for Christes sake shall haue fellovvship vvith the liuing God after that she had honge a longe vvhile and no beaste toutched her she is taken dovvne cast into pryson and reserued for further torment that being conquerour of many combatts she might prouide for the crooked serpent inexcusable condemnation and animate the brethren vnto chearefulnesse putting on as a smale a vveake and contemptible person the greate the strong and inuincible champion Christ Iesus obtayning through her diuerous manifolde pacience the incorruptible crovvne of glory Attalus also a famous man vvas greatly desired of the people vnto punishment vvho being ready and of a cleare conscience came forth for he vvas notably exercised in the Christian profession alvvaies a fauorer and furtherer of the trueth therefore vvhen he vvas led in compasse of the Theatre vvith a scrole before him vvherein vvas vvritten in the Romayne tongue This is Attalus the Christian and the people had raged against him the President knovving that he vvas a Romayne commaunded him to be imprisoned and closely kept vvith the other prisoners concerning vvhom he had vvritten vnto Caesar and expected an ansvvere The meane tyme passing betvvene vvas neither vayne nor frutelesse for the infinite mercy of Christ Iesus our Sauiour shined in the vvorlde through their pacience the deade by the liuing vvere reuiued the martyrs profited such as vvere no martyrs the pure virgine and mother the Churche vvas greatly comforted and cherished vvhen as she recouered and receaued for liuing such as before she had loste as vntimely birthes and dead frute for many vvhich before had faynted by their meanes vvere novv moulded borne againe stirred vp a fresh learned to protest their faith and novv being quickened and strengthened hauing tasted of him vvhich vvill not the deathe of a sinner but is mercifull vnto the penitent they come forth before the tribunall seate ready to ansvvere vnto the interrogatories of the president And because that Caesar had commaunded by vvriting that such as confessed them selues Christians shoulde be executed and such as renounced shoulde departe the frequented solemnitie vvhich by reason of the concourse of the Gentyles from euery contrey vvas about the beginning very populous he brought forth from prison the blessed confessors into the open spectacle and presence of the people to be scornfully gased vpon and vvhen he had agayne made inquisition of them as many as he founde to be priuiledged persons of Rome those he beheadded the rest he threvv to be reÌ„t a sunder torne in peeces of vvilde beastes Christ vvas greatly glorified in them vvhich at the first denyed and at last beyond all the expectation of the heathen boldely confessed their fayth They seuerally vvere examined to be set at liberty but after confession they vvere coopled to the number of the martyrs They taried vvithout vvhich neuer had grayne of fayth no feeling of the vvedding garment no sparckle of the feare of God but rather through their vvicked conuersation blasphemed the vvay of God as sonnes of perdition All the other vvere coopled to the Christian congregation at the tyme of examination Alexander a Phrygian borne professing phisicke hauing dvvelled in Fraunce many yeares a man vvell knovvne for his great zeale Godvvardes and boldenes of speach he vvas not vvithout the gracious and Apostolicke gift stoode harde by the tribunall seate and nigh the examined persons exhorting them to bouldnesse of confession by signes and tokens so that by his sorovving and sighing by his hopping and skipping to and froe he vvas discryed of the standers by and vvhen the people in compasse had taken in ill parte that they vvhich before had recanted againe did confesse vvith one consent they cry out agaynste Alexander as author thereof VVhen the President had vrged him and demaunded of him vvhat he vvas he ansvvered I am a Christian for vvhich ansvvere the President allotted him vnto the beastes of them I say to be rent in peeces and deuoured The seconde day after together vvith Attalus he is brought forthe for the President to gratifie the people deliuered him vnto the beastes to be bayted the seconde time And vvhen these had tasted of all the torments prouided for them in compasse of the scaffolde and suffred great paine in the ende they vvere put to death of vvhich number Alexander not once sighed neyther vttered any kinde of speache but invvardly from the heart talked vvith God Attalus burning in the scaulding yron chayre glovving hott so that the sauour of his broyled body filled their nostrells spake vnto the multitude in the Romayne tongue behould this is to deuoure men for vve neither deuoure men neyther commit any other haynous offence And being demaunded vvhat name God had aunsvvered God is not called after the manner of men after all these thinges vppon the last day of the spectacles Blandina together vvith Ponticus a yonge man of fifteene yeares of age vvas brought forth vvhich thing vvas dayly vsed to the ende they might behoulde the torments of the rest vvhome they compelled to svveare by their Idols names but they constantly perseuering in their sentence and contemning their Idols sett the multitude in such a rage against them that they tendered neither pitied the yeares of the yonge man nether spared the vvoman kinde but plagued them vvith all punishment possible that in compasse compelling them novv and then to svveare vvhich vvhen they coulde not bringe to passe Ponticus being succored of the sister in presence of the Paganes vvho then behelde hovve that she exhorted and confirmed the yonge man after that he had suffered all kinde of bitter torment yelded vp the ghoste last of all blessed Blandina like a noble mother hauing exhorted her children and sent them before as Conquerours vnto the Kinge pondering vvith her selfe all the punishments of her children hastened after them ioying and triumphing at her ende as if she had bene inuited and laued to a vvedding dinner and not to be cast among vvilde beastes after scurging after buckling vvith vvilde beastes after the broyling of her bodye as it vvere in a frying panne at lengthe she vvas vvrapped in a nette and tumbled before a vvilde bull vvhich tossed her vvith his hornes to and froe yet had she no feeling of all these her minde being fixed and vvholy sett vppon the conference vvhich she had vvith Christ in the ende she vvas beheaded the Pagans them selues pronouncing â–ª that neuer any vvoman vvas hearde of amonge them to haue suffred so many and so greate torments nether so did they cease from their crueltie and rage tovvardes the Christians for the sauage and barbarous Gentyles being prouoked by a furious and beastly â—iende coulde not quiet them selues but that their furious rage practised an other kinde of malicious spyte vpon the dead carkases neither vvere they pleased in that they vvere ouercome and voyde of natural feeling and sense but proceeded further like brute beastes both President and people
the maiestie of the workmanship continewance of the buylding taking vvith thy selfe good aduisement therein that thou certifie vs thereof by thy letters to the ende that we vnderstanding by thy letters what you haue neede of may from euery vvhere conuey the same thither vnto you for it behoueth vs to garnishe sete forth vvith great maiestie the heade and chiefe place of the vvhole vvorlde our vvill is besides that thou certifie vs vvhat thine opinion is vvhether it vvere better to haue the roofe of the sanctuary embovved vautvvise or vvrought after some other kinde of artificious cunning â–ª if embovved vautvvise then may it finely be gylded all ouer It resteth then that thy holines vnto vvhose prudent consideration as it is premised we haue referred the whole do certifie vs vvith all speede what vvorkemen vvhat artificers vvhat prouision ye shall haue neede of also that thou signifie vnto vs thy minde toutching the marble and pillers to be made thereof and the embovved roofe if that kinde of vvorke please thee best God keepe thee in health vvelbeloued brother The Emperour wrote also solemne and large epistles against Arius and his complices the which he caused euery where and in euery citie to be blased abroad taunting him bitterly for his follye and skoffing wise grieuing him to the gutts besides he wrote letters vnto the Nicomedians where he inueyed agaynst Eusebius and Theognis He charged Eusebius with subtle treachery and lewde behauiour and not onely that he had infected him selfe with the noysome filth of Ariamse but also in the tyrants behalfe wrought treason agaynst him and after the maner of a rebell resisted his enterprises Wherefore he exhorted them to choose an other Bishop in his rowme The which Epistles of his because that they are somewhat longe I thought good presently not to trouble the Reader withall in so much as such as are desirous thereof may easily and at pleasure both finde and peruse them And of these thinges thus much CAP. VII Howe that the Emperour Constantine called Acesius a Nouatian Bishop vnto the councell of Nice THe Emperours care and industrie moueth me to mention an other act of that councell wherein he applyed him selfe to the maintenance of peace And because he greatly respected the vnitie and concorde in Ecclesiasticall affayres he summoned Acesius Bishop of the Nouatian sect to the councell After that the determination of the councell toutching the fayth was both layde downe in writing and ratified with the scuerall subscriptions of all their handes the Emperour demaundeth of Acesius whether he woulde assent vnto the same fayth and also vnto the canon concluded vpon toutching the obseruation of the feast of Easter who made answere the councell O Emperour hath concluded and decreed no newe thing â–ª for I haue learned of olde that euen from the beginning and the Apostolick times them selues the selfe same fayth was retayned and the selfe same time for the celebration of the feast of Easter was obserued Agayne when the Emperour demaunded of him the cause why he seuered him selfe from the communion of the faythfull he alleadged for him selfe such thinges as had happened vnder the raygne of Decius and about the persecution of that time and also he brought forth the precise obseruation of a certayne seuere Canon to were that such as after baptisme through frayltie of the fleshe had fallen viâ—o that kinde of sinne the which holy Scripture termeth the sinne vnto death shoulde not be partakers of the holye mysteries but exhorted vnto repentance and that they shoulde wayte for remission of sinne to proceede not of the Priestes but of God him selfe who both can and is of power sufficient to remitt sinne The whiche when Acesius had vttered the Emperour sayde vnto him agayne Prouide thee a ladder O Acesius and clyme alone into heauen These thinges did neyther Eusebius Pamphilus neyther any other writer once make mention of but I my selfe learned it of one that was of no small creditt of greate yeares and such a one as rehearsed the thinges he sawe done in the councell whereby I coniecture the selfe same to haue happened vnto such as herein haue bene silent the which thinge diuers Historiographers haue practised â–ª for these men ouerskipp many thinges eyther because they fauour some one side or flatter some kinde of men And so much of Acesius CAP. VIII Of Paphriutius Bishop of a certaine place in the vpper Thebais and Spyridion Bishop of Trimithous a citie of Cyprus IN so much as heretofore we haue promised to speake of Paphnutius and Spyridion nowe fitt opportunitie is offered to performe the same This Paphnutius was Bishop of a certayne citie in the vpper Thebais so vertuous and so holy a man that straung miracles were wrought by him He had one of his eyes pulled out in the tyme of persecution Wherefore the Emperour had him in very greate reuerence and sent for him at sundrye tymes to come vnto his sumptuous pallace The emptye place of the banished eye he was wonte to kisse So greate a reuerence and honor did the Emperour Constantine owe vnto auncient and holy fathers And this is one thinge whiche I had to saye of Paphnutius An other thinge also I will reporte whiche came to passe through his aduise both profitable for the Church and honorable for ecclesiasticall persons The Bishops thought good to bring a newe lawe into the Churche to were that they which were of the Clergie I meane Bishops Priestes Deacons should thenceforth not company with their wiues the which they had coopled vnto them being lay men When as they went about to reason hereof to consult among them selues toutching this matter * Paphnutius stoode vp in the middest of the assembly of Bishops and brake out into lowde speaches language that the necks of clergie men and such as were entred into holy orders were not to be pressed downe with an heauy yoke and greeuous burthen saying * that mariage was honorable the bedd vndefiled that it was their part to foresee lest that with toe seuere a censure they should greatly iniurie and offende the Churche of God that all possibly coulde not away with so austere a discipline to be voyde of all perturbation and frayltie of the fleshe and that peraduenture likewise euery of their wiues coulde not brooke so rare a rule of continencie prescribed vnto them He termed the company of man and wife lawfully coopled together chastity and that to seeme sufficient inough for such as had entred into holy orders being single men thenceforth according vnto the old ecclesiasticall tradition to liue a single life and not to seperate any man asunder from his wife the which he had maried being a laye man such speaches vsed Paphnutius when he him selfe had neuer bene maried and as I may iustly auoutch neuer knewe what woman 's company meant for of a childe he ledd a straict life in the
to bloodshed yet doubted they not to deale with the Persians who nowe were come forthe to meete them so that in the ende they putte them to flighte and wonne the fielde The Emperoure himselfe was a horsebacke at the battell to the ende he mighte animate and incourage the souldiers but trusting to much to his prosperitie and thinkinge himselfe cockesure wente into his campe without complete harnesse Therefore an arrowe beinge soddaynely shotte at him pearced throughe his arme and stucke in his ribbes whiche gaue him his deathes wounde but who did it was neuer knowen Some reporte that he was wounded by a fugitiue Persian some other that he was slayne by one of his owne souldiers whiche is rife in euerye mans mouthe yet Calistus one of the Emperours housholde garde who wrote his life in Heroycall verse and the battell whiche he gaue then vnto the Persians say the that it was a wicked fiende or Deuell that runne him throughe whiche peraduenture is fayned after the maner of Poeticall inuention and yet it may very well be true for we learne that the furies of Hell haue often times recompenced suche lewde persons with extreme punishmente But howe so euer it was euerye man knoweth that for his headye rashenesse he was subiecte to daunger for his eloquence and gifte of vtterance he was desirous of vayne glorie and for his counterfete grauitie he was contemned and derided of all men Thus he ended his life in Persia as I sayde before in his fourth Consulship the whiche he enioyed with Salustius beinge the sixt and twentieth of Iune and the thirde yeare of his raygne the seauenth yeare after he was made Caesar by Constantius the one and thirtieth yeare of his age CAP. XIX Iouianus is created Emperoure A notable confutation of Libanius the Heathen Rhetorician THe souldiers beinge doubtefull knowinge not what was best to be done the nexte day after the death of Iulian without any further deliberation they proclaime Iouianus a man of valiante and noble courage theyr Emperoure This man beinge a tribune when Iulian by proclamatioÌ„ gaue the souldiers in choice eyther to doe sacrifice or to leaue warefare chose rather to throwe awaye his swordegirdle then to satisfie the wicked and detestable edicte of the Emperoure For all that Iulian when the necessitie of the warres then in hande constrayned him retayned him in the number of his Captaines But Iouianus beinge nominated Emperoure refuseth the crowne and beinge compelled thereunto agaynste his will by the souldieres breaketh out into lowde speache sayinge In that he was a Christian he woulde not be Emperour where Ethnickes shoulde become his subiectes yet when all with one voice confessed themselues to be Christians he yelded and was crowned Emperour Beinge in Persia and sodainely put to his shiftes his souldiers also being almost famished to death vpon certaine conditions he ioyned in league with the kinge of Persia and so ended the warres The couenantes as the Romaynes thoughte were vnlaweful yet consideringe the case of that presente time they were not to be misliked For he was contente to loose the dominion of Syria and to deliuer the Persians Nisibis a citie in Mesopotamia When these tidinges were blased abroade the Christians conceaued no small ioye at the departure of Iulian the whole armie also misliked very muche with his vndiscreete and headye rashenesse and laye to his charge that the boundes of the Empire were cutte shorte For be beinge deceaued by a Persian that was a fugitiue sette afire certaine vessells vpon the seaes whiche broughte them corne and thereof it rose that the famine grieued them sore At that time Libanius the Sophist made a funerall oration where he be wayled the death of Iulian and entitled it Iuliana or the Epitaph of Iulian. In the whiche he paynted forthe his life with loftye stile in prayse of his person and to his further commendation reporteth of the bookes he had wrytten agaynste the Christians and howe that in them he had proued theyr doctrine for triflinge and ridiculous stuffe If this Rhetorician had extolled the Emperoure onely for his other Acts I would haue proceeded with silence to discourse of that which remayneth of the historie but in so muche he hath mentioned the bookes of Iulian and like a graue and wise orator inueyed bitterly againste Christian religion therefore I haue thoughte good to saye somewhat thereof and firste I will laye downe his owne wordes In the vvinter season sayth he vvhen the nights are somevvhat longe the Emperoure perusing those bookes vvhiche affirme that the man vvhose originall vvas in Palaestina is bothe God and the sonne of God confuted them vvith manye reasons and stronge argumentes and condemned them for ridiculous doctrine affirmed moreouer that the glorious religion highly esteemed of them was full of toyes and trifles vvhere he proued himselfe to be farre vviser then the olde grayberde of Tyrus VVherefore let the olde man of Tyrus he meaneth Porphyrius conceaue no displeasure at all but patientely vveye vvherein his childe doth preiudice his creditte These are the wordes of Libanius the Sophiste Truely I will saye no lesse but that he was a notable Rhetorician and I am verelye perswaded that if he had not consented vnto the Emperours religion he woulde haue had no other speache in his mouthe then the Christians haue at this day and that by all likelyhoode beinge an excellent Rhetorician he woulde haue extolled Christian religion vnto the skies For he wrote in the prayse of Constantius while he liued after his desease he wrote to his disprayse and made inuectiues agaynste him Wherefore if Porphyrius had bene Emperoure he woulde haue preferred his workes before the wrytinges of Iulian againe if Iulian had bene a Sophist as he wrote of Ecebolius in his funerall oration of Iulian he would haue called him a â—auâ—â—e Rhetorician In as muche as then he beinge of the same religion with the Emperoure beinge a Rhetorician beinge also his friende wrote his pleasure of him we also after our habilitie will fall to answere his sclaunderous workes First he sayth that in the winter season the nights beinge somwhat longe he tooke great paines in perusing the christians bookes He signifieth by taking of paines in this place that his trauell was greate in wrytinge of inuectiues as Rhetoricians doe vse when they traine vp youth to the knoweledge of their art A good while agoe he read those bookes in deede tooke greate paynes discoursed at large not as Libanius sayth with stronge argumentes but with weake in somuche they were contrarie to the trueth and endeuored skoffinge wise to refell suche thinges as of themselues were of force inoughe For whosoeuer disputeth with an other laboureth to foile his aduersarie sometime by corrupting and peruerting some other time by concealinge of the trueth Whosoeuer also he be that oweth spite and hatred vnto any man he will endeuer like a deadly enemy not onely to doe but also to speake the worste of him he
