Christian religion And such a one was 〈◊〉 â—ut Liconius while these thinges were a doynge by common consente of the potentates was also created emperour and Augustus Whiche â–ª thinge greened Maximinus very sore who vnto that tyme was alone called Caesar of all meÌ„ who also being tyrannically disposed violeÌ„tly of his owne mind inuaded the empire and intitled him selfe Augustus And being attainted of treason and founde to haue conspired the death of Constantinus and after deposition to haue aspired againe vnto the imperiall scepter dyed a moste shamefull death He was the firste whose titles pictures withall that seemed to shewe forth his honor were ouerthrowen for no other then the armes of an emperour that was moste prophane and impious CAP. XV. The dissimuled loue of Maxentius towardes the Christians his horrible offences and crueltie HIs sonne Maxentius which exercised tyranny at Rome in the beginninge of his raygne dissembled our fayth egregiously creepinge into creditt by flatteringe of the people of Rome and therefore he commaunded his communalty to cease from persecutinge of the Christians whereby he might pretende a shewe of pietie and seeme tractable more benigne theÌ„ his auncestres were before him but in processe of time he was not in dede founde the same which men tooke him for and hoped he woulde be for he fell into all kinde of enormyties omittinge no haynous offence bowe detestable and laciuious soeuer it were vnassayed committing adultery all kinde of lewde wantonnesse sendinge home againe vnto their husbande 's the louinge spouses and lawefull wiues taken from them by force when he had ignominiously abused them and these presumpteous practises he exercised not onely vpon the obscurer sort but dealt this opprobriously with the most renowmed of the Romaine senators Wherefore all both high primats and inferior people trembling for feare of him were oppressed with his intollerable tyranny yet nether by silence neither by suffring this greuous setuitude cold they be free from the bloody slaughter and embrued murther of this tyrante vpon light occasions sundry times deliuered he the people vnto the soldiers which were in compasse to be slayne and an innumerable multitude of the Romayne people in the middes of the citie he offred to the sworde and spears not of Barbarians and Scythians but of his owne proper soldiers It may not be recited what slaughter of senators he procured craftely seeking after their substance of whome an infinite number he executed for sundry causes and fayned crimes this was the drift and marke this mischiefous tyrant shotte at he applied himselfe vnto the studie of Magicall artes for inchauntement he opened and ript the bowells of burthened women great with childe he searched the entrailes of newe borne babes he slewe lyons and after a secrett maner coniured deuells and endeuored to withstande the warres then approchinge for he fully determined with himselfe to be crowned conquerour by meanes of these artes This Maxentius therefore practisinge tyrranny at Rome oppressed the commonalty with such haynous offences as may not be tolde so that they were pinched with so great penurie of necessary victaile as the like can not be remembred in this our age to haue happened at Rome CAP. XVI The cruell behauiours of Maximinus in the East and of Maxentius at Rome and other where in the west â–ª MAximinus the Casterne tyrant of a long tyme behaued himselfe to the ende he might conceale his malice against his brother and his hid friendship towards the Romaine tirant but in the ende he was espied and suffred punishmente due to his desert It was wonderfull to see howe that he committed things a like and correspondeÌ„t vnto the practises of the Romayne tyrant nay he farre passed him in malice and mischiefe The chiefest inchaunters magicians were in greatest creditte with him and because he was a man very timorous wonderfully rooted in superstition he highly esteemed of the erroneous worship of Idols and deuels without southsaingâ— answers of Oracles he durst not mone no as it is commonly sayd not the breadth of a nayle for which cause he persecuted vs without intermission and more vehemently then his auncesters before him he erected temples throughout euery citie the Idolatricall worship of longe time defaced and ouerthrowen he carefully restored agayne and published by edict that Idole priestes shoulde be ordained throughout all countreys and cities besides this he appointed in euery prouince one for high priest of such as were counted famous for politicke affaires being also able with decency to execute that function whome he furnished with a great trayne and gard of soldiers To be short he priuiledged all inchaunters recounted godly and takeÌ„ for Gods them selues with primacy dignities and chiefest prerogatiues He went on still and oppressed not on Citye or region onely but whole prouinces vnder his dominion exactinge golde and siluer and summes of money and vexed them with greuous proclamations on penaltie ensuinge after another The wealth and substance which his progenitors had gathered before he tooke in greate heapes of treasure and greate summes of money and bestowed it vpon his flatteringe parasites He was so drowned with ouer muche wine and drunkenesse that amonge his cuppes he woulde be starke madd and besides him selfe and often times beinge typsie commaunded such thinges whereof afterwards being restored to his former sobriety it repented him He gaue place to no man for surfeting and superfluitie but made him selfe ringe leader of that vice vnto all that were about him bothe Prince and people He effeminated his soldiers with all kinde of delicacy and lasciuiousnes He permitted his presidentes and captaynes to practise rauenous extorcion and poulinge of his subiectes whome he entertayned as fitte companions of his foule and shamefull tyranny To what ende shall I rehearse his vnchaste life Or recite the adulteryes he committed He colde passe no Citie where he rauished not wiues and deflowred not virgins And in these thinges he preuayled agaynst all sortes of people the Christians only excepted which contemned death and despised his tyranny The men endured burninge beheading crucifyinge rauenous deuouring of beastes drowninge in the seae mayming and broyling of the members goringe and digginge out of the eyes manglinge of the whole body moreouer famyne and imprysonment to be short they suffred euery kinde of torment for the seruice of God rather then they woulde leaue the worship of God and embrace the adoration of Idols â–ª women also not inferior to men through the power of the worde of God putt on manly courage whereof some suffred the same tormentes with men some attayned vnto the like maysteries of vertue other some drawen to be abused yelded sooner they re life vnto the death then theyr bodyes to be defiled For when as others by reason of the tyrants adultery were polluted a Christian matron of Alexandria both noble and renowmed
these torments and persisted constant and the bones laye all bare the fleshe banished awaye they powre Vineger myxt with salte into the festred woundes and brused partes of the bodie When he had ouercome also these tormentes and reioyced greatly thereat a greediron with hotte burninge coales is prepared and that which remayned of his bodie was layde thereon to be bruyled a slowe fire beinge made vnder to consume it by little and a little lest that death quickly deliuered him of his payne So that they which had the charge of the fire woulde release him of no part of his payne vnlesse he promised to yelde in the ende to the Emperours decree But he holding fast his former opinion ouer came them yelded vp the ghost in the middest of his torments So valiant as you heare was the martyrdome of one of the Emperours pages correspondent vnto his name for he was called Peter The thinges which happened to the rest were nothing inferior to these the which according vnto our former promise we will leaue vntoutched addinge onely this to that which went before how that Dorotheus and Gorgonius with many others of the Emperours familie after sundry torments ended their lyues on the gallowes and bare away the garlande of victorie At this time also was Anthimus bishop of Nicomedia beheaded for the christian faith and with him a great multitude of martyrs For I wot not how in the emperours palace at Nicomedia some parte of the house was all a fire and when the Christians were taken in suspicion to be the authors therof by the emperours cōmaundement the whole troope generally of all the godly there at that time was executed whereof some with sworde were beheaded some other with fire burned where also by the secret deuine prouidence of God as the report goeth both men and women skipped and leaped into the flaminge fire An other companie the sergiants sette in a boate and threwe into the deapth of the sea The Emperours pages after their death decently buried and resting in their graues were digged vp and by the commaundement of their lordes cast into the sea lest any adored them in their sepulchers and tooke them for gods as they dreamed of vs. and such were the practises in the beginning of the persecution at Nicomedia but in a while after when that some in the region called Melitis and againe some other in Syria were found ready to rebell the Emperour commaunded all the pastors throughout euery church to be imprisoned and kept in holde The spectacle of the practises was so cruell to behold that it exceeded all that therof may be spoken Infinite multitudes were euery where inclosed and the prisons of old appointed ordained for murtherers diggers vp of sepulchers and riflers of graues were then replenished with bishops ministers deacons readers and exorcists so that there was no rowme in the prison for such as were condemned for hainous offences Agayne when the former edicts had taken place there followed others by vertue of the which such as sacrificed were set at libertie and such as resisted were commanded to be tormented with a thousand kind of torments Who is able heere to number the multitude of all the Martyrs throughout all the worlde specially in that they suffred martyrdome throughout Aphrick and amonge the Moores throughout Thebais and Aegypt throughout other cities and prouinces CAP. VII The constancie of certaine Martyrs deuoured of wyld beasts in Palaestina and Phaenicia WE haue knowen diuers of these to haue florished in Palaestina agayne others in Tyrus of Phaenicia whose infinite stripes and in their stripes a maruelous constancie and after their stripes their sodaine bickeringe with rauening beastes in their bickering their valiant courage in withstanding the force of fierce Libards the rage of roaring Beares the tuskes of wylde Boares the woodnes of Bulls burned with fire and seared with hotte glowinge yron who wyll not be amazed to beholde at the doinge of all which we were present our selues and sawe with our eyes the deuine power of our sauiour Iesus Christ for whose sake they suffred these thinges present and manifestly aydinge these Martyrs neyther durst these rauening beastes of a longe time drawe nygh and approche vnto the bodies of the blessed saincts but raunged about and deuoured such as sette them on without the ringe toutchinge by no meanes among all the rest the blessed champions though their bodies were bare though they prouoked them with the streatchinge forth of their handes as they were commaunded And if some tyme violently they fell vpon them backe agayne they recoyled as if they had bene repelled by diuine power from aboue which continewing a long time brought great admiration vnto the behoulders When the first beast raunged aboue to no purpose the seconde and thirde were let loose at the one and the same martyr the sufferance of those Sainctes was to be wondred at their constancy firme and immoueable in their freshe and greene bodyes Then might a man haue seene a yong stripling vnder twenty yeares of age standing still without any holding stretching forth his handes in forme of a crosse making earnest supplication vnto God with a setled and immoueable minde not wagging him selfe at all or poynting any whither from his standing place yea thought the beares and Libards breathed out present death and now as it were teared his fleshe in peeces with their teethe yet I wott not howe as if their iawes had bene glued together they recoyled back agayne Besides this yong man ye might haue seene others in number fiue throwen at the feete of a fierce bull which tossed into the ayre and tore in peeces with his hornes such as stoode without the ryng and left them as good as deade onely the holy Sainctes he had no power to hurte with his furious and cruell threats thoughe he scattered the earth with his feete and fanned the ayre with his hornes though he were prouoked to fiercenesse with searing yron and fomed out present death yet by the diuine prouidence of God he was pushed backe When that this beast could nothing preuaile agaynst the holy Martyrs others were let loose at length after sundry bitter torments and violence of wilde beastes all were beheaded and in steade of still earth and quiet sepulchre they swamme in the surging waues of the seas CAP. VIII Of the martyrs in Aegypt THe like bickering had they of Tyrus in Aegypt the which they suffred for the seruice of God then wouldest thou haue marueled at their martyrdomes suffred vpon their owne natiue soile where infinite both of men and women and children for the saluation procured by our Sauiour Iesus Christ contemning this transitory life haue endured sundry kindes of torments wherof some after mayming and racking and scurging thousands other vexations horrible to be hearde of were burned to ashes others drowned in the seas others manfully layd their neckes to y e blocke others hanged on y e
