His hands by casting it into the fire and afterwards by pulling it out of the flames entire and unconsum'd in the very same manner the Word of God who confers life on all desirous to demonstrate that mortal instrument which He had made use of in order to the salvation of men to be superiour to Death and to render it a partaker of His own life and immortality underwent a most usefull and advantagious dispensation forsaking His Body during a very short time and surrendring up to Death that which was mortal that its own nature might hereby be proved then soon after rescuing it from Death again in order to the manifestation of His Divine Power by which power He made it apparent that that Eternal Life which He had promised was superiour to all the force of Death Now the reason of this thing is evident and perspicuous For whereas it was altogether necessary for His disciples that with their own eyes they should see a manifest and undoubted Reparation of life after death in which life He had taught them to place their Hopes in regard His design was to render them Contemners and Vanquishers of death not without reason it was that He would have them behold this with their own eyes For it behoved such persons who were about entring upon a pious Course of life by the clearest view to behold and imbibe this first and most necessary Lesson of all and much more those who were forthwith to Preach Him thoroughout the whole world and to declare to all men the knowledge of God the foundation of which knowledge had before been laid by Him amongst all Nations Which persons ought to rely and ground upon the firmest and most undoubted perswasion of a life after death to the end that without any fear or dread of Death they might with alacrity undertake the Combat against the errour of the Nations who worship many Gods For unless they had learnt to dispise Death they would never have been provided against those perils they were to undergo Wherefore when as 't was requisite He would arm them against the power of Death He did not deliver them a Precept in naked words and bare expressions nor as the usage of men is did He compose an Oration concerning the immortality of the soul made up of Perswasives and Probabilities but really and actually shewed them the Trophies erected against Death This then was the first and most Cogent reason of Our Saviour's engagement with Death For He shewed His disciples that death which is formidable to all was nothing and by a clear view rendred them eye-witnesses of that Life promised by Him which very life He made the First-Fruits of our common hope and of a future life and immortality with God A second reason of His Resurrection was the demonstration of that Divine Power which had dwelt in His Body For in regard men had heretofore deified mortal persons who had been vanquished by Death and had usually termed them Heroes and Gods whom Death had subdued on this very account the most Compassionate Word of God did even here manifest who He was shewing men that His own nature was above Death And He not only raised His Mortal Body after 't was separated from His Soul to a second Life but proposed that Trophy of immortality which by His conquest of Death He had erected to be viewed by all and in His very death taught that He alone was to be acknowledged the true God who had been crown'd with the Rewards of Victory over Death I could also assign you a third reason of Our Lord's death He was a Sacred Victim offered up for the whole Race of mankind to God the Supream King of the Universe A Victim sacrificed instead of the Flock of men a Victim which routed and destroyed the Errour of Diabolical Superstition For after that one Victim ad eximious sacrifice namely the most Holy Body of Our Saviour was slain for mankind and offered up as the Substitute to ransome the Life of all Nations who being before bound by the impiety of Diabolical Errour stood convict of Treason as 't were thenceforward all the power of impure and profane Daemons became extinct and all manner of terrestrial and fraudulent Errour was forthwith weakened dissolv'd and confuted The Salutary Sacrifice therefore taken from among men namely the very Body of the Divine Word was sacrificed in place of the whole Flock of men And this was the Victim delivered unto death concerning which mention is made in the Expressions of the Sacred Scriptures which are sometimes worded in this manner Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world sometimes they run thus as a sheep He was led to the slaughter and as a Lamb before His Shearer He was dumb And they likewise tell us the reason by adding these words He bears our sins and is tortured with pain for us and we esteemed Him to be in labour and in stripes and in affliction But He was wounded for our sins and He was bruised by reason of our iniquities The chastisement of our peace was upon Him with His stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray every one has wandered in His own way and the Lord hath delivered Him for our sins For these reasons therefore the Humane Instrument of God the Word was sacrificed But this Great High-Priest consecrated to God the Chief Governour and Supream King being something else besides a Victim namely The Word of God The Power of God and The Wisdom of God soon recalled His mortal Body from death and presented it to His Father as the First-fruits of Our common Salvation having erected this for all mankind as the Trophy of that Victory which He had gain'd over Death and over the Army of Daemons and made it the final Abolishment of those humane Victims which of old had been usually offered in sacrifice BUT whereas these things are thus 't is now seasonable we should come to the demonstrations if indeed the truth of these matters has any need of demonstration and if it be indeed necessary to produce testimonies in confirmation of deeds that are manifest and evident Take therefore these demonstrations having first prepared your ears in order to a candid hearing of our discourse All Nations upon the Earth were heretofore divided and the whole Race of men was minc't into Provinces into various dominions over each Nation and place into Tyrannies and manifold Principalities On which account fights and continued Wars Depopulations and Captivities as well in the Countries as Cities never left them Hence the numerous Subjects of Histories Adulteries and Rapes of women hence the calamitous destruction of Troy and those Tragedies of the Ancients whereof mention is made amongst all men The Causes of which calamities should any one ascribe to their errour in
Reports and Rumours every where published Thou I say deceivest young men and by perswasion dost impose upon youths and those men who are endued with a childish disposition drawing them off from the worship of Him who is truly God and erecting Images to which they may pray and pay an adoration That so being deceived the Reward of their own senselessness may await them For they acouse and calumniate Christ the Authour of all Good who is both God and the Son of God Iâ— not this God deservedly worshipped by the Soberest and most prudent Nations and people Who being possest of all manner of power and always continuing firm to his own purpose has not made the least abatement of his innate Clemency Be gone therefore Ye Impious For that is permitted to You in as much as no punishment is now inflicted on Your wickedness Begone I say to your slaughters of Victims and to Your Banquets Festivals and Drunken Debauches Wherein under the Mask of Religion you make pleasures and intemperance your business You pretend indeed to perform Sacrifices but in reality you serve your own Lusts. For you know nothing of Good not so much as the first Command of the Great God who has both prescribed Laws to mankind and also given it in charge to his Son that he should form and govern the Lives and Morals of men to the end that they who shall lead their lives well and soberly may according to the Judgment of His Son have a second Life allotted them which will be blessed and happy I have declared God's Decree concerning the Life of men neither wandring in ignorance as many do nor yet led by guess or conjecture But some body will perhaps say whence is this appellation of a Son or what is the manner of this Begetting For there is but One only God and He is wholly a Stranger to all Mixture and Copulation But it ought to be considered that Generation is twofold the one from Conception which is known to all men the other from an Eternal Cause The manner of which Generation by the favour of Divine Providence that person sees even amongst men who is dear to God For any wise man knows the Cause of the Disposition and order of the Universe There being nothing therefore which has not a Cause 't is necessary that before all things which are their Cause should exist Whereas then the world and the things therein do exist and whereas the preservation of those things does exist also 't is necessary that before all things which are the Preserver should exist So that Christ Himself is the Cause of preservation of things and preservation the Effect In the same manner as the Father is the cause of the Son and the Son the Effect Now that Christ Himself existed before all things we have already proved sufficiently But in what manner came He down to men and why desoended He into the world The Intent and purpose of his Coming as the Prophets have predicted proceeded from His care over the Universe For 't is requisite that the Framer should take care of His own Works But when he was about to assume a terrene Body and to stay upon Earth for some time necessity requiring this He devised for Himself a new way of being born For the Conception was without a Marriage and the Child-birth of a pure Virginity and a Virgin the Mother of God and a Temporal Beginning of an Eternal Nature and a Perception of an intelligible Essence and a matter of an incorporeal Brightness All things therefore which then were seen were agreeable hereto Abright Dove such a one as heretofore flew out of Noah's Ark descended into the Bosome of the Uirgin Those other things are likewise consonant that were the consequences of this unspotted Marriage which is purer than all Chastity and more excellent than Continency it self The wonderfull Wisdom of God from his very Cradle and Jordan the River which afforded Him water for Baptism receiving Him with a Reverence Besides this a Royal Unction joyned with the knowledge of all things A doctrine also and power which performed wonderfull things and healed incurable diseases And a swift and unhindred Assent to Humane prayers And his whole life in general was beneficial and usefull to men But his Preaching was such as might not instill prudence but wisedom For his disciples did not learn those termed the Civil Virtues but the paths which lead to an intelligible world and laboured in the Contemplation of that Nature which always continues in one and the same State and made continual researches into the notion of the supream Father Now as to his Favours and Acts of kindness they were in no wise mean Instead of Blindness sight instead of faintness and a weakness of body a sound and healthy constitution Lastly instead of death a Restoration to Life I omit that plentifull provision of Necessaries for food in the Wilderness and that abundance of all sorts raised from small quantities of Victuals wherewith numerous multitudes were for a long space of time sufficed This Thanksgiving according as we are able we render to Thee Christ Thou God and Saviour the supream Providence of the Great Father Thou who savest us from Evils and teachest us a Most Blessed Doctrine For I speak not these words that I might praise Thee but in order to my giving Thee thanks For who is he amongst men that hath ever praised Thee according to Thy worth For Thou art He who art said to have created things of nothing and to have given them light and with Order and Measure to have beautified the confused heap of the Elements But this is the eminentest Gift of Thy Clemency that Thou hast rendred men endued with a good disposition Emulatours and Admirers of a Divine and Blessed life and hast taken order that having been made Merchants of those things which are truly good they should impart their own wisedom and happiness to many others and that they themselves should reap the immortal fruit of Virtue being freed from Intemperance but made partakers of Clemency having mercy before their eyes but hoping for the Promises of Faith lastly embracing Modesty and all manner of Virtue instead of injustice which the former Life of men had cast upon their Morals that it might be cut off from him who makes provision for all things For no other person could be found who might bee a fit Physitian for the curing such great Evils and that injustice which had prevailed in that age Providence therefore coming even to the Earth it self easily composed and beautified all things which by wickedness and intemperance had been disordered Nor did Christ perform this secretly and in a concealed manner For he knew that there were some men who with prudence and understanding would contemplate his own power
ten Unites make up one Denarie But a Denarie or Decade is the Limit the Meta and the fixt and stated Boundary of Unites the Meta of the infinity of Numbers but the End that is the perfection of Unites Moreover the Ternarie joyned together with the Denarie and having performed the third period of ten Circuits produces that most natural Number the Number Thirty For that which in Unites is the Ternarie the same in Denaries is the Tricenarie or Thirtieth Number And this is the firm and certain Limit of that great Luminary which is the second from the Sun For the Course of the Moon from one conjunction with the Sun to the next compleats the Circle of a Month after which She again receives a Beginning of Birth as 't were and does again begin new Light and new Days being grac't with thirty Unites honoured with three Decades and beautified with ten Ternaries With the very same Graces is the Empire of Our Victor Augustus and Lord of the whole world adorned by the Bestower of all things that are good and enters upon a beginning of new blessings having hitherto accomplished the Tricennalian Festivities only but now from hence forward entring upon longer intervals of Times and espousing the hopes of future Blessings in the Celestial Kingdom Where not one only Sun but troops of innumerable Lights daunce about the Supream Emperour every one of which is far more Glorious than the Sun it self and do shine and glister with the splendour of those Rayes shot from that Eternal Fountaine of Light Where there is a life of the mind in the incorruptible Beauties of Goods where there is a life void of all grief and trouble where there is an enjoyment of temperate and most holy pleasure Time without Time a long and endless Aevum enlarged to Spaces bounded by no Term not any more distinguished by the intervals of dayes and months nor measured by the Circles of Years and the periods of Seasons and Times but sufficient for one life continued to an immensity Which is not enlightned by the Sun nor illustrated by the multitude of the Stars or Splendour of the Moon but has that Luminary it self God the Word the only-begotten Son of the Supream Emperour On which account the Divine Discourses of Mystick Theology do declare Him to be that Sun of Righteousness and a Light which far transcends all Lights We do firmly believe that the very same person does illustrate those most blessed Powers with the Rayes of Justice and the beams of Wisedom and that He does take the Souls of men adorned with true Piety not into the Circumference of Heaven but into His own Bosom and that he does really confirm and fulfill His own promises But the eye of Mortals hath not seen nor hath any ear heard neither can a mind cloathed with flesh be able to discern and look into those things which are prepared for them who have been adorned with Pâ—ety as likewise for You also Most Religious Emperour To whom alone of all persons that ever were God Himself the Supream Emperour of this Universe has granted this that You should cleanse and reform the Life of men To whom also He hath shown His own Salutary Sign by the power whereof having conquered Death He celebrated a Triumph over His Enemies Which Trophy of Victory and Amulet of Daemons when You had opposed against the Images of Errour You gained the Victory over all impious Enemies and Barbarians as also over the Daemons themselves who are another sort of Barbarians FOR Whereas there are in us two Substances conjoyned namely Soul and Body whereof the Latter is exposed to view but the other remaines invisible against both these two sorts of Enemies and Barbarians the one covertly the other openly have set themselves in array And the one of them opposes Bodies against Bodies but the other assaults man's naked Soul it self with all sorts of incorporeal Engines Farther those visible Barbarians like some savage Nomades in nothing different from wild-beasts make an attack upon the meek and gentle Flocks of Men ruine and depopulate Countries enslave Cities rush out of the Desert like fierce and furious Wolves and fall upon the inhabitants of Cities after which they destroy as many as they can But the invisible Enemies I mean the Soul-destroying Daemons who are far more fierce and cruel than all Barbarians flye about the Regions of this Air and by the Engines of mischievous Polytheisme had reduced all mankind under their power in so much that the true God was not by them any longer look't upon as God but they wandred up and down in manifold errour without any worship of the Deity For having procured for themselves Gods from I know not whence who have not any Being or Existence in any place whatever they wholly neglected and undervalued Him who is the only and the true God as if He were not Hence it was that the Generation of Bodies was by them reputed and worshipt as a God as also a contrary Deity hereto to wit the destruction and dissolution of Bodies And the former of these Gods in regard He was the Authour of Generation was honoured with the Rites of Venus But the Latter because He abounded with Riches and in Strength excelled Mankind was named Pluto and Orâ—â—â—â— For whereas the Men of that Age acknowledged no other life save that which takes its beginning from Generation therefore they asserted the Cause and Origine of that Life to be a God And whereas they believed Men not to exist any more after death they declared Death to be the Vanquisher of all and a Great God Then concluding that on account of that dissolution by death they were in no wiâ—e accountable hereafter for what was performed here they resolved upon living such a life as in effect was 〈◊〉 life perpetrating such facts as deserved to be punished with ten thousand deaths For they had not their minds taken up with the thoughts of God they expected not the Tribunals of the Divine judgment nor call'd to remembrance the Nature of their own Souls but acknowledging a subjection to one Cruel Patron Death and fully perswading themselves that the destruction of bodies effected by it was the dissolution and annihilation of the whole man they declared Death to be a great and a rich God and for that reason gave him the name of Pluto or Dis. Death therefore was to them a God and not he alone but whatever else they accounted valuable in comparison of Death namely those things which were conducive in order to the rendring their Lives pleasant and delicate For the pleasure of the Body was by them accounted a God nourishment was a God the growth of those things that produce nutriment a God the fruit of Trees a God Drunkenness and Luxury a God the desire of things Carnal a God the Pleasure of those
their bold attempts and this they did not whilst they were surrounded with the delights and pleasures of Life for thus any one might perhaps suppose that they performed this with a regard to kindness and clemency but at such time as they were pursued with stripes inflicted on them from Heaven Who after so many and such impetuous storms of Persecution and in the very heat and extremity of dangers thorowout the whole world kept fixt to the Precepts of His Divine Doctrine infinite numbers of men that were zealous followers of a Philosophick Life and strict worshippers of the Deity also women that were in Holy Orders and Quires of Virgins which Dedicated the whole time of their Lives to a perpetual chastity of body and mind and taught them abstinence from food and most willingly to continue without meat and wine during the space of many days and to lead a hard and austere oourse of life with a singular modesty and temperance Who hath so far prevailed upon women and numerous multitudes of men that they should exchange the food of their Bodies for that rational food that agrees with their rational souls which food is gotten by a perusal of Divine Lessons Who hath taught Barbarians and Peasants women children and servants and innumerable multitudes of all Nations to despise Death and to perswade themselves that their Souls are immortal and that there is an Eye of justice which inspects humane affairs and that they should expect a future judgment from God to pass upon the pious and the impious and that for that reason they ought to lead just holy and sober lives For 't is in no wise possible that those who are not thus disposed should submit themselves to the yoke of piety All which egregious performances are even at this present accomplished only by Our Saviour But let us omit these things Come on we will now apply our selves to a conviction of Him whose mind is as hard as flint by such interrogatories as these Tell me Friend and utter words that are rational Let your expressions be the products not of a foolish and stupid heart but of a soul endued with reason and understanding Tell me I say after you have often and duely weighed the matter with your self Which of all the Sages who in times past have been famous was known in the same manner with Our Saviour and proclaimed so infinite a number of ages since by the Oracles of the Prophets amongst the children of the Hebrews anciently God's beloved people Who in their minds had a fore-knowledge of the place of His Birth and of the times of His Coming and of His manner of Life of His Miracles likewise of His Discourses and of His famous actions and left them on record in the sacred Volumns Who hath shown Himself so swift a Revenger of those audacious Attempts against Himself that immediately after that impious fact committed against Himself the whole Nation of the Jews should be pursued and punished by an invisible Power and their Royal Seat utterly demolished and overthrown from its very foundations and the Temple together with all the Ornaments and rich furniture therein levell'd with the Ground Who hath uttered predictions both concerning those impious men and also in reference to the Church founded by Him over the whole world exactly correspondent to the affairs themselves and hath actually demonstrated and confirm'd the truth of those Predictions in such a manner as Our Saviour hath done Concerning the Temple of the Impious He had said Behold your house is left to you desolate and there shall not remain a stone upon a stone in this place which shall not be thrown down But concerning His own Church He spake in this manner I will build my Church upon a rock and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it To have brought at first from fishing men that were contemptible and illiterate and afterwards to have constituted them Law-givers and Teachers to the whole world what and how mighty a thing does this seem to You As for His promise to them that He would make them Fishers of men He not only uttered it in words but performed it actually and abundantly and conferr'd on them so great a degree of strength and power that they composed writings and published Books and the authority of all those Books was so great that being rendred into all Languages as well of Greeks as Barbarians thorowout the whole world they are studiously read by all Nations and the Contents of them are believed to be divine Oracles of how mighty a prevalency is this in order to a clear demonstration of His Divinity How considerable likewise is that namely that He foretold things future and long before it hapned assured His disciples that they should be brought before Kings and Princes and should be punished and undergo the extreamest of Torments not for any foul act of their own but only on account of their confession of His Name Moreover that He fitted and prepared them chearfully to endure these things and so fortified them with the Arms of Piety that in their Conflicts with their adversaries their minds appeared firmer than an Adamant what powerfulness of expression is it which that matter does not exceed Likewise that not only those who had followed Him but their successours also and again they who immediately succeeded them and at length such as have lived in this our present age should with so undaunted a resolution unite the Forces of their minds that although they had done nothing worthy of death yet with pleasure would endure all manner of punishments and every sort of Torture on account of their eximious Piety towards the supream God what degree of admiration does not this surpass What King did ever continue His Reign during so vast a number of Ages Who does thus wage war after death and does erect Trophies over His Enemies and does subdue every place Country and City as well Grecian as Barbarian and does vanquish His Opposers by an invisible and latent Hand And which is the chiefest thing of all that hath been hitherto rehearsed that Peace by His Power procured for the whole world concerning which we have already spoken what we judged agreeable how should it not stop the mouthes of all slanderers In as much as the Unity and Concord of all Nations did really concur in time with the Preaching of Our Saviour and with the Doctrine by Him disseminated over the whole world and in regard both of them had long before been foretold by the Prophets of God I mean the Universal Peace of the Nations and the Doctrine delivered by Christ to the Nations The whole length of the day would be insufficient for me Dread Sir should I attempt to sum up in one those most clear and cogent arguments of Our Saviour's Divine Power drawn from the things which are
brought into the City that bore his own name Which the people of Rome were sorely troubled at in regard by his Arms Laws and mild Government they supposed the City Rome renewed as ' t were I know indeed that these words of Aurelius Victor may be understood concerning the Citizens of Rome who took it ill because Constantine's Body had been interred at Constantinople rather then at Rome Nevertheless I am of opinion that Victor thought otherwise to wit that all the Inhabitants of the Roman world were most sorely troubled at the death of Constantine Which meaning is plainly confirmed by the following words Quippe cujus armis legibus clementi imperio quasi novatam Orbem Romanum arbitraretur For so 't is to be read and not urbem Romanam Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The one of these words is useless The Fuketian Manuscript has only the Latter whereto agrees Turnebus's Book Vales. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon losty Benches or Seats b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading in the Fuketian and Turnebian Copy is truer thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it must without doubt be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is above at book 3. chap. 10. Vales. * Generals or Commanders in chief a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning the manner of saluting the Roman Emperours consult the Learned D r Howells History Second Part pag. 52. This Adoration was little more than what is now a days used to Princes namely a kneeling to them and bowing the head b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is the Honorati So the Latines termed those who bore honours as I have at large remarked at the 14 th Book of Amm. Marcellinus Whereto add a passage of Gaudentius Bishop of Brixia in his Letter to Benevolus Nam sicut Honoratorum nostrae urbis ita etiam dominicae plebis domino annuente dignissimum caput es Vales. * Or Their own carriage of him c After Constantine's death there was an Interregnum nor did any Augustus Reign in the Roman world Which interregnum i. e. a time when there was no Emperour continued not only till Constantine's Burial but to the fifth of the Ides of September as Idatius attests in his Fasti. So for the space of three months and an half the Roman world was without the Empire of an Augustus For during that whole time which is between the eleventh of the Calends of Jun◠and the fifth of the Ides of September his Sons were styled only Cae-sars 'T is certain Constantinus Junior in his Letter so the Alexandrians which bears date after his Fathers death in the Consulate of Felicianus and Titianus on the fifteenth of the Calends of July has the Title of Caesar only This Letter is extant in Atbanasius in his Second Apologie near the end Vales. * Or Turned into stone †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Stephens 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we have rendred it accordingly * Or Well known †Or Greatest Symbol of supream Empire * Or Of Rome a The same is attested by Aurelius Victor in those words of his which we quoted above at chap. 65. noto b. Vales. a Constantius Caesar whom his Father had made Governour of the East upon hearing of his Father's sickness had in great hast taken a journey that he might see his Father before he died But the vehemency of his disease frustrated the Son's desire For when he was arrived at Nicomedia he found his Father dead as Julian relates in his first Oration concerning the praises of Constantius pag. 29. With Julian the other Writers of History do likewise agree Zonaras is the only Authour who relates that Constantius Caesar who was then at Antioch arrived whilst his Father was yet living and that he honoured him when dead with a most magnificent Funeral Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The last word save one is added by the I earned from conjecture as I think Nevertheless there seems to be something more wanting and perhaps Eusebius wrote thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the City that bore his own name Hence it appears that Constantine's dead Body was kept at Nicomedia with all Imaginable honour and reverence till the coming of Constantius Caesar. Who after he was arrived at Nicomedia conveyed his Father's Corps to Constantinople Wherefore the Author of the Alexandrian Chronicle is mistaken who relates that Constantius came directly to Constantinople and there celebrated his Father's Funeral Vales. * Or The things of a becoming Sanctity * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the sacred Assemblie †Or death a A twofold sense may be given of these words For either Eusebius means that Constantius Caesar when he had deposited his Father's Ark or Coffin in the Church went presently out of the Church with the Souldiers or else this is his meaning only that Constantius having done that withdrew out of the middle of the Church that he might give place to the Priests Which meaning is in my judgment truer For Constantius although he had not as yet been baptized was nevertheless a Catechumen as Sulpicius Severus tells us in the Second Book of his History Vales. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Gellius B. 13. Cap. 10. b Translatours thought that these words were spoken of God who gave the Empire to Constantine's Sons But after a more attentive examination of the matter I am of opinion that they are spoken concerning Constantine himself who even dead delivered the Empire to his Sons And this is confirmed by the following words Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must I think be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constantine had wisht that after his death he might not like other Princes be consecrated and reckoned amongst the Divi but that being buried with the Apostles he might be a partaker of the prayers which are wont to be offered to God by the Faithfull in honour of them as Eusebius has said above at chap. 60. Whence it appears that here it must be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as it is in Moraeus's Book and at the margin of the Geneva-Edition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through his own most c. Nor will this place be perfect even this way unless these words be added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Which Eusebius confirms in the foresaid 60 th chapter The point must also be blotted out which is set a little after as well in the Kings Copy as in the Common Editions and it must be read in one breath thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Than which there is nothing more certain which makes me admire that Translatours saw not this In the Fuketian Copy the reading of this place runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Nor is it otherwise in the Books of Turnebus and S r Henry Savil save only that S r Henry has it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But in the Kings Sheets I found this place written thus 〈◊〉
and â—led from the City ibid. Chap. 18. Concerning Eudoxia's Silver Statue and how Johannes was ejected out of his Church again on account of that and conveyed into banishment Page 365 Chap. 19 Concerning Arsacius who was Ordained Johannes's successour and concerning Cyrinus Bishop of Chalcedon Page 366 Chap. 20. How after Arsacius Atticus obtained the Constantinopolitan See Page 367 Chap. 21. Concerning Johannes's departure to the Lord in Exile ibid. Chap. 22. Concerning Sisinnius Bishop of the Novatianists what expressions he is said to have used in his discourses with Johannes ibid. Chap. 23. Concerning the death of the Emperour Arcadius Page 368 Book VII Chap. 1. THat after the Emperour Arcadius's death who left his Son Theodosius then eight years old Anthemius the Praefect had the chief management of affaires in the Empire pag. 369 Chap. 2. Concerning Atticus Bishop of Constantinople what manner of person he was as to his temper and disposition Page 370 Chap. 3. Concerning Theodosius and Agapetus Bishops of Synnada ibid. Chap. 4. Concerning the Paralyticall Jew who was cured by Atticus the Bishop in Divine Baptism Page 371 Chap. 5. How Sabbatius from being a Jew had been made a Presbyter of the Novatianists deserted those of his own opinion ibid. Chap. 6. Concerning those who at that time were the Ring-leaders of the Arian Opinion Page 372 Chap. 7. How Cyrillus succeeded Theophilus Bishop of Alexandria ibid. Chap. 8. Concerning Maruthas Bishop of Mesopotamia and how the Christian Religion was by him propagated in Persia. ibid. Chap. 9. Who were Bishops of Antioch and Rome at this time Page 373 Chap. 10. That Rome became subject to the Barbarians at that time and was destroyed by Alarichus ibid. Chap. 11. Concerning the Bishops of Rome Page 374 Chap. 12. Concerning Chrysanthus Bishop of the Novatianists at Constantinople ibid. Chap. 13. Concerning the Fight which hapned at Alexandria between the Christians and Jews and concerning Cyrillus the Bishop's difference with Orestes the Praefect ibid. Chap. 14. That the Monks of Nitria came down to Alexandria in defence of Cyrillus and raised a Sedition against Orestes the Praefect Page 375 Chap. 15. Concerning Hypatia the Philosopheress Page 376 Chap. 16. That the Jews entring upon another War against the Christians were punished Page 377 Chap. 17. Concerning Paulus Bishop of the Novatianists and concerning the Miracle done by him when he was about to have baptized a Jewish Impostour ibid. Chap. 18. How after the death of Isdigerdes the Persian King the League between the Romans and Persians was broken and a bloudy War hapned wherein the Persians were worsted ibâ—d Chap. 19. Concerning Palladius the Courier pag. 378 Chap. 20. How the Persians had another severe overthrow given them by the Romans Page 379 Chap. 21. After what manner Acacius Bishop of Amida behaved himself toward the Persian Captives ibid. Chap. 22. Concerning the excellencies wherewith the Emperour Theodosius Junior was endowed Page 380 Chap. 23. Concerâ—ing Johannes who Tyrannized at Rome after Honorius the Emperour's death And how God mollified by Theodosius's prayers delivered him into the hands of the Roman Army Page 381 Chap. 24. That after the slaughter of Johannes the Tyrant Theodosius the Emperour proclaimed Valentinianus the Son of Constantius and of his Aunt Placidia Emperour of Rome Page 382 Chap. 25. Concerning Atticus's Government of the Churches and that he ordered Johannes's name to be written into the Dypticks of the Church and that he foreknew his own death ibid. Chap. 26. Concerning Sisinnius Atticus's successour in the Constantinopolitane Bishoprick Page 383 Chap. 27. Concerning Philippus the Presbyter who was born at Side Page 384 Chap. 28. That Sisindius Ordained Proclus Bishop of Cyzicum but the Inhabitants of that City would not admit him to be their Bishop ibid. Chap. 29. That after Siâ—innius's death the Emperours sent for Nestorius from Antioch and made him Bishop of Constantinople who quickly discovered his own temper and disposition ibid. Chap. 30. After what manner the Burgundions embraced the Christian Religion in the Reign of Theodosius Junior Page 385 Chap. 31. With what miseriâ—s the Macedonians were afflicted by Nestorius ibid. Chap. 32. Concerning the Presbyter Anastasius by whom Nestorius was perverted to Impiety Page 386 Chap. 33. Concerning the horrid wickedness committed upon the Altar of the Great Church by the â—ugitiâ—e servants pag. 387 Chap. 34. Concerning the former Synod at Ephesus convened against Nestorius ibid. Chap. 35. How after Nestorius's Deposition when some were desirous of placing Proclus in the Episcopal Chair other Bishops elected Maximianus Bishop of Constantinople Page 388 Chap. 36. Instances whereby this Writer does as he supposes evince that a Translation from one See to another is not prohibited ibid. Chap. 37. Concerning Silvanus who was translated from Philippopolis to Troas Page 389 Chap. 38. Concerning the Jews in Creet how many of them turned Christians at that time Page 390 Chap. 39. Concerning the Fire which hapned in the Church of the Novatianists ibid. Chap. 40. That Proclus succeeded Maximianus the Bishop Page 391 Chap. 41. Concerning Proclus the Bishop what manner of man he was ibid. Chap. 42. That this Writer spends many words in praise of the Emperour Theodosius Junior's probity Page 392 Chap. 43. How great calamities those Barbarians underwent who had been the Tyrant Johannes's Auxiliaries ibid. Chap. 44. That the Emperour Valentinianus Junior married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius ibid. Chap. 45. That Proclus the Bishop perswaded the Emperour to translate the body of Johannes from the place of his Exile where it had been buried to Constantinople and to deposite it in the Church of The Apostles Page 393 Chap. 46. Concerning the death of Paulus Bishop of the Novatianists and concerning Marcianus who was his successour ibid. Chap. 47. That the Emperour Theodosius sent his Wife Eudoxia to Jerusalem Page 394 Chap. 48. Concerning Thalassius Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia ibid. The Contents of the Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus Epiphaniensis in VI. Books Book I. THE Preface Pag. 401 Chap. 1. That after the destruction of the impious Julian when the Heresieâ— had been a little quieted the devil afterwards disturbed the Faith again ibid. Chap. 2. How Nestorius was detected by his disciple Anastasius who in his Sermon termed the Holy Mother of God not Theotocos but Christotocos for which reason Nestorius was pronounced an Heretick Page 402 Chap. 3. What Cyrillus the Great wrote to Nestorius and how the third Synod at Ephesus was convened to which Johannes Bishop of Antioch and Theodoret came late Page 403 Chap. 4. How Nestorius was deposed by the Synod before the arrival of the Bishop of Antioch Page 404 Chap. 5. That Johannes Bishop of Antioch coming to Ephesus after five days deposes Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria and Memnon Bishop of Ephesus whom the Synod pronounced innocent soon after and deposed Johannes and his party And how by the interposition of the Emperour Theodosius Cyrillus and Johannes were reconciled and confirmed
Sons Caesars in the three ten years of his Reign He celebrated the Dedication of the Martyrium at Jerusalem ibid. Chap. 41. That in this interim He ordered a Synod to be convened at Tyre because of some controversies started in Egypt ibid. Chap. 42. Constantine's Letter to the Synod at Tyre Page 620 Chap. 43. That at the Feast of Dedication of the Church at Jerusalem there were Bishops present out of all the Provinces ibid. Chap. 44. Concerning their Reception by Marianus the Notary and concerning the money distributed amongst the poor and the sacred Gifts of the Church Page 621 Chap. 45. Various discourses of the Bishops in the sacred Assemblies as also of Eusebius himself the Authour of this Work ibid. Chap. 46. That He afterwards recited his Description of our Saviour's Martyrium and his Oration upon Constantine's Tricennalia before the Emperour Himself Page 622 Chap. 47. That the Synod at Nicaea hapned on Constantine's Vicennalia but the Dedication of the Church at Jerusalem was performed on His Tricennalia ibid. Chap. 48. That Constantine was displeased with one who praised Him too highly ibid. Chap. 49. The Marriage of Constantius Caesar His Son Page 623 Chap. 50. The Embassie and Presents sent from the Indians ibid. Chap. 51. That Constantine having parted his Empire betwixt His three Sons instructed them in the Art of Governing and Offices of Piety ibid. Chap. 52. How when they were arrived at man's estate He taught them Piety ibid. Chap. 53. That after He had Reigned abut two and thirty years and lived above sixty He had a Body that was sound and healthy Page 624 Chap. 54. Concerning those who abused his eximious humanity to avarice and a pretence of Piety ibid. Chap. 55. How Constantine wrote Orations to the very last day of his Life Page 625 Chap. 56. How making an expedition against the Persians He took the Bishops along with him and provided a Tent made in form of a Church ibid. Chap. 57. That having received the Embassie of the Persians He watcht all night together with others on the Feast of Easter ibid. Chap. 58. Concerning the Building of that termed the Martyrium of the Apostles at Constantinople Page 626 Chap. 59. A further description of the same Martyrium ibid. Chap. 60. That in this Church also He built himself a Sepulchre ibid. Chap. 61. The Emperour's indisposition of Body at Helenopolis and his Prayers Also concerning his Baptism Page 627 Chap. 62. Constantine's request to the Bishops that they confer Baptism upon him Page 628 Chap. 63. In what manner he praised God after he had received Baptism Page 629 Chap. 64. The death of Constantine on the Festival of Pentecost about noon ibid. Chap. 65. The Lamentations of the Milice and Tribunes Page 630 Chap. 66. That His Body was carried from Nicomedia to Constantinople into the Palace ibid. Chap. 67. That even after His death he was honoured by the Comites and the rest in the same manner as when he was alive ibid. Chap. 68. In what manner the Army resolved that his sons should be forthwith Proclaimed Augusti Page 631 Chap. 69. The mourning aâ— Rome for Constantine and the Honour done him by Pictures after his death ibid. Chap. 70. That his Body was deposited at Constantinople by his Son Constantius ibid. Chap. 71. The performance of the solemn prayers in that termed the Martyrium of the Apostles at the Funeral of Constantine ibid. Chap. 72. Concerning the Bird termed the Phoenix Page 632 Chap. 73. In what manner they Stampt Constantine on Coyns ascending up into Heaven as t were ibid. Chap. 74. That whereas God had been honoured by Him He was on the other hand deservedly honoured by God ibid. Chap. 75. That Constantine was more pious than any of the foregoing Roman Emperours Page 633 The Contents of the Emperour Constantine's Oration which he Entituled to the Convention of the Saints Chap. 1. THE Preface makes mention of Easter and that Christ having been several waies beneficial to all men hath had plots framed against him by those on whom he has conferred favours pag. 635 Chap. 2. An Address to the Church and to his Hearers that they would Pardon and amend his mistakes Page 636 Chap. 3. That God is both the Father of The Logos and the Framer of the whole Creation and that it were impossible for things to consist if their Causes were diverse Page 637 Chap. 4. Concerning their Errour who worship Images Page 638 Chap. 5. That Christ the Son of God framed all things and has appointed to every thing the term of its Existence ibid. Chap. 6. Concerning Fate that what is discourst of it is false and this is demonstrated both from Humane Laws and things created which are moved not disorderly but in a regular manner by which order of theirs they demonstrate the Command of the Creator Page 639 Chap. 7. That in things which we can't understand we ought to glorifie the Creator's wisdom nor must we suppose Chance or any thing else save God to be the cause of them pag. 641 Chap. 8. That God does plentifully supply men with those things that are usefull but with such as are for delight He furnishes them in an indifferent manner only bestowing both sorts so as may be agreeable to their profit and advantage ibid. Chap. 9. Concerning the Philosophers who because they desired to know all things erred as to their Opinions and some of them were exposed to dangers Also concerning the Opinions of Plato Page 642 Chap. 10. Concerning those men who do not only reject the Dogmata of the Sacred Scriptures but them of the Philosophers also and that we either ought to give the Poets credit in all things or in nothing Page 643 Chap. 11. Concerning our Lord's coming in the flesh what it was and for what reasons it has hapened ibid. Chap. 12. Concerning those who knew not this Mystery and that their ignorance is voluntary and what great blessings await those who know it and especially them who have died in Confession Page 647 Chap. 13. That a difference of the parts of the Creation is necessary and that a propensity to Good and Evil springs from the will of men and therefore that the judgment of God is necessary and agreeable to Reason Page 648 Chap. 14. That a created nature is at a vast distance from an Essence which is uncreated and that man approaches nearest to God by a virtuous Life ibid. Chap. 15. What Precepts our Saviour delivered and what Miracles he wrought and how beneficial He hath been to those who own a subjection to Him Page 649 Chap. 16. That the Coming of Christ is foretold by the Prophets and that he was appointed for the destruction of Idols and Idolatrous Cities Page 650 Chap. 17. Concerning the wisdom of Moses which was emulated by the Wise men amongst the Heathens also concerning Daniel and the Three Children Page 651 Chap. 18. Concerning Sibylla Erythraea who prophesied in an Acrostick of
a troublesome flux of Rheum which caused a perpetual difficulty of breathing And the patient having not strength to resist these things there followed a convulsion of all the parts It was said therefore by the Divine s and those who made it their business to give judgement of such things that the hand of God was upon the King to punish him for his so oft repeated horrible offences Thus much therefore the foresaid Writer relates in the fore-mentioned Book And in the Second Book of his History he speaks of him after the same manner in these words After that he was taken with a disease which seising upon the whole state and habit of his body tormented him exceedingly with several pains He had a feaver but not of any acute kind an insufferable itching over all his body with continual tortures of the Colon by the humours about his feet you would judge him to have been Hydropical besides this a strange inflammation of the lower belly and such a putrefaction of the Genitalls as bred worms moreover a shortness and difficulty of breathing with a convulsion of all the parts This moved those of that time who pretended to know the mind of God to term these diseases a punishment inflicted on him from heaven But although he strugled with so many distempers yet he hoped to live and recover and sought for remedy Passing therefore over Jordan he made use of the hot-waters that are neer Callâ—rhoe They fall into the lake Asphaltites but are so sweet that they are potable There when his Physitians thought it good to bathe his whole body in warm oil being set into a bathing-vessel filled with oil he was so weakened all over his body that he turned up his eyes as if he had been dead But at the noise of his attendants outcries he came to himself again After this despairing of recovery he gave order for the distribution of fifty Drachms to every one of his common Souldiers but to his Commanders and friends he gave great sums of money From thence he returned to Jericho and being now grown very melancholy he did as it were threaten death it self and resolved upon the commission of a most horrible and villanous fact For he commanded all the eminent personages that were in every town of Judaea to be summoned together and imprisoned in the Hippodrome Then calling for his sister Salome and her husband Alexander I know said he the Jews will rejoyce mightily at my death but if you will obey my commands I can make my self to be lameâ—â—ted by many and obtain an honourable Funeral as soon as breath is out of my body doe you being guarded with Souldiers kill all these men whom I have imprisoned so all Judaea yea every family shall though against their wills mourn at my death And a little after he says and again when he was tortured partly by want of sustenance and partly by the Convulsions of his violent Cough being overcome with continual torments he resolved to hasten his own death And having taken an apple he asked for a knife for his manner was to cut them himself when ever he eat them then looking round least there should be any one that might hinder him he lifted up his right hand as about to doe violence to himself Moreover the same writer relates farther how that a little before his death he most wickedly commanded another of his own sons having slain two of them before to be put to death and then soon after died in most exquisite torture And such was the end Herod made suffering a due punishment for his cruelty towards the infants of Bethlehem which he contrived on purpose to destroy our Saviour After his death an Angel appeared to Joseph then in Egypt and commanded him to take the young Child and his Mother and return into Judea telling him they were dead who sought the young Childs Life To which the Evangelist farther adds saying when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of his father Herod he was afraid to go thither not withstanding being warned of God in a dream he turned aside into the parts of Galilee CHAP. IX Of the Times of Pilate THe said Historian agrees also concerning the Reign of Archelaus after the death of Herod declaring the manner of it how both by his fathers Testament and also by the decree of Augustus Caesar he obtained the Kingdom of Judea And how when after ten years he was deposed from his Government his brethren Philip and Herod juniour and Lysanias governed their Tetrarchies The same Authour in the eighteenth Book of his Antiquities makes it plainly appear that Pontius Pilate was made Procuratour of Judea in the twelfth year of the Reign of Tiberius who then was Emperour succeeding Augustus who had Reigned fifty seven years and continued so full ten years almost as long as Tiberius lived From whence their fiction is manifestly confuted who of late have published Acts against our Saviour In which chiefly the title or note of time inscribed upon the said Acts does evidently show the Authours thereof to be liars For those things which these men have impudently feigned concerning the salutary passion of our Lord are said to have been done when Tiberius was Consul the fourth time which fell out to be the seventh year of his Reign At which time it is certain Pilate was not come as Governour into Judea if we may believe Josephus who in his foresaid Book does expresly shew that Pilate was made Procuratour of Judea by Tiberius in the twelfth year of his Reign CHAP. X. Of the High-Priests among the Jews in whose time Christ Preached the Gospel AT this time therefore namely in the fifteenth year of the Reign of Tiberius according to the Evangelist and the fourth of Pilate's Procurator-ship of Judea Herod Lysanias and Phillip being Tetrarchs over the rest of Judea our Lord and Saviour Jesus the Christ of God being about thirty years of Age was Baptized by John and then first began to Preach the Gospel And the Sacred Scripture says that he finisht the whole time of his Preaching under Annas and Caiphas being High-priests meaning thereby that all his Preaching was terminated within that space of time wherein they executed the High-priests Office Although therefore he began when Annas was High-priest and continued till Caiphas came on yet there are scarce full four years contained within this space of time For since from the time now mentioned the Laws and sanctions about Holy matters were almost abolished the High-preisthood also ceased to be for life and hereditary neither was the worship of God rightly performed But the Roman Governours made sometimes one sometimes another High-priest none bearing that Office above a year Josephus indeed in his Book of Antiquities does relate that from Annas to Caiphas there were in one continued Order four High-priests his words are these Valerius Gratus having put out
having reigned something more than a year Trajan succeeded him It was his first year wherein Cerdo succeeded Avilius who had governed the Alexandrian Church thirteen years This Cerdo was the third from Annianus who first presided there At this time also Clemens yet governed the Roman Church he being also the third that after Paul and Peter had the Episcopal dignity there Linus being the first and after him Anencletus CHAP. XXII That Ignatius was the Second that presided over the Alexandrian Church MOreover Euodius having been constituted the first Bishop at Antioch the second was Ignatius a man famous in those times Simeon likewise was the second who after our Saviours brother at the same time entred upon the publick charge over the Church at Jerusalem CHAP. XXIII A Relation concerning John the Apostle AT the same time the Apostle and also Evangelist John the same whom Jesus loved remaining yet alive in Asia governed the Churches there being returned from his Exile in the Island after the death of Domitian For that he was hitherto alive it is sufficiently confirmed by two who evidence the matter and they are very worthy of credit having been constant assertours of Catholick sound Doctrine I mean these persons Irenaeus and Clemens Alexandrinus The former of whom in his second book against Heresie writes thus word for word And all the Elders that were conversant in Asia with John the disciple of our Lord do testifie that John delivered it to them for he continued among them untill Trajans time And in the third book of that work he manifests the same thing in these words Moreover the Church at Ephesus was founded indeed by Paul but John continuing among them untill Trajans time is a most faithfull witness of the Apostolick Tradition And Clemens likewise having evidently shown the time adds withall a Relation very necessary for those who delight to hear good and profitable things in that work of his which he entitled who that rich man is that shall be saved Let us therefore take his book and read the story which is thus Hear a Relation which is not a feigned story but a real truth delivered concerning John the Apostle and kept in remembrance For after the death of the Tyrant he returned from the Island Patmos to Ephesus and being thereto requested he went to the neighbouring Provinces in some places constituting Bishops in others setting in order whole Churches and other where electing into the Clergy some one or other of those who were made known to him by the Spirit Coming therefore to one of the Cities not far distant the name whereof some mention and moreover having refreshed the brethren at length casting his eyes upon a youth of a goodly stature of body comely countenance and lively disposition he lookt upon him whom he had Ordained Bishop and said This youth I doe with all imaginable care commit to thy charge in the presence of the Church and of Christ as a witness And when he had undertaken this charge and promised his utmost care thereof John declared and desired the same again And afterwards returned to Ephesus But the Presbyter taking home the youth committed to his custody educated him kept him within compass and cherished him and at length baptized him but after that he abated something of his great care and caution over him because he had fortified him with that most absolute defence to wit the Seal of the Lord. But having obtained his freedom a little too early some idle dissolute young men that were inured to all manner of vice keep him company and first of all they entice him with sumptuous Banquets then going out by night to rob and strip those they could meet with they carry him a long with them afterwards they desire him to be their complice in greater rogueries So by little and little he was accustomed to lewdness and because he was high spirited having once left the right way like a strong hard mouthed horse holding the bitt between his teeth he was so much the more fiercely hurried into destruction In fine despairing of the salvation of God he spent not his thoughts now upon any trifling designe but attempted some enormous wickedness in as much as he was wholly past all hope he scorned to run the hazard of so mean a punishment as other theeves did Taking therefore those his accomplices and having formed them into a Troop of theeves he was readily made their commander in chief being the fiercest the most bloudy and cruelest person of them all Sometime after and there happening some necessity for it they send again for John who after he had set in order those things upon account whereof he came said Come on Bishop restore us that which was committed to thy custody which I and Christ delivered to thee to take care of in the presence of the Church as witness over which thou dost preside But he at first was astonished supposing himself to be falsely accused about money which he had not received neither could he give credit to John concerning his demand of what he had not nor yet durst he disbelieve him But when John had said I demand the young man and the soul of our brother the old man fetching a deep sigh and also weeping said he is dead How and what kind of death To God said he he is dead for he proved wicked and extreamly naught and in conclusion a thief And now instead of continuing in the Church he hath taken possession of the mountain with a troop of associates like himself The Apostle therefore having rent his garment and with a great outâ—ry smiting his head I left said he an excellent keeper of our brothers soul But let an horse be presently brought me and let me have a guide to direct me in the way He rode as he was forthwith from the Church and coming to the place is taken by the watch which the Theeves had set he flyes not nor makes entreaty but calls out For this purpose I came bring me to your captain he in the mean time armed as he was stood still but as soon as he knew John approaching being ashamed he fled But he forgetfull of his Age with all possible speed pursued him crying out Son why doest thou flee from thy Father unarmed and aged Have compassion on me my son fear not as yet there is hopes of thy salvation I will intercede with Christ for thee if need require I will willingly undergoe death for thee as the Lord underwent it for us I will by way of recompence give my soul for thine stand still believe me Christ hath sent me He having heard this first stood still looking downward then he threw away his armour afterwards trembling he wept bitterly and embraced the approaching old man craving pardon as well as he could for crying and being as it were baptized the second time with tears onely he hid his right
Hebrews the rest they made small account of They observed also the Sabbath and all other Judaical rites in like manner as the Jews doe but on Sundays they performed the same things with us in remembrance of the Lords Resurrection From whence because of such opinionâ— by them held they got this name to wit the appellation of Ebionites a name that betokens the poverty of their understanding For by this name a begger is called amongst the Hebrews CHAP. XXVIII Of the Arch-Heretick Cerinthus WE have heard that at the same time there was one Cerinthus a Founder of another Heresie Caius whose words I before quoted in that disputation of his now extant writes thus concerning him But Cerinthus also who by Revelations written by himself as it were by some great A postle hath feigned monstrous narrations as if they had been shewed him by Angels and sets them abroach amongst us saying that after the Resurrection the Kingdom of Christ will be terrestriall and that men living again in the flesh at Jerusalem shall be subject to desires and pleasures He also being an enemy to divine Scripture and desirous to induce men into errour says that there shall be the number of a thousand years spent in a nuptial feast And Dionysius also who in our time was chosen Bishop of the Church of Alexandria in his second book concerning promises speaking something of the Revelation of John as from antient tradition mentions this man in these words But Cerinthus the Founder of the Heresie called from him the Cerinthian Heresie was they say the authour of that book being desirous to put a creditable name upon his own Forgery For this was one of the tenets of his doctrine that the Kingdom of Christ should be terrestrial and those things which he being a lover of his body and altogether carnally minded earnestly lusted after in them he dreamt the Kingdome of Christ consisted to wit in the satiety of the belly and of those parts beneath the belly that is in meats drinks and marriages and in those things whereby he thought these might with a greater pretence and shew of piety be procured that is in feasts sacrifices and in the â—laying of offerings Thus far Dionysius But Ireneus in his first book against Heresies does recite some more secret false opinions of this mans and in his third book he delivers in writing a certain story unworthy to be forgotten as from the tradition of Polycarpe saying that John the Apostle going on a time to the Bath to bathe himself and understanding that Cerinthus was within retired in great hast from that place and fled out at the door not enduring to goe under the same roof with him and that he perswaded those who were with him to doe so also saying Let us be gone least the Bath fall Cerinthus that enemy of the truth being within it CHAP. XXIX Of Nicholas and those Hereticks who bear his name AT this time the Heresie called the Heresie of the Nicholaites continued for a very short time of which also the Revelation of John makes mention These boasted of Nicholas one of the Deacons who together with Stephen were Ordained by the Apostles to minister to the poor as the Authour of their Sect. Now Clemens Alexandrinus in the third of his StromatwÌ„n relates thus much of him word for word He they say having a beautifull wife being after our Saviours ascension blamed by the Apostles for his jealousie brought his wife forth and permitted her to marry whom she had a mind to For this deed they report is agreeable to that saying of his to wiâ— That we ought to abuse the flesh Those therefore who follow his Heresie simply and rashly assenting to this saying and imitating this deed doe most impudently give themselves over to fornication But I am given to understand that Nicholas made use of no other woman besides her he married and that those of his children which were daughters remained virgins when they were old and his son continued undefiled by women Which things being thus his bringing of his wife over whom he was said to be jealous forth before the Apostles was a sign of his rejecting and bridling his passion and by those words of his that we ought to abuse the flesh he taught continence and an abstaining from those pleasures which are with so much earnestness desired by men For I suppose he would not according to our Saviours commandment serve two masters pleasure and the Lord. Moreover they say that Matthias taught the same doctrine that we should war against the flesh and abuse it allowing it nothing of pleasure but that we should inrich the soul by Faith and Knowledge Let thus much therefore be spoken concerning those who endeavoured about that time to deprave the truth but on a sudden were wholly extinct CHAP. XXX Concerning those Apostles that are found to have been married BUt Clemens whose words we even now recited after that passage of his before quoted does reckon up those Apostles that are found to have been married upon account of such as despise marriage saying what will they reprehend even the Apostles also For Peter and Philip begat children and Philip matcht his daughters to husbands Paul also in one of his Epistles fears not to name his wife whom he carried not about with him that he might with more expedition perform his Ministration But because we have mentioned these things it will not be troublesome to produce also another story of his worthily memorable which he hath set forth in the seventh of his StromatwÌ„n after this manner Now they say that S t Peter seeing his wife led to be put to death rejoyced because she was called by God and because she was returning home and that calling her by her name he exhorted and comforted her saying O woman Remember the Lord. Such was the wedlock of the Saints and such the entire affection of most dear friends And thus much being pertinent to the subject now in hand we have here seasonably placed CHAP. XXXI Of the Death of John and Philip. INdeed both the time and manner of the death of Paul and Peter and moreover the place where after their departure out of this life their bodies were deposited we have before manifested concerning the time of John's death we have already also in some sort spoken but the place of Sepulchre is demonstrated by the Epistle of Polycrates who was Bishop of the Ephesian Church which he wrote to Victor Bishop of Rome wherein he mentions both him and also Philip the Apostle and his daughters after this manner For also in Asia the great Lights are dead which shall be raised again at the last day the day of the Lord 's coming wherein he shall come with glory from heaven and shall find out all his Saints I mean Philip one of the twelve Apostles who died at Hierapolos and two of his daughters who
for the several good works he performed be acknowledged by Christ. Thus much Dionysius CHAP. XLV Dionysius's Epistle to Novatus LEt us now see what the same person wrote to Novatus who about this time disturbed the fraternity of the Roman Church Take notice therefore how he writes to him because he pretended that some of the Brethren were the Authors of his Apostacy and Schism and how he yielded to it being compelled by them Dionysius sendeth greeting to our Brother Novatus If you as you say were seduced unwillingly you should manifest it by a voluntary return For better it were to endure any thing whatever then that the Church of God should be rent asunder Nor were Martyrdom less honourable if a man suffer death before he will yield to raise Schism in the Church then if he undergoe it rather than he will yield to sacrifice to Idols Yea in my opinion 't is much more glorious for in that case man suffers Martyrdom for his own soul's sake onely but in this he undergoes it for the sake of the whole Church Wherefore now if you can perswade or compel the Brethren to return to concord your good deed will be greater then your crime for this will not be imputed to you but that will be commended But if you can effect nothing upon the disobedient save your own soul. I wish you health and that you may embrace Peace in the Lord. These things he wrote to Novatus CHAP. XLVI Concerning Dionysius's other Epistles HE also wrote an Epistle concerning Repentance to them in Aegypt in which he layeth down his Opinions concerning the lapsed and makes distinctions in the degrees of faults There is also extant a particular book of his concerning Repentance to Conon Bishop of the Church of Hermopolis And another objurgatory Epistle to his flock at Alexandria And amongst them there is an Epistle written to Origen concerning Martyrdom And an Epistle to the Brethren at Laodicae over whom Thelymidres was Bishop He also writ concerning Repentance to the Brethren in Armenia over whom Meruzanes was Bishop He writes to all these and also to Cornelius Bishop of Rome after he had received his Epistle concerning Novatus Where he declares that he was invited by Hâ—lâ—nus Bishop of Tarsus in Cilicia and those who were with him and also by Firmilianus Bishop of Cappadocia and by Theoctisâ—us Bishop of Palestine to meet them at the Synod at Antioch where some men endeavoured to establish the Novatian Schism Moreover he sends him word that he had heard Fabius was dead and that Demetrianus was appointed to be his successour in the Bishoprick of Antioch He also writes concerning the Bishop of Jerusalem in these very words Also blessed Alexander being in prison there died a happy death There is extant besides this another Epistle of his sent by Hippolytus to the Brethren at Rome concerning the Office of a Deacon He also wrote another to them concerning Peace and concerning Repentance likewise And again he wrote another to the Confessours there who even at that present were favourers of Novatus's Opinion He also sent to those same men two other Epistles after their return to the Church He also compiled many more Epistles written to divers persons wherein he has left to them who at this time studiously peruse his Works variety of profit The End of the Sixth Book of the Ecclesiastical History THE SEVENTH BOOK OF THE Ecclesiastical History OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS The PREFACE DIonysius the Great Bishop of Alexandria shall again assist us with his words in the Composure of this Seventh Book of the Ecclesiastick History who particularly relates all the Actions of his own Times in the Epistles which he left to Posterity And our Narration shall take its beginning from hence CHAP. I. Concerning the wickedness of Decius and Gallus GALLUS succeeds Decius who was slain in a short time together with his Children before he had fully compleated the Second year of his Reign About this time died Origen having lived Seventy years wanting one But Dionysius in his Epistle to Hermammon writes thus concerning Gallus But neither did Gallus understand what was Decius's destruction neither did he before see what brought his ruine But he also stumbled upon the same stone which lay before his eyes He his Kingdom being in a happy state and all affairs succeeding according to his desire persecuted the holy men who offered up their prayers to God for his peace and safety and together with them drove away those prayers by which they interceded for him This he writes concerning Gallus CHAP. II. Who about these times were Bishops of Rome COrnelius having possessed the Bishoprick of Rome about three years Lucius was appointed his successour He having ministred in the Office not eight whole months died and relinquished the dignity to Stephen It was this Stephen to whom Dionysius wrote the first of his Epistles concerning Baptism there being about that time a great controversie raised whether it were lawfull for the Converts of what Sect soever to be cleansed by Baptism For an old Custom had prevailed that about these Converts onely imposition together with prayer was to be used CHAP. III. How Cyprian with some Bishops which were of his mind was the first that was of the Opinion that the Converts of any Heretical Sect whatever ought to be rebaptized CYprian then Bishop of Carthage was the first of all who thought that Hereticks should not be admitted unless they were Cleansed from their former errour by Baptism But Stephen thinking no innovations ought to be raised in opposition to the Tradition which had prevailed of Old was in no wise well pleased at this CHAP. IV. How many Epistles Dionysius wrote concerning this Controversie DIonysius therefore having written at large to him concerning this business at last certifieth him that the Persecution being allayed the Churches in all places which detested Novatus's Novelties had regained a general Peace amongst themselves thus he writes CHAP. V. Concerning the Peace which followed the Persecution BUt know my Brother that all the Churches throughout the East amongst which there were formerly divisions are now united And a little farther he writes and all the Prelates every where are in perfect Concord as to their sentiments and rejoyce exceedingly for this unexpected Peace to wit Demetrianus Bishop of Antioch Theoctistus of Caesarea Mazabanes of Aelia Alexander being dead Marinus of Tyre Heliodorus of Laodicea Thelymidres being deceased Helenus of Tarsus and all the Churches of Cilicia Firmilianus and all Cappadocia For I have here onely named the more eminent Bishops that my Epistle might not be too long nor my relation troublesome Also all the Provinces of Syria and Arabia whom you frequently relieve and to whom you have now written Mesopotamia also Pontus and Bithynia And in a word all people every where rejoyce for the concord and Brotherly-love
onely doth marvellous things water gushed out of a craggy Rock for them At other times it overflowed in such abundance that it laid all the Countrey round about under water the Highways and the fields and seemed to threaten a return of that deluge which was in the days of Noah It runneth by being continually polluted with bloud and murthered and drowned bodies like that River which by Moses in the sight of Pharaoh was turned into bloud and stank And what other water can purifie this water which purgeth all things it self How can that vast and immense Ocean which is impassible by men cleanse this bitter Sea Or how can that great River which springeth out of Eden though it gather its four heads into which it is divided into that one of Gâ—on wash away this putrified gore Or how can that Aire be purified which on every side is defiled with most noisome exhalations For such vapours arise from the Earth such winds from the Sea such blasts from the Rivers and such mists from the Havens that the very dews are nothing else but the Gore of dead Carkasses putrified in all the subjacent Elements After all this they wonder and seem to doubt whence these continued Plagues whence these noysome diseases these contagions of all kinds and this various and numerous destruction of men proceeds They admire why this great City contains not in it as many inhabitants should they be numbred even from infants to the most aged and decrepit as it formerly maintained persons who were lively old men as they called them But in those days there were so many persons betwixt fourty and seventy years old that their number could not now be made up although all from fourteen to fourscore years of age were registred and their names enrolled in the Tables that they might partake of the publick distribution of Corn. And our youngest men now look as if they were of the same age with our old men formerly And although they see mankind so much diminished and consumed from off the earth their intire destruction being increased and augmented incessantly yet they tremble not CHAP. XXII Concerning the Plague which then raged AFterwards the Pestilence succeeding the War when the Feast of Easter was at hand Dionysius again writeth to the Brethren describing the miseries of that calamity in these words To some men this present may seem not a time to celebrate a Festival but neither this which we observe nor any other time I speak not onely of the mournful but also of any of those times which they account most joyful is a time of festivity to them Now indeed all places are full of mourning all persons lament and the City rings on every side with continual lamentations for the multitudes of them who are already dead and who are daily dying For as the Scripture saith concerning the first born of the Aegyptians so now a great cry is heard for there is no house in which there is not one dead and I wish there were but one in every house Indeed many and sore afflictions have befaln us before this calamity First of all they expelled us out of the City And when we onely were persecuted and oppressed by all men yet nevertheless even then we kept the Festival days And every place where every one of us particularly underwent affliction The Field the Desert the Ship the Inn the Prison was a place for holding our solemn Assemblies but the perfected Martyrs who are satiated in heaven kept the most joyful feast of all After these miseries succeeded War and Famine In which we were fellow-sufferers with the Heathens We alone suffered whatever they afflicted us with but what ever calamities they brought upon themselves and suffered we participated of And we were again made joyful by the Peace of Christ which he granted to us alone But when both we and they had enjoyed a very short time of refreshment this Plague immediately invaded us A thing most formidable to them and more calamitous than any accident whatsoever And as one of their own writers saith it was the onely thing which surmounted all mens expectation and fear It was indeed no such thing to us but rather an exercise and tryal nothing inferiour to our former sufferings for this Plague did not spare us but it raged grievously amongst the Heathens After these words he continues saying Indeed many of our Brethren through their superabundant love and brotherly kindness neglecting their own selves and firmly adhering to one another without any thing of caution visiting them who were infected carefully ministring to them and healing them in Christ most willingly died with them infecting themselves with other mens distempers attracting the disease from their neighbours upon themselves and voluntarily drawing the infection out of them by translating it into themselves And many who had cured and restored others to their former health died themselves having brought their death upon themselves And being thus made the ransom and expiation for them all they died really fulfilling that common saying which always hitherto hath seemed to contain no more than an officious friendship Thus therefore died the best of our brethren some of whom were Priests and others Deacons also those of the Laity which were eminent died voluntarily So that this kind of death which was suffered upon account of piety and a stedfast faith may be esteemed no less honourable then Martyrdom They took the dead bodies of the Saints up in their open hands and into their bosoms they closed their eyes and shut their mouthes carried them upon their shoulders and buried them they stuck close to them embraced them washed them and adorned them curiously in their cloathes not long after they had the like good offices performed to themselves for those who survived did continually tread in the steps of such as went before them But the Gentiles practice was quite contrary to this They thrust out of doors those which begun to be infected they fled away from those who were most dear to them they deserted them being half dead in the high-ways and cast forth the dead bodies unburied being utterly averse from a participation and society with them in death which yet was in no wise easie for them to avoid though they used all arts and devices to decline it After this Epistle when affaires in Alexandria were in a peaceable and quiet posture he again sendeth another Paschal Epistle to the Brethren throughout Aegypt he also writ several others besides this There is also extant an Epistle of his concerning the Sabbath and another concerning Exercitation Again in an Epistle to Hermammon and the Brethren in Aegypt he has a long discourse concerning the improbity of Decius and his successours where he also makes mention of the peace in the Reign of Gallienus CHAP. XXIII Concerning the Reign of Gallienus NOthing hinders but we may hear his own words which run thus
without any commiseration and afterwards when they were dead that they should be thrown on the ground and drag'd up and down For they ought not he said to take the least care of us but that all persons should so think of and behave themselves towards us as if we were not men This second torture after they had beaten us with stripes our Adversaries invented There were some also who after they had been scourged lay in the stocks both their feet being stretched to the fourth hole in so much that they were forced to lie in the stocks with their bellies upwards being unable to stand because of their fresh wounds caused by the stripes which they had all over their bodies Others threw themselves upon the ground where they lay by reason of the innumerable wounds made by their tortures yielding a more miserable spectacle to those that lookt on them than in the very time of their being tortured and bearing in their bodies the various and different sorts of tortures invented for them These things being thus performed some of the Martyrs expired under their tortures having made the adversary ashamed by their persevering constancy Others being half dead were shut up in prison where having been sorely afflicted with the smart of their wounds they ended their lives not many days after The residue having been refreshed with methods of cure became more stout and confident by time and their abode in prison Therefore when afterwards command was given that they should choose whether by touching the detestable sacrifices they would free themselves from all molestation and obtain from them an execrable liberty or whether refusing to sacrifice they would receive the sentence of death without any delay they chearfully proceeded forth to death For they well knew what was before prescribed to us by the sacred Scriptures for he says the word of God that sacrificeth to other Gods shall be utterly destroyed And again Thou shalt have no other Gods but me Such were the expressions of Phileas the Martyr a true Philosopher and also a sincere lover of God which he sent to the Brethren of his Church before his last sentence of condemnation being yet in prison whereby he informed them both in what condition he was in and also exhorted them stifly to retain their piety in Christ after his death which was now approaching But what need we spend many words in relating the conflicts of the divine Martyrs over the whole world whose new combats were succeeded by other conflicts that were as new and especially when as they were assaulted not in an ordinary way but in an hostile manner CHAP. XI Concerning what was done in Phrygia FOr at that time some armed Souldiers invested a whole City of Christians that was very populous in Phrygia and having set it on fire burnt the men together with the women and children whilst they called upon Christ the supream God The reason hereof was this the whole body of inhabitants of that City the Curator the Duumvir together with all the rest who were of the Magistracy and all the common people professing themselves to be Christians would in no wise obey those that commanded them to sacrifice to Idols Another person also by name Adauctus a man descended from a noble family in Italy that had obtained a Roman dignity a person that had passed through all degrees of honour in the Palace of the Emperours in so much that he had faithfully discharged the Office of Receiver General which amongst them is called The Master of the private Revenue and that of Rationalist besides all this he was famous for his virtuous performances in Religion and for his confessions of the Christ of God was adorned with the crown of Martyrdom having undergone the conflict upon account of Religion whilst he bore the Office of Rationalist CHAP. XII Concerning many other men and women who suffered Martyrdom in a various and different manner WHat need is there now of mentioning the rest by name or of recounting the multitude of men or delineating the various sorts of tortures endured by the admirable Martyrs of Christ Part whereof were beheaded as it happened to those in Arabia and part were killed by having their legs broken as it befell those in Cappadocia Some being hung up on high by the feet with their heads downwards a slow fire having been kindled under them were suffocated with the smoak that ascended from the combustible matter set on fire so it befell those in Mesopotamia others had their noses the tips of their ears and their hands cut off and the other members and parts of their bodies were mangled as it happened at Alexandria What need is there of renewing the remembrance of what was done at Antioch where some were broyled on Grid-irons set over the fire not till they were killed but that their punishment might be prolonged others were more ready to thrust their right hands into the fire than to touch the impious sacrifices Whereof some avoiding the being put to the test whether they would sacrifice before they would be apprehended and fall into the hands of those that laid wait for them threw themselves headlong from the tops of high houses having accounted death to be a gain because of the malitiousness of the impious Also a certain holy woman admirable for her virtuous soul and her comely body eminently famous beyond all at Antioch for riches descent and reputation had educated two daughters virgins that were eminent for beauty and in the flower of their age in the precepts of Religion when many moved thereto by envy used all manner of industry in inquiring out the place where they absconded and it being at length understood they lived in a forrein country they were with much diligence summoned to Antioch after the woman knew that she and her daughters were now incompassed with the Souldiers nets perceiving her self and daughters reduced to an inextricable state of perill she exhorted the virgins expresly declaring to them the mischiess that would befall them from the Souldiers and that of all evils ravishment was the most intollerable the meances whereof it was unlawfull for them to endure even to hear Moreover having said that to yield up their souls to the service of devils was worse than all sorts of death and all manner of destruction there was but one way she declared to avoid all these evils which was to flie to the Lord for refuge Immediately after these words having all agreed to embrace the same advice they adorned their bodies with a decent dress when they had gone half their journey having intreated their guard for a short recess out of the way and that being granted them they threw themselves into a River which ran hard by thus these persons drowned themselves At the same City of Antioch another pair of virgins in all points divine and truly Sisters eminent for descent splendid
published in every City and in all other places CHAP. VI. Concerning them that suffered Martyrdom in those Times BUt not long after this Captain was his own Executioner suffering a condign punishment for his malicious wickedness And now banishments and most horrid Persecutions were a fresh raised against us the Presidents in every Province renewing their cruel insurrections against us in so much that some of the most eminent asserters of the divine faith were apprehended and without any commiseration had the sentence of death pronounc't against them Three of them having professed themselves Christians were cast to the wild beasts and devoured by them at Emesa a City of Phoenicia amongst them there was a Bishop one Silvanus a very old man who had born that Office forty years compleat At the same time also Peter that most eminent Prelate of the Alexandrian Church the chiefest ornament and glory of the Bishops both for his virtuous life and his study and knowledge in the sacred Scriptures being apprehended for no crime at all was beheaded contrary to every bodies expectation by Maximins order on a sudden and without any specious pretence Likewise many other Aegyptian Bishops suffered the same death that he did Lucianus also Presbyter of the Church at Antioch a very pious man much famed for his continency and his knowledge in the sacred Scriptures was brought to the City of Nicomedia where the Emperour then kept his Court and after he had made his Apology in defence of that Doctrine which he asserted before the President he was committed to prison and murthered In fine Maximin that professed Enemy of all virtue did in a short time load us with such burthens of afflictions that this latter storm of Persecution raised by him seemed to us far more grievous then the former CHAP. VII Concerning the Edict against us which was ingraven on Brazen plates and hung up on the Pillars MOreover in the midst of every City which was never seen before the Decrees of Cities and also the Imperial Edicts against us were ingraven on Brazen plates and proposed to open view And the boyes in the Schooles had nothing in their mouths all day long but Jesus and Pilate and the Acts which were forged to disgrace us I judge it pertinent to insert here this very Rescript of Maximin's which was ingraven on plates of Brass both that the proud and arrogant insolency of this mans hatred towards God may be manifested and also that it may hence be made apparent that divine justice which hates the impious and keeps a continual watch against them did within a very short time pursue and overtake him by which Divine justice he was inforced to alter his sentiments soon after concerning us and to confirm them by his Edicts in writing But these are the Contents of his Rescript A COPY OF THE TRANSLATION OF MAXIMIN'S RESCRIPT IN ANSWER TO THE DECREES OF THE CITIES AGAINST US TRANSCRIBED FROM A BRAZEN PLATE AT TYRE Now at length the infirm Confidence of mans mind having shaken off and dispersed the cloud and mist of errour which heretofore invested the senses of men not so much wicked as wretched being involved in the fatal night of ignorance may discern that it is undoubtedly governed and strengthened by the indulgent providence of the immortal Gods It is incredible to express how gratefull how pleasing and acceptable a thing it was to us that you gave such a proof of your Pious resolution towards the Gods Indeed before this time no person was insensible of the observancy and religious worship you shewed towards the immortal Gods for your faith is made known to them not in bare and empty words but by uninterrupted and miraculous eminent Acts upon which account your City may deservedly be stiled the Seat and Mansion of the immortal Gods For it is manifestly evident by many instances that She flourisheth by the Arrival and presence of the celestial Deities in Her But lo Now your City careless of all its own particular concerns and having no regard to the Petitions which in times past it did usually make to us for the welfare of its affairs when it was sensible that the Promoters of that accursed vanity did begin to creep again and perceived that like fire which is carelessely left and raked up it brake forth into violent flames the brands thereof being rekindled immediately without the least delay made its address to our piety as to the Metropolis of all Religion petitioning for a redress and an assistance 'T is evident that the Gods have instilled into your minds this wholesome advice upon account of your constant and faithful perseverance in your Religion For the most High and Mighty Jupiter who presides over your most famous City and preserveth your Country Gods your wives and children your families and houses from all manner of destruction and ruine hath breathed into your minds this salutary resolution whence he hath evidenced and plainly demonstrated what an excellent noble and comfortable thing it is to adore him and to approach the sacred Ceremonies of the immortal Gods with a due observancy and veneration For what man can there be found so foolish and so void of all reason who perceives not that it comes to pass by the favourable care of the Gods towards us that neither the Earth does deny to restore the seeds committed to it frustrating the hopes of the husbandmen with vain expectations or that the aspect of impious War is not immoveably fixed on the earth or that mens bodies are not hurried away to the grave being tainted by an infection in the temperature of the Air or that the Sea tossed with the blasts of tempestuous winds does not swell and overflow or that storms breaking forth on a sudden and unexpectedly do not raise a destructive tempest or lastly that the Earth the nurse and mother of all things shaken by an horrid trembling arising from its own internal caverns does not raise vast hills out of its own bowels or that the mountains which lie upon it are not swallowed up by its unexpected scissures and rents There is no man but knowes that all these calamities yea far more horrid than these have happened heretofore And all these evills fell upon us because of that pernitious errour and most vain folly of those wicked men at such time as it abounded in their souls and burthened the whole earth almost with shame and confusion After the interposition of some words he continues Let men now look into the open fields and see the flourishing corn waving its weighty ears let them view the Medows gloriously bedecked with flowers and grass caused by the seasonable springing showers Let them consider the constitution of the aire how temperate and calm it is again become In future let all men rejoyce for that by your Piety by your sacrifices and Religious worship the fury of that most Potent and strong God Mars
head but have exhibited many glorious evidences of a vigorous and Juvenile Vertue You to whom God who comprehendeth the whole world hath granted the special prerogative of building and renewing this terrestrial Temple for Christ his only begotten and his first born word and for his holy and sacred Spouse You whom one may term either a new Beseleel the Architect of the holy Tabernacle or another Salomon King of a new and far more excellent Jerusalem or a second Zorobabel in regard You have added a far greater splendour to the Temple of God than it had before Also You the Sheep of Christ's sacred flock the Seat and Mansion of good Doctrines the School of modesty and the Reverend and Religious Auditory of piety We who have long since heard by reading the holy Scriptures the Miraculous works of God and the loving kindness of the Lord declared by his wonders towards mankind may now sing Hymns and Psalms to God being instructed to say O God we have heard with our ears our fathers have told us the work which thou didst in their days in the times of old But now having not barely by hearing and reports only perceived the exalted Arm and celestial right hand of our all good and supream God and King but in reality and as we may say with these very eyes seen the truth and verity of those things which were heretofore recorded we may sing a second triumphant Hymn and breake forth into these express words saying Like as we have heard so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts in the city of our God But in what City except in this new built and framed by God Which is the Church of the living God the Pillar and ground of the truth Concerning which another divine Oracle speaketh thus Very excellent things are spoken of thee thou city of God In which Church since God the giver of all good by the Grace of his only begotten Son hath convened us let every one here assembled cry out with a loud voice as it were and say I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord. And again Lord I have loved the beauty of thine house and the place where thine honour dwelleth And not only every particular person but let us all together rejoyce and shout forth praises with one spirit and one mind saying Great is the Lord and highly to be praised in the city of our God even upon his holy hill For he is truly great and his house is great lofty and spacious and more beautiful than the sons of men Great is the Lord who only doth marvellous things Great is he who doth magnificent things and such as are past finding out glorious and stupendious of which there is no number Great is he who altereth times and seasons who deposeth and constituteth Kings who raiseth up the poor from the earth and exalteth the beggar from the dunghil He hath thrust down the mighty from their seats and hath exalted the humble from the earth He hath filled the hungry with good things and hath broken in pieces the armes of the proud Not only amongst the Faithful but amongst the Infidels also he hath confirmed the authority of those relations heretofore recorded of him of old 'T is he who worketh miracles 't is he that doth great things 't is he who is Lord of all he who is the framer of the whole world he who is Almighty All-good he that is the one and only God In obedience to whom let us sing a new song to him who only doth wonderful things for his mercy endureth for eveâ—â— Who smote great Kings and slew mighty Kings for his mercy endureth for ever For the Lord remembred us when we were in a low condition and hath redeemed us from our Enemies And let us never cease thus to praise God the Father of all Also him who is the second Author of all good to us who is our Master in instructing us in the knowledge of God the Teacher of true piety the destroyer of the wicked the slayer of Tyrants the reformer of our lives Jesus our Saviour when we were in despair him let us extol having his name always in our mouth For he alone who is the only and Best Son of the Best and greatest Father in complyance with his Father's love to mankind most willingly cloathed himself with our nature who were buried in Corruption and like a careful Physician who for the healths sake of his Patients looks into the wounds lightly stroketh the sores and from other mens calamities attracteth grievances upon himself he himself hath by himself saved us who were not only diseased and oppressed with foul ulcers and wounds already putrified but also lay amongst the dead from the very Jaws of death For there was no other in heaven that had so much power as inoffensively to minister health to so many it was he only therefore who after he had touched our burdensome corruption he alone who after he had endur'd our labours he alone who after he had taken upon himself the punishment of our impieties raised us when we were not only half dead but lay altogether impure and stincking in the Graves and Sepulchers and both in times past and now through his earnest compassion towards us even beyond our hopes and expectations preserveth us and imparteth to us an exuberancy of his Fathers good things T is he who is the Authour of life the Introducer of light our great Physician King Lord and the Anointed of God But even then when all mankind by the wiles of detestable Devils and the operations of spirits hated by God lay buried in an obscure night and thick darkness he only by his appearance with the rayes of his light dissolv'd the manifold chains of our sins like melting wax And now when by reason of his so great love and beneficence towards us the envious Devil Enemy to all that is good and the favourer of evil was in a manner burst with grief and marshalled all his fatal forces against us and when at first having like a mad Dog who with his teeth gnaws the stones that were thrown at him spending the fury he was put into against those that provoked him upon the liveless things thrown at him turn'd his beastly rage upon the stones of the Oratories and upon the sensless piles of the buildings he thought with himself that he had procur'd the utter desolation of the Churches also when afterwards he sent forth terrible hissings and his serpentine expressions one while by the menaces of impious Tyrants at another time by the blasphemous Decrees of profane Presidents and moreover belched forth the virulency of his death and with his venemous and deadly potions poisoned those souls that were captivated by him and had in a manner destroyed them by the pernicious sacrifices of dead Idols when lastly he
having by a mutual compact resign'd their Empire embrac'd a private life and Maximian sirnam'd Galerius who had been Colleague in the Empire with them came into Italy and created two Caesars Maximin in the Eastern parts of the Empire and Severus in Italy But in Brittaine Constantine was proclaimed Emperour in the room of Constantius his Father who died in the first year of the two hundredth seventy first Olympiad on the five and twentieth day of the month July Lastly at Rome Maxentius the Sun of Maximianus Herculius was by the Pretorian Souldiers advanced to be a Tyrant rather then an Emperour Hereupon Herculius passionately desirous of reassuming his Imperiall Authority endeavoured to destroy his Son Maxentius But he was hindred from doing that by the Souldiers Afterwards he died at Tarsus a City of Cilicia Severus Caesar being sent to Rome by Galerius Maximianus to take Maxentius was betrayed by his own Souldiers and put to death Last of all died Galerius Maximianus also who was now the supream person in the Empire having before his death constituted Licinius Emperour he was a Native of Dacia and had for a long time been Galerius's fellow Souldier and Confident Maxentius in the mean while treated the Romans severely behaving himself like a Tyrant rather than an Emperour towards them impudently debauching the wives of persons gentilely extracted killing many and perpetrating such like facts as these Whereof when Constantine the Emperour had notice he made it his business to deliver the Romans from that servitude he had pressed them with and immediately became sollicitously inquisitive how he might destroy the Tyrant whilst he was in this deep cogitation he considered with himself what Deity he should invoke to be his assistant and Tutelar God in this Expedition It came into his mind that the strict worship of the heathen Gods had not in the least availed Diocletian and he found that his Father Constantius having relinquished the superstition of the Grecians had led a more fortunate and prosperous life Whilst therefore he was engaged in this doubtfull deliberation and upon the march with his Army some whither there hapned to appear to him a wonderfull and unexpressible Vision For about noon when the day began now to decline somewhat towards after noon he saw in the face of the heavens a pillar of light in figure like unto a Cross with this inscription on it By this be thou Conquerour The Emperour stood amaz'd at this apparition And almost disbelieving his own eyes he asked them that were present whether they also saw the same sight which when they all had unanimously agreed in the mind of the Emperour was corroborated by that Divine and wonderfull apparition The night following Christ appeared to him in his sleep and said unto him make a standard in figure like that which appeared to thee and make use of it as an infallible and ready Trophy against thine Enemies In obedience to this Heavenly Oracle he orders a Trophy to be made in figure like a Cross which is kept in the Pallace to this day After this he proceeded in the dispatch of affairs with a greater vigour and alacrity of mind and having engaged the Enemy before the very Gates of Rome neer the Bridge called Milvius he got the Victory Maxentius being drown'd in the River This was now the seventh year of Constantin's Reign when he got the Victory over Maxentius After these Atchievements whilst Licinius his Collegue who was also his brother in law by the marriage of his Sister Constantia resided in the East he also having received so many and such great favours from God offered thanksgivings to him his great benefactor Which were of this sort he put a stop to the Persecution against the Christians he recall'd those that were in exile he released such as were confined in Prison and restored their Estates to those that had been proscribed he repaired the Churches and all these things he did with great alacrity of mind About this time Diocletian who had resigned his Imperial power died at Salona a City of Dalmatia CHAP. III. How whilst Constantine augmented the prosperity of the Christians Licinius his Collegue persecuted them NOw Constantine the Emperour professing himself a Christian did all things beseeming his profession he erected the Churches and adorn'd them with most magnificent consecrated gifts Moreover he shut up and demolished the Temples of the Heathens and exposed the images placed therein But Licinius his Collegue adhering to the Opinions of the Heathens hated the Christians he forbore raising an open persecution against them because he fear'd the Emperour Constantine but in a clandestine manner he ensnared many of them And at length proceeded to open violence against them This Persecution was locall for it raged in those parts only where Licinius made his residence But in regard Constantine was in no wise unacquainted with these and other such like his Tyrannous outrages Licinius being sensible that he highly resented these proceedings betook himself to the making of his Apology before him and having appeased him by his obsequiousness he hypocritically made an amicable league with him binding himself by many oaths that in future he would never attempt any thing that was Tyrannical But at the same time that he swore he was also perjured For he desisted not from his Tyrannick conspiracies against Constantine nor ceased he from persecuting the Christians For by a Decree he prohibited the Bishops from frequenting the houses of Heathens that there might be no pretence of propagating the Christian Religion This Persecution was at the same time open and secret It was concealed and disguised in words but in reality and deeds it was apparent For those that lay under its pressures endured most deplorable afflictions and losses in their bodies and as to their Estates CHAP. IV. That there was a War raised betwixt Constantine and Licinius upon account of the Christians THese proceedings rais'd the highest indignation in the Emperour Constantine against Licinius and the feigned league of friendship which was betwixt them being broken they became enemies to each other Not long after they entred into an actual War against one another and having fought several set-battels both by Sea and Land at length Licinius was vanquished at Chrysopolis of Bithynia a Port-Town of the Chalcedonensians and yielded himself Constantine having taken him alive treated him kindly and would in no wise slay him but commanded him to reside at Thessalonica peaceably and without making any disturbance But having liv'd quietly a while he afterwards gathered into a body some of the Barbarians and attempted to recover his overthrow and renew the War Constantine being informed hereof commanded that he should be put to death and accordingly he was slain Constantine having now the sole power and command over the whole Roman Empire and being proclaimed Emperour and Augustus endeavoured again to augment the affairs of the Christians which
the reign of Theodosius the younger and rehearsed to me though then very young these Memoires of Eutychianus he discours'd much to me concerning the divine Grace infus'd into him but one thing he told me concerning him more especially worthy of remembrance which happened in the reign of Constantine One of those belonging to the Guard whom the Emperour calls his Domesticks being suspected to have attempted some Tyrannick designes made his escape by flight The Emperour highly incensed thereat gave order that he should be put to death wherever he could be found being apprehended about the mountain Olympus in Bithynia he was shut up in prison and loaded with very heavy and painful chaines neer these parts of Olympus Eutychianus then resided leading a solitary life where he wrought many cures both upon mens bodies and soules The long-lived Auxanon was with him at that time being then very young and was by him instructed in the Precepts of a solitary Life Many did resort to this Eutychianus beseeching him to release the Prisoner by interceding for him with the Emperour For the fame of the miracles wrought by Eutychianus was come to the Emperours hearing He readily promised to make a journey to the Emperour But in regard the Prisoner suffered most acute tortures caused by his chains those that did sollicit for him reported that his death haâ—tned by the tortures of his fetters would both prevent the Emperours punishment and Eutychianus's intercession for him Eutychianus therefore sent to the keepers of the Prison and intreated them to release the man But when they answered that it would be a very dangerous thing for them to release a criminal he taking Auxanon only along with him went to the Prison and upon the Keepers refusal to open the Prison the grace which was in Eutychianus did there more illustrate it self for the Prison doors opened of their own accord whilst the Keepers of the Prison had the keyes in their custody and when Eutychianus together with Auxanon had entred the Prison and a great amazement had seized those that were present the chains fell from the Prisoners members of their own accord Afterwards Eutychianus together with his companion Auxano travelled to the City heretofore named Byzantium but afterwards called Constantinople and being admitted into the Imperial Pallace he freed the Prisoner from the danger of death For the Emperour having a great respect for Eutychianus readily granted his request This was done after those times which we are now giving an account of But then the Bishops that were present at the Synod after they had drawn up in writing some things which they usually term Canons returned to their respective Cities Moreover I look upon it as a thing advantagious to such as are studious of History to insert here those Bishops names as many of them as we were able to find that were convened at Nice as also the name of the Province and City over which every one of them did preside and likewise the time wherein they were assembled Hosius Bishop of Corduba in Spain I do believe as is before written Vito and Vincentius Presbyters of Rome Alexander Bishop of Aegypt Eustathius Bishop of Antioch the Great Macarius Bishop of Jerusalem Harpocration Bishop of Cynopolis And the rest whose names are particularly and fully set forth in the Synodicon of Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria And the time when this Synod was convened was as we found it in the Notation of the time prefixt before the Synod in the consulate of Paulinus and Julianus on the twentieth day of the month of May that was the Six hundredth thirty six year from the reign of Alexander the Macedonian Thus the Synod was concluded We must also take notice that after the dissolution of this Synod the Emperour took his Progress into the Western parts of his Empire CHAP. XIV That Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Theognis Bishop of Nice who had been banished because they were abettors of Arius's Opinion having afterwards sent a Libell of Repentance and agreed to the exposition of the Faith were re-admitted to their Sees MOreover Eusebius and Theognis having sent a Libell of Repentance to the most eminent Bishops were by an Imperial order recalled from exile and restored to their own Churches those who had been Ordained in their places being removed by them Eusebius put out Amphion and Theognis removed Chrestus This is a Copy of their Libell We having been sometime since condemned by your Piety without having our cause declared or defended ought quietly to bear what has been determined by your holy discretion But because 't is absurd by silence to give an occasion of calumny against our selves for this reason we declare to you that we have both unanimously agreed to the determination about the Faith and also after we had made researches into the notion of Homöousios with our utmost earnestness laboured for Peace having never been followers of any Heresie And when we had suggested whatever came into our minds upon account of the Churches security and had fully satisfied those that ought to be perswaded by us we subscribed the Faith but have not subscribed the Anathematism not that we had any thing to object against the Faith but because we did not believe the person accused to be such a one as he was represented to be having been fully satisfied that he was no such person partly from the private Letters written to us by him and partly from the discourses he made in our presence But if your holy Council was then satisfied we now make no resistance but agree to what you have determined and by this Libell do fully declare and confirm our consent which we are induced to do not because we took upon our exile to be tedious and burdensom but that we might avoid the suspicion of Heresie For if you shall now vouchsafe to let us return to your presence you shall find us to be of the same Opinion with you in all points and quietly to adhere to what you have determined since it hath seemed good to your piety gently to treat even him who is accused for these things and to recall him from banishment But it would be absurd since he that seemed to be guilty is recalled and has made his defence in reference to those things laid to his charge that we should be silent and muster up an argument against our selves Do you therefore vouchsafe as it befits your piety that loves Christ to remind our Emperour most dear to God to offer up our supplications to him and speedily to determine concerning us as shall be most agreeable to your prudence This is the Libell of Eusebius and Theognius's recantation From the words whereof I conjecture that they subscribed the Faith which had been publisht in the Council but would not give their consent to the deposing of Arius and it appears hence that Arius was recalled from banishment
his guards took the Chain which he wore about his own neck and put it upon Julianus's head After this manner therefore Julianus came to be Emperour But what he did afterwards let the hearers judge whether or no they became a Philosopher For he neither sent an Embassage to Constantius nor did he shew him that Reverence which was due to him as being his Benefactour but managed all affairs according to his own arbitrement He changed the Governours of Provinces and reproacht Constantius in every City by reciting in publick his Letters sent to the Barbarians Whereupon those inhabitants revolted from Constantius and came over to him At that time he manifestly pull'd off his mask of Christianity For he went from City to City opened the Heathen Temples offered sacrifice to Idols and termed himself the Pontifex Maximus And such as professed Gentilism celebrated their heathenish Festivals after their own manner By these proceedings of his he takes an occasion of raising a Civil War against Constantius And as far as in him lay he took care that all those calamities should have hapned which are the consequents of a War For this Philosophers desire could not have been fulfilled without much bloud-shed But God the Arbiter of his own Councils repressed the Impetus of one of these two Antagonists without any damage to the Republick For when Julianus arrived amongst the Thracians news was brought him that Constantius was dead And thus the Roman Empire at that time escaped a Civil War But Julianus having made his entry into Constantinople began immediately to consider with himself after what manner he might win the favour of the people and procure their benevolence towards himself He makes use therefore of this Artifice He very well understood that Constantius was odious to all such as embraced the Homoousian opinion both because he had driven them from their Churches and also in regard he had proscribed and banished the Bishops belonging to them He assuredly knew also that the Heathens were sorely vexed because they were prohibited sacrificing to their Gods and that they were very desirous of getting an opportunity wherein their Temples might be opened and they have a liberty of offering sacrifices to their Idols He was sensible that for these reasons both those sorts of people had privately rancoured minds against his predecessour Constantius He also found that all people in general highly resented the violence of the Eunuches and the rapines of Eusebius the principal person of the Bed-chamber to him He therefore treated them all with a great deal of craft and subtlety With some he dissembled others he oblieged by kindnesses being a great affectour of vain glory But He made it evident to all in general how he was affected towards the superstition of the Heathens And first that he might make Constantius odious for his cruelty towards his Subjects and render him infamous amongst the Vulgar he commanded that the exiled Bishops should be recalled and restored to them their estates which had been confiscated Then he issued out an Order to his Confidents that the Heathen Temples should be forthwith opened He also ordered that such persons as had been injured by the Eunuches should be repossessed of their goods which were unjustly taken from them He punished Eusebius the principal person of the Imperial Bed-chamber with death not only because many persons had been wronged by him but also in regard he was assured that his brother Gallus had been murthered upon account of his calumny against him He took care that Constantius's body should be honoured with an Imperial Funeral He expelled the Eunuches Barbers and Cooks out of his Pallace The Eunuches because he had lost his Wife after whose death he resolved not to marry any other The Cooks in regard he fed upon a very slender and mean diet And the Barbers because said he one is sufficient for a great many For these reasons he put these sorts of men out of the Pallace Most of the Notaries he reduced to their former condition and ordered that the rest should be allowed a salary befitting a Notary He also retrenched the publick way of conveyance of necessaries for publick uses for example the use of Mules Oxen and Asses and permitted horses only to serve for such publick conveniences These Acts of his are commended by some few persons but most men discommend them because the grandeur and magnificence of the Imperial riches being lost which creates an admiration in the minds of the Vulgar he thereby rendred the dignity of an Emperour despicable and obnoxious to contempt Moreover he sate up all night composing Orations which he recited at his going into the Senate-house For he was the first and only Emperour since Julius Caesar's times that made Speeches in the Senate-house He had an high esteem for such as were studious about any part of Literature but more especially for those who professed Philosophy Wherefore the report hereof brought such as were pretenders to this sort of Learning from all parts to the Pallace who wore their Palliums and were most of them more conspicuous for their garb than their Learning But they were all troublesome to the Christians being persons that were Impostours and who always owned the same Religion with the Emperour He himself also was so excessively vain glorious that he reviled all his predecessours in the Empire in a book he composed which he entitled The Caesars The same proud temper of mind excited him to write Books against the Christians also His expulsion of the Cooks and Barbers was an act befitting a Philosopher indeed but not an Emperour But in his reproaching and reviling of others he did neither like a Philosopher nor an Emperour For both those sorts of persons are to be of a temper of mind superiour to all detraction and envy An Emperour may indeed be a Philosopher in what bears a respect to modesty and temperance But a Philosopher should he imitate an Emperour in all things would transgress his Rules Let thus much be cursorily said concerning the Emperour Julianus his Extract Education and disposition and after what manner he came to the Empire CHAP. II. Concerning the Sedition which hapned at Alexandria and after what manner Georgius was slain WE come now to mention what was transacted in the Churches at that time In the great City Alexandria there hapned a disturbance upon this account There was a place in that City which had for a long time lain wast and neglected being filled with a great deal of filth wherein the Heathens had formerly celebrated their Mysteries 〈…〉 Mithra and had sacrificed men This place being vacant and useless Constantius had sometime before bestowed upon the Church of the Alexandrians Georgius desirous to erect an Oratory therein gave order that the place should be cleansed Whilst they were clearing of it there was an Adytum discovered of a vast depth wherein were hid the Mysteries of
The success of the Battell being after this manner turned the Tyrant cast himself at the Emperours feet and requested his life might be saved But the Souldiers beheaded him as he lay prostrate at the Emperours feet These things were done on the sixth of September in Arcadius's third and Honorius â—â—cond Consulate But Arbogastes who had been the Authour of these great mischiefs being on his flight upon the third day after the battell as soon as he knew there were no hopes of life for him ran himself through with his own sword CHAP. XXVI How the Emperour falling ill after his Victory sent for his Son Honorius to Millain and thinking himself somewhat recovered from his distemper he ordered that Cirque-Sports should be exhibited on which very day he dyed BUt the Emperour Theodosius contracted an ill habit of body from the troubles and disquietudes he underwent in this War And supposing that his life would be ended by that distemper which was upon him he was more sollicitous about the publick affairs than concerned at his own death considering with himself how great calamities do usually befall Subjects after the death of their Emperour Wherefore he sends forthwith for his Son Honorius from Constantinople being desirous to settle the State of the Western Empire After his Sons arrivall at Millain he seemed to be somewhat revived from his distemper and gave order for the celebration of Triumphant Cirque-Sports And before Dinner he was very well and was a Spectatour at the Cirque-Sports But after Dinner he was taken very ill on a sudden and could not come to see the Games But having given his Son order to Preside at the Cirque-Sports he died on the night following in the Consulate of Olybrius and Probinus on the seventeenth day of January This was the first year of the two hundredth ninety fourth Olympiad The Emperour Theodosius lived sixty years and reigned sixteen This Book contains an account of affairs transacted during the space of sixteen years and eight months THE SIXTH BOOK OF THE Ecclesiastical History OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICUS The PREFACE WE have finished the task enjoyned by You most Sacred man of God Theodorus in the sive foregoing Books wherein according to our best ability we have comprized the History of the Church from the times of Constantine But you must know that we have not been curious about our Stile for we considered that should we have been carefull about an Elegancy of expression we might peradventure have mist of our design Besides could we have accomplished our design yet we were altogether unable to write such things as are extant in the Composures of Ancient Historians whereby any one of them might suppose himself able either to amplifie or disimprove Transactions Further such a Stile would in no wise have edified the Many and the Simpler sort of persons who are desirous of knowing affairs only not of admiring the Stile for its elegant composure That therefore our work might not be unusefull to both these sorts of persons to the Learned because 't is unworthy of being compared with the Elegant Stile of Ancient Writers and to the unlearned in regard they cannot attain to the knowledge of affairs being concealed by a pride and over-elegancy of Expression We have designedly made use of such a Stile as seems indeed to be lower and more mean but is notwithstanding plainer and more perspicuous But before we begin our Sixth Book we must give this premonition In regard we undertake the writing a Narrative of the affairs which have hapned in our own age we are afraid lest we should seem to record such things as will displease many persons either because according to the proverb Truth is bitter or in regard we mention not their names whom all men have a great love for with an Encomium or Lastly because we extoll not their Actions The Zealâ—ts of our Religion will condemn us because we do not give the Bishops the Title of Most dear to God or Most Holy or such like Others also will sometimes make curious remarks because we term not the Emperours Most Divine and Lords nor do give them those other titles which are usually attributed to them But in as much as I am able to prove and demonstrate from the Testimony of Ancient Writers that a Servant amongst them did usually call his Master by his proper name and made no account of his Dignity or Title by reason of the urgency of affairs and in as much as my indeavour is to obey the Laws of History which do require a sincere pure and true Narrative of Transactions free from all manner of Masks and Covers I will in future proceed in the same Narration Recording those things which either I my self saw or could learn from those who had seen them and making a judgment of the Truth from their not varying in their Relations who told me them But my Labour in discovering the Truth hath been great in regard many and those different persons gave me an account of affairs some of whom affirming they were present at the transacting of these things and others asserting they knew them better than any other persons CHAP. I. That after the death of the Emperour Theodosius when his Sons had divided the Empire between them and Arcadius had met the Army returning from Italy after some short stay there Rufinus the Praefectus Praetorio was killed by the Souldiers at the Emperours feet THE Emperour Theodosius having ended his life in the Consulate of Olybrius and Probinus on the seventeenth of the month January his Sons succeeded him in the Roman Empire Arcadius had the Government of the Eastern Empire and Honorius of the Western The Bishops who Presided over the Churches at that time were Damasus in the Imperial City Rome Theophilus at Alexandria Johannes was in possession of the Churches at Jerusalem and Flavianus of those at Antioch At Constantinople termed also New Rome Nectarius filled the Episcopall Chair as we have related in the foregoing Book About the eighth of the month November in the same Consulate Theodosius's body was brought to Constantinople and interred by his Son Arcadius with an honourable and solemn Funeral Not long after this on the eight and twentieth of the same month the Army also arrived which had been employed in the War against the Tyrant under the Emperour Theodosius's command When therefore the Emperour Arcadius agreeable to the usuall custom had met the Army without the City-gates the Souldiers at that time slew Rufinus the Emperours Praefectus Praetorio For Rufinus lay under a suspicion of turning Tyrant and 't was believed that he had called the Hunni a Barbarous Nation into the Roman Territories For at that time they destroyed Armenia and some parts of the East by making incursions into those Provinces Moreover on the same day whereon Rufinus was killed Marcianus Bishop of the Novatians died He was succeeded in that Bishoprick by Sisinnius of whom we
Johannes reproved Sisinnius and said to him a City cannot have two Bishops Sisinnius's answer was Nor has it Johannes being angry hereat and saying you seem desirous of being the only Bishop Sisinnius replyed I do not say that but that I am not a Bishop in your account only when as notwithstanding other persons look upon me to be such Johannes incensed at that answer I said he will make you leave Preaching for you are an Heretick To which Sisinnius made this pleasant return But I will give you a reward if you will free me from so great pains Johannes being mollified with this answer replied I will not make you leave off Preaching if that Office be troublesome to you So facetious was Sisinnius and so ready at answering It would be tedious to write and record all his sayings Wherefore I have accounted it sufficient by these few to shew what manner of person he was I will only add this that he was very eminent for his Learning on which account all the Bishops that were his successours loved and honoured him Moreover all the eminent personages of the Senatorian order had a great affection for and admired him He wrote many Books but he is too studious about words in them and intermixes Poetick terms He was more admired for his speaking than his writing For in his face and voice in his garb and aspect and in the whole motion of his body there was a gracefullness By reason of which accomplishments He was beloved both by all Sects and chiefly by Atticus the Bishop But I think thus much sufficient to have been said concerning Sisinnius CHAP. XXIII Concerning the death of the Emperour Arcadius NOt long after the death of Johannes the Emperour Arcadius died a man of a mild and quiet temper and who at the close of his life got the repute of a person beloved by God for this reason There is at Constantinople a very spacious house which is termed Carya For in the Court of this house there is a Nutt-tree on which 't is reported the Martyr Acacius was hanged and compleated his Martyrdom On this account a small Church was built near that tree The Emperour Arcadius desirous to see this Church went into it one day and when he had said his prayers came out again All those persons who dwelt near that Church ran together to see the Emperour Some went out of the house and made it their business to take their standings before hand in the streets from whence they supposed they might have a plainer view of the Emperour's countenance and of the Guards that were about him Others followed untill all persons together with the women and children were got out of the Church After which all that great house the buildings whereof enclosed the Church on every side fell down immediately Hereupon followed an out-cry together with an admiration because the Emperours prayer had delivered so great a multitude of persons from destruction This hapned thus Moreover Arcadius leaving his Son Theodosius then but eight years old ended his life in the Consulate of Bassus and Philippus on the first of May this was the second year of the two hundredth ninety seventh Olympiad He reigned with his Father Theodosius thirteen years after his Fathers death he reigned fourteen he lived one and thirty years This book contains the History of twelve years and six months In other Copies this following passage occurs not as if it were omitted but worded in a different manner We judged it therefore meet to annex it On which account we have added it at this place BUt in regard the Bishop of Ephesus hapned to die in the interim Johannes was necessitated to go to Ephesus to ordain a Bishop Being arrived in that City and some endeavouring to promote one person others another he preferred one Heraclides his own Deacon by Country a Cypriot to the Bishoprick Whereupon a disturbance being raised in Ephesus because Heraclides was reputed unworthy of the Episcopate Johannes was forced to stay at Ephesus for some time During his residence there Severianus grew more beloved and esteemed by his Auditors at Constantinople Nor was this unknown to Johannes For he was speedily acquainted with what hapned by Serapion whom he had a singular affection for and to whom he committed the whole care of his Episcopate in regard of his piety his fidelity in all concerns his prudence in the management of all matters and his studiousness about defending the Bishops Rights After some time Johannes returns to Constantinople and personally undertook again a becoming care of the Churches But between Serapion the Deacon and Severianus the Bishop there arose a great dissention Serapion opposing Severianus because he strove to out-do Johannes in his Preaching and Severianus envying Serapion because Johannes the Bishop favoured him highly and entrusted him with the whole care of his Episcopate Being thus affected one towards the other the vehemency of their hatred hapned to be much increased by this reason To Severianus on a time passing by Serapion shewed not that honour which is due to a Bishop but continued in his feat whether it was because he saw him not as Serapion afterwards affirmed upon oath before the Synod or whether it was because he slighted the presence of a Bishop as Severianus averred which of these was truest I cannot say God only knows But Severianus could not then bear Serapion's contempt but immediately even before cognizance had been taken of the cause in a publick Synod with an oath condemns Serapion and not only divests him of the dignity of a Deacon but excommunicates him also from the Church Johannes hearing this took it very ill But afterwards when the business came under scrutiny before a Synod and Serapion excused the fact and averred that he saw him not and also produced witnesses in confirmation thereof the whole Synod of Bishops then convened pardoned him and entreated Severianus to admit of Serapion's excuse But Johannes the Bishop that he might fully satisfie Severianus removes Serapion and suspends him from the Office of a Deacon for a weeks space although he used him as his right hand in all businesses in regard he was a most acute and diligent person about Ecclesiastick Disputes and Answers Notwithstanding Severianus could not thus be prevailed with but made it his whole business to get Serapion not only wholly degraded from his Diaconate but excommunicated also Johannes was sorely vexed hereat went out of the Synod and left the Bishops then present to determine the cause having spoken these words to them Do you inquire into the cause and make such a definitive determination as you shall think fit For I refuse to determine the difference between them After Johannes had spoken these words and was risen up the whole Synod arose likewise and left the cause in the same state it was in blaming Severianus rather because he acquiesced not in what had been
God as were different from those embraced by himself CHAP. XLII That this Writer spends many words in praise of the Emperour Theodosius Junior's probity ON account hereof therefore Proclus was highly commended by the Emperour For He himself also was like to such as were true Prelates nor did he any wise approve of those who were desirous of persecuting others Yea I can speak it with confidence that for meekness he excelled all those who were true and genuine Ecclesiasticks And what is recorded of Moses in the Book of Numbers Now the man Moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth the same may be now said of the Emperour Theodosius to wit that he is very meek above all the men which are upon the face of the earth For by reason of this his meekness God has subdued his enemies under him without military engagements as hath been demonstrated by his Victory over the Tyrant Johannes and shall be made evident from the destruction of the Barbarians which succeeded that soon after For what manner of assistances have been given by God to just men heretofore such like have even in our times been bestowed on the most pious Emperour by the God of the Universe Nor do I write this out of flattery but I will give a Narrative of affairs which all men have been throughly acquainted with as they truly are CHAP. XLIII How great calamities those Barbarians underwent who had been the Tyrant Johannes's Auxiliaries FOr after the slaughter of the Tyrant those Barbarians whom he had called to his assistance against the Romans made preparations to overrun and ruine the Roman Provinces When the Emperour heard of it according as his usage was he committed the care of this affair to God and having been earnest in prayers not long after obtained what he desired Further it will be advantagious to hear what calamities befell the Barbarians Their Commander in chief whose name was Rougas is killed by a clap of thunder Then followed a plague which destroyed most of the men under his command Nor was this only sufficient but fire also descended from heaven and consumed many of those who remained And this put the Barbarians into the greatest terrour imaginable not so much because they had dared to take up Arms against the valiant Nation of the Romans as in regard they found them assisted by a powerfull God Moreover Proclus the Bishop Preached a Sermon at that time in the Church wherein he applied a prophecy taken out of Ezechiel to the deliverance effected by God at that juncture for which discourse he was greatly admired The prophecy runs thus And thou son of man prophecy against Prince Gog Rhos Misoch and Thobell For I will judge him with death and with bloud and with an overflowing rain and with stones of hail And I will rain fire and Brimstone upon him and upon all those with him and upon many Nations which are with him And I will be magnified and glorified and I will be known in the eyes of many Nations And they shall know that I am the Lord. On account thereof therefore as I have said Proclus was much admired But on the Emperour because of his meekness many other Blessings were conferred by divine providence Amongst which this was one which I will now relate CHAP. XLIV That the Emperour Valentinianus Junior married Eudoxia the daughter of Theodosius HE had a daughter by his Wife Eudocia her name Eudoxia His Cousin Germane Valentinianus whom he had made Emperour of the Western parts desired he might marry this Princess To which when the Emperour Theodosius had given his consent and both the Augusti after they had deliberated about celebrating the marriage at some place on the frontiers of both Empires had resolved each to make a journey half way and do it at Thessalonica Valentinianus sends Theodosius intimation by Letter that he should not give himself that trouble for that he would come in person to Constantinople Having therefore secured the Western parts with a sufficient guard he comes to Constantinople on account of the marriage Which having been celebrated in the Consulate of Isidorus and Senator he took his Wife and returned into the Western parts Such a felicity as this befell the Emperour at that time CHAP. XLV That Proclus the Bishop perswaded the Emperour to translate the Body of Johannes from the place of his Exile where it had been buried to Constantinople and to deposite it in the Church of The Apostles NOt long after this time Proclus the Bishop reduced those to the Church who had made a separation from it on account of Bishop Johannes's deposition having mitigated their disgust by a prudent expedient What that was we must now relate After he had perswaded the Emperour to give his consent thereto he brought the body of Johannes which had been buried at Comani to Constantinople on the thirty fifth year after his deposition And when he had carried it through the City publickly in great pomp and state he deposited it with much honour and solemnity in that termed the Church of The Apostles Those persons therefore who had made a separation on Johannes's account were by this means prevailed upon and became united to the Church And this hapned in the sixteenth Consulate of the Emperour Theodosius about the twenty seventh of January But I cannot forbear wondring here how it came to pass that Envy should assail and corrode Origen after he was dead and yet spare Johannes For Origen was excommunicated by Theophilus about two hundred years after his death But Johannes was admitted to communion by Proclus on the thirty fifth year after he died So great was the difference between Proclus's disposition and that of Theophilus But prudent men are not ignorant in what manner these things have been and daily are done CHAP. XLVI Concerning the death of Paulus Bishop of the Novatianists and concerning Marcianus who was his successour SOme little time after the Removall of Johannes's body died Paulus also Bishop of the Novatianists in the same Consulate about the twenty first day of July Who at his own Funerall reduced all the disagreeing Heresies into one Church in a manner For they all accompanied his body to the Grave with singing of Psalmes because whilest he lived all Sects loved him exceedingly for his Sanctity of life But because the same Paulus performed a memorable action just before his death I judge it usefull to insert it into this History for their advantage who shall peruse this Work For that during his sickness he observed his usuall Ascetick discipline as to his dyet and transgressed not in the least the rules thereof and that he never omitted performing the usuall prayers with a fervency all this I think fit to leave unmentioned least by spending time in giving a narrative hereof I should obscure that memorable and most
rather that the Divinity and Humanity have perfected to us one Lord and Christ and Son by an ineffable mysticall and secret concourse to an Unity And after some few words But in regard having personally united the humanity to himself on our account and for our salvation he proceeded from a woman for this reason he is said to have been born according to the Flesh. For he was not at first born a common and ordinary man of the Holy Virgin and after that The Word descended upon him but having been united from the very womb he is said to have undergone a Carnall Nativity that he might procure to himself the Nativity of his own Flesh. After the same manner we say he suffered and rose again not as if God The Word as to his own Nature suffered either the Stripes or the Transfixions of the Nails or any other of the wounds for the Deity is Impassible because 't is also Incorporeall But in regard that which had been made his own Body suffered on this account he is again said to have suffered for us For there was the Impassible Deity in a passible Body Most part of Cyrillus ' s other Letter hath been recorded in our foregoing Book But there is a passage in it which Johannes Bishop of the Antiochians had written in his Letter to which passage Cyrillus hath fully agreed this passage runs thus We confess the Holy Virgin to be Theotocos because God The Word took Flesh from Her and was made man and from that very Conception united to himself a Temple taken from Her But we know that those divine men do take the Evangelick and Apostolick Expressions uttered concerning the Lord sometimes in a common sense as spoken of one person at othâ—r whiles they divide them as uttered concerning two Natures And that they have delivered these Expressions as becoming God according to the divinity of Christ but those other as humble and mean agreeable to the same persons humanity To which words Cyrillus has subjoyned these Having read these your sacred Expressions We find that We our selves embrace the same Sentiments For there is one Lord one Faith one Baptism We have therefore glorified God the Saviour of all men rejoycing mutually that as well the Churches amongst us as those with you do profess a Faith that is agreeable both to the divinely inspired Scriptures and also to the Tradition of our Holy Fathers After the Reading hereof those of this Synod cried out in these words We do all believe thus Pope Leo believes thus Anathema to him that divides and to him who confounds This is the Faith of Leo the Arch-Bishop Leo believes thus Leo and Anatolius believe thus We all believe thus As Cyrillus so we believe The eternall memory of Cyrillus As Cyrillus's Letters are so are our Sentiments Thus we have believed thus we do believe Leo the Arch-Bishop thinks thus thus he believes thus he hath written Then an Interlocution having been made that Leo's Letter might also be read being rendred into Greek it was recited which Letter is extant in the Acts of the Councill After therefore the reading thereof the Bishops exclaimed This is the Faith of the Fathers This is the Faith of the Apostles We all believe thus we that are Orthodox do believe thus Anathema to him who believes not thus Peter by Leo hath uttered these words The Apostles have taught thus Leo hath taught piously and truly Cyrillus has taught thus Leo and Cyrillus have taught alike Anathema to him who believes not thus This is the true Faith the Orthodox think thus this is the Faith of the Fathers Why were not these words read at Ephesus Dioscorus hath concealed these Expressions It is recorded in the same Acts that when part of the fore-mentioned Letter of Leo was read the Contents whereof were these And in order to the paying that due debt of our Nature the divine Nature was united to a Nature passible to the end that for this was agreeable to our Remedies He being one and the same Mediatour of God and Men the Man Christ Jesus might be able to die by one and might not be able to die by the other the Illyrician and Palestine Bishops being in doubt as to this Expression Aetius Arch-deacon of the most Holy Church of Constantinople produced a passage of Cyrillus ' s the Contents whereof are these Again in regard his own Body by the grace of God according as the Apostle Paul saith hath tasted death for every man he himself is therefore said to have suffered death for us not as if he had experienced death as to what belongs to his own Nature For 't is stupidity and extream madness either to affirm or think this but because as I have even now said his Flesh tasted death And again as to an expression of Leo's Letter which runs thus For each Form acts with a communion of the other that which is proper to wit The Word operates that which is The Word ' s and the Flesh performs that which is of the Flesh and the one of these shines with Miracles but the other hath lain under injuries the Illyrician and Palestine Bishops being in doubt the same Aetius read a Chapter of Cyrillus the Contents whereof were these Of the expressions used concerning Christ some are most especially agreeable to God again others are agreeable to man But a third sort possess a certain middle place evidencing the Son of God to be God and also at the same time Man After this when the foresaid Bishops doubted at another place of Leo's Epistle which runs thus For although in our Lord Jesus Christ there is one person of God and of man nevertheless that is one thing whence there is in both a Community of Contumely and that is another whence there is a Community of Glory For from us he has humanity which is less than the Father But from the Father he has the divinity which is equall with his Father Theodoret after he had well considered this matter said that the Blessed Cyrillus had expresly spoken thus in these words And being made man and loosing nothing that was his own he continued what he was and the one dwelt in the other that is the divine Nature in man After this when the Illustrious Judges enquired whether there were any person who as yet doubted all answered that no person made any further doubt After whom Atticus Bishop of Nicopolis requested that a Truce of some few days might be allowed them to the end that with a sedate mind and undisturbed understanding such things might be decreed as were pleasing to God and to the Holy Fathers He desired also that Cyrillus's Letter written to Nestorius might be delivered to them in which Cyrillus intreats Nestorius that he would give his assent to his twelve Heads whereto all agreed And when the Judges by
need should require could manifestly prove the thing Which when Symeones had heard he assented saying that he carryed flesh about him which was a frail and mutable thing But when this matter came to be divulged amongst all persons and Symeones as it seemed was obnoxious to a great ignominy he withdrew himself and feigned that he was ashamed When therefore the woman's time of delivery was come and she sate in the usuall posture of women in Travail her Labour caused most acute many and intollerable pangs and brought the woman into the imminentest danger of her life But the Birth fell not in the least Symeones therefore being designedly come thither when he was requested by those present to go to Prayers he declared before them all that the woman should not be delivered untill she would confess who was the Father of the child in her womb Which when she had done and had named the true Father the Infant leap't forth immediately Truth it self doing as 't were the office of a Mid-wife The same person was one time observed to go into the house of a Strumpet and having shut to the door he and she continued alone for some time after this he opened the door again and ran away in great hast looking round least any one should see him whereby he much increased the suspicion In so much that the persons who had seen him brought forth the woman and enquired of her both what the meaning of Symeones's coming into her was and why he made so long a stay The woman swore that for three days before that because of her want of necessaries she had tasted of nothing but water only but that Symeones had brought victualls and meat and a vessell of Wine along with him and having shut the door had spread the Table and bad her go to supper and fill her self with provisions because she had been sufficiently afflicted with want of nourishment and she fetcht out the Remains of the victualls which Symeones had brought to her Further some small time before that Earthquake hapned which shook Phoenice Maritima wherein Berytus Byblus and Tripolis suffered more than other Cities the same Symeones holding a whip on high in his hand scourged most of the Columns in the Forum and cryed out Stand You must dance Because therefore nothing was done unadvisedly and without design by this man some persons present at his doing hereof took particular notice of those Columns which he passed by and did not scourge which Pillars fell not long after being ruined by the Earthquake Moreover he did very many other things the Relation whereof requires a peculiar Treatise CHAP. XXXV Concerning the Monk Thomas who in like manner feigned himself a Fool. THere was also at the same time one Thomas who followed the same course of life in Syria Coele This person went one time to Antioch to receive the annuall stipend allotted for the maintenance of his own Monastery For this annuall stipend was ordered to be paid out of the Revenues of the Antiochian Church Anastasius Oeconomus of the same Church in regard the said Thomas troubled him frequently gave him one day a box on the ear with his hand Whereat when the persons present with them were much offended Thomas said that neither he himself would receive any thing more of the annuall stipend nor should Anastasius pay any more Both which things came to pass Anastasius ending his life on the day following and Thomas being translated to an immortall life in the Hospitall of the Infirm at the Daphnensian Suburb whilst he was on his Return home They laid his dead Body in the Monuments of the Strangers But in regard when one or two had been buried after him Thomas's Body was still above them God showing a great Miracle even after his death for the other Bodies were removed and thrust down the Inhabitants admire this holy person and declare the thing to Ephraemius Then his Holy dead Body is removed to Antioch with a publick Festivity and a solemn pomp and is honourably buried in the Coemitary having at its translation caused the Pestilentiall distemper which then raged at Antioch to cease And the Inhabitants of Antioch do magnificently celebrate an anniversary Feast in honour of this Thomas till these our times But let us return to the proposed Series of our History CHAP. XXXVI Concerning the Patriarch Menas and concerning the Miracle which hapned then to the Boy of a certain Hebrew ANthimus having been ejected as I have said out of the Chair of the Imperial City Epiphanius succeeded in that Episcopate and after Epiphanius Menas in whose time hapned a Miracle highly worthy to be recorded There is an ancient usage at Constantinople that when a great quantity of the Holy parts of the immaculate Body of Christ our God are left remaining some young Boyes of their number who frequent the Grammar-Schools are sent for that they may eat them Which thing having hapned at that time the Son of a Glass-maker as to his oopinion a Jew was called amongst the other Boyes This child told his Parents who enquired the reason of his stay what had hapned and what he together with other boyes had tasted of His Father highly incensed and enraged snatcht up the boy immediately and threw him into the Furnace of coals wherein he usually formed Glass But his mother sought for her son and when she could not find him she went all about the City mourning and making great lamentation And on the third day after standing at the door of her husband's work-house she called her Son by his name weeping and tearing herself The Boy knowing his mother's voice answered her out of the Furnace Shee breaks open the doors goes in and sees her Son standing in the midst of the coals the fire having not touch't him in the least The child when afterwards asked in what manner he had continued un-hurt said that a woman cloathed in a purple garment came to him frequently gave him water quenched the coals that were near him and fed him as often as he was hungry Which passage having been brought to the hearing of Justinian he ordered the boy and his mother to be Baptised in the Laver of Regeneration and enrolled them amongst the Clergy but his father because he would not embrace the profession of Christianity was by the Emperour's order crucified in the Suburb Sycae as designing to have murdered his own son These things hapned in this manner CHAP. XXXVII Who were Bishops of the Greater Cities at that time AFter Menas Eutychius ascends the Episcopall Throne at Constantinople But at Jerusalem after Martyrius Salustius succeeds in that See and after him Helias After Helias Petrus and after Petrus Macarius whose Election the Emperour approved not of so that he was afterwards Ejected out of his own Chair For they affirmed that he asserted
of his wife which when he had done immediately the milk sprang out as 't were from a fountain in such a manner that it wetted the garment of the woman Further a child having been left upon the Road in the dead of the night through the forgetfullness of those who travelled with him a Lyon laid it on his back and brought it to Symeon's Monastery and by Symeones's order those who ministred to him went out and brought in the child which had been preserved by the Lyon The same person performed many other things highly memorable which require an eloquent tongue much time and a peculiar Treatise all which actions of his are celebrated by the tongues of men For persons of almost all Nations of the Earth not only Romans but Barbarians came frequently to him and obtained their requests of him Certain branches of a shrub which grew on that mountain were made use of by him in stead of all sorts of meat and drink CHAP. XXIV Concerning the Death of Gregorius Bishop of Antioch and the Restauration of Anastasius NOt long after dyed Gregorius also after he had been seized with a Goutish distemper wherewith he was much troubled and had drank a potion made of the herb termed Hermodactylus which was administred to him by a Physitian He ended his life at such time as Gregorius was Bishop of the Elder Rome who had succeeded Pelagius and whilst Johannes presided over the Church of Constantinople and Eulogius over that of Alexandria persons whom I have mentioned before and during Anastasius's presidency over the Antiochian Church who had been restored to his own Chair after three and twenty years Johannes was then Bishop of Jerusalem who died soon after and as yet no body has undertaken the Government of that Church And here shall my History be closed namely on the twelfth year of Mauricius Tiberius's Government of the Roman Empire the following affairs of the Church being left to be collected and written by such as are desirous of employing themselves that way If any thing be either omitted or not accurately set forth by us let no person ascribe it to us as a fault but let him consider with himself that we have Collected into one Body a dispersed and scattered History and have made it our business to consult the advantage of men in favour of whom we have undertaken so many and such vast Labours Another Volume has likewise been composed by us which contains Relations Letters Decrees Orations Disputations and some other things The foresaid Relations contained in that Volume were all written in the Name of Gregorius Bishop of Antioch By reason whereof we have obtained two dignities the one from Tiberius Constantinus who invested us with the Dignity of Quaestorius the other from Mauricius Tiberius who sent us the Codicills of a Praefecture on account of that Oration we had composed at such time as having wiped away the reproach of the Empire he brought into the light his Son Theodosius who gave a beginning of all manner of felicity both to Mauricius himself and to the State Six Books of Ecclesiastical History of Evagrius Scholasticus Epiphaniensis and one of the Ex-Praefects THE END THE LIFE OF CONSTANTINE IN FOUR BOOKS Written in GREEK by Eusebius Pamphilus Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine done into ENGLISH from that Edition set forth by Valesius and Printed at PARIS in the Year 1659. Together with VALESIUS's Annotations on the said LIFE which are made ENGLISH and set at their proper places in the Margin Hereto is also annext the Emperour CONSTANTINE'S ORATION to the CONVENTION OF THE SAINTS and EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS'S SPEECH CONCERNING THE PRAISES OF CONSTANTINE Spoken AT HIS TRICENNALIA HINC LUCEM ET POCULA SACRA CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Hayes Printer to the University 1682. VALESIUS'S Advertisement to the READER IN My Annotations on Eusebius's Ecclesiastick History I have remarked that the Titles or Contents of the Chapters which are prefixt before each Book were composed by Eusebius himself And this in my judgment I have proved by most evident Arguments But in these Books concerning the Life of Constantine the matter is otherwise For the Contents of these Books were not made by Eusebius himself but by some other more modern Authour Now I make this conjecture from hence both because the Contents of these Chapters are for the most part uncooth insipid and barbarous and also in regard they always speak of Eusebius in the third person whereas in the Contents of the Chapters of his Ecclesiastick History Eusebius always names himself in the first person Besides the distinctions of the Chapters are two thick and occur too often and one Letter and Constitution of the Emperour is divided and torn asunder as 't were into many Chapters Which thing is wont often to beget a loathing and nauseousness in the Reader I forbear mentioning the barbarous words and terms which occur frequently in these Contents For in them you diverse times meet with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 All which considerations make me of this opininon that I should believe any one else rather than Eusebius to have been the Authour of these Contents Nevertheless whoever the person was he was ancient and lived not at any great distance from the Age of Our Eusebius And this is chiefly Collected from the Contents of the Fourth Book wherein you may read some passages which could not have been known but by a Writer Contemporary with those times of which sort is that concerning Marianus the Tribune and Notary in the Contents of Chapter 44. Book 4 the name of which Notary we might at this day have been ignorant of had not that Authour of the Contents and after him Sozomen given us information thereof I have sometimes conjectured that Acacius he who succeeded Our Eusebius in the Chair of the Church of Caesarea in regard he publisht these Books of his Master after his death Composed these Contents But this is but a meer conjecture which any one that will may follow Lastly the Reader is to be Advertised that in all our Manuscript Copies the Titles of these Chapters are written without the Numerall Notes And in The Old Sheets belonging to the Kings Library they occur praefixt before each Book But in the Fuketian Manuscript they are not only set before each Book but are also added to every Chapter in the Body of each Book THE FIRST BOOK OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS CONCERNING THE LIFE OF THE BLESSED EMPEROUR CONSTANTINE The Preface Concerning the Death of Constantine ALL Mankind have not long since celebrated the recurring periods of our great Emperour 's compleated Vicennalia and Tricennalia with Festivities and publick Banquets We our selves also by a Panegyrick spoken in his Vicennalia have lately venerated the same Glorious Conquerour environed with a Synod of God's Sacred Ministers Moreover we have platted
King But God rewarded him forthwith by making him Lord and Master and the only Conquerour of all the Emperours that ever were alwaies invincible and insuperable and he advanced him to be so great an Emperour on account of his Victories and Trophies as no one is ever recorded to have been in former ages so happy and dear to God so pious and every way fortunate that with all facility imaginable he reduced more Nations to a Subjection under himself than the former Emperours had vanquished and continued possest of his Empire free from disturbance and disquietude to the very moment of his Expiration CHAP. VII Constantine compared with Cyrus King of the Persians and with Alexander the Macedonian ANcient History relates Cyrus King of the Persians to have been more renowned and glorious than all the Princes that ever were But the conclusion of his life 't is said was in no wise fortunate but reproachfull rather and ignominious in regard he was slain by a woman The Greeks tell us that Alexander King of the Macedonians vanquished innumerable Nations but before he had perfectly arrived at man's estate he ended his life by an untimely death and was taken off by Debauchery and Drunkenness He finished the whole course of his Life within the space of two and thirty years â— not much more than a third part of which years determined the time of his Reign He march't on through bloud and slaughter being a person that may be compared to thunder and incompassionately enslaved Nations and whole Cities without any respect had to Age. But when he was scarce arrived at the flower of his Age and whilst he bemoaned his Catamite Death approach't him on a sudden and took him off Childless without any Stock or Kindred before he had raised a family and in an Enemies Country far remote that he might not any longer be the Ruine of Mankind His Kingdom was immediately rent insunder each of his Servants striving to pull and tare off some part for themselves And yet this person is extolled for such mischiefs as these CHAP. VIII That he subdued almost the whole World BUt Our Emperour began to Reign from that year of his Age whereon the Macedonian ended his life and he lived twice as long as Alexander did but trebled the length of his Reign Further having cultivated his Army with the mild and modest Precepts of Piety he march't into Britannia and to those who dwell in the very Ocean which is diffused far and wide at the setting of the Sun He likewise subdued all Scythia which lyes under the North it self and is divided into innumerable Nations of Barbarians differing both in name and manners Moreover having extended his Empire to the utmost confines of the South to the Blemmyae namely and Aethiopians he look't upon a dominion over them who dwell at the rising Sun not to be forreign and inconvenient In fine having with the brightest rayes of Piety enlightned all mortalls inhabiting within the circumference of the whole Element of the Earth even to the utmost bounds of the Continent that is as far as the Outermost Indians and the Nations inhabiting round on every side he brought all the Reguli Ethnarchs and Satrapae of the Barbarous Nations under a subjection to himself all which gave him voluntary and joyfull Salutes sent him Embassies and Presents and put an high value upon his knowledge and friendship So that each person within his own Province paid him honour partly by Pictures and partly with Statues publickly dedicated to him and Constantine the only person of the Emperours was known and famous over the whole World Even as far as these Nations therefore he Proclaimed his own God by his Imperial Acclamations with all the freedome and liberty Imaginable CHAP. IX That he was the Son of a Pious Emperour and left his Empire to his Sons who were Emperours NOr performed he this by words only and was disappointed in the thing it self but proceeding on in all manner of Virtue he abounded with the various fruits of Piety oblieging his Friends with Magnificent Benefactions Governing by the Laws of Clemency and making his Empire easie and desirable to all his Subjects Till at length after long periods of years that God whom he worshipped Crowned him when wearied out by various Conflicts and Exercises with the Divine Rewards of an Immortality and from a mortall Kingdome translated him to an endless life which he hath treasured up with himself for holy Souls after he had raised him up three children who might succeed him in his Empire In this manner therefore the Imperiall Dignity descended to him from his Father and by the Law of Nature is reserved for his Children and for their descendants and like some paternall Inheritance shall henceforward be forever propagated and prolonged And indeed God himself who hath exalted this most blessed Emperour as yet conversant amongst us to divine Honours and hath adorned his Death with singular advantages proceeding from himself can only be a fit Writer of his Life in regard he has Recorded his Glorious Actions and Conflicts on Celestiall Tables and Monuments CHAP. X. That this History is necessary and advantagious to the Souls and Mindes of Men. BUt though I am convinc't of the difficulty of saying any thing befitting the Blessedness of so great a Person and that to be silent is safe and without danger nevertheless I count it necessary to consecrate to eternall Memory the Portraicture of a most pious Emperour drawn in the Colours of words in imitation of mortall Paint to the end I may clear my self of the imputation of sloth and negligence For I should be ashamed of my self should I not confer the utmost of my abilities though they are slender and mean on him who with a transcendency of piety honoured God Further 't is my Sentiment that this work will prove both advantagious to the life of man and necessary to my self also wherein are contained the Actions of a Great-minded Emperour which are highly acceptable to God the Supream King For how can it be otherwise than disgracefull that the Memory of a Nero and of some other Impious and Atheisticall Tyrants far worse than he should not have wanted indefatigable Writers who have adorned their Subjects which were ill Actions with a politeness and elegancy of Style and made them up into voluminous Histories but that we should be silent for whom God himself hath vouchsafed to procure such an Emperour as no Age hath seen and to whom he has allowed a liberty of coming into his presence to His knowledge and converse CHAP. XI That he will at present relate only the Pious Actions of Constantine WHerefore 't is certainly incumbent on us rather than on any other person to give a full Narrative of all the good things we have heard to those
be in future Ages that Chastity a Virtue so famous amongst Christians is the only thing that is invincible and which cannot be destroyed Thus this woman behaved her self CHAP. XXXV The Slaughter of the People of Rome by Maxentius ALL persons therefore both the Commonalty and the Magistracy as well the Honourable as the Obscure stood in great fear of him when they beheld him audaciously perpetrating such impieties as these and were sorely afflicted with his intollerable Tyranny And although they were quiet and patiently bore the austere servitude they were opprest with yet none could so avoid the Bloudy Cruelty of the Tyrant For one time upon a very trivial pretence he exposed the people of Rome to the slaughter of his own Guards And so innumerable multitudes of the Roman people not Scythians nor Barbarians but his own Citizens were killed with Spears and all manner of Weapons in the midst of the City Moreover 't is impossible to enumerate how many slaughters were committed of those that were Senatours to the end a seizure might be made of each persons Estate infinite numbers of them being put to death at severall times for various Crimes framed against them CHAP. XXXVI Maxentius's Magick Arts against Constantine and the scarcity of Provisions at Rome AT length as the Complement of his impieties the Tyrant proceeded to exercise the delusions of Magick Art sometimes ripping up women great with child otherwhiles searching into the Bowells of new-born infants He also killed Lyons and performed some other Horrid Rites to call forth the Daemons and repell the approaching War For he hoped that by these performances he should obtain Victory Whilst he Tyrannized therefore in this manner at Rome 't is impossible to relate what mischievous facts he perpetrated and how miserably he enslaved his Subjects in so much that they were reduced to such extream penury and want of necessary sustenance as 't is recorded by those of our times never hapned at Rome nor any where else CHAP. XXXVII The overthrow of Maxentius's Armies in Italy BUt Constantine moved with compassion at all these calamities of the Romans furnished himself with all manner of military provisions against the Tyranny And when he had procured the supream God to be his Patron and invoaked His Son Christ to be his Saviour and Assistant and had set up the Victorious Trophy to wit the salutary Standard before his Souldiers and Guards he began his march with his whole Army that by his intervention he might restore to the Romans the Liberties they had received from their Ancestours Now Maxentius confiding more in his Magick Impostures than in the Love and Affection of his Subjects durst not so much as stir out of the City Gates but with a multitude of Souldiers and with innumerable Bodies of men laid in Ambushes had fortified every place Region and City which were under the pressures of his Tyranny But the Emperour Constantine depended upon Divine assistance and having attacked the Tyrant's first second and third Body and with ease routed them all at the very first charge he opened himself a passage into the greatest part of the Country of Italy CHAP. XXXVIII Maxentius's Death on the Bridge of the River Tiber. ANd he had now made his approaches very near to Rome it self But least he should be constrained to assault all the Romans for the Tyrant's sake only God himself drew the Tyrant as it were with Cords a great way out of the Gates and effectually confirmed the truth of those Miracles Recorded in the everlasting Monuments of the Sacred Scriptures which though they are accounted fabulous by many persons and are not credited are nevertheless believed by the Faithfull he had wrought in times past against the wicked to all in generall Believers as well as Infidells who with their own eyes saw this Miracle we are about to relate For as heretofore in the days of Moses and the old religious Nation of the Jews God cast the Chariots of Pharaoh and his Army into the Sea and drowned his Chosen Captaines in the Red-Sea after the same manner Maxentius with the Souldiers and Guards that were about him were cast into the deep like a stone at such time as having been put to flight by that Divine power which gave assistance to Constantine's Arms he would have past the River that was in the way before him Over which he having laid a Bridge of boats well fastned together had thereby framed an Engin of destruction against himself being in hopes that the Emperour beloved by God might have been caught in this snare but the God whom he worshipped was present with and gave him his assistance But the wretched Maxentius deprived of his aid framed these secret machines against himself On which account these words may be pertinently spoken of him wherefore He he hath graven and digged up a pit and is fallen himself into the destruction that he hath made His travell shall come upon his own head and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate Thus therefore by God's assent the Machines framed upon the Bridge of Boats and the Ambuscade placed in them being disjoyned at a time in no wise expected the passage began to sink and the Boats together with the men in them descended on a sudden to the bottom of the River And in the first place the Wretch Himself then the Protectors and Guards that were about him as the Divine Oracles have predicted sank down like Lead into the deep waters So that Constantine's Souldiers who by Divine assistance then obtained the Victory in such sort as the Israelites heretofore did who were lead by that eminent servant of the Lord Moses might deservedly have sung and repeated though not in words exactly the same yet in reality some of those expressions which they heretofore did against that impious Tyrant Pharaoh in this manner We will sing unto the Lord for he hath been magnificently glorified The Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea My helper and defender is become my salvation And again who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods Thou hast been glorified in the Saints admirable in glories doing wonders CHAP. XXXIX Constantine's Entry into Rome AFter Constantine who at that time imitated that Great servant of God Moses had in reality sung these and other such like Hymns as these in praise of God the Governour of all things and the Authour of Victory he made his entry into the Imperial City in Triumph And immediately all persons as well those of the Senatorian as them of the Equestrian Order in that City being freed from the confinement of a Prison as 't were together with the whole Roman Populace received him with a joy in their Countenances that proceeded from their very Souls with acclamations and a gladness insatiable And the men together with the women children and infinite numbers of servants stiled him a Redeemer a Saviour and a
East were united to them in the West and the whole Body of the Empire was adorned with one universall Monarch as with one Head the Dominion and Authority of one person comprehending all men whatever And the bright Rays of the Light of Piety bestowed joyfull days on them who before sate in darkness and the shadow of death Nor did there remain any remembrance of the past Evills in regard all persons every where adorned the Conquerour with praises and profest they acknowledged the only God his preserver Thus Our Emperour embellisht with all the virtues of Religion Constantinus Victor for he procured himself this most agreeable and proper Surname and Title on account of those Victories granted him by God over all his Enemies and Opposers received the East and reduced under a Subjection to himself the entire Roman Empire conjoyned as heretofore it had been He was the first Emperour who publisht to all men the Dominion of one God and he himself possest of the sole Dominion over the Roman world governed the whole Body of Mankind All fear of those mischiefs wherewith all men had been heretofore opprest was now taken away And they who in times past had been dejected and sorrowfull then lookt one upon another with smiling countenances and chearfull eyes In Dances also and Songs they first of all glorified God the King of Kings for thus they were instructed to do and in the next place The Victor Augustus and his most Modest and Pious Sons The Caesars with uninterrupted Acclamations There was an oblivion of past Afflictions no remembrance of impiety but an enjoyment of the present Blessings and an expectation of more in future CHAP. XX. How Constantine made Laws in favour of the Confessours MOreover the Emperour's Constitutions full of Clemency were then published amongst us also as they had been before amongst those who inhabited the other part of the world and Laws breathing forth Piety towards God gave various promises of all manner of Goods in regard they bestowed on the Provincials throughout each Province what was usefull and of advantage to them and assigned to the Churches of God those things that were congruous and convenient And first of all they recalled home those persons who because they would not sacrifice to Idolls had been banished by the Governours of Provinces and compelled to remove out of their own Country Then they freed from publick Functions those who for the same reason had been adjudged to the Curiae and ordered that such as had been deprived of their Goods should have them restored to them again Besides they who during the time of Persecution having been strengthened by God had given a signall proof of their fortitude and constancy of mind and were either condemned to the Mines there to be tortured with daily Labour or adjudged to a Deportation into the Islands or had been forced to a slavery in the Publick Works these persons freed on a sudden from all these disquietudes and troubles enjoyed their Liberty Further such as by reason of their egregious resoluteness in retaining their Religion had been despoyled of the honour of the Militia were recalled from this ignominy by the Emperour's Munificence who gave them a free Liberty of choice either of recovering their proper Offices and of flourishing in their Pristine dignities or if they were in love with a quiet and retired Life of continuing in future exempt from the troubles of all publick Functions Lastly whatever persons in order to their being reproacht and disgrac't had been condemned to a slavery in the Gynaecia them the Emperour set at Liberty as well as the rest CHAP. XXI How he made Laws concerning the Martyrs and concerning the Estates of the Churches ANd these were the Establishments which the Emperour made in written Laws concerning such persons as had undergone those sufferings But in relation to their goods a most full and ample provision was made by a Law of the Emperour 's For he commanded that the Goods and Estates of God's holy Martyrs who had ended their lives in their Confession should be enjoyed by their nearest Relatives But if no Relation of their's could be found then the Churches were to have their Estates And the Imperial Letter of Indulgence ordered that the Goods which had been heretofore transferred to others out of the Treasury either by a Sale or by donation and which remained still in the Treasury should be returned back to their Owners Such were the favours which the Emperour's benignity conferred upon the Church of God by his Laws transmitted into all the Provinces CHAP. XXII In what manner he refreshed and cherish't the People also BUt his Imperial Munificence bestowed more and far greater Favours than these upon the people that were strangers to our Religion and upon all the Provinces Wherefore all the Inhabitants of our Eastern Countries who having before this received an account of what had been done in the other part of the Roman Empire had styled them happy because they were possest of such Blessings and who fervently prayed that they themselves might at length enjoy the like beholding these things with their own eyes doubted not of terming themselves blessed now and confest that some new Miracle and such a one as no Age under the Rays of the Sun had ever beheld before so great and gracious an Emperour namely had appeared to mankind And these were their Sentiments CHAP. XXIII That he publickly Proclaimed God the Authour of Good and concerning the Copies of his Laws BUt when the Emperour by the power of God his Saviour had reduced all places under a Subjection to himself he himself made known to all men that God who had bestowed these Blessings upon him and attested that He not himself was to be accounted the Authour of his Victories And this he declared by his Letters written as well in the Latine as Greek Tongue and sent throughout every Province Further the powerfullness of his Language will easily be perceived by him who shall apply himself to the perusall of his Letters They were two the one directed to the Churches of God the other to the people in every City that were Strangers to our Religion Which Latter in regard 't is accommodate to our present Subject I think fit to insert here both that the Copy of this Letter may be recorded in the Monuments of History and consigned to posterity and also that the truth of our Relation may receive confirmation It was transcribed from an Authentick Copy of the Imperial Law which is in our Custody A subscription whereto in the Emperour 's own hand does like some Seal ‡ assert the verity of our Narrative CHAP. XXIV Constantine's Law concerning Piety towards God and concerning the Christian Religion VICTOR CONSTANTINUS MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS To the Provincials of Palestine AMongst those whose Sentiments concerning the Deity are right
better allotment and brought upon him the debt due to Nature CHAP. LIII That after He had Reigned about two and thirty years and lived above sixty He had a Body that was sound and healthy HE Compleated the time of His Reign in two and thirty years abating some few months and days but the space of His Life was about double as much At which age his Body continued free from Diseases firm void of all manner of blemish and youthfuller than any the most juvenile Body beautifull to behold and strong to do any thing whatever that was to be performed by strength In so much that he could exercise as a Souldier ride walk fight erect Trophies against his conquered Enemies and according to his own usage could obtain unbloudy Victories over his opposers CHAP. LIV. Concerning those who abused his eximious humanity to avarice and a pretence of Piety HIS Mind also arrived at the heighth of humane perfection being adorned with all manner of accomplishments but most especially with humanity Which nevertheless many persons found fault with by reason of the baseness of ill men who ascribed the occasion of their own badness to the Emperours patience and clemency Indeed even we our selves beheld the mighty prevalency of these two Vices in those times the Violence namely of insatiable and ill men who infested almost all Mortals and the unspeakable Dissimulation of those who craftily crept into the Church and pretendedly took upon themselves the name of Christians But the Emperours innate humanity and goodness the sincerity of his Faith and Integrity of his Morals induced him to credit the specious and outside piety of those men who were thought to be Christians and who with a crafty mind pretended to bear a true and sincere benevolence towards him His committing of himself to which persons did sometimes perhaps drive him upon those things that were unfitting the Envy of the Devil bringing this Blot upon his other praises CHAP. LV. How Constantine wrote Orations to the very last day of his Life BUt Divine Vengeance seized those men not long after But the Emperour himself had in such a manner furnished his mind with discursive knowledge that to his very death according to his accustomed manner he wrote Orations and as his usage was made Speeches and instilled into his hearers divine Precepts He would likewise be continually making of Laws sometimes about Civil matters at others concerning Military affairs in fine he employed his thoughts about all things that were advantagious and of use to the life of men But this is highly worthy to be recorded namely that when he was at the point of death he recited a certain Funeral Oration in the presence of his usual Auditory And having continued his Speech to a great length he discoursed therein concerning the Immortality of the Soul and concerning those who had spent their Lives piously and concerning the Blessings treasured up with God himself for those that love him But on the other hand he made it apparent by many and those evident reasons what manner of end they would come to who had lead a contrary course of life and gave an accurate description of the calamitous death of the impious By his solid and weighty attestation to which truth he seemed severely to touch those about him In so much that he asked one of them who were puft up with a vain opinion of wisdom what his Sentiment was in reference to those things which had been discoursed of Who by his own testimony confirmed the truth of what had been spoken and though much against his will highly commended his reasonings against the worship of many Gods By making such discourses as these to his Confidents before his death he seemed to render his way to a better allotment smooth and plain CHAP. LVI How making an Expedition against the Persians He took the Bishops along with him and provided a Tent made in form of a Church THis also is worthy to be recorded that about the forementioned time upon his hearing of the motion of those Barbarians who dwell at the East having said that as yet there remained to him this Victory to be obtained over them he resolved upon an Expedition against the Persian Which when he had determined to undertake he summoned together his Military Forces and likewise conferred with the Bishops that were about him concerning the desighe of his Expedition it being his chiefest care that some persons should always be present with him who were of use in order to the worship of God They affirmed that they would most willingly follow him nor would in any wise leave him but with their incessant prayers to God would ingage and fight together with him At which news he was highly pleased and described to them a way whereby they might go Then he prepared a Tabernacle most richly furnished made in the form of a Church for the use of this War wherein he resolved in company with the Bishops to pour forth his prayers to God the Giver of Victory CHAP. LVII That having received the Embassie of the Persians He watch't all night together with others on the Feast of Easter IN the interim the Persians informed of the Emperours preparation for a War and being extreamly fearfull of coming to an Engagement with him by an Embassie entreated him to make a Peace Wherefore this most peaceable Emperour gave the Embassie of the Persians a kind reception and readily entred into a League with them The great Festival of Easter was now at hand wherein the Emperour paid his Vowes to God and together with others watch't all night long CHAP. LVIII Concerning the Building of that termed the Martyrium of the Apostles at Constantinople AFter this He began to build a Martyrium in that City which bore his own name in memory of the Apostles And when he had raised the Church to an unexpressible height he made it Splendid and Glorious by a variety of all manner of Stones covering it with Crusts of Marble from the Foundation to the very Roof He laid the inner-Roof all over with Lacunaria of very small work and gilded it thorowout with Gold Above instead of Tyles Brass was laid which afforded the whole Structure a secure defence against showers Which covering being likewise over-spread with Gold shined gloriously in so much that it dazled their eyes who beheld it at a distance the Brass reverberating the Rayes of the Sun But the whole Roof was encompassed round with chased Net-work made of Brass and Gold CHAP. LIX A further description of the same Martyrium IN This manner was the Church it self beautified by the Emperour 's extraordinary Care and Munificence But about the Church there was a most Spatious Area open to the pure Air. At the four sides whereof ran Porticus's joyned one to another which inclosed the Area Scituate
in the midst together with the Church it self Moreover Basilicae Baths Rooms to lodge and eat in and many other apartments built for their use who kept the place were joyned to the Porticus's and were equall to them in length CHAP. LX. That in this Church also He built Himself a Sepulchre ALL These Edifices the Emperour Dedicated with this intent that He might consign to posterity the memory of our Saviour's Apostles But he had another design in his mind when he built this Church which purpose of his was at first concealed but in the end it became known to all men For he had designed this place for himself after his death foreseeing by a transcendent alacrity of Faith that his own Body should after death be made a partaker of the Apostles appellation to the end that even after death He might be esteemed worthy of the prayers which should be performed there in honour of the Apostles Having therefore raised twelve Capsae there as some Sacred Columns in honour and memory of the choire of the Apostles he placed his own Ark in the midst on each side of which lay six Capsae of the Apostles And this as I have said he prudently considered of namely where his Body might be decently deposited after he had ended his Life Having in his mind ordered these matters long before he consecrated a Church to the Apostles believing that their memory would be usefull and advantagious to his Soul Nor did God account him unworthy of those things which by his prayers he expected For as soon as the first Exercises of the Feast of Easter had been compleated by him and when he had past over our Saviour's day rendring it splendid to himself and a Festival to all other persons whilest he was intent upon these things and spent his Life herein to the very Close of it God by whose assistance he performed all these things opportunely vouchsafed him a divine passage to a better allotment CHAP. LXI The Emperour 's Indisposition of Body at Helenopolis and his Prayers Also concerning his Baptisme AT first an unequal temper of Body hapned to him together therewith a distemper seized him Soon after which he went to the warm Baths of his own City thence he goes to the City which bore the name of his own Mother where having made his abode for some considerable time in the Oratory of the Martyrs he put up his Prayers and Supplications to God And when he perceived that the end of his Life drew near he thought this was the time of purgation of all those sins which he had committed throughout his whole Life firmly believing that whatever sins as a man he had faln into and committed would be washt from off his Soul by the efficacy of mystick words and by the salutary Laver. Having therefore considered this with himself kneeling upon the pavement he humbly beg'd God's pardon making a confession of his sins in the very Martyrium in which place likewise he was first vouchsafed imposition of hands with prayer Removing from thence he goes to the Suburbs of the City Nicomedia where he called the Bishops together and spake to them in this manner CHAP. LXII Constantine's request to the Bishops that they would confer Baptism upon him THis was the time long since hop't for by me when I thirsted and prayed that I might obtain Salvation in God This is the Hour wherein even We may also enjoy that Seal which conferrs immortality the Hour wherein We may partake of that Salutary Impression I had heretofore taken a Resolution of doing this in the streams of the River Jordan where Our Saviour himself in a likeness to us is recorded to have partaken of the Laver. But God who best knows what is advantagious to Us in this place vouchsafes Us a participation thereof Let therefore all doubt be removed For if the Lord of Life and Death will have Us continue our Life any longer here and if it be once so determined concerning me that I may in future be assembled with the people of God and being made a member of the Church may together with all the rest partake of the prayers I will prescribe my self such Rules of living as may befit a servant of God These were the words he spake They performed the Rites and compleated the Divine Ceremonies and having first enjoyned him whatever was necessary made him a partaker of the Sacred Mysteries Constantine therefore the only person of all those that ever were Emperours was by a Regeneration perfected in the Martyria of Christ and being dignified with the Divine Seal rejoyced in Spirit and was renewed and filled with the Divine Light The joy of his mind was great by reason of his transcendency of Faith but he was stricken with an amazement at the manifestation of the Divine Power After all things had been duely performed He was clothed with white and Royal Garments which shined like the Light and rested himself upon a most bright Bed nor would he any more touch the purple CHAP. LXIII In what manner he praised God after he had received Baptism AFter this he lifted up his voice and poured forth to God a prayer of thanksgiving Which ended he added these words Now I know my self to be truly blessed now 't is evident that I am accounted worthy of an immortal life now I have an assurance that I am made a partaker of Divine Light Moreover he termed them miserable and said they were unhappy who were deprived of such great Blessings And when the Tribunes and Chief Officers of the Military Forces came in and with tears bewailed their own misfortune that they themselves should be left desolate and prayed for his longer Life He answered them also and said that now at length he was vouchsafed true life and that only He himself knew what great Blessings he had been made a partaker of Wherefore that he hastned and would by no delayes defer going to his God After this he disposed of every thing according to his own mind And to those Romans who inhabit the Imperial City he bequeathed certain Annual Gifts But he left the inheritance of the Empire as 't were some paternal Estate to his own children ordering all things in such a manner as he himself thought good CHAP. LXIV The death of Constantine on the Festival of Pentecost about noon FUrther all these things were transacted in that great Solemnity of the most venerable and most sacred Pentecost which is honoured with seven weeks but is sealed with the number one In which Festival hapned both the Ascent of the Common Saviour into the Heavens and also the descent of the Holy Spirit upon men as the Divine Scriptures do attest In this Solemnity therefore the Emperour having obtained those things we have mentioned
before the Hearse The Companies of the Milice march't before Troop by Troop in a Military Order and behind followed an innumerable multitude of people But the Hastati and Scutarii surrounded the Emperour's Corps When they were come to the Church of our Saviour's Apostles they deposited the Coffin there And thus the new Emperour Constantius honouring his Father as well by his presence as other befitting Offices in a due manner performed his Funeral obsequies CHAP. LXXI The performance of the solemn prayers in that termed the Martyrium of the Apostles at the Funeral of Constantine BUt after he had withdrawn himself together with the Military Companies the Ministers of God as likewise the Multitudes and all the Congregation of the Faithfull came forth and by prayers performed the Rites of the Divine worship At which time this Blessed Prince lying on high upon a lofty place was celebrated with praises Likewise a vast number of people together with those persons consecrated to God no◠without tears and great lamentation poured forth prayers to God for the Emperour's Soul thereby performing a most gratefull Office to this pious Prince Further herein also God demonstrated his singular Favour towards his Servant because after his death he bequeathed the Empire to his own dear Sons who were his Successours and because agreeable to his own most earnest desire the Tabernacle of his thrice-blessed Soul was vouchsafed a place with the Monument of the Apostles to the end namely that it might be honoured in the same degree with the name of the Apostles and that it might be joyned with God's people in the Church and might be vouchsafed the Divine Rites and Mystick Service and might enjoy a Communion of the Holy Prayers but that He himself possest of the Empire even after death managing the whole Government by a Return to Life as 't were Victor Maximus Augustus might in his own name still Rule the Roman State CHAP. LXXII Concerning the Bird termed the Phoenix NOt like that Egyptian Bird which being the only one of her kind is said to die upon an heap of Spices at her death making her self a sacrifice and presently as 't is reported is restored to life again out of those very ashes and raising her self by her wings appears the same in kind that she was before But in the same manner with his Saviour rather who like wheat sown from one Grain diffusing himself into many by the blessing of God hath brought forth an Ear of Corn and hath filled the whole world with his fruits In a like manner hereto this thrice-blessed Prince by the Succession of his Children from being one has been made many in so much that throughout all Provinces Statues are raised in honour of Him together with his Sons and the usual name of Constantine obtaines even after his death CHAP. LXXIII In what manner they Stamp't Constantine on Coyns ascending up into Heaven as ' t were MOreover Coyns were Stamp't bearing this impress on the fore-side they exprest this Blessed Prince with His Head covered But on the Reverse he was represented sitting like a Charioteer in a Chariot drawn by four Horses and taken up into Heaven by a hand stretcht out to him from above CHAP. LXXIV That whereas God had been honoured by Him He was on the other hand deservedly honoured by God THese Miracles the supream God laid before our very eyes in the person of Constantine who was the only Prince of all the preceding Emperours that had openly profest himself a Christian whereby God manifestly declared How great a difference he made between those who thought good to worship him and his Christ and them that had embraced a contrary opinion Who having brought a War upon God's Church thereby rendred him their Enemy and Opposer And indeed the disastrous and unfortunate close of every of their Lives has produced a most convincing Argument of the greatness of the divine hatred towards them in the same manner that the death of Constantine has rendred the pledges of God's favour in reference to him manifest and apparent to all men CHAP. LXXV That Constantine was more pious than any of the foregoing Roman Emperours VVHo being the Sole Emperour of the Romans that had honoured God the Supream King with a Transcendency of piety and the only one that had freely and boldly published the Doctrine of Christ to all men and the only person as I may say that had raised his Church to such a degree of Honour and Glory as no one had ever done before and the only person that had totally destroyed the Errour of Polythëism and confuted all the Rites and Modes of such a Superstition is the only person also that was vouchsafed such honours both in this Life and after death as no one either amongst the Graecians or Barbarians is reported ever to have obtained Nor can there be any one mentioned amongst the ancient Romans themselves from the Remotest Times to this present Age who may be compared with this our Prince THE EMPEROUR Constantine's Oration WHICH HE ENTITLED TO THE CONVENTION OF THE SAINTS CHAP. I. The Preface makes mention of Easter and that Christ having been several ways beneficial to all men hath had plots framed against him by those on whom he has conferred favours THE more than usual Brightness and Splendour both of the Day and Sun the Preface of the Resurrection the new Reparation of Bodies long since dissolved the Foundation of the promise and the way leading to Life eternal the day namely of the Passion is now come Dearest Doctours and all the rest of You My Friends Ye Multitudes of Believers are far more Blessed than others Ye who worship God the very Authour of Religion and who as well by an inward sense of every particular Soul as by outward Expressions do without intermission praise Him according to those Rules contained in the Divine Oracles But Thou Nature Mother of all things What of this sort hast Thou ever conferred upon the world Or rather what is in any wise Thy work In as much as He who is the Authour of all things was the Framer of thy Sanctity also For He it is who has adorned Thee in as much as the Beauty of Nature is a Life agreeable to God But those things prevailed afterwards which are directly contrary to Nature namely that no one should adore God the Authour of all things with a congruous worship and that it should be supposed that all things were managed not by Providence but Chance in a disorderly and discomposed manner And although the Prophets inspired by the Divine Spirit particularly and in express words foretold these things to whom Credit ought to have been given yet impious injustice made its Resistance by all manner of devices hating and reproaching the
work of The One World-creating Word PRoceed we therefore in the next place to un-fold the reason which moved this Almighty Word to make His descent into this world A sort of ignorant and unthinking men not apprehending that this Word of God has the Presidency over Heaven and Earth that He was begotten of His Father's Divinity the stream as 't were from that supream Fountain it self and is always present and conversant with this world and that He exhibits most apparent and manifest Indications of His own Providence and Care in reference to men have given the adorable name of God to the Sun and Moon and to the Heaven it self and the Stars Nor have they stop't here but have likewise deified a terrene Nature and the Fruits produc'd from the Earth and all manner of nourishment of Bodies framing for themselves Images of Ceres of Proserpina and Bacchus and of infinite other such like Deities Neither has it sufficed them to proceed thus far but they have not been afraid of declaring the thoughts of their own minds and Speech it self the Interpreter of those thoughts to be Gods terming the mind Minerva and Speech Mercurius they have likewise named those faculties of the mind whereby Arts and Sciences are acquired Moneta and The Muses Nor have they stop't here but making every day new accessions to their absurdities by reason of their transcendent impiety they have deified their own Commotions and perturbations of mind which they ought to have had an aversion for and to have cur'd by the Prescripts of Temperance And even to their very Lust it self and to the Mischievous and unruly disease of their Souls and to those parts of the Body that are the Incentives to obscenity and moreover to that intemperance excessively prone to filthy pleasures they have given the names of Cupido Priapus and Venus and other such like appellations as these Nor have they stopt here but debasing themselves to the Generations of Bodies and to this mortal life here below they have deified mortal men and after death which is common to all have termed them Hero's and Gods imagining that the immortal and divine Nature does wander about Tombes and Sepulchres Nor has this put a stop to their madness but they have honoured all sorts of irrational Creatures and the most noxious kinds of Creeping things with the venerable Title of Divinity Neither were they satisfied herewith but they have cut down Trees and hew'd out Stones and have dug forth the Mettals of the earth Brass Iron and other matter whereof they have form'd Resemblances of women and shapes of men and figures of wild beasts and creeping things and afterwards paid them a divine worship and honour Nor have they put an end to their madness here but have given the Name of Gods to those malignant Daemons which had hol'd in Images and lay lurking within obscure and dark Recesses and who with greediness gap'd after and swallowed Libations and the stinking savours of sacrifices Nor did they stop here but by certain Ligatures of forbidden Craft and by wicked and compulsory enchanting Verses and charms they allured and enticed those Daemons and invisible powers which fly about the Air to be their Assistants and Familiars Moreover some mortal men were deified by one sort of people others by another For the Greeks honoured Bacchus and Hercules and Aesculapius and Apollo and some other men with the name of Hero's and Gods But the Egyptians esteemed Horus and Isis and Osiris and other such like men as these to be Gods And these persons who on account of their transcendent sagacity boasted of the Invention of Geometry Astronomy and Arithmetick understood not nor were so well skilled though in their own judgments they lookt upon themselves to be such wife and knowing men as to weigh and consider the measures of the power of God and to examine how great a difference there is between His and a mortal and brutish Nature Hence it was that they were not ashamed of deifying every sort of filthy and ill-favoured Beasts and all manner of living Creatures and venomous Serpents and savage Beasts Also the Phoenicians gave the Title of Gods to Melcatharus and Usorus and to some other obscure persons who had heretofore been men And so did the Arabians to one Dusares and Obadas and the Getae to Zamolxis and the Cilicians to Mopsus and the Thebaeans to Amphiareus and again some made Gods of these others of those persons in nothing different from a mortal nature but such as in reality were meer men All the Egyptians by a general consent the Phoenicians the Greeks and in short the whole Body of mankind which the Rayes of the Sun do enlighten have attributed divine honours to the parts of the world and to the Elements and to the fruits which spring out of the Earth And which is yet more strange although they acknowledge their adulteries their Sodomies and their Ravishments of women nevertheless they have filled all Cities and Towns and Countries with their Temples and Statues and Shrines and in a conformity to the Morals of their Gods they have totally ruined their own Souls Indeed in words and expressions you might frequently hear Gods named amongst them and Sons of Gods also Heroes and Good Genii But the thing it self was quite different and contrary For they grac't contrary things with contrary names in the same manner as if a man desirous to shew another the Sun and the Luminaries in the Heaven should not lift up His eyes thither but should cast his hands downwards toward the earth and throwing them on the ground grope for the Celestial Powers in the dirt and mire Thus mankind induced thereto by a stupidity of mind and the fraud of mischeivous Daemons was fully perswaded that the intelligible Nature of God which does far transcend Heaven and the world it self resided below in the Generation of Bodies in the Affections of mortals and in death Further men were arrived at such an height of madness that they sacrificed their dearest Pledges to them nor would they spare even Nature it self but out of fury and a distraction of mind murdered their only-begotten and the dearest of their children For what can be supposed a madder action than this to sacrifice men and to pollute all Cities and their own houses with intestine murders Doe not the Greeks themselves give testimony to these matters Is not every History fill'd with the rehearsall of these things The Phoenicians did every year sacrifice their most beloved and only begotten children to Saturn To the very same God in the Island Rhodes on the sixth day of the month Metageitnion they offered men in sacrifice Also at Salamis in a Temple of Minerva Agraulis and Diomedes 't was the custom that a man pursu'd by others should run round about the Altar thrice after which the Priest stab'd him into
far better account 't is agreeable to reason we should assert that the Power of the Divine Word received no dammage from the sufferings of the Body in as much as neither that instance of Light which we have already made use of does any ways permit the Solar Rayes which are shot from Heaven upon the earth and do touch dirt and mire and all manner of filth to be polluted For though nothing hinders us from affirming that even these things are illustrated by the Rayes of Light yet we do not therefore say that the Light it self is also bemired or that the Sun is defiled by the mixture of Bodies albeit these things are not wholly disagreeable to Nature it self But whereas that Saviour and incorporeal Word of God is The Life it self and the intellectual Light it self whatsoever thing He shall have toucht by His divine and incorporeal Virtue that thing must afterwards of necessity live and be conversant in rational Light In like manner also whatever Body He shall have toucht that Body is forthwith sanctified and illuminated and immediately every disease sickness and Trouble departs from it And those things which before were empty receive some portion from His Fulness Wherefore He spent almost the whole Course of His Life in such a manner that He might sometimes shew His own Body to be lyable to the same passions that we are but at others that he might declare Himself to be God The Word whilst He performed Great and Wonderfull Works as God and foretold things future long before they hapned and demonstrated the word of God who was not seen by many by the things themselves namely by prodigious Works Miracles Signes and Stupendious Powers and moreover by Divine Doctrines whereby He incited the minds of men that they should prepare their souls for the Blessedness of that supernal Habitation which is beyond Heaven WHat remains now but that we give an account of the cause and reason of that thing which is the chief and principal of all I mean the much-talk't-of End of His Life and the manner of his Passion and the grand Miracle of his Resurrection after death After an explication of which particulars we will confirm the demonstrations of them all by most manifest Testimonies The Divine Word therefore having on account of those reasons mentioned by us made use of a mortal instrument as of a Statue most becoming the Majesty of God and in regard He is the Great Emperour having by its Ministery as 't were by that of an Interpreter been conversant amongst men He performed all things in such a manner as became the Divine Power Now if after that life spent amongst men He had by some other means become invisible on a sudden and gone away if He had conveyed away His Interpreter privately and by a flight had endeavoured to rescue His own Statue from the danger of death and if afterwards of Himself He had adjudg'd that very mortal Body to death and corruption doubtless all men would have believed Him to have been a meer Apparition or Ghost Nor would He Himself have performed those things which became Himself in regard although He was The Life and The Word of God and The Power of God yet He would have delivered up His own Interpreter to death and corruption Nor would those things which He had performed against the devil have been terminated by an illustrious conflict and Combat with Death Nor could it have been accurately known whither He had withdrawn Himself nor would He have been believed by those who had not seen Him with their eyes nor could it have been made apparent that He has a nature superiour to Death nor could He have freed Mortal Nature from the infirmity of it s own condition nor would He have been fam'd thorowout the whole habitable world nor could He have prevailed upon His own disciples to contemn death nor would He have procured for those who are followers of His doctrine the Hope of a life with God after death nor would He have fulfilled the Promises of His own Discourses nor would He have exhibited agreeable Events to the Prophetick Predictions concerning Himself nor in fine would He have undergone the last Combat of all which was against Death it self On account therefore of all these particulars in as much as 't was wholly necessary that His mortal Instrument after that sufficient service which it had performed to the Divine Word should have an end befitting God allotted to it therefore I say His death is in this manner dispenc'd and ordered For there remaining two things to be done by Him at the end of His Life either that He should surrender up His whole Body to Corruption and Ruine and so close His whole Life like a Play as 't were with a most disgracefull Catastrophe or else that He should manifest Himself to be superiour to Death and by the assistance of Divine Power should render His mortal Body immortal the first of these two was repugnant to His own Promise For 't is not the property of fire to cool nor of light to darken So neither is it the property of Life to die nor of the Divine Reason to act contrary to reason For how is it agreeable to reason that He who had promised life to others should be so negligent as to suffer His own instrument to be corrupted and should surrender up His own Image to destruction and that he who promised immortality to all that address themselves to Him should by Death ruine the Interpreter of His own Divinity The second thing therefore was necessary I mean that He should manifest Himself to be superiour to Death In what manner then was that to have been done Covertly and by stealth or openly and in the view of all But so glorious an Atchievement had it been performed by Him in the dark and in secret and had it been unknown to any one would have been advantagious to no body But when divulged and fam'd amongst all persons it would redound to the benefit and advantage of all by reason of the miracle of the thing Whereas then it was necessary that his Instrument should be manifested to be above Death and whereas this was not to have been performed in secret but in the view of men on account hereof it was that He avoided not Death For had He done that He would have been lookt upon as a Coward and inferiour to Death But by His conflict with death as with an Adversary He rendred that Body which was mortal immortal after He had undergone that Combat for the Life Immortality and salvation of all persons And as should any one have a mind to shew us a Vessel that can't be burnt and which is above the power of fire He could by no other means make out the strangeness of the thing than by taking the Vessel into
giving Life to the living and restoring Life to the dead the true Light enlightning every man that cometh into the world God and the Minister of Good things in regard he is begotten of the Goodness and Power of the Father who hath not divided with him that has imparted the Dignity nor with any other his Fathers Substance or Kingdom But by Generation is made Glorious and the Lord of Glory Who has received Glory from the Father but has not partaken of the Fathers Glory For the Glory of the Almighty is incommunicable as he himself has said I will not give my Glory to another Who has been glorified by the Father before ages Who has been glorified by the Father through ages and throughout the whole rational and created Substance Whom the whole celestial Milice doth guard For he is the Lord and King of Glory as being the Son of God and God the Framer of things immortal and mortal the Framer of Spirits and of all flesh For all things were made by him and without him nothing was made The King and Lord of all Life and breath of those Creatures that were made by him For all things were delivered unto him by the Father according to his holy expression and the Father hath given all things into his hand Obedient to the framing and creating of the things which are Obedient to every Administration Not receiving his being the Son or God from his obedience but in that he is the Son and is the only begotten he is made God Obedient in Works Obedient in Words The Mediatour in Sentences or Decrees The Mediatour in Laws Him we acknowledge to be the Sun of God and the only begotten God Him alone we acknowledge to be like to him that begat him upon account of an eminent similitude and a peculiar conception or signification Not as the Father is to the Father For there are not two Fathers Nor as the Son is to the Son there being not two Sons Nor as the Unbegotten to the Unbegotten For there is one only Unbegotten to wit the Omnipotent and one only begotten Son But he is like as the Son to the Father in regard he is the Image and Seal of every operation and power of the Almighty the Seal of all the Works Words and Councels of the Father Him we acknowledge to be one of those who covered the earth with a deluge of waters Who burnt the Sodomites with fire Who inflicted punishment on the Egyptians Who made Laws according to the Commandment of the Eternal God Who in the times of the Prophets converst with the Ancients Who called those that refused to obey Who has received all power of Judging For the Father judgeth no man but hath given all judgment to the Son Who in the last days was made flesh made of a woman Made man in order to the deliverance and Salvation of us men Who assumed man or humanity consisting of a Soul and Body Who by his tongue and mouth Preached peace to those that were near and such as were remote Who was made obedient unto the Cross and unto death And who saw not corruption but rose again the third day And after his Resurrection he compendiously expounded the mystery to his disciples He sits on the right hand of the Father and shall come to judge the quick and dead After this person We Believe in the Paraclete the Spirit of Truth The Teacher of Piety Made by the Only begotten to whom he was once subject Who is not to be reckoned after the Father nor together with the Father For there is one only Father who is God over all Nor is he to be equalled with the Son For he is the Only begotten and has no Brother begotten at the same time with him Nor yet is he to be compared with any other thing For he has transcended all other things that have been made by the Son in Generation Nature Glory and Knowledge In regard he is the first and best the greatest and most beautifull work of the Only begotten Who also himself being one and the first and the Only and the most eminent of all the Sons composures by reason of his substance and natural Dignity does perfect every operation and Doctrine according to the Sons arbitrement by whom he is sent and of whom he receives And he makes a relation to those that are instructed teaching the Truth sanctifying the Saints leading them who come to the Sacrament dividing to the Spirit all his free gifts who gives grace And he cooperates with the faithfull in order to their understanding and contemplation of the things commanded Who groans with them that pray is the Guide to what is profitable gives strength in order to Piety enlightens Souls with the light of knowledge purges the thoughts chases away devills cures the sick heals the diseased brings back the wanderers into the way comforts the afflicted erects those that stumble and fall refreshes those that labour encourages with shouts those that strive emboldens those that are fearfull is the Guardian and Overseer of all men takes all imaginable care and makes provision for the promotion or access of the well minded and for the preservation of the more faithfull Further We Believe in that Resurrection which shall be effected by our Saviour to wit of those very Bodies which have been dissolved together with their proper members and particles when nothing shall be wanting or changed of those things which composed every mans body in this present life Moreover We Believe the Judgment which shall be after this of those things which have been ill-thought or acted and likewise of all the works words actions practises conceptions of the mind and thoughts which have hapned in this present life so that nothing at all whether of the greatest matters or of the least shall be concealed nothing of those things which have been legally done or unjustly perpetrated shall be neglected or overlookt but a proportionate and just sentence shall be given or measured out And those that have continued impious and sinners to the end of their lives shall be sent away to an endless punishment But such as have led Holy and righteous lives shall be taken up to an eternall life These are our Sentiments which we have learned from the Saints and thus we think and believe We have omitted nothing of what we have learned on account of shame or out of fear Nor have we by reason of turpitude or contentiousness made any additions thereto or perverted any thing therein Neither are we conscious to our selves of any such falsity or detestable impiety as is framed against us by those Sycophants or slanderers Whose damnation is just That this is the confession of Faith which was delivered by Eunomius to Theodosius in the month June on the second Consulate of Merobaudes which he bore which Saturninus is evident from these words which occur at the beginning of this confession to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
wrote under me Or Filled ‖ Or Guarded * Or Above mention * Or Were to him a Baronius does indeed place the death of Gregorius Bishop of Antioch and the Restauration of Anastasius Sinaâ—ta on the year of Christ 594. But Baronius doubts at the same place whether it ought not to be placed on the year following especially in regard Gregorius Magnus in the Register of the Letters of the thirteenth Indiction congratulates Anastafius because he had been restored to the See of Antioch But the Authour of the Alexandrian Chronicle who lived almost in the same times with Gregorius places Gregorius's death in the tenth year of the Empire of Mauricius on the tenth Indiction his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the tenth Indiction on this year Anastasius Patriarch of Antioch returned to Antioch after the death of Gregorius who had been Patriarch who had also before succeeded the same Anastasius Where you may note that Anastasius is called Patriarch even before his Restoration because having been deposed illegally and by force he had always retained the title of Patriarch 'T is certain Pope Gregorius in the three Letters he wrote to him at the beginning of his Episcopate does always acknowledge Anastasius to be a Patriarch But he is never found to have accounted Gregorius who had illegally taken possession of Anastasius's Chair whilst he was yet alive amongst the number of Patrlarchs Vales. b Hermodactylus was a plant unknown to the Ancients 'T is certain neither Dioscorides nor Galen have made any mention of it But the Arabians after Serapion confounded it with Colchicum and Ephemeron Whom our Apothecaries have followed and in their Shops substitute Colchicum instead of Hermodactylus But Andreds Matthiolus in his comments on the fourth book of Dioscorides hath long since taken notice of this mistake and after him others who have written concerning plants When Matthiolus published the Former Edition of his Comments he himself did not then fully know what Hermodactylus was But afterwards when he had procured that plant from the Illustrious personage Augerius Busbequius who had brought it him at his return from an Embassy at Constantinopole he gave us the Type or Cut of that plant at pag. 1109 of his Latter Edition The Roots of this plant represent the likeness of fingers with the addition of nails also Whence the plant had its name For Hermodactylus signifies the finger of Mercury Further the root hereof was heretofore given to those that were troubled with the Gout in the joynts or fingers at such time as the humours issued out for of it self and by a decoction of it it has a purgative quality as Paulus Aegineta relates in his seventh book But now a days Hermodactylus is given to those troubled with the Gout in their feet not at that time when the humours issue forth but rather when the disease is grown strong and come to its height For when Modern Physitians had found by the use of this medicine that it was noxious in the approach or augmentation of the disease they corrected the practise of the Ancient Physitians in this particular as the most famous and most Learned Tossanus de Fontaine Doctor of Physick and Regius Professor in the University of Paris informed me a person to whom I profess my self highly obliged for his singular kindness towards me and for his care and diligence in curing my distemper Vales. * Or The Junior Rome c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From these words 't is evidently concluded that Anastasius was restored to the See of Antioch a little before Gregorius's death For Evagrius says that Gregorius Bishop of Antioch dyed after Anastasius had been restored to his own Chair Yet Nicephorus thought that nothing else was meant by these words but that Anastasius had been restored to his own See after Gregorius's death Vales. d Anastasius had been deposed on the year of Christ 570 as I have observed above in my notes on book 5. chap. 5. From this year to the tenth of Mauricius's Empire whereon he was restored to his See as the Authour of the Alexandrian Chronicle informs us that is to the year of Christ 592 there are three and twenty years Vales. e From these words some one might prehaps conjecture that which Baronius has also supposed that Gregorius Bishop of Antioch dyed on the twelfth year of the Emperour Mauricius For why should Evagrius say that he had closed his History on the twelfth year of Mauricius's Empire unless he had related some thing before which had been done on the twelfth year of the same Mauricius Notwithstanding after a more diligent inspection into the thing Evagrius seems not in my judgment to have designed to mean that by these words for Evagrius says that Gregorius Bishop of Antioch had ended his life at such time as Gregorius Governed the Roman and Eulogius the Alexandrian Church and whilst Johannes presided over the Church at Jerusalem Which Johannes having ended his life not long after Evagrius saith no body was as yet put into his place Evagrius therefore closed not his History with the death of Gregorius in regard he relates that after Gregorius's death Johannes Bishop of Jerusalem dyed and that after his death no person was yet put into his See at that time when he wrote these things Wherefore Evagrius by these words means only this that he wrote these things on the twelfth year of Mauricius's Empire Vales. * Or A wandring History †Or Sustained f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I like not the Rendition of Christophorson and Musculus who think that the honour of the Quaesture was conferred upon our Evagrius by Tiberius But Evagrius does not say that he had the dignity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Quaestor given him but only 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Quaestorius Now there is a great difference between Quaestor and Quaestorius For he is Quaestor who bears the Office of Quaestor But Quaestorius is he who has already born that Office In regard therefore Evagrius says that he had the honour Ex-Quaestore given him he means that the Codicills Ex-Quaestore were conferred on him by the Emperour altogether in the same manner wherein as he adds immediately the Codicills Ex-Prafectis Praetorio were bestowed on him by the Emperour Mauricius Further such persons as by their deserts had procured these Codicills enjoyed all those priviledges which belonged to the Honorati who had born those dignities to wit of the Quaesture and of the Praefecture But in my opinion the reading at this place ought to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being understood the dignity of Quaestorius Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Translatours understood not this place For Musculus renders it thus unde ista composuimus cum ille imperii ignominiam ablaturus Theodosium in lucem produxit whence we composed those things when he about to take away the ignominie of the Empire brought Theodosius into the light
here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the sense may be compleat For Constantine says that Virgil spoke both plainly and obscurely And that he had obscurely intimated the Divinity and Advent of our Saviour but had spoken plainly and openly after the manner of the Heathens and had named Altars and Temples The Fuketian Copy confirms our conjecture wherein 't is written exactly so as I had long before guess'd it should be Vales. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mystery as Christophorson likewise read He has made use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Fuketian Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moraeus's Book the Learned man had mended it at the margin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it might answer to Virgils Verse Errantes Hederas Wild Ivy. But the Greek Rendition is looser and less bound up to the Original and in many places 't is far wide of Virgils meaning Vales. b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doubt not but it should be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which emendation is so necessary that without it the sense is not plain In the Fuketian and Turneb Copies the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But in the Kings Sheets 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Fuketian Copy instead of these words has these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Sheets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 With Scaliger and Bongarsius I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For it answers to those words of Virgil fallax herba veneni But in Moraus's Book 't is mended at the margin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But if you had rather reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then it must be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that the verse may stand good In the Fuketian Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Kings Sheets 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. * Or Amomum e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At my peril write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c in the Fuketian and Turneb Copies 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In Moraeus's Book 't is mended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And so 't is written in the Fuketian Copy But in the Sheets 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Further the meaning of this place is very intricate Musculus renders it thus Ipsis namque Dei Cunabulis Spiriâ—ûs Sancti Virtus fragrantes quosdam flores novam scilicet progeniem dedit For to the very Cradle of God the power of the Holy Spirit hath given some fragrant flowers to wit a new progeny But Christophorson translates it in this manner Ipsa enim Dei Cunabula Spiritâ—û Sancti Virtute fragrantes flores novae soboli extulerunt For the very Cradle of God by the power of the Holy Spirit hath brought forth fragrant flowers to a New off-spring Musculus therefore read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Christophorson only read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which I rather approve of By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he means the new people of the Christians concerning whom Virgil hath spoken above in this Verse Jam nova progenies coelo demittitur alâ—o Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I have added a Negative particle here thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that they might not understand which emendation the following words do mightily confirm But if any one shall have a mind to defend the ordinary reading I shall not much gainsay it in regard both may be maintained Vales. * Broken or discouraged †Held up or sustained h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Constantine had made use of the term Spirit instead of Soul But the Translatour seems to have taken it as meant of the Holy Spirit as if Christ had had His Divinity in place of a Soul which was the Heresie of â—pollinaris In the Fuketian Copy after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 separated a Comma is placed Wherefore it is to be considered whether those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought to be joyned with these which follow 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or rather to be parted from them by a Comma that the meaning may be this that by the communication of the Holy Spirit which Christ after His passion poured upon men the possibility of a Resurrection was manifested Vales. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I don't approve of Christophersons Version who has rendred this place thus Resurrectionis vis hominibus patefacta est the power of a Resurrection was made known to men Nor has Johannes Portesius rendred it otherwise But I question not but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 has the same import with that exprest in my Version Constantine says therefore that 't was made known to men after Christ's death that 't was possible for Bodies to rise For before the faith of a Resurrection was dark and obscure even amongst the Jews Which was the reason that they feared death so much Vales. * Or Sealed k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Christophorson hath interpolated this place by blotting out the two former words S r Henry Savil also in his Book has expunged these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the same manner with Christophorson But both those persons are much mistaken For Constantine whose skill in Grammer was but mean had construed Virgils Verse in this manner Occideâ— Assyrium Vulgò nascetur Amomum The Assyrian Stock shall fall Amomum shall grow every where And this is evident both from this place and also from the Version of the Greek Translatour who tenders this Verse of Virgil thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For so this Verse is worded in the excellent Fuketian Copy and exactly according to Constantine's mind Farther as to this whole Eclog of Virgil's the Christians always affirmed that it was translated out of the Sibylline Verses and ought to be understood concerning Christ's Birth Nor can these words be spoken of any body else but of Christ Hoc duce si qua manent scelâ—ris vestigia nostri Irrita perpetuâ solvent formidine terras Thus besides Constantine S t Austin understood these words in his Epistle to Volusianus and in his 155 Epist. In his Epistle to Volusianus he gives this interpretation of the Assyrian Amomum namely that thereby is meant the Opinion of Pherecydes the Assyrian who was the first that asserted the Immortality of the Soul But this interpretation of S t Austin can't be born with in regard Pherecydes was not an Assyrian but a Syrian that is of the Island Syros Wherefore Constantine's explanation is to be preferred who says that by the name Amomum the Faithfull or the Christians are meant because they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is without fault But that 't is therefore termed Assyrium because from the Assyrians sprang the first beginning of Faith For Abraham an Assyrian
Nam cum duae rationes abâ—undi ex hâc vit â sibi reliquae essent For whereas two reasons of departing out of this Life were remaining to Him As if in the Greek the reading were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius's meaning therefore is this whereas the one of two things was of necessity to be done by Christ in the close of His Life namely that He should either yield up His Body to be wholly consumed by death or else should declare Himself to be superiour to death c. You see how different this meaning is from that of the Translatour For Christ had not a twofold reason for departing out of this life but one only namely Death For as the Poet says Omnes una manet mors one Death awaits all persons But in death one of these two things remained to be performed by Christ that he should either wholly submit to death and deliver up His Body to it as some rich Spoyles or else should shew Himself to be above Death and should rescue His Body as a prey out of the jaws of Death Besides Eusebius has shown a little before that death was necessarily to have been undergone by Christ. For had He been minded to withdraw His Body privately and as 't were by stealth out of this life without doubt all persons would have believed Him to have been a Ghost or Apparition not a true and real man He produces other reasons also whereby He may confirm this Which when He had set forth at length He concludes in this manner On account of all these reasons says He in as much as 't was wholly necessary that His Body should have an end befitting God allotted to it Christ thus dispenc'd His own death The one of these two things was to be done by Him in the end of this His Life as I have said already And these words hang together excellently well But the Translatour's exposition differs widely from Eusebius's meaning in regard Eusebius would demonstrate that a single not a double reason for departing out of this life was left remaining to Christ. Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I should chuse to write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and as of a Play make a most reproachfull Catastrophe or calamitous conclusion of His whole Life Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to darken as 't is in the Fuketian Copy Vales. * Or With the greatest decency †Or Heard h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Something must of necessity be added thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some Vessel that can't be burnt 'T is certain in the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in which manner Christophorson read A little after in the Fuketian Manuscript 't is thus worded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pulling it out of the flames entire and unconsum'd not as the reading is in the Geneva-Edition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. * Or Gain a belief of the Miracle so Valesius i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 At this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seems to be taken by Eusebius for the death or passion of Christ. So he has said above in this chapter concerning Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore I say His death is in this manner dispenc't and ordered See what I have noted at the First Book of his Eccles. Histor. Chap. 1. Note b. 'T is certain Epiphanius calls the Sacrament of the Eucharist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the worship of the Lord's Passion Vales. k These words must be helpt by a favourable interpretation For Christ left not His own Body during the least moment of time In regard as 't is wont commonly to be said that which he had once assumed he never parted with But He suffered His own Body to be for some time destitute of the Company of His Soul Presently in the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But I would rather write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and surrendring up to death that which was mortal Vales. l For Christ rising from the dead plainly declared that eternal life which He had preacht to all men to be superiour to every death And this the Translatour understood not who though his Version be otherwise elegant enough yet frequently wanders from the true sense in so much that in this particular the Version of this Panegyrick may seem far meaner than the Translation of the Ecclesiastick History Vales. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had rather write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is it behoved Which reading the Translatour seems to have followed Vales. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What Eusebius says namely that Christ before He dyed had sprinkled some seeds of the knowledge of God amongst the Nations may be understood two ways For either He means the seeds which were by nature put into mens minds whereby they are instructed in the knowledge of God or else He means the preaching of Christ who when conversant on earth had declared the worship of the true God not only to the Jews but to the Gentiles also Vales. o 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here Eusebius has made use of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 instead of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or perswasion whereas nevertheless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is wont to be more frequently used to signifie the greater Cable of a Ship In the same sense with that here he has made use of this word in his Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine Chap. 13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a firm and most evident instance to perswade me to believe Clemens Alexandrinus uses the same word frequently Chrysostome in Hom. 1. On the Epistle to the Ephesians notes that this is a common but homely term whereby is meant a certain vehemency and eagerness of will his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c against the Errour c. A little after I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shewing them the Trophies The Fuketian Copy confirms both Emendations Vales. q 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This place is not a little difficult For how can what Eusebius says be understood that that life namely which Christ has promised is the first-fruits of a future Life with God Questionless by the Life promised to us by Christ Eusebius means the Resurrection which is as 't were the Entrance and Beginning of that eternal Life with God Or rather he means the Resurrection of Christ's Body which was the first-fruits and pledge as 't were of our hope and Resurrection as Eusebius tells us in the close of this Chapter Vales. * Or Himself †〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Grotius De Satisfac Christi Chap. 9. r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An elegant term taken from the secretest mysteries of Magicians and Conjurers who asserted that men were to be sacrificed to the end the life of others might be redeemed So Antinous was
sacrificed instead of the Emperour Hadrian that He might defer His Fare as 't is related by Aurelius Victor and others This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Life for Life as Aristides expresses Himself in his Fifth Sacred Oration Farther 't was necessary that He who was in this manner sacrificed should voluntarily offer Himself to be slain Which may be gathered both from Aristides and from Aurelius Victor in which Authour the words are these Cùm voluntarium ad vicem magi poposcissent Moreover that custom of the Romans who bequeath'd themselves to death for the safety of the Emperour doth clearly shew this very thing Vales. Whom the Greeks call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines termed Vicarii so Stephens in his Latine Thesaurus in the word Vicarius Vicarii says he etiam interdum sunt c. Vicarii also are sometimeâ— those who bequeath themselves to destruction and death that they may bring those mischiefs on their own beads which were about to befall others Hence 't is that Valesius does here render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vicarium s 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I doubt not but Eusebius wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who being before bound c. For he alludes to the Crime of Treason which the Greeks are wont to term 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is apparent from Dion Cassius in several places Vales. t 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 impure we have already taken notice of a mistake like this above 'T is certain in the Fuketian Copy the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and a little after in the same Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. u 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the salutary miracle It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrifice which I wonder Christophorson perceived not So Eusebius has said a little above 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For after that one Victim and eximious sacrifice c. Vales. * Or Bodily Instrument †John 1. 29. ‖ See Esa. ch 53 v. 7 4 5 6. according to the Septuagint Version CHAP. XVI a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This wholeplace is in my judgment thus to be restored 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if indeed the truth c. Vales. * Or A candid â—ar for our discourse b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was minc't or cut In the Fuketian Copy the reading of this whole place runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. c 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I should rather write 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A little after I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which appeared superiour to all Diabolical Energy or Force the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraud being expunged as superfluous Unless you would word it as the Fuketian Manuscript does 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fraud and force Vales. d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Questionless 't is to be written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading I have followed in my Version Thus Eusebius has exprest himself a little above in the close of the foregoing chapter where speaking concerning the Body of Christ rais'd from the dead his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Trophy of that Victory c. Which place casts no small light on this we have before us For Eusebius says the same thing in both places For he compares the Body of Christ raised from death to life and taken up into Heaven to a Trophy which is erected over Enemies Vales. †Or Republicks so Valesius e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But one God was Preach't amongst all men which is confirmed by the following words Vales. f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 irreconcileable and implacable hatred And so the Translatour seems to have read So Eusebius expresses himself a little after this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and at the same time that Hatred and Sâ—riâ—e which c. I write also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as 't is in the Fuketian Copy Vales. g 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This place must in my judgment be written in this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading I have followed in my Version One way of Religion and Salvation says he namely the Doctrine of Christ was delivered to men Vales. * Or Embraced all things †Or Pious Doctrine ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Valesius renders it ex unâ Transenna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 does properly signifie Meta the Goal of a Race * That is by the Doctrine of Christ which asserted God's Monarchy †Or Goods ‖ Fitted or made up into peace c. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without doubt it must be written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 begotten by one or the same father The mistake arose from the contracted way of writing Vales. * Psal. 72. ◠†Psal. 72. 7. ‖ Esai 2. 4. * Or Spake a word to His Confidents †Matth. 28. 19. ‖ Or Which is by sight * Or Reason †Or Nature of men ‖ Or The Life of that Philosophy delivered c. l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 can't have a place here I write therefore from the Fuketian Manuscript 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what other person save only c. Presently the reading must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or else as 't is in the Fuketian Copy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which account thorowout the whole world For so Eusebius is wont to express himself as in the end of Chap. 13. Vales. * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discourse concerning God k Valesius in his note at this place tells us that the Geneva-Printers designedly left out this clause 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Divine Ministrations of intellectual and Rational sacrifices because says he it contained an illustrious Testimony concerning the unbloudy sacrifice of the Mass. But 't is our Senstiment that Valesius had as little ground for this assertion from there words as the Geneva-men had reason for that their omission Our Church in one of its prayers after the celebration of the Eucharist makes mention of a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving And I verily believe Eusebius means no other sacrifice than that here witness the two Epithets He gives these sacrifices namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intellectual and rational l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I don't doubt but Eusebius wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sacrifices performed by bloud and gore smoke and fire as likewise those cruel c. Than which emendation there is nothing more certain Vales. m Eusebius took this passage out of Porphyrius's second Book de Abstinentia where he writes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is But Pallas who wrote best of all concerning the mysterious Rites of Mithra says that humane Victims were almost every where abolished in the Reign of the Emperour Hadrian Which Lactantius does likewise confirm in the
send a Deposition to Acacius Bishop of Constantinople Page 459 Chap. 19. Concerning Cyrillus Governour of the Monastery of the Acoemeti how he sent some persons to Felix at Rome inciting him to revenge what had been committed against the Faith ibid. Chap. 20. Concerning what Felix wrote to Zeno and Zeno to Felix Page 460 Chap. 21. That Symeones a Monk belonging to the Monastery of the Acoemeti went to Rome and accused those Bishops sent from the Romans to Constantinople as having held Communion with Hereticks and that these Legates and those persons who held Communion with Petrus were deposed by the Romans ibid. Chap. 22. Concerning the disturbances at Alexandria and in several other places on account of the Synod at Chalcedon Page 461 Chap. 23. Concerning Fravita and Euphemius Bishops of Constantinople and concerning Athanasius and Johannes Bishop of Alexandria also concerning Palladius and Flavianus Prelates of Antioch and concerning some other persons ibid. Chap. 24. Concerning the slaughter of Armatus who was kinsman to the Empress Verina Page 462 Chap. 25. Concerning the Rebellion of Theodoricus the Scythian and concerning the same person's death Page 463 Chap. 26. Concerning Marcianus's Insurrection and what hapned in relation to him ibid. Chap. 27. Concerning the Tyranny of Illus and Leontius Page 464 Chap. 28. Concerning Mammianus and the Structures built by him ibid. Chap. 29. Concerning Zeno's death and the proclaiming Anastasius Emperour ibid. Chap. 30. Concerning the Emperour Anastasius and how because he would not innovate any thing in relation to the Ecclesiastick Constitution the Churches over the whole world were filled with infinite disturbances and many of the Bishops for that reason were ejected Page 465 Chap. 31. The Letter of the Monks of Palestine to Alcison concerning Xenaias and some other persons ibid. Chap. 32. Concerning the Expulsion of Macedonius Bishop of Constantinople and of Flavianus Bishop of Antioch Page 467 Chap. 33. Concerning Severus Bishop of Antioch ibid. Chap. 34. Concerning the Libell of Deposition sent to the same Severus by Cosmas and Severianus Page 469 Chap. 35. Concerning the destruction of the Isaurian Tyrants ibid. Chap. 36. Concerning the Saracens that they made a Peace with the Romans Page 470 Chap. 37. Concerning the Siege of Amida and the building of the City Daras ibid. Chap. 38. Concerning the Long Wall ibid. Chap. 39. Concerning that Tax termed the Chrysargyrum and how Anastasius abolished it ibid. Chap. 40. Concerning what Zosimus hath written in relation to the Chrysargyrum and about the Emperour Constantine Page 472 Chap. 41. An Invective against Zosimus on account of the Reproaches and Calumnies he has cast upon Constantine and the Christians ibid. Chap. 42. Concerning The Chryso elia Page 474 Chap. 43. Concerning the Tyranny of Vitalianus Page 475 Chap. 44. That Anastasius being desirous to add these words Who hast been crucified on our account to the Hymn termed The Trisagium a Sedition and disturbance hapned amongst the people Which Anastasius fearing made use of dissimulation and soon altered the minds of the people And concerning the death of Anastasius Page 476 Book IV. Chap. 1. COncerning the Empire of Justinus Senior Pag. 4 7 Chap. 2. Concerning the Eunuch Amantius and Theocritus and in what manner Justinus put these persons to death ibid. Chap. 3. In what manner Justinus slew Vitalianus by treachery ibid. Chap. 4. How Justinus having Ejected Severus put Paulus into his place and that some little time after Euphrasius obtained the See of Antioch Page 478 Chap. 5. Concerning the Fires which hapned at Antioch and the Earth-quakes wherein Euphrasius was buried and ended his life Page 479 Chap. 6. Concerning Ephraemius who succeeded Euphrasius ibid. Chap. 7. Concerning Zosimas and Johannes who were Workers of Miracles Page 480 Chap. 8. Concerning the Universal Calamities Page 481 Chap. 9. How Justinus whilst he was yet living took Justinianus to be his Colleague in the Empire ibid. Chap. 10. That Justinianus favoured those who embraced the Chalcedon Synod But his Wife Theodora was a Lover of the contrary party ibid. Chap. 11. How Severus perverted Anthimus Bishop of Constantinople and Theodosius Bishop of Alexandria which Prelates the Emperour ejected and put others into their Sees Page 482 Chap. 12. Out of the History of Procopius Caesariensis concerning Cavades King of the Persians and his Son Chosroes Page 483 Chap. 13. Concerning Alamundarus and Azarethus and concerning that Sedition at Constantinople which had the name Nica given it ibid. Chap. 14. Concerning Hunericus King of the Vandals and concerning those Christians whose tongues were cut out by him ibid. Chap. 15. Concerning Cabaones the Moor. Page 484 Chap. 16. Concerning Belisarius's Expedition against the Vandals and their totall overthrow ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning the spoyles which were brought out of Africa Page 485 Chap. 18. Concerning those Phoenicians who fled from the face of Jesus the son of Nave ibid. Chap. 19. Concerning Theodoricus the Goth and what hapned at Rome under him till the times of Justinian and that Rome was again reduced to a subjection to the Romans after Vitiges had fled out of that City Page 486 Chap. 20. How those people termed the Eruli turned Christians in the times of Justinian ibid. Chap. 21. That Belisarius recovered the City Rome which had been again taken by the Goths ibid. Chap. 22. That the Abasgi turned Christians also in those times pag. 486 Chap. 23. That the Inhabitants of Tanais also at that time embraced the Christian Religion and concerning the Earthquakes which hapned in Greece and Achaia Page 487 Chap. 24. Concerning Narses a Master of the Milice and his piety ibid. Chap. 25. That Chosroes stimulated with envy at the prosperous successes of Justinian broke out into a War against the Romans and ruined many Roman Cities amongst which he destroyed Antioch the Great also ibid. Chap. 26. Concerning the Miracle of the pretious and Vivifick wood of the Cross which hapned at Apamia Page 488 Chap. 27. Concerning Chosroes's expedition against Edessa ibid. Chap. 28. Concerning the Miracle which was performed at Sergiopolis Page 489 Chap. 29. Concerning the Pestilential distemper Page 490 Chap. 30. Concerning Justinian's insatiable Avarice Page 491 Chap. 31. Concerning the great Church of Saint Sophia and that of The holy Apostles ibid. Chap. 32. Concerning the Emperour Justinian's madness rather then kindness shown towards the Faction of the Venetiani Page 492 Chap. 33. Concerning Barsanuphius the Asceta Page 493 Chap. 34. Concerning the Monk Symeon who for Christ's sake feigned himself a Fool. ibid. Chap. 35. Concerning the Monk Thomas who in like manner feigned himself a Fool. Page 494 Chap. 36. Concerning the Patriarch Menas and concerning the Miracle which hapned then to the Boy of a certain Hebrew ibid. Chap. 37. Who were Bishops of the Greater Cities at that time Page 495 Chap. 38. Concerning the Fifth Holy Oecumenicall Synod and on what account it was convened ibid. Chap. 39. That Justinian having forsaken the right Faith asserted the Body of
our Lord to be incorruptible Page 497 Chap. 40. Concerning Anastasius Arch-Bishop of Antioch Page 498 Chap. 41. Concerning the death of Justinian ibid. Book V. Chap. 1. COncerning the Election of the Emperour Justinus and concerning his Morals pag. 499 Chap. 2. Concerning the Murder of Justinus Kinsman to the Emperour Justinus Page 500 Chap. 3. Concerning those Miscreants Addaeus and Aetherius ibid. Chap. 4. Concerning the Edict of our Faith which Justinus wrote to the Christians in all places Page 501 Chap. 5. Concerning the ejection of Anastasius Bishop of Theopolis Page 502 Chap. 6. That after Anastasius Gregorius was made Bishop and concerning his deposition Page 503 Chap. 7. How those termed the Persarmenii Surrendred themselves to the Romans on which account a War broke out between the Romans and Persians Page 504 Chap. 8. Concerning Marcianus the Magister Militum and concerning the Siege of Nisibis ibid. Chap. 9. How Chosroes after he had sent his General Adaarmanes against the Romans who afflicted them with many and those severe losses went himself in person to Nisibis Page 505 Chap. 10. Concerning the taking of Apamia and Daras ibid. Chap. 11. That the Emperour Justinus was seized with a Frensie but Tiberius took the care of the Republick Page 506 Chap. 12. That Trajanus having been sent Embassadour to Chosroes repaired the affairs of the Romans ibid. Chap. 13. Concerning the Election of Tiberius to the Empire and concerning his deposition Page 507 Chap. 14. That the Emperour Tiberius raised a vast Army to be imployed against Chosroes at the head whereof he sent Justinianus the Dux and drove Chosroes out of the Roman Pale Page 508 Chap. 15. That Chosroes being heavily disquieted at his own overthrow ended his life but his Son Hormisda undertook the Government of the Persians Page 509 Chap. 16. Who at that time were Bishops of the Greater Churches ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning the Earthquake which hapned at Antioch in the times of Tiberius ibid. Chap. 18. Concerning the Insurrection against the execrable Anatolius Page 510 Chap. 19. Concerning Mauricius's Generalship and concerning his Vertues Page 511 Chap. 20. How Mauricius vanquished Tamchosroes and Adaarmanes Generals of the Persians Page 512 Chap. 21. Concerning those signes which presignified Mauritius's being made Emperour ibid. Chap. 22. Concerning the Proclaiming of Mauricius and Augusta ibid. Chap. 23. A Computation of the Times from Justinus Junior to Mauricius Page 513 Chap. 24. Concerning the Series of History which is preserved till our Times ibid. Book VI. Chap. 1. COncerning the Marriage of Mauricius and Augusta Pag. 515 Chap. 2. Concerning Alamundarus the Saracen and his Son Naamanes Page 516 Chap. 3. Concerning Johannes and Philippicus Master of the Milice and the actions done by them ibid. Chap. 4. Concerning Priscus's Mastership of the Milice and what he suffered from the Army who raised a Muâ—iny against him ibid. Chap. 5. Concerning Germanus's being forced against his will to undertake the Imperial dignity ibid. Chap. 6. How the Emperour sent Philippicus again but the Army refused to receive him Page 517 Chap. 7. Concerning Gregorius Bishop of Antioch and the Calumny framed against him and in what manner he evinced it to be false ibid. Chap. 8. That Antioch suffered again by Earthquakes Page 518 Chap. 9. That the Barbarians taking courage from the Defection of the Army from the Emperour set upon them and were worsted by Germanus Page 519 Chap. 10. Concerning the Emperour's clemency towards the Mutineers ibid. Chap. 11. That Gregorius Bishop of Antioch was sent to pacifie the Army ibid. Chap. 12. Gregorius's Speech to the Army Page 520 Chap. 13. That after Gregorius's Speech the Souldiers changed their minds and received their General Philippicus again Page 521 Chap. 14. Concerning the taking of Martyroplis ibid. Chap. 15. Concerning Comentiolus's Mastership of the Milice and the taking the Castle Ocbas Page 522 Chap. 16. Concerning the Murder of Hormisda ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning the Flight of Chosroes Junior to us ibid. Chap. 18. How the Emperour sent Gregorius and Dometianus to meet Chosroes Page 523 Chap. 19. That Chosroes recovered the Empire of the Persians by that assistance given him by the Romans pag. 523 Chap. 20. That the holy Mother Golanduch lived in those Times ibid. Chap. 21. Concerning those Sacred Presents which Chosroes sent to the holy Martyr Sergius ibid. Chap. 22. Concerning Naamanes the Saracen Page 524 Chap. 23. Concerning the death of Saint Symeon Junior the Stylite Page 525 Chap. 24. Concerning the death of Gregorius Bishop of Antioch and the Restauration of Anastasius ibid. The Contents of Eusebius Pamphilus's Four Books concerning the Life of the blessed Emperour Constantine Book I. THE Preface Concerning the Death of Constantine pag. 529 Chap. 2. The Preface yet Page 530 Chap. 3. Concerning God who honoured the Pious Emperours and destroyed the Tyrants ibid. Chap. 4. That God honoured Constantine Page 531 Chap. 5. That he Reigned upwards of Thirty years and lived above sixty ibid. Chap. 6. That he was the Servant of God and a Vanquisher of Nations Page 532 Chap. 7. Constantine compared with Cyrus King of the Persians and with Alexander the Macedonian ibid. Chap. 8. That he subdued almost the whole world ibid. Chap. 9. That he was the Son of a pious Emperour and left his Empire to his Sons who were Emperours Page 533 Chap. 10. That this History is necessary and advantagious to the Souls and minds of men ibid. Chap. 11. That he will at present relate only the Pious Actions of Constantine ibid. Chap. 12. That Constantine like Moses was educated in the Houses of Tyrants Page 534. Chap. 13. Concerning his Father Constantius who refused to persecute the Christians in such manner as Diocletianus Maximianus and Maxentius did Page 535 Chap. 14. How Constantius Father to Constantine being reproacht with poverty by Diocletian filled his Treasuries and afterwards restored the money to the owners thereof who had brought it in ibid. Chap. 15. Concerning the Persecution raised by the other Emperours Page 536 Chap. 16. How Constantius Father to Constantine pretending himself a worshipper of Idols turned out those who were willing to offer sacrifice but retained within his own Palace such as chose to profess themselves Christians ibid. Chap. 17. Concerning the same Constantius's love and affection towards Christ. ibid. Chap. 18. That after the Resignation of Diocletian and Maximian Constantius was the first Augustus and was Adorned with a numerous Issue Page 537 Chap. 19. Concerning his Son Constantine who when a young man came into Palestine together with Diocletian ibid. Chap. 20. The departure of Constantine to his Father because of Diocletian's treacherous designs against him Page 538 Chap. 21. The death of Constantius who left his son Constantine Emperour ibid. Chap. 22. How after the Death of Constantius the Army saluted Constantine Augustus ibid. Chap. 23. A brief Rehearsal of the death of the Tyrants pag. 539 Chap. 24. That Constantine obtained the Empire by the Will of
all others esteemed their own Laws of which the Scribes were not onely the keepers but the interpreters also Moreover they were consulted as being taken to be men of great knowledge and skill and who were best able to interpret Signs and Prodigies and also who best knew the mysteries of the Law So we read Matth. 2. 4. Herod there consults the Scribes and in this place of Josephus here the Scribes foretell the meaning of the Prodigies Moreover the Magistrate of the City of Jerusalem who was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had his Scribe as Josephus tells us B. 20. But whither this Scribe was among the number of those that were interpreters of the Law it is hard to say Farther the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 amongst the Egyptians were certain Priests who look't after the Ordinances about things Sacred and had the keeping of the mystical Learning and foretold things to come concerning whom see Joseph L. 2. c. 5. where he calls them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 These after the Cantor and the Horoscopus went in the third place into the Temple wearing wings on their heads and carrying before them in their hands Ink and a Pen with a Book They had also the Hieroglyphical Books of Mercury and those of Cosmography and of the scituation of Countries and of Egypt and of the Nile and of the places consecrated in honour of their Gods committed to their custody as Clem. Alexandrinus writes in his 6 B. Lucianus saith that these sort of men had been of long continuance in Egypt Vales. d After these words Eusebius omits some passages that are extant in Josephus as of this Prodigies's being told to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Magistrate for an account of whom and his office see the Learned Hammond in his notes on Luke 22. 52. e The reading must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. those that beat him as it is in Josephus not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. those that were present although Rufinus followed that reading Vales. f That is the Magistrate of the Temple the chief Priests and the Scribes Vales. g That was Albinus who then was Procuratour of Judea Vales. h Percrebuerat Oriente toto vetus constans opinio esse in satis ut eo tempore Judaeâ— profecti rerum potirentur Id de Imperatore Romano quantùm eventu posteà praedictum patuit Judaei ad se trahentes rebellarunt So Suetonius in the Life of Vespasian * Psal. 2. 8. †Psal. 19. 4. a In the Kings M. S. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so also in Josephus in his Book of his own Life and in the proeme to his History of the Jewish wars In Sophronius's Book De scriptoribus Eccles. it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So also Sozomen calls him in the beginning of his first Book And Rufinus calls the father of Josephus Matthias Joseppus says he Mâ—thiae fillus ex Hierosolymis sacerdos So it is written in the most excellent M. S. of the Parisian Church Vales. Suetonius in the life of Vespasian has this passage of Josephus Unus ex nobilibus captivis Josephus cùm conjiceretur in vincula constantissime asseveravit fore ut ab eo brevi solveretur verum jam Imperatore b The words of Eusebius are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but Nicephorus writes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Josephus seems to confirm who testifies that Apion wrote more Books than one against the Jewish nation But Jerom in Catalogo where he speaks of Josephus's writings defends the ordinary reading Vales. c Josephus in his Books against Apion answers not onely those who had calumniated the Laws and Institutions of the Jews but also he more especially writes against those who had forged certain falsities concerning the original and antiquity of the Jews as appears by his first Book But about the end of his second Book he answers Apollonius Molon and Lysimachus who had written some lies about the Laws and Institutions of the Jews The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore in this place must mean both these to wit the Antiquity and the Laws of the Jewish Nation Vales. a There were so many Books of the Scripture amongst the Jews as they had letters in their Alphabet So Origen tells us in his exposition of the first Psalm and Jerome in proemio galeato where also he saies that there were among them three ranks of these holy Volumes the first contained the Law the second the Prophets the third the Hagiography All which agrees very well with Josephus But in this they differ Josephus makes thirteen Books to be of the second order to wit following the series of the times But of the third he reckons onely four disagreeing from S. Jerom who in the foresaid preface and in that of his before the Prophecie of Daniel reckons up eight Books of the Prophets and nine of the Hagiography But Josephus seems to have placed the Book of Joshua and Judges also those of the Kings Chronicles and Ezra amongst the Prophetical writings not that they contain Prophecies as the Books of the Prophets doe but because they were written by men that were Prophets Vales. b To wit in the book of his own life pag. 1026 Edit Genev. which book is the conclusion of his twentieth and last book of his Antiquities from which it is separated unadvisedly in the Greek and Latine Editions Now that it is the conclusion of the 20 B. of Antiquities Josephus himself tells us at the close of that Book and at the end of this book of his own life Scaliger therefore is mistaken in his Animadvers on Euseb. p. 188 where he saies Eusebius forgot himself here and so is Christopherson who supposing this place in Eusebius to be corrupted altered it But had they seen the Greek M. SS Copies of Josephus or had they consulted the Basil. Edition of him they might easily have found that which I have said to be true to wit that this book of Josephus's of his own life was nothing else but an appendix or conclusion of his 20 book of Antiquities Vales. c Our M. SS Copies Maz. Med. and Fuk. have it thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 corruptly as I judge For both Stephanus Byzantius doth acknowledge it to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and also Jerom in his book De Scriptorib Ecclesiast calls him Justus Tiberiensis whom we have followed But Scaliger stiles him Tiberiadensis This Justus wrote an History of the Jewish wars as Josephus tells us in his book De vitâ suâ and Stephanus in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides this History he wrote a Chronicle of the Kings of the Jews as Photius testifies in Bibliothecâ which work he dedicated to King Agrippa as Scaliger affirms in Animadvers Euseb. pag. 176. And he adds these words Nemo de obitu Regis Ag ippae certiûs pro nuntiare potuit quà m is qui illi opus suum dedicavit i. e. No body could speak
more certainly of the death of King Agrippa than he who dedicated his work to him Which I indeed wish had not dropt from so acute a man For how can an Historian testifie of the death of him to whom he dedicates his History unless we say that Justus dedicated his Chronicle to Agrippa when he was dead which is absurd But as Scaliger without all ground asserted that Justus Tiberiandensis dedicated his Chronicle to K. Agrippa so what he inferrs therefrom is also absurd But from Photius his testimonie it is manifest that that work was put forth by Justus after the death of King Agrippa Josephus relates that the History of the Jewish wars was published by Justus also after the death of Agrippa although it was written twenty years before A book of this same Justus his whose title was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is quoted by Laërtius in the life of Socrates which Photius says was the same with his Chronicle Vales. d He means Julius Archelaus and Herod as Josephus himself declares in his first book against Apion Julius Archelaus was brother in law to King Agrippa for he had married his Sister Mariamne so says Josephus at the end of his 19 and 20 books of Antiquit. Vales. e Nicephorus in his 3 book chap. 11. interpreting these words of Josephus says that Titus with his own hand copied out the books of Josephus his History of the Jewish wars See what Johannes Langus has noted at that place of Nicephorus But all interpreters who have translated this place of Josephus into Latine understand thereby that Titus onely subscribed the books of Josephus with his own hand and did not copy them out himself But I would rather follow the opinion of Nicephorus Neither do these words of Josephus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seem to sound any thing less to me Thus this place is pointed in all Copies as well M. S. as Printed But if this place of Josephus were to be understood onely of Titus his Subscribing Josephus his books with his hand then the distinction or comma ought to be put after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but here you see it put after the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. f In the most excellent M. SS Maz. Med. Fuk. and in S r Hen. Savills M. S. it is written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which reading all interpreters seem to have followed but I like Rufinus his Version best who translates it To be publickly read in which sense the same word is used by Eusebius in chap. 22. of his second book where he speaks of the General Epistles of James and Jade and in chap. 3. of his 3 book But from these words of Josephus we may gather that the History of the Jewish wars was put out by him in the Reign of Vespasian but his Antiquities were published by him in the thirteenth year of Domitian as he himself testifies at the end of his 20 book and at the close of his book of his own life But that which Scaliger affirms in Animad Euseb. p. 187. to wit that the book of Josephus his own life was by him put out seven years after his Antiquities seems not probable to me for that book is as we made it out before onely the conclusion of his twentieth Book of Antiquities and at the end of it Josephus reckoning up the Roman Emperours concludes with Domitian Vales. a This account of Eusebius his here agrees not with what he has written in that work of his called his Chronicon for there he writes that presently after the death of James Simcon was elected to wit in the seventh year of Nero. But here he makes it evident that after the murder of James the Episcopal See was vacant for the space of about eight or nine years Which intervall of time that the Authour Chronici Alexandrini might fill up he places the death of James on the first year of Vespasian Vales. b That is because as we conjecture he married Mary which was Sister to the B. Virgin upon which account Simeon the son of this Cleophas is here called Cousin-German by the mothers side to our Saviour for so we translate the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not patruelem i. e. Cousin-German by the fathers side as it is in the version of Valesius but consobrinum i. e. Sisters son For Mary the wife of Cleophas and the B. Virgin were Sisters see Jo. 19. 25. and so Simeon the son of the former Mary and our Saviour the son of the latter were Sisters children See the Learned B◠Pearson on the Creed p. 175 176. Edit Lond. 1669. And Petavius in hares 78. Epiphan cap. 7 14. and also St Jerom in Catalog a I know not why R. Stephens read Anacletus seeing that all our books have it written Anencletus And so Nicephorus Constantinopolitanus and his Translatour Anastasius Bibliothecarius in Chronolog Tripartit reads it So also Nicephorus Calistus in Libr. 3. cap. 2. and Georgius Syncellus and the M. SS copies of Rufinus So likewise Irenaeus in Lib. 3 where he reckons up the Roman Bishops in order names him Anencletus and omits the name of Cletus which to me seems to be made of a piece of the word Anencletus Neither does Optatus nor S. Augustine in his 165 Epistle where he counts up the Romish Bishops acknowledge Cletus But on the contrary in two very antient Catalogues of the Roman Bishops one whereof is in the Monastery of S. German and the other in the Jesuits Colledge at Clermont there is no mention of Anencletus but onely of Cletus who succeeded Linus and sat eleven years one month and two daies From whence its evident that Cletus and Anencletus was the same man See more of this in P. Halloixius in notat ad cap. 7. vitae Irenaei Vales. a That is the First after Mark So Eusebius said before concerning Linus Bishop of Rome at the 2 chap. of this book For Mark was the Apostle of the Alexandrians as we before have said But the Apostles were not reckoned amongst the number of the Bishops There was therefore no need of putting in here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nicephorus did See Seldens notes ad Eutychium patriarcham Alexandr Vales. b Rufinus and the other Translatours call this man Abilius and also Jerom himself in Chronico not so rightly as I judge For he ought to be called Avilius which is a Roman name as well as Annianus who was Bishop before Avilius Besides the order of the chapters is here disturbed in the common Editions this chap. of the succession of Avilius being put before that of the succession of Anencletus but we by the direction of the M. SS copies Maz. and Fuk. have placed them in their true order This was a very antient mistake for in the Index of the chapters prefixed before the 3 B. of Rufinus his translation and in all the Greek copies except in that of Fuk. the same errour is committed But in the