Nyssa a citie also in Cappadocia vnto Otreius Bishop of Meletina a citie of Armenia Amphilochius Bishop of Iconium Optimus Bishop of Antioch in Pisidia tooke the Patriarckshippe of Asia The prouince of Aegypt fell vnto Timothee bishop of Alexandria Pelagius Bishop of Laodicea Diodorus Bishop of Tarsus are appointed ouer the Easterne diocesse reseruing the prerogatiue of honor vnto the churche of Antioch the which thē presently they graunted vnto Meletius They decreed moreouer that if necessity did so require that a prouincial synode should determine prouinciall affaires The Emperour gaue his assent vnto all the aforesayd and thus the councell was dissolued CAP. IX Howe the Emperour Theodosius caused the corps of Paulus late Bishop of Constantinople to be brought from exile with great honor at what time Meletius Bishop of Antioch departed this life ABout that time the corps of Paulus the Bishop whome as I said before Philip the Emperours Liuetenant throught the procurement of Macedonius sent to exile vnto Cucusum a citie of Armenia there stifled to death was conueyed by the Emperours commaundemēt from Ancyra to Cōstantinople and there receaued with great honor in the church which beareth his name vnto this day the which church was vnto that time frequented of the Macedonians who seuered themselues from the Arians but then were thrust out by the Emperour because they refused to be of his faith opinion At that time Meletius Bishop of Antioch fell sicke died Gregorie the brother of Basil preached at his funerall His corps was caried of his friends into Antioch there interred Againe the fauorers of Meletius would not be vnder Paulinus iurisdiction but chose Flauianus to their bishop in the rowme of Meletius Whereupon the people again were at discorde and fell to raising of tumults and dissentiō And because of that the church of Antioch was deuided againe not about the faith but about their fond contention in choosinge of Bishops CAP. X. Howe the Emperour when his sonne Arcadius was created Augustus summoned together a Synode of all sectes and opinions He banished all heretickes the Nouatians onely excepted because they embraced the fayth of one substance WHen the Arians were banished the churches the flame of tumult and schisme flashed about in euery congregation I can not chuse but wonder at the Emperours aduise and pollicy therein For he suffred not this seditiō to raigne very long throughout y ◠cities but with speede he summoned a councell charging that all sects opiniōs whatsoeuer should meet together supposinge verily that by conference and communication had betwene them selues they would at length be brought to establish one faith and opinion The which drift and good meaning of his as I suppose was cause directer of all his prosperous successes For then it fel out through the prouidence procurement of almighty God that all the Barbarians were at peace within his dominions rebelled not at all but yelded themselues vnto the Emperiall seepter for example Athanarichus the valiaunt captaine of the Gotthes came in withall his power shortly after died at Constantinople The Emperour created Arcadius his sonne Augustus in y ◠seconde Consulship of Merogandus the first of Saturninus the sixteenth of Ianuarie shortly after all bishops of euery sect out of all prouinces came thither in y ◠sayd Cōsulship but the moneth of Iune The Emperour sent for Nectarius Bishop of Constantinople reasoned with him howe he might rid y ◠Christiā religiō of y ◠discorde dissention howe it were possible to reduce y ◠church vnto vnitie he sayd further that y ◠controuersies quarells which molested y ◠quiete state of y ◠church rent asunder y ◠membres of Christ were to be sifted out y ◠punishments to light vpō their pates y ◠were founde the authors of schisme and disturbers of peace quietnes Nectarius hearing of this was wonderfull sadd pensiue he called vnto him Agelius the Nouatiā Bishop who embraced together w t him y ◠faith of one substāce opened vnto him y ◠mind purpose of y ◠Emperour He although otherwise a rare singuler man yet was he no body in controuersies of religion disputation of ecclesiasticall matters but appointed Sisinius a reader of his church to reason with them in his steade Sisinius an eloquent man well experienced in all thinges askilfull interpretor of holy Scripture a notable Philosopher knowinge full well that disputations woulde not onely not reconcile schismes but also fire the slymie matter of contention raygning in the rotten bowells of heretickes therefore he aduised Nectarius in this sorte that it was not best to deale with them logicall wise with the frubushinge of schoole pointes but to lay flat before them the formes of faith established by our auncetors he knewe of a surety that the Elders had taken heede lest they should assigne vnto the sonne of God a begininge of essence because they were of the opinion that the sonne of God was coeternall with the father and that the Emperour shoulde demaunde of the ringleaders of the hereticks whether they made any accompt of those aunciente fathers who gouerned the church godly and prudentely before the schisme and diuision or whether they condemned thē as aliens and farre estraunged frō the Christian faith If they reiect them then let them boldely pronounce them accursed if they presume so bolde an enterprise then will the common people crie out against them This beinge done the trueth after such triall no doubt will preuayle If they reiect not the auncient fathers thē let vs alleadge theyr workes and wrytinges and confirme the matter in controuersie out of them Nectarius beinge thus counselled by Sisinius gotte him with speede vnto the Emperoures pallace made the Emperour priuey vnto these circumstances He thinketh well of the aduise and compasseth the matter circumspectly At the first he concealed his drift required of them to tell him whether they esteemed and allowed of the fathers which gouerned the churche before the diuision or no When as they confessed as much in effect and sayd that they highly reuerenced them for their maisters the Emperoure demaunded of them againe whether they woulde be tried by theyr testimonies toutchinge the true and right faith the sectes and factious Bishoppes together with the Logicians then presente for they had broughte with them many well prepared for disputation hearinge this knewe not what answer to make They were deuided amonge themselues while that some helde with the Emperoure and some other affirmed that it was altogether contrarye to their mind and purpose for y ◠diuerse opinion they conceaued of the aunciēt fathers distracted their mindes one from the other So that not onely the opinion was diuerse among contrary sects but such as were of one opiniō were deuided among themselues Wherefore theyr linked malice was no otherwise then the confuse language of those auncient Giaunts and the turret
the faythfull in the slipery way of perdition vnder pretence of reducing them to the fayth to ouerwhelme them in the whirpoole deepe dungeon of damnation Out of Menander therefore whome before we termed the successor of Simon there budded out a doubtfull a viperous a twofolde heresie by the meanes of Sathan hauing two heades or captaynes varying among themselues Saturninus of Antioch and Basilides of AlexaÌ„dria whereof the one throughout Syria the other throughout Aegypt published hereticall and detestable doctrine Irenaeus sayth that Saturninus for the moste parte dreamed the same with Menander and that Basilides vnder pretence of more mysticall matters enlarged his deuise into infinitie inuenting monstrous fables to the furtherance of his Heresie CAP VII VVhat heretickes and ecclesiasticall wryters lyued then WHen as many ecclesiasticall persons in those dayes striued in the behalf of the trueth and contended with sure and certaine reasons for the Apostolicke and Ecclesiasticall doctrine some also as forefencers haue exhibited instruction to the posterity by their commentaries leuealing at the aforesayd heresies of which number one Agrippa Castor a stout champion and a famous wryter of those times published a confutation of Basilides disclosing all his Satanicall iugling hauing displaied his secrety he reporteth that Basilides wrote foure and twenty bookes vpon the gospell fayning vnto him self prophets whome he calleth Barcabus and Barcoph and certaine others neuer heard of before Inuenting those barbarous names to amaze the hearers withall teaching that indifferently thinges offred to Idols may be eaten that in time of persecution the fayth with periury may be renounced coÌ„maunding silence after the manner of Pythagoras for the space of fiue yeares And such like heresies of Basilides the sayd writer hathe plainely confuted Irenaeus wryteth that in the time of these two Carpocrates liued y e father of that heresie which the Gnostici hould who thought good not to publish the sorcery of Simon priuely after his manner but openly Glorying of charmed loue drinkes of diuelish dronken dreames of assistent and associate spirites with other like illusions They teach farther that who so will attaine vnto the perfection of their mysteries or rather abhominable deuises must worke such factes by they neuer so filthy otherwise can they not ouercome as they terme them the secular potentates vnlesse euery one play his parte after the same secret operation So it came to passe that Sathan reioycing in his deuelish subtlety seduced many of theÌ„ thus already snared whome he led to perdition by the meanes of such wicked ministers gaue hereby great occasion to y e infidels of blasphemy agaynst the diuine doctrine and spred a great slaunder in that the fame of them was bruted abrode throughout christendome By this meanes it fell out often that the infidels of those times conceaued a wicked absurde and shamefull opinion of vs that that we vsed the vnlawfull company of Mothers sisters that we fed vpon the tender infantes sucklinges But these reports preuailed not long for the trueth tride it self in tyme folowing shined as the sonne beames for the sleyghts and subtleties of the aduersaries turned to their owne confusion whilest that new heresies dayly sprong creeping one vpon an other the latter taking place the former vanished away encreasing into diuerouse manifold sectes chaunging now this way anone that waye they were destroyed The brightnes of the catholicke and onely true churche continuing alwayes the same encreased enlarged dayly the boundes thereof that the grauitie sinceritie liberty and temperancy of Godly conuersation and christian philosophie shined and florished among all the nations both of the Grecians and Barbarians Thus the slaunder slyded away with the time and the doctrine famous among as and forthered of all men specially for the pietie and modestie for the diuine and mysticall doctrine thereof tooke place so that from that time vnto this day none durst note y â— same of any haynous crime or â—â—famy as they durst before which conspired agaynst vs and the Christian fayth But the trueth brought forth many in those dayes which contended and dealt with these Heretickes some with inuincible arguments without the Scriptures some with manifest proofes and authorities of Scripture confuting their hereticall opinions CAP. VIII VVhat notable writers liued theâ— OF the number was Aegesippus whome we haue before ofteâ—â—ymes 〈◊〉 one ofthâ— Apostles tyme who in fiue bookes wrote the syncere tradition of the Apostles preaching â–ª signifying his owne time and making mention of such as in former times erected Idols where he writeth thus To vvhome they erected Idols and monuments and â—aloâ—â—â—d temples it is vvell knovvne Antinous the seruant of Adrianus Caesar had a festiual triumphe decreed vnto him called after his name Antinous vvrastling celebrated in our daies They buylded him a city after his name Antinoia they consecrated Priestes they appoynted Prophets At the same tyme Iustinus Martyr an embracer of the true philosophy well studied and exercised in the doctrine of the Gentiles maketh mention of the same man in his Apologie vnto Antoninus writing thus It shall not seeme impertinent if that vve propose vnto you the remembrance of Antinous and of that vvhich they celebrate in his name VVhome all doe vvorship as it vvote for feare vvhen as they knovv vvell inough vvho and vvhence he vvas The same Iustinus maketh mention of the warres helde against the Ievves saying thus In the Iudaical vvarres fresh before your eyes Barchochebas a captayne of the Ievvish rebellion commaunded the Christians only to be greuously punished vnlesse they renouÌ„ced Christ blasphemed God In the same place he declareth how that not rashly but after good aduisement taken he left pâ—gauisme and embraced the true and onely piety For I my self sayth he delighted vvith the doctrine of Plato hearing the Christians led captiues nether fearing death nether all the torments most terrible â–ª thought it could not be that this kinde of men vvas subiect vnto malice set on pleasure For vvhat voluptuous person or intemperate or delighted vvith deuoâ—â—ing of mans 〈◊〉 can so embrace death that he be depriued of his desire not rather endeuour â–ª that this life may alvvayes â—â—ste that he be able to deceaue Princes not betray him self to the death â–ª Moreouer this Iustinus writeth how that Adrianus receauing letters of Serenius Granianus a noble President signifying in the behalf of the Christians that it was very iniurious for no â—…e but onely at the outâ—ry of the people they should be brought forth and executed wrote agayne vnto Mâ—…ius Fundanus Proconsul of Asia and commaunded that none without greeuous crime and iust accusation shoulde dye the death The coppy whereof obseruing the Latins phrase as much as in him lay he added prefiring these fewe wordes And vvhen as vve might iustly require by vertue of the epistle of the most victorious noble Caesar Adrian your father that as
vvere furiously prouoked prosecuting vs vvith like hatred that the Scripture might be fulfilled vvhich saith â–ª he that is vvicked let him be vvicked still and he that is iust let him vvorke righteousnes still for as many as vvere choked vp vvith the noysome stinche of the prison vvere throvvne to be deuoured of dogges charging a continual vvatch day and night that none of them shoulde be buried of vs and they gathering together the reliques of the Martyrs bodies some vndeuoured of beastes some vnburned by fire partly torne and partly burned vvith the heades and stumpes of others vncouered vvith earthe committed them for the space of many dayes vnto the custody of souldiers others fretted and â—umed snarling at them vvith the gnashing of their teeth seeking further reuengement of them others derided and skoffed them magnifying their Idolls as causers of this our calamitie And such as vvere of a milder nature and somevvhat sorovved at our suffering vehemently reuiled and sayd vvhere is their God and vvhat profited them this religion vvhich they preferred before their liues and such vvas the variable and deuelish disposition of the infidells to our great sorovve because that it vvas not lavvfully permitted for vs to bury the deade bodies of the Martyrs neither stoode the night vnto vs in any steade for that purpose nether vvoulde the keepers bovve for money neither bende at our prayer but kept the brused carkases of the Sainctes as if some great commoditie grevve vnto them by keeping them vnburyed Againe after a fewe lynes thus they write To be short after that the bodyes of the blessed Sainctes had bene euery kinde of vvay spitefully and scornfully entreated lying vvhole six dayes along vnburied at length they vvere burned to ashes the ashes also they gathered scattered in the riuer Rhodanus vvhich passed by so that no iote or relique thereof shoulde longer remaine vppon earthe this they did to the ende they might ouercome God and hinder the reuiuing of the Sainctes lest that as they sayd there shoulde be any further hope of the resurrection vvhereof say they the Christians being fully persvvaded bring amongst vs straunge nevve religion they contemne punishment hasten them selues chearefully vnto death Novv let vs see vvhether they can rise and vvhether their God can helpe and deliuer them from our handes CAP. II. How the blessed Martyrs of God recâ—â—â—ed after repâ—â—â—ance such as fell in 〈◊〉 â–ª SUch were the calamities which happened vnto the Churches of Christ vnder the sayd Emperour whereby me may 〈◊〉 by all likely hoode what befell vnto other prouinces neither shal it be amisse if out of the same epistle we alleadge farther testimony concerning the mercy and mekenesse of the foresayd Martyrs written in this manner They vvere such follovvers of Christ vvho vvhen he vvas in the forme of God thought no robbery to be equall vvith God that being sett in such a glory they suffered torments neither once nor tvvyse but often and againe being reskued from the beastes hauing the prynt of hott irons and skarres and vvoundes in their bodies neither called they them selues Martyrs neither permitted others so to terme them but if any of vs so named them in our epistles they sharply rebuked vs they attributed the name of martyrdome vvith full minde vnto Christ vvho vvas the faythfull and true Martyr the first frutes of the deade the guyde vnto life they called to minde their miserable torments vvhich ended the race and course of this life vvith blessed martyrdome and saide They novv are Martyrs vvhome Christe voutchsafed to receaue vnto him by confession and through the passage of this persecuted life to seale their martyrdome among the number of the blessed Sainctes but vve are meane and base and humble confessours they beseached the brethren vvith vvatrish eyes and vvett cheekes to pray incessantly for their happy endes they expressed liuely the povver of martyrdome vvhile they resisted the Heathens vvith libertye and boldenesse shevving their noble corage through pacience their constancy vvithout feare or trembling and being called Martyrs of the brethren refused it vvith the fulnesse of the feare of God And a litle after thus they writâ— they humbled them selues vnder the mighty hande of God by the vvhich they are novv highly exalted they rendred vnto all men an accompt in the defence of their fayth they accused none loosed all and bounde no man they prayed for their persecutors after the example of Stephan that perfect Martyr vvhich sayde Lorde lay not this sinne to their charge if he prayed for them that stoned him hovv much more for the brethren Againe a litle after they say the greatest combatt they had vvith him meaning the serpent vvas for the syncerity of loue so that the roring lyon being foyled before novv quickened and sturred vp such as he thought to haue had deuoured they shevved no insolent atrogancye tovvards them that fell but ministred vnto such as vvanted of their aboundance being affectioned vvith motherly pity and compassion tovvards them and sheading many teares vnto God the father for their sakes they craued life and he graunted it them vvhich life they communicated to their neighboures and so they passing as Conquerours in all thinges embracing peace and shevvinge the same vnto vs departed this life vvith peace and posted vnto the heauenly celestiall paradise leauing no griefe behinde them vnto the mother no sedition or vvarre vnto the brethren but ioye and peace and concorde and loue I suppose these thinges not to be vnprofitably spoken of vs toutching the loue of the blessed Martyrs towardes the brethren that fell whereby we may note the vnnaturall and mercylesse mindes of such as after these examples greeuously afflicte the members of Christ CAP. III. Of the vision that appeared vnto Attalus the Martyr in his sleepe THe same epistle of the foresayd brethren contayneth an history worthy of memory which without let of the enuious may be layd downe to the knowledge of the Reader and it is thus There vvas among them one Alcibiades vvho liued beastly and miserly feeding only on breade and vvater VVhen he had so determined vvith him selfe to liue in prison it vvas reuealed vnto Attalus after his torment on the Theatre that Alcibiades behaued not him selfe aright in that he vsed not the lavvfull creatures of God and thereby also gaue an occasion of falling vnto others hereof vvhen Alcibiades vvas persvvaded he vsed all indifferently and praysed God for they vvere not destitute of the grace of God but had the holy Ghost for their directer of these thinges thus much When as Montanus and Alcibiades and Theodotus then fresh and first of all of many throughout Phrygia were thought to be endued with the gyfte of prophecye for many other miraculous operations wrought by the diuine power of God in many places perswaded them that these had also the gifte of prophecye and because of them sedition was raysed agayne the
