Basilius Bishop of Casarea in Cappadocia the peaceable death of Athanasius which hapned in the verie time of the Persecution of this Arrian Emperour Valens together with the surie madnesse of the Arrian Bishop Lucius intruded in Alexandria All these thinges GOD willing shall bee touched in their owne places Amongst all the facts of vnspeakeable cruelty committed by Valens oâ—…e fact ouerwent all the rest While the Emperour was at Nicomedia fourescore Ambassadours were directed vnto him amongst whom Menedemus Urbanus and Theodorus were the chiefe These complained to the Emperour of the manifolde injuries done to the Homousians The Emperour gaue commandement to Modestus the Gouernour of his armie to embarke them into a ship as if they were to bee banished vnto some remote and far distant place but secret direction was giuen vnto the ship-men to set the ship on fire to retire themselues into a boat So it came to passe that these fourscore Martyrs circumuented by the craft of Valens glorified the NAME of CHRIST by patient suffering of many deathes at one time both tormented by fire and drowned in water Terentius and Traianus two worthie Captaines used some libertie in admonishing the Emperour to absteine from persecuting of innocent people because his fighting against GOD procured good successe to the Barbarians but the LORD was minded to destroy him therefore hee coulde receiue no wholsome admonition for a number of the nation of the Gothes whom he intertained as souldiers meet to defend his Dominions against the inuasion of forrainers and strangers they began to waste the countrey of Thracia and they faught against the Emperour Valens and preuailed against him so that he fled and was ouertaken in a certaine Village which the Gothes set on fire So this Emperour died miserably brunt with fire by his enemies without succession and left his name in curse and execration to all ages after he had reigned fifteene or sixteene yeeres as Sozomenus reckoneth Nowe to returne to the Emperour Valentinian Hee was a defender of the true faith and was so highly offended against his brother Valens that hee would make him no support against the inuasion of the Gothes for he said it was an impious thing to strengthen the hande of a man who had spent his dayes in warrefare against GOD and his CHURCH In his dayes the Sarmatians inuaded the bounds of the Romane Dominions Valentinian prepared a mightie armie to fight against them but they sent vnto him Ambassadours to intreate for peace When the Emperour sawe that they were but a naughtie people hee was moued with excessiue anger whereby he procured the ruptuâ—…e of some arters or vaines whereupoÌ„ followed great effusion of blood And so he himselfe died leauing behind him two sons Gratianus whose mother was Seuera and Valentinian the second whose mother was Iustina Gratianus Valentinianus the second and Theodosius GRATIANUS the sonne of Valentinian after the death of Valens his fathers brother had the gouernament both of West and East His brother Valentinian the second was his associate in the gouernement of the West But when hee perceiued that the weightie affaires of the kingdome required the fellowship of a man who was ripe in yeeres hee choosed Theodosius a man of Noble parentage in Spaine to whom hee committed the gouernement of the East contenting himselfe and his brother Valentinian with the gouernement of the West Gratianus in the beginning of his reigne reduced from banishment those Bisshops whom the Arrian Persecuter Valens had banished Hee was slaine by Andragathius Captaine of the armie of Maximus who usurped the Empire of the West This Andragathius not by valour and might but by circumuention falshood and treason ouerthrew the good Emp. Gratian for he made a report to passe in Lions where the Emp. Gratian had his remaining that his wife was comming to visite him and he in simplicitie went foorth to meete his wife beyond the riuer of Rhonne but Andragaâ—…hius who was couertly lurking in a chariot stepped out and slewe Gratianus after he had reigned with his father with his brother