trodden of their felovv citizens vvere crushed to death At this lamentable slaughter the multitude being thus quayled vvas silent Besides these an innumerable more altercations to haue bene at Ierusalem Iosephus declareth teaching how that from that tyme sedition warres and often practises of mischeefs incessantly haue shaken not onely the city but all Iudaea vntil at length the vtter foyle by their besieging vnder Vespasian ouerreached them Thus hath vengeance lighted vpon the Ievves for their horrible fact committed agaynst Christ. CAP. VII How Pilate slewe him selfe I suppose it necessary to know this also how that it is reported of Pilate President in the tyme of Christ vnder Caius of whose tyme we made mention before that he fell vnto such misery so that necessity constrayned him to vse violence vpon him selfe and became his owne murtherer The iustice of God as it seemed best vnto his wisedome not long wincking at his wickednes Hereof the Graecians are witnesses which commit to memory in their historyes the Qlimpiades of tymes CAP. VIII Of the famine in the tyme of Claudius WHen as Caius had not fully helde the royall scepter the space of foure yeares Claudius the Emperour succeeded him vnder whome a great famine afflicted the whole world The same also haue they deliuered in their Commentaries vnto vs which farre dissent from our doctrine And the prophecy of Agabus the Prophet foreshewing in the Actes of the Apostles the famine that shoulde ouerspred the worlde came thus to passe Luke in the Actes signifieth this famine to be vnder Claudius saying that the brethren of the Churche of Antioche sent reliefe euery one after his hability vnto the faythfull inhabiting Iudaea by the handes of Paul and Barnabas CAP. IX The martyrdome of Iames the Apostle About that tyme that is vnder Claudius Herode the King stretched forth his hande to vexe certayne of the Churche and slevve Iames the brother of Iohn vvith the svvorde Of this Iames Clemens in the 7. of his Hypotyposeon reporteth a certayne history worthy of memory which he receaued by relation of his predecessors saying He truely vvhich drevv him before the tribunal seate vvhen he savv that he vvould vvillingly suffer martyrdome vvas thervvith moued voluntarily confessed him selfe to be a Christian Then vvere they both brought together but he in the vvay requested Iames the Apostle to pardon him vvhich after he had paused a litle vpon the matter turning vnto him aunsvvered Peace be vnto thee and kissed him and so they vvere both beheaded together Then Herode as the holy Ghost witnesseth perceauing the death of Iames to haue pleased the Ievves layeth wayt for Peter whome when he had taken he cast into prison whose death he had procured had not the Angel of the Lorde by diuine apparition assisted him by night miraculously lousing his fetters and restoring him to the office of preaching And such was the will of God concerning Peter CAP. X. How that Agrippa otherwise called Herode persecuting the Apostles and extolling him selfe felt the heauy hand of God to his destruction THe enterprises of the king against the Apostles of Christ passed not long vnpunished For immediatly after his priuy practises agaynst the Apostles as it is in the Actes when he was in Caesarea vpon an high solemne day arayed in a gorgeous and princely robe preaching vnto the people from his lofty tribunall seate the plague of God as messenger of iustice apprehended him and when as the whole multitude in compasse had showted to his prayse that to their hearing the voyce of God and not of man proceeded from him ▪ the Angell of the Lorde as the Scripture witnesseth smote him so that he was consumed of wormes and miserably finished his mortal life And that consent is worthy of memory which is found betwene holy Scripture in this miraculous fact and the history of Iosephus wher he deliuereth vnto vs a manifest testimony of the trueth to witt in the ninetenth booke of Iudaicall Antiquities writing this miracle in these wordes Novv vvas the thirde yeare of his Lieuetenantshipp throughout all Iudaea come to an ende vvhen he vvent to Caesarea vvhich of olde vvas called the tovvre of Straton there he published spectacles and stageplayes in the honour of Caesar and ordayned a solemne feaste day for his prosperous affayres Vnto this feaste frequented the vvhole multitude of those vvhich vvere chiefe in that prouince and aduanced to highest promotion and dignity The seconde day of these spectacles the king putting on a robe of siluer vvonderfully vvrought at the davvning of the day came to the theatre vvhere his siluer robe by reflexe of the sunne beames being lightned yelded so gorgeous a glistring to the eye that the shining thereof seemed terrible and intollerable to the behoulders Flatterers forthvvith one one thing an other an other thing bolted out such sentences as turned in the ende to his confusion saluting him for God and adding thervvithal be gratious though hitherto vve haue feared thee as man yet hēceforth vve confesse thee to be aboue mortall nature These thinges the king rebuked not neither repelled this impious flatterie But vvhen he a litle after looked about he behelde an Angell hanging ouer his head The same foorthvvith he supposed to be a messenger of euill vvho before vvas of goodnesse Sodenly he felt him selfe pricked at the hart vvith extreme vehemencie of paine in his bovvels heauily beholding his friendes saide I vvhich seeme to you a God am novve constrayned to end the race of this lyfe fatal destinie hath founde fault vvith your fonde flatteries vvhich of late you sounded to my prayse I vvhich vvas saluted immortall am novve caryed avvay redy to yeelde vp the ghost I his destinie no doubt is to be borne vvithall vvhich God hath decreed For vve haue liued not miserably but in that prosperous estate vvhich is termed blessed VVhen he had vttered these vvordes he sickned more more Then vvas he carefully circūspectly caried vnto the Palace but the rumor vvas spred abroad ouer al the contrey that vvithout peraduenture he vvould dye shortly The multitude foorthvvith together vvith vvomen and children couered vvith sackcloth after their contrey manner made supplication vnto God for their king so that all sounded of sorovve and lamentation The king lying in an high lodging and beholding the people prostrate vpon their knees could not refrayne frō teares But after that he had ben vexed the space of fiue dayes vvith bitter gnavving of his bovvels he ended this lyfe being the fiftie and fourth yere of his age and the seuenth of his raigne For the space of foure yeres he raigned vnder Caius Caesar gouerning the tetrarchie of Philip three yeres And the fourth yere that vvhich he tooke of Herode the other three yeres he passed vnder Claudius Caesar These thinges I deepely way that Iosephus and others together with the diuine scriptures hath truely alleaged But if any seme to mislyke
auncient fathers thus much shall suffice fourtene Epistles of Paul are manifest and well knowen but that diuers reiected the Epistle which is vnto the Hebrues alleadging the contradiction of the Churche of Rome that it was not Paules I thinke it requisite to knowe and what our Predecessors hereof haue thought I will lay downe when occasion serueth The Actes which goe vnder the name of Paule were neuer taken as vndoubted And because the same Apostle in his Epistle vnto the Romaines saluteth certayne and amongest others Hermes therefore appoynt they the booke called Pastor to be his which hath bene gaynesayd of many therefore not to be numbred amonge those bookes which are for certayne Others thought this booke very necessary especially vnto them that haue neede of an elementall introduction but we haue knowne him to haue bene publikely reade in the Churche and alleadged of many auncient writers in their workes let this much be spoken of the holy Scriptures as well of the generally receaued as of the doubtfully reiected CAP. IIII. Of the succession of the Apostles THat Paul preaching vnto the Gentyles planted the Churches from Ierusalem vnto Illyricum it is manifest both by his owne wordes and the testimony of Luke in the Actes In what prouinces Peter preached vnto them of the circumcision and deliuered the doctrine of the newe testament it appeareth by his wordes and also by the Epistle whiche of trueth is sayde to be his written to the Hebrues scattered throughout Pontus Gallacia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia But how many and what sincere followers haue fedd the Churches planted by the Apostles it can not be affirmed but as farre forthe as can be gathered out of the wordes of Paul He had many fellowe laborers and companions as he called them whereof diuers haue purchased immortall memorye for so much as he maketh continuall mention of them in his Epistles and Luke in the Actes repeting the most famous remembreth them by name Timothe is reported to be the firste Bishop of Ephesus and Titus of the Churches in Creta Luke by lyne of Antioche by profession a Phisician hauinge his conuersation of purpose for the moste parte with Paule and the reste of the Apostles lefte vs proofes of skyll comprysed in two volumes medicinable for our soules healthe sought out amonge them One of the Gospell whiche he reporteth to haue published accordinge as he receaued of them whiche from the beginninge were behoulders and mynisters of this doctrine so that he searched all from the originall the other of the Actes of the Apostles where he compiled not onely the thinges hearde with his eares but also the thinges whiche he sawe with his eyes And of Paule they saye that he accustomed to mention the Gospell of Luke when he spake as of his owne sayinge accordinge vnto my Gospell Amonge the other fellowes of Paule Crescens is witnessed to haue bene sent by the Apostle him selfe into Fraunce Toutchinge Linus we spake before that he was the firste Byshop of Rome after Peter whome he remembreth to haue bene with him at Rome in his latter Epistle vnto Timothe And Clemens the thirde Byshop of Rome is proued by his testimonye to be Paules fellovve laborer and companion Moreouer Dionysius the Areopagite whome Luke in the Actes reporteth to haue firste beleued at the Sermon of Paule vnto the Athenians preached in Areopagus was the firste Bishop of Athens but an other Dionysius there was Byshop of the Churche of Corinthe In processe of our history we will dilate of the successors of the Apostles in their seuerall tymes succeeding nowe let vs turne vnto that whiche consequently dependeth vpon the historye CAP V. Of the vtter besieging