their saynges and vvhat he hearde out of theyr mouthes toutching the Lord of his povver and doctrine recitinge preceptes and all thinges consonante to holy Scripture out of theyr mouthes I say vvho themselues had seene vvith their eyes the vvorde of life in the flesh these thinges at that time through the mercy of God vvhich vvrought in me I diligently marked and paynted it not in papyr but printed it in my harte vvhich continually throughe the grace of God I ponder and meditate And I am able to testifie before God that if that holy and Apostolicke elder had hearde any such thinge he vvoulde haue straight reclaimed and stopped his eares and after his maner pronounced good God into vvvhat times hast thou reserued me that I shoulde suffer such thinges yea and vvoulde haue straight shunned the place vvhere he sitting or standing had hearde such speaches to bee shorte this may be reported for true out of the epistles vvhich he vvrote to the confirmation of the borderinge Churches or out of the Epistles vvhich he vvrote to certaine brethrē for admonition and exhortation sake thus farre Irenaeus CAP. XIX The Church enioyeth peace vnder Commodus the Martyrdome of Apollonius a Christian Philosopher THe same yeare vnder Comodus the Emperoure the rage of the Gentiles was mitigated towardes vs so that peace was graunted through the grace of God vnto the vniuersall Churche through out the worlde When as the heauenly doctrine leade the mindes of all mortall men to the embracinge of the true Religion of the onely and vniuersall God so that many of the nobles of Rome brewe neare to their soules health and saluation together with their whole houses and families It was a thinge altogether intollerable for the deuell whose nature is altogether enuious and spitefull therefore he taketh vs in hande againe and inuenteth diuerse snares to entrape vs in he procureth at Rome Apollonius a man amonge the faythfull of that time for learninge and philosophie very famous to be brought forth before the tribunall seate raising his accuser among them that were fitt ministers for so malicious a purpose But the vnhappie man came out of season to receaue the sentence of iudgement because it was decreed by the Emperoure that the accusers of the Christians shoulde dye the death Perennius the Iudge forthwyth gaue sentence agaynste him that his legges shoulde be broken Then the beloued Martyre when the iudge had earnestly and with many wordes entreated him to render an accompte of his fayth before the noble senate he exhibited in the presence of them all a notable Apollogie of his fayth in the whiche he suffred martyrdome Yet neuerthelesse by decree of the senate he was beheaded and so ended this life For the auncient decre was of force and preuayled amonge theym that the Christians whiche were once presented before the tribunall seate and not reuoked their opinions shoulde no more be sette at libertie Wherefore the wordes of Apollonius whiche he answered to Perenius standyng at the barre and his whole Apollogie offered to the senate who lysteth to knowe lette him reade our booke of Martyrs CAP. XX. Of the succession of Byshopes in the moste famous churches IN the tenthe yeare of the raygne of Comodus when Eleutherius had gouerned the bishopricke of Rome thertene yeares Victor succeded him at what tyme also Iulianus after he had continewed tenne yeares in the bishopes seae of Alexandria dyed and Demetrius came in place at what tyme likewise Serapion mentioned a little before was knowen to be the eyght Bishope of Antioche after the Apostles Then was Theophilus bishope of Caesarea in Palestina and Narcissus before remembred bishope of Ierusalem and Banchillus bishope of Corinthe in Hellada Polycrates bishope of Ephesus and an infinite number more as it is verye likelie besydes these excelled at that tyme. but we rehearse theim by name and that iustlye by whose meanes and writinges the catholicke fayth hath bene continewed vnto our tyme. CAP. XXI Of the controuersie about the kepinge of Easter daye AT the same time there rose no small contention because that all the churches throughoute Asia of an aunciente tradition thought good to obserue the highe feaste of Easter in the foreteenthe moone on whiche daye the Ievves were commaunded to offer their Pascall Lambe as muche to saye as vpon what daye soeuer in the weeke that moone fell the fastinge dayes finished and ended when as the other churches throughout the worlde accustomed not to celebrate Easter after this manner but obserued the Apostolicke tradition and custome as yet retayned to wete the fastinge dayes on no other daye to be broken vp afore the daye wherein our Sauiour rose from death to lyfe Wherefore synodes and meetinges of Byshopes were summoned where all with one accorde ordained an ecclestasticall decree whiche they published by their epistles vnto all churches That vpon no other then the sondaye the mysterie of our sauiours resurrection shoulde be celebrated And that one that daye and no other the fasting vsed before Easter shoulde haue an ende Theire epistle is at this daye extant who at that tyme for this cause assembled together in Palaestina whereof Theophilus bishope of Caesarea and Narcissus bishope of Ierusalem were chiefe At Rome likewise there was a synode gathered together for the same cause the whiche Victor their bishope published Agayne there was an other of bishopes at Pontus where Palmas as the moste auncient did gouerne An other of bishops throughout Fraunce whiche Irenaeus did ouersee to be shorte an other of the bishopes throughout Ostroëna and the cities therein contained and speciallye of Banchillus bishope of Corinth with many others al which with one and the same sentence and iudgement ordained the same decree and their vniforme assent was thus made manifest vnto the worlde CAP. XXII By the reporte of Polycrates the churches in Asia celebrated Easter the fouretenthe moone POlycrates moderated the bishops throughout Asia whiche affirmed that their aunciente custome deliuered them of olde was to be retayned This Polycrates in his epistle vnto the churche of Rome sheweth the custome of Asia obserued vnto his tyme in these wordes VVe celebrate the vnuiolated daye of Easter neither addinge anye thinge thereto neither takinge oughte therefro for notable pillers of Christian religion haue rested in Asia vvhiche shall rise at the laste daie vvhen the Lorde shall come from heauen vvith glorie and restore all the sainctes to ioye Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles novve lienge at Hierapolis his tvvo daughters vvho kept them selues virgins all the dayes of their liues the third also after the ende of hir holie conuersation rested at Ephesus Againe Iohn vvho laye on the Lordes breast being a Priest vvore the priestlie attire both a Martyr and a Doctor slept at Ephesus Moreouer Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and a Martyr Thraseas an Eumenian both a Bishop a Martyr slept at Smyrna VVhat shal I speake of Sagaris
is practised in this levvd fact of theirs ether they persvvade them selues that the holie scriptures vvere not endited by the instinct of the holy ghost so are they infidels or else they thinke thē selues vviser thē the holy ghost vvhat other thing do they in that then shevv thē selues possessed of a deuill they cā not deny this their bold enterprise for they haue vvrittē these things vvith their ovvne hands they can not shevv vs vvho instructed them vvho deliuered them such scriptures vvhence they trāslated their copie◠diuerse of them voutchsafe not to corrupt the scriptures but flattly they denie the lavve and the prophetes vnder pretense of their detestable and impious doctrine of fayned grace they fall into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition but of them thus muche shall suffice The ende of the fyft booke THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. Of the persecution vnder the Emperour Seuerus WHen as Seuerus persecuted the churche of God there were noble martyrdomes of suche as suffered for the profession of the true faith ▪ but speciallye at Alexandria whither chosen champions out of Aegypt and all Thebais as vnto a moste notable Theatre of God were brought and after a moste pacient sufferance of simdry tormentes and diuerse kindes of deathe were crowned of God with garlandes of immortalltie Of this number was Leonides called the father of Origen and there beheaded who left his sonne very yonge and of tender yeares howe also he was disposed and affected towardes Christian religion from that tyme forth it shall not be at this tyme vnseasonably written Specially for that he is famous and renowned throughout the whole worlde Some man will saye it is no small peece of worke to printe in paper the lyfe of this man and that it will require a whole volume to it selfe but at this present cutting of many things vsing as muche breuitie as may be we will runne ouer certaine thinges which concerne him selected out of their epistles and histories which were his familiars whereof some lyued in our tyme and reported certaine things of him To be short we will declare suche things as shall seeme worthye of memorie and that were done from his cradell vnto this tyme. Seuerus then had ended tenne yeares Laetus then gouerned Alexandria and the rest of Aegypte ▪ Demetrius lately after Iulianus had taken vpon him the ouersight of the congregations there CAP. II. Origen desirous of Martyrdome was in greate daunger and beyng delyuered he professed diuinitie at Alexandria with earnest studie and led a maruaylous honest lyfe THe heate of persecution was very vehemēt an infinite number of persons were crowned with Martyrdome when as Origen yet verye yonge bare in his minde a feruent desire of Martirdome so that he hazarded himselfe skipped and brake forth and coueted voluntarily to be doyng in that daungerous combatt Yea narrowsie did he escape for it had coste him his life had not the diuine and celestiall prouidence of God stayed him by the meanes of his mother to the further commoditie and profite of many She at the firste entreated him with manye wordes to tender hir motherly affection but perceauing him to be more vehemently incensed and kindled ▪ knowing his father to be kept in close prison and wholly minded to suffer Martyrdome she constrayned him to remaine at home hydinge from him all his apparrell He then being able to do no other thinge more prompte in minde than rype in yeares could not reste wrote vnto his father a letter in the whiche he exhorteth him thus O father faynt not neither imagin◠amisse bicause of vs. Let this be the firste token of the industrie and syncere minde of Origen in his childhood towards christian religiō set forth in this our history ▪ for he beyng of a child trained vp exercised in holy scripture shewed then no small signes of the doctrine of faith his father furthered him not a little to the knowledge of them when as besides the studie of liberall artes he instructed him in these not as the lesser parte For first of all before the exercise of prophane literature he instructed him in holy Scripture and demaunded of him daily a certaine taske of that he learned and rehearsed And this trade was not vnprofitable for him being a child but he grewe therby vnto such facility and promptnes that he contented not him selfe with the bare and casual reading of the words but sought farther searching the perfect and profound vnderstanding therof so that diuers times he would set his father demaunding of him what was meant by this that place of holy Scripture But his father checked him to his face in outward sight admonishing him not to search ought aboue the capacity of his yeares more then plaine letter gaue to vnderstand Yet to him selfe he reioyced greatly yelding vnto God the author of all goodnes harty thankes for that he had made him the father of such a sonne The report goeth that the father often vncouered the breast of his sonne in his sleepe and solemnly kissed it as if the holy ghost had taken there the inner parte for his priuy closset and thought him selfe happy of such an ofspringe These and the like thinges they remember to haue happened vnto Origen being yet a childe When his father dyed a Martyr he was left an orphane of the yeares of seuenteene with his mother and other children his brethren to the number of six his father◠substance was confiscated to y ◠Emperours treasorie y ◠want of necessaries pinched him together with his mother brethren he casteth his care vpon the diuine prouidence of God he is receaued and refreshed of a certain matrone which was very ritch also religious which harbored in her house a certaine man of Antioche an errant heretike of the sect then fresh at Alexandria one that was accepted of her for her sonne and deare friende Origen then of necessitie vsing his company shewed forth manifest proofes of his cleaning fast vnto y ◠right and true faith For when as an infinite multitude not only of heretikes but also of the true faith frequented vnto Paulus so was he called for he was counted a profounde and a wise man he could not be perswaded to be present with him at prayers but obserued the canon of the Church from a childe and detested ▪ as he witnesseth him selfe in a certaine place the doctrine of heretikes he was of his father absolutely instructed in the profane learning of y ◠Gentils but after his fathers death he applied a litle more diligently the study of rhetoricke and hauing before meanely applied humanity now after the death of his father he so addicteth him vnto it that in short space he got sufficiency to serue his turne both tollerable for the time correspondent to his yeares for he being idle at schole as he
he left Alexandria and gott him to Iudaea being come to Ierusalem well knoweÌ„ for his learned expositions gift of vtteraÌ„ce he was entreated of the priests to bestowe a sermon vpon the people in the church open assembly for he was then a minister after great entreaty in manner constrayned by the priests he â—ofe vp tooke the bible opened it happened vpoÌ„ this parcell of Scripture vnto the vngodly said God why dost thou preach my lawes takest my couenaunt in thy mouth when he had thus read he clasped the booke fare downe and burst out into teares together with all the audience which wept with him he liued vnto the time of Gallus and Volusianus that is vntill he was threscore and nine yeare olde he resteth at Tyrus where he is also buried So farre Suydas The translator vnto the reader I Haue thought good also heâ—râ— to laye downe his lamention the which Origen himselfe 〈…〉 Greeke tongue with his owne hand when as after his faule and the deniall of his Mayster Christ Iesus he wandred to aâ—â—â—â—oe with great greefe and torment of conscience the which Saynct 〈◊〉 â—râ—nlated into latine and is founde extant amonge the workes of Origen â–ª he lamented as foloweth The lamention of Origen In the bitter afliction and griefe of minde I goe about to speake vnto them vvhich herafter shal reade me thus confusely vvithout order furiously disposed to sit vpon the tribunal seate of Christ together vvith the saincts in heauen hovv can I speake vvhen as the tongue is tied the lipps dare not once moue or vvagg the tongue doth not his office the throte is dammed vâ— all the senses and instruments are polluted vvith iniquitie â–ª but I vvill procede on â–ª and first I vâ—â—l faule to the ground on my bare knees and make myne humble supplicatioÌ„ vnto all the sainctes and blessed of God â–ª that they vvill helpe me seely vvretche vvhich dare not by reason of the superfluytie of my sinne craue ought at the handes of God O ye sayncts and blessed of God vvith vvatrishe eyes and vvetâ— cheekes soken in dolor and payne I beseeche you to faule dovvne before the mercy seate of God for me miserable sinner VVo is me because of the sorovv of my harte vvo is me that my soule is thus aflictedâ—â— vvo is me that am compassed thus on euery side and shutt vp in my sinne and that there is no health in me vvo is me o Mother that euer thou broughtest me forth for a skilfull lavvyer to be ouerthrovven in his vnrighteous dealinge â–ª for a religious man to faule into extreme impietie â–ª vvo is me o Mother vvhich broughtest me forth a righteous man to be coÌ„uersant in vnrighteousnes â–ª â—n heire of the kingdom of God but novv an inheritor of the kingdom of the deuell a perfect man yet a priest found vvallovving in impiety a man beautified vvith honor and dignities yet in the ende blemished vvith shame and ignominie a man besett vvith many euells and choked vp vvith infamous doinges vvo is me o Mother vvhich broughtest me forth as an highe and a lofty turrett yet suddenly turned dovvne to the grounde as a fruitefull tree yet quickely vvithered as a burninge light yet forthvvith darned as a runninge fountayne yet by and by driyed vp VVo is me that euer I vvas bedecked vvith all giftes and graces and novve seeme pitifully depriued of all But vvho vvill minister moysture vnto the temples of my heade and vvho vvill geue streames of teares vnto myne eyes that I may bevvayle my selfe in this my sorovvfull plight A lasse o priesthoode hovve shall I bevvayle thee A lasse o mynistery hovve shall I lament thee O all you my friendes tender my case pitie my person in that I am daungerously vvounded pitie me o all ye my friendes in that I am novve become an abiect person pitie me o ye my friendes in that I am novve vvith sorovve come to nought pitie me o ye my friendes in that I haue novve troden vnder foote the seale and conyâ—ance of my profession and ioyned in league vvith the deuell pitie me o ye my friendes in that I am reiected and cast avvaye from the face of God it is for my levvde life that I am thus polluted and noted vvith open shame Bevvayle me vvhome the Angells haue bevvayled bevvayle me vvhome all the saynctes haue bevvayled bevvaile me vvhome euery man hath bevvayled bevvayle me o all ye the nations vnder heauen in that I am fallen from my glorie the Lorde made and ingraffed me a frutefull vine but insteede of pleasaunt clustered grappes I brought forth prickinge thornes bevvayle me also for that in steede of grapes I brought forth brambles â–ª but let the vvellspringes of teares be stirred vp and lett my cheekes be vvatered let them flovve vpon the earth and moysten it for that I am soken in sinne and borne in my inquities I see my priesthoode lament ouer me I see all ioy sorovvinge ouer me I see the spider ouer my seate buyldinge vvith cobvveb I see and beholde my selfe all sorovvfull and pensiue euery creature sorovveth at my case for that I vvas vvonte heretofore to poure out prayses vnto God for them all Alasse vvhat haue I felt and hovve am I fallen Alasse hovve am I thus come to nought there is no sorovve comparable to my sorovve there is no afliction that exceadeth my afliction there is no bitternes that passeth my bitternes there is no lamentation more lamentable then mine nether is there sinne greater then my sinne and there is no salue for me VVhere is that good shepherd of the soules VVhere is he that vvent dovvne from Ierusalem to Iericho vvhich also salued and cured him that vvas vvounded of the theeues seke me out o Lorde vvhich am fallen from the higher Ierusalem vvhich haue broken the vovve I made in baptisme vvhich haue profaned my conyâ—ance in that I dealt iniuriously vvith thy blessed name Alasse that euer I vvas doctor and novve occupie not the rovvme of a disciple Thou knovvest o Lorde that I fell agaynst my vvill vvhen as I vvent about to lighten others I darkened my selfe vvhen I endeuored to bringe others â–ª from death to life I brought my selfe from life to deathe vvhen I mynded to â–ª presente others before God I presented my selfe before the deuell VVhen I desired to be founde a friende and a fauorer of godlynes I vvas founde a foe and a furtherer of iniquitie vvhen that I sett my selfe agaynst the assemblyes of the vvicked and reproued theyr doinges there founde I shame and the moste pestilent vvounde of the deuell vvhen that I vvas ignorant and vnskilfull in the diuerous slayghtes of striuers vvhich commonly entrappe men I allured and exhorted them to the knovveledge of the Sonne of God vvherefore after muche siftinge â–ª they promised me vnhappie man crafty conueyances to auoyde the subtletye of Satan But after that I departed from them the
had perswaded the senate with these and the like reasons firste of all he rose and pronounced that all such of what age soeuer as were not fitte for feates of armes were they men or women myght boldly passe and depart the citie affirminge that if they woulde remaine and lynger in the cytie like vnprofitable members there was no hope of life they must nedes perishe with famine to which saying the whole seuate condescended so that he deliuered from daunger of death in maner as many as were besieged but specially those that were of the churche Agayne he perswaded to flyght all the christians throughout the citie not onely such as were within the compasse of the decree but infinite mo vnder colour of these priuely arrayed in womens attyre carefully he prouided that in the nyght season they should conuey them selues out at the gates and flye vnto the Romaines campe where Eusebius entertained all them that were afflicted with longe siege after the maner of a father and phisition and resteshed them with all care and industrie Such a coople of pastors orderly succeeding one an other did the church of Laodicea by the diuine prouidence of God enioye who after the warres were ended came thither from Alexandria we haue seene many peces of Anatolius works whereby we gather how eloquent he was howe learned in all kind of knowledge specially in those his bookes of Easter wherof at this present it may seeme necessary that we alleage some portion of the canons toutching Easter The nevy moone of the first moneth first yeare sayth he cōpriseth the originall cōpasse of nineteene yeares after the Aegyptians the sixe tvventieth day of the moneth Phamenoth after the Macedocians the xxij day of the moneth Dystros after the Romaines before the eleuenth of the calends of Aprill the sonne is found the xxvj of Phamenoth to haue ascended not onely the first line but also to haue passed therin the iiij day this section the first tvvelfe part they terme the aequinoctiall spring the entrance of moneths the head of the circle the seuering of the planets course but that sectiō vvhich foregoeth this they terme the last of the moneths the tvvelfe part the last tvvelfe part the ende of the planets course vvherefore they vvhich appoynted the first moneth for the same purpose celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth daye after the same calculation haue erred in our opinion not a little and this haue vve not alleaged of our ovvne brayne yea it vvas knovven of the Ievves of old and that before the comming of Christ and chiefely by them obserued The same may be gathered by the testimonies of Philo Iosephus Musaeus and yet not onely of them but of others farre more auncient to vvete of both the surnamed Agathobulus schoolemaisters vnto the famous Aristobulus one of the seuentie that vvere sent to trāslate the sacred holy scripture of the Hebrevves vnto the gracious princes Ptolemaeus Philadelphus his father vnto vvhome he dedicated his expositions vpon the lavv of Moses All these in their resolutions vpon Exodus haue giuen vs to vnderstande that vve ought to celebrate the feast of the Paschall Lambe proportionally after the aequinoctiall springe the first moneth comming betvvene and this to be found vvhen the sonne hath passed the first solare section and as one of them hath termed it the signifer circle Aristobulus hath added that it is necessarie for the celebration of the feaste of Easter that not onely the Sunne but the Moone also haue passed the aequinoctiall section In so much there are tvvo aequinoctiall sections the one in spring time the other in Autumne distant diameter wise one frō the other the daye of Easter allotted the fourtenth of the moneth after the tvvilight vvithout al faile the moone shal be diameter vvise opposite to the sonne as ye may easily perceaue in the full moones so the sonne shal be in the sectiō of the aequinoctial spring the moone necessarily in the aequinoctiall autumne I remēber many other profes partly probable partly layde dovvne vvith auncient assertions vvherby they endeuour to persvvade that the feast of Easter of svveete bread ought euer to be celebrated after the aequinoctiall space I passe ouer sundry their proofes arguments vvherby they cōfirme the vayle of Moses lavv to be remoued done avvay the face novv reuealed Christ him selfe the preaching passions of Christ are to be behelde Anatolius left behinde him vnto the posteritie toutching that the first moneth after the Hebrevves fell euer about the Aequinoctial space sundry expositions precepts of Enoch Againe Arithmeticall introductions cōprised in tenne bokes with diuers other monumēts of his diligēce deepe iudgemēt in holy scripture Theotecnus bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina was y ◠first y ◠created him bishop promised y ◠he should succeede him in y ◠seae after his death selues and whilest they heaped these things that is contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmitie and euery one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then I say then the lord according to the sayinge of Ieremie Made the daughter Sion obscure and ouerthrewe from aboue the glorie of Israell and remembred not his footestole in the daye of his vvrath The Lorde hath drovvned all the bevvtie of Israell and ouerthrovven all his stronge holdes And according vnto the prophecies in the Psalmes He hath ouerthrovven and broken the couenant of his seruant and prophaned his sanctuarie casting it on the grounde by the ouerthrowe of his churches he hath broken dovvne all his vvalls he hath layde all his fortresses in ruyne All they that passed by spoyled him and therefore he is become a rebuke vnto his neyghbours he lyfted vp the ryght hande of his enemyes he turned the edge of his svvorde and ayded him not in the tyme of battaile he caused his dignitie to decaye and cast his throne downe to the ground the dayes of his youth he shortened and aboue all this he couered him with shame CAP. II. Howe that the temples were destroyed holy scripture burned and the bishops ill entreated ALl these aforesayde were in vs fulfilled when we sawe with our eyes the oratories ouerthrowen downe to the ground yea the very fundations them selues digged vp the holy sacred scriptures burned to ashes in the open market place the pastors of the churches wherof some shamefully hid them selues here and there some other contumeliously taken derided of the enemies according vnto an other prophecie Shame is powred vpō the pates of their princes he made them wander in the crooked and vnknowen way Yet is it not our drift to describe the bitter calamities of these mē which at lēgth they suffred neither is it our part to record their dissention vnwonted guise practised among them before the persecution but only to write so much of them wherby we may iustifie the deuine iudgement of God
as were present affirmed that he had sacrificed departed with silence one being halfe dead was borne away being throwen of them for dead the same was tormēted with bondes reckned among the sacrificers an other lifted his voyce protested that he had not yelded at all the same was beaten on the mouth constrayned to kepe silence by the force of many hands which stopped his breath violētly excluded him when he had not sacrificed at al. so it pleased them well if at least wise they might seeme to bring their purpose to effect but for all their mischieuous deuises the blessed martyrs of God only bare away y ◠victory againe y ◠seuēteenth day of y ◠moneth Dius after the Romaynes the fifteenth of the Calendes of December Alphaeus and Zachaeus after they had bene lashed with whipps mangled with rasors after racking and greuous tormentes therein after sundry questions demaunded of them after they had layen in y ◠stocks many dayes and many nights their feet stretched foure spaces asunder last of all whē they had freely confessed and boldely pronounced that there was but one onely God one kinge captaine ouer all Iesus Christ as if herein they had vttered blasphemy or treason they were in like maner beheaded euen as the martyr mētioned a litle before Moreouer the history toutching Romanus y ◠martyr who suffred the same day at Antioch is worthie of memory He was borne in Palaestina he was deacon and exorcist of the church of Caesarea as it fell out being in Antioch at the ruyne and desolation of y ◠churches beholding with his eyes great multituds both of men women and children flocking vnto the altars and offering sacrifices to the Idols supposed it was his duety in no wise to winck thereat wherefore he being moued with singular zeale of the spirit of God drewe nigh vnto them exclaimed against them and sharpely rebuked them Who for so bold an enterprise was apprehended shewed him selfe a valiāt witnes or testifier if then there was any such in the world of the trueth in Christ For when the iudge threatned him death with flashing fire that consumeth to ashes he of the contrary embraced his offer most willingly with cherefull countenance and gladsome courage and with all is brought vnto the place of execution Being bounde to the stake while the officers threwe fagotts about him and such as were appointed to kindle the fire wayted for the emperours watch worde pleasure who then was presente he shouted vnto them from the stake where I pray you is the fire The whiche he had no sooner spoken but the Emperour called him vnto him to the ende he shoulde suffer a newe and straūge kinde of torment to wete that his tongue might be plucked out of his mouth the which he constantly endured and thereby declared at large howe that the deuine power and grace of God neuer fayleth them which suffer for godlines sake but alwayes ether easeth their labours slaketh theyr griefs or els graunteth courage and might to endure paciently vnto the ende This blessed sainct as soone as he had vnderstoode of their newe deuised torment beinge valiantly disposed neuer staggered thereat but voluntarily put out his tongue yelded the same which was fully instructed in the word of God vnto the tormentors hands After which tormēt he was clapt in prison and there plagued alonge time at length when the twentieth yeare of the Emperours raygne was nowe expired at what time a generall pardon was proclaimed y t all prisoners should be sett at liberty he alone lying in the stockes and his feete stretched fiue spaces asunder had his necke compassed with a haulter and thus in prison stifled to death so that hereby according vnto his desire he was crowned with martyrdome This man although he suffred out of the bounds of his natiue soyle yet being a Palaestinian by birth is worthy to be canonized amōg the martyrs of Palaestina Such were the tragicall affayrs of the church in Palaestina the first yeare of the persecution which was chiefly bent against y ◠presidents of our doctrine byshops of y ◠church of God CAP. XXI Of the martyrs which suffred in Caesarea the seconde yeare of the persecution vnder Diocletian and of the alteration of the Empire THe second yeare nowe being come when the persecution raised against vs waxed hott the proclamations of the Emperours where it was generally cōmaunded that both mē women children throughout euery citie and village should be constrained to sacrifice offer incense to Idols were newly come to the hands of Vrbanus then lyuetenant of y ◠prouince Timotheus of Gaza in Palaestina after infinite torments the which he endured laste of all being boūd to the stake enuironed with slacke slowe fire gaue forth a worthy triall of his zeale godwards through pacient sufferance in all the bitter punishments laid vpon him and in the end bare away the garlande of victory vsually graunted to all y ◠valiant champions which wrastle for piety the seruice of God At y ◠same time Agapius Thecla also which liued in this our age she wed y ◠worthy constancy of their noble minds when as at y ◠cōmaundement of the iudge they were throwen at the feete of wild beasts to be ether deuoured or torne in peeces What man is he that ether beholdinge with his eyes the thinges which ensued will not fall into admiration or lendinge onely the bare eare vnto the recitall of them will not be astonied thereat For when as the Ethniks solemnized their publick feastes and celebrated their wonted spectacles amongst other their mery newes gladsome wishes it was commonly noyced abrode that the christians lately condemned to wild beasts made all the sport and finished the solemnity This report being farre and nigh and euery where bruted abrode yonge striplings to the number of six whereof one was of Pontus by name Timolaus the second of Tripolis a citie in Phaenicia called Dionysius the third by name Romulus subdeacon of the church of Diospolis the fourth Pausis the fift Alexander bothe Aegyptians the sixt Alexander of the same name with him that went before of the citie of Gaza ioyning handes and hartes together signifiyng thereby the feruent loue they owed to martyrdome went with speede vnto Vrbanus who a litle before had let loose the raueninge beastes to rent the christiās in peeces and frely protested the christian faith declaring by this their promptnes and willing minds as it were absolutely furnished to giue the onsett of what aduenture soeuer that suche as glory in the title worshipp and seruice of the great God creator of the whole world haue not to tremble at y ◠fierce rage of furious and sauadge beastes Wherevpon both the president and the people fell into great admiration and the confessors were forth with clapt in prison Not longe
our perdicion subiect to many greeuous passions he alone tooke vpon him our troubles he alone tooke vpon him the punishments due for ourimpietye and he saueth vs whome he founde not onely halfe deade but to be abhorted nowe stincking in the graues and sepulchres them selues heretofore presently also with the carefulnesse of his good wil beyond all other mens expectation yea and ours to and deliuereth vnto vs the greate aboundance of his fatherly goodnes being our quickner our day starre our greate Phisicion our Kinge and Lorde the Christ of God When all man kinde was then ouershadowed with the night all cloudy and palpable darknes with the wilines of seducing deuills and the working of spirites hatefull to God he alone appearing vnto vs loosed with the sunne beames of his heauenly light the knobbye fetters of our sinnes but nowe after that for so greate 〈…〉 and â—…lnes spyte being greeued with all goodnes and the deuill himselfe busily going about all â—â—â—ele onely not bâ—â—sting for grieâ—e hath raysed eruell warre agaynst vs with all â—…ly 〈…〉 and fiâ—sâ—â— after the maner of a maâ—d doggâ— whiche gnaâ—â—th with his â—â—â—â—hâ— the stâ—â—es floâ—◠〈◊〉 him and pâ—â—reth out the rage of reuengemâ—â—t vpon the darâ—s whichâ— haue no life he sett vpon the 〈◊〉 oâ—â—s of the oratoryes and the senselesse buylding of the houses with sâ—â—adge woodnes to the ende he might bring in as he sâ—pposed a waste desert of Churches agayns he sent out cruell 〈…〉 and poysored speaches pattly by the threats of wicked tyrants and partly by the decrees of prophant Princes moreouer soâ—â—ing out his death he hath iâ—â—â—â—ted with his â—eâ—â—mous and â—â—â—dly poysâ—n the soules which he caught in his snare and slewe them with the daiâ—â—able sacrifires of dead images and raysed agaynst vs all sortes of bâ—astes coueted with mâ—â—s skinâ—e and all kindâ— of 〈…〉 agayne the Angell of greate counsell the greate gâ—auâ—dâ—â—apâ—ayne of God after sufficient 〈…〉 the whiche the moste valiant souldiers of his kingdome endured throughly with â—…ible pacience and sufferance had eftsones shewed him selfe he destroyed the hurtfull and 〈…〉 thinges and brought all to nought as if they neuer had beâ—e named but vnto him selfe he made all acceptable and peculier aboue all glorye not onely among all men but among the heauenly powers them selues the sunne the moone the starres all heauen and earth together so that nowe which otherwise neuer any where came to passe the most excellent Emperours considering the honour they receaued of him haue detested the sight of dead images and troden vnderfoote the vnlawefull seruice of deuills they haue sett at nought the seducing of olde tyme receaued of the Elders they haue knowen one onely God the common benefactor of all they of them selues consessed Christ the sonne of God supreame Kings of all vpon pillers they haue intitled him a Sauiour for euerlasting memorie they fastened his vertues and victories agaynst the wicked in the middes of the citye whiche had dominion vpon earth vnto the imperiall armes that Jesus Christ our Sauiour alone of all the men from the beginning of the worlde yea of the heade Princes of the whole worlde was honoured not as a common Kinge treated of men but adored as the naturall sonne of the â—â—â—uersall God and God himselfe and not without iust cause What Prince of all them that euer were brought so much power that by the appeliation of his name he shoulde fill the eares and mouthes of all mortall men throughout the whole worlde What Kinge hath ratified so godly and so wise lawes decreed by him that they might sufficiently and durable he read to the hearing of all men from the endes of the earth to the boundes of the whole worlde Who hath wyped away the barbarous and sauadge maners of the Gentiles with his louing and tractable lawes who euer since the beginning of the whole worlde being impugned of all men hath shewed power passing the reache and strength of man so that he seemed dayly to florishe and through out all his whole life to waxe yong who hath ordayned and planted a nation not hearde of from the firste beginninge not secrete in some corner of the earth but throughout the whole compasse vnder heauen Who hath so fenced his souldiers with the bright armour of godlines that they were founde in their fighting agaynst their aduersaries of courage harder then the Adamant stone What King after his desease so gouerneth and warreth and trecteth signes of victories against the enemyes and filleth euery place coast and contrey as will of the Grecians as Barbarians with his princely pallaces and consecrated temples as these ornaments and dedicated â—ewells of this temple are gorgeous whiche being royall and notable in deede are worthy of wondering and admiration and as it were certayne and manifest tokens of our Sauiour for nowe also he spake the vvorde and they vvere done he commaunded and they vvere created for who will with stande the beckning of the worde of God the supreme King and gouernour of all which require speciall rest and conuenient leasure that they may diligently he considered and expounded wherof also proportionally the readines of the workmen is to be weyed in presence of him whom we celebrate with diuine prayses whiche considereth the spirituall temple of vs all and beholdeth the house builded with liuely and growing stones which being soundly and securely layed vpon the fundation of the Apostles and Prophets hath Iesus Christ him selfe to the corner stone whome the wicked head builders of mischiefe haue reiected not onely of that building which now is auncient and hath no longer contine wance but also of that presently consisting of many men but the father hath alloweded him for heade of the corner of our common Church both then and now also Therefore this liuely Churche of the liuing God buylded of our selues I doc call that chiefe vestrye seruing for the worde of God whose inwarde chauncells not seene of many holy in deede and most holy places who by beholding of them euer durst presume to explicate yea who coulde beholde the inner parts of the halowed poâ—… but the onely greate high Priest of all to whome onely it is lawefull to searche the secretes of euery reasonable soule per aduenture it may be possible for some one or other of his equalls to enioye the seconde place next after him to weâ—e for the President and Captayne of this warrefare whome the chiefe and greate highe Priest him selfe hath orâ—â—ayned a shepeherd of this your holy flocke enioying the seconde honour of these holy thinges taking in charge your people by lott and appoyntment of the father as his seruant and interpreter like a newe Aaron or Melchisedech likened vnto the sonne of God remayning and preferued by him for euer by the prayers in common of you all vnto this man therefore onely be it lawefull next after the chiefe and greatest highe Priest to see and to beholde if not the
sought out How great what horrible blasphemies God of his goodnes be mercifull vnto vs haue some vnreuerently vttered against our great sauiour against our hope and life and impudētly not only blased things cōtrary vnto the scriptures inspired from aboue the sacred faith but also affirmed they beleued the same For vvhen as three hundreth bishops and aboue men of great fame both for modestie of minde sharpnesse of witt had confirmed one the same faith which was founde to be a true faith by the trueth it selfe and playne testimonies of holie scripture sought out for the purpose Arius alone was found beyng ouercome with the power and fraude of the deuill to fall from the same and beynge prone therevnto through the peruersitie of his minde scattered and sovved first of all amongest you aftervvardes amongest vs this poysoned errour of perdition VVherefore lett vs embrace that doctrine vvhich almightie God the father of heauen hath deliuered vnto vs let vs returne vnto our dearely beloued brethren vvhome the wicked impudēt minister of Satan hath seuered asunder let vs vvith might and mayne and as commonly vve say vvith all the vaynes in our hart go home agayne vnto the generall societie and body of the church and vnto our ovvne naturall members This aboue all other things behoueth your wisdome your faith holines after the remouīg frō your minds the cākred poysō of the aduersary who set him selfe opposite against the trueth that without all delaye ye haue recourse vnto the grace and goodnes of almightie God For that which seemed good vnto the three hūdred bishops is no othervvise to be taken then for the sentence of God specially in as much as the holie Ghost vvas resiant in the mindes of so vvorthie and so notable men inspiring them vvith the deuine vvill of God him selfe VVherfore let none of you stagger at the matter let none of you make any delay at all but all ioyntly vvith most vvillinge mindes returne vnto the most perfect way of trueth that as soone as I my selfe come amōgst you I may together with you rēder dew thāks vnto the god whose eye nothīg doth escape because that he hath not onely reuealed vnto vs the true syncere faith but also geuen vnto vs most graciously the loue and charitie which vvas to be vvished of vs all God keepe and preserue you vvelbeloued brethren This the Emperour wrote vnto the people of Alexandria signifying in playne words that the finall conclusion definitiue sentēce of the faith was not layde downe vnaduisedly neither came to passe by happe hazard but after great labour industrie after diligent searching and sifting out of the trueth to haue bene published by the councell and not some thinges to haue bene handled some other things to haue bene omitted but all whatsoeuer seemed necessary to be entreated of toutching the confirmation of y ◠doctrine of faith to haue bene sufficiently discoursed neither to haue bene firste vnaduisedly decreed before all were curiously handled in so much that all what so euer seemed to breede occasion of controuersie or discord was quite plucked vp by the rootes But that I may vtter all in one word Constantine calleth the censure of the whole assembly the sentence of God him selfe neither doubted he but that so great a company of bishops was vnited linked together in one mind in one opinion by y ◠motion instinct of the holy ghost Yet for all this Sabinus who is the ringleader of the Macedonian heresie wilfully and of sett purpose impugneth these thinges yea moreouer he termeth such as mett at Nice vnlearned and doultishe idiots neither is he ashamed to charge Eusebius bishop of Caesarea with the reprochefull spot and blemishe of ignorance neither weyeth he this with him selfe that such as were present at the coūcell though they were vnlearned men as he reporteth yet being inspired from aboue endued with the grace of the spirite of God could in no wise straye from the trueth But let vs heare what the Emperour layde downe in other letters against the opinions of Arius and his complices the which also he sent abroade vnto the bishops and congregations throughout christendome An other Epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the puyssāt the mighty noble Emperour vnto the bishops pastors people whersoeuer Inasmuch as Arius traceth the stepps of detestable impious persons it is requisite that he be partaker with them of the selfe same infamie and reproche For as Porphyrius the svvorne aduersarie deadly foe of deuine seruice vvho lately published levvde cōmentaries in the cōfutation defiance of Christian religion vvas revvarded according vnto his desert and so recōpenced that within the cōpasse of these fewe yeares he was not only grieued with great reproche blemished with the shamefull spot of infamie but also his impious blasphemous works perished vtterly were abolished euen so now it seemed good vnto vs to call Arius his complices the vvicked broode of Porphyrius that looke vvhose maners they haue imitated they may enioye also the priuiledge of their name Moreouer we thought good that if there can be founde extant any worke or booke compiled by Arius the same shoulde be burned to ashes so that not only his damnable doctrine may thereby he vvholly rooted out but also that no relique thereof may remaine vnto the posteritie This also we straightly cōmaunde charge that if any man be found to hyde or conceale any booke made by Arius and not immediatly bring forth the sayd booke deliuer it vp to be burned that the sayde offender for so doing shall die the death For as soone as he is taken our pleasure is that his head be stricken of from his shoulders God keepe you in his tuition An other epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the Emperour vnto the churches throughout christēdome sendeth greeting VVhen as I perceaued by the florishing prosperous estate of the publicke weale how greatly we are beholding vnto the goodnes of almightie God conferred vpon vs I deemed that aboue all things it behoued me of dutie to foresee that in the most holy and sacred assemblies of the Catholicke church vnder heauen there shold one faith syncere loue charitie vniforme consent agreement toutching the religion seruice of almightie God vnuiolably be retayned But sithence that the same could by no other way or meanes be compassed neither in any other sure or certaine place be setled vnlesse that either all the bishops or at lestvvise the greater part of them assembled together layde downe their seuerall censures concerning the most holy religion seruice of God therfore when the greatest company that coulde be gott mette together I my selfe as one of your number vvas present vvith them Neyther tooke I in scorne vvhereat novve I greatly reioyce that I coupled my selfe vvith you in those affayres VVe proceeded so farre in the premisses and handled all thinges so exquisitely vntill
men he was taken as it were out of their iawes which menaced him commaunded to liue vnder my dominion where though his excellent vertue ministred vnto him from aboue wey nothinge at all the greuous casualties of aduersity euen as in the city he liued before he may haue plenty want no necessaryes for the maintenance of his porte Therefore when as our Lorde and my father of famous memory Constantine the Emperour had purposed in his mind to haue restored him a Bishop to his owne sâ—ae and proper seate the which he enioyed among you that are knowen to beare greate zeale to godlines and being preuented with death as it fareth with mankind before he coulde accomplishe his desire I thought it verely my parte and duety to execute the intent of so godly an Emperoure VVith what estimation and reuerence I haue entertayned the man he shall reporte with his owne mouth after his returne vnto you Neither is it to be maruelled at all that I shewed him such curtesie For me thinkes I sawe in him the great longing ye had for him and I behelde also the fatherly reuerence and grauity of the man himselfe all which moued me not a litle thereunto nay throughly perswaded me God of his goodnes welbeloued brethren haue you in his tuition Athanasius with the confidence he had in these letters returneth to Alexandria whome the people of Alexandria doe receaue with most willing mindes But such as in that citie were infected with the leprosie of Arianisme conspired against him so that many skirmishes and tumultes were raised which ministred occcasion vnto the confederats of Eusebius falsly to accuse Athanasius before the Emperoure that of his owne doinge without the generall consente of the assembly of Bishops he had setled him selfe in that church The accusation was so odious that the Emperoure being therewith incensed against Athanasius draue him out of Alexandria But howe this was compassed I will shewe hereafter in an other place CAP. III. Howe that after the death of Eusebius Pamphilus Acacius was chosen Bishop of Caesarea and of the death of Constantinus the yonger ABout that time Eusebius whose sirname was Pamphilus Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina departed this life and Acacius his scholer succeeded him in the Bishopricke Who besids sundry other workes of his industrie wrote a booke of the life of his maister Eusebius Not long after Constantinus the yonger so called after his fathers name brother to y â— Emperor Constantius inuading by force certaine countreys vnder Constans his yonger brothers dominion by fighting hand to hand with the soldiers was slaine Acindinus and Proclus beinge Consuls CAP. IIII. Howe that Alexander Bishop of Constantinople departinge this life nominated two men Paulus and Macedonius that they shoulde chuse one of them to succeede him in the Bishoprike AT that time there ensued immediately the â—edicions mentioned before an other tumulte in the citie of Constantinople and that for this cause Alexander the Bishop of that churche who valiantly encountred with Arius hauing continewed Bishop there the space of three and twenty yeares and liued fourescore and eighteene departed this life He consecrated none to succeede him but charged the electors to choose one of two whome he would nominat vnto them And following his aduise if they would place in the rowme a man sit for to instruct y â— people of an vpright conscience of good lise and godly conuersation they shoulde take Paulus whome he had made priest who though he were yonge and of greene yeares yet in learninge olde and of greate wisedome But in case they woulde haue him whome the etymologie of noble prowesse did highly commend they should preferre Macedonius to the dignitie â–ª who latly had bene deacon of the same church and then was farre strucken in yeares Wherefore about the election of a Bishop there was greater sturre theÌ„ heretofore and the churche was more grieuously turmoyled The people were deuided into two parts the one was egerly set with the heresy of Arius the other cleaued very constantly to the decrees of the Nicene Councell And whilest that Alexander liued they which embraced the creede comprising the clause of One substance had the vpper hand ouer the Arians which dayly striued and contended very stifly in the maintenance of their heretical doctrine But as soone as he departed this life the contention among the people was diuers and variable For such as fauored the clause of One substance chose Paulus to be their Bishop such as of the contrary cleaued vnto Arianisme endeuored with all might to place Macedonius Wherefore in the temple of God called the church of peace next vnto the great church then called great but nowe bearing the name of wisedome Paulus was chosen Bishop in which election the voyce of the desseased did preuaile CAP. V. Howe that Constatinus the Emperoure displaced Paulus that was chosen byshope of Constantinople and translated to that seae Eusebius byshop of Nicomedia And howe that Eusebius caused an other Synode to be summoned at Antioch in Syria where there was an other forme of fayth layde downe SHortely after the election of Paulus moued the Emperoure not a litle at his coming to Constantinople For summoning together an assembly of Byshops which sauored of the filthie sinke of Aruis he procured the deposition of Paulus and causing Eusebius of Nicomedia to be â—â—anslated thither he proclaimed him Bishop of Constantinople These thinges being done the Emperoure gott him to Antioch Yet Eusebius for all this colde not sette his hart at rest but rolled as commonely we saye euery stone to bringe his wicked purpose to passe He summoneth a councell at Antioch in Syria pretending the dedicatioÌ„ of the church whose foundations Constantine the father of these Emperours had layd after whose death Constantius his sonne tenne yeares after the laying of the first stone finished the buylding and as I may boldely say the trueth to the ouerthrowe and subuersion of the fayth Of one substance Unto this synod there came out of diuers prouinces Bishops to the number of fourscore and tenne But Maximus bishop of Ierusalem who succeeded Macarius woulde not come thither supposinge verely that if he came he shoulde be constrayned to subscribe vnto the depriuation of Athanasius Neyther did Iulius Byshop of Rome shewe him selfe there neither sente he any to supply his rowme when as the ecclesiasticall canon forbiddeth that any constitution be thrust into the Churche without the censure of the Bishope of Rome To be shorte the councell mette at Antioch in the Consulship of Marcellus and Probinus where Constantius the Emperoure was present It was the fift yeare after the death of Constantine father vnto these Emperours Placitus was then bishop of Antioch for he succeeded Euphronius But the confederacy of Eusebius side imployed their chiefe labour and industry falsly to accuse Athanasius and first they charge him with the violating of their canon to wete
the captaines he sent him an other that was valiant seruiceable and a man for Iulianus owne vayne Iulian after his comming fought manfully with the Barbarians who sent an embassadour vnto him shewinge the letters patents and commission of the Emperour that commaunded them to go into the borders of the Romaine countries But Iulian layd their embassadour in hold waged battaile with the multitude ouercame the enemy and sent the king of the Barbarians captiue vnto the Emperour Constantius After this lucky and prosperous successe the souldiers proclayme him Emperour The emperiall crowne was not then present but one of his trayne tooke a chayne of golde from about his necke and compassed his head therwith in steede of the crowne In this sort it was that Iulianus beganne his raigne What he did in time following whether it became a philosopher or no let other men iudge that shall heare thereof For he determined with him selfe thenceforth to send no embassadour vnto ConstaÌ„tius neyther to doe homage or to honor him as his superiour patrone or wellwiller but to deale in all matters accordinge vnto his owne will and pleasure He altered the presidents throughout euery prouince he discredited Constantius in euery citie by reading openly and skoâ—â—ing at his letters written vnto the BarbariaÌ„s so that all fell from Constantius followed after Iulianus In the ende he layd aside all his hypocrisie dissembling of Christian religioÌ„ For as he passed throughout euery citie he set wide open their temples and idoll groues he sacrificed to pictures and entitled him selfe an high priest so that the pagans celebrated afreshe their heathenishe abhominable feasts When these things were thus brought to passe he tooke occasion to raise ciuill warrs against CostaÌ„tius procured as much as lay in him all miserie calamitie mischiefe which accustome to follow warre to be committed Neither truly could this philosophers mind haue bene throughly knoweÌ„ without great slaughter bloodshediÌ„g vnlesse God who is the only iudge of his owne secret couÌ„cell had without y â— calamitie of others cut of froÌ„ his purpose y â— other aduersary For as Iulianus coÌ„tinewed amoÌ„g y â— Thracians tydings were brought him of Constantius death Thus was the Romaine empire then deliuered from ciuill warres Immediatly Iulianus got him to ConstaÌ„tinople and forthwith deuiseth how to winne the peoples harts and to linke them vnto him in loue and obedience He compassed with him selfe this craft Knowinge of a certaintie that Constantius was deadly hated of all them that embraced the Creede contayninge the clause of One substance partly for that he had dedepriued them of their churches and partly also for that he had banished and exiled their bishops vnderstanding also that the Ethnickes could in no wise away with him because that he kept them from sacrificinge and that they hoped to see the day when their idoll groues should be frequented and their altars loded with sacrifice seeing that both these sorts of men seuerally owed spite vnto the deseased Constantius and to be short how that all men abhorred the Eunuches and detested the haynous spoyle of Eusebius he craftely applyed him selfe to euery sort and framed his behauiour according vnto euery ones humor He dissembleth and flaâ—tereth with some others he allureth w t benefites and swellinge pryde of hoped promotion But euery where he proclaymeth and all the world is geuen to vnderstand his disposition towards idolatrie And first he inueyeth at y â— crueltie of ConstaÌ„tius next to the end he might make him odious amoÌ„g the coÌ„mon sort of people he calleth home by edict y â— bishops he had exiled coÌ„mauÌ„ding also that their coÌ„fiscated substance should be restored theÌ„ againe He gaue charge that without any adoe y â— ethnickes should haue free accesse into their teÌ„ples he made a law y â— the Eunuchs shoulde make restitutioÌ„ of such substaÌ„ce as they had iniuriously takeÌ„ away he coÌ„maunded y â— Eusebius the Emperours chiefe chaÌ„berlaine should haue his head strooke of his shoulders not only for the great iniuries he offred to diuers meÌ„ but also as he was geueÌ„ to vnderstaÌ„d for y â— his brother Gallus through his malicious procurement had bene put to death At leÌ„gth he buryed ConstaÌ„tius honorably Afterwards he râ—d y â— court of y â— eunuches barbours and Cookes the Eunuches because y â— by their meanes it came to passe that ConstaÌ„tius being diuorced froÌ„ his wife maryed not againe the cookes because he had vsed a spare kind of dyet the barbours because as he sayd one was inough for â— great many For the aforesayd causes he banished these kind of men out of his pallace He turned out diuers of the notaries to their former trades and vnto some he coÌ„maunded that the stipend dew vnto scriueuers shoulde duely be payed Moreouer he coÌ„maunded that the ordinary cariadge prouided for necessaries shoulde no more be by Mules Oxen and Asses but permitted that in such publique affaires the onely vse of horses shoulde be retayned There be but fewe which commende these his doinges and sure I am there be many that discommende them because that in remouing the admiration and glorie of the emperiall treasure and sumptuous magnificence whereat many dyd wonder he brought the Empire into an abiect porte and contemptuous kinde of state In the nyght he made orations and pronounced them the day followinge in the Senate so that he alone of all the Emperours from the raygne of Iulius Caesar vnto his tyme was hearde to sound orations in the Senate Although he fauoured greately and bare singular good wyll vnto all learned men and paynefull students yet aboue all others he esteemed such as professed philosophie so that the fame thereof beynge bruted abroade all such kinde of men bragginge not a little of theyr profession frequented vnto the Emperours pallace of which number manie attyred in mantells were more reuerenced for theyr peltinge habite then theyr professed doctrine All these sorte of men became heauie friendes vnto the Christians as lewde varletts they alwayes applyed them selues to the Emperours relygion The Emperoure him selfe beynge puffed vp beyonde all measure with the swellinge pryde of vayne glorie wrote a booke the which he intituled Caesares wherein he bitterly inueyed against all the Emperours his predecessors Beyng also of the same minde and hauing his stomacke distempered with the cancred poyson of malice he made declamations and inuectiues against the Christians In that he banished Cookes and Barbours out of his courte we haue to gather that therein he played the parte rather of a philosopher then of an Emperour and in that he opprobriously taunted and reuyled his auncetors he shewed him selfe playnely to be neyther philosopher neyther Emperour For both those sortes of men are voyde of malicious backbytinge and despitefull enuie For euen as it behoueth the Emperour to seeke after those precepts of philosophie which tende to the moderation and modestie of minde so the Philosopher if he imitate
was greately furthered by them as by two greate lightes it is our parte to say somewhat of them If in case that any will compare Basilius with Gregorie and with longe discourse conferre the life and learninge of the one with the other it will be longe ere he shal be able to discerne whether to preferre of them both They were both equally matched for right trade of life for both kinde of knowledge diuine and prophane Beynge yonge men in the floure of their youth they hearde at Athens the famous Rhetoricians Hymerius and Proaeresius afterwardes at Antioche in Syria they frequented the schoole of Libanius in the ende they excelled in Rhetoricke When they were thought worthie men to deliuer vnto the worlde the preceptes of philosophie and were entreated of many to take that function vpon them when as also others perswaded with them to become Orators they sett nought by both those trades they despised the maner aâ—d guise of Rhetoricians and gaue them selues vnto solitary and monasticall life Wherefore as soone as they had sufficiently profited in philosophie vnder a certaine reader who then was a professor at Antioche they prouided for theÌ„ selues the coÌ„mentaries of Origen who then was famous throughout the worlde and learned out of them to expounde and interprete the holy and sacred scripture beynge exercised in them they valiantly encountred with the Arians And when as the Arians alleaged out of Origen for the confirmation of their hereticall opinion they refuted their ignorance and shewed by plaine demonstrations that they vnderstoode not the minde and meaning of Origen For Eunomius a fauourer of that sect and as many Arians as were of greatest reputation and accompted the profoundest clerkes in respect of all the rest when they disputed with Gregorie and Basil proued them selues starke fooles and vnlearned persons Basil first of all being ordained Deacon of Meletius bishop of Antioche afterwards bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia where he was borne gaue him selfe wholly to the furtherance and profit of the churche of God When he feared greately lest the newe deuise of Arius brayne would creepe throughout the prouinces of Pontus he got him into those parts in all the hast and ordained there the exercise of monasticall life instructed men in his opinion and confirmed the waueringe minde of weakelinges in the faith Gregorie also being made bishop of Nazianzum a meane citie of Cappadocia wherof his father had bene bishop before him did y â— like vnto Basils doings As he passed throughout y t cities he coÌ„firmed y â— faynt weake in the faith by oft visiting of Constantinople he setled with his graue lessons and great learning the minds of all them that embraced the faith of One substance Wherefore in a short while after he was by the voyces and consent of many bishops chosen bishop of Constantinople When the fame of them both was â—lased so farre that it came to the Emperour Valens eares in all the hast he gaue forth commaundement that Basil shoulde be brought from Caesarea before him to Antioche He was no sooner come but the Emperour charged he should be brought before the tribunall seate of the president When the President demaunded of him why and wherefore he liked no better of the Emperours religion Basil vnfaynedly and freely spake his minde of the Emperours opinion yet highly coÌ„mended the faith of One substance When the President threatned him w t present death I would to God sayth Basil it woulde fall out so well of my side that I might leaue this carcasse of mine in the quarell of Christ in the defence of my head and captaine WheÌ„ the President aduised him againe and againe to remember him selfe better the report goeth that Basil sayde vnto him As I am today so shalt thou find me tomorow but I pray God thou alter not thy minde Then lay Basil in prison that whole daye In a whyle after the Emperour Valens sonne by name Galates of youthly and tender yeares fell to so daungerous a disease that the phisicions gaue him vp and despaired of his recouery whose mother Dominica the Empresse tolde her husband the Emperour that the same nyght she was wonderfully disquieted in hir sleepe with vglesome shapes dreadfull visions of deuells and wicked spirites that the child was visited with sicknesse because of the coÌ„tumelie and reproche he had done vnto Basil the bishop The Emperour marking diligently the words of his wife muzed a while pondered them w t him selfe at length resolued him selfe what was to be done sent for Basil and because he would know y â— trueth reasoned thus with him If thy faith and opinion be true pray that my sonne die not of this disease Then Basil answered If thou wilt promise mee to beleue as I doe and if thou wilt bringe the churche vnto vnitie and concord thy childe no doubt shall lyue When the Emperour woulde not agree vnto this let God sayeth Basil deale with the childe as pleaseth him Immediatly after this conference Basil was sette at libertie and forthwith the child dyed Thus much haue we runne ouer of both these mens doings They both left behinde them vnto the posteritie many notable bookes wherof Ruffinus reporteth him selfe to haue translated some into the Latine tongue Basil had two brethren Peter and Gregorie Peter lead the solitarie life after the example of Basil Gregorie was a teacher and finished after the desease of his brother the CoÌ„mentaries which Basil had left vnperfect vpon the Six dayes vvorks The same Gregorie preached at Constantinople a funerall sermon vpon the death of Meletius bishop of Antioch There are extant many other notable orations and sermons of his CAP. XXII Of Gregorie byshop of Neocaesarea INsomuch that many are deceaued partly because of the name and partly because of the works attributed vnto Gregorie we haue to learne that there was an other Gregorie borne in Neocaesarea a citie of Pontus who was the disciple of Origen and farre more auncient then the former men we spake of euen now This Gregorie is much spoken of not onely at Athens and at Berytus but throughout Pontus and in maner throughout the whole world As soone as he had left the famous schoole of Athens he gaue him selfe at Berytus vnto the study of the ciuill lawes hearinge there that Origen professed diuinitie at Caesarea got him thither in all the hast When he had bene the auditor of the heauenly doctrine of holy scripture made no accoÌ„pt of the Romaine lawes but leaned thenceforth vnto that Wherfore hauing learned of him the true philosophie at y â— commauÌ„dement of his parents he returned vnto his natiue contrey Beinge a laye man he wrought many miracles he cured the sicke he chased deuells away by his epistles he conuerted the gentils and Ethnicks vnto the faith not only with words but w t deedes of far greater force PaÌ„philus Martyr made mention of him in his bookes written in the defence of
Origen where the oration of Gregorie in the praise of Origen is layd downe in writing To be short there were foure Gregories first this auncient father the disciple some times of Origen next Gregorie Nazianzene thirdly Gregorie the brother of Basil and the fourth of Alexandria whome the Arians after the exile of Athanasius chose to their bishop Thus much of these men CAP. XXIII The originall of the Nouatian hereticks and how that as many of them as inhabited Phrygia celebrated the feast of Easter after the Iewishe maner ABout that time the Nouatians inhabiting Phrygia chaunged the dayes appoynted by the councell of Nice for the celebration of Easter but howe that came to passe I will declare if that first I lay downe the cause originall why so seuere a canon of the Nouatian church preuailed so much with the Phrygian and Paphlagonian nations Nouatus the priest seuered him selfe from the church of Rome because y ◠Cornelius the bishop receaued into the communion after repentance the faithfull that fell from the church sacrificed vnto Idols in the persecution vnder Decius the Emperour When he had deuided him selfe from y ◠church for the aforesayd cause first he was made bishop of such bishops as were of his opinion next he wrote epistles vnto all churches euery where that they should not receaue as meete partakers of the holy mysteries such as had sacrificed vnto Idolls but exhort them vnto repentance referring y ◠forgeuenes and remission vnto God who is of power and authority sufficient to remit sinne when the letters were brought into euery prouince euery one iudged thereof as pleased him best Because Nouatus had signified that such as after baptisme committed a sinne vnto death were not afterwards to be admitted vnto the communion the publishing of that canon seemed vnto some toe seuere vnto others but right reason auailable also for the direction of godly life Whē this controuersie was tossed toe and fro the letters of Cornelius were sent abroade signifying that there remained hope of pardon for such as had sinned after baptisme They both wrote contrary letters and cōueyed them vnto the churches abroade And whilest that both went about to confirme his opinion with testimonies of holy scripture euery man as the maner is looke where affection lead him there he addicted him selfe For such as were geuen to sinne tooke occasion by the libertie and fauoure that was graunted them went forewardes headlonge into euery shamefull crime The Phrygians are a nation farre more temperate and modest then others for they sweare very seldome The Scythians and Thracians are hotter more prone vnto anger For they that are nearer vnto the rising of the sunne are set more vpon lust concupiscence The Paphlagonians Phrygians are inclined to nere nother of these perturbations For at this daye they vse no running at tilte no such warlike exercise neither doe they vse to pastime them selues with spectacles and stage playes Wherefore these kind of men in myne opinion draw neerest vnto the drift disposition of Nouatus letters Adulterie is counted among them for a detestable and horrible sinne It is well knowen that the Phrygian and Paphlagonian trade of lyfe is farre modester and more chast and continent then any other hereticall sect whatsoeuer I coniecture that they shott at the same modest trade of lyfe which inhabited the west parts of the worlde and leaned to Nouatus opinion Nouatus him selfe though he varyed from the church of Rome by reason of a certaine seuere trade of liuing yet altered not he the tyme appointed for the celebration of Easter For he alwayes obserued the custome of the West churches ▪ and celebrated it as they did For such as lyue there since they were Christians kept alwayes that feast after the Equinoctiallspringe And though Nouatus him selfe was putt to death in the persecution vnder Valerianus yet such as in Phrygia are so called of him for all they are fallen from the faith of the Catholicke churche were licenced to become partakers of his communion at what time they altered the celebration of Easter day For in the village Pazum where the springs of the floode Sangarius are founde ▪ there was a Councell summoned of fewe and the same very obscure Nouatian bishops where they decreed that the maner custome of the Iewes who kept thē dayes of vnleauened bread was to be obserued and that the time appoynted by them was not to be broken This haue we learned of an olde man who was a priests sonne and present at the Councell with his father whereat Agelius the Nouatian byshop of Constantinople was not neyther Maximus of Nice neither the Nouatian bishop of Nicomedia neyther the bishop of Cotuaium who was of the same opinion with the rest for these were they that chiefely layde downe the canons of the Nouatian churches These things were of olde in this sort Not longe after because of this Councell as it shall be shewed in an other place the Nouatian churche was deuided within it selfe CAP. XXIIII Of Damasus bishop of Rome and Vrsinus his deacon of the greate sturre and slaughter that was at Rome because of them NOwe lett vs returne vnto the affaires of the West that were done at the same time When the Emperour Valentinianus lead a peaceable and quiet life molestinge no kinde of sect Damasus succeeded Liberius in the bishopricke of Rome at what time the quiet state of the Romaine church was wonderfully troubled the cause as I could learne was as followeth Vrsinus Deacon of that church in the vacancie of the seae made sute for him selfe agaynst Damasus to be chosen bishop Who seeing that Damasus was preferred and him selfe put backe seeinge also that all his canuasse was to no purpose fell from the church to raysinge of priuate and particular conuenticles and perswaded certaine base and obscure bishops to consecrate him bishop Wherfore they created him not in the open church but in an odde corner of the cathedrall church called Sicona This being done the people was all on an vprore the tumult was not toutchinge y ◠faith or heresie but whether of them both by ryght should be bishop The heat of thronging multitudes was so grieuous and the contention so greate that it cost many their liues For which schisme and rebellion many both of the laytie and cleargie were grieuously tormented by the cōmaundement of Maximmus the gouernour and so was Vrsinus foyled the enterprises of his factiō suppressed CAP. XXV After the death of Auxentius the Arian byshop of Mediolanum when there rose a great schisme about the election of a bishop the which Ambrose Liuetenant of that prouince suppressed he him selfe by the voyce of all that were present and by the consent of the Emperour Valentinianus was chosen Byshop ABout that time an other straunge act fell out at Mediolanum When Auxentius whome y ◠Arians chose to be bishop of
demaunded of him the like he sayd It is no hard matter to bereaue a man of his life but when he is gone there is no man be he neuer so sory for him that can restore him to life againe saue God alone He was alwaies of y ◠mind that if any cōmitted treason he would not suffer him to go as farre as the gates of the citie towardes the place of execution but of his clemencie he called him backe againe The same man againe when he published spectacles on a certaine time at Constantinople w t the bickering and fighting of beasts in cōpasse of the theatre and the people shouted vnto him requiring that one of the strōgest men should be turned vnto the sauadge beast which rainged about his answere was in this sort Doe not you know that we can not away with cruell spectacles When the people hearde this they learned thenceforth to refraine from cruell showes Moreouer he was so religious that he honored all the priests of God but specially such as he knew did excell in godlenesse The report goeth that he made searche for the sackcloth which the bishop of Chebrū wore that died at Constantinople aud being found they say he more it how homely soeuer it was thinking verely to gett vnto him selfe thereby some of the deade mans holinesse As he soleminzed on a certaine tempestuous and stormie tyme of the yeare the people requiringe the same the vsuall and wonted spectacles and showes in the place called Circus enuironed with a wall and galeries round about when the rowme was full of people and the tempest waxed sore there fell vpon them sodainly a great cloude of snow then the Emperour renealed vnto the worlde what affection and zeale he bare towards God he willed the bedells in his name to say thus vnto the people It is far better for vs to lay aside these sowes and pastime and with one voyce to fall a praying vnto God that he will deliuer vs out of this present storme The words were no sooner spokē but all ioyntly fell downe to the ground and poured out earnest zealous praiers vnto God so y ◠the whole citie was become like one church The Emperour him selfe in the middest of the assembly arrayed in cōmon vsuall attire began the hymnes neither failed he of his purpose For the wether became faire againe the great derth and scarsitie was turned by the goodnes of God into plenty and abūdance of all things If warres at any time were proclaimed he followed the example of Dauid he made God his refuge perswading him self for certaine that God ruled and gouerned all battails and by the meanes of prayer he obtayned euer a prosperous successe CAP. XXIII Of Iohn who after the desease of the Emperour Honorius playd the tyrant at Rome how God deliuered him through the prayers of Theodosius into the hands of the Romaine souldiers OCcasion is presently ministred to discourse howe Theodosius being ayded frō aboue foyled the rebell and tyrant Iohn immediatly after the Persian battaile the desease of Honoritu in y ◠cōsulship of Asclepiodotus Marianus y ◠15. of August In mine opiniō y ◠acts of those dayes are worthy y ◠writig such they are as of right should be recorded to y ◠knowledge of the posterity in time to come For the like thigs which hapned vnto the Hebrewes vnder Moses as they passed through the red sea new befell vnto the emperours captaines being set against y ◠tyrāt the which I mind briefly to rūne ouer leauīg y ◠large discourse because it requireth a seuerall volume vnto others Although Theodosius knew that Honorius y ◠Emperour had departed this life yet cōcealed he his death frō others so y ◠an other deuise which hereafter shal be spokē of begutled many therin He sent priuely a souldier vnto Salonae a city of Dalmatia to geue warnig y ◠if any nouelty were attēpted in y ◠west parts of the world there should be such preparatiò as might quickly suppresse y ◠authors therof Whē he had brought y ◠about he opened vnto all men y ◠death of his vncle In y ◠meane while Iohānes one of y ◠Emperours chiefe secretaries being not of setled disposition to beare y ◠saile bāner of prosperity chalēged the empire sēt embassabours vnto y ◠emperour Theodosius requiring him to proclaime him emperour Theodosius tooke his legats layd thē in hold sēt vnto Iohn Ardaburius y ◠captaine who of late had behaued him self valiātly in y ◠battaile agaīst the Persians he cōming to Salonae sailed into Aquileia whence as it is thought he tooke a wrōg course the chaunce was as followeth Being in the surging waues of y ◠maine seae y ◠winde blewe against him brought him ere he was ware into y ◠tyrāts clawes The tyrant laying hand on him was now in good hope y ◠Theodosius would be brought of necessitie if he tendered y ◠life of his captaine Ardaburius to create proclaime him Emperour whē these thīgs came to light both Theodosius him selfe his army also which marched forwardes against y ◠rebell were wonderfull sory lest Ardaburius should take any harme at y ◠tyrāts hāds Aspar also y ◠sōne of Ardaburius seing both his father taken captiue also hearing for certainty y ◠an infinite power of Barbariās wēt to ayde the rebell knewe not what to doe he was at his wittes ende To be short y ◠prayers of y ◠godly Emperour thē also proued thē selues againe to be very effectuall for an Angell of God in y ◠forme of a shepherd guided Aspar on his iourney led his army by a lake adioyning vnto Rauēna for there it was that the tyrant kept captaine Ardaburius in hold which way as fame goeth there was neuer man y ◠found passage But God opened a way vnto Aspar where as it is thought others coulde not goe He led then his armie through the lake which then as it fell out was dryed vp by the handy worke of God he rushed in at the gates of the citie which lay wide open dispatched the tyrāt At what time the most godly Emperour vnderstanding of the tyrāts death as he celebrated those showes and spectacles in Circus made manifest his singular zeale pietie godwards for thus he spake vnto the people Let vs geue ouer this vaine pastime and pleasure let vs rather repaire vnto the church and serue God deuoutly pouring vnto God zealous prayers yelding vnto him harty thankes who with his owne hande hath bereaued the tyrant of his life He had no sooner made an end of speaking but ther gaue ouer their spectacles and showes they set all at nought they passed throughout the theater sounding out thanks geuing with one voyce together with the Emperour they went straight to the church and spent there the whole day so that
the mysteries After all this in the sight of the wholl assembly the Bishop of Constātinople accompanied with his clergie gott him into the vestry where the corps of this holy Martyr aboue named was interred There is on the left hande of this coffin and chested corps as it were a litle wickett very strongly made of litle latises through the which they vse to let down a longe iron with a sponge tyed about the end they dipp and soke it round about in the dead corps after wardes pull vp the sponge all embrued with cogeled drops of blood The people seeing this worship God immediatly and magnifie his holy name There are so many drops of cōgeled blood drawen vp that they suffice the religious Emperours the wholl assembly of priests gathered ther together all the flocking multitude not onely to participate thereof them selues but also to send vnto the other faithfull throughout the world that full fayne would be partakers with them But the congeled drops continew still the same neither doth the holy blood chaunge the hewe or colour thereof at all All which things are not to be seene at any certaine speciall or appointed time but thereafter as the Bishop of that place is in life and as it agreeth with his vertues For they report when any singular man of godly disposition is chosen Bishop of that Church that then most commonly this miracle is to be seene but when a leude person is crept to enioy the rowme that these things very seldome come to passe An other thing yet I will rehearse which is stayed and hindred neither by time neither by occasion neither maketh any difference betwene faithfull and infidell but sheweth it selfe alike vnto all men When any cometh into the vestry where the coprs of this holy martyr is chested he is so rauished with such fragrant odours that all other perfumes in comparison of that seeme worth nothinge For it is like neither the sweete smelling flowres culled in the greene medowes neither any other redolēt sauor whatsoeuer neither such as is made of pleasant oyles but it is a straunge and passing all the rest breathing out of the Martyrs dead body CAP. IIII. Of the things handeled decided by the councell of Chalcedon howe after they had deposed Dioscorus b. of Alexandria they restored Theodoritus and Ibas to theyr Bishopricks IN the aforesayde place described of vs at large the Councell of Byshoppes mette together where Pascasianus and Lucentius Byshopps and Boniface a Priest legats as I sayd before of Leo Byshoppe of olde Rome Anatolius Byshopp of Constantinople Dioscorus byshopp of Alexandria Maximus byshopp of Antioch and Iuuenalis byshopp of Ierusalem with the priestes of their seuerall prouinces were present There sate with them the chiefe senators vnto whome the substitutes of Leo sayde that Dioscorus ought not to sitt with them in the councell that Leo their byshopp had charged them no lesse and if they woulde not yeelde vnto it that they woulde leaue the Churche and bidd them farewell When the Senators demaunded what crimes Dioscorus was to be charged withall their aunswere was that he who contrarye to all right and honestie playde the part of a Iudge was to ▪ abide the sentence of iudgement him selse for the censure he had pronounced of others These thinges beinge spoken and Dioscorus also beinge appointed to stande in the middest Eusebius byshopp of Dorylaeum requested that the supplication he had sent vnto the Emperour might be openly reade in their hearing and withall he added these wordes I protest vnto you that Dioscorus hath iniuried me not a litle he hath also brought our religion into great infamye he procured the death of Flautanus the byshopp and wrongfully deposed him together with me cause I beseeche you my supplication to be reade When he had made an ende of speakinge his supplication was reade contayninge suche a forme as followeth The humble supplication of Eusebius byshop of Dorylaeum exhibited vnto the most vertuous Emperours requestinge he may be hearde pleadinge both for him selfe and in the behalfe of the catholicke faith IT behoueth your maiesties most noble and puisant emperours to prouide carefully for the quietnesse of all your louing subiects yet when all others sustaine iniuries euer to vphold and assist the sacred senate of priesthood and herein verily the diuine godheade which graunted vnto you the rule domination of the whole world is truely honored wherefore seing the christian faith we our selues also haue bene oppressed diuersty molested with extreme wrōg by Dioscorus the most reuerēd byshop of the most noble city of Alexandria we are come vnto your wonted clemēcy most humbly to craue iustice at your hands The occasion of our cōplaint is as followeth In the councel lately held at the famous city of Ephesus I would to God it had neuer bene called together then had it not brought into the whole world such horrible mischiefe and hurliburly the aforesaid Dioscorus who trode right reasō vnder foot who set the fear of God farre out of his sight who maintained one absurd opinion with Eutyches that vaine hereticall varlett who of a longe whyle reuealed not vnto many the venome of his cankred stomacke yet bewrayed him selfe in processe of time partly by occasion of the crimes we laide to Eutyches his charge partly also by occasion of the sentence which Flauianus the byshop of worthy memorie pronounced against him gathered together a great multitude of seditious persons raised with his money no small power laboured as muche as laye in him to ouerthrowe the catholicke religion and godly fayth of the auncient fathers and to establishe the blasphemous opinion of Eutyches the monk whose opinion was euer condēned of the holy fathers from the Apostles time vnto this day wherfore seing the haynous offences he committed both impudently to the derogation of the Christian faith vncharitably against vs be of no smal importāce we are most humbly to craue vpon our bare knees of your graces and to request that by vertue of your autority the most reuerēd byshop Dioscours may be inioyned to aunswere vnto suche crimes as we haue laid to his charge to wit vnto such practises of his records as he broughtforth against vs in the holy councell wherby we shal be able plainly to proue that he is estraunged from the catholicke faith that he maintaineth an opinion which is nothing else but blasphemy it selfe that he both deposed vs vniustly iniuried vs diuersly besides ▪ we beseeche you moreouer to vouchsafe the sending of your gracious letters vnto the holy general councel of the most godly byshops to thend both our doings his may indifferently be heard that your highnes may be certified againe of al that is handled by the councel hoping that therein we shall please our immortal head Christ Iesus If we may obtaine most holy emperours this our humble sute at your maiesties hāds we will not ceasse
Rhetorician writeth howe the lieuetenant of Thebais came then to Alexandria saw al the people on an vprore set vpon the magistrates how they threwe stones at the garrison which endeuoured to keepe y â— peace how of force they made y â— soldiers flie vnto y â— temple of old called Serapis how the people ranne thither ransacked y â— temple burned y â— soldiers quick the emperour vnderstanding hereof to haue sent thither imediatly two thousand choseÌ„ soldiers who hauing winde wether at will arriued at Alexandria y â— sixt day after Againe when y â— soldiers rauished the wiues defloured the daughters of y â— citizens inhabiting Alexandria y â— the latter skirmish combat exceded the former in cruelty After al this how the people assembled together at Circus where their spectacles were solemnized there to haue requested Florus who was captaine of the garrisoÌ„ gouernour of their city in ciuill affaires y â— he would restore vnto them y â— priueledged corne which he had depriued them of their bathes their spectacles other things whatsoeuer were takeÌ„ from them because of their insurrection tumults The aforesaide autor reporteth that Florus appeased their wrath with his presence gentle exhortation restored peace for a while but in the meane space the monks which inhabited y â— deserts adioyning vnto Ierusalem could not setle quietnes within their brests for some of them which had bene at the councell dissented from the decrees came to Palaestina coÌ„playned of the forme of fayth deliuered by y â— councell laboured to set other monks on firy sedition but wheÌ„ Iuuenalis returned froÌ„ y â— councell to his byshoprick was coÌ„pelled by such aduersaries as laboured to bring him into y â— contrary opinion to coÌ„fute detest his owne religion had fled vnto the city where y â— emperour made his abode they y â— impugned reuiled the councell of Chalcedon as I said before gathered theÌ„ selues together made an election vpon Easter day chose Theodosius to their byshopp who was the ringleader of the whole mischiefe raised in the councell and the first that certified them of the canons and decrees thereof concerning whome not long after the Monks of Palaestina wrote vnto Alcison how that he was conuicted of haynous crimes by hiw owne byshopp and expulsed the monastery and how that continewing a while at Alexandria he cleaued to Dioscorus was whipped for sedition set vpon a Camell as malefactors are vsed and carted throughout the citie vnto this Theodosius there came many out of the cities of Palaestina requesting him to appoint them byshops of which number Petrus the Iberian was made byshop of Maiuma hard by Gaza â–ª when the trueth of these treacheries came to light Martianus the Emperour commaunded first of all that Theodosius should be brought vnto him with power of armed soldiers secondly he sent thither Iuuenalis to th ende he shoulde reforme the disordered state of the Church and reduce all to peace and quietnes moreouer he commaunded him to depose as many as Theodosius had preferred to y â— priestly functioÌ„ After the returne of Iuuenalis into IerusaleÌ„ many grieuous calamities mischieuous deuices such as most coÌ„monly through the instigation of the enuious deuell and satan the sworne enemy to God and man are wont to raigne in the mindes of mortall men ensued by the meanes of y e contrary factions for the deuell by chaunging of one letter and lewde interpreting thereof brought to passe that it should be pronounced either way for to establish a contrary opinion the which sentence as diuers doe thinke is so repugnant and inferreth such contradictorie sense and meaning that the one seemeth vtterly to subuert and ouerthrowe the other for he that confesseth Christ to be IN two natures saith no lesse but that he consisteth Oâ— two natures for by graunting that Christ is both IN diuinitie and humanitie is to confesse that he consisteth OF diuinitie and humanitie he againe that saith that Christ consisteth OF two natures affirmeth plainly that he is IN two natures for by auouching that he consisteth of diuinitie and humanitie he testifieth him to be in diuinitie and humanitie yet not by conuersion of the fleshe into the godhead whose vniting is inexplicable neither of y â— godhead into flesh so that wheÌ„ we say OF TVVO we vnderstand withall IN TVVO by saying IN TVVO we meane OF TVVO not parting y â— one froÌ„ the other for it is toe plaine that the whole not onely consisteth of the parts but y t the whole is vnderstood in the parts yet for al y â— some men be of the vpinion y t they are farre seuered a sunder because their mindes and heads are so occupied before or else because they maintaine some sulline opinion of God or selfe will that they had leuer endure any kinde of death then yeelde vnto the plaine and manifest trueth by occasion of this subtlety of satan the aforesaid mischieues ensued but so much of these things in this sort CAP. VI. Of the great necessitie of rayne famine and pestilence and howe that in certaine places hardly to be belieued the earth brought forth of her owne accorde ABout that time there was suche scarsitie of rayne in both Phrygia Galatia Cappadocia and Cilicia that men wanting necessaries receiued poysoned nurishment and deadly food vpon this there rose a great pestilence and men after chaunge and alteration of diet beganne to sickenne their bodies swelled the inflammation was so great that it made them starke blinde they had withall such a cough that they died thereof the third day Although there could no medicine be had neither remedy be found for this pestilence yet by the prouidence of almighty God the famine relented for suche as were left aliue for it is reported that in that deare and barren yeare there came downe foode from the aer no otherwise then Manna of olde vnto the 〈◊〉 and the yeare following the earth of her owne accorde brought forth fruite Neither wâ—… this miserie rise throughout Palaestina but also sundry calamities raigned in many and inâ—… regions CAP. VII How Valentinianus the Emperour was slaine Rome taken and ransacked WHile the aforesaide calamities raigned in the East Aëtius was lamentably put to death at olde Rome Valentinianus also Emperour of the West parts of the worlde was slaine together with Heraclius by certen soldiers of Aëtius through the treason of Maximus who aspired vnto the Empire and therefore wrought their destruction because the wife of Maximus had bene deflowred by Valentinianus and forced to commit adulterie This Maximus maried Eudoxia the wife of Valentinianus against her will she neyther without good cause tooke this as a great contumelie and reproche deuised euerie way howe to reuenge her husbandes death for she is a woman exceedinge outragious for stayninge the puritie of her vessell of an intractable minde when her honesty is oppressed
neither say this or that place stoode thus before the fire consumed them CAP. XIIII Of sundry calamities that raignedin diuerse contreyes ABout the same time wheÌ„ the Scythian battaill waged w t the Romaines which inhabited the Easterne partes of the Empire waxed hotte Thracia Hellespontus and Ionia were wonderfully shaken with earthquakes no lesse were the fiftie Iles called Cyclâdes in the seae AegaeuÌ„ Cnidos in Caria Coo so that many of theyr buildings were turned downe to the ground Priscus moreouer writeth there fell at Constantinople and in Bithynia such stormes of raine and water that for the space of three or foure dayes it poured downe like wholl streames and floodes beate downe the hills and mountaynes with the violence thereof and made them playne valleyes that the villages were all on flote and in daunger of drowning that in the lake Boan not farre froÌ„ Nicomedia by reason of the filth and all kinde of baggage which the water brought thither there were seene Ilands but these things came to passe in a while after CAP. XV. The mariage of Zeno and Ariadne LEo the Emperour gaue Ariadne his daughter to Zeno made him his sonne in lawe who of a chylde was called Aricmesus yet being maried he gott that name of a noble man of Isauria that had beene of greate honor and renowme Howe this Zeno attayned vnto greate estimation vpon what occasion Leo preferred him before all other Eustathius Syrus hath left vs in writinge CAP. XVI Of Anthemius that became Emperour of Rome and also of such as succeeded him ANthemius at the request of the Romane embassadors inhabiting the west which were sent in embassie vnto Leo y â— emperour abiding at Constantinople was sent to be emperour of Rome to whome Martianus the emperour had geuen his daughter in mariage Basiliscus also the brother of Berina the wife of Leo was made captaine ouer a great armye of chosen soldiers sent against Genzerichus al which circumstances Priscus Rhetor hath exquisitly handled neither onely these things but also how Leo conspired the death of Aspar whom he him selfe had made Emperour as the reward of honor he aduaunced him vnto and slew with him also his sonnes Ardaburius whom he had made Caesar Patricius to th end he might skorne at the insolency ignorance of Aspar their father when Anthemius who gouerned the empire of Rome fiue yeare was slaiâ—e Olymbrius was by Rhecimerus proclaimed emperour after the dispatching of him Glycerius was created emperour he raigned fiue yeares was deposed by Nepos who stept in his rowme made Glycerius a Romane byshop of Salone a city in Dalmatia Orestes put Nepos beside the empire after Orestes his sonne Romulus syrnamed Augustulus was the last emperour of Rome of the thousand three hundred yeares after the raigne of Romulus when he departed this lyfe Odoacer gouerned the Romane common weale who refused the name of an emperour would haue him selfe called a king CAP. XVII The death of Leo the Emperour of yong Leo that came after him likewise of Zeno his father and successor ABout that time Leo the emperonr hauing raigned seuentene yeares deposed him self of the imperial scepter at Constantinople placed Leo that was of tender yeares the sonne of Ariadne his danghter of Zeno in the empire After him came Zeno y â— father of Leo the yonger to be emperour the sonne in law of Leo the elder this he obtained through the procurement of Berina the wife of Leo y â— elder in a while after when yong Leo had departed this life Zeno raigned alone but al what so euer he did during his raigne or what othermen did against him what thinges happened in his dayes we purpose by the help of God to discourse in the next booke following CAP. XVIII Asummarie recit all of all the acts of the councell held at Chalcedon briefely handled before by Euagrius in the 4. chapter of this 2. booke where he promised to refer the reader for further knowledge vnto the end of this 2. booke now he performeth it with a large ample discourse maruell not at all gentle reader though he repeat here certen things which he laid downe before As I finde them in the greeke so thou hast them in Englishe be beginneth thus PAscasianus and Lucentius the byshopps and Boniface the priest supplyed in this councell the absence of Leo byshopp of olde Rome Anatolius al 's byshopp of Constantinople Dioscorus byshopp of Alexandria Maximus byshopp of Antioch Iuuenalis byshopp of Ierusalem with their seuerall clergie were present at the councell There sate with them the chief senators vnto whome the substitutes of Leo sayde that Dioscorus ought not to sitt in the councell with them that Leo their byshop had charged them no lesse and if they woulde not yeelde vnto it that they woulde leaue the Churche and bidd them farewell When the Senators demaunded what crimes Dioscorus was to be charged withall their aunswere was that he who contrarye to all right and honestie playde the part of a Iudge was to abide the sentence of iudgement him selfe for the censure he had pronounced of others These thinges beinge spoken and Dioscorus also beinge appointed to stande in the middest Eusebius byshop of Dorilaeum requested that the supplication he had sent vnto the Emperour might be openly reade in their hearing and withall he added these wordes I protest vnto you that Dioscorus hath iniuried me not a litle he hath also brought our religion into great infamye he procured the death of Flauianus the byshop and wrongfully deposed him together with me cause I beseeche you my supplication to be reade When he had made an ende of speakinge his supplication was reade contayninge suche a forme as followeth The humble supplication of Eusebius byshop of Dorilaeum exhibited vnto the most vertuous Emperours requestinge he may be hearde pleadinge both for himselfe for the catholikefaith and for Flauianus byshop of Constantinople IT behoueth your maiesties most noble and puisant emperours to prouide carefully for the quietnesse of all your louing subiects yet when all others sustaine iniuries euer to vphold and assist the sacred senate of priesthood and herein verily the diuine godheade which graunted vnto you the rule domination of the whole world is truely honored wherfore seing the christian faith we our selues also haue bene oppressed diuersly molested with extreme wroÌ„g by Dioscorus the most reuereÌ„d byshop of the most noble city of Alexandria we are come vnto your wonted clemeÌ„cy most humbly to craue iustice at your hands The occasion of our coÌ„plaint is as followeth In the councel lately held at the famous city of Ephesus I would to God it had neuer bene called together then had it not brought into the whole world such horrible mischiefe and hurliburly the aforesaid Dioscorus who trode right reasoÌ„ vnder foot who set the fear of God farre out of his sight who
of Syria being perswaded by Xenaias byshop of Hierapolis bordering vpon Antioch syrnamed after the grecians Philoxenus made an insurrection came all vpon a heade to Antioch purposinge to force Flauianus both to accurse the councell of Chalcedon and Leos decree of the faith When Flauianus tooke the matter verye grieuouslye and the monkes vrged him wyth violence The citizens by reason of that greate sturre and sedition made suche a slaughter of the monks that manye of them naye an infinit number in steede of quiet earth and still graue were buryed in the swifte waues of the riuer Orontes There happened an other thinge that was no lesse lamentable then the former The monkes whiche inhabited Caelosyria nowe called Syria Minor bearinge singuler good will and affection vnto Flauiames who some tyme leade a Monasticall lyfe in the Abbeye of Tilmognum came in all the â—aste to Antioch for to assiste Flauianus so that there ensued thereof great mischiefe Wherefore Flauianus whether it were for the former slaughter or the later calamitie or peraduenture for both was banished the prouince and inioyned to inhabite the craggie deserts in the furthest part of Palaestina CAP. XXXIII Of Seuerus byshop of Antioch WHen Flauianus was exiled Seuerus was chosen byshop of Antioch in the moneth Dius the fiue hundreth three score and first yeare after the citie bare this name but now that is the time I penned this history the sixe hundreth forty and first yeare This Seuerus was borne in Soxopolis a citie of Pisidia before they made him byshop he pleaded lawe at Berytus But as soone as he was baptized in the Churche of Leontius the holy martyr whom Tripolis a citie lyinge on the Sea cost of Phoenicia doth honor he translated his studye from lawe vnto monasticall life the whiche he led in a monastery lyinge in the middes betweene Gaza and Maiuma Where Peter the Iberian Byshope sometime of Gaza and the companion of Timotheus Aelurus both in sustayninge of banishment and substance of doctrine was muche spoken of Furthermore Seuerus of whome I purpose to entreat conferringe with Nephalius who sometime was of one religion with him to wit that there was one nature in Christe yet afterwardes helde wyth the Councell of Chalcedon and suche as sayde there were two natures in our Lorde Christe Iesus was expulsed the monasterye by Nephalius and his complices together with manye others of his opinion Thence he went straight to Constantinople both for him selfe and in the name of all the rest that were expelled with him and so became acquainted with the Emperour Anastasius as it is reported by him that wrote Seuerus life Wherefore he wrote letters vnto the patrons of his opinion of their mutuall loue and agreement where by name he condemneth the Councell of Chalcedon This whiche I speake of is layde downe by the monks in their Epistle vnto Alcison The Epistle whiche Timothee nowe Byshope of Constantinople wrote vnto the monkes here in Palaestina of mutuall loue and agreement was receaued But the depriuation of Macedonius and Flauianus together with the letters of Seuerus was reiected The messengers that brought the letters were as they deserued contumeliouslye entreated for the citizens and monkes conspired their deathes that they were fayne to runne awaye for to saue theyr lyues And thus it went with vs in Palaestina But of the prouinces of Antioch they were partly ledde into error wyth others namelye Martinus Byshope of Berytus and partly constrayned to subscribe vnto Seuerus letters of mutuall loue and agreement whiche accursed not onely the Councell but also who so euer affirmed there were two natures in Christ the one diuine the other humane But suche as were compelled to geeue theyr consent repented them afterwardes and returned vnto the Churche namelye the Byshopes throughout the prouince of Apamia There were other some that woulde in no wise agree of whiche number Iulianus Byshope of Bostra was sayde to be Epiphanius Byshope of Tyrus wyth other Byshopes The Isaurians after repentaunce condemned theyr former error and follye and accursed Seuerus wyth all that fauored him Other Byshopes and priestes wythin Seuerus iurisdiction forsooke their Churches namelye Iulianus Byshope of Bostra Peter Byshope of Damascus who lyue here wyth vs Mamas also wyth one of the two Dioscorians who affirmed there were two natures from the beginninge whose wilfull frowardnesse made Seuerus whether he woulde or no to condemne them After a few lines The monasteries both here and at Ierusalem God be praysed for it doe holde wyth the right fayth euen so doe manye cities and Byshopes For all which and for vs our selues vouchsafe most holy Lorde and our right honorable father to pray that we fall not into temptation CAP. XXXIIII Howe Cosmas and Seuerianus two Byshopes within the prouince of Antioch sent Seuerus their Archebyshope a depriuation IN so muche the aforesayde letters make mention howe the prouince of Apamia fell from Seuerus nowe we thought good to laye downe a certayne historye deliuered vs by our elders whiche we founde no where recorded Cosmas Byshope of our Epiphania vpon the ryuer Orontes Seuerianus byshop of Arethusa a bordering citie being very muche offended with Seuerus letters of mutuall loue and agreement first of all deuided them selues from his communion nexte sent vnto him a Libell of depriuation for all he gouerned the Byshopricke of Antioch deliueringe it vnto Aurelianus chiefe Deacon of Epiphania who because he feared Seuerus and reuerenced the autoritye of so worthye a Byshopricke at his firste comminge to Antioch arayed him selfe in womans attyre and so got him to Seuerus He behaued him selfe so softlye so effeminatly that they tooke him to be a woman in deede He muffled him selfe and pulled the veyle ouer his heade as farre as his breste He whined wyth a shrill and pitifull voyce he sighed deepelye He crooched lyke a poore suter and as Seuerus passed by he reached into his hand the bill of depriuation when he had so done he priuelye conueyed himselfe awaye from the traine that followed Seuerus and so was out of theyr reach ere Seuerus coulde learne what was contayned in the Libell But Seuerus though he receaued the Libell and perceaued what they had written therein continewed neuer the lesse in his Byshopricke vnto the death of Anastasius the Emperour When Anastasius vnderstoode of the circumstances whiche happened vnto Seuerus I can not chuse but recorde in this place the good nature and clemencie of Anastasius he charged Asiaticus Lieuetenant of Libaeesa in Phoenicia to remoue Cosmas and Seuerianus from theyr Byshoprickes because they sent vnto Seuerus the Libell of depriuation After his comminge into the Easte and perceauinge howe that manye were of Seuerianus and Cosmas opinion and that they defended theyr cityes manfullye he wrote backe vnto Anastasius that there was no displacinge of them wythout slaughter and bloodshed Wherefore there was so muche mercye and pitye in the minde of Anastasius that he signifyed
Iosias was king of Iuda 31. yeares 4. Reg. 22. Neri   Ioachas was king 3. moneths 4. Reg. 23. Ioas.  3429. Ioacim otherwise called Eliacim raygned ouer Iuda 11. yeares 4. Reg. 23. Selam Ieremie in the daies of Amon. Ezechiel in the daies of Iosia Daniel in the daies of Ioachas Abacuk in the daies of Ioacim Nahum In the daies of Iechonias  Ioacim otherwise called Iechomas raigned 3. moneths 4. Re. 24. Helchias Virias in the daies of Sedechias Iere. 26. I woulde not haue the times of these Prophets so precise taken but that they were also at other tymes 3440. Sedechias raigned in Ierusalem 11. yeares 4. Reg. 24. vnder whom the captiuity befell both city and temple were destroied the people led into Babylon Sareas   Eusebius Chron. sayth that froÌ„ the first building of the temple in the 4. yeare of Solomon vnto the captiuitie vnder Nabuchodonozor there are 442. yeares the whiche I finde to be true if we attribute 28. yeares to king Iorams raigne From the buylding of the teÌ„ple vnder SolomoÌ„ vnto the captiuitie vnder Nabuchodonozor in the time of Sedechias ther were 18. highpriestes as Iosephus writeth Antiq. lib. 20. cap. 18.  3510. The captiuitie continewed 70. yeres Zacharie 1. Ieremi 25. 29. Euse Chronic. Clemens Alexandrin but some as Euseb sayth begine to tell the yeares from the 3. of Ioachim vnto the 20. of Cyrus some from the 13. of Iosias vnto the firste yeare of Cyrus the fift age of the worlde froÌ„ the captiuity of BabyloÌ„ vnto Christ  Nabuchodonozor raygned 26. yeares after he lead the people captiue The eleuenthe yeare of Sedechias was the 19. of Nabuchodon Ierem. 32. Euilmerodach his sonne raygned 30. yeares Regasar 3. yeares Labarsadach 6. yeares Baltassar 5. yeares Iosedech with others Daniel Sidrach Misach Abednago Zacharie Malachias Nehemias Aggaeus in the dayes of Zorobabel The 70. yeares of the captiuitie 3510. King Cyrus released the captiuitie and gaue them licence to build againe their temple in Ierusalem but they were hindred so that they coulde not beginne afore the 2. yeare of Darius the temple was finished the sixt yeare of the raygne of Darius 1. Esdras 6. the temple and the walls were a finishing vntill the 32. yeare of Darius 2. Esdr 5.    Darius raygned 36. yeares Euseb Chronic. Iesus the sonne of Iosedech was priest 56. yeares Captaines of the Iewes  Darius Hystaspis called bothe Xerxes and Artaxerxes Assuerus raygned 20. yeares Euseb Ioachim in whose time was Esdras was priest 8. yeres Eliasib was priest 21. yeares Zorobabel was ouer the Hebrevves 58. yeares  Artabanus was Kinge 7. moneths Euseb  Resa 66. yeres  Darius Artaxerxes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Longimanus raigned 40. yeares Euseb Ioachas was priest 48. yeares in his time were Hester and Mardocheus   Xerxes 2. was king 2. moneths Sogdianus 8. moneths Euseb Darius Nothus raygned 19. yeares Euseb Ioaida 24. yeares   Artaxerxes Memnon raygned 40. yeares Euseb  Ioanna 53. yeares  Artaxerxes otherwise called Darius Ochus raygned 26. Euseb Ioathan 24 yeares   Arses otherwise called Arsanes the sonne of Ochus raygned 4. yeares Euseb    Darius the last Monarche of Persia in the sixte yeare of his raygne was slayne by Alexander Magnus Euseb Iaddaeus 10. yeares Iudas 14. yeres in his time the Persian monarchy ended 3700. The Persian Monarchie lasted 191. yeares AlexaÌ„der magnus was Monarche 5. yeares he had gouerned 7. yeares before Onias was highpriest 27. yeares Philo Iud. Iosephus became ruler ouer the Iewes the 1. yeare of Alexander magnus continewed 7. yeares in whose time 3724. The space of 12. yeares after Syria was tossed  Alexander did greate reuerence both vnto the temple and to the highpriest Philo Iud. 3755. Seleucus Nicanor was the first king of Syria and Babylon he raygned 32. yeares Euseb SimoÌ„ highpriest 23 1. Machab. 13. 14. Philo Iud. Abner Semei 11. yeares in his time Ptolomaeus ransacked Ierusalem Philo Iud. Mattathias Eli 12. yeares 3774. Antiochus Soter was king in Syria 19. yeares Euseb Chronic. Eleazar highpriest 20. yeares he was enemy to Antiochus Theos in his time at the request of Ptolomaeus the Septuagints translated the old testameÌ„t out of hebrew into greek Philo Iud.  3789. Antiochus Theos raygned 15. yeares   3809. Seleucus Gallinicus was kinge of Syria 20. yeares Euseb    Seleucus Ceraunius raigned 3. yeares   3848. Antiochus magnus raigned in Syria 36. yeares Euseb Manasses highpriest 27. yeares he was a great friende of Seleucus Gallinicus Aser Maath 9. yeares Nagid Arphaxat 10. yeares in the time of Eleazar the highpriest the Septuagints  Seleucus Philopator raigned 12. yeares  Agar Heli 8. yeares Maslot Naum 7. yeares Amos Syrach 14. yeare Mattathias Siloa 10. yeares Philo Iud. 3868. Antiochus Epiphanes raigned 11. yeares Euseb SimoÌ„ Iustus highpriest 28. yeares he was honored of Antiochus magnus Onias highpriest 39 yeares he was spoiled of Seleucus Philo Iud.   Antiochus Eupator was king in Syria 2. yeares   3878. Demetrius Soter raygned 10. yeares  Ioseph Arses 60. yeares he was honored of Ptolomaeus and Antiochus magnus Philo Iud. Ianneus Hircanus 16. yeares Philo Iud.  Alexander raigned 5. yeares Iason FroÌ„ Antiochus Epiphanes vnto Christ the captaines of the Iewes became both Kings highpriestes Phil. Iud. Iudas Machabeus gouerned the Iewes 5. yeares he tooke armour against Antiochus Epiphanes Antiochus Eupator â–ª Demetrius Philo Iud.  Demetrius Nicanor 2. yeares Onias in whose time Antiochus Epiphanes plagued the Iewes Nicephor   Antiochus Sedetes 3. yeares Alcimus   Triphon 3. yeares Onias the sonne of Onias Ionathas his brother was both Priest and Prince 19. yeares Philo Iud.  Antiochus pius 12. yeares  Simon Ionathas 8. yeares Ioannes Hircanus the sonne of Simon 34. yeares  Demetrius Nicanor 4. yeares    Alexander 2. yeares   3907. Antiochus Gryphius raigned 29. yeares    Seleucus Gryphius together with others stroue 10. yeares for the kinge   dome Aristobulus his sonne one yeare   The Syrians seeing that the princes contended among them selues for the crowne tooke it in ill parte and chose Tigranus king of Armenia to gouerne them which ruled 18. yeares Alexander was Prince and priest 27. yeares   Pompeius the Romayne captaine conquered Syria ouercame Tigranus brought all subiect vnto the Empire of Rome led Aristobulus king of the Iewes captiue to Rome made Hircanus high priest whome the other had deposed and appointed Antipater Liuetenante of Iudaea Alexandria his wife gouerned the Iewes 9. yeares after her husbaÌ„ds death Hircanus the sonne of AlexaÌ„der Alexandria was high-priest 9. yeares  Caius Iulius Caesar 17. yeares after was Emperour of Rome and raygned 5. yeares Hircanus after the desease of his mother was bothe priest and prince  Â
councel held at Aurelia laid downe many godly decrees tom 2. concil  Domninus b. of Antioch after Euphremius Euagr. lib. 4. ca. 37 Felix 4. was b. of Rome after Iohn and continewed 4. yeares Anton. chronic Bonifacius 2. was b. of Rome after Felix 2. yeres Anton. chronic tom 2. concil Iohn 2. was b. of Rome after Bonifacius 2. yeres tom 2. concil Agapetus was b. of Rome after Iohn 2. one yere Anton. chronic Siluerius was b. of Rome after Agapetus one yere tom 2. coÌ„cil â–ª Zoilus was b. of Alexandria after Theodosius Euagr. lib. 4. ca. 11 Theodora the wife of Iustinianus the Emperour was of Eutyches opinion Euag. lib. 4. cap. 10. Iustinianus the emperor wrot an edict but God bereaued hiÌ„ of his lyfe afore he published it where he affirmed that the bodye of Christ was not subiect to corruption that it was voyd oâ— the naturall affections whiche appertaine thervnto that he eate before his passioÌ„ as he diâ— after his resurrection that his most holy body was nâ— thing chauÌ„ged for all the framing thereof in the mothers womb foâ— all the natural aâ—â— voluntary affectioÌ„ Euagr. lib. 4. cap. â— this is that Iustinâ—â— whose lawes are muche made of throughoute thâ— worlde 557.  Menas patriarche of CoÌ„stantinople florished about this time tom 2. concil The councell of Auergne was held in the time of Vigilius tom 2. conc Macarius was b. of Ierusalem after Peter he was deposed for heresie Euagr. li. 4 cap. 36. Anastasius was b. of Antioche after Domninus he rebuked Iustinianus for his heresie Iustinus 2. deposed him vpon false reports as some say because he woulde not geue him mony for his bishopricke Euag. lib. 4 cap. 38. 39. lib. 5. cap. 5 Vigilius was b. of Rome after Siluerius anno Do. â—39 where he continewed 18. yeares Palmer chron Anton chron â–ª Euag. lib. 4. cap. 37. Pelagius was b. of Rome after Vigilius anno Dom. 557. wher he continewed 11. yeares tom 2. concil Apollinarius was b. of AlexaÌ„dria after Zoilus Euag. lib. 4 cap. 36. Anthimus b. of Câ—â— stantinople was 〈◊〉 Eutyches the herâ—ticks opinion aâ—â— therefore depoâ—â— by Iustinian â—â—â—demned in the â—â—nerall councell 〈◊〉 Constantinople uag lib. 4. cap. 9â— Andreas an 〈◊〉 went about 〈◊〉 trey leading 〈◊〉 hande a blind 〈◊〉 dogge told 〈◊〉 fortunes but 〈◊〉 brought them to great 〈◊〉 by deceauing them with 〈◊〉 fables Eâ—â—â—â— Ab. Vsperâ— â–ª 566. Iustinus the second of that name succeded Iustinianus in the empire he lyued wantonly fared deliciously soulde beneâ—ices vnto ignorant priestes He craftelye compassed the death of Iustinus his cosinâ— In the ende he fell into a frensie vttered lamentable speaches bequâ—athed the empire vnto Tiberius he raigned 12 yeres and 10. monethes Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 1. 2. 3. 7. 8. 11. 13. 23.  The 4. 5. councells of Aurelia were called together in the tyme of Pelagius 1. tom 2. conc A â— councell helde at Tours in Fraunce tom 2. concil   Iohn the 3. was b. of RoÌ„e after Pelagi ' coÌ„tinewed 12. yeres to 2. concil Iohn succeeded Apollinarius in the seae of Alexandria Euag. lib. 5. ca. 16  577. Tiberius became Emperor after that Iustinus 2. fell into frensie he was a godly man he raygned 7. yeres and 11. monethes Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 11. 13. 23.  A councel called at Paris toutchinge churche goods â—om 2. concil A councell was called at Hispalis in Spayne toutching the church goods in the tyme of Pelagius 2. tom 2. concil Eustochius b. of Ierusalem Euagr lib. 4. cap. 32.  Benedictus was b. of RoÌ„e after Iohn 3. ann Do. 576. where he coÌ„tinewed 4. yeres tom 2. concil Palm chron   583. Mauricius the Emperour succeeded Tiberius in the empire  The 3. councell of Toledo condemned the Arian heresie to 2. coÌ„cil The 1. 2. synods called at Lions for the remouing of schisme raysed in the churche tom 2. concil   Pelagius 2. was b. of RoÌ„e after Benedictus continewed 10. yeares tom 2 concil   595. 12. Mauriâ—ij  The 1. 2. synods called at Matiscona reformed ecclesiasticall matters tom 2. concil Iohn b. of Ierusalem Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 16. Gregorius b. of Antioch after the depositioÌ„ of Anastasius Euagr. lib. 5. cap. 6. Gregorius was b. of Rome after Pelagiê° ann Do. 590. coÌ„tinewed 13. yeares to 2. concil Eulogius succeeded Iohn in the bishoprick of Alexandria who as Nicephorus reporteth coÌ„tinewed 25 yeares Euagr lib. 5. cap. 16.  Hitherto gentle reader haue I runne ouer in this Chronographie the principall things vvhich are â—o be considered vvithin the firste six hundred yeares after Christ as farre forthe as these authors â—vhose histories I translated haue continevved theyr times Euagrius the laste of these Historiograâ—hers ended the 12. yeare of Mauricius the Emperour and there I reste vvith him leauing the times â—ollovvinge vvhich are vvonderfully corrupted to such as are disposed to discourse of them This trauell haue I taken that the trueth of the purest age after Christ might appeare and the state of the moste auncient churches might be knovven of such as in these dayes seeke to ouerthrovve the state bring the religion to contempt the Christians to a lavvelesse securitye hopinge that by the vievve of orderlye discipline things vvhich be amisse may be redressed accordingly I vvish thee health knovveledge of the trueth feare of God faith to beleue in him thy soules health saluation in the end Farevvell The Index A. ABacuk the Prophet and his life pa. 528. Abasgi a Barbarian nation receaued the faith pag. 479. Abdias the Prophet and his life pag. 524. Abdus a goutie man was cured by Thaddaeus pa. 17. Abel was murthered pa. 519. Abilius b. of AlexaÌ„dria pa. 46. thirtene yeres 47. Abgatus looke Agbarus Ablaatus b. of Persia pa. 380. Aborigines people so called pa. 501. Abraham talked with Christ worshipped pa. 3 Acasius bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina pa. 255. Acacius the martyr was hanged pa. 376. Acacius bishop of Amida sold the treasure of the church to relieue prisoners captiues p. 388. Acesius a nouatian b. was called to the councel of Nice pa. 223. Achaab the accuser of Athanasius ran away for shame pa. 248. Achillas minister of Alexandria of great fame pa. 144. Achillas b. of Alexandria pa. 217. Adaarmanes a Persian captaine was folled of the Romaines pa. 500. Addaeus a traytor is executed pa. 491. Addo the prophet and his life pa. 522. Adrian looke Aelius Adrianus Adrianus was beheaded for the faith pa. 171. Adulterie is forbid pa. 54. 336. 351. Aedesius a martyr was drowned pa. 163. Aedesius priest of Tyrus preached to the middle Indians pa. 240. Aegesippus liued immediatly after the Apostles pag. 33. he is alleaged pag. 45. 46. 47. 53. 61. 62. 70. Aelius Adrianus was Emperour after Traian pa. 58. he wrote fauourably for the christians pa. 61. he raigned
23. after the greeke Publius a Martyr Quadratus Dionysius Areopagita 1. b. of Athens Philip. Bachilides Elpistus Galma Pinytus Vowed chastitie forbidden Dionysius wryteth of the Romains then if he were nowe to wryte he could tell an other tale Dionysius readeth in the Churche of Corinthe the epistle of the Churche of Rome and of Clemens Dionysius complaineth that heretickes corrupted his epistles Cap. 24. after the greeke Theophilus Maximinê° b. of Antioche Anno Domini 179. cap. 25. after the greeke Philip. Irenaeus Modestus Cap. 26. after the greeke Melito and the cataloge of his bookes Melito in his booke of Easter Sagaris martyred Apece of the Apologie of Melito vnto the Emperour Christian religion began to be made manifest in the time of Augustus for then Christ was borne Melito writeth vnto Onesimus of the canonical Scripture of the olde testament These 2. chapters in the Greeke were one Apollinarius Montanus the heretick Musanus Encratitis Tatianus Irenaeus li. 1. cap. 30. 31. Saturniani Marcionitae Tatianus Valentiniani Seuerus Seueriani Diatessaron Tatianus though an hereticke yet wrote â—e a learned book agaynst the Gentiles Bardesanes a Syrian Anno. 179. Eleutherius â–ª b. of Rome Anno Domini 179. The epistle of the french meÌ„ vnto the Churches of Asia Phrygia Rom. â— Vegetius Epagathus martyred Luke 1. Tenne fell in persecution Sclaunders raised against the ChristiaÌ„s Iohn 16. Sanctus a Deacon Maturus a late conuert Blandina a woman 1. Corinth 1. Blandina sheweth great pacieÌ„ce in her tormentes Blandina coÌ„fesseth her selfe to be a Christian Sanctus sheweth greate pacience Sanctus confesseth him selfe a Christian A notable saynge of Sanctus Biblis a womaÌ„ pitiously tormented Many of the Martyrs died in pryson Pothinus b. of lyons after great torments is cast into pryson where after 2. dayes he departeh this life A comparison or difference betwene such as faynted such as continwed faythfull in persecution Maturus and Sanctus beheaded Blandina hanged in gibbets so lowe that the wild beasts might reache her Blandina is cast into prison Attalus brought forth clapt in prison Many that fell repented them againe Ezech. 16. Alexander a Phisician coÌ„forteth the martyrs Alexander torne in peeces of wilde beastes Attalus fryed to death Ponticus of the yeares of 15. martyred Blandina beheaded Apocalyp 22. Deade carkases throwne vnto dogges The ashes of the burned bodyes were throweÌ„ into the riuer Rhodanus to take away the hope of the resurrection The French men write thus of their martyrs Philip. 2. The suffring of Christ is rather to be termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 redemption 1. Pet. 1. then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 martyrdome Who be martyrs and who confessors 1. Pet. 5. Act. 7. They receaue after repentaÌ„ce such as fell in persecution The Frenchmen in their foresayd epistle writ thuâ— also of Alcibiades Montanus Theodotus and Alcibiades not the former false prophets The Martyrs in Fraunce to Eleutheriê° b. of Rome in the commendation of Irenaeus b. of Lions Eusebius wrote a boke of Martyrs which is not extant Marcus Aurelius the brother of Antoninus The Christian souldiers doe pray for rayne immediatly it lightened rayned The lightening legion Tertullian in Apologâ—â— Irenaeus who in his youth was the auditor of Polycarpê° succeedeth Pothinus in the Bishoprik of Lyons in Fraunce Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 3. 2. Timoth. 4. Paul Peter Linus Anacletus Clemens Euarestus Alexander Xystus Telesphorus Hyginus Pius Anicetus Soter Eleutherius Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 57. Irenaeus lib. 2 cap. 58. Irenaeus lib. â— Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 1. Matthewe Marcke Luke Iohn Irenaeus lib. 5 VVhen the reuelation of Sainct Iohn was first sene Irenaeus allea geth pastor lib. 2. maÌ„dat 1. Marcion Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 23. 24. Esay 7. TheodotioÌ„ Aqnila Irenaeus lib. 3 cap. 25. The septuagints * Comodus succeeded Antoninus Anno Domi 1826. Agrippinê° b. of Alexandria Iulianus b. of Alex. Pantaenê° mo derated the schole of Alex Euangelistes * Cap. 10. after the greke The Gospell of Matthewe in Hebrew at India Bartholomew preached in India Cap. 11. after the Greeke Clemens Alexandrinê° lib. 1. Stromatôn Cap. 12. after the greeke Narcissus b. of Ierusalem Marcus Cassianus Publius Maximus Iulianus Caius Symachus Caius Iulianus Capito Valens Dolichianus Narcissus Cap. 13. after the Greeke Rhodon an Asian Apelles Philumaena Marcion Pontinus Basilicus Lycus Synerus Rhodon reporteth of the disputati on betwene him and Apelles Rhodon in Hexameron Apelles the Hereticke wrote infinit bookes Cap. 14. after the greeke Montanus Priscilla Maximilla * Cap. 15. after the greke Florinus Blastus cap. 16. after the greeke Apollinarius b. of Hierapolis toutching Montanus his originall Apollinarius disputed and coÌ„futed MoÌ„tanê° figmeÌ„ts at Ancyra in Galatia Zoticus Otrenus Ardabau Montanus Matth. 24. 2. womeÌ„ the prophetisses of Montanê° The Churches the synodes faith full of Asia â–ª condemned Montanus Apollinarius of the endes of the false prophets Montanus Maximilla hanged them selues Theodotus the hereticke flying vp broke his necke Apollinarius of the salse prophecies of the Montanists Apollinarius lib. 3. Not the death but the cause of it proueth a Martyr Cap. 17. after the greeke Apollinarius out of Miltiades works alleadgeth this Agabus Iude. The daughters of Philip. Aminias Quadratus Miltiades bookes Cap. 18. after the greeke Apollonius against the Montanistes The prophetisses of Mon tanus receaue gifts Themison a montanist with money deliuered himself from pryson Alexander a thief yet a martyr of Montanus secte Math 10. Luk. 9. Math. 7. Stibium is a white stone founde in siluer mines by rubbinge the skinne it maketh it looke very faire Thraseas a martyr * This tradition first is to be suspected for that christ Matth. 28. Marc. 16. commauÌ„ded the Apostles to passe throughout the worlde to preache the Gospell secondly for that he charged them Luc. 24. Act. 1. to tary in Ierusalem but vntill they were endued with power from an high which was fifty dayes after the ascention Cap. 19. after the Greeke Serapion byshop of Antioch Epist ad Cari cum ponticuÌ„ * Cap. 20. after the Greke Irenaeus lib. de Ogdoade which is not extant Irenaeus vnto Florinus the schismaticke Florinus a courtier then a schismatick last an hereticke Polycarpus vsed oft to re peate this saying Cap. 21. after the Greeke The accuser of Apollonius with the breaking of his legges died miserably Apollonius a Christian philosopher exhibited an Apollogie vnto the senate of Rome and afterwards is beheaded A cruell law Cap. 22. after the Greeke Anno Dom. 192. all these bishops florished at one tyme. Victor b. of Rome Demetrius Serapion Theophilus Narcissus Banchillus Polycrates Cap. 23. after the greeke Anno Dom. 199. Exod. 12. Easter the fasting dayes going before layde downe by decree Theophilus Narcissus were chiefe in Palaestina Victor at Ro. Palmas aâ— PoÌ„tus Irenae us in FrauÌ„ce The bishops of Ostroëna in their prouinces Banchillus at Corinth not the bishope of Rome ouer all cap. 24. after the greeke