and with Theodosius 15. yeeres His brother Valentinian young in yeeres was seduced by the intising speeches of his mother Iustina after the death of her husband in whose dayes she durst not presume to auow the Arrian Heresie yet after his death she intised the flexible minde of her sonne to persecute Ambrose Bishop of Millane because hee would not consent to the Arriane doctrine The zeale of the people affectioned to their faithfull Pastor hindered the cruell purposes of Iustina Likewise the miracle wrought at the sepulchres of Protasius and Geruasius opened the mouthes of the people to glorifie GOD and to magnifie that Faith which Protasius and Geruasius had sealed vp with their blood these holie men of GOD were martyred in the second great Persecution moued by the Emp. Domitian The dolorous tithinges of the death of Gratianus and the neere approaching of the tyrant Maximus to Italie compelled Iustina to leaue the persecuting of Ambrose to fly to Illyâ—… for safety of her own life her sons life Theodosius being mindfull of the kindnes of Gratianus toward him led an army against the tyrant Maximus The captains of Maximus armie terrified with the rumor of he might of Theodosius armie deliuered him bound into the haÌ„ds of Theodosius he was justly punished vnto the death Andragathius who slew the Em. Gâ—…atian as said is seeing no way to escape threw himselfe headlonges into a riuer so ended his wretched life About the same time Iustina the mother of Valent. the II. she died her son was peaceably possessed in his kingdome Theodosius returned to the east againe But within few dayes he was compelled to gather a new army fight against the tyrant Eugenius his chiefe captaine A bogastus who had conspired against Valent. the II. strangled him while he was lying in his bed This battel went hardly at the beginning but Theodosius had his recourse to GOD by prayer the LORD sent a mighty tempest of winde which blew so vehemently in the face of Eugenius army that their dartes were ramueâ—…sed and turned backe by the violence of the winde in their owne faces Of which miraculous support sent from aboue the Poëâ—… Claudian writes these Verses O nimium dilecte Deo cui fundit ab antris Eolus armatas hiemes cui militat ather Et conjurati veniunt ad classica ventâ—… The tyrant Eugenius fell downe at the feete of Theodosius to beg pardon but the souldiours pursued him so straâ—…tly that they slew him at the Emp. feete Arbogastus the author of al this mischiefe hee fled being out of all hope of safetie slew himselfe Like as there was no sacrifice wherein dung was not fouÌ„d eueÌ„ so the life actions of this noble Emp. was spotted with some infirmities Against the inhabitants of
trumpet was heard to these places I say did people bewitched by Satan resort in frequent numbers to bee taught by the mouth of him who was a liar from the beginning and who remaineth a liar albeit he speake at some time the trueth because he speaketh it animo fallendi vpon a purpose to deceiue It is very credible that the blessed Seede who came to breake the heade of the Serpent did stoppe his mouth also in the time of his blessed Natiuitie The countrie of Iudeâ—… at this time was subject to the Romanes and payed tribut to CAESAR Luc. 2. The deputies of AVGVSTVS in Iudea and Syria were CYRENIVS COPONIVS AMBIBVCHVS and ANNIVS RVFVS one succeeding to another Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 3. HEROD the sonne of ANTIPATER by fauour of ANTONIVS obtained this honour to be gouernour of the nation of the Iewes but the honourable name of a King hee receiued from AVGVSTVS CAESAR this was ratified for his further assurance by the Senat of Rome Ioseph Antiq. lib. 15. cap 10. for which cause HEROD to testifie his thankfull minde toward ANTONIVS builded a Castle in Ierusalem very neere to the temple called Arx Antonia And to the honour of AVGVSTVS he builded Caesarea Palestinae sometime called the towre of STRATON Now a forreiner and stranger of his fathers side an Idumean of his mothers side an Arabian Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 1. and an aliant both from the stocke of DAVID and also from the Commonwelth of Israel was reigning in Iudea and the scepter was sliding from Iuda now I say was it time that SHILOCH should come according to IACOBS prophecie to whome the people should be gathered Gen. 49. 10. Now was it time that the promised Mâ—…SSIAS should come and sit in the Throne of his father DAVID and of his Kingdome there should be none end And indeed how can the Kingdome of Christ haue an end who acquireth a new title and right of gouernement by death which is the last period of other Kings gouernements and in death they leaue a vacant roome to a successour but Christ Iesus by dying and rising againe hath a right to rule both ouer deade and quicke Rom 14. 9. Yea in verie death it selfe he was practising his kingly office in most effectuall maner and tramping Satan vnder feete and vndoing the power of death Hos. 13. 14. In AVGVSTVS time also IOSEPH was admonished in a dreame to take the babe and his mother and to flee into Egypt Mat. 2. 13. SOZOMEN not content with the certaintie of Scripture addeth a particular nomination of the towne Hermopolis in Thebaida whereinto Christ sojourned vntil the death of HEROD the great This he had by the vncertaintie of tradition The miracle of the hudge and high tree Prestis that bowed the top lowlie to the ground and worshipped her maker Christ and afterward had a medicinable vertue in fruit leafe and barke to cure diseases rather derogateth credit to that Egyptian tradition then assureth vs of the veritie of that report Sozom. lib. 5. cap. 21. HEROD before his departure from this life had put to death three of his sonnes ARISTOBVLVS ALEXANDER and ANTIPATER and by testamentall legacie had diuided his dominions amongst his remanent sonnes ARCHELAVS HEROD ANTIPAS and PHILIP which testament being ratified by AVGVSTVS Iudea Samaria and Idumea were alloted to ARCHELAVS the Tetrarchie of Galile to ANTIPAS and Iturea and Trachonitis to PHILIP Ioseph Antiq. lib. 17. cap. 13. IOSEPH being returned from Egypt when he heard that ARCHELAVS did reigne in Judea in stead of his father HEROD feared to dwell in Iudea but beeing warned of God in a dreame went to the partes of Galile and dwelt in a citie called Nazaret Mat. 2. ver 22 23. All this was done in the dayes of AVGVSTVS After he had reigned 56. yeeres or as Iosephus writeth 57. yeeres viz. with ANTONIVS 14. yeeres and after he ouercame ANTONIVS and CLEOPATRA Queene of Egypt in sea-warfare ouer against Epirus he had the imperiall soveranitie himselfe alone all his dayes and died in the 77. yeere of his age Ioseph Antiq. lib. 18. cap. 3. Tiberius AFter AVGVSTVS reigned TIBERIVS NERO 22. yeres 7 moneths 7. dayes Bucolc Index The Romane Deputies that were sent to Iudea in the time of his reigne were VALERIVS GRATVS PONTIVS PILAT and VITELLIVS VALERIVS GRATVS for loue of gaine remooued the Priests of the Iewes from their offices at his owne pleasure ANANVS ISMAEL ELEAZARVS SIMON the sonne of CAMITHVS all these were denuded of their priestly dignitie when as two of them viz. ELEAZARVS and SIMON had continued scarse one yeere in office In end IOSEPHVS CAIAPHAS is aduanced to the priesthood This is the cause wherefore the Euangelist Iohn calleth CAIAPHAS the high Priest of that same yeere Iohn 18. ver 13. Matters of religion were now come to an horrible abuse and were not ordered according to Gods holy ordinance but according to the appetite of the Romaine Deputies Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap. 3. After GRATVS PONTIVS PILAT was sent to be Deputie in Iudea a man vigilant and actiue in all civile adoes as the blood of the Galileans mixed with their sacrifices clearely prooueth Luc. 13. 1. but in the cause of Christ remisse negligent and slacke After the issue of ten yeeres VITELLIVS is appointed Deputie in Iudea and PONTIVS PILAT addresseth toward Rome By gratifying of the Iewes in a matter of small importance he conquessed great fauour The priestly garments were wont to be kept in the Castle called Antonia but VITELLIVS gaue commandement to the Captaine of the Castle to let the high Priest haue the vse of them when he pleased and to choose what place he liked best for the custody of the priestly garments He disauthorized CAIAPHAS following as appeareth the example of VALERIVS GRATVS and gaue his office to IONATHAN the sonne of ANANVS sometime high Priest Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap 6. In the 15. yeere of the reigne of TIBERIVS Christ our Lord and Sauiour was baptized by IOHN in Iordan was led to the wildernesse fasted fourtie dayes was tempted of the deuil and began to preach Euseb. hist. eccl lib. 1. cap. 10. Mat. 3. and 4. In the eighteenth yeere of TIBERIVS the Lord Iesus was crucified and offered a sacrifice for our sinnes which hath a perpetuall vertue to saue such as beleeue Heb. 7. He arose againe the thirde day from death The high Priestes and rulers of the people gaue money to the souldiers to obscure the glory of his resurrection yet it was sufficiently knowne not onely to Christes disciples by his frequent apparitions to them but also to PONTIVS PILAT the Romaine Deputie himselfe who had giuen out a sentence of death against Christ. PILAT by letters signified to TIBERIVS the miracles of Christ his resurrection and that he was supponed of many to bee God but the Senat of Rome refused to acknowledge the divinitie of Christ because hee was worshipped as God before
of Iudea bestowed by his predecessour CAIVS vpon HEROD AGRIPPA and added thereto all the dominions of HEROD ANTIPAS whom CAIVS had banished Ioseph antiq lib. 19. cap 4. This HEROD AGRIPPA when hee returned from ' Italie to Judea builded the walles of Ierusalem sparing for no cost so high and strong that if the worke had not beene hindered by the procurement of MARSVS gouernour of Syria hee had made them impregnable Hee was not so carefull to build the walles of the spirituall Jerusalem for he beheaded the holy Apostle S. IAMES the brother of IOHN and did cast PETER into prison whome the Lord miraculously deliuered Acts 12. This HEROD and the Iewes made hauocke of the glory of God and blood of his Saintes For hee gratified them by shedding the blood of the Apostles of Christ and againe they gratified him by giuing him the glorie that appertained to God alanerly For which cause he was stricken by the Angel of God and consumed with wormes Acts 12. In this Emperour CLAVDIVS dayes the famine foretolde by the Prophet AGABVS Acts II. afflicted the world One of the causes of this plague doubtlesse was the manifold abuses of the creatures of God in the middes of the aboundance of bread the contempt of the poore which faultes were so vniuersally ouerspread in the worlde that some of the Emperours themselues were not free of the foule spot of intemperancie as the scoffing speaches of the people did witnesse in stead of CLAVDIVS TIBERIVS NERO calling the Emperour CALDIVS BIBERIVS MERO Funct Chron. This is referred to the successour of AVGVSTVS In the yeere of our Lord 48. and in the sixt yeere of the reigne of CLAVDIVS as CHYTRAeVS reckoneth was gathered that famous Councill of Jerusalem described viuely by the Euangelist LVKE Acts 15. whereat were present the Apostles PETER and PAVL and IAMES and BARNABAS a reuerent man of God in whome Apostolike giftes were not inlacking with other worthie men IVDAS surnamed BARSABAS and SILAS notable Prophets and fellow-labourers of the Apostles likewise the Commissioners of Antiochia and Elders of Jerusalem with many others who were beleeuers What was concluded in this Councill I remit to the faithfull narration of the Euangelist LVKE Acts 15. Alwayes if votâ—…s bee pondered rather then numbred this is the Councill of Councils more worthie to be called O Ecomenicke then the Councils of Nice of Constantinople of Ephesus and Chalcedon In the Councill of Nice were worthy Bishops who came from all quarters of the world but in this Councill were holy Apostles who could not erre in matters of faith O Ecomenicke Bishops indeede and any one of the holy Apostles was illuminated with more aboundance of cleare light in things pertaining to the worship of God then all the 300. and 18. Bishops conveened at Nice in Bithynia Many Romaine Deputies were sent in the dayes of CLAVDIVS to keepe Syria and Iudea in subjection to the Romaines such as MARSVS LONGINVS CVSPIVS PHADVS TIBERIVS ALEXANDER CVMANVS and FELIX I leaue MARSVS and LONGINVS for desire to open vp in what Deputies time things mentioned in holy Scripture came to passe When CVSPIVS PHADVS was deputie there arose a deceitful man named THEVDAS to whom resorted a number of men about 400. who were slaine and all who followed him were scattered Acts 5. ver 36 IOSEPHVS writeth that PHADVS sent foorth a troupe of horsemen who suddenly charged the people that followed THEVDAS and slew them and tooke THEVDAS aliue and cutted off his head and brought it to Ierusalem Ioseph antiq lib. 20. cap. 2 Euseb. lib. 2. cap. 11 After this man arose one IVDAS of Galile in the dayes of the tribute and drew away much people after him hee also perished and all that obeyed him were scattered Acts 5 37. If GAMALIEL in that narration keepe the order of time as these words After him would import of necessitie the words of the history of the Actes must be vnderstood of another THEVDAS then that man of whome IOSEPHVS writeth in the place aboue mentioned For IVDAS of Galite liued in the dayes of AVGVSTVS and when CYRENIVS was Deputie of Syria and Iudea Ioseph antiq lib. 18. cap. 2. and likewise antiq lib. 20. cap. 3. But I am not certaine whether or no the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doe absolutely import that IVDAS of Galile was posterior in time to THEVDAS When CVMANVS was Deputie who succeded to TIBERIVS ALEXANDER the insolencie of one Romaine souldier was the destruction of twenâ—… 〈◊〉 innocent people hee discouered the secret parts of his body vpon a solemne feast day neere vnto the Temple and in the sight of the Iewes they counted this a contempt done to God in the porch of his owne house CVMANVS drewe the Romaine souldiers to the Castle called Antonia verie neere the Temple and set them in order and the people of the Iewes fearing the inuasion of the souldiers fled and in the narrowe passages ouertro de one another and a great multitude of people were slaine Ioseph antiq lib. 20 cap. 4. After this the people of the Iewes came to Cesarea where CVMANVS was for the time and complained of a Romaine souldier who had casten a booke of holy Scripture into the fire whom CVMANVS beheaded and so pacified the Iewes Ioseph antiq lib. 20. cap. 4. In end CVMANVS through his euill gouernement procured to himselfe the indignation of the Emperour CLAVDIVS he fauoured the wicked cause of the Samaritanes who had stopped the passages of the Galileans and slaine a great number of them They were accustomed yeerely to goe vp to Jerusalem to holy feastes and their way was through the townes and villages of the Samaritanes CVMANVS rather fauoured then punished this wicked fact of the Samaritanes therfore he was remoued from his place and FELIX was sent to be Deputie of Iudea Ioseph antiq lib. 20. cap. 5. Whether CLAVDIVS was impoisoned by AGRIPPINA his wife to prepare an easie passage to NERO her sonne to be Emperour or not I leaue that to be read in authors who haue entreated the lifes of Emperours politickly It contenteth me to write of the estate of the Church in their time Nero. DOMITIVS NERO succeeded to CLAVDIVS hee reigned thirteene yeres and eight months Euseb. lib 3. cap. 5. His mother AGRIPPINA after the death of CNEVS DOMITIVS AENOBARBVS was joyned in mariage with the Emperour CLAVDIVS In the first fiue yeeres of his gouernement he abandoned the insolencie of his wicked disposition so that it was a prouerbe in the mouthes of men Neronis quinquennium in regard of his good cariage for the space of fiue yeeres But a fire long couered in end breaketh out into a mightie flame that no water can sloken it His crueltie against his mother his wife 's OCTAVIA and POPPEA his master SENECA the Poet LVCAN and the vile abuse of his body with persons of his neerest consanguinitie I remit to the reading of learned authors who haue written exactly the