of the Iewes after the passion and resurrection of Christ AFter that Nero had raygned thirtene yeares Otho and Galba one yeare and six monethes Vespasianus was counted a potent Prince in Iudaea amonge the armyes appoynted against the Ievves and being proclaymed Emperour of the hoast that there was forthe with he is sent to Rome committing vnto his sonne Titus the warres in hande agaynste the Ievves therefore after the ascention of our Sauiour because the Ievves besydes the haynous offence committed agaynst Christ had compassed manyfould mischiefes against his Apostles firste stoning Stephen to death next beheading Iames the sonne of Zebede and the brother of Iohn with the sworde and aboue all Iames their first Bishop after the ascention of our Sauiour with the manner afore mentioned and draue out of Iudaea the rest of the Apostles pursuing them to the deathe with innumerable wyles when as nowe they were sent by the power of Christ to preache vnto all nations sayinge vnto them goe teache all nations in my name Yea and the congregation of the faythfull in Ierusalem forewarned by an oracle reuealed vnto the beste approued amonge them that before the warres beganne they shoulde departe the cytye and inhabite a village beyonde Iordan called Pella into the whiche when the Christians leauing Ierusalem had entred and the holy men had forsaken the princely principall citye of the Jevves together with all the lande of Iudaea the heauye hande of God apprehended that wicked generation vtterly to roote them from amonge men whiche had practysed so presumptuously agaynst Christ and his Apostles howe many mischiefes haue happened at that tyme vnto this whole nation and howe they chiefely whiche enhabyted Iudaea were driuen to extreame myserye and how many millions of men throughout euery age together with women and children perished with the sworde with famyne and with infinite other kindes of deathe and how many and what cityes of the Ievves were destroyed to be shorte howe many calamityes and more then calamityes they sawe whiche fledde vnto Ierusalem as the Metropolytane and best fortyfied citye Moreouer the state of the whole warres and the seuerall actes thereof and howe at lengthe the abomination of desolation foreshewed by the Prophetes standing in that famous temple of olde suffered a diuerous destruction and an vtter ouerthrowe by fire he that listeth to knowe let him reade the historye of Iosephus where all these are diligently described I thinke it necessarye to note howe Iosephus writeth that vppon the solempne dayes of Easter there were gathered together at Ierusalem out of all Iudaea to the number of three hundred Millions and there shutte vp as it were in prison saying It vvas requisite that destruction due for their desert dravvinge nighe by the iust iudgement of God shoulde apprehende them vpon those dayes being as it vvere shutte vp in prison in the vvhiche they before had dravvne the Sauiour and benefactor of al men the anoynted of God vnto his passion Omiting those thinges whiche particularly happened vnto them eyther by sworde or by other kinde of misfortune I thinke it expedient to expresse their onely calamityes by famine so that the reader may partely hereby coniecture howe that God not longe after was reuenged on them for their impiety
Alexandria in his seconde booke after he had remembred the reuelation of Sainct Iohn receaued by tradition of olde he reporteth of this man thus Cerinthus vvhiche founde the Cerinthian heresie â–ª gaue his figment a name for the further creditt thereof his kinde of doctrine vvas this â—he dreamed the kingdome of Christ shoulde become earthly and sett vppon those thinges vvhich he lusted after novv being couered vvith his fleshe and compassed in his skinne that is the satisfying of the belly and the thinges vnder the belly vvith meate vvith drinke vvith mariage and that he might the more colerably bring his deuelish deuices to passe he dedicated thereunto holy dayes oblations and slaughter for sacrifices so farre Dionysius but Irenaus in his first booke against the heresies layeth downe certayne more detestable opinions of his And in his thirde booke he reporteth a historye worthy the memorye as receaued by tradition of Polycarpus saying that Iohn the Apostle on a certayne time to bayne him selfe entred into a bathe and vnderstandinge that Cerinthus there vvithin bayned him selfe also started a side and departed forthe not abiding any tariance vvith him vnder the same â—ouffe signifying the same to his company and saying let vs speedely goe hence lest that the bathe come to ruyne vvherein Cerinthus the enemy of the truth baineth him selfe CAP. XXVI Of Nicolas and such as of him are called Nicolaïtes AT the same time the heresie of the Nicolaïtes spronge whiche lasted not longe after wherof the reuelation of S. Iohn made mention they boast that he was one of the Deacons ordayned together with Stephen of the Apostles to minister vnto the poore Clemens Alexandrinus in his thirde booke of stromatôn reporteth thus of him This Nicolas sayth he hauing a beautifull vvoman to his vvife after the ascention of our Sauiour vvas accused of ielousie and to cleare him selfe of that cryme brought forth his vvife and permitted him that lysted to marye her but his follovvers say that their doing is agreable vvith that saying that is the fleshe is to be brydled and so follovving that doing and saying vvithout all discretion they sinne vvithout all shame in silthy fornication but I heare that Nicolas accompanied with none other then his proper wife allotted vnto him by wedlocke and of his children his Daughters to haue endured virginity his sonne to haue remained vncorrupt the case being thus in y â— he brought forth his wife for ielousie ouer the which he was accused into the middest of the Apostles it was to cleare him oâ— the â—â—â—me layde to his charge and to teache the brydling of the fleshe by contayning and refrayning voluptuous lust and pleasure He woulde not as I suppose accordinge vnto the precept serue two masters lust and the Lorde they say that Mathias after this maner commaunded by instruction the fleshe to be ouercome and tamed yelding vnto it not one iote which might tende vnto pleasure and that the soule hereby shoulde take encrease by fayth and knowledge Thus much shall seeme sufficiently spoken toutching them which then depraued the truth and sodainely came to naught CAP. XXVII Of the Apostles which liued in wedlocke CLemens whose wordes lately we alleadged after the premises against them which relece and rebuke mariage reciteth the Apostles which liued in wedlocke saying VVhat doe they condemne the Apostles for Peter and Philip employed their industry to the bringing vp of their children Philip also gaue his Daughters to mariage And Paul in a certaine epistle sticked not to salute his vvife vvhiche therefore he ledd not aboute that he might be the redier vnto the ministation In so much then that we haue made mention hereof it will not seeme tedious if we alleadge an other historye worthy the notinge which he wrote in his seuenth booke after this manner they say that Sainct Peter going to his house and seeing his vvife ledd to be executed reioyced greatly because of the calling and cryed out vnto her vehemently exhorting and comforting her calling her by her name and saying O vvoman remember the Lorde such vvas the mariage of the godly and the entire affection of faithfull friendes And thus muche as pertinent to my purpose hereof I thought good here to alleadge CAP. XXVIII Of the death of Iohn and Philip the Apostles OF the deathe of Paule and Peter the tyme eke and the manner their resting place also after their departure hence we haue spoken of before and of Iohn toutchinge his appoynted tyme we haue tolde before but of his resting place or tombe we are enstructed by Polycrates his epistle this Polycrates was Bishop of Ephesus whiche he wrote vnto Victor Bishop of Rome where he remembreth also Philip the Apostle and his Daughters after this maner foâ— in Asiâ— sayth he greate pleadges of Christian religion rested them selues â–ª vvhiche shall rise the laste daye at the comming of the Lorde vvhen he shall come from heauen vvith glorye to seeke out all the Sainctes â–ª Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles â–ª resteth in the dust of the earthe at Hierapolis and tvvo of his Daughters vvhiche ledd their vvhole lyfe in virginitye the thirde vvhose conuersation vvas directed by the holy Ghoste resteth at Ephesus And Iohn vvhiche leaned on the breaste of our Sauiour vvho beinge also a Priest vvore the garment petalum A martyre and a doctor rested at Ephesus thus much of their endes In the Dialogue of Gaius mentioned before Proclus agaynst whom be proposed the question testifieth agreeable vnto that before of the death of Philip and his Daughters saying After this the foure Prophetisses the Daughters of Philip vvere at Hierapolis in Asia their sepulchre is there to be seene and their fathers also â–ª so farre he â–ª Luke in the Actes of the Apostles maketh mention of the Daughters of Philip dwelling at Caesarea in Iudaea with their father which were endued with the gift of prophecye saying VVe came to Caesarea and entred into the house of Philip the Euangelist vvhiche vvas one of the seuen and there made our abode this Philip had iiij Daughters vvhiche vvere virgines and Prophetisses â–ª thus much of the Apostles and apostolicke tymes and the thinges deliuered vnto vs by holy Scriptures of the canonicall and disalowed Scriptures though read of many in many Churches of the forged and farre from the Apostolicall rule as farre forth as we could learne Now to that whiâ—â— followeth â–ª CAP. XXIX The martyrdome of Symeon Bishop of Ierusalem AFter Nero and Domitian vnder that Emperour whereof we minde now to entreate the rumor went euery where throughout the cityes that persecution was raysed agaynst vs Christians through populare seditions in the which we learned that Symeon the sonne of Cleopas the seconde Bishop of Ierusalem ended his life with martyrdome hereof is Aegesippus a witnesse whose wordes we haue oft alleadged for he writing of certayne Hereticks geueth vs to vnderstand how that the afore sayd
victorie Then the Gentiles fled to Alexandria and as many Ievves as they founde there they tooke executed The Ievves which wandred throughout Cyren a region of Aegypt being destitute of ayde spoyled the countrey of corne and cattell hauing one Lucas to their captaine against whome the Emperour sent Marcus Turbo with a great power of footemen and horsemen by lande and a nauye by sea who nether in shorte space nether without long cruell warres slewe many millions of the Ievves not onely of them of Cyrene but also of the Aegyptians which ayded their King captaine Lucas The Emperour also suspecting the Ievves which inhabited Mesopotamia lest that they traiterously shoulde ioyne with the other commaunded Lucius Quintius to banish them the prouince who hauing gathered an hoaste marched towardes them and ioyning with them slewe a greate multitude of the Ievves there abiding for the which facte he was appointed by the Emperour president of Iudaea These thinges haue the Heathen historiographers then liuing paynted for the knowledge of the posteritie folowinge CAP. III. Of them which in the raigne of Adrian published Apologies in the defence of the fayth WHen Traian had raigned twentie yeares six moneths excepted Aelius Adrianus succeded him in the Empire Unto whome Quadratus dedicated a booke intitled an Apologie of the Christian fayth for certain spitefull and malicious meÌ„ went about to molest the Christians This booke is as yet extant among diuerse of the brethren a coppye thereof remayneth with vs. By the which we may perceaue vnderstande the markes of this man to be according vnto the true vnderstanding and the right rule of the Apostolicke doctrine That he was of the auncient elders it may be gathered by his owne testimony where he writeth thus The vvorkes of our Sauiour vvere manifest and open for they vvere true such as vvere healed raysed from the dead vvere not onely healed and raysed in sight and outvvarde shevve but they continually constantly remayned such in