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 East enquiring where the King of the levves should be borne that they had seene his starre and therefore had taken so great a iorneye in hande to the ende they might worshippe God which was borne was not a litle moued supposing his principality to be in perill and his rule to goe to wracke and ruine â–ª for he inquiring of the Doctors of the Lawe among the levves where they looked that Christ should be borne had no sooner perceaued the prophecy of Micheas foretelling the byrth of Christ to be in Bethleem but with one edicte he commaundes the sucking babes in Bethleem and in all the borders thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder according vnto the tyme that he had exactly enquired and knowen of the wise men to be slayne supposing certaynly thereby as it was very likely to destroy Iesus in the same perill with his equals of the same age â–ª but the babe Iesu preuented this deceatefull pretence of his being conueyed into Aegypt his parents also being forewarned by the appearing of an Angell of that which should come to passeâ— his the holy Gospell doth declare Moreouer I thinke it not amisse to let the worlde vnderstande howe that the deâ—ine vltion without any delaye at all apprehended the bolde enterprises of Herode agaynst Christ and his equalls while breath was yet in his body shewing as it were by certayne preambles what was like to be fall him after his death And how he stayned his princely affayres which in his owne censure seemed prosperous by his interchangeable domesticall calamities that is by the truell slaughter of his wife of his children of his nearest kinsfolkes of his most familiar friendes so that it is impossible presently to repeate the whole The matter it selfe so shamefull that it ouershadowed euery tragicall action The which Iosephus hath prosecuted at large in his historyes howe that for his conspiracy and crafty counsaile which he entended agaynst Christ and the other infantes an heuye scourge from aboue apprehended him bexing him to the death it will seeme pertinent to the purpose presently to heare the wordes of the historiographer him selfe describing in the 17. booke of the Antiquities of the Ievves the lamentable ende of his life in these wordes Herods desease vexed him more more God executing iustice on him for the thinges vvhich he had impiously committed It vvas a slovve or slacke fire yet yelding not so great inflamation outvvardly to the beholders as vexation invvardly to the internal partes he had a vehement desire greedely set to take some thing yet vvas there nothing that sufficed him moreouer invvarde rotting of the bovvels and specially a greuous fluxe in the fundament a ravve and a running â—leume about his feete and the like malady vexed him about his bladder his priuey meÌ„bres puâ—rified engendring vvormes vvhich svvarmed out a shrill stretched vvinde he had great payne in breathing and a grosse breathe hauing throughout al the partes of his body such a crampe as strength vvas not able to sustaine it vvas reported by them vvhich vvere inspired from aboue and to vvhome the gyft of Diuination vvas graunted that God enioined the Prince this punishment for his great impiety These thinges the aforesayd Iosephus in his commentaryes hath made manifest vnto vs and in the second parte of his historyes the like he noteth vnto vs writing thus From that time forth sickenesse inuaded his vvhole body and brought him subiect to diuerse passions it vvas a hott burning feuer an intollerable itche ouerrunning the outvvard partes of his body a continual payne in the fundament hydropical svvellings in the feete an inflamation of the bladder putrefaction of the priuities vvhich ingendred svvarmes ofâ—ice besides this often and difficult dravving of breath vvith the crampe contracting the synevves throughout all the membres of his body so that the vvise men reported these deseases to be nothing else but sure and certayne plagues or punishments he although strugling vvith so many sores yet for all that vvholy set to saue his life hoped for health imagined after remedies Passing ouer Iordane he vsed for helpe the hoâ—â— bathes nye Calliroe vvhich runne vnto the 〈…〉 Asphaltitis vvhich also by reason of their svveetenesse are drinkeable The Phisitians there thought good that his vvhole body should be supled vvith v vhot oyle he being dimissed into a vessell full of vvhot oyle his eyes so dasled dissolued them selues that he came out as dead VVhen the seruantes by reason of these circumstances vvere sore troubled he remembred his plague and despaired thencefoorth of any recouerie at all commaunding vvithall fiftie peeces of siluer to be deuided among his souldiers but his chiefe captaines and most familiare friendes to receaue great sommes of money And taking his iourney thence he came to Hiericho al madde by reason of melancholy that abounded in him for he grevve to that passe that he threatned to him selfe death and vvent about to practise an horrible offence For gathering together the famous men in euery village throughout all levvrie he coÌ„maunded them to be shut vp into one place called Hippodromus calling vnto him vvithall his siâ— â—…lome and her husbande Alexander I knovve saith he the Ievves vvill merily celebrate as holy day the day of my death yet may I be lamented of others and so haue a glorious Epitaphe and funerall if that you vvill execute mine aduise Those men therefore vvhich are kept in close prison souldiers being circumspectly set on euery side see that you immediatly slaye as soone as breath departeth out of my body so that therby al Ievvric euery house vvill they nill they may revve and lament my death And agayne a litle after he sayth VVhen as through vvant of nourishment and griping coughe ioyned vvithall his sickenesse sore increased and novve being quite ouercome he coniectured that his fatal course vvas then to be finished For taking an apple in his hande he called for a knife for he vvas accustomed to pare and so to eate then beholding on euery side vvhether any vvas redy to hinder his enterprise lifted vp his right hande to do him selfe violence Besides these the same Historiographer writeth that a thirde sonne of his besides the couple before staine afore the ende of his life by his commaundement was put to death so that Herode left not this life without extreme paine Such was the tragicall ende of Herode suffering iust punishment for the babes destroyed in Bethleem practised purposely for our Sauiours sake After whose death an angel came to Ioseph in sleepe as he remayned in Aegypt and commaunded that he shoulde returne together with the chylde and his mother into Ievvrie in asmuch as they were dead whiche sought the childes lyfe â–ª vnto these the Euangelist addeth saying VVhen that he hearde that Archelaus raigned in Iudaea in his fathers steede he feared to go thither and being admonished in his sleepe from aboue he departed into
practised agaynst Christ go to then hauing our recourse againe vnto the first booke of the historyes of Iosephus let vs peruse their tragicall affayres CAP. VI. Of the greate famine that fell among the Iewes and their miserable estate FOr the riche men to abide in the citye sayth Iosephus vvas nothinge but deathe and vnder pretence of their trayterous flyght vnto the enemy they vvere slayne for their substance The vvoodnes of these seditious men encreased together vvith the famine both mischiefes dayly as a double fire vvaxed hott foode there vvas no vvhere any founde manifest they rushed into the houses and made searche if they found any they beate them vvhich denied it if they founde none they tormented them as thoughe they had vvith diligence hidde it from them the carkases of the poore vvretches declared vvhether they had foode or no. they vvhich vvere of strong bodyes seemed to haue aboundance of meate but such as pined avvay vvere ouerskipped for it vvas iudged an absurde thing to slay them vvhich vvere ready to dye for vvant of vitayles Many exchaunged priuely their vvealthe the richer sorte for a measure of vvheate the poorer sorte for a measure of barley then hiding them selues in the inner and secrete corners of their houses some for meere pouertye chevved the vnready graynes of ravve vvheate some other sodde it as necessitye and feare constrayned them there vvas no vvhere any table couered the meate as yet ravve vvas snatched from the coales the meate vvas miserable the sight vvas lamentable the mightier sorte abounded the vveaker sorte lamented famyne exceedeth any dolefull passion for nothinge fayleth here so much as shamefastnes the thing othervvise reuerenced is here quit contemned vviues from their husbandes children from their parents that vvhich vvas most miserable the mothers snatched the meate from their infants mouthes and vvhen their dearest friendes pined avvay in their armes they pitied them not so muche as to permitte them one droppe of drinke to saue their lyues neyther yet escaped they thus miserably feeding for on euery side they vvere besett vvith seditious persons greedily bent vppon their spoyle vvhere they espied any dore shutt they coniectured straight that there vvas meate in preparinge and forthvvith rushinge in vvith the breakinge open of the dores they violently did vvringe out from them yea and not onely the lumpes of breade out of their iavves the olde men vvere buffeted if that egerly they endeuored to retayne