Cyrinus was plagued for his opprobrious languages and sclaunderous reports last of all whether the haile and the death of the Empresse were signes of Gods high displeasure for banishing of Iohn or whether they happened for some other causes God alone knoweth which searcheth the secrets of mans hart and pronounceth here of the right sentence of iust iudgement I of myne owne parte committed to writing such things as then were rife in euery mans mouth CAP. XVIII Howe that after the desease of Arsacius Atticus was chosen Bishop of Constantinople ARsacius continewed not Bishop very long for the yeare following to wit in the second Consulship of Stilicon but the first of Anthemius and the eleuenth of Nouembre he departed this life When that the election of a bishop fell out to be a troublesome peece of worke and the contention endured a very long time the next yeare after in the sixt Consulship of Arcadius and the first of Probus Atticus a godly mā by birth of Sebastia in Armenia by order a religious man trayned in the monasticall discipline from his youth vp of meane knowledge yet of singuler wisedome naturally ingraffed in him was chosen bishop of Constātinople but of him more hereafter CAP. XIX Howe that Iohn Bishop of Constantinople died in exile IOhn being banished his Churche bereaued his contrey soyle dyed in exile at Comanum situated vpon the sea Euxinus the foureteeneth of Nouembre the seuenth Consulship of Honorius the seconde of Theodosius a man he was as I sayd before more lead with heate of burning choler then ruled by ciuill curtesie and because he was a man of wonderfull boldnes he vsed liberty of speach and had tongue at will I can not verily but wonder at him why he addicting him selfe so much to temperance taught in some sermons that temperance was in maner to be sett at nought for when as by the councell of Bishops there was admission left and pardon graunted for such as had once fallen after baptisme to be receaued againe after repentance into the Church he sticked not to say If thou fall a thousand times repent thee of thy folly come boldly into the Church for which doctrine besides that he was misliked of many his familiars yet was
as much as the name either of lawes or iudgements and to be short not once as much as the vewe of vertue and philosophie but liuing among beastes spent their time in wildernesse as â—â—eldish men and voyd of humanity corrupting the reasonable vnderstanding agreable with nature the reasonable seedes of mans minde with their wilful malice yelding them selues wholy to al abominations so that sometimes they infect eche other sometimes they sleye eche other sometimes they deuoure mans fleshe presuming to wage batle with God after the famous battel of the foolish Giants determining and imagining in their minde to wall heauen and earthe in one and beinge moued throughe the madnesse of their minde they went about to conquere God the gouerner of all thinges whereby they haue thus sore incensed him agaynst them selues God the duerseer and ruler of all things reuenged them with floodes and destructions of fiery flames as if they had bene a certaine wilde vmnanured thickett ouerspreadinge the whole earthe also with famyne and continuall plagues with battayle and thunderboltes from aboue he cut them of and subdued that seuere and most bitter maladye of their soules by restrayning them with more sharpe punishments imprisonments When malice was now flowen vnto the brimme and had ouercast al with the couer thereof ouershadowing ouerdarkening the mindes of mortall men as it were a certaine soking slumber of drunkennesse that first begotten wisedome of God and the same worde that was in the beginning with God by his superabundant louing kindnes appeared vnto the inhabiters on earth sometimes by vision of Angels sometimes by him selfe as the helping power of God vnto some one or other of the auncient worshippers of God in no other forme or figure then of man for otherwise their capacity could not haue comprised the same After that now by them the seede of piety was sowen scattered amiddes the multitude of men and the whole nations which from the Hebrewes linealy descended had now purposed to preferre godlines vpon earth he deliuered vnto them of olde by his seruant Moses after strait institutions certayne figures and formes of a miâ—ticall Sabaoth and circumcision and entrances vnto other spiritual contemplations but not the perfect playne mysteries thereof When as the law was published and set forth as a sweete 〈…〉 vnto all men then many of the Gentils through the law makers euery where yea and philosophers changed their rude brutish and sauage senses vnto meeke and milde natures so that thereby there ensued amongest them perfect peace familiarity and frendshipithen againe to al men and to the Gentils throughout al the worlde as it were now in this behalfe holpen and fit to receaue the knowledge of his father the same schoolemaster of vertue his fathers minister in al goodnes the deuine and celestiall worde of God through man with corporall substance not different from ours shewed him selfe about the beginning of the Romaine empire wrought and suffred such thinges as were consonant with holy Scripture which foreshewed there shoulde be borne such a one as shoulde be both God and man a mighty worker of miracles an instructor of the Gentiles in his fathers piety and that his wonderfull birth shoulde be declared his new doctrine his wonderfull workes besides this the maner of his death his resurrection from the dead and aboue all his diuine restitution into the heauens The Prophet Daniel beholdinge his kingdome in the spirit to be in the latter age of the worlde whereas otherwhere deuinely yet here more after the maner of man describeth the vision of God I beheld sayth he vntill the thrones vvere placed and the auâ—â—â—ent of dayes sate theron his garments vvere as the vvhite snovve the heares of his heade as pure vvoll his throne a flame of fire his chariots burning fire a fyry streame slyded before his face a thousande thousandes ministred vnto him the iudgement vvas set the bookes vvere opened c. Againe And againe after this I behelde sayth he and beholde one comminge in the cloudes like the Sonne of man and he came still vnto the auncient of dayes he vvas brought â—â—â—ore him and to him vvas geuen principalitie honour and rule and al people tribes and to 〈…〉 shall serue him his povver is an euerlasting povver vvhiche shall not paâ—â—e his kingdome 〈…〉 neuer be destroyed These thinges truely may be referred to none other then in out 〈…〉 God that was the word being in the beginning with the father and named 〈…〉 reason of his incarnation in the latter tinâ—es 〈◊〉 â—â—eause we haue in out 〈…〉 propheticall expositions touching our Lord 〈…〉 Christ and therin hath 〈…〉 thinges which concerne him at this present we wylbe content with the premises CAP. IIII. That Iesus and the very name of Christ from the beginning was both knowen and honored among the deuine Prophets that Christ was both a King an highpriest and a Prophet THat the name both of Iesus and also of Christ among the holy prophets of old was honored nowe is it time to declare Moses first of all knowing the name of Christ to be of great reuerence glorious deliuering types of heauenly things pledges mistical formes according vnto y â— commaundement prescribed saying vnto him See thou doe all thinges after the fashion that vvas shevved thee in the mount Naming man as he lawfully might an highpriest of God called the same Christ and to this dignitie of highe priesthood althoughe by a certayne prerogatiue excelling all others among men yet because of honor and glory he put to the name of Christ So then he deemed Christ to be a certayne deuine thyng The same Moses also when being inspired with the holy Ghost he had wel forseene the name of Iesu iudged the same worthy of singuler prerogatiue for this name of Iesu appeared not manifest among men afore it was knowen by Moses and this name he gaue to him first and to him alone whom he knew very wel by tipe figuratiue signe to receaue the vniuersal principality after his death His successor therfore before that time called not Iesu but otherwise to weete Ause He called Iesu the which name his parents had geuen him therby attributing to that name singuler honor farr passing al princely scepters because that the same Iesus Naue was to beare the figure of our Sauiour also alone after Moses to accomplish the figuratiue seruice committed vnto him and thought worthy to beginne the true and most sincere worship Moses to these two men after him thus surpassing all people in vertue and honor attributed for great honor the name of our sauiour Iesus Christ to the one as highe priest to the other as principal ruler after him After this y â— prophets playnely haue prophecied namely of Christ of the peeuishe practise of the Iewishe people agaynst him of the calling of the Gentils by him Ieremie thus sayde The spirite before our face
cut of for of them vvhich are ledde vvith this line of generation some succeaded as naturall children their fathers some begotten by others haue after others bene called yet of both mention is made as vvell of them vvhiche truely as of them vvhich resemble the name of generation Thus nere nother of the Gospels is founde false hovvsoeuer it doth number be it according vnto nature or the custome of the Lavve The kinrede of Solomon and of Nathan is so knit together by reuiuing of the deseased vvithout issue by second mariages by raising of seede so that not vvithout cause the same persons are posted ouer to diuerse fathers vvhereof some vvere imagined and some others vvere their fathers in deede both the allegations being properly true though in Ioseph diuersly yet exactly by descente determined And that that vvhich I go about to proue may plainly appear I vvil declare the orderly succession of this genealogye makinge a recitall from Dauid by Solomon The thirde from the ende is Matthan founde vvhiche begate Iacob the father of Ioseph but from Nathan the Sonne of Dauid Descending according vnto the Gospell of Luke the thirde from the ende is Melchi vvhose Sonne is Hely the father of Ioseph For Ioseph is the Sonne of Hely the Sonne of Melchi Ioseph being the proposed marke to shoote at vve must shevve hovv ether is termed his father deriuing the pedegrevv of Iacob from Solomon of Heli from Nathan and first hovv Iacob and Heli being tvvo brethren â–ª then their fathers Matthan and Melchi borne of diuers kinreds may be proued Graundfathers to Ioseph Matthan therefore Melchi marying the same vvife begate brethren by the same mother the Lavv not forbidding a vvidovve either dimissed from her husbande or after the death of her husbande to be coupled vnto an other man First therefore Matthan descending from Solomon begate Iacob of Esttha for that is sayd to be her name After the death of Matthan Melchi vvhich is sayd to haue descended from Nathan being of the same tribe but of an other race hauinge maryed this vvidovve to his vvife begate Heli his sonne Thus do vve finde Iacob and Heli of a different race but by the same mother to haue bed brethren of the vvhiche Iacob takinge to vvife his sister the vvife of Heli his brother deseased vvithout issue begate on her the thirde to vvitt Ioseph by naiuroâ—and the order of generation vnto him selfe VVhereupon it is vvritten Iacob begate Ioseph by the Lavv vnto his brother Hely deseased vvhose sonne Ioseph vvas for Iacob being his brother raysed seede vnto him vvherfore nether that genealogie vvhich concerneth him is to be abolished the vvhich Matthew the Euangelist reciting Iacob sayth he begat Ioseph Luke of the other side vvhich vvas the sonne saith he as it vvas supposed for he addeth this vvith al of Ioseph vvhich vvas the sonne of Heli vvhich vvas the sonne of Melchi And the vvord of begetting he ouerskipped vvith silence vn to the ende vvith such a recital of sonnes making relation vnto Adam vvhich vvas of God neither is this hard to be proued or to smale purpose proposed The kinsmen of Christ according vnto the flesh either making appareÌ„t or simply instructing yet altogether teaching that vvhich is true haue deliuered these thinges vnto vs hovve that the Idumaean the eues inuading the city Ascalon in Palaestina tooke captiue together vvith other spoiles out of the temple of Apollo adioyning vnto the vvalls Antipater sonne to one Herode â–ª that vvas minister in that temple VVheÌ„ the priest vvas not able to pay raunsome for his sonne this Antipater vvas brought vp after the maner of the Idumaeans became very familiar vvith Hyrcanus the high priest of the Ievves hauing bene in embasye vvith Pompeye in Hircanus steade he restored vnto him the kingdome vvhich vvas taken from his brother Aristobulus assigned him selfe gouernour of Palaestina and proceaded forvvardes in felicitie VVhen this Antipater vvas enuyed for his greate felicitie and vvas trayterously slayne there succeded him his sonne Herode vvhich at length of Antonius and Augustus by decree of the Senate receaued rule ouer the Ievves vvhose sonnes vvere Herode and the other Tetrarches These thinges are common among the greeke historyes And when as vnto that tyme the genealogies of the Hebrevves yea of them also linealy descending of Proselytes as Achior the Amanyte and Ruth the Moabyte likewise as many as fell beinge deliuered from out of Aegypt and mixt with the Israelites were recorded amonge their auncient monuments Herode whome the Israeliticall genealogie auayled nothinge beinge pricked in mynde with the basenes of his byrthe burned their auncient recorded genealogies supposing thereby to deriue him selfe of noble parentage if none other holpen by publique recordes were able to prone their pedegrewes from the Patriarches or Proselytes or such as were cleped strangers horne and mingled of olde amonge the Israelytes Very sewe studious in this behalfe doe glorye that they haue gott vnto them selues proper pedegrewes or remembraunce of their names or other wise recordes of them for the retayninge of their auncient stocke in memorye whiche these men mentioned of before haue attayned vnto beinge called because of their affiâ—iâ—â—e and kinred with our Sauiour after the name of the Lorde and trauelinge from the Nazarites and Cocâ—oba castles of the Ievves into other regions they expounded the afore sayde genealogie oâ—â— of the booke of Chronicles as farre for the as it extendeth Nowe so euer then the case stande eyther thus 〈◊〉 otherwise no man in my iudgement can finde a playner exposition Whosoeuer therefore he be that ruleth him selfe aright he wil be carefull of the selfe same with vs although he wante prefe to preferre a better and a â—ruet exposition The Gospel in al respectes uttereth most true thinges About the ende of the same epistle he hath these wordes Matthan descending of Solomon begate Iacob Matthan deceased Melchi vvhich descended of Nathan on the same vvoman begate Heli then vvere Heli and Iacob brethren by the mothers side Heli dying vvithout issue Iacob raysed vnto him seede by be getting of Ioseph his ovvne sonne by nature but Heli his sonne by the lavv thâ—s vvas Ioseph â–ª sonne to both so farre Aphricanus Sithens that the genealogie of Ioseph is thus recited after the same maner Mary is termed to be of the same tribe together with him â–ª For by the lawe of Moses the mingling of tribes was not permitted which commaundeth that matching in mariage be made with one of the same people and family lest the lott of inheritaunce due to the kiâ—red be tossed from tribe to tribe of these thinges thus much CAP. IX Of the slaughter of the Infantes by Herode and the lamentable Tragedy toutching the terme and ende of his life VVHen Christ was borne in Bethleem of Ievvrye according vnto Prophecyes for eshewed and tymes already declared Herode because of the wise men which came from