deede Nether liued they onely the tyme our Sauiour had his abode here on earth but a longe time after his ascention yea and a numbre of them vnto our time Suche a man was Quadratus Aristides likewise a faythfull man one that laboured for the furtherance of godlines published an Apologie as Quadratus did before of the Christian fayth with a dedicatorie epistle vnto Adrian the Emperour which booke of his is read in many handes at this daye CAP. IIII. Of the Bishoppes of Rome and Alexandria vnder Adrian THe third yere of this Emperours raygne Alexander bishop of Rome after that he had gouerned tenne yeres departed this life whome Xystus succeded And about that time Primus byshop of Alexandria when he had preached there twelue yeres dyed after whome Iustus succeeded CAP. V. The number and the names of the Bishops of Ierusalem from our Sauiour vnto the 18. yere of Adrian THe yeares of the bishopes of Ierusalem I find wrytten no where It is sayd they liued a shorte time Onely out of certaine bookes I haue learned that vntill the destruction of the Ievves vnder Adrian there were fifteene byshops of Ierusalem successiuely all which they say by auncient lyne to haue bene Hebrevves and sincerely to haue embraced the word of God and there to haue bene thought worthy to rule by such as then could well discerne such thinges The church then stoode flourished through the faithfull Hebrevves which continued from the Apostles vnto y â— Calamity in the which the Ievves rebelling againe vnder the Romaines with no small warres were ouerthrowne because that then the byshops of y â— circumcision fayled I thinke it necessary to name them from the originall The first was Iames called the brother of the Lord the second Symâ—on the third Iustus the fourth Zachâ—us the fift Tobias y â— sixt Beniamin the seuenth Iohn the eight Matthias y â— ninth Philip the teÌ„th Sâ—nnecas the eleuenth Iustus the twelfe Leui the thirteneth Ephrem the fourteneth Ioseph the fifteneth last of all Iudas So many bishops were there of Ierusalem from the Apostles tymes vnto the sayd Iudas all of the circumcision In the twelf yeare of the raigne of Adrian after that Xystus had ben bishop of Rome tenne yeares Telesphorus succeded him being the seuenth from the Apostles After a yeare fewe moneths Eumenes was chosen byshop of Alexandria the sixt by succession when as his predecessour had gouerned that church eleuen yeares CAP. VI. The last besieging of the Iewes in the time of Adrian WHen as the Jewish rebellion waxed vehement and greuous Ruffus Liuetenant of Iudaea being sente with a great power from the Emperour fiercely withstood their furie And forthwith slewe an innumerable multitude of men women children destroying as by law of armes it was lawfull their regiâ—s contries The Ievves theÌ„ had to their capitain one called Barchochebas which be interpretation is a starre a man otherwise giueÌ„ to murther theft Which alluding to his name lyed shamefully saying y â— he was come froÌ„ heauen as a light to shine comfortably in the face of the Ievves now oppressed with slauery and bondage afflicted to death When the warres in the eighteneth yeare of the emperour Adrian waxed hott about the towne Beththera well fortifyed neither farre distant belonging to Ierusalem the slege lasting longer then was looked for and the rash raysers of sedition by reason of famine were redy to yelde vp the last gaspe and the guide of this vngodly dealing had receaued due vnto his desert as Aristion Pâ—llâ—us writteth this whole nation was vanished that towne and generally the whole contrey of Ierusalem by the lawes decrees and specially the constitutions of Adrian so that by his commaundement it was not lawfull for these seely soules to behould their natiue soyle no not through the least chinke of the dore This citie then at the vtter ruyne of the Jewish nation and the manifold ouerthrowe of auncient inhabitours being brought to confusion began to be inhabited of straunge nations and after that it was subdued to the Romaine empire the name was quite changed for vnto y â— honour of the conquerour Aelius Adrianus it was called Aelia And the church being gathered there of the Gentiles Marke was first byshop there after them of the circumcision When as the churches of God now shined as starres throughout the world and the faith of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesu flourished Sathan enimie to all honesty as a sworne aduersary to the trueth and mans health and saluation impugneth the churche with all meanes possible arming himself against hir with outward persecution then depriued of that vsed the ayde of subtle sorcerers and sleyghty inglers as fitt instrumeÌ„ts and authors of perditioÌ„ to the destruction of seely soules Which sorcerers iuglers bearing the same name title and in shewe professinge the same doctrine with vs by his subtle inuention might the sooner snare
opportunitie or subtle shift to snare men in stirred vp againe straunge heresies to molest the Church and of those Heretickes some crept into Asia and Phrygia after the manner of venemous serpents whereof the Montanists bragge and boaste of Montanus as a comforter and of his women Priscilla and Maximilla as Prophetisses of Montanus others some preuayled at Rome whose captayne was Florinus a Priest excommunicated out of the Churche and together with him one Blastus subiect to the same daunger of soule both these haue subtly circumuented many and perswaded them to their purpose euery one seuerally establishing newe doctrine yet all contrary to the trueth CAP. XIIII The censure of the olde writers toutching Montanus and his false prophetes THe victorious and inuincible power of the trueth alwayes preuailing hath raysed vp Apollinarius of Hierapolis of whome we spake before as a stiffe and strong defence together with many other discreate persons of those tymes to the confutation of the foresayd Phrygian heresie whiche haue left behinde them matter sufficient and very copious for this our historye Wherefore one of them taking penne in hande to paynte out these heretickes signifieth at the entrance how he rebuked them with vnwritten elenches he beginneth thus It is novv a great vvhile agoe vvelbeloued Auircus Marcellus since thou diddest enioyne me this taske ▪ that I should publish some booke against the follovvers of the hereticke Miltiades vvherupon I doubted vnto this day vvhat vvas best to be done not but that I vvas able to confute their falsehoode and geue testimony vnto the trueth but that I feared greatly lest by vvriting I shoulde adde something vnto the perfect vvordes of the nevv testament vvhereto nothing may be added and vvherefro nothing may be taken avvay by him that vvill leade a life agreeable to the Gospell I being of late at Ancyra in Galatia founde the Churche throughout Pontus filled not vvith Prophets as they call them but rather as it shall be proued vvith false Prophets vvhere through the Lorde as much as in me laye I disputed in the Churche the space of many dayes against them and their seuerall obiections so that the Churche reioysed and vvas thereby confirmed in the trueth but the contrary parte yet repyned and the gaynesayers vvere very sorovvefull and vvhen the Elders of that place required of me in the presence of our fellovve minister Zoticus Otrenus that I vvould leaue them in vvriting some commentary of such things as vvere vttered against the aduersaries of the trueth At that time I did not but promised that I vvoulde shortly through the helpe of the Lorde vvrite somevvhat therof vnto them these and the like thinges layd downe in the proeme in processe of his booke he writeth thus VVherefore the originall of them and their nevve founde opinion against the Churche of God vvas after this sorte there is a certaine village in Mysia a region of Phrygia called Ardabau vvhere histories recorde that first of all one Montanus a late conuerte in the time of Gratus Proconsul of Asia pufte vp vvith an immoderate desire of primacy opened a gappe for the aduersary to enter into him and being madde and sodainly estraunged and berefte of his vvitts vvaxed furious and published straunge doctrine contrary to the tradition and custome and auncient succession novv receaued vnder the name of prophecy they vvhich then vvere auditors of this vnlavvfull preaching some chasticed checked him for a lunaticke one that vvas possessed of the spirite of error forbad him to preach being mindful of the forevvarning threatning of our Sauiour tending to this ende that vve shoulde take diligent heede of false prophets others some vvaxed insolent boasted bragged of him not a litle as if he vvere endued vvith the holy Ghost the gift of prophecye being forgtefull of the forevvarning of God they called vpon the dissembling the flattering and seducing spirite of the people by the vvhich they vvere snared deceaued that through silēce he should no more be hindred the deuil through a certain arte or rather the like subtle methode vvorking the destruction of disobedient persons being more honored thē his merit did require stirred vp kindled their mindes svvarued already from the faith slumbring in sinne so that he raised tvvo vvomen possessed of a foule spirit vvhich spake fonde foolish fanaticall thinges euen as he had before they reioyced gloried in the spirite vvhich pronounced them happy and puffed them vp vvith infinite faire promises yet sometimes by signes and tokens he rebuked them to their faces so that he seemed a chasticing spirite there vvere fevve of the Phrygians seduced notvvithstanding that boulde and blinde spirite instructed them to blaspheme and reuile generally euery Church vnder heauen because they neyther did homage neyther curteously receaued amonge them that false spirite of prophecye the faithfull throughout Asia for this cause men often and in many places examined the nevve founde doctrine pronounced it for prophane ▪ they excommunicated reiected and banished this hereticall opinion out of their churches When he had written these thinges in the beginning and throughout his first booke reprehended their error in his seconde booke he writeth thus of their endes because they charge vs with the deathe of the Prophets for that vve receaue not their disordered fantasies these saye they are the Prophets vvhiche the Lorde promysed to sende his people let them aunsvvere me I charge them in the name of the liuing God ôye good people is there any one of the secte of Montanus and these vvomen vvhich hath bene persecuted by the Ievves or put to deathe by any tyrant not one of them bearing this name vvas eyther apprehended or crucyfied neyther vvas there any vvoman of them in the Synagogues of the Ievves eyther scurged or stoned at all but Montanus and Maximilla are sayde to dye an other kinde of deathe many doe vvrite that both these throughe the motion of their madde spirit not together at one tyme but at seuerall tymes hanged them selues and so ended their lyues after the manner of Indas the traytour euen as the common reporte goeth of Theodotus that iolly fellovve the first founder of their prophecye vvho being frenticke persvvaded him selfe on a certayne tyme through the spirit of error to take his flight vp into the heauens and so being caste into the ayre tombled dovvne and dyed miserably thus it is reported to haue come to passe yet in so muche vve savve it not vvith our eyes vve can not Ovvorthy Syr alleadge it for certayne vvhether Montanus Theodotus and the vvoman dyed thus orno Agayne he writeth in the same booke howe that the holy Bishops going about to rebuke the spirite which spake in Maximilla were hindered by others that wrought with the same spirite sayinge as followeth let not the spirite of Maximilla saye as it is in the Epistle to Asterius Vrbanus I am chaced as a