their vitayles the vvomen vvere lugged by the heare of the heade if they hidde ought of that they had in their handes no compassion vvas had on the hore headed or the tender sucklinges the infantes together vvith their nourishment vvhere at they honge and helde faste vvere lyfted vp and throvvne to be crushed agaynst the pauement tovvardes them vvhiche preuented their assaulte and lauished vvhiche vvas preiudiciall to their raueninge they vsed more crueltye as if they had bene iniured by them they inuented cruell kindes of torment for the searchinge out of vitayles they stopped vnto miserable men the passage of their priuye members vvith the graynes of the herbe Orobus and pricked their fundamentes vvith sharpe tvvigges so that horrible thinges to be hearde of vvere excercysed and suffered for the extorting to confession of one lofe of breade and knovvledge of one handfull of meale but the tormentors them selues tasted not of hunger That is euer deamed of lesse crueltye vvhich commeth to passe of necessitye but they thus practising their rage prouided costage or viaticall preparation agaynst the dayes folovving and meeting them vvhich in the night season crept out as farre as the Romayne vvatche to gather pott herbes and greene grasse novv being escaped the enemy they spoyled and vvhen as they had often made supplication and called the dreadfull name of God to helpe that at least vvise they might haue some portion of that vvhich they had gotten vvith daunger nothinge vvas graunted so that at length it seemed gratefull vnto them that vvere spoyled that they perished not vvith their vitayles Vnto these thinges Iosephus addeth saying All hope of safety vvas denied the Ievves together vvith their passage excluded and the famyne encreasing throughout their houses and families deuoured the people the houses vvere full of carkases of vvomen and children and the crosse vvayes replenished vvith the carkases of olde men children and yonge men that vvandred vvere brought to the market place after the likenes of pictures and euery one fell dovvne vvhere the fitt tooke him Euery one being brought lovv vvas not able to bury his kinsfolkes therefore vvaxed faint by reason of the multitude of dead men because that euery one doubted of his ovvne life many fell dovvne dead vpon the carkases that they buried many seeing no vvay but one vvent and layd them dovvne vpon the beeres to vvelcome death neither vvas their lamentation or vveping in these calamities for famine suppressed euery ones passion they vvhiche vvere very loth to dye behelde vvith drye cheekes the death of those vvhich hastened out of this life vnto rest The citye vvas in deepe silence the nyght nothinge but deathe and theeues more intolerable then all these myseryes They digged vp houses and tumbes they spoyled the deade they tooke of the vvinding sheetes or coueringes of the deade carkases in a mockage they tryed the sharpnes of their svvordes vpon the deade bodyes they launced certaine of them vvhiche laye along and yet aliue for the triall of their speares such as prayed them to exercyse their myght and crueltye vpon them being vveary of their liues they contemptuously reserued for famine Euery one yelding vp the ghost behelde the temple vvith immoueable and stedy countenance sorovving that he left there behinde seditious persons alyue they vvhiche first by commaundement receiued revvarde out of the publike treasury to burye the deade by reason of the intollerable stinche and greatnes of the multitude threvve them into a great trenche or pitt VVhen Tytus passing by savve the trenche filled and the noysome putrefaction stilling â–ª and issuing out of the dead carkases and running dovvne the sinkes he sighed and streatched forth his handes and called God to vvitnes that he vvas not the cause of this calamitye Agayne after a fewe lynes he addeth saying I can not refrayne my selfe but that I breake out and signifie my griefe If the Romaynes vvere slacke in ouercomming vvicked persons I thinke veryly that the cytye vvoulde eyther sincke at the gapinge of the earthe or be drovvned vvith a deluge or after the manner of Sodome be ouerthrovvne vvith fyre It brought forthe abroode farre more pernicious then they are that suffer this and for their impietye all this people vvallovveth in destruction And in the seuenth booke he writeth thus of them which perished by famine the multitude vvas infinite the afflictions vvhich did fall on them can not be vttered In euery house vvhere there appeared but a shadovve or shevve of meate there vvas
intitled a key an other of the deuell an other of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and of God incarnate last of all a booke dedicated vnto Antoninus In his booke of Easter he declareth the time when he wrote it begining thus In the time of Seruilius Paulus proconsul of Asia vvhat time Sagaris suffred martyrdome and the great sturre vvas moued at Laodicea tourchinge the Sabaoth vvhich then by reason of the time fell out these thinges vvere vvrytten of this booke Clemens Alexandrinus made mention in a seuerall tracte which he wrote of Easter and purposely as he testifieth himselfe by occasion of Melito his booke In his Apology vnto the Emperour he reporteth the thinges practised against the Christians wryting thus The godly people grened by reason of nevve edictes published throughout Asia and before neuer practised novve suffer persecution for impudent Sycophantes greedy gapers after other mens goods hauing gotten occasion through those proclamations openly robb and spoile day and night such as committee no trespasse at all And after a fewe lynes he sayth If this be done through your procuremēt let it stand for good for the Emperour that is iuste neuer putteth in practise any vniust thing vve vvillingly vvill beare avvay the honor of this death yet this onely vve hūbly craue of your highnes that you after notice and tryall had of the authors of this contention doe iustly geue sentence vvhether they are vvorthy of death punishment or of lif and quietnesse but if this be not your maiesties pleasure and the nevve edicte proceed not from your povver and authoritie vvhich vvere not seemely to be sett forthe agaynst barbarian enemies the rather vve pray you that you despise vs not vvhich are greued and oppressed vvith this common and shamefull spoyle Agayne to these he addeth The philosophie novve in aestimation amongest vs first florished among the Barbarians for vvhen as it florished vnder the great dominion of Augustus your forefather of famous memorie it fell out to be a most fortunate successe vnto your empire For thence forvvardes vnto this daye the Romaine empire increased and enlarged it selfe vvith greate glorie vvhose successor novve you are greatly beloued and haue bene long vvished for and vvilbe together vvith your sonne continually prayed for retaine therefore this religion vvhich encreased vvith the empire vvhich began vvith Augustus vvhich vvas reuerenced of your auncetors before all other religions This vvas a greate argument of a good beginning for since that our doctrine florished together vvith the happie beginning empire no misfortune befell vnto it from the raygne of Augustus vnto this daye but of the contrary all prosperous and gloriouse and gladsome as euery man vvished him selfe Onely of all others Nero Domitian through the persvvasion of certaine enuious dispitefull persons vvere disposed to bring our doctrine into hatred From vvhome this sclaunder of flattering persons raised against the Christians sprong vp after a brutishe maner or custome but your godly auncetors corrected their blinde ignorance and rebuked oftentimes by their epistles their sundry rashe enterprises Of vvhich number Adrianus your graundefather is knovven to haue vvritten both vnto Fundanus Proconsul and President of Asia and to manie others And your father yours I saye in that you gouerned all thinges together vvith him vvrote vnto the cities in our behalfe and vnto the Larissaeans Thessalonians Athenians and to all the Grecians that they should innouate nothing nether practise any thing preiudiciall vnto the Christians but of you vve are fully persvvaded to obtaine our humble petitions in that your opinion and sentence is correspondent vnto that of your predecessors yea and that more gracious and farre more religious Thus as ye reade he wrote in the aforesayde booke And in his Proeme to his annotations of the olde Testamente he reciteth the cataloge of the bookes of the olde Testament then certeine canonicall the whiche necessarilie we haue annexed writinge thus Meliton vnto the brother Onesimus sendeth greeting VVhereas oftentimes you beinge inflamed vvith earnest zeale tovvardes our doctrine haue requested of me to select certaine annotations out of the lavve and prophets concerning our Sauiour and our vvhole religion and againe to certifie you of the summe of the bookes contained in the olde testament according vnto their number and order of placinge novve at length I beinge mindefull heretofore also of your petitions haue bene carefull to performe that you looke for knovving your endeuer your care and industrie in setting forth the doctrine of faith marching forvvards vvith loue tovvards God and care of euerlasting saluation vvhich you preferre before all other thinges VVhen that I traueled into the east and vvas there vvhere these thinges vvere both preached and put in practise I compiled into order the bookes of the olde testament suche as vvere vvell knovven and sent them vnto you vvhose names are these The fiue bookes of Moses Genesis Exodus Leuiticus Numeri Deuteronomium Then Iesus Naue the Iudges the booke of Ruth foure bookes of kinges tvvo of Cronicles the Psalmes of Dauid the Prouerbes of Solomon the booke of VVisdome Ecclesiastes the Canticles Iob Esay and Ieremie the Prophets on booke of the tvvelue prophets Daniel Ezechiel Esdras vpon the vvhich vve haue vvritten six bookes of commentaries Thus farre Meliton CAP. XXVI Of the writings of Apollinarius and Musanus ALthoughe there were many volumes written by Apollinarius yet these onely came to our handes A booke vnto the foresaide Emperour fiue bookes against the gentiles 2. bokes of the trueth 2 bookes againste the Ievves and suche bookes as afterwardes he wrote against the Phrygian heresie whiche not longe after waxed stale then firste buddinge out when as Montanus together with his false prophetisses ministred principles of Apostasie so farre of him Musanus also spoken of before wrote a certaine excellent booke intituled Vnto the brethren lately fallen into the heresie of the Encratits which then newely had sprong and molested mankinde with a strange and perniciouse kinde of false doctrine the autor whereof is sayde to bee Tatianus CAP. XXVII Of Tatianus and his heresie WE meane that Tatianus whose testimony a litle before we haue alleaged toutchinge the renoumed Iustinus whome also we haue reported to haue bene the Martyrs disciple The same dothe Irenaeus declare in his first booke against heresies wryting of him and his heresie thus Out of the schole of Saturninus and Marcion sprange the Hereticks vvhome they call Encratits that is to say continent persons vvho taught that mariadg vvas to be abhorred contemning the auncient shape and molde of man framed of God and so by sequel reprehending him that made the generation of man and vvoman Againe they haue commaunded abstinence from liuing creatures for so they call them shevving themselues vngratefull tovvards God vvhich made all thinges for the vse of man They deny that the first man vvas saued and this blasphemie lately spronge vp Tatianus beinge originall
opportunitie or subtle shift to snare men in stirred vp againe straunge heresies to molest the Church and of those Heretickes some crept into Asia and Phrygia after the manner of venemous serpents whereof the Montanists bragge and boaste of Montanus as a comforter and of his women Priscilla and Maximilla as Prophetisses of Montanus others some preuayled at Rome whose captayne was Florinus a Priest excommunicated out of the Churche and together with him one Blastus subiect to the same daunger of soule both these haue subtly circumuented many and perswaded them to their purpose euery one seuerally establishing newe doctrine yet all contrary to the trueth CAP. XIIII The censure of the olde writers toutching Montanus and his false prophetes THe victorious and inuincible power of the trueth alwayes preuailing hath raysed vp Apollinarius of Hierapolis of whome we spake before as a stiffe and strong defence together with many other discreate persons of those tymes to the confutation of the foresayd Phrygian heresie whiche haue left behinde them matter sufficient and very copious for this our historye Wherefore one of them taking penne in hande to paynte out these heretickes signifieth at the entrance how he rebuked them with vnwritten elenches he beginneth thus It is novv a great vvhile agoe vvelbeloued Auircus Marcellus since thou diddest enioyne me this taske ▪ that I should publish some booke against the follovvers of the hereticke Miltiades vvherupon I doubted vnto this day vvhat vvas best to be done not but that I vvas able to confute their falsehoode and geue testimony vnto the trueth but that I feared greatly lest by vvriting I shoulde adde something vnto the perfect vvordes of the nevv testament vvhereto nothing may be added and vvherefro nothing may be taken avvay by him that vvill leade a life agreeable to the Gospell I being of late at Ancyra in Galatia founde the Churche throughout Pontus filled not vvith Prophets as they call them but rather as it shall be proued vvith false Prophets vvhere through the Lorde as much as in me laye I disputed in the Churche the space of many dayes against them and their seuerall obiections so that the Churche reioysed and vvas thereby confirmed in the trueth but the contrary parte yet repyned and the gaynesayers vvere very sorovvefull and vvhen the Elders of that place required of me in the presence of our fellovve minister Zoticus Otrenus that I vvould leaue them in vvriting some commentary of such things as vvere vttered against the aduersaries of the trueth At that time I did not but promised that I vvoulde shortly through the helpe of the Lorde vvrite somevvhat therof vnto them these and the like thinges layd downe in the proeme in processe of his booke he writeth thus VVherefore the originall of them and their nevve founde opinion against the Churche of God vvas after this sorte there is a certaine village in Mysia a region of Phrygia called Ardabau vvhere histories recorde that first of all one Montanus a late conuerte in the time of Gratus Proconsul of Asia pufte vp vvith an immoderate desire of primacy opened a gappe for the aduersary to enter into him and being madde and sodainly estraunged and berefte of his vvitts vvaxed furious and published straunge doctrine contrary to the tradition and custome and auncient succession novv receaued vnder the name of prophecy they vvhich then vvere auditors of this vnlavvfull preaching some chasticed checked him for a lunaticke one that vvas possessed of the spirite of error forbad him to preach being mindful of the forevvarning threatning of our Sauiour tending to this ende that vve shoulde take diligent heede of false prophets others some vvaxed insolent boasted bragged of him not a litle as if he vvere endued vvith the holy Ghost the gift of prophecye being forgtefull of the forevvarning of God they called vpon the dissembling the flattering and seducing spirite of the people by the vvhich they vvere snared deceaued that through silēce he should no more be hindred the deuil through a certain arte or rather the like subtle methode vvorking the destruction of disobedient persons being more honored thē his merit did require stirred vp kindled their mindes svvarued already from the faith slumbring in sinne so that he raised tvvo vvomen possessed of a foule spirit vvhich spake fonde foolish fanaticall thinges euen as he had before they reioyced gloried in the spirite vvhich pronounced them happy and puffed them vp vvith infinite faire promises yet sometimes by signes and tokens he rebuked them to their faces so that he seemed a chasticing spirite there vvere fevve of the Phrygians seduced notvvithstanding that boulde and blinde spirite instructed them to blaspheme and reuile generally euery Church vnder heauen because they neyther did homage neyther curteously receaued amonge them that false spirite of prophecye the faithfull throughout Asia for this cause men often and in many places examined the nevve founde doctrine pronounced it for prophane ▪ they excommunicated reiected and banished this hereticall opinion out of their churches When he had written these thinges in the beginning and throughout his first booke reprehended their error in his seconde booke he writeth thus of their endes because they charge vs with the deathe of the Prophets for that vve receaue not their disordered fantasies these saye they are the Prophets vvhiche the Lorde promysed to sende his people let them aunsvvere me I charge them in the name of the liuing God ôye good people is there any one of the secte of Montanus and these vvomen vvhich hath bene persecuted by the Ievves or put to deathe by any tyrant not one of them bearing this name vvas eyther apprehended or crucyfied neyther vvas there any vvoman of them in the Synagogues of the Ievves eyther scurged or stoned at all but Montanus and Maximilla are sayde to dye an other kinde of deathe many doe vvrite that both these throughe the motion of their madde spirit not together at one tyme but at seuerall tymes hanged them selues and so ended their lyues after the manner of Indas the traytour euen as the common reporte goeth of Theodotus that iolly fellovve the first founder of their prophecye vvho being frenticke persvvaded him selfe on a certayne tyme through the spirit of error to take his flight vp into the heauens and so being caste into the ayre tombled dovvne and dyed miserably thus it is reported to haue come to passe yet in so muche vve savve it not vvith our eyes vve can not Ovvorthy Syr alleadge it for certayne vvhether Montanus Theodotus and the vvoman dyed thus orno Agayne he writeth in the same booke howe that the holy Bishops going about to rebuke the spirite which spake in Maximilla were hindered by others that wrought with the same spirite sayinge as followeth let not the spirite of Maximilla saye as it is in the Epistle to Asterius Vrbanus I am chaced as a
mouth by thy holy Prophete Dauid haue I bene the first that sinned Or am I the first that fell vvhy hast thou thus foresaken me being desolate and reiected and banished me from amonge thy saynctes and astonyed me to preache thy lavves vvhat man is he borne of a vvoman that sinned not VVhat man is he that euer vvas conuersant here vpon earthe and did no iniquitie This I say because thou haste thus forsaken me Dauid himselfe first vvho shutt vp my mouth sinned toe bad in thy sight yet after his repentance thou receauedst him in mercye Likevvise saincte Peter the piller of trueth after his fall vvyped avvaye that bitter passion vvith salte teares sleyinge sinne and purginge avvaye the venoume of the serpent not continevveinge longe in the puddle of infidelitie But they of fauour vvere thought vvorthie of mercy and this I speake to the ende these thinges may take effect vvo is me that I fell thus moste vvickedly vvo is me that my aduenture in these thinges vvas so vnfortunate but novve I humbly beseche thee o Lorde in as much as I haue felt farre vvorse Call me backe o Lorde for that I treade a moste perilous and ruynous vvaye Graunte me that good guide and teacher the holy Ghost that I be not made a prickinge hedgehogge and become an habitation for deuells but that I maye treade vnder foote the deuell vvhich trode me and ouercomminge his sleyghtes be restored agayne to the former health and saluation Remember not o Lord the iniquitie of thine humble suter vvho sometime haue celebrated vnto thee the function of priesthood remember not o Lord the iniquity of me vvho made aunsvvere vvith vvicked language Novve o all you vvhich behold my vvounde tremble for feare and take heede that ye slumber not neither fall into the like crime but come ioyntly vvhich haue the same measure of faith let vs assemble together rent our hartes and prouoke streames of teares to gushe out of the temples of our heades For vvhen these runne and flovve vpon the face of the earth there vvill follovve remission of sinnes the paynes vvyll be auoyded and the tormentes shall not be felt I mourne am sorie from the hart roote O ye my frendes that euer I fell from aloft I haue fallen and am brused there is no health in me let the Angels lament ouer me bicause of this my daungerous fall let the garlands crovvnes of the saincts lament ouer me for that I am seuered from amoÌ„g their blessed assemblies let blessed Aaron lament ouer me his pâ—â—esthoode let the holy church lament ouer me for that I am ruynously decayed Let all people lamente ouer me for that I haue my deathes vvounde I see the cloudes in the skie shadovving the lyght from me and the sonne hydinge his bryght beames But novve you do all see and perceaue the prophet Dauid hath shutte the dore of my mouth I vvas constrayned of the holie byshops to breake out into some vvordes of exhortation and takinge the booke of Psalmes in my hande I prayed and opened and I lyghted vpon that sentence the vvhiche I am ashamed to repeate yet compelled to pronounce Vntò the vngodly sayde God vvhy doest thou preache my lavves and takest my couenaunt in thy mouth But bevvayle me and lament this my bytter sorovve bevvayle me vvhich am in like case vvith the reprobate levves For that vvhiche vvas sayde vnto them by the Prophet novve soundeth alike in myne eares Vvhat shall I do that am thus besette vvith many mischiefes alasse o death vvhy doest thou linger to vvete that thou mayest spite and beare me malice O Satan vvhat mischiefe hast thou vvrought vnto me hovve hast thou pearced my breast vvith thy poysoned darte thinkest thou that my ruyne vvyll auayle thee any thinge at all thinkest thou to procure vnto thy selfe ease and reste vvhyle that I am greeuously tormented vvho is able to signifie vnto me vvhether my sinnes be vvyped and done avvay vvhether that I haue escaped the paynes vvhich greatly I feared VVho is able to signifie vnto me vvhether agayne I shal be coopled and made companion vvith the saincts O ye the saincts of God for that I am not vvorthie to heare the message of theÌ„ that bring such tidinges but presuming farre vvorse practises haue hearde the terrible threates of the Euangelistes alasse ô the boosome of Abraham the vvhich I am depriued of â–ª alasse that I became partaker vvith the ritche man of his condemnation in the horrible pitte and partner of his thurst in the bitter place full of all sorovve heauinesse alasse ô father Abraham entreate for me that I be not cutt of from thy coasts the vvhich I haue greatly longed after yet not vvorthely because of my great sinne But ô Lorde I fall dovvne before thy mercie seate haue mercie vpon me vvhich mourne thus out of measure vvhich haue greatly offended vvhich haue shed many salt and bitter teares vvhose miserable case euery creature hath lamented VVhy hast thou broken dovvne my hedge strong holdes the vvilde bore out of the vvood hath destroyed me the vvilde beaste of the fielde hath eaten me vp rydde me o Lorde from the roaring Lion the vvhole assemblie of saincts doth make intercession vnto thee for me vvhich am an vnprofitable seruant the vvhole quire of Angels do entreate thee for me vvhiche haue greeuously offended that thou vvilt shevv mercy vnto the vvaÌ„dering sheepe vvhich is subiect to the renting teeth of tâ—…â—uenous VVolfe saue me o Lord out of his mouth suffer me not to become the sacrifice of sinne but let dovvne vpon me thy holyspirite that vvith his firie couÌ„tenance he may put to flight the crooked fiende of the deuell that I may be brought vvhome againe vnto thy vvisdome that the bill of sinne vvritten agaynste me be blotted out that my lamentation may ceasse in the euening receaue loye in the morning let my sackcloth be rented asunder gyrde me vvith ioye gladnes let me be receaued againe into the ioye of my God let me be thought vvorthye of his kingdome through the prayers and intercession of the sainctes through the earnest petitions of the church vvhich sorovveth ouer me humbleth her selfe vnto Iesus Christ to vvhome vvith the father and the holie ghost be all glorie and honor for euer and euer Amen CAP. II. Of the byshops of Rome and of the controuersie then raysed of Baptisme WHen Cornelius had ended full three yeares in the byshops seae of Rome Lucius succee ded whiche enioyed the rowme not fully eyght monethes and after him was Stephan chosen bishop vnto this Stephan Dionysius wrote his firste epistle of baptisme when as at that tyme there was no small controuersie raysed whether they which returned from any heresie whatsoeuer shoulde be rebaptized or after the auncient manner be receaued with prayer and layinge on of handes CAP. III. Stephan bishop of Rome reprehendeth Cyprian bishop of Carthage for
church such as defended the creede contayning the clause of One substance flocked to the church as well as the Arian hereticks As soone as the gouernour together with Macedonius was now come nygh the church a maruelous great feare amazed both the multitude and the souldiers them selues There was so great a multitude gathered together that there was no passage for the gouernour to leade Macedonius the souldiers were faine to thrust the people of this side and that side but the throng was so great and the rowme so narowe that they coulde not geue backe neither recoyle The souldiers supposinge the multitude had set them selues againste them of set purpose stopped their walke that the gouernour might haue no passage theraway drewe their swords let flye amongest them and layd on lustyly The report goeth that there fell about three thousande one hundred and fifty persons whereof some were slayne by the souldiers some other styfled in the throng crushed to death But Macedonius after all these famous acts as if he had committed no offence as if he were innocent and gyltles toutching all this haynous and horrible slaughter is stalled in the bishops seate more by the censure of the gouernour then the canon of the church These were the meanes that Macedonius and the Arians vsed to clim◠by slaughter and murther to be magistrates in the church About that tyme the Emperour buylded a goodly churche nowe called The church of wisdome and ioyned it vnto the churche called by the name of Peace the which beyng of small compasse his father afore him had both in bygnes enlarged and in beautie sett forth and adorned Nowe were they both inuironed with one wall and called after one name CAP. XIII Howe Athanasius being terrified with the Emperours threats fled the second tyme to Rome ABout that tyme there was an other sclaunder raysed by the Arians agaynst Athanasius which forged out such an accusation agaynst him as followeth Constantinus the father of these Emperours had geuen a good whyle before certaine grayne for almes to the reliefe of the poore within the churche of Alexandria This they sayde that Athanasius had soulde and turned it to his owne lucre and gayne The Emperoure taketh their sclaunderous reporte for trueth and threatneth him with death Athanasius then vnderstandinge of the Emperours hygh displeasure against him fled away and hidd him selfe in a secrete and obscure place Iulius bishop of Rome hearing the molestation and iniuries the Arians offred Athanasius and nowe hauing receaued the letters of Eusebius who lately had departed this lyfe vnderstandinge of the place where Athanasius hydd him selfe sent for him willinge him to repayre to Rome At the same tyme he receaued letters from the Councell assembled at Antioch and other letters also sent vnto him from the byshops of Aegypt which playnely affirmed that all such crymes as Athanasius was charged withall were meere false Wherefore Iulius by sendinge of contrary letters answered at large the byshops which assembled at Antioche and firste he sheweth what griefe and heauines he conceaued by their letters secōdly that they had transgressed the canon of the church in not callinge him to the Councell in so much the canon commaundeth that no decree be thrust vpon the church without the censure of the bishop of Rome moreouer that they had couertly corrupted the fayth also that they concluded by mayne force and double dealing such things as of late they had lewdely handled at Tyrus in that they of spyte had procured the relations of one side duely to be registred at Mareôtes and that their forged leasinges of Arsenius were meere sclaūders false reports These other such like thīgs Iulius layd downe in his letters vnto y ◠bishops assēbled at Antioch we would haue layd downe here y ◠epistles vnto Iulio his vnto others were it not that the length of their writings and the tediousnesse of their discourse perswaded vs to the contrary Sabinus the fauourer of Macedonius his fond opinion of whome we spake before though in his booke intituled The collection of Councells he omitted not y ◠epistle of the bishops assembled at Antioche vnto Iulius yet layde he not downe the letters of Iulius vnto them agayne It was his accustomed maner so to doe for what epistles so euer were written by any Councells either altogether disanullinge or at lest wise passing ouer with silence the clause of One substance them he carefully cyted and collected diligently looke such as were of the contrary them of sett purpose he ouerskipped CAP. XIIII Howe that the VVesterne Emperour requested his brother to sende vnto him such as were able to iustifie the depositions of Athanasius and Paulus and howe the legats brought with them a newe forme of faith NOt long after Paulus leauyng Thessalonica fayned he woulde to Corinth and gott him straight into Italie there both he Athanasius ioyntly do open their estate vnto the Emperour The Emperour whose dominions were y ◠contries of the West esteeming of their iniuries as his owne aduersitie wrote vnto his brother requesting him in his letters to send vnto him three men that might render afore him iust causes of the deposition of Paulus Athanasius There were sent vnto him Narcissus the Cilician Theodorus the Thracian Maris the Chalcedonian and Marcus the Syrian After their comming they woulde not reason with Athanasius but concealing the forme of faith decreed at Antioche the bishops frame out an other the which they exhibited vnto the Emperour in these words VVe beleue in one God the father almightie creator and maker of all things of vvhome all fatherhoode is called both in heauen and earth and in his onely begotten sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ begotten of the father before all vvorldes God of God light of light by vvhome all thinges vvere made both in heauen and in earth be they visible or inuisible who is the vvorde the wisdome the power the life the true light who in the later dayes was incarnate for our sakes vvas borne of the holie Virgine vvas crucified dead and buryed vvho rose agayne the thirde day from the dead ascended into the heauens sitteth at the right hand of the father and shall come againe at the ende of the vvorld to iudge the quicke and the dead and to reward euery man according vnto his vvorks whose kingdome shall haue no ende but shall continew foreuer For he shall sitt at the ryght hande of the father not onely vvhile this vvorlde lasteth but also in the lyfe to come And vve beleeue in the holie Ghost that is in the comforter whome he promised he vvould sende the Apostles whome also he sent after his ascention into the heauens for to informe and instruct them in all thinges by vvhome their soules shall be sanctified vvhich faithfully beleue in him VVhosoeuer then dare affirme that the sonne hath his being of nothinge or that he is of any other substance then of the
the Emperour in all thinges he shall passe the boundes of his callinge and forgett his profession Thus much briefly of the Emperour Iulians linage his bringinge vp and disposition also howe he came to be Emperour nowe let vs returne to discourse of the ecclesiasticall affayres within that tyme. CAP. II. Of the commotion risen at Alexandria and the death of Georgius IT fell out vpon this occasion at the beginninge that there rose a greate vprore at Alexandria There was a certaine place within the citie which of old time lay all wast and open full of all filth and vncleanesse where the Ethniks with rites and ceremonies done to the honor of Mithra accustomed to offer vp men for sacrifice This platt of ground seruing to no vse or purpose Constantius gaue to the church of Alexandria Georgius purposing with him selfe to founde there a church causeth the ground to be ridd and the filthe to be caryed away Hauing purged the place there was found a chauncell of great heyghth where the Ethniks had layd vp the reliques of their mysteries There was also found therein an infinite number of dead mens skulles both of yonge and olde the which as we are geuen to vnderstande were slayne when the Pagans vsed bowells and intraylls for diuination and deuelish southsaying thereby to dasell and bleare the eyes of simple and ignorant soules When these were found in the vesteryes and secret closets of Mithra the Christians went about to disclose vnto the world their practises to the end their fond ceremonies myght be derided of all men They cary about the bauld skulls of the dead for the people to gaze vpon The Pagans inhabiting Alexandria perceyuing their drift ▪ stomaked the Christians boyled within them selues for anger tooke that which first came to their handes sett vpon them and slewe of them euery kind of way so that some were runne through with swords some other brayned with clubbs other some stoned to death some strangled with halters about their necks some other were nayled to the tree casting in their teeth the death of the crosse In the end as cōmonly it falleth out in such hurlyburlyes they held not their hands no not from their dearest friends one friende fell vpon an other the one brother sought the other brothers lyfe the parents put theyr children to death and to be short the one cutt the others throte so that the Christians were fayne to ceasse from rydding the filth and foule closetts of Mithra and Georgius was of the gentils pulled out of the church by the eares tyed to a camell torne in peeces and burned to ashes together with the beast CAP. III. Howe that the Emperour taking grieuously the death of Georgius rebuked sharply in his letters the people of Alexandria THe Emperour beyng wonderfully moued with the death of Georgius wrote bytter letters vnto the people of Alexandria The reporte goeth that such as conceaued displeasure agaynst him in the quarell of Athanasius committed these thinges agaynste Georgius for to dispatche him out of the way But in my opinion they that be at variance amonge them selues most commonly holde together when necessitie constrayneth them in tumultes and seditions to withstand the violence of desperate and damned persons Wherfore the Emperours epistle chargeth not the Christians seuerally but all the inhabitants of Alexandria Georgius as it is very lyke had diuersly molested and greeued them all and therefore the people was furiously sett on fiery seditiō that the Emperour wrote generally vnto y ◠who le multitude heare out of his epistle as followeth The Emperour Caesar Iulianus Maximus Augustus vnto the people of Alexandria sendeth greetinge Although it falleth out amongest you that there is no reuerence geuen vnto Alexander the founder of your citie or that vvhich is greater if ye stand in no avve of the great and moste holie God Serapis yet doe I greately maruell that you vvere so voyde of common reason naturall affection and honest ciuilitie and that vvhich with modestie I may add therevnto you had so little consideration of our person vvhome not onely the greate God Serapis but also all the other godds haue thought vvorthie to be Emperour of the vvhole vvorlde vnto vvhome it shoulde haue bene your parte to haue had recourse and to haue geuen vs the hearinge of all such iniuries vvhatsoeuer you had sustayned at the handes of levvde and disobedient persons But peraduenture the boylinge heate of anger and the furious motion of the mynde ouershadovved your vvytts and blynded your eyes the vvhich most commonly beynge remoued from the seate of reason is vvont to committe such cruell and haynous actes And though the fonde humour of sedition feedinge on malice vvas hyndered a little yet for all that it brake out to the contempt and ouerthrovve of the lavves You therefore seynge ye are numbred amonge the people and inhabitants of Alexandria vvhome neyther reason coulde persvvade neyther shame vvithdravve from attemptinge the thynges for the vvhich you myght haue iustly detested them I charge you in the name of Serapis tell mee vvhat vvicked fiende hath thus furiously prouoked you to seeke the death of Georgius you vvyll saye peraduenture he incensed agaynste you the most blessed Emperour Constantius that he procured a bande of armed souldiers to be brought into your sacred citie that the Liuetenant of Aegypt ransacked and kept from you the most holie temple of God caryed avvay thence the images the monuments glorious ornature prouided for the solemnitie of seruice and also that vvhen you not digestinge those haynous acts endeuoured and that not vvithout iust cause to maynetayne the quarell of your god yea rather to retayne the glorious ornaments of your greate god the same Liuetenant contrarie to all reason both vniustly and vvyckedly sett vpon you vvith armed souldiers vvho fearing more the displeasure of Georgius the byshop then of Constantius the Emperour thought best in such sorte to saue him selfe For novve of a longe vvhyle he had behaued him selfe more orderly and ciuilly then tyrannically disposed tovvardes you For the vvhich causes you vvere incensed agaynste Georgius the open aduersarie of the godds and haue thus defyled vvith conspiracie and slaughter your holie citie vvhen as you myght haue sued him in the lavve and brought him to his tryall and the sentence of the Iudges In so doinge this haynous offence had not broken out into bloodshedinge and horrible murther but vvoulde haue pacified the matter in aequall ballaunce and preserued you vvithout harme or domage it vvoulde haue sharpely punished the authour of such levvde practises and kept vnder all them vvhich not onely despise the gods but also sette at nought such noble cities and famous assemblies supposinge the crueltie they exercise vpon them to be a furtherance vnto their povver and authoritie Conferre this my epistle vvith that vvhich of late I sent vnto you and weye diligently the difference betvvene them In the former I haue highly commended you but novve
and decreed that in handling the diuinitie of God there should thenceforth no mentioÌ„ be made of these words affirming y â— the word essence was not founde in holie scripture and that the Apostle in deliueringe the grounde of doctrine was constrayued of necessitie to vse the word substance But they decreed farther that in an other sense to the end the opinion of Sabellius might be rooted out these words were to be admitted lest that through the want of proper wordes we should be compelled to imagine the thinge of three names to be as one but that the seuerall names of the blessed Trinitie signifie and sett forth God to subsist by him selfe in proper substance These were the things decided in that Councell I see nothinge to the contrarie but that presently also we may laye downe what we learned and read of the wordes essence and substance Such as laboured in Greece to sett forth the sage doctrine of the Grecians gaue vs to vnderstande that the worde Essence was diuersly to be taken and had many significations but of the word Substance they made no mention at all nay Irenaeus Grammâ—ticus in his Atticke Dictionarie termeth it a barbarous worde He sayeth moreouer that it can not be founde in any auncient writer and if that perchaunce we lyght vpon it that it was neuer meant in the sense we take it That Sophocles in his Tragedie of Phoenix taketh Hypostasis for wyles or conspiracie and Menander for sauce and resignifyed also lâ—es or dregges of wyne For though the auncient Philosophers haue not vsed this worde yet we see that the later wryters haue taken it very oft for Essence But we haue spoken before that the definition of Essence was deliuered to haue diuers significations If that Essence may be comprised by definition howe when we entreate of God which is incomprehensible can we properly vse this boyced Euagrius in his booke intituled The Mooke exhorteth vs to refrayne from rashe and vnaduised reasoninge of the God head he forbyddeth the definition of the diuinitie of God because it is a simple thinge For definitions sayeth he are alwayes of concâ—eâ—â— and compound things not of the abstract and simple His wordes are these Euery proposition as the Logicians doe vvrite hath eyther Genus of vvhome it may be verifyed oâ— Species or Differentia or Proprium or Accidens or that vvhich dependeth of these But in the handlinge of the blessed Trinitie none of all thâ—se is to be required because it can not be layde dovvne neyther expressed by vvordes therefore it is not to be defined but reuerently to be runne ouer vvith silence So farre presently out of Euagrius but here after more at large We of our owne parte although we steme to haue digressed yet in so much these things appertayne vnto the discourse of our present argument 〈◊〉 haue thought good to lay them downe here CAP. VI. The Apollogie of Athanasius in defence of his flyght in the tyme of persecution AThanasius at that very tyme read in the hearinge of such as were present an Apollogie the which he had written a litle before in his owne defence when as by reason of the armed souldiers that besett the churche of Alexandria and sought his lyfe â–ª he was fayne to leaue all and runne away Whereof I haue thought good at this present to alleadge some such parcell as may seeme to brynge most profitt vnto the louing reader leauinge the whole discourse beynge somewhat ouer longe vnto the labour and industrie of the paynefull students Beholde â—ayth Athanasius the lewde practises of vvicked persons Although they are priuie vnto these haynous offences yet for all that they are nothinge ashamed of the contumelyes an dâ—â—uell tyrannle they exercised against vs but charge vs in their opinion vvith a foule spott and blemishe of infamie for escapinge the handes of cutthrotes and bloodâ—uckers yea they beshrevve them selues that they dispatched vs not out of the vvay Moreouer to the ende they may stayne my credite and aestimation they fall to accuse me for faint courage and timorous disposition being forgetfull that vvhilest they blased these thinges to my dispraise they turned the shame to light vpon their ovvne pates For if it be a discredite to slie the handes of the tyrant hovve much more to persecute meÌ„ vnto the death He that flieth seeketh meanes to saue his life but he that persecuteth goeth about to procure the others death That vve shoulde flie in such cases the scriptures are on our side but in thurstinge after the bloode of our brother the commaundement is broken and the author thereof is founde chiefe cause of the flight If they blame any man for geuinge them the slippe they are vvorthie of farre greater shame and reprehension For lett them ceasse from persecutinge and threatninge of death then vvill the other remaine still and not runne avvay But their spite and malice hath no ende they doe nought else â—aue deuise feates to bringe men vnto destruction yea vvhen they knovve full vvell that the flight of the persecuted is a foule shame vnto the persecutours For no man flieth the gentle and meeke but rather the cruell and vvicked man They that vvere greeued and farre indetted vnto others gaue Saul the slippe and fledde vnto Dauid VVherefore these men goe about to dispatche such as conuey them selues out of their vvay lest the levvdnesse of Bishops be manifestly knovven vvithout doubte herein they seeme to be starke blinde For looke hovve euident the flyght is farre more apparent vvyll theyr slaughter and banishmentes seeme vnto the vvorlde If they murther men death no doubt lifteth her voyce and soundeth out their crueltie if they fall a banishinge of them therein they sett vp monuments to the remembrance of their vvicked doinges Had they bene in theyr ryght vvitts they might haue easilie perceaned their ovvne follie and them selues ouerthrovven in their ovvne deuises But in that they are bereaued of their vvittes and beside them selues they fall a persecutinge of others and vvhile they endeuour to mischiefe others they perceaue not their ovvne malice and impietie If they reprochefully charge them which hide them selues from such as seeke their liues and accuse them for strenge the handes of the persecutor what haue they to say I beseche you vvhen they heare that Iacob fledd from the face of his brother Esau and that Moses for feare of Pharao â–ª conueyed him selfe to Madian VVhat haue these contentious quarellers to saye vnto Dauid vvho fledd from Saul vvhich sent of his garde out of his house to slaye him hid him selfe in a caue counterfeited his person vntill that subtly he had past Abimelech the priest and auoyded their layinge of vvaite for him VVhat ansvvere can these rashe bablers geueâ— vvhen they see that the greate prophete Elias vvho so deuoutly called vpon the name of God and raysed the dead vvas faine to hide him selfe from Achaab and runne away because of
his being These followers of Marinus were called Psathyriani because that one Theoctistus a wafrer borne in Syria was an earnest maintainer of y â— side Of y â— opinion was Selenas bishop of y â— Gotths a mungrell by father a Gotth by mother a Phrygian and therefore was he able to preach in y â— Church in both those languages This sect also not long after was diuided for Marinus contended w t Agapius one whom he him self had lately aduaunced to the bishoprick of Ephesus The controuersie was not of religion but of primacie they stroue whether of them should be chief The Gotths went of Agapius side Wherfore many clergy meÌ„ vnder these Bishops iurisdictions perceauing the ambition the rankor and malice of these proude Prelats forsooke quite the Arian opinion and embraced the faith of one substance the Arians being deuided among them selues the space of thirty fiue yeares in the ende as many as were Psathyrians through perswasion which preuailed with them made an ende of brawling in the Consulship of Theodosius the yonger and Plinthus the Pretor Who after their reconciliation and agreement made a lawe that the question which was the principall cause of that sturre shoulde neuer againe be called into controuersie Yet for all they coulde doe that decree of theirs coulde take no place saue at Constantinople â–ª for in other cities where the Arians doe raygne the sturre is rife So farre of the diuision among the Arians CAP. XXIII How the Eunomians were at discorde among them selues and called after sundrynames Likewise of the Macedonians THe Eunomians were also deuided for Eunomius him selfe first fell from Eudoxius who had chosen him bishop of Cyzicum the occasion he tooke was because he woulde not admitt his maister Aetius lately excommunicated into the Churche others also called after his name parted them selues into sundry sects And first of all one Theophronius a Cappadocian trayned vp in captious fallacies and quircks of logick vnder Eunomius had Aristotles praedicaments and perihermenias at his fingers endes wrote bookes entitled them the exercises of the minde Wherfore he was hated of his owne sect and counted of them an Apostata he raised thenceforth priuate conuenticles and left behinde him an heresie intitled with his appellation Agayne at Constantinople one Eutychius vpon light and trifling occasion fell from the Eunomians and vnto this day frequenteth seuerall meetings The followers of Theophronius were called Eunomothephroniani and such as were of the sect of Eutychius were termed Eunomieutychiani what vaine and fond thinges they brawled about I thinke it not needefull to laye downe in writing lest we shoulde digresse from the history we haue in hande Yet in somuch they haue corrupted baptisme I must in no wise runne that ouer with silence They baptize not in the trinitie but in the death of Christ Among the Macedonians also on a certaine time there rose a schisme for Eutropius a Priest of the Macedonians gathered a seuerall company of such mates as he thought good to followe his tayle Carterius likewise of the same sect deuided him selfe from him and of these there rose other schismaticks throughout other cities I of mine owne parte in somuch I leade my life here at Constantinople where I was borne bred and brought vp no maruell though I write more at large of the famous acts done within this citie partly seeing that I sawe most of them with mine eyes â–ª and partly also in somuch they are more famous and thought farre worthier of memory then many other acts These sects and schismes raygned not at one but at sundry times whosoeuer is disposed exactly to learne the seuerall names of all sects let him peruse the booke of Epiphanius Bishop of Cyprus intitled Anchyrotus So farre of these thinges CAP. XXIIII How Eugenius the traytor and rebell procured the death of the Emperour Valentinianus the yonger and in the ende was slayne of Theodosius the Emperour THe state of the common wealth was then very troublesome the occasion was as followeth In the West empire there was one Eugenius a Grammarian and a Schâ—â—lemaister he left schoole and became a Courtier first he was appointed to gard the Emperours person next he was made his treasurer And because he was a politicke man therefore was he preferred into honor yet prosperitie puffed him vp with pride and caused him to worke treason he made Arbogastes of his aduise and councell one by birth of the lesser Galatia by office a captaine in condition barbarous and in behauiour cruell They both conspired the Emperour Valentinians death wrought meanes to allure the Eunuches of the Emperours chamber on their side These men gaping after promotion and dignities being promised faire fell vpon the Emperour as he slept and stifled him to death Eugenius hauing gott the supremacy in the west parts of the worlde behaued him selfe after the wonted guyse of tyrants Theodosius the Emperour vnderstanding of this was sory at the hart he thought it high time for him now to make expedition for the seconde battell for the first he had waged with Maximus Wherefore gathering together a great army and creating Emperour his sonne Honorius in his thirde Consulship and the first of Abundantius the tenth of Ianuary he tooke his iorney towards the West partes of the worlde leauing both his sonnes the Emperours at Constantinople As he went to wage battell with Eugenius many of the Barbarian nations inhabiting the contreyes beyonde Istrum came of their owne accorde to ayde the Emperour against the tyrant shortly after he came into Fraunce with great power for there the tyrant had gathered infinite multitudes of souldiers and fortified him selfe the campe was pitched and the battell was fought by a certayne riuer called Phrigdus As the battell was doubtfull where the Romaines dealt hand to hand with the Romaines so agayne of the Barbarians which came to ayde the Emperour Theodosius Eugenius had the vpper hand The Emperour seeing the Barbarians foyled and ouerthrowen was wonderfull pensiue he fell downe prostrate vpon the grounde prayed vnto God for ayde and asistance and obtayned his sute for Macurius his captaine put on venturous and valiant courage got him to the side where the Barbarians were foyled came to the standard ioyned with him the chiefe captaynes encountred with the enemy and brake the aray In the ende made them to flie which pursued after the flight Immediatly after there ensued this an other straunge act for there rose such blustering blasts of winde as turned the darts of Eugenius the vsurpers souldiers to light in their owne sides and draue with forcible violent flight the arrowes of the Emperours souldiers to pearce the armed peltes of the rebells Of such force and efficacie were the Emperours prayers Wherefore the variable course of that bloody battell being brought to that passe the rebel came groueling at the Emperours feete and craued for mercy but as he
tribune of the souldiers in Phrygia being somewhat a kinne vnto him and also of his conspiracye subdued all the Phrygian nation Gainas then made earnest sute vnto the Emperour in his owne behalfe that he woulde make him Liuetenant of Phrygia The which Arcadius the Emperour without foresighte of that which was like to ensue graunted vnto him with a willinge minde He immediatly as they reported wente to geue battaill vnto Tribigildus but as trueth was to playe the tyrant brought at his tayle thousands of the barbarous Gotths He was no sooner entred into Phrygia but all the contrey yelded vnto him The Romaines were in a woefull plight partely because that so greate a multitude of Barbarians followed after Gainas and partely also because that the Easterne parts of the empire were in great daunger of inuasion Then the Emperour yelding vnto y ◠necessity of y ◠time aduised himselfe dealt subtlely with y ◠Barbariā sent vnto him Embassadours and sought by all fayre meanes to pacifie him And when that he requested the Emperour to send vnto him Saturninus and Aphelianus who were Consuls head Senatours whome he suspected to be hinderers of his enterprised conspiracy the Emperour though vnwilling yet because of y ◠time yelded vnto his request They being of a noble valiant courage desirous also of death in the qua rell and defence of theyr countrey obeyed the Emperours commaundement To be short they met the Barbarian in a playne greene where they vsed to iust and runne at tilt a good way of Chalcedon and redy they were to endure what torment so euer were layde vpon them But he did them no harme for he dissembled his drift got him to Chalcedon there Arcadius the Emperour mett him The Emperour and the barbarian being together in the temple where the corps of Euphemia the martyr lyeth interred sware one to the other that nere nother would conspire neither procure the others death But although y ◠Emperour a man both godly zealous made great accōpt of his oth and kept it vnuiolably yet Gainas forsware himselfe brake the league and ceased not to proceede on in his former treason and conspiracy But deuised with himselfe howe he might settt the citie of Constantinople on fire ouerrunne the whole Empire of Rome Wherefore Constantinople vp reason of the infinite number of Barbarians which abode there became in maner a Barbarian citie of the citizens and inhabitants there was no other accompte made then of captiues and bondeslaues The citie was in so great a daūger that a wonderfull great Comet reaching in maner frō y ◠skie vnto y ◠earth the like whereof was neuer remēbred to haue bene seene before prognosticated the same Gainas first of all laing shamefastnes aside steeling his face with impudencye purposed in his minde to rifle the shoppes of the bankers and exchaungers But when as the report thereof preuented his lewde purpose and the bankers remoued theyr exchaunginge tables and conueyed awaye theyr money he endeuored to compasse an other mischieuous act for he sent in the nighte season a multitude of Barbarians to fire the pallace of the Emperoure At what time it appeared vnto the wholl world how carefull God was ouer that citie For an iufinite nūber of Angells resembling men of monstrous bodies all in glisterng armour were seene of these rebels that went about to set the pallace on fire the Barbarians supposing they had bene a greate armie and a mightie host were astonied and ranne away Gainas hearinge of this thought it a thinge incredible He knewe for certaintie y t so great a power of Romaine souldiers coulde not possibly be there for they were appointed seuerally throughout euery citie The night followinge he sent thither others that not once neither twise whē as y ◠souldiers being oftē sent of him reported y ◠same for the Angells of God were alike in the sight of the traitors at length he went thither himselfe with great power for to knowe the certainety of the wonderfull sight He perceauinge of a surety that it was an army of souldiers hiding themselues in the day time and withstanding his violēce in the night season went about to compasse a crafty feate as he thought whereby he might greatly hurt the Romaynes but as the euent declared it auayled them very much He fained himselfe to be possessed of a Deuell and therefore he got him to the Church of Saynct Iohn the Apostle which was not farre frō the citie there for to pray The Barbarians went forth w t him conueying armour priuely in tunnes and vessells coueringe them also with other sleyghtes and deuises When the watch porters of the citie gats perecaued theyr wile treason they commaunded them to carye forth no weapons the Barbarians hearinge this drewe theyr swords and dispatched thē euery one Immediately all the citie was on an vprore and death seemed to stande at euery mans dore Yet for all that the citie was safe the gates on euery side beinge shutte and well fortified The Emperour aduisinge himselfe in tyme proclaimed Gainas a traitor and an open enemy ◠he commaunded that the Barbarians which remayned in the citie shoulde be slayne euery one this was the day after the death of the porters the souldiers within the walls of the citie nigh the Gotthicke church for there all the Barbarians were assembled together dealt hande to hande with the Barbarians set the Churche on sire and slewe manye of them Gainas hearinge that as many of his complices as he left behinde with in the citie were executed and perceauing that his traiterous conspiracye had no prosperous successe left his hypocriticall prayers got him to the coasts of Thracia And comming into Cherronesus he tooke shippinge thence in all the hast to Lampsacum for to subdue from that place forewards all the Westerne partes of the worlde When the Emperour had preuented him in those countreyes by sending thither great power both by sea and by land it fel out y ◠God of his prouidence shewed there his wonderfull power the second tyme. For when the Barbarians wanted shippes they fell a framinge of newe vessells and so to transporte souldiers in them The Romayne nauye came thither and ariued at the very pinche or as commonly we saye in the nicke for they had winde and sayle at will the Westerne Zephyrus blewe on theyr side And as the Romayne power conueyed themselues thither with ease and pleasure so the greater parte of the Barbarian nauye bothe horse and man shippes and all were tossed to and fro scattered one from the other and suncke in the deepe gulphes of the surginge waues of the seaes Diuerse also of the Romaines were drowned alike And thus there was then an infinite number of the Barbarians destroyed But Gainas remouinge thence taking his flight by Thracia lighted by chaunce into the hands of the Romaine souldiers which dispatched both him
Andrewe hearde he followed him Ioh. 1. The next day the Lorde found Philip and sayd follow me Ioh. 1. The third day there was a mariage in Cana of Galilee there Christ wrought the firste miracle Ioh. 2. The Iewes Passeouer was at hand then Iesus went vp to Ierusalem threwe the bâ—ers and sellers out of the temple Ioh. 2. He came thence into Iudaea Ioh. 3. He walked about the seae of Galilee Luc. 5. He chose 12. Disciples whome he called Apostles Math. 10. He appoynted also other 70. Luc. 10. Christ went about the contrey preached many Sermons wrought many miracles About this time Iohn Baptist is imprisoned Haec alia Anno suae praedicationis primo Iohn Huss      The Mazarâ—ans were such as vsed no liuing creatures they abhorred the eating of flesh â–ª they allowed of Moses and of the lawe writteÌ„ by him but they denied that the 5. bookes vnder his name were written by him affirming them selues to haue fouÌ„d other bokes Epiphan lib. 1. tom 1. heres 18. Christ in the 2. yeare of his preaching came to his owne contreye Math. 13. Herode was desirous to see him This Herode beheaded Iohn Baptist in prison Math. 14. Iesus weÌ„ttheÌ„ce into the wildernesse he also his disciples went into the land of Genazareth through Bethsaida Mat. 14.      The Herodians were they of the Iewes which thought that Herode was Christ and applied vnto him the prophecie of Iacob geÌ„ 49. the scepter shall not depart from Iuda c. which is verified in none other but in The Acts of Christ and the yeares of the incarnation The Councells sometimes of the vvicked as of the Pharises heretickes sometimes of the godlie as of the Apostles and Apostolicke men Sectes heretickes as well among the Iewes as afterwardes amonge the Christians He passed throughe the coastes of Tyre and Sidon Mathewe 15. This being done he weÌ„t vp to Ierusalem at the feast of Pentecost Iohn 5. Iesus went away thence and came neare vnto the sea of Galilee from thence he tooke ship and came to the partes of Magdala Math. 15. Afterwards into Caesarea Philippi Luc. 9. after 6. dayes Math. 17. after 8. dayes he transfigured him selfe in mount Thabor Luc. 9. TheÌ„ce he went to Capernaum Math. 17. After these thinges he came from Galilee into Iudaea Math. 19. Againe he went to Galilee Ioh. 7. They bid him go out of Galilee for Herode sought to slay him Luc. 13. He vvent vp to the feast of Tabernacles although he told his brethren he vvoulde not Ioh. 7. he preached many sermons he wrought many miracles c. Haec anno praedicationis suae 2. Iohn Huss The Scribes the Pharises gathered a councell at Ierusalem sent froÌ„ theÌ„ Scribes Pharises and Leuites vnto Iohn Baptist to knowe who and what he was Iohn 1. Christ Epiphani lib. 1. tom 1. heres 20. Christ in the 3. yeare of his preaching vvent vp to Ierusalem to the feast of dedication it vvas vvinter and he vvalked in the temple in Solomons porch Iohn 10. Thence he went beyonde Iordan aftervvardes he came to Bethania where he raised Lazarus Ioh. 10. Iohn Huss The high priests Pharises gathered a councell in the hall of the high priest to aduise them what was best to be done touching the doinges of Christ if they let him a lone then feared they lest the Romaynes came and tooke their place and nation they decreed therein that whosoeuer knewe the place of his abode he should enforme them thereof they decreed also that whosoeuer confessed christ should be excommunicated they consulted howe they might put Lazarus to death and howe they might take Iesus by subteltie kill him then Iudas went into them and sayde what will ye geue me and I will deliuer him into your handes and they appointed him 30. pieces of siluer Ioh. 1â— 12. Math. 26. Iudas Gaulonites and Sadochus a Pharise mayntained the heresie of the Galilaeans Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 1. In the beginning of the 4002. yeare of the worlde the 10. daye of the moneth March Christ came ouer Iordan into Bethabara Ioh. 10. The 11. day hearing of the disease of Lazarus he continewed there 2. dayes Iohn 11. The 13. day Lazarus died and Christ tooke his iorney to goe and raise him Ioh. 11. The 14. day he entreth into Iericho and healeth the sonne of Timaeus Marc. 10. The 15. daye he spendeth by the way The 16. day he commeth to Bethania where he raiseth Lazarus nowe 4. dayes dead Iohn 11. The 17. daye he goeth to the desert into the citie of Ephraim Iohn 11. The 18. day he contineweth in the desert The 19. day being 6. dayes before the passouer he returneth to Bethania and suppeth with Lazarus Iohn 12. The 20. day was Palme sonday so called because the multitude tooke braunches of Palme trees and went to meete Iesus comming to Ierusalem Iohn 12. That euening he returned to Bethania Math. 21. The 21. day comminge out of Bethania he cursed the Figge tree Math. 21. In the euening he goeth out of the citie Marc. 11. The 22. day in the morning he passeth by the vvithered figge tree Marc. 11. That nyght Christ supped in Bethania in the house of Simon the leper 2. dayes after vvas the feast of passouer Mat. 26. Mar. 14. The 23. day Iudas couenaunted to betray him Luc. 22. The 24. daye in the euening Christ celebrated the Ievves passouer Aftervvards his ovvne called the Lordes supper He vvasheth the disciples feete he goeth out into Mount Oliuet he prayeth he svveateth blood he is taken he is brought to Caiphas Peter denyeth him Math. 26. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Iohn 18. Cytraeus in the 21. cap. Math. Iohn Huss  Simon Galilaeus taught the heresie of the Galilaeans aboue mentioned Euseb eccle hist lib. 1. cap. 6. Ioseph bel Iud. lib. 2. cap. 7. The Acts of Christ and the yeares of the Incarnation The raigne of the Emperors The famous men and sauorers of the trueth the Kings of Iudaea The highpriests of the Iewes in Ierusalem The CouÌ„cells some times of the wicked as of the Pharises hereticks some times of the godly is of the Apostles Apostolicke men Sects hereticks as well amonge the Iewes as afterwards amonge the Christians Our sauiour Christ Iesus wheÌ„ he had liued heere on earth 33. yeares full some what more sustâ—â—ed death for the saluation of man kind the 25. days of Mâ—…h the 18 yerâ— oâ— the 〈◊〉 of T 〈…〉 â—â—nâ—â—us Pâ—â—te beinge presidente of Iudaea Hâ—â— de the 〈◊〉 king of the Iewes 〈◊〉 iâ— highpâ—â—est 〈◊〉 in â—1 cap. Math. â—â—sâ—b Chronic. 〈◊〉 Chronic. Euseb â—â—â—l hist li. 1. cap. 11. Anno 18. â—â—heâ—â— Euseb Chronic When Christ was on the crosse ther stode by his mother Marie Cleopas his mothers sister and Marie Magdalene the disciple whome Christ loued Ioh. 19. Herode the tetrarch wheÌ„ he had mocked Christ whome Pilate