for Christes sake shall haue fellovvship vvith the liuing God after that she had honge a longe vvhile and no beaste toutched her she is taken dovvne cast into pryson and reserued for further torment that being conquerour of many combatts she might prouide for the crooked serpent inexcusable condemnation and animate the brethren vnto chearefulnesse putting on as a smale a vveake and contemptible person the greate the strong and inuincible champion Christ Iesus obtayning through her diuerous manifolde pacience the incorruptible crovvne of glory Attalus also a famous man vvas greatly desired of the people vnto punishment vvho being ready and of a cleare conscience came forth for he vvas notably exercised in the Christian profession alvvaies a fauorer and furtherer of the trueth therefore vvhen he vvas led in compasse of the Theatre vvith a scrole before him vvherein vvas vvritten in the Romayne tongue This is Attalus the Christian and the people had raged against him the President knovving that he vvas a Romayne commaunded him to be imprisoned and closely kept vvith the other prisoners concerning vvhom he had vvritten vnto Caesar and expected an ansvvere The meane tyme passing betvvene vvas neither vayne nor frutelesse for the infinite mercy of Christ Iesus our Sauiour shined in the vvorlde through their pacience the deade by the liuing vvere reuiued the martyrs profited such as vvere no martyrs the pure virgine and mother the Churche vvas greatly comforted and cherished vvhen as she recouered and receaued for liuing such as before she had loste as vntimely birthes and dead frute for many vvhich before had faynted by their meanes vvere novv moulded borne againe stirred vp a fresh learned to protest their faith and novv being quickened and strengthened hauing tasted of him vvhich vvill not the deathe of a sinner but is mercifull vnto the penitent they come forth before the tribunall seate ready to ansvvere vnto the interrogatories of the president And because that Caesar had commaunded by vvriting that such as confessed them selues Christians shoulde be executed and such as renounced shoulde departe the frequented solemnitie vvhich by reason of the concourse of the Gentyles from euery contrey vvas about the beginning very populous he brought forth from prison the blessed confessors into the open spectacle and presence of the people to be scornfully gased vpon and vvhen he had agayne made inquisition of them as many as he founde to be priuiledged persons of Rome those he beheadded the rest he threvv to be reÌ„t a sunder torne in peeces of vvilde beastes Christ vvas greatly glorified in them vvhich at the first denyed and at last beyond all the expectation of the heathen boldely confessed their fayth They seuerally vvere examined to be set at liberty but after confession they vvere coopled to the number of the martyrs They taried vvithout vvhich neuer had grayne of fayth no feeling of the vvedding garment no sparckle of the feare of God but rather through their vvicked conuersation blasphemed the vvay of God as sonnes of perdition All the other vvere coopled to the Christian congregation at the tyme of examination Alexander a Phrygian borne professing phisicke hauing dvvelled in Fraunce many yeares a man vvell knovvne for his great zeale Godvvardes and boldenes of speach he vvas not vvithout the gracious and Apostolicke gift stoode harde by the tribunall seate and nigh the examined persons exhorting them to bouldnesse of confession by signes and tokens so that by his sorovving and sighing by his hopping and skipping to and froe he vvas discryed of the standers by and vvhen the people in compasse had taken in ill parte that they vvhich before had recanted againe did confesse vvith one consent they cry out agaynste Alexander as author thereof VVhen the President had vrged him and demaunded of him vvhat he vvas he ansvvered I am a Christian for vvhich ansvvere the President allotted him vnto the beastes of them I say to be rent in peeces and deuoured The seconde day after together vvith Attalus he is brought forthe for the President to gratifie the people deliuered him vnto the beastes to be bayted the seconde time And vvhen these had tasted of all the torments prouided for them in compasse of the scaffolde and suffred great paine in the ende they vvere put to death of vvhich number Alexander not once sighed neyther vttered any kinde of speache but invvardly from the heart talked vvith God Attalus burning in the scaulding yron chayre glovving hott so that the sauour of his broyled body filled their nostrells spake vnto the multitude in the Romayne tongue behould this is to deuoure men for vve neither deuoure men neyther commit any other haynous offence And being demaunded vvhat name God had aunsvvered God is not called after the manner of men after all these thinges vppon the last day of the spectacles Blandina together vvith Ponticus a yonge man of fifteene yeares of age vvas brought forth vvhich thing vvas dayly vsed to the ende they might behoulde the torments of the rest vvhome they compelled to svveare by their Idols names but they constantly perseuering in their sentence and contemning their Idols sett the multitude in such a rage against them that they tendered neither pitied the yeares of the yonge man nether spared the vvoman kinde but plagued them vvith all punishment possible that in compasse compelling them novv and then to svveare vvhich vvhen they coulde not bringe to passe Ponticus being succored of the sister in presence of the Paganes vvho then behelde hovve that she exhorted and confirmed the yonge man after that he had suffered all kinde of bitter torment yelded vp the ghoste last of all blessed Blandina like a noble mother hauing exhorted her children and sent them before as Conquerours vnto the Kinge pondering vvith her selfe all the punishments of her children hastened after them ioying and triumphing at her ende as if she had bene inuited and laued to a vvedding dinner and not to be cast among vvilde beastes after scurging after buckling vvith vvilde beastes after the broyling of her bodye as it vvere in a frying panne at lengthe she vvas vvrapped in a nette and tumbled before a vvilde bull vvhich tossed her vvith his hornes to and froe yet had she no feeling of all these her minde being fixed and vvholy sett vppon the conference vvhich she had vvith Christ in the ende she vvas beheaded the Pagans them selues pronouncing â–ª that neuer any vvoman vvas hearde of amonge them to haue suffred so many and so greate torments nether so did they cease from their crueltie and rage tovvardes the Christians for the sauage and barbarous Gentyles being prouoked by a furious and beastly â—iende coulde not quiet them selues but that their furious rage practised an other kinde of malicious spyte vpon the dead carkases neither vvere they pleased in that they vvere ouercome and voyde of natural feeling and sense but proceeded further like brute beastes both President and people
opportunitie or subtle shift to snare men in stirred vp againe straunge heresies to molest the Church and of those Heretickes some crept into Asia and Phrygia after the manner of venemous serpents whereof the Montanists bragge and boaste of Montanus as a comforter and of his women Priscilla and Maximilla as Prophetisses of Montanus others some preuayled at Rome whose captayne was Florinus a Priest excommunicated out of the Churche and together with him one Blastus subiect to the same daunger of soule both these haue subtly circumuented many and perswaded them to their purpose euery one seuerally establishing newe doctrine yet all contrary to the trueth CAP. XIIII The censure of the olde writers toutching Montanus and his false prophetes THe victorious and inuincible power of the trueth alwayes preuailing hath raysed vp Apollinarius of Hierapolis of whome we spake before as a stiffe and strong defence together with many other discreate persons of those tymes to the confutation of the foresayd Phrygian heresie whiche haue left behinde them matter sufficient and very copious for this our historye Wherefore one of them taking penne in hande to paynte out these heretickes signifieth at the entrance how he rebuked them with vnwritten elenches he beginneth thus It is novv a great vvhile agoe vvelbeloued Auircus Marcellus since thou diddest enioyne me this taske ▪ that I should publish some booke against the follovvers of the hereticke Miltiades vvherupon I doubted vnto this day vvhat vvas best to be done not but that I vvas able to confute their falsehoode and geue testimony vnto the trueth but that I feared greatly lest by vvriting I shoulde adde something vnto the perfect vvordes of the nevv testament vvhereto nothing may be added and vvherefro nothing may be taken avvay by him that vvill leade a life agreeable to the Gospell I being of late at Ancyra in Galatia founde the Churche throughout Pontus filled not vvith Prophets as they call them but rather as it shall be proued vvith false Prophets vvhere through the Lorde as much as in me laye I disputed in the Churche the space of many dayes against them and their seuerall obiections so that the Churche reioysed and vvas thereby confirmed in the trueth but the contrary parte yet repyned and the gaynesayers vvere very sorovvefull and vvhen the Elders of that place required of me in the presence of our fellovve minister Zoticus Otrenus that I vvould leaue them in vvriting some commentary of such things as vvere vttered against the aduersaries of the trueth At that time I did not but promised that I vvoulde shortly through the helpe of the Lorde vvrite somevvhat therof vnto them these and the like thinges layd downe in the proeme in processe of his booke he writeth thus VVherefore the originall of them and their nevve founde opinion against the Churche of God vvas after this sorte there is a certaine village in Mysia a region of Phrygia called Ardabau vvhere histories recorde that first of all one Montanus a late conuerte in the time of Gratus Proconsul of Asia pufte vp vvith an immoderate desire of primacy opened a gappe for the aduersary to enter into him and being madde and sodainly estraunged and berefte of his vvitts vvaxed furious and published straunge doctrine contrary to the tradition and custome and auncient succession novv receaued vnder the name of prophecy they vvhich then vvere auditors of this vnlavvfull preaching some chasticed checked him for a lunaticke one that vvas possessed of the spirite of error forbad him to preach being mindful of the forevvarning threatning of our Sauiour tending to this ende that vve shoulde take diligent heede of false prophets others some vvaxed insolent boasted bragged of him not a litle as if he vvere endued vvith the holy Ghost the gift of prophecye being forgtefull of the forevvarning of God they called vpon the dissembling the flattering and seducing spirite of the people by the vvhich they vvere snared deceaued that through silēce he should no more be hindred the deuil through a certain arte or rather the like subtle methode vvorking the destruction of disobedient persons being more honored thē his merit did require stirred vp kindled their mindes svvarued already from the faith slumbring in sinne so that he raised tvvo vvomen possessed of a foule spirit vvhich spake fonde foolish fanaticall thinges euen as he had before they reioyced gloried in the spirite vvhich pronounced them happy and puffed them vp vvith infinite faire promises yet sometimes by signes and tokens he rebuked them to their faces so that he seemed a chasticing spirite there vvere fevve of the Phrygians seduced notvvithstanding that boulde and blinde spirite instructed them to blaspheme and reuile generally euery Church vnder heauen because they neyther did homage neyther curteously receaued amonge them that false spirite of prophecye the faithfull throughout Asia for this cause men often and in many places examined the nevve founde doctrine pronounced it for prophane ▪ they excommunicated reiected and banished this hereticall opinion out of their churches When he had written these thinges in the beginning and throughout his first booke reprehended their error in his seconde booke he writeth thus of their endes because they charge vs with the deathe of the Prophets for that vve receaue not their disordered fantasies these saye they are the Prophets vvhiche the Lorde promysed to sende his people let them aunsvvere me I charge them in the name of the liuing God ôye good people is there any one of the secte of Montanus and these vvomen vvhich hath bene persecuted by the Ievves or put to deathe by any tyrant not one of them bearing this name vvas eyther apprehended or crucyfied neyther vvas there any vvoman of them in the Synagogues of the Ievves eyther scurged or stoned at all but Montanus and Maximilla are sayde to dye an other kinde of deathe many doe vvrite that both these throughe the motion of their madde spirit not together at one tyme but at seuerall tymes hanged them selues and so ended their lyues after the manner of Indas the traytour euen as the common reporte goeth of Theodotus that iolly fellovve the first founder of their prophecye vvho being frenticke persvvaded him selfe on a certayne tyme through the spirit of error to take his flight vp into the heauens and so being caste into the ayre tombled dovvne and dyed miserably thus it is reported to haue come to passe yet in so muche vve savve it not vvith our eyes vve can not Ovvorthy Syr alleadge it for certayne vvhether Montanus Theodotus and the vvoman dyed thus orno Agayne he writeth in the same booke howe that the holy Bishops going about to rebuke the spirite which spake in Maximilla were hindered by others that wrought with the same spirite sayinge as followeth let not the spirite of Maximilla saye as it is in the Epistle to Asterius Vrbanus I am chaced as a
had perswaded the senate with these and the like reasons firste of all he rose and pronounced that all such of what age soeuer as were not fitte for feates of armes were they men or women myght boldly passe and depart the citie affirminge that if they woulde remaine and lynger in the cytie like vnprofitable members there was no hope of life they must nedes perishe with famine to which saying the whole seuate condescended so that he deliuered from daunger of death in maner as many as were besieged but specially those that were of the churche Agayne he perswaded to flyght all the christians throughout the citie not onely such as were within the compasse of the decree but infinite mo vnder colour of these priuely arrayed in womens attyre carefully he prouided that in the nyght season they should conuey them selues out at the gates and flye vnto the Romaines campe where Eusebius entertained all them that were afflicted with longe siege after the maner of a father and phisition and resteshed them with all care and industrie Such a coople of pastors orderly succeeding one an other did the church of Laodicea by the diuine prouidence of God enioye who after the warres were ended came thither from Alexandria we haue seene many peces of Anatolius works whereby we gather how eloquent he was howe learned in all kind of knowledge specially in those his bookes of Easter wherof at this present it may seeme necessary that we alleage some portion of the canons toutching Easter The nevy moone of the first moneth first yeare sayth he cōpriseth the originall cōpasse of nineteene yeares after the Aegyptians the sixe tvventieth day of the moneth Phamenoth after the Macedocians the xxij day of the moneth Dystros after the Romaines before the eleuenth of the calends of Aprill the sonne is found the xxvj of Phamenoth to haue ascended not onely the first line but also to haue passed therin the iiij day this section the first tvvelfe part they terme the aequinoctiall spring the entrance of moneths the head of the circle the seuering of the planets course but that sectiō vvhich foregoeth this they terme the last of the moneths the tvvelfe part the last tvvelfe part the ende of the planets course vvherefore they vvhich appoynted the first moneth for the same purpose celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth daye after the same calculation haue erred in our opinion not a little and this haue vve not alleaged of our ovvne brayne yea it vvas knovven of the Ievves of old and that before the comming of Christ and chiefely by them obserued The same may be gathered by the testimonies of Philo Iosephus Musaeus and yet not onely of them but of others farre more auncient to vvete of both the surnamed Agathobulus schoolemaisters vnto the famous Aristobulus one of the seuentie that vvere sent to trāslate the sacred holy scripture of the Hebrevves vnto the gracious princes Ptolemaeus Philadelphus his father vnto vvhome he dedicated his expositions vpon the lavv of Moses All these in their resolutions vpon Exodus haue giuen vs to vnderstande that vve ought to celebrate the feast of the Paschall Lambe proportionally after the aequinoctiall springe the first moneth comming betvvene and this to be found vvhen the sonne hath passed the first solare section and as one of them hath termed it the signifer circle Aristobulus hath added that it is necessarie for the celebration of the feaste of Easter that not onely the Sunne but the Moone also haue passed the aequinoctiall section In so much there are tvvo aequinoctiall sections the one in spring time the other in Autumne distant diameter wise one frō the other the daye of Easter allotted the fourtenth of the moneth after the tvvilight vvithout al faile the moone shal be diameter vvise opposite to the sonne as ye may easily perceaue in the full moones so the sonne shal be in the sectiō of the aequinoctial spring the moone necessarily in the aequinoctiall autumne I remēber many other profes partly probable partly layde dovvne vvith auncient assertions vvherby they endeuour to persvvade that the feast of Easter of svveete bread ought euer to be celebrated after the aequinoctiall space I passe ouer sundry their proofes arguments vvherby they cōfirme the vayle of Moses lavv to be remoued done avvay the face novv reuealed Christ him selfe the preaching passions of Christ are to be behelde Anatolius left behinde him vnto the posteritie toutching that the first moneth after the Hebrevves fell euer about the Aequinoctial space sundry expositions precepts of Enoch Againe Arithmeticall introductions cōprised in tenne bokes with diuers other monumēts of his diligēce deepe iudgemēt in holy scripture Theotecnus bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina was y ◠first y ◠created him bishop promised y ◠he should succeede him in y ◠seae after his death selues and whilest they heaped these things that is contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmitie and euery one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then I say then the lord according to the sayinge of Ieremie Made the daughter Sion obscure and ouerthrewe from aboue the glorie of Israell and remembred not his footestole in the daye of his vvrath The Lorde hath drovvned all the bevvtie of Israell and ouerthrovven all his stronge holdes And according vnto the prophecies in the Psalmes He hath ouerthrovven and broken the couenant of his seruant and prophaned his sanctuarie casting it on the grounde by the ouerthrowe of his churches he hath broken dovvne all his vvalls he hath layde all his fortresses in ruyne All they that passed by spoyled him and therefore he is become a rebuke vnto his neyghbours he lyfted vp the ryght hande of his enemyes he turned the edge of his svvorde and ayded him not in the tyme of battaile he caused his dignitie to decaye and cast his throne downe to the ground the dayes of his youth he shortened and aboue all this he couered him with shame CAP. II. Howe that the temples were destroyed holy scripture burned and the bishops ill entreated ALl these aforesayde were in vs fulfilled when we sawe with our eyes the oratories ouerthrowen downe to the ground yea the very fundations them selues digged vp the holy sacred scriptures burned to ashes in the open market place the pastors of the churches wherof some shamefully hid them selues here and there some other contumeliously taken derided of the enemies according vnto an other prophecie Shame is powred vpō the pates of their princes he made them wander in the crooked and vnknowen way Yet is it not our drift to describe the bitter calamities of these mē which at lēgth they suffred neither is it our part to record their dissention vnwonted guise practised among them before the persecution but only to write so much of them wherby we may iustifie the deuine iudgement of God
these torments and persisted constant and the bones laye all bare the fleshe banished awaye they powre Vineger myxt with salte into the festred woundes and brused partes of the bodie When he had ouercome also these tormentes and reioyced greatly thereat a greediron with hotte burninge coales is prepared and that which remayned of his bodie was layde thereon to be bruyled a slowe fire beinge made vnder to consume it by little and a little lest that death quickly deliuered him of his payne So that they which had the charge of the fire woulde release him of no part of his payne vnlesse he promised to yelde in the ende to the Emperours decree But he holding fast his former opinion ouer came them yelded vp the ghost in the middest of his torments So valiant as you heare was the martyrdome of one of the Emperours pages correspondent vnto his name for he was called Peter The thinges which happened to the rest were nothing inferior to these the which according vnto our former promise we will leaue vntoutched addinge onely this to that which went before how that Dorotheus and Gorgonius with many others of the Emperours familie after sundry torments ended their lyues on the gallowes and bare away the garlande of victorie At this time also was Anthimus bishop of Nicomedia beheaded for the christian faith and with him a great multitude of martyrs For I wot not how in the emperours palace at Nicomedia some parte of the house was all a fire and when the Christians were taken in suspicion to be the authors therof by the emperours cōmaundement the whole troope generally of all the godly there at that time was executed whereof some with sworde were beheaded some other with fire burned where also by the secret deuine prouidence of God as the report goeth both men and women skipped and leaped into the flaminge fire An other companie the sergiants sette in a boate and threwe into the deapth of the sea The Emperours pages after their death decently buried and resting in their graues were digged vp and by the commaundement of their lordes cast into the sea lest any adored them in their sepulchers and tooke them for gods as they dreamed of vs. and such were the practises in the beginning of the persecution at Nicomedia but in a while after when that some in the region called Melitis and againe some other in Syria were found ready to rebell the Emperour commaunded all the pastors throughout euery church to be imprisoned and kept in holde The spectacle of the practises was so cruell to behold that it exceeded all that therof may be spoken Infinite multitudes were euery where inclosed and the prisons of old appointed ordained for murtherers diggers vp of sepulchers and riflers of graues were then replenished with bishops ministers deacons readers and exorcists so that there was no rowme in the prison for such as were condemned for hainous offences Agayne when the former edicts had taken place there followed others by vertue of the which such as sacrificed were set at libertie and such as resisted were commanded to be tormented with a thousand kind of torments Who is able heere to number the multitude of all the Martyrs throughout all the worlde specially in that they suffred martyrdome throughout Aphrick and amonge the Moores throughout Thebais and Aegypt throughout other cities and prouinces CAP. VII The constancie of certaine Martyrs deuoured of wyld beasts in Palaestina and Phaenicia WE haue knowen diuers of these to haue florished in Palaestina agayne others in Tyrus of Phaenicia whose infinite stripes and in their stripes a maruelous constancie and after their stripes their sodaine bickeringe with rauening beastes in their bickering their valiant courage in withstanding the force of fierce Libards the rage of roaring Beares the tuskes of wylde Boares the woodnes of Bulls burned with fire and seared with hotte glowinge yron who wyll not be amazed to beholde at the doinge of all which we were present our selues and sawe with our eyes the deuine power of our sauiour Iesus Christ for whose sake they suffred these thinges present and manifestly aydinge these Martyrs neyther durst these rauening beastes of a longe time drawe nygh and approche vnto the bodies of the blessed saincts but raunged about and deuoured such as sette them on without the ringe toutchinge by no meanes among all the rest the blessed champions though their bodies were bare though they prouoked them with the streatchinge forth of their handes as they were commaunded And if some tyme violently they fell vpon them backe agayne they recoyled as if they had bene repelled by diuine power from aboue which continewing a long time brought great admiration vnto the behoulders When the first beast raunged aboue to no purpose the seconde and thirde were let loose at the one and the same martyr the sufferance of those Sainctes was to be wondred at their constancy firme and immoueable in their freshe and greene bodyes Then might a man haue seene a yong stripling vnder twenty yeares of age standing still without any holding stretching forth his handes in forme of a crosse making earnest supplication vnto God with a setled and immoueable minde not wagging him selfe at all or poynting any whither from his standing place yea thought the beares and Libards breathed out present death and now as it were teared his fleshe in peeces with their teethe yet I wott not howe as if their iawes had bene glued together they recoyled back agayne Besides this yong man ye might haue seene others in number fiue throwen at the feete of a fierce bull which tossed into the ayre and tore in peeces with his hornes such as stoode without the ryng and left them as good as deade onely the holy Sainctes he had no power to hurte with his furious and cruell threats thoughe he scattered the earth with his feete and fanned the ayre with his hornes though he were prouoked to fiercenesse with searing yron and fomed out present death yet by the diuine prouidence of God he was pushed backe When that this beast could nothing preuaile agaynst the holy Martyrs others were let loose at length after sundry bitter torments and violence of wilde beastes all were beheaded and in steade of still earth and quiet sepulchre they swamme in the surging waues of the seas CAP. VIII Of the martyrs in Aegypt THe like bickering had they of Tyrus in Aegypt the which they suffred for the seruice of God then wouldest thou haue marueled at their martyrdomes suffred vpon their owne natiue soile where infinite both of men and women and children for the saluation procured by our Sauiour Iesus Christ contemning this transitory life haue endured sundry kindes of torments wherof some after mayming and racking and scurging thousands other vexations horrible to be hearde of were burned to ashes others drowned in the seas others manfully layd their neckes to y e blocke others hanged on y e
◠midd high wayes throughout the market places and frequented assemblies There mightest thou haue seene them who a little before after most greuous punishments were fettred and banished their natiue soyle to receaue enioy their proper houses w t a cherefull and mery countenance in so much that they which afore time cried out against vs nowe reioyced together with vs at this wonderful sight happening beyond all mans expectation CAP. II. Maximinus againe shewing his hatred against the christians forbiddeth the assemblies in churchyards and goeth about to banishe them Antioch THe tyrant enemy to all honesty and chiefe practiser of wicked counsell against all y ◠godly whome wee sayde to haue borne rule in the Easterne partes not well brookinge these things permoited them not to continewe in the same state no not six whole moneths wherfore he putteth in vre euery mischiuous practise to the ouerthrowe of peace and tranquillity first by a certaine pretense he goeth about to barre vs our liberty of meeting in churchyardes next by sending certaine malicious men he pricked and prouoked against vs the citizensof Antioch that they should begg of him for a great benefitt y ◠he would permitt no christian at all to dwell within his dominiōs This he assayed by y ◠aduise of others y e author of all which mischief was Theotecnus who solicited the cause and egged them of Antioch forewards a man he was of authority an inchaunter very spitefull and farre from the signification of his name who then was liuetenante of that city CAP. III. Theotecnus goeth about to mischiefe the christians he incenseth the tyrant against them and setteth vp an Idole at Antioch THis Theotecnus therefore when he had vehemently impugned vs and procured euery kind of way that the christians should diligently be sought out of their dennes and apprehended for haynous robbers and had imagined all meanes to the end we should be charged and accused and had bene the cause of death to an infinite number at length he erecteth the Idoll of Iuppiter as of the God of frendship with certains inchauntments and sorceryes and inuenteth thereunto impure ceremonyes execrable sacrifices detestable oblations causeth report to be made vnto the emperour of the straunge things the Oracle seemed to vtter This Theotecnus also being a flatterer wherwith he seemed to please y ◠emperour raysed a wicked spirit against the christiās and sayd God so commaunded that the christians should be banished out of the citie and the liberties thereof For that they were rebells and traitors to the crowne CAP. IIII. Maximinus againe raiseth persecution by his decrees WHen that Theotecnus first of all had done this of his owne accorde all the other magistrats inhabiting the cities of his dominion promulgated the like sentence when as the presidents throughout the prouinces sawe this pleased the emperour they egged the subiects also to do the like y ◠tyrant very promptly consented by his rescript vnto theyr ordinances so y t againe y e heate of persecutiō was blowen against vs that againe Idol priestes were ordained by the decree of Maximinus throughout euery city village and moreouer high priests which specially excelled in pollicies and passed others in all thinges who also were zelous folowers of their religion and bestowed greate labor about the seruice of them whome they worshiped Wherefore the emperours superstition and Idolatricall minde was againe as it were a fresh incensed against vs that I may vtter the whole in fewe words he brought all his dominiō both magistrats inferior subiects to practise euery kinde of mischiefe for his sake against vs to thinke they requited him fully and shoulde haue great fauour asmany as desired to obtaine any benefit at his hand if they oppressed vs w t slaughter executed certaine new mischiefs against vs. CAP. V. The heathens goe about to defame christian religion fayning blasphemyes against the actes of Christ and Pilate and with certaine womens confession extorted from them by the gouernour of Damascus AGaine they forge certaine actes as of Pilate and our Sauiour full of blasphemy against Christ the which by consent of the emperour they sende abrode throughout his dominions cōmaunding by their letters y ◠y ◠same throughout all places both city countrey should be expounded deliuered to y ◠youth by scholmaisters to be committed vnto memory in stead of their indited vulgars exercised discipline These things being thus brought to passe a certaine ruler of the host whome the Romaines call a captaine drewe from the markett place of Damascus in Phoenicia certaine infamous women and brought them by threates of torments to that passe that after a register or recorde was shewed they shoulde confesse them selues somtimes to haue beene christians priuey to the wicked and lasciuious actes which y ◠christians committed amonge thē selues at their solemne meeting on the sundayes what other things it pleased him they shoulde vtter to y ◠sclaunder of our religion the which words were registred copied and lent to the emperoure who also commaunded the same euery where in euery place and city to be published CAP. VI. The confusion of the captaine of Damascus the commendation of certaine martys and the places where they florished BUt this captaine in a while after procured his owne death with his proper hād suffred punishment due for his malicious deserte Then againe banishment greuous persecutiō was raised against the christians againe the presidents of seuerall prouinces beganne vtterly to rebell against vs so y ◠diuerse of them which excelled in y e doctrine of Christ Iesu bare away the ineuitable sentence of death of which number were three christians in Emisa a city of Phoenicia who of there owne accord professed christianity were deliuered to be deuoured of rauening beastes Among these also was Siluanus a byshop farre stroken in years hauing executed y ◠functiō of the ecclesiasticall ministery y ◠space of forty years full About y ◠time Petrus who notably gouerned y ◠churches of Alexandria excelling all other godly bishops for his vertous lif godly exercise of preaching for no other cause thē you heare without hope of any reward sodainly vnaduisedly by y ◠commaundement of Maximinus was beheaded together w t him after y ◠same maner many Aegyptian bishops were executed Againe Lucianus a notable man for his continency of lif for his skill in holy Scripture highly cōmended being an elder of y ◠church of Antioch was brought to Nicomedia in which city y ◠emperour thē abode after he had exhibited vnto the emperour enemy to all goodnes an Apollogie in defence of y ◠doctrine which he taught where with he bare rule was cast into prison and shortly after executed This Maximinus in shorte space exercised so great a tyranny crueltye towards vs that the later persecutiō seemed farre more greuous vnto vs
men he was taken as it were out of their iawes which menaced him commaunded to liue vnder my dominion where though his excellent vertue ministred vnto him from aboue wey nothinge at all the greuous casualties of aduersity euen as in the city he liued before he may haue plenty want no necessaryes for the maintenance of his porte Therefore when as our Lorde and my father of famous memory Constantine the Emperour had purposed in his mind to haue restored him a Bishop to his owne sâ—ae and proper seate the which he enioyed among you that are knowen to beare greate zeale to godlines and being preuented with death as it fareth with mankind before he coulde accomplishe his desire I thought it verely my parte and duety to execute the intent of so godly an Emperoure VVith what estimation and reuerence I haue entertayned the man he shall reporte with his owne mouth after his returne vnto you Neither is it to be maruelled at all that I shewed him such curtesie For me thinkes I sawe in him the great longing ye had for him and I behelde also the fatherly reuerence and grauity of the man himselfe all which moued me not a litle thereunto nay throughly perswaded me God of his goodnes welbeloued brethren haue you in his tuition Athanasius with the confidence he had in these letters returneth to Alexandria whome the people of Alexandria doe receaue with most willing mindes But such as in that citie were infected with the leprosie of Arianisme conspired against him so that many skirmishes and tumultes were raised which ministred occcasion vnto the confederats of Eusebius falsly to accuse Athanasius before the Emperoure that of his owne doinge without the generall consente of the assembly of Bishops he had setled him selfe in that church The accusation was so odious that the Emperoure being therewith incensed against Athanasius draue him out of Alexandria But howe this was compassed I will shewe hereafter in an other place CAP. III. Howe that after the death of Eusebius Pamphilus Acacius was chosen Bishop of Caesarea and of the death of Constantinus the yonger ABout that time Eusebius whose sirname was Pamphilus Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina departed this life and Acacius his scholer succeeded him in the Bishopricke Who besids sundry other workes of his industrie wrote a booke of the life of his maister Eusebius Not long after Constantinus the yonger so called after his fathers name brother to y â— Emperor Constantius inuading by force certaine countreys vnder Constans his yonger brothers dominion by fighting hand to hand with the soldiers was slaine Acindinus and Proclus beinge Consuls CAP. IIII. Howe that Alexander Bishop of Constantinople departinge this life nominated two men Paulus and Macedonius that they shoulde chuse one of them to succeede him in the Bishoprike AT that time there ensued immediately the â—edicions mentioned before an other tumulte in the citie of Constantinople and that for this cause Alexander the Bishop of that churche who valiantly encountred with Arius hauing continewed Bishop there the space of three and twenty yeares and liued fourescore and eighteene departed this life He consecrated none to succeede him but charged the electors to choose one of two whome he would nominat vnto them And following his aduise if they would place in the rowme a man sit for to instruct y â— people of an vpright conscience of good lise and godly conuersation they shoulde take Paulus whome he had made priest who though he were yonge and of greene yeares yet in learninge olde and of greate wisedome But in case they woulde haue him whome the etymologie of noble prowesse did highly commend they should preferre Macedonius to the dignitie â–ª who latly had bene deacon of the same church and then was farre strucken in yeares Wherefore about the election of a Bishop there was greater sturre theÌ„ heretofore and the churche was more grieuously turmoyled The people were deuided into two parts the one was egerly set with the heresy of Arius the other cleaued very constantly to the decrees of the Nicene Councell And whilest that Alexander liued they which embraced the creede comprising the clause of One substance had the vpper hand ouer the Arians which dayly striued and contended very stifly in the maintenance of their heretical doctrine But as soone as he departed this life the contention among the people was diuers and variable For such as fauored the clause of One substance chose Paulus to be their Bishop such as of the contrary cleaued vnto Arianisme endeuored with all might to place Macedonius Wherefore in the temple of God called the church of peace next vnto the great church then called great but nowe bearing the name of wisedome Paulus was chosen Bishop in which election the voyce of the desseased did preuaile CAP. V. Howe that Constatinus the Emperoure displaced Paulus that was chosen byshope of Constantinople and translated to that seae Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia And howe that Eusebius caused an other Synode to be summoned at Antioch in Syria where there was an other forme of fayth layde downe SHortely after the election of Paulus moued the Emperoure not a litle at his coming to Constantinople For summoning together an assembly of Byshops which sauored of the filthie sinke of Aruis he procured the deposition of Paulus and causing Eusebius of Nicomedia to be â—â—anslated thither he proclaimed him Bishop of Constantinople These thinges being done the Emperoure gott him to Antioch Yet Eusebius for all this colde not sette his hart at rest but rolled as commonely we saye euery stone to bringe his wicked purpose to passe He summoneth a councell at Antioch in Syria pretending the dedicatioÌ„ of the church whose foundations Constantine the father of these Emperours had layd after whose death Constantius his sonne tenne yeares after the laying of the first stone finished the buylding and as I may boldely say the trueth to the ouerthrowe and subuersion of the fayth Of one substance Unto this synod there came out of diuers prouinces Bishops to the number of fourscore and tenne But Maximus bishop of Ierusalem who succeeded Macarius woulde not come thither supposinge verely that if he came he shoulde be constrayned to subscribe vnto the depriuation of Athanasius Neyther did Iulius Byshop of Rome shewe him selfe there neither sente he any to supply his rowme when as the ecclesiasticall canon forbiddeth that any constitution be thrust into the Churche without the censure of the Bishope of Rome To be shorte the councell mette at Antioch in the Consulship of Marcellus and Probinus where Constantius the Emperoure was present It was the fift yeare after the death of Constantine father vnto these Emperours Placitus was then bishop of Antioch for he succeeded Euphronius But the confederacy of Eusebius side imployed their chiefe labour and industry falsly to accuse Athanasius and first they charge him with the violating of their canon to wete
an Apostata and an Atheist he of the contrary answered him opprobriously recompenced him with the like called him a blind foole and sayd vnto him farther thy God of Galilee will not restore thee thy sight agayne for Iulianus called Christ a Galilaean and all the Christians in like sort Maris a litle after answered the Emperour somewhat freely I thanke God sayth he which made me blinde lest that euer I should set mine eye vpon so vngracious a face as thine is Wherunto the Emperour made no answere but handled the Bishop roughly When he perceaued that the Christians did highly reuerence and honor such as suffered martyrdome vnder the raigne of Diocletian when he learned also for certayntie diuerse men to be so well disposed that willingly they woulde suffer martyrdome he going about to depriue the Christians of so great a benefitt deuised an other way to afflict them And although he let passe the vnsatiable tyranny practised in the tyme of Diocletian yet ceased he not altogether from persecuting In mine opinion he is a persecutor which molesteth any kinde of way such men as leade a quiet and peaceable lise Iulian in this sorte afflicted the Christans not a litle he made a lawe that the Christians shoulde not be trayned vp in prophane literature for sayth he seeing they haue the gift of vtterance so readily they shall easily be able to ouerthrowe the quicks of Logick wherewith the Gentils doe vpholde their doctrine CAP. XI Of the sturre the Emperour Iulian raysed against the Christians and what deuise he founde out to extort money from them MOreouer the Emperour Iulian gaue out a proclamation that such as would not renounce the Christian fayth shoulde warefare no longer in the Emperours pallace likewise that all shoulde prepare them selues to doe sacrifice that no Christian should beare office in the common wealth for their law sayth he forbiddeth the execution by sworde vpon such as deserued death and therefore they are not fitt to be Magistrats He allured diuers with flattery and faire offers to sacrifice but immediatly they y â— were Christians in deede they also which were thought to be no lesse made them selues manifest vnto all men as if they had shewed them selues vpon a stage for they which with harte and good will professed Christian religion threwe downe their sworde girdles signified they woulde rather suffer any kind of torment then denie their Sauiour Christ Iesus Of which number was Ionianus Valentinianus Valens who afterwards were crowned Emperours Other some that were counterfeit Christians who thought that the ritches and honor of this worlde was true felicity it selfe without any delay fell to sacrifice Of which number Ecebolius a Sophist of Constantinople was one who conforming him selfe vnto the humors disposition of the Emperours was an earnest follower of the christian faith in the time of Constantius but when Iulian succeeded him in the empire he fell to gentilitie and the idolatry of Pagans againe after the death of Iulian he became a professor of the doctrine of Christ He laye alonge at the porche of the Church and cried vnto such as came in treade me vnder foote for that I am the vnsauery salt Ecebolius as he was light and vnconstant so he continewed vnto the ende It came to passe about that tyme that the Emperour purposed to reuenge him of the Persians for the iniurie they had done him by inuading some part of the Romaine dominions and determined to take his iourney into the East through the coastes of Asia When that he pondered with him selfe howe many euills and inconueniences appertayned vnto warres what greate summes of money were needefull thereunto and howe that without it it was vnpossible to bring his purpose to effect he deuised a certaine sleyght to wring money from the Christians for he sett a great fine vpon the heades of such as woulde not sacrifice and the taxe was very grieuous and duely demaunded of the Christians so that euery one rateably was seased at a certaine summe and the Emperour him self in a short while was wonderfully enritched with the iniurious heapes of money vniustly exacted This law was of force not onely where he traueled but also in such contries as he came not neare Then did the Gentils insult ouer y â— christians the Philosophers celebrated their frequented conferences they solemnized certaine detestable rites and ceremonies they made slaughter of infants sparing no sexe they vsed their entralls for southsaying they tasted of their tender bowells These horrible practises were both at Athens at Alexandria and other places CAP. XII Howe that Athanasius was faine to flie and leaue Alexandria in the tyme of Iulian the Apostata THey forged at that time a false accusation against Athanasius and signified vnto the Emperour that he had subuerted Aegypt and the whole citie of Alexandria and that of necessitie it behoued to banishe him the citie so that by the commaundement of the Emperour the gouernour of Alexandria was sore incensed against him Athanasius vttering these wordes vnto certaine of his familiars My friendes let vs goe aside for a season this is but a litle cloude which quicâ—ly will vanish away fledd immediatly tooke shipping and sayled into Aegypt the enemy pursued after made hast to ouertake him When it was vnderstoode that the pursuers were at hand his companions gaue him counsell to flie into the desert he by following their aduise escaped the enemy for he perswaded them to turne backe and to meete the pursuers the which they did immediatly As soone as they who a litle before fledd away mett the persecutors there was nothing demaunded of them but whether they had seene Athanasius who answered againe that he hid him self in some bushe not farre from them and if they would make quicke speed they woulde be like to take him so the pursuers followed after and the farther they runne the further they raunge but they lost their labor for he escaped their handes conueyed him selfe priuely to Alexandria where he hid himselfe vntill the kindled flame of persecution was wholly quenched Such was the hurly burly after sundry stormes of persecution and manifolde vexations by the Ethnicks which happened vnto the Bishop of Alexandria Furthermore the gouernours of the prouinces supposinge nowe that it was highe tyde for them vnder coloure of the Emperoures religon to make vp theyr bagges vexed the christians farre sorer then the Emperours proclamations bare them out demaunded greater taxes then they were seassed at and sometimes tormented their bodies The Emperoure vnderstandinge of their doinges winked at them and answered the christians which complained vnto him in this sorte It is your parte when you haue iniuries offered vnto you to take it paciently for so your God commaunded you CAP. XIII Of suche as suffred Martyrdome at Meris a citie of Phrygia in the time of Iulian. THere was at Meris a citie of Phrygla a certaine gouernour
holy Scripture because the wordes are mysticall and contayne secrecie but it grieues him that all men be not of his minde and therefore he scorneth at such Christians as vnderstande the sayd mysteries simplie Yet he shoulde not haue so derided the simplicitie of the common people neyther therefore to haue inueyed against holy Scripture neither to haue abhorred and detested the sense and notable sentences comprised in the same because all men did not vnderstande them as he thoughte good Nowe as it is very euidente the like happened vnto Porphyrius This Porphyrius beinge rebuked of certaine Christians at Caesarea in Palaestina beinge altogether impaciente throughe boylinge choler and burninge heate of furious rage fell from the Christian faythe and rashely tooke penne in hande because of the hatred he owed vnto them whiche reprehended him for to wryte bookes where he inueyed bitterly with contumelious stile againste all Christians as I reede in the bookes of Eusebius Pamphilus whiche he wrote to the confutation of his workes The Emperoure also settinge vp him selfe insolencely agaynst the Christians in the hearing of vnlearned persons and being prouoked thereunto by the selfe same frentike and raginge humor fell into the like Apostasie with Porphyrius Wherefore bothe of them fallinge of theyr owne accorde into extreme impietie and priuye in conscience to they re blasphemous practises receaued punishment due vnto theyr deseruinge Furthermore when Libanius the Sophiste skornefully derided the Christians in these wordes they take the man that was borne in Palaestina for God and the sonne of God me thinkes he forgetteth himselfe when as in the ende of his Oration he numbred Iulian amonge the Gods in this sorte Firste of all sayth he they coulde not refrayne for they stoned him almoste to deathe vvhiche broughte the firste tydinges of Iulians departure out of this lyfe as if he had lyed agaynste God Agayne a little after O thou scholar sayeth he of the deuells O thou disciple of the deuells O thou assistent and associate of the deuells Although he vnderstoode this otherwise yet in so much he eschewed not the equiuocall worde which comprised also the Deuell he seemed to vtter no lesse then the Christians accustomed to doe in reproche Wherefore if he had determined with him selfe to extoll any man he shoulde haue auoyded euery ambiguous worde in such sorte as he reiected an other phrase beynge reprehended for it and blotted it out of his bookes Howe that man in Christ is made God howe that he is both man openly and God in mysterie howe that also both these thinges may be iustifyed the holie bookes of the Christians doe declare The Ethnickes before they beleeue are not able to comprehende it For the saying of the Prophete is true If you beleeue not ye shall not be able to vnderstand Wherefore they are not ashamed to number many mortall men in the catalogue of the gods I would to God they had offended herein onely in takinge them for godds who were vertuous lyuers iuste men and temperate persons but they haue preferred such as were impure vniust and dronken sortes I meane Herculeans Bacchians Aesculapians whome Libanius doeth very oft call to wittnes in his writinges whose amorous toyes and wanton behauiour both with male and female if I shoulde goe about to rehearse woulde compell mee to vse a longe digression Such as are desirous to vnderstande farther hereof lette them repayre vnto Aristotles Peplus by interpretation the womans attyre vnto Dionysius garlande vnto Reginus Polymâ—â—emon and to the whole rable of Poets who writinge of these thinges doe sette wyde open vnto the worlde the vayne and ridiculous mysteries of the Ethnickes but that it is a heathenishe custome to accompt of mortall men as of gods lette vs consider thereof a little better The Rhodians beynge in greate distresse receaued answere of the Oracle that they shoulde worship Attis the Phrygian who was a priest and dyed frentike The Oracle was as followeth Set forth the greate God Attis name sounde out his glorious prayse VVhome vertue ioynd with Adon chast and Bacchus happie dayes This Oracle maketh Attis who dyed for loue a god together with Adonis Bacchus Moreouer when Alexander king of Macedonia came to Asia the people Amphictiones brought him presents of whome the Oracle of Apollo in Delphos made this answere and charged the people as followeth Let altars burne and incense powre please Ioue Minerua eke The potent prince though nature frayle his fauour you must seeke For Ioue from heauen to earth him sent lo Alexander kinge As God he comes the earth to rule and iust lawes for to bringe These were the words which the deuell out of the breast of Pythia vttered of Alexander The same Oracle to the ende he myght flatter greate personages and Princes of greate power numbred them in the catalogue of the gods and peraduenture this answere was no other but a flatteringe of Alexander To what ende shall I write of Cleomêdes the wrastler of whome to the ende he myght be canonized a god the Oracle spake in this sort Cleomede interred is his fame lett florishe styll Aduaunce with feasts and sacrifice his name this is our will Diogenes Cynicus and Oinomaus the philosopher condemned the Oracle of Apollo for this aforesayde follie The people Cyciceni called Adrianus the thirtienth god Adrianus him selfe counted Antinous his dearlinge in the catalogue of the gods Yet Libanius woulde not once open his lyppes to the reprehension of these ridiculous toyes and meere follie Neuerthelesse though he perused these Oracles and read ouer the booke of Adrias intituled The lyfe of Alexander yet was not he ashamed to esteeme of Porphyrius as of a god I am humblie sayeth he to craue pardon of the olde graybearde of Tyrus in that I haue preferred the vvorkes of the Emperour before his vvritinges Thus haue we discoursed by waye of digression somewhat at large to the ende we myght satisfie the despitefull reportes of the sclaunderous mouth of the Sophist yet in so much they seeme to require a seuerall volume we will ende them heare and proceede on in our historie CAP. XX. Howe that the bishops of all sects opinions posted vnto Iouianus the Emperour as soone as he was created hoping euery one to finde him according vnto their owne vaynes AS soone as the Emperour Iouianns returned out of Persia the churches immediately were troubled with sedition The bishops likewise whilest they hope to finde y â— Emperour of their owne seuerall opinioÌ„s endeuour with all might to preuent one an other The Emperour for as much as alwaies he cleaued vnto the creede coÌ„tayning the clause of One substance made flatt answere that he would alwaies further the same encouraged Athanasius bishop of Alexandria by his letters who immediatly after the desease of Iulian enioyed againe y â— bishopricke of Alexandria For he being theÌ„ coÌ„firmed therein by the Emperours letters layd aside all feare fayntnes of
of theyr spitefull muention was turned downe to the ground When the Emperour vnderstoode of their manifolde dissentioÌ„ that they buylded not vpon y â— auncient fathers exposition of the faith but trusted to their sophisticall quirckes of Logicke dealt an other way with them bad euery sect lay downe theyr faith and opinion in wrytinge Then the principall of euery secte tooke penne in hande and wrote his opinion There was a daye appointed for the purpose All the Bishoppes beinge called mette at the Emperours pallace There came thither Nectarius and Agelius fauoringe the faith of one substance Demophilus of the Arians Eunomius himselfe in the name of the other Eunomians and Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum for the Macedonians First of all the Emperour saluteth them rurteously next he receaued euery ones wryting then he went a side lockt in himselfe sell downe vpon his knees and prayed vnto God that he woulde asist him in the choice and reuealing of the trueth Last of all hauing perused euery ones opinion he condemned and tore in peeces all such Creedes as derogated from the vnitie which is in the blessed Trinitie he allowed highly commended onely of all the rest the Creede containing the clause of one substance This was the cause that the Nouatians were fauored and thenceforth suffred to celebrate their woÌ„ted assemblies within the walles of the citie The Emperoure wonderinge at their consente and harmonie toutching y â— faith made a lawe that they should enioy their owne churches w t securitie and y â— their churches should haue such priuiledgs as the other churches of the same opinion faith were wont to haue The Bishops of other sectes because there raigned amonge themselues mutuall discorde and dissentioÌ„ they were set at nought of the people committed to their owne charge Who though at their departure they were all soroweful pensiue yet fell they a coÌ„forting of their charge by letters exthorting them not to shrinke at all from them because many had left them and fell to embracinge the faith of one substance For many were called but fewe chosen This they vttered not when y â— greatest parte of the people cleaued vnto the higher power and zealously embraced their faith Yet for all this were not they which held the faith of one substance voyd of disturbance and molestation For the controuersie that sell out in the churche of Antioch deuided such as were of the councell into two factions for the Aegyptians Arabians Cyprians held together thought good to remoue Flauianus out of the Bishops seae of Antioch but the Palaestinians PhoeniciaÌ„s Syrians tooke his parte The issue end of this controuersie I will lay downe in an other place CAP. XI Howe that Maximus the tyrant through wiles sleâ—e the Emperour Gratian. And howe that Iustina the Empresse the mother of Valentinianus the yonger left persecutinge of Ambrose Bishop of Myllainâ— because she feared Maximus the tyrant WHen the councell was helde at Constantinople we haue learned such a broyle as followeth to haue bene in the Weste partes of the worlde Maximus a Brittaine tooke armour against the Empire of Rome and conspired the death of Gratian who nowe was weakened together with his power by reason of the battail he waged with the Germanes Probus sometimes a Consul was chiefe gouernour of Italy during the nonage of Valentinianus who w t great prudence ruled the common weale Iustina Valentinianus the Emperours mother being infected with the silch of Arianisme while her husbande liued coulde no kinde of way molest such as embraced the faith of one substaÌ„ce yet after his deseasse remouing to Mediolanum and her sonne being of tender yeares she raised such tumults against Ambrose the Bishop that in the end he was exiled But when the people for the singuler loue and affection they bare vnto Ambrose with stoode her act and hindred their force that went about to conueye him to exile tydings came y â— Gratianus through the wiles sleight of Maximus the tyraÌ„t was put to death Andragathius the captaine of Maximus hidinge himselfe in a chariot resemblinge the forme of a licter borne of mules gaue his souldiers charge to signifie vnto the Emperours gard y â— the Empresse rode therein weÌ„t to meet y â— Emperour who passed ouer Rhodanus a flood y â— runneth by Lions a citie of Fraunce The Emperour thinkinge verily that his wife was there in deede aboyded not the conspiracie but fell vnawares into the enemies hand as a blind maÌ„ falleth into y â— ditch For Andragathius lighted downe out of y â— chariot slewe Gratianus presently He died in the Consulship of Merogandus Saturninus after he had raigned fifteen yeares liued foure twenty The which newes cooled y â— heat of y â— Emperours mother kindled agayust Ambrose Wherefore Valentinianus y â— time constrayuâ—ng him thereunto receaued Maximus with unwilling mind to be his fellowe Emperour Probus y â— gouernour of Italy fearing y â— power of Maximus determined with himselfe to remoue into y â— East with all speed he left Italy and hasteninge towardes Illyrium made his abode at Thessalonica a citie of Macedonia CAP. XII Theodosius the Emperour left Arcadius his sonne and Emperour at Constantinople went towards Millayne to wage battail with Maximus the Bryttaine THeodosius the Emperour for y â— aforesaid cause was wonderfull sory he gathered greate power to go against the tyrant feared greatly lest Maximus would coÌ„spire the death of Valeutinianus y â— yonger Then came also legats from y â— Persians to conclude peace betwene theÌ„ the Emperour it was the very same time y â— his sonne Honorius was borne by his wife Placilla y â— Empresse in y â— consulship of Richomelianus Clearchus the neenth of September A litle before wheÌ„ y â— aforesaid men were consuls Agelius y â— Nouatian bishop finished the mortal race of his naturall life The yeare following being the first coÌ„sulship of Arcadius Augustur Vadon after y â— Timotheus bishop of Alexandria departed this life Theophilus succeeded him in the bishoprick The second yeare wheÌ„ Demophilus the Arian bishop had chaunged this life y â— Arians sent for Marinus out of Thracia a man of their owne crue appointed him their bishop Marinus in whose time y â— AriaÌ„s were deuided among theÌ„selues as it shal be shewed hereafter liued not many dayes after wherefore they call Dorotheus out of Antioch in Syria assigne him their bishop The Emperoure leauing his sonne Arcadius at ConstaÌ„tinople marched forewards to geue battail vnto Maximus As he came to Thessalonica he found the souldiers of Valentinianus all dismayed quite discouraged because y â— necessitie had constrained them to take the tyrant Maximus for an Emperour Theodosius shewed himselfe openly to seeme of nere nother side For wheÌ„ Maximus had sent embassadours vnto him he neither receaued neither reiected theÌ„ yet was he sory y â— the Empire of Rome
stalling in the bishops sea the tenth day of Aprill the Consulship of Felix and Taurus he gaue forth in the hearing of all the people such a saying as followeth at the pronouncing of his oration before the Emperour Restore thou vnto me O Emperour the earth weeded purged of hereticks and I will render heauen vnto thee ayde thou me in â—oyling of the hereticks and I will asist thee in the ouerthrowing of the Persians Although such as detested the hereticks tooke these words in good part yet such as by his outward behauiour gathered the inward disposition of his minde could not chuse but espie his hautie stomacke his hasty running braine his foolish feeding on vaine glory specially seeing y t by and by he bolted out such rash vnaduised sayings Nay we may say as the common prouerbe goeth that the citie had not drunke before he beganne to blowe the smoke and the burning flame of persecution for the fift day after he was chosen bishop when he determined with him selfe to ouerthrowe the church of the Arians where they had their seruice priuely and by stelth he so troubled and disquieted their mindes that when they saw their Church must needes downe they put to their owne hands fired it them selues the which fire fell vpon the next houses and burned them to ashes so that there was much adoe in the citie and the Arians rose vp to reuenge them of their enemies But God the defender and conseruer of the citie suffered not that pestilent infection of rankor malice to runne any further from that time forth not onely the hereticks but such as were of his owne faith and opinion called Nestorius a firebrande Neyther rested he with this but destroyed as much as in him lay the whole citie while he went about to mischiefe the hereticks Againe he fell a molesting of the Nouatians onely because Paulus their bishop was famous and much spoken of for his zeale and godlines but the Emperour bridled and withstoode his enterprise with sharp admonitions nipping words I thinke it best to runne ouer with silence the vexations and iniuries he did vnto such as celebrated the feaste of Easter the foureteeneth daye of the moneth throughout Asia Lydia and Caria and how many were cast away in the sedition which he raysed at Miletum and Sardis But as for the plague and punishment he suffered partly for the aforesayd causes and partly also for his malapert tongue I will lay it downe in an other place CAP. XXX Howe that in the raygne of Theodosius the yonger the Burgonions receaued the fayth in Christ. NOwe am I about to declare a worthy historie which happened at that time there is a certaine barbarous nation inhabiting beyond the riuer Rheyne whome we commonly do call Burgonions these people leade a life farre froÌ„ magistracy gouernment of y â— coÌ„moÌ„ weale for they are all carpenters and thereby get their liuinge The people called Hunni breaking often tymes into their regions haue destroyed their contrey and dispatched very many at sundry tymes out of the way Wherefore they determine w t them selues not to fly for refuge and succour vnto any mortall man or liuing creature but to yeld themselues wholly vnto some god or other And when they called to mind y â— the God of the Romaines neuer sayled such as feared his name and put their affiance in him ioyntly with one hart and minde they turned them selues to embrace the fayth in Christ they tooke their voyage into a certayne citie of Fraunce and there they require of the Bishop to baptize them in the Christian faith The Bishop hauing enioyned them to fast seuen daies and instructed them in the principles of Christian profession did baptize them the eyght day following and bid them farewell They put on valtant courage and went on boldly to encounter with the tyrants neither was their hope frustrate neither did it fayle them in the ende For the Burgonians when Vptarus King of the Hunni crommed him selfe with vittaills on a certayne night vntill he burst in the midle set vpon the Hunni nowe wanting a heade and captaine fewe of them against many of the other to witt three thousande against tenne thousande they fought valiantly gott the victory From that time forth the sayd nation was a zealous maintayner of the Christian fayth About that tyme Barbas the Arian Bishop died it was the thirtienth Consulship of Theodosius the thirde of â—alentinianus and the foure and twentieth of lune in whose rowme Sabbatius succeeded So farre of these thinges CAP. XXXI Howe Nestorius vexed the Macedonians NEstorius insomuch he practised many things preiudicial vnto the quiet state of the church procured vnto him selfe great hatred euen as the ende of his doings proued sufficiently vnto vs. Antonius Bishop of Germa a citie in Hellespontus feeding the humor and crueltie of Nestorius in the rooting out of hereticks beganne to vexe the Macedonians out of all measure and for to cleare him selfe he fayned that the Patriarck to wete the Bishop of Constantinople had commaunded him the same Wherfore the Macedonians although they suffered for a while griefs and vexations yet seeing that Antonie kept no meane but exceeded in crueltie they coulde no longer beare the weight of so intollerable a burthen of iniuries but in the mad furye of their minde preserring the rashe motion of reuengement before all right and reason procured the death of Antonie to be done by such men as they had sent for to worke the feate This haynous offence which the Macedonians committed was an occasion to kindle and sett on fire the crueltie of Nestorius for he perswaded the Emperour to depriue them of their Churches Wherefore the Macedonians were put by one church which lay without the olde walls of Constantinople by an other at Cyzicum besides many others throughout Hellespontus so that many of them returned into the Church and embraced the faith of one substance CAP. XXXII Of Anastasius the Priest who was the occasion that Nestorius fell into such extreame impietie COmmonly we say that such as are geuen to drunkennesse are neuer to seeke for the cupp and busie bodies neuer want woe Nestorius who endeuored with might and mayne to bereaue others of their Churches was by chaunce thrust out of the Churche him selfe the occasion was as followeth Anastasius the priest who came with him thither from Antioch kept him alwayes companye was highly esteemed of him and his chiefe counselour in all his affayres taught on a certaine tyme in the Church that none ought to call Marie the mother of God because that she was but a woman and that God could not be borne of a woman These words of his disquieted out of measure the mindes both of clergie and laytie for they had learned of olde that Christ was true God and not to be seuered because of the misterie of his incarnation as man alone from his diuinitie and that according vnto the
sonnes he vsed to make Cardinals sometimes in their cradles Bishops and Archbishops in many countreis descende of noble houses Osorius Bishops of Lusitania in Portingall writing against M. Haddon sticked not to giue vs an inklinge of his parentage Neyther doe I mislike with this in the churche of Rome sicaetera essent paria for I reade that Nectarius a noble man by office praetor of Constantinople was chosen to be byshop of that seae of a hundred and fiftie byshops which then assembled together at Constantinople partly for that and partly for other things Ambrose also lieuetenant of a prouice was made byshop of Millayne Chrisostō byshop of Constantinople descended of the senators of Antioch Thalassius Senator of Constantinople lieuetenant of Illyrium was made byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia I see that Euagrius vvho in the time of Tiberius Constantinus was Quaestor and in the time of Mauricius Tiberius was maister of the rolles together with diuers others occupied themselues about Ecclesiasticall affaires but I highly commend such as shewe forth tokens of their nobilitie by studie of vertue politicke gouernement of their countrey noble prowesse valiauntnesse of courage maintenance of the trueth and furtheraunce of the Gospell some thinke it is inough for them to bayte at the vniuersitie there steale a degree and forth with be counted gentlemen or to be in commons in one of the Innes of court where there are many wise zealous and learned gentlemen or to get into some noble mans seruice and by vertue of the cognizance to be called a maister or to purchase for a piece of money a coate armour or to begge a farme and by vertue of the valuation in the queenes bookes to become a gentleman Euery one thinkes not I am sure that these sorts of men are to be numbred among the auncient noble houses though in processe of time antiquitie seeme topreuaile very muche with suche kinde of men long possession is a great matter in lawe and an olde deede though it be forged will further the matter very much The Arcadians called them selues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a progeny farre more auncient then the Moone of them Ouid writeth thus Ere Moone vvas set in skies aboue if fame doe them not faile The soile vvas calld of Arcas highe vvhose creditt must auaile But they contended for Antiquitie with the AEgyptians and to try out the trueth Psammitichus King of AEgypt did as followeth he shut vp in a certaine close lodging farre from cities and company of people two newly borne babes some say with nurces charged not to speake a worde some say amonge goates and that for the space of three whole yeares at the three years end to see what language the children would speake he caused one of his familiars sodainely to goe in among the children whiche did so and tooke one of the children by the hand which saide vnto him Becos that is in the Phrygian tongue bread the king hearing this confessed him selfe ouercome and yelded vnto his aduersaries for antiquitie thenceforth were they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Suidas thinketh that the childrē being acquainted with the bleting of goats cried beck and so that it was nothing else but a iest and a deluding of the king Yet Iohn Goropius a phisicion of Antvverpe taketh the matter in earnest to th ende he might currie fauour with the Germanes he faith that the Grecians were herin fouly deceaued that beck or weck in the Germane tongue signifieth bread the AEgyptians being foyled turne them vnto the Scythians and of them likewise they were ouercome here is much a do all for gentry The AEthiopians alleage reasons for themselues and they must be heard the Brittaines can tell you they come from Troy and thence they can bring you the straighte way to Adam nexte to God and then a full point Poggius writeth that a noble man of Fraunce espied on an Italian soldiers bucklar the oxe heade ingrauen stomaked him therefore tolde him it vvas his cognizance that his house was farre more auncient and to the ende all quarells might be ended chalenged him to the fielde the Italian made litle adoe tolde him he woulde meete him on the daye appointed the noble man came with a great troupe the souldier likewise mette and ioyninge together he asked of him whye his noble bloode vvas so muche out of temper VVhen that the noble man aunsvvered that his auncetors had euer geuen the oxes head and that he and his vvould thenceforth giue it or else knovv a cause to the contrary why an please you syr saith the soldier this is no oxe head it is the head of a cowe It was about gentrie betweene Phaëton and Epaphus that moued Phaëton as the Poëts faine to craue license for one day to sitte in the chariot of Sol. for when he minded to roote out the posteritie of his aduersarie almost he set the whole world on fire Maximinus the emperour borne in a pelting village of Thracia misliking with him selfe therfore slew as many as knew his pedegree and had seene the raggs of his parents Herode burned the Genealogies of the Iewes that he might affirme him self as wel as they to haue descēded of a noble race Themistocles a bastard borne for to cloke his birth to remoue the il opinion conceaued that way entised the yong nobility of Athens to frequent Cynosarges a schole without the city where bastards did onely frequent many shifts are made Iacke would be a gentleman if he could speake frenche Amasis king of AEgypt being basely borne made his image of gold set it vp to be worshipped that the people might reuerence him the more Smerdes a sorcerer because he was in person like Smerdes the brother of Cambyses King of the Assyrians whose death Cambyses procured fearinge he woulde aspire vnto the kingdome made the worlde beleeue he was the man in deede ouercame Cambyses and was crowned King but his wife and bedfellow with clipping and other wonted familiarity felt his head found that Smerdes had no eares reuealed it abrode and so was he betrayd and deposed his kingdome Prompalus fained himselfe to be the sonne of Antiochus Epiphanes A certaine AEgyptian the sonne of Protarchus the marchant called him selfe the sonne of Alexander Zebenna and the adopted sonne of Antiochus wept bitterly at the funerall of Antiochus as if he had bene his owne father Archelaus made the worlde beleeue that he was the sonne of Mithridates when Perseus the last king of the Macedonians had ended this lyfe Andristus a cuntrey fellow woulde needes perswade men that he was his sonne Equitius affirmed that without all doubt he was the sonne of Tiberius Gracchus Citharaedus endeuored to perswade the Romanes that Nero had not dispatched him self but that he was Nero. many of the aforsaid cloked their gentry fained thē selues noble mē conquered kingdoms deluded the
dissention to embrace peace and vnity â–ª of the same matter also he wrote vnto Peter Byshop of Alexandria CAP. XXII Of the schisme raised at Alexandria and in sundrie other places toutching the councell of Chalcedon WHen the schisme waxed hotte and the sedition grieuous within the citie of Alexandria Peter perswaded certaine Byshops and gouernours of monasteries to communicate with him There he condemned and accursed the decrees of Leo the actes of the Chalcedon councell and suche as woulde not receaue the bookes of Dioscorus and Timothee Manye others he banished their monasteries when he could not allure them to his hereticall opinion wherfore Nephalius tooke his voyage to Constantinople reuealed the wholl vnto Zeno who therefore was wonderfull sorie and sent thither Cosmas one of his garde for to threaten and rebuke Peter verie sharpely partly for coutemninge the Epistle of Zeno intitled of concorde and partly also because that through his rough dealinge so great a sedition was raysed But when Cosmas could preuaile in nothinge saue onely that the expulsed monks were restored by his meanes vnto their monasteries backe againe he got him to the Emperour Wherefore the Emperour the seconde time sent Arsenius lieuetenant of Aegypt and captaine of the garrison amongest them who together with Nephalius went straighte to Alexandria entreated them to keepe the peace but when he could not obtaine his purpose he sent some of them to Constantinople And for al there was great reasoninge in the presence of Zeno about the councell of Chalcedon yet was there nothinge concluded for neither did Zeno wholly cleaue vnto it CAP. XXIII Of Phranitas and Euphemius Byshops of Constantinople Athanasius and Iohn Byshops of Alexandria Palladius and Flauianus of Antioch with others ABout that time when Acacius Byshop of Constantinâ—â—â— had finished the mortall race of his naturall life Phranitas was chosen to succeede him in the Byshopricke He wrote letters of amitie vnto Peter but Peter aunswered him againe and inueyed bitterly against the councell of Chalcedon This Phranitas continewed Byshop no longer then foure moneths but he died and left Euphemius to succeede him When Peter wrote vnto him also letters of amitie and Euphemius perceaued that in them he accursed the councell of Chalcedon he was all out of quiet and woulde in no wise communicate with Peter Both their Epistles are extant Phranitas vnto Peter and Peter vnto Phranitas the whiche I will omitte because they are longe and tedious When Euphemius and Peter contended among them selues and while they purposed to call synods together one against the other it fell out that Peter departed this life in whose rowme Athanasius succeeded which laboured with all might to reconcile suche as were at discorde and dissention but he could not preuaile because their mindes were so drawen into diuers and different opinions The same Athanasius wrote afterwardes letters of amitie vnto Palladius the successor of Peter in the byshopricke of Antioch specially concerning the councell of Chalcedon So did Iohn the successor of Athanasius in the seae of Alexandria Moreouer when Palladius Byshop of Antioch had departed this life Flauianus succeeded him and sent Solomon priest of Antioch to Alexandria with letters of amitie vnto Iohn requiringe an aunswere by the same messenger After the deceasse of Iohn an other Iohn succeeded him in the byshopricke of Alexandria These things continewed in this sort the raigne of Anastasius for he deposed Enphemius of his byshopricke yet was I fayne here to rehearse them in order for the playner deliuerance and better vnderstanding of the storye CAP. XXIIII How Armatus cosen to Berina the Empresse was put to death KEno through the procurement of Ilus dispatched out of the way Armatus the cosin of Berina the Empresse whom Basiliscus sometime had made captaine against him yet he wonne him to his side made him in steade of his enemy his companion and created his sonne Basiliscus Caesar at Nice notwithstandinge these great benefites he got him to Constantinople and conspired the death of Armatus his sonne Basiliscus in steade of Caesar he made priest who afterwardes was preferred to be Byshop CAP. XXV The death of Theodorichus the Scythian which tooke armour against Zeno. ABout that time Theodorichus a Scythian borne prepared him selfe to geue Zeno the Emperour battaile he raised a wonderfull great army in Thracia and marched forwardes towardes Constantinople he destroyed all the countrey before him vnto the entry of Pontus and verily he had taken Constantinople had not some of his dearest friendes bene displeased with him and conspired how to bereaue him of his life he himselfe beinge geuen to vnderstande of the hatred that was borne vnto him gaue backe yet not longe after he dyed but what kinde of death I am now about to declare There honge on high before his campe after the Barbarian maner a speare cleft in the ende He beinge desirous to reuiue his spirites and exercise his body commaunded they shoulde bringe him a horse In all the hast as he was in other thinges altogether impatient vp he gets him the horse beinge vnbroken and fierce praunced about fette diuers carrieres ere Theodorichus coulde settle him selfe in his sadle he fanned the aer with his forefeet and stood bolt vpright onely vpon the hinder feete so that Theodorichus had muche adoe to struggle with him yet durst he not pull the bridle lest he fell vpon him neyther was he fast on his horse but was tossed to and froe so that the point of the speare whiche honge ouer his heade toutched him and at length stucke in his riâ—bes that he was daungerously wounded thereupon he was constrained to keepe his bedde and shortly after dyed CAP. XXVI How Martianus raised battaile against Zeno and what became 〈◊〉 him â—n the ende AFter the death of Theodorichus Martianus the sonne of Anthemius Emperour sometime of Rome and allyed vnto 〈◊〉 the Emperour rebelled against Zeno. â–ª He had maried Leontiâ— the yonger daughter of Leo and fell to practise tyrannye When they had fought in the pallace and many fallen of both sides Martianus foyled his aduersaries and had taken the pallace had not he posted his deuise ouer vnto the nexte daye and let slippe the opportunitie that was geuen him Occasion is a slipperie thinge beinge once past perhaps it will not come againe beinge gone out of our hande it flyeth with the aer â–ª laugheth the pursuers to scorne and bids fooles farewell For he that will not when he may when he will he shall haue nay Poets and Paynters the fathers of glosses and vizards vse to portract the forepart of the heade with a bushe of heare and to leaue behinde the bald skull geuinge vs very wittily to vnderstand that while occasion or opportunity is behinde it can not be helde for there is no heare to take holde of but while it is in the forehead it flyeth away makes of the pursuer a foole Whiche verily happened vnto
both with Constantine and Crispus and had great familiaritye with them wroâ—e of that matter As for thy selfe thou writest suche thinges thou neuer heardest of and are farre from being true for thou wrotest long after to witte in the time of Arcadius and Honorius or after their raigne Eusebius in the eyght booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie writeth in this sort Not longe after Constantius the Emperour passinge all other throughout his life time in clemencie and goodnesse towardes his subiects singulerly affected towardes Gods worde ended according vnto the lawe of nature the common race of his mortall life leauinge behind him his naturall sonne Constantinus Emperour and Caesar to supplye his rowme A litle after His sonne Constantinus being proclaimed full Emperour and Caesar by the army and longe before by God him selfe the vniuersall king became a follower of his fathers pietie in Christian religion And about the later eude of his storie he writeth thus Constantinus the mightie puysant Emperour beinge renowmed for euery rare vertue and godlinesse together with his sonne Crispus the most godly Emperour like vnto his father in all thinges subdued the East parts of the worlde No doubt Eusebius who liued after Constantine woulde not so highly haue commended Crispus had he bene slaine of his father Againe Theodoritus writeth how Costantine about his later end was baptized at Nicomedia y â— therfore he differred it vnto y t time because he had a great desire to be baptized in Iordan But thou most wicked Zosimus reportest y t since christian religion was published throughout y â— world y â— state of y â— Romain empire decaied came to nought y â— which proceeds froÌ„ thee either of ignorance that thou hast not read ouer y â— auncient writers or of malice For the contrarye is soone proued that the Empire of Rome encreased together with our fayth Remember I besech thee howe about the time of the incarnation of our Sauiour Christ Iesus many of the Macedonians were by the Romaynes subdued Albania Iberia Colchi and the Arabians moreouer the Frenchmen the Germans the Brittanns in the hundred twenty third Olympiade after Caius Caesar had ouercome them with greate and grieuous battaills and made the fiue hundred cities which they inhabited tributaries as historiographers doe wryte vnto the Empire of Rome This Caius was the first which after the Consulls gouerned the Empire alone he made the way sure for the setting vp of the glorious Monarchie and in steede of the populare and common regiment brought into the worlde that kind of raigne No doubt it came to passe through the prouideÌ„ce of God because that the Monarchie of Christ was shortly after to take place All Iudaea besides and the bordering countreyes were annexed vnto the Empire of Rome so that the first taxing where Christ also was to be taxed then firste beganne and Bethleem likewise layde before theyr eyes howe that which of olde was prophecied of her was then fulfilled For thus had the Prophet Micheas foretold of her And thou Bethleem Iuda art not the leste amonge the Princes of Iuda for out of thee there shall come vnto me the captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel When Christ our God was borne into y â— world Aegypt was ioined vnto the Empire of Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar for theÌ„ it was that Christ appeared in the flesh who ouercame Antonius Cleopatra which afterwards dispatched theÌ„selues After their death Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar made Liuetenant of Aegypt after y t Ptolomaeees decayed he raigned ouer Aegypt What cuntreys were wonne froÌ„ the PersiaÌ„s by Ventidius Curbulon the captaine of Nero by Seuerus Traianus Carus Cassius and Odaenathus of Palmyra by Apollonius and sundry others how ofte Seleucia Ctesiphon were taken howe oft Nisibis was nowe the Romaynes anone the Persians and after what sorte Armenia with other borderinge nations became vnder the Empire of Rome thou thy selfe haste penned it as well as others And yet I had almoste forgotten what thou wrytest to haue bene done by Constantine who by meanes of our religion gouerned the Romayne dominions with valiant minde and noble prowesse also what befell vnto Iulianus nusled vp in thy wicked mysteries what wounds and skarres he left in the common weale As for the prophecies which concerne the ende of the worlde or whether it had a beginninge and whether it shal haue an ending it is an higher matter theÌ„ can sinke into thy braine Therfore let vs see if thou wilt howe the Emperours which were Ethnickes and panyms mayntayners of Idolatry Paganisme and howe of the contrary suche as cleaued vnto the Christian faith ended theyr raygne was not Cains Iulius Caesar the first Emperour slayne by conspiracy did not certen souldiers with naked swordes dispatch Caius y â— nephewe of Tiberius was not Nero murthered by one of his familier deare friends had not Galba the like end Otho Vitellius who all three raygned only sixteen moneths what shall I speake of Titus whome Domitianus poisoned for all he was his owne brother what saist thou of Commodus did not Narcissus dispatch him out of the waye what shall I speake of Pertinax and what of Inlian enioyed not both they one kinde of death what did not Antonius the sonne of Seuerus murther his brother Geta and did not Martialis requite him with the like what shall I say of Macrinus did not the souldiers handle him like a captiue about Byzantium and cruelly put him to death was not Aurelius Antoninus of Emessa murthered together w t his mother was not Alexander immediatly after hiÌ„ together w t his mother likwise put to death what shall I say of Maximinus whome his owne army dispatched Or of Gordianus who through the treason of Philip was in like sorte by his owne souldiers put to death tell me I pray thee thy selfe O Zosimus what happened vnto Philip and after him vnto Decius were they not slaine by the enemy take Gallus and Volusianus with them were they not murthered by their owne armies what of Aemilianus had not he y â— like miserable end what Valerianus was not he taken by y â— Persians in battaill led about of them in triumphe what when Galienus was slaine through treason and Carinus beheaded came not Diocletian to be Emperour whome Diocletian cutte of lest they shoulde raygne with him After these Herculius Maximianus his sonne Maxentius Licinnius dyed with contumely and shame inough But since the time the moste noble Emperour Constantine beganne to raygne since he consecrated vnto God the city he had builte and called it after his owne name looke about I pray thee and speake indifferently was there any one Emperour in that citye Iulian a man of thine owne religion and thy Emperour onely excepted that was murthered either by his owne subiect or by the enemy or any one tyrant that vanquished the Emperour Basiliscus excepted yet
one hundred yeares all the progeny of Herode vvas rooted out The fift order is of high priests neither haue I omitted them seeing both the Euangelistes and the Historiographers mentioned such as vvere in the time of Christ They ende likewise with the kings of Iudaea and the destruction of Ierusalem I remember Iosephus wryteth that froÌ„ Aaron which was the first highpriest vnto the last at the ouerthrowe burning of the temple vnder Titus there were highpriests to the number of fourescore and three The sixt diuisionis of councells sometimes of the wicked as of the Pharises and heretickes some other times of the godly as of the Apostles and Apostolickmen where it appeareth manifestly vnto the wholl world that the bishop of Rome had as litle to doe therein as other bishops for Emperours princes somtimes the bishops of some prouince or other within theÌ„selues haue summoned couÌ„cells called bishops together decided such matters as were called into controuersie without the aduise of the bishop of Rome For saith Socrates the chiefest councels were summoned are vnto this day called together by the commaundement consent of the Emperours Besides all the aforesaide I haue laid downe the succession of bishops in the foure most famous churches as IerusaleÌ„ Antioch Rome AlexaÌ„dria Though other writers addict them selues wholly vnto the Catalogue of the churche of Rome omitting no not one Ioan the she Pope onely excepted Some will maruell why I preferre Ierusalem and Antioch before the seae of Rome the reason is because those churches had their bishops before the church of Rome Clemens AlexaÌ„drinus wryteth that Iames called the brother of Christ was immediately after the assumption of our Sauiour chosen bishop of Ierusalem by Peter Iames and Iohn the Apostles Againe as Luke reporteth the Antiochians were first called christians Paul Barnabas preached there one wholl yeare and if fame fayle vs not of the trueth Peter the Apostle was bishop there seuen yeares and spente seuen other about Ierusalem the Easterne contreyes afore his comminge to Rome He came to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius the Emperour Anno Dom. 44 a great while after the seae of Ierusalem and the bishoprik of Antioch were setled Let no man muze why I lay downethese fouresâ—aes otherwise then all Chronographies in what language so euer vnto this day extant haue done I doe it not of any singularitie for these auncient Historiographers Eusebius Socrates and Euagrius haue followed the same order though other Chronologers and Chronographers haue not imitated them Last of all I haue placed the hereticks by themselues so that the reader may easily see wheÌ„ they liued who they were what they haue taught by whome they were condeÌ„ned the end of most of them as farre forth as the lines might be contriued within the colume the long tediousnes auoyded Nowe drawing towards the birth of Christ where the Chronographye beginneth I thinke best by way preface not as my principall drifte briefly to runne ouer the yeares of the world that thereby we may the sooner learne when our Sauiour Christ Iesus appeared in the flesh and first we haue to beginne from Adam The yeare of the world Adam was the first man made of the mould of the earth being a hundred thirty yeare old he begate Seth he liued in all nyne hundred and thirty yeares Genes 5. he was aliue vntill the fiftyeth and six yeare of Lamech the father of Noe and departed this life 126. yeare before Noe was borne The first age of the worlde from Adam to Noe. 130. Seth was a hundred and fiue yeare old when he begate Enos he liued in all nyne hundred and twelfe yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde on thousand forty and two after the death of Adam one hundred and twelfe yeares before Noe vvas borne 14. yeares 235. Enos was fourescore and tenne yeare olde when he begate Cainan he liued in all nine hundred and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde one thousande one hundred and fortieth yeare he liued together with Noe fourescore foure yeares 325. Cainan liued threescore and tenne yeares and begat Malalael he liued in all nine hundred and tenne yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1235. 395. Malalael liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Iared he liued in all eight hundred ninety and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life 366. yeares before the deluge after Noe was borne 234. yeares 460. Iared liued a hundred threescore and two yeares begat Enoch he liued in all nine hundred threescore and two yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1422. he liued with Noe three hundred threescore and six yeares 622. Enoch liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Mathusalem he liued in all three hundred threescore and fiue yeares was translated Genes 5. he was taken vp into heauen seuen fifty yeares after the death of Adam 687. Mathusalem liued a hundred fourescore seuen yeares and begat Lamech he liued in all nyne hundred sixty nyne yeares and died in the yeare of the deluge Genes 5. 874. Lamech liued a hundred fourescore and two yeares and begatt Noe he liued in all 777. yeares died fiue yeares before the deluge Genes 5. 1056. 1556. Noe was borne in the yeare of the worlde one thousand fifty and six in the 182. yeare of his father Lamech after the death of Adam 126. after the death of Seth 14. yeares being fiue hundred yeare old he begat Sem and liued in all nine hundred and fifty yeares Genes 9. he liued with Enos 84. yeares with Cainan 179. with Iared 366. with Mathusalem 600. with Lamech 595. with Sem his sonne 448. 1656. Anno mundi 1656. The deluge drowned the whole worlde in the six hundred yeare of Noe. Genes 7 8. It was in the yeare of the worlde one thousande six hundred fifty and six for so doth Augustine write de ciuitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 20. finding fault with the error of the Septuagints whome Eusebius in his Chronicon Beda haue followed for they numbred 2262. yeares which can not be Againe Augustine de ciuitat Dei lib. 15. cap. 12. 14. misliketh very much with such as doubted whether the yeares of olde were as long as we finde them of late he proueth that there were so many houres in the day so many dayes in the weeke so many weekes in the moneth so many moneths in the yeare alike from the beginning of the worlde 1658. Sem being an hundred yeare olde begat Arphaxad the seconde yeare after the flood he liued in all six hundred yeares Genes 11. he was borne nynety and nyne yeares before the deluge he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 2158. The second age of the world froÌ„ Noe to Abraham  Arphaxad being borne
the seconde yeare after the deluge liued thirty and fiue yeares and begat Sale he liued in all 438. yeares Gen. 11. he liued with Noe 348. yeares with Sale his sonne 403. with his nephew Heber 373. with Phaleg Reu Saruch Thare vntill the 148. yeare of Abraham the 48. of Isaac he died after Isaac was borne 48. yeares 12. yeares before Iacob was borne 1693. Sale liued thirty yeares and begat Heber he liued in all 433. yeares Genes 11. he liued after the death of Abraham 3. yeares with Isaac 78. and with Iacob 18. 1723. Heber of whome the Hebrewes are called liued foure thirty yeares and begat Phaleg he liued in all 464. the longest liued of all the fathers after the floode Genes 11. he liued after the desease of Abraham 64. with Isaac 110. with Iacob 80. 1757. Phaleg liued thirty yeares and begat Reu he liued in all 239. yeares Genes 11. 1787. Reu liued two and thirty yeares and begat Saruch he liued in all 239. yeares Genes 11. 1819. Saruch liued thirty yeares and begat Nachor he liued in all 230. yeares Genes 11. 1849. Nachor liued nine and twentie yeares and begat Thare he liued in all 148. yeares Genes 11. 1878. Thare liued seuenty yeares begat Abraham he liued in all 205. yeares Genes 11. 1948. Anno mundi 1948. From the floode vnto the birth of Abraham 292. yeares from Adam and the creation of the worlde vnto Abraham Abraham being a hundred yeare olde begat Isaac he liued in all a hundred seuentie and fiue yeares Genes 21. 25.1948 the third age of the world frō Abraham to Dauid 2048. Isaac beinge three score yeare olde begat Iacob he liued in all a hundred and foure score yeares Genes 25. 35. 2108. Iacob afterwards called Israell was a hundred and thirtye yeare olde when he went to Aegypt and presented him selfe before Pharao he liued in all 147. yeares Genes 47. 2238 Anno mundi when Israel with the 12. Patriarches Ruben Simeon Leui. Iuda Zabulon Issachar Dan. Gad. Aser Nepthali Ioseph Beniamin went into Aegypt 2238. 2309. Ioseph died beinge a hundred and tenne yeare olde Genes 50. it was the foure and fiftieth yeare after the desease of his father Iacob 2373. Moses was borne three score and fiue yeares after the death of Ioseph The Israelites dwelled in Aegypt foure hundred and thirtye yeares Exod. 12. which is not to be taken precisely betwene their incomming and outgoing but as S. Paul Galat. 3. alleadgeth from the calling of Abraham out of Haran Moses was foure score yeare olde when he presented him self before Pharao for the deliuerance of the Israelits Exod. 7. 2453. Anno mundi 2453. the Israelits came out of Aegypt after the deluge 797. yeares 2493. Moses liued in all a hundred twenty yeares Deut. 31. 34. he ruled ouer the Israelits the space of forty yeares during their abode in the wildernes Deuter. 29. The highpriestes The Prophets   Aaron was the first high-priest Exod. 28. 29.  2510. Iosue ruled Israel 17. yeares he was a hundred and tenne yeare olde when he died Iosue 24.   2550. Othoniel of the tribe of Iuda was iudg 40. yeares Iudic. 3. Eleazer  2630. Aod was captaine foure score yeares Iudic. 3. Phinees  2670. Debora Barach gouerned forty yeares Euseb Chronic. Abiu  2710. Gedeon was captaine ouer Israel forty yeares Iudic. 8. Bocci  2713. Abimelech was prince ouer Israel 3. yeares Iudic. 9.   2736. Thola iudged 23. yeares Iudic. 10.   2758. Iair iudged Israel 22. yeares Iudic. 10.   2764. Iepthe iudged Israel 6. yeares Iudic. 12 Ozi  2771. Abesan iudged Israel 7. yeares Iudi. 12   2781. AElon iudged Israel 10. yeares Iud. 12   2789. Abdon iudged Israel 8. yeares Iudi. 12.   2809. Sāpson iudged Israel 20. yeares Iu. 16.   2929. The iudges of Israel ceassed in Samuel Act. 13. Heli the priest iudged Israel 40. yeares 1. Reg. 4.  2969. Saul was the firste Kinge of the Hebrewes he raigned 40. yeares Act. 13. Achitob Samuel in the daies of Heli Saul he was both priest Prophet iudg of the peopl Nathā in the raigne of Dauid 3009. Dauid was king of Israel 40. yeares 3. Reg. 2. Achimelec Abiathar  The fourth age of the world from Dauid vnto the captiuitie in Babylon 3049 Solomon was king of Israel forty yeares 3. Reg. 11. lest we shoulde be deceaued in the supputation of the yeares it pleased the holie Ghost in the Scriptures 3. Reg. 6. to lay downe the number of the yeares frō the departure of the children of Israel out of Aegypt vnto the 4. yeare of Kinge Solomons raigne to witt foure hundred and eightie yeares for then he beganne to builde the temple Sadoch Achimaas Azarias  3066. Roboam raigned ouer Iuda 17. yeares 3. Reg. 14. From Aaron vnto the building of the tēple vnder Solomō ther were 12. highpriests as Ioseph writeth Anti. lib 20. cap. 18. Gad in the daies of Solomon 3069. Abia raigned ouer Iuda 3. yeares 3. Reg. 15. Iohanan Ahias in the daies of Roboam 3. Reg. 14. 3109. Asa raigned in Ierusalem 41. yeares 3. Reg. 15. Azarias was highpriest at the building of the tēple 1. paralip 6. Addo in the daies of Abia Iehu in the daies of Asa Helias in the daies of Iosaphat 3134. Iosaphat raigned in Ierusalem 25. yeares 3. Reg. 22. Meraioth Helizeus in the daies of Ioram 3142. Ioram raigned ouer Iuda 8. yeares 4. Reg. 8. 2. paralip 21. some learned writers doe thinke that he raygned 20. yeares more and that the holy Ghost because of the Kinges wickednes concealed it in his sonne Ochozias age saying 4. Reg. 8. that he was 22. yeare olde when he beganne to raygne but in 2. Paralip 22. that he was 42. yeare olde c. Amaria  3143. Ochozias his sonne raigned one yeare 4. Reg. 8. Achitob  3150. Athalia his mother raygned 7. yeares 4. Reg. 11. Sadoch Abdias in the daies of Ochozia 3190. Ioas raigned 40. yeares in Ierusalem 4. Reg. 12. Sellum Amos in the daies of Ioas. 3219. Amasias was Kinge of Iuda 29. yeares 4. Reg. 14. Ioddas otherwise Iohaida who liued 130. yeares Ionas in the daies of Amasia 3270. Azarias raigned ouer Iuda 52. yeares 4. Reg. 15. Axiora Esay in the daies of Azarias or Ozias Osee in the daies of Ioathā Ioel in the time of Achaz 3286. Ioathan was King in Ierusalem 16. yeares 4. Reg. 15. Phadaeus  3302. Achaz raigned 16. yeares ouer Iuda 4. Reg. 16. Sadaeus  3330. Ezechias raygned 29. yeares in Ierusalem 4. Reg. 18. Iculus  3385. Manasses raigned in Ierusalem 55. yeares 4. Reg. 21. Ioatham  3387. Amon raygned two yeares 4. Reg. 21. Vrias Micheas in the time of Ezechia Sophonias in the time of Manasses 3418.
without a head which reuiled the councell of Chalcedon and sayde that Christ had but one nature Palmer chron 458. Arthur kinge of bryttaine a noble and a valiaÌ„t Prince is sarde about this time to be of great fame throughout the west parts of the world Seuerus was Emperour of the west and abode at Rauenna after Maioranus 4. yeres Palmer chronic Anthemius was sent from Leo to be Emperour of Rome where he continewed 5. yeares Euag. lib. 2. cap. 16. Olymbrius was emperour 7. moneths Glycerius was Emperour 5. yeares whome Nepos deposed Nepos was Emperor of Rome 56 dayes whom Orestes deposed Orestes made Augustulus his sonne emperor   Anastasius was b. of Ierusalem after Iuuenalis one as it is reported that subscribed vnto the condemnation of the councel of ChalcedoÌ„ for fear of Basiliscus Euagr. li. 3. cap. 5. Basilius b. of Antioch Euagr lib. 2. ca. 10.     Augustulus the sonne of Orestes raygned one yeare he was the laste Emperour of Rome of the thousand three hundred yeares since the â—aygne of Romulus I â—â—ough edition ciuill warres it fell out that the Empire came to nought many raygned in the west of aequall autoritie Odoacer that succeeded Augustulus would not call him selfe Emperour but kinge â–ª there was no Emperour of the west the space of 330 yeares afore the yeare of our Lorde eight hundred â–ª when Carolus Magnus king of Fraunce was by Leo the 3. of that name b. of Rome crowned Emperoure From that tyme the Emperours of the west were called the Emperoures of Germanie â–ª Euagr lib. 2. cap. 16. Math. Palmer chronic Ieno succeeded Leo in the empire a wickâ—d a beastly lyuer Basiliseus the tyrante oueâ— came him became Emperour 2. yeares ê“â—laimed his soÌ„ne   Peter Cnapheus b. of Antioch He was an hereticke and condemned the couÌ„cell of ChalcedoÌ„ He was afterwardes deposed by Zeno the Emperoure Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 5. 8. Simplicius was b. of Rome after Hilarius Anno Do. 470 â–ª where he continewed 15. yeares he wrote vnto Zeno the Emperour Zeno vnto hiÌ„ againe toutching Iohn b. of Antioche that was deposed Palmer chronic Euagr â–ª li. 3. cap. 15. Timotheus AElurus was called from exile where he had bene 18. yeares by Basilisâ—us the tyrant restored to the seae of Alexandria he accursed the councell of Chalcedon Zeno purposed to persecute him but seing that he was an olde man he lette him alone shortly after he died Eua. lib. 3. cap. 4. 6. 11. Peter Cnapheus b. of Antioche was an Eutychian he accursed the councell of Chalcedon trobled all Aegypt set the religious men by the eares Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 16. 17. 22. Idle monkes within the prouince of AlexaÌ„dria fell to the heresie of Eutyches to reuile the councell of Chalcedon Euag lib. 3. cap. 17 475.  Leâ—us a learned man was burned by Honoricus the Arian Anto. chron   Stephan b. of Antioch after the deposition of Peter but the Antiochians dispatched him with a câ—uell death Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 10.  Petrus Moggus was made b. of Antioch after the desease of Timo theus Aelurus but Zeno was offeÌ„ded with it and thrust him out Eua. lib. 3. cap. 11. Petrus Moggus b. of Alexandria was an heretick Euagr. 485. Marcus Caesar this Basiliscus sent letters euery where and condemned in them the councell of Chalcedon but he was faine by reason of the schisme that rose therof at Constantinople to call in his letters and not longe after Zeno came with greate power and ouerthrewe him slewe him his wife and children This Zeno raygned 17. yeares and dyed of the falling sicknes Euag. lib. 2. cap. 17. lib 3. cap. 1. 3. 4. 7. 8. 29. Dionysia with Maioricus her sonne suffred infinite tormeÌ„ts for the faith in Christ Auton chro Fulgentius florished about this time Palmer chronic Hesychius wrote a learned coÌ„mentarie vpon Leuiticus Conrad Lycost A councell held at Tarraco in Spayne in the tyme of Felix layde downe certaine canons for the reforma tion of the clergie tom 2. concil Martyrius was bishop of IerusaleÌ„ after Anastasius Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 16.  Felix the 2 of that name was b. of RoÌ„e after Simplicius an Dom. 485. where he coÌ„tinewed 9. yeares Euag. lib 3. cap. 18. 19. 20. Anton. chron Timotheus Basilicus is by Zeno called from exile and restored to his bishop ricke Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 11. Iohn succee â–ª ded Timothe he made sute in his predecessors dayes that the Emperor would graunt him the nominatinge oâ— the nexte incumbent and swore he woulde not take it him selfe wheÌ„ the seae was voyd he gaue the electors money forgot his othe and became bishop hiÌ„ selfe therfore the Emperour deposed him Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 12. Honoricus king of the Vandals was an Arian and exiled 334. bishops Honor. catalog heret But sayth Anton chronic He exiled of the clergie and laytye to the nuÌ„ber of 4975. persons Euagr. lib. 4. cap. 14. The east churches were woÌ„derfully infected at great dissentioÌ„ about the heresies of Nestorius Eutyches and Dioscorus Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 31.  From the raigne of Augustus in the 42. yere of whose Imperie Christ was borne vnto the death of Zeno and the creation of Anastasius there are 532. yeares and 7. moneths from the raigne of Diocletian 207. yeares and seauen moneths from the raygne of Alexander Magnus king of Macedonia 832. yeares and 7. moneths from the building of Rome and the kingdome of Romulus 1052. yeares and seaueÌ„ moneths from the destruction of Troie 1686. yeares and 7. moneths Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 29.  All the bishops of Aphricke came together by the coÌ„maundement of Honoricus the AriaÌ„ where his heresie was confirmed and 444. godly bishops exiled Anton. chron part 2. tit 11. Salustius was b. of Ierusalem after Martyrius Eua. lib. 3. cap. 36. Calandio was b. of Antioche after the death of Stephan he accursed both the letters of Basilisâ—us and of Timothe Euagr lib. 3. cap. 10. Petrus Cnapheus after the desease of Calandio was restored vnto the bishop rick Euag. lib. 3. ca. 16  Petrus Moggus is agayne restored by Zeno vpon conditioÌ„ that he will renounce his heresie Euagr lib. 3. ca. 12  492. Anastasius succeeded Zeno in the Empire He tooke not onely the Empire after him but also his wife WheÌ„ he sawe the great sedition that raygned in the church he called the people together and tolde them he woulde be Emperourno longer but the people seinge this quieted themselues requested him to continewe their Emperour so he did and dyed shortly after when he had raygned 27 yeares three monethes and three dayes Euagr. lib. 3. cap. 29. 44. Egesippus a great diuine florished about this time Sabell A synod of 70. b. was called together at RoÌ„e by Gelasius where the Canonicall scriptures were seuered from suche as were Apocrypha tom 2. concil  Palladius was b. of