had perswaded the senate with these and the like reasons firste of all he rose and pronounced that all such of what age soeuer as were not fitte for feates of armes were they men or women myght boldly passe and depart the citie affirminge that if they woulde remaine and lynger in the cytie like vnprofitable members there was no hope of life they must nedes perishe with famine to which saying the whole seuate condescended so that he deliuered from daunger of death in maner as many as were besieged but specially those that were of the churche Agayne he perswaded to flyght all the christians throughout the citie not onely such as were within the compasse of the decree but infinite mo vnder colour of these priuely arrayed in womens attyre carefully he prouided that in the nyght season they should conuey them selues out at the gates and flye vnto the Romaines campe where Eusebius entertained all them that were afflicted with longe siege after the maner of a father and phisition and resteshed them with all care and industrie Such a coople of pastors orderly succeeding one an other did the church of Laodicea by the diuine prouidence of God enioye who after the warres were ended came thither from Alexandria we haue seene many peces of Anatolius works whereby we gather how eloquent he was howe learned in all kind of knowledge specially in those his bookes of Easter wherof at this present it may seeme necessary that we alleage some portion of the canons toutching Easter The nevy moone of the first moneth first yeare sayth he cōpriseth the originall cōpasse of nineteene yeares after the Aegyptians the sixe tvventieth day of the moneth Phamenoth after the Macedocians the xxij day of the moneth Dystros after the Romaines before the eleuenth of the calends of Aprill the sonne is found the xxvj of Phamenoth to haue ascended not onely the first line but also to haue passed therin the iiij day this section the first tvvelfe part they terme the aequinoctiall spring the entrance of moneths the head of the circle the seuering of the planets course but that sectiō vvhich foregoeth this they terme the last of the moneths the tvvelfe part the last tvvelfe part the ende of the planets course vvherefore they vvhich appoynted the first moneth for the same purpose celebrated the feast of Easter the fourteenth daye after the same calculation haue erred in our opinion not a little and this haue vve not alleaged of our ovvne brayne yea it vvas knovven of the Ievves of old and that before the comming of Christ and chiefely by them obserued The same may be gathered by the testimonies of Philo Iosephus Musaeus and yet not onely of them but of others farre more auncient to vvete of both the surnamed Agathobulus schoolemaisters vnto the famous Aristobulus one of the seuentie that vvere sent to trāslate the sacred holy scripture of the Hebrevves vnto the gracious princes Ptolemaeus Philadelphus his father vnto vvhome he dedicated his expositions vpon the lavv of Moses All these in their resolutions vpon Exodus haue giuen vs to vnderstande that vve ought to celebrate the feast of the Paschall Lambe proportionally after the aequinoctiall springe the first moneth comming betvvene and this to be found vvhen the sonne hath passed the first solare section and as one of them hath termed it the signifer circle Aristobulus hath added that it is necessarie for the celebration of the feaste of Easter that not onely the Sunne but the Moone also haue passed the aequinoctiall section In so much there are tvvo aequinoctiall sections the one in spring time the other in Autumne distant diameter wise one frō the other the daye of Easter allotted the fourtenth of the moneth after the tvvilight vvithout al faile the moone shal be diameter vvise opposite to the sonne as ye may easily perceaue in the full moones so the sonne shal be in the sectiō of the aequinoctial spring the moone necessarily in the aequinoctiall autumne I remēber many other profes partly probable partly layde dovvne vvith auncient assertions vvherby they endeuour to persvvade that the feast of Easter of svveete bread ought euer to be celebrated after the aequinoctiall space I passe ouer sundry their proofes arguments vvherby they cōfirme the vayle of Moses lavv to be remoued done avvay the face novv reuealed Christ him selfe the preaching passions of Christ are to be behelde Anatolius left behinde him vnto the posteritie toutching that the first moneth after the Hebrevves fell euer about the Aequinoctial space sundry expositions precepts of Enoch Againe Arithmeticall introductions cōprised in tenne bokes with diuers other monumēts of his diligēce deepe iudgemēt in holy scripture Theotecnus bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina was y ◠first y ◠created him bishop promised y ◠he should succeede him in y ◠seae after his death selues and whilest they heaped these things that is contention threatnings mutuall hatred and enmitie and euery one proceeded in ambition much like tyranny it selfe then I say then the lord according to the sayinge of Ieremie Made the daughter Sion obscure and ouerthrewe from aboue the glorie of Israell and remembred not his footestole in the daye of his vvrath The Lorde hath drovvned all the bevvtie of Israell and ouerthrovven all his stronge holdes And according vnto the prophecies in the Psalmes He hath ouerthrovven and broken the couenant of his seruant and prophaned his sanctuarie casting it on the grounde by the ouerthrowe of his churches he hath broken dovvne all his vvalls he hath layde all his fortresses in ruyne All they that passed by spoyled him and therefore he is become a rebuke vnto his neyghbours he lyfted vp the ryght hande of his enemyes he turned the edge of his svvorde and ayded him not in the tyme of battaile he caused his dignitie to decaye and cast his throne downe to the ground the dayes of his youth he shortened and aboue all this he couered him with shame CAP. II. Howe that the temples were destroyed holy scripture burned and the bishops ill entreated ALl these aforesayde were in vs fulfilled when we sawe with our eyes the oratories ouerthrowen downe to the ground yea the very fundations them selues digged vp the holy sacred scriptures burned to ashes in the open market place the pastors of the churches wherof some shamefully hid them selues here and there some other contumeliously taken derided of the enemies according vnto an other prophecie Shame is powred vpō the pates of their princes he made them wander in the crooked and vnknowen way Yet is it not our drift to describe the bitter calamities of these mē which at lēgth they suffred neither is it our part to record their dissention vnwonted guise practised among them before the persecution but only to write so much of them wherby we may iustifie the deuine iudgement of God
gallowes some as hainous offenders some other farre worse tyed to y e tree with their heads downeward and so long besett with a watch till famyne had bereued them of their liues CAP. IX The constancye of the Martyrs throughout Thebais OUr penne can not sufficiently paynt forth y e punishments and torments endured of the martyrs throughout Thebais there bodies in steade of iagged hoofes vsed heretofore had the skinne rased all of with rugged shells of sea fishe the women tyed by the one legge were lifted into the ayre and their heads downewards with a certayne engine of woode and there hanged all bare and vncouered yelding vnto the behoulders a foule a filthye a cruell and vnnaturall spectacle agayne others ended their lyues vpon boughes and branches of trees They linked together with certayne instruments the topps of the boysterous mightier boughes and tyed them vnto either of the Martyrs thighes afterwards loosing the boughes to speart spring into their growing place sodainly rent asunder the mēbers of their bodyes for which purpose they inuented this paine all these mischieues continewed not a fewe dayes or for a short space but the terme of many yeares some time more then tenne some other time more then twenty were executed one whyle not vnder thirtye an other whyle welnighe threescore agayne at an other tyme an hundreth in one daye of men women and very yonge children after the bitter taste of sundry kindes of tormentes were put to deathe We sawe our selues with our eyes being then present at the execution a greate multitude whereof some were burned others beheaded vntill the sworde became blunt and the tormentor wearyed so that others came in place and executed by turnes where we behelde also the noble cheere and countenance the diuine power and valiantnesse of mynde in such as buylded their fayth on Iesus Christ our Sauiour as soone as the sentence was pronounced and iudgement geuen vpon the former there stepped forth others and stoode at the barre protesting their fayth and publishing them selues to be Christians not fearing at all the bitternes of manifold and sundry torments but with inuincible mindes laying their whole trust and confidence vpon God ioyfully meryly and chearefully tooke the last sentence of condemnation singing Psalmes and hymnes and thankesgeuing vnto God euen to the last gaspe These were truely to be wondred at but especially such as were renowmed for ritches nobilitie honor eloquence and Philosophy yet preferred they before all these the pietie and fayth in our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ such a one was Philoromus gouernour of Alexandria of no small accōpt put in trust with weighty matters of the empire being garded after the Romayne dignity and honor with a troope of souldiers to his trayne was dayly sifted and examined such a one also was Phileas Bishop of the people Thmuitae a famous man for the politike gouernment of his contrey for the ouersight of the publicke lyturgies and study of Philosophy ▪ these men though they were entreated of many their kinsfolkes and otherwise their familiar friendas of many the chiefe rulers and last of all of the iudge him selfe that they woulde tender their owne case that they woulde consider of their calling that they woulde pitye their wiues and children yet could not they for all the perswasion of such great personages be brought by preferring this present life to contemne the fayth of Christ to renounce his lawes but with constant and Philosophicall myndes yea rather diuine enduring all the threats and contumelies of the iudge ended their liues with the loosing of their heades CAP. X. The testimony of Phileas toutching the constancie of the Martyrs of Alexandria and the crueltie of the enemies IN so much that we haue reported Phileas to be famous for his skill in prophane literature he shall wittnesse both of him selfe and of the Martyrdomes of his tyme at Alexandria declaring farre more diligently then we vse to doe writing vnto the Thmuitans in these wordes for as much as all these things are published in holy Scripture for paterns exāples monumēts for our learning the blessed Martyrs vvhich liued among vs lifting vp the eye of the minde and behoulding with cleare sight the vniuersall God settled their mindes to endure any kinde of death for the seruice and religion due vnto God and held fast their vocation knowing that the Lorde Iesus for our sake tooke the nature of man vpon him to the ende he might cutt of wholy all sinne and ayde vs to enter into euerlasting life for he thought no robbery to be equall with God but made him selfe of no reputation taking on him the forme of a seruaunt and vvas founde in his shape as man he humbled him selfe and became obedient vnto the death euen the death of the crosse VVherefore the blessed Martyrs of God reposed Christ in their breast being desirous of more excellent giftes endured not once but some of them twise all payne punishments that could be inuented and all the threats of souldiers practised agaynst them either by word or by deede with an inuincible courage excluding feare by reason of the fulnes of loue whose manhoode and valiantnesse in all their torments what man is able with mouth to expresse and because it was permitted laweful for euery man to torment them as him pleased best some smite them with clubbes and cudgells some with sharpe twigges some with whippes some with lethern thonges some other with whipcorde the spectacle was pitiful both for the varietie of torment the and superfluity of malice some with their handes tyed behind them were stretched a long racked in euery ioynt throughout the body as they hong and laye in the racke the tormentors were commaunded to torment all their bodies ouer neyther plaguing them as theeues are commonly handled with the onely renting of their sides but they had the skinnes of their bellies and of their shinnes and of their eye lidds rased all of with rugged hoofes with the talents and clawes of wilde beastes some were seene to hange by the one hande at an hollow vaute and to endure that way farre more bitter racking of the ioyntes and members of the bodie some were tyed to pyllers and their faces wrested quite kame for to beholde them selues their feete standing them in no steede but they violently wagging by the weyght and payse of their bodies were thus greeuously tormented by reason of their stretching and squysing in bondes this they suffered not onely while they were examined and whilest the President dealt vvith them but throughout the vvhole day ▪ and vvhen that he passed from the former vnto the latter he gaue his ministers charge to ouersee them behinde if that peraduenture any of them being ouercome vvith the greeuous torments did yeald He commaunded also that if any vvere in daunger of death by reason of colde that their fetters bondes shoulde speedely be released and they to be layd
alone ouer came the lecherous and lasciuious mynde of Maximinus with the presence of her manly courage This woman for many â–ª thinges was highly esteemed for ritches for kindred for learninge yet preferred she chastitie before all Whome when he had earnestly entreated yet coulde not finde in his harte to putt her to death which otherwise was already prepared to dye being moued more with lust then with anger exiled and depriued her also of all her substance And infinitie other matrons not abydinge no not the hearinge of the threats of abusinge theyr bodies done by the presidents of euery particular nation endured all kinde of punishments torments and deadly paynes These are in deede to be wondred at but in greater admiratioÌ„ is that most noble most chast matron of Rome to be had in respect of all the rest agaynst whome the Romayne tyrant Maxentius liuely resemblinge Maximinus went about to rage When that she vnderstoode the ministers of tyrannicall lust to be at hand and her husbande she beinge a Christian though he were a Romayne magistrate to be in holde amonge them and for feare of execution to haue consented therevnto she craued a little leasure as if she went to trime her selfe and entting into her chamber and there beinge alone she runne vpon a naked sworde and dispatched her selfe so imediatly by her death she bequeathed her carkasse vn to the tyrantes baudes and by this acte of hers soundinge and pearcinge more then any shrill voyce shee pronounced and printed in the mindes of all mortall men both presente and to come that amonge the Christians alone vertue can with no money be ouercome neither be destroyed with any kinde of death This so great a burthen of impietie was brought into the worlde at one and the same time by two tyrants which helde East and west If any seeke out the cause of these so great mischieues who will doubt to assigne the persecution raysed agaynst vs for cause thereof specially in as much as this confusion finished not before the Christian liberty was first restored for during the tearme of these tenne yeares persecutioÌ„ there wanted them nothing which might tende to mutuall hatred or ciuill dissention The sea was besett with shippes and therefore innauigable neyther was it possible from any place for any man to arriue and take lande but he shoulde he sifted with all kinde of punishments his sides scourged and himselfe tried with sundry torments whether he were not sent from the enemy as a spie in the end he was either hanged or burned morouer there were prepared for the purpose targets brest plats dartes spears with other warlicke armour galeyes also and other ordinance for shipps were heaped in euery place neyther wayted any man for any other then dayly inuasion by the enemy after these thinges ensued famine pestilence of the which we will entreat hereafter when fit oportunity is ministred CAP. XVII The ende of the persecution and the finall confusion of the tyrant SUch things had they prepared during y â— who le time of persecution which in the tenth yeare by the goodnes of God wholy ceased yet after the eight yeare it begaÌ„ne somwhat to slacke relent for after that the deuine and celestiall grace of God behelde vs with a placable and mercifull countenance then our princes euen they which heretofore warred against vs after a wonderfull manner chaunged their opinion song a recantation and quenched that great heate of persecution with most benigne and milde edicts and constitutions published euery where in our behalfe The cause of this was not the humanity or compassion as I may â—o terme it or benignity of the princes being farre otherwise disposed for they inuented dayly more and more greuous thinges against vs successiuely vnto that time they founde out sundry sleyghtes and newe puniments one after an other but the apparent countenance of the deuine prouidence reconciled vnto his people withstood the power of mischiefe and quelled the author of impietie and the worker of the whole persecution And yet according vnto the iudgment of God it was behoueable that these things should come to passe yet vvoe vnto them sayth the Lorde by vvhome offence doth rise Wherefore a plague from aboue lighted on him firste takinge roote in his fleshe and afterwards proceeding euen vnto his soule there rose vpon a sodayne in the secret partes of his body an impostume or running sore afterwards in the lower parts of his priueyties a botchye corrupt byle with a fistula whence ishued out corrupt matter eatinge vp the inward bowels and an vnspeakeable multitude of lice swarming out breathinge a deadly stinche when as the corpulency of the whole body through aboundance of meat before the disease came was turned into super fluous grossenes and then beinge growen to matter yelded an intollerable and horrible spectacle to the beholders Wherefore of the phisicians some not able to digest that wonderfull noysome stinche were slayne some other by reason of the swellinge throughout the body there remayned no hope of recouery beyng not able to helpe at all with theyr phisicke were cruelly executed theÌ„ selues CAP. XVIII An Edict in the behalfe of the Christians the which aduersitie wrested from Maximinus AT length being thus tormented and lying in this miserable plight he beganne to ponder with himselfe the rashe enterprises he had practised against the holy worshipers of God Wherefore returning vnto himselfe first he confesseth his sinnes vnto God whose power reacheth ouer all next calling vnto him such as then were in compasse he gaue commaundement that with al speede they should relent and cease from persecuting of the Christians that by the decree and commaundement of the emperour they should buyld againe theyr churches they should frequent theyr often conuenticles they shoulde celebrate theyr wonted ceremonies and pray for the life of the emperour and immediatly that which by word he coÌ„maunded was in dede brought to passe The proclamations of the Emperour were published throughout the cities and a recantation of the practises preiudiciall vnto vs contayned in this forme The Emperoure Caesar Galerius Maximinus puysant magnificent chiefe Lord Lord of Thebais Lord of Sarmatia fiue times conquerour of Persia Lord of Germanie Lord of Aegypt tvvise conquerour of the Carpians six times conquerour of the Armenians Lorde of the Medes Lord of the Adiabeni tvventy times tribune nineteene times generall captaine eight times Consul father of the countrey proconsul And the emperour Caesar Flauius Valerius Constantinus vertuous fortunate puysant noble chiefe Lord â–ª generall captaine and tribune fiuetimes Consull â–ª father of the countrey proconsull Amonge other thinges vvhich vve haue decreed for the commoditie and profitte of the common vvealth our pleasure is first of all to order and redresse all thinges accordinge vnto the aunciente lavves and publicke discipline of the Romaynes â–ª vvithall to vse this prouiso that the Christians vvhich haue forsaken the relligion of
their auncesters shoulde be brought againe to the right vvay â–ª for after a certaine humor of singularitie such an opinion of excellency puffed them vp â–ª that those thinges which their elders had receaued and allowed they reiected and dissalowed deuising euery man suchlavves as they thought good and obserued the same assembling in diuerse places great multitudes of people â–ª wherefore when as our Edict was proclaymed that they shoulde returne â—nâ—â— the ordinaunces of their elders diuerse standing in greate dauÌ„ger felt the penalty thereof and many beinge troubled therefore endured all kinds of death â–ª and because we perceaue 〈…〉 yet to persist in the same madnes neyther yelding due worâ—hip vnto the celestiall Gods neither regarding the God of the christians hauing respect vnto our benignity and godly custome pardonningâ—â—lâ—â—â—n afâ—â—â— our wonted guyse yea we thought good in this case to extend our gracious 〈◊〉 fâ—â—â—â— able clemency that the christiane may be tollerated againe and that they repayre againe the places where they maye meâ—ro together So that they doe nothinge preiudiciall to publicke order discipline VVeâ— meane to prescribe vnto the iudges by an other epistle what they shall obserue VVherefore as this our gracious pardon deserueth let them make intercession vnto their God for our health for the common vveale and for themselues that in all places the affayres of the publicke weale may be safely preserued that they themselues may liue securely in their proper houses These thinges after our hability we haue translated in this sorce out of the Romaine language into the greeke tongue Nowe haue we duely to consider of those things which ensued and folowed after The censure of the Traslator toutching the chapiters which followe vntill the ende of this 8. booke Being found in the greeke coppy as a fragmente whose author was vnkowen ALl that which followeth vntill the ende of this eight booke â–ª I haue found in the greeke coppy distinguished froÌ„ the 18. chapiters which went before Not deuided into chapiters as the rest was but lying confusely for a suspected worke whose autor was not knowne VVhen that I had translated bit herto perceaued that the latine interpretours rested heere I perused by my selfe the whole fragment to see whether I cold gather any iust cause to the contrary but that it shoulde be turned to Englishe I founde the doctrine sound the history pleasaunt the stile artificiall and farre more curious then in the former bookes The frase sauored of the latine and no force for Eusebius was well seene in bothe the periods longe though not often vsed throughout his histories yet in others his workes very riâ—â— and common Though this fragment be founde more curious and artificiall then the restâ—nâ— maruell at all â–ª for mens giftes doe not serue them at all tymes alike If this rule were obserued paised in the ballance voyd of all parciality there woulde not be so many peâ—ces so many tracts so many learned workes of auncient writers contemned and renounced by reason that the frase in some point seemeth to differ or fall from the wonted grace The learned clerke Antony Gueuarra was vsed to say that at some tymes at some exercises his memory would be so ready his witts so fresh and his skill so excellent that he cold deuide a heare swepe a grayne â–ª at other times he wished to himselfe not only fiue but ten senses which we coÌ„monly callwitts Some things there are to be misliked wit hall in this fragment first that it is out of order placed next that there are sentences and periods wrytten by Eusebius in the former 18. chapiters repeated in this fragmeÌ„t Toutching the repetion he that is acquainted with Eusebius will confesse that oftentimes in many places he repeateth one thinge though not vpon the selfe some occasioÌ„ neither in the selfe same order nether with the same words he hath made meÌ„tion of his booke of martyrs of the â—okes he wrote of the life of Phamphilus almost in euery booke he reporteth the selfe same martyrdomes in diuerse bookes and sundry places as for the placinge no maruell at allthough it be out of order Eusebius published not his owne history but left it with his familiars Alexander byshop of Ierusalem gathered bere and there the scattered workes of the auncient wryters copied them not as the authors wrote them but as he founde them and chayned them in the library at Ierusalem â–ª OrigeÌ„ compiled into one volume the translations of the old testameÌ„t and published them in such sort as pleased him best Pamphilus martyr builded a library at Caesarea and gathered the works of Origen and other wryters placing them as he thought good Eusebius confesseth that in Caesarea he made indexes vnto the afore saydwâ—â—ters altering the titles chauÌ„ging the inscriptioÌ„s correcting their order fitting their place sso it may be that the gatherer of Eusebius workes dealt with his histories not placinge this fragment where Eusebius left it But of mine owne parte notâ—inding to conceale any thing from the reader here I founde it in greeke and heare I leaue it in English The reasons which moue me that it is Eusebius doinges are these first in this fragment he numbreth the moneths after the Greâ—â—ans as cap. â—â—â— 21. 26. 28. ZaÌ„thicus Desius Dius Dystros Panemus Apellaeus Audinaeus Peritius c â–ª so hath he done in sundry other places of his workes namly ca. 3. of this 8. bookâ— Secondly the author of this fragmeÌ„t was in Palaestina sawe with hic eyes the martyr doâ—es suffred at Caesarea and other places he was cap. 22. in the company of Apphianus in one house with him at Palaestina a litle before he suffred He saw cap. 27. the miracle at Caesarea when the postes and stones in the streete swâ—tâ— droppes of water He sawe and heard cap. 30. Iohn the martyr who was a blind man preach and expound the Scripturs with great coÌ„mendation This reason is confirmed by that which Eusebius wrote in the 3. cap. of this 8. booke where he sayeth It is not our drift to describe the coÌ„flicts of such as striued throughout the world we leaue that for others neither exactly to paint forth vnto the posteritye all that happened but onely the things we sawe with our eyes and were done in our presence Thirdly the author of this fragment was a familiar friende of Pamphilus the martyr he writeth of him cap. 25. thus Of which number was Pamphilus of all my famillars my derest friende And cap. 29. be extolleth him vnto the skies Sainct Ierom writeth that because of his familiarity with Pamphilus he was called Eusebius Pamphilus Fourthly the author of this fragment as it is cap. 29. wrote the life of Pamphilus in 3. bookes so hath Eusebius confessed of him selfe in sundry places and Sainct Ierom in his life wryteth the same of him wherefore Eusebius was the author of this fragment Fiftly the sayde author cap. 19. maketh
by the way of Athanasius CAP. XII Howe that Constantine the Emperoure enlarging the city which of olde was called Byzantium tearmed it after his owne name Constantinople THe emperour after the ending of the coūcell liued in great trāquility And as soone as after the wonted guise he had celebrated the twētyth yeare of his raygne without all delay or tariance he turned himselfe wholy to the buylding of churches the which he brought to passe as well in other cyties as in that cytie the which he called after his name but of olde bore the name of Byzantium This he enlarged exceedingly he enuironed with great goodly walls he bewtified with glorious building and made her nothing inferior to the princely cytie of Rome callinge her after his name Constantinople He made moreouer a lawe that she shoulde be called the Second Rome The which lawe is ingrauen in a stony piller reserued in the publique pretory nigh the emperours knightly picture In this cytie he erected from the foūdation two churches calling y ◠one of peace the other of the Apostles He encreased not only as I sayd before christian affairs but altogether rooted out the rites of the Gentiles He caried away the images out of the Idole groues to the end they might sett out the cytie of Constantinople they were to be seene abrode in y ◠open market place He inuironed about in the open aer the threefooted trestle vpon y ◠which the priest of Apollo in Delphos was wont to receaue his oracle with a grate Peraduenture some men will count the recitall of these things altogether impertinent specialy in as much as of late in maner all men haue ether seene them with their eyes or heard of them w t theyr eares At that time y ◠christian religiō spredd it selfe farre nigh For vnder the raygne of the emperour Costantine besides the prosperous affairs of many other things the prouidence of God so prouided that the faith in Christ shoulde take great increase And although Eusebius Phamphilus hath sett forth the praises of this emperour with a large and lofty style yet in my opinion I shal nothing offend if that after my simple maner I say something to his commendation CAP. XIII Howe that Helene the emperours mother leauinge Ierusalem sought out the crosse of Christ and founde it afterwardes built there a Church HElene the emperours mother which of the village Drepane made a cyty the which afterwards the emperour called Helenopolis being warned by a vision in her sleepe tooke her iorney to Ierusalem And when as shee founde that auncient Ierusalem lyinge all wast in a heape of stones as it is in the prophet she searched diligētly for the sepulchre of Christ in the which he was layd and out of the which he rose againe and at length although with much adoe through the helpe of God she found it And why it was so harde a matter to finde I will declare in fewe words euen as they which embraced the faith of Christ highly esteemed of that sepulchre and monument after his passion so of the contrary such as abhorred christian religion heaped in that place much earth and raised great hilloks and buylded there the temple of Venus and hauinge suppressed the remembrance of the place they sette vp her Idole This haue we learned of olde to be true But when as the emperours mother was made priueye hereunto shee threwe downe the Idole she digged vp the place she caused the great heape of earthe to be hurled aside and the filth to be remoued she findes three crosses in the graue one I meane that blessed vpon the whiche Christe suffred other two on the whiche the two theeues ended their liues Together with whiche crosses the table of Pilate was founde whereupon he had wrytten with sundrye tongues and signified vnto the worlde that Christe crucified was the Kinge of the Iewes Yet because there rose some doubte whether of these three shoulde be the crosse of Christ for the which they had made this searche the emperours mother was not a litle pensiue The which sorowefull heuynes of hers Macarius byshop of Ierusalem not longe after asswaged For he made manifest by his fayth that which afore was doubtfull ambiguous He desired of God a signe and obtained his sute The signe was this there was a certaine woman of that coast which by reason of her long and greuous disease lay at the poincte of death As she was yeldinge vp of the ghost the byshop layd euery one of the crosses vpon her beinge fully perswaded that she shoulde recouer her former health if that she toutched the reuerent crosse of our Sauiour which in deed failed him not For whē as both the crosses which belonged not vnto the Lorde were layd to the woman she continewed neuerthelesse at the poinct of death but as soone as the third which in very dede was the crosse of Christ was layd vnto her although she seemed presently to leaue this world yet leaped she vp and was restored to her former health After this sorte was the crosse of Christ founde out The emperours mother buylded ouer the sepulchre a goodly and gorgeous church callinge it Nevve Ierusalem righte ouer against that old and wast Ierusalem The one halfe of the crosse she lockt vp in a siluer chest left there to be seene of suche as were desirous to beholde such monumēts the other halfe she sente to the emperour The which when he had receaued supposinge that city to be in greate safety where in it were kept compassed it with his owne picture which was sett vp in the market place at Constantinople so called of Constantinus ouer a mighty piller of redd marble Although I commit this to wryting which I haue onely learned by hearesay yet in maner all they which inhabite Constantinople affirme it to be most true Moreouer when Constantinus had receaued the nayles wherewith the naked handes of Christ were fastened to the tree for his mother had founde these also in the sepulchre of Christ and sent them vnto him he caused bitts for bridles helmets and headpeeces to be made thereof the which he wore in battaile The emperour furthermore made prouision for all suche necessaries as were required to the buyldinge of the churches and wrote vnto Macarius the bishop that with all diligence he should further the buyldinge The emperours mother as soone as she had finished the church which she called Nevve Ierusalem buylded a second nothinge inferior to the first at Bethleem in the hollowe rocke where Christ was borne accordinge vnto the flesh also a thirde vpō the mount where Christ ascended vnto y ◠father Besides she was so vertuous so meeke that she would fall downe to her prayers in the middest of the vulgare sorte of women that she woulde inuite to her table virgines which were consecrated to holy life accordinge vnto the canon of the church that she woulde bring
Sabellius And so all the byshops wrote inuectiues one agaynste the other as if they had bene deadly foes When as both partes sayde that the sonne of God had his beynge together with the father and was in the father and confessed the vnitie to be in Trinitie yet I woâ—â— not why nor wherefore they coulde not agree amonge them selues nor sett their hartes at rest Wherefore there was a Councell summoned at Antioche where Eustathius for fauouringe the heresie of Sabellius more then furtheringe the Canons of the Nicene Councell was deposed â—ut diuers do report that there were other matters of no small importance and lesse honestie layde to his charge and causes of his depriuation yet do they not openly rehearse them For it is the maner amonge byshops to accuse them that are deposed to pronounce them for wicked persons yet to conceale the particular faults Georgius byshop of Laodicea in Syria one of them that reiected the clause of One substance in his booke of the prayse of Eusebius Emisenus writeth him selfe to haue reported that the bishops deposed Eustathius the Sabellian hereticke Cyrus bishop of Berrhaea beyng his accuser But of this Eusebius Emisenus we minde to speake in an other place Georgius writeth that Eustathius the Sabellian accused by Cyrus and agayne Cyrus him selfe conuicted of the same heresie to haue bene both remoued out of their byshoprickes But howe can it be that Cyrus beyng him selfe infected with the foule heresie of Sabellius should accuse Eustathius of the same Therefore it seemeth that Eustathius was deposed for some other cause After this there was kindled in Antioche such a fierye flame of sedition that in maner the whole citie was therewith turned vpside downe The faction was twofold â–ª the one went about to traÌ„slate Eusebius Pamphilus byshop of Caesarea in Palaestina to Antioche the other woulde needes bringe againe Eustathius The common sorte of people some cleaued to this syde some to that syde The whole garrison and bande of souldiers was so deuided and sett one agaynst the other that if God and the alleageance they owed vnto the good Emperour had not bene called to remembrance they woulde lamentably haue murthered eche other For the Emperoure by his letters appeased the tumult and sedition that was raysed amongest them But Eusebius refused to be their byshop and therefore the Emperour did highly commende him The Emperour wrote vnto him of that matter he prayseth his minde and pronounceth him happie for that by the report of all men he was worthie to be byshop not of one citie but of the whole worlde The seae of Antioche is sayd to haue wanted a bishop the space of eyght yeares together but at length by the meanes of such as endeuoured to ouerthrow the Nicene Creede Euphronius was made bishop And thus much shall suffice toutching the Councell helde at Antioch for the deposition of Eustathius CAP. XIX Of the meanes that were wrought to call Arius home and how Arius deliuered vnto the Emperour his recantation in writing craftely subscribing vnto the Nicene Creede IMmediatly after Eusebius who a little before had left the byshopricke of Berytus and at that present was bishop of Nicomedia striâ—ed with might maine together with his confederats to bring againe Arius into Alexandria But howe and after what sort they brought their purpose passe and the meanes they used to perswade the Emperour to call before him Arius Euzoius â–ª now I thinke best to declare The Emperour had to his sister one Constantia she was the wyfe of Licinnius who sometyme was fellowe Emperour with Constantine but afterwardes for his tyrannie was put to death This Constantia had greate acquaintance and familiaritie with a certaine priest of the Arian sect whome she made very much of who through the perswasion of Eusebius and others his familier and deare friendes made sute vnto her in the behalfe of Arius signifyinge that the synode had done him iniurie and that he was not of the opinion he was reported to be Constantia hearinge this beleeued the priest but durst not make the Emperoure priuye therevnto It fell out that Constantia was visited with greate sicknesse so that the Emperour came very oft to see her When the woman perceaued her selfe to be daungerously sicke and wayted for no other then present death she commendes vnto the Emperour this prieste she prayseth his industrie his godlinesse his good will and loyalitie vnto the imperiall scepter In a short whyle after she departeth this lyfe The priest is in greate authoritie with the Emperour And creepinge euery day more and more into better estimation breaketh the same matter vnto the Emperour as before vnto his sister â–ª that Arius was of no other opinion then the councell had decreed and if he would voutchsafe him his presence that he would sâ—bscribe vnto the canons and that he was falsely accused This report that the priest made of Arius seemed very straunge vnto the Emperour who gaue agayne this answeare If sayth he Arius he of that minde and as you saye agreeth with the fayth confirmed by the Councell I wyll not onely geue him the hearinge my selfe but also sende him with honor to Alexandria When he had thus spoken immediatly he wrote vnto him as followeth The epistle of Constantine the Emperour vnto the hereticke Arius Constantine the puyssant the myghtie and noble Emperour Notice was geuen nowe a good while agoe vnto thy wisdome that thou shouldest repaire vnto our caÌ„pe to the end thou mightest enioy our presence wherfore I caÌ„ not but maruell why thou camest not with speede according vnto our will Now therefore take one of the coÌ„mon waggoÌ„s make hast to our caÌ„pe that vnderstandinge our clemencie the care we haue ouer thee thou mayest returne to thy natiue couÌ„try God keepe thee welbeloued written the. 5. of the kalends of December This was the epistle which the Emperour wrote vnto Arius I can not verely but woÌ„der at y â— maruelous endeuer entire loue the Emperour bare vnto pietie thristian profession For it appeareth by y â— epistle that y â— Emperour admonished Arius oftentimes to recant therfore now doth he reprehend him for y â— he being oft allured by his letters made no speedy reformation of him selfe Arius in a while after the receate of the Emperours letters came to Constantinople there accompanyed him Euzoius who had bene a deacon whome Alexander deposed the selfe same tyme together with the other Arians The Emperour bydds them welcome and demaundeth of them whether they would subscribe vnto the Nicene Creede they answere the Emperour that they would do it with a good will The Emperour bidds them quickly lay downe in writing their creede They frame their recantation and offer it vp vnto the Emperour in this forme Vnto the most vertuous and our most godly lorde and Emperour Constantine Arius and Euzoius VVe haue layde downe in writing noble Emperour the forme of our faith
slept fevve houres my maner is to leane vnto a vvall and so take a nappe A certaine Monke vnderstandinge of his fathers death tolde him that brought him the tydinges thus Holde thy peace friende vtter no such blasphemie for my father is immortall A certaine brother soulde the nevve I estament beynge his onely booke and gaue the money for to releeue the poore and vttered a vvorthie sayinge vvithall I haue soulde the same booke vvhich sayeth Sell all that thou hast and geue to the poore There is a certayne Isle not farre from Alexandria northvvarde situated ouer the brooke of Marie vvhere there dvvelled a Monke of the sect of Gnostici a notable man he sayde that all vvhatsoeuer the Monkes dyd vvere done for fiue causes for God for nature for custome for necessitie and for handie vvorke At an other tyme he sayde that naturally there vvas but one vertue yet because of the povvers and facultyes of the soule vvhere her seate resteth the same one vvas deuided into sundrye partes and members The lyght of the Sunne sayeth he vvanteth forme and fygure yet by reason of the vvindovves and chinkes through the vvhich it pearceth it is sayde to haue a figure It is reported of him that vnto an other Monke he sayde thus I doe therefore cutte of all occasion and baytes of fleshly pleasure to the ende I may expell euery humour that tendeth to heate of anger I am veryly persvvaded that this heate of Anger contendeth for pleasure disquieteth the quiete disposition of my minde and bereaueth my vnderstandinge of her force An other fatherly olde man sayde That loue or charitie could neuer hoord or lay vp great store of meate and money Agayne he sayde that to his knovvledge the deuell neuer deceaued him tvvise in one thinge These amonge other thinges hath Euagrius remembred in his booke intituled The trade of lyfe vvhich consisteth of practise In his booke called Gnosticus he writeth thus That there are foure vertues and so many offices or functions belonginge vnto them vve haue learned of Gregorie the Iust Prudencie Fortitude Temperance and Iustice The office of Prudencie is to contemplate those faculties that appertaine vnto the minde these he affirmed to proceede of vvisdome vvithout intermedlinge vvith vvordes The office of Fortitude is firmely to persist in the trueth and though therefore thou suffer grieuous torment yet it is thy part neuer to yeelde vnto falsehoode The office of Temperance is to receaue seedes of the highest and supreme husbandman and to put him by that poppeth in any other seede Last of all the office of Iustice is to render an accompt of euery thinge vvorthely he sayde that this vertue acknovvledged some things obscurely signified other thinges darkely explicated some things openly to the profit of the ignorant and vnlearned Basilius of Cappadocia the pyller of trueth sayde that the knovvledge vvhich one man learneth of an other is made perfect by continuall vse and exercise but that which through the grace of God is ingraffed in the minde of man is made absolute by iustice gentlenes and charitie And that they vvhich are subiect vnto perturbation may be partakers of the former but of the later they only which are purged of all such heat motion who also while they pray vnto God do behold the proper peculier light of the mind shining to the cōfort of their soules Blessed Athanasius likewise the light mirror of all Aegypt sayth that Moses was cōmaūded to set the table northward let thē therfore which are in contemplation remember alwaies who the aduersarie is which assaulteth them and see that they endure manfully all temptations and that they refreshe relieue cheerefully all such as frequent vnto them Serapion bishop of Thmuis spake much like an Angell that the minde vvhich feedeth vpon spirituall knovvledge muste throughly and vvholly be clensed that the parts of the minde vvhich boyle vvith fierie heate of furious rage must be cured with loue and brotherly charitie and that the levvde motion and lust of the fleshe beyng crept into the inner closett of the minde is to be suppressed vvith continencie Didymus that great doctor and beholder of heauenly things vvas accustomed to say Ponder vvith thy selfe alvvayes the praecepts of the prouidence and iudgement of almightie God endeuour to retayne in thy memorie the summe of them for many doe erre therein the praecepts of iudgement thou shalt easily discerne in the varietie of bodies and in the alteration of all the creatures vnder heauen the praecepts of prouidence thou shalt perceaue in those meanes vvhereby vve are drawen from vice and ignorance vnto vertue and knowledge These thinges haue we borowed out of Euagrius bookes and alleaged here for the profit of the studious reader An other monke there was a very notable man his name was Ammonius who by chaunce being at Rome together with Athanasius was nothing curious he desired to see nothing of all the gaye and gorgeous buyldinge of the citie saue the temple of Peter and Paul The same man being vrged with a byshopricke fledd away secretly cutt of his ryght eare that the deformitie of his bodie myght be a canonicall impediment so that he shoulde not be chosen byshop Afterwardes when that Euagrius beynge chosen bishop by Theophilus byshop of Alexandria had runne awaye without mayming any part of his bodie and by chaunce mett Ammonius whome he merely taunted for committing so haynous an offence in cuttinge of his eare and that he shoulde answere for it before God Ammonius made answere And doest thou thinke Euagrius to escape punishment for that of selfeloue thou hast shut vp thy mouth and vsed not the gift and grace which God hath geuen thee There were at that tyme sundry other rare and singular men of those religious houses to rehearse all woulde be very longe insomuch that if we shoulde runne ouer their seuerall liues and the straunge miracles wrought by them by reason of their singular vertue and holinesse we shoulde farre digresse from our former discourse Wherefore if any man be desirous to knowe further of the acts to vnderstand more of their trade of lyfe to learne their profitable sayinges and sentences to be instructed howe they stroue with beasts and ouercame them lett him reade the booke of Palladius the monke who was the disciple of Euagrius the which he wrote onely of them For all that appertayned vnto them is fully layde downe there where also there is a discourse of the women which leade the like trade of lyfe with the aforesayde holie men Euagrius and Palladius florished in a while after the death of Valens But nowe let vs returne thither where we left CAP. XIX Of the religious men that were exiled and howe that God wrought miracles by them and drewe all men vnto him WHen the Emperour Valens had proclaimed against all them that maintayned the faith of One substance throughout Alexandria and all Aegypt that they should
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
Rhetorician writeth howe the lieuetenant of Thebais came then to Alexandria saw al the people on an vprore set vpon the magistrates how they threwe stones at the garrison which endeuoured to keepe y â— peace how of force they made y â— soldiers flie vnto y â— temple of old called Serapis how the people ranne thither ransacked y â— temple burned y â— soldiers quick the emperour vnderstanding hereof to haue sent thither imediatly two thousand choseÌ„ soldiers who hauing winde wether at will arriued at Alexandria y â— sixt day after Againe when y â— soldiers rauished the wiues defloured the daughters of y â— citizens inhabiting Alexandria y â— the latter skirmish combat exceded the former in cruelty After al this how the people assembled together at Circus where their spectacles were solemnized there to haue requested Florus who was captaine of the garrisoÌ„ gouernour of their city in ciuill affaires y â— he would restore vnto them y â— priueledged corne which he had depriued them of their bathes their spectacles other things whatsoeuer were takeÌ„ from them because of their insurrection tumults The aforesaide autor reporteth that Florus appeased their wrath with his presence gentle exhortation restored peace for a while but in the meane space the monks which inhabited y â— deserts adioyning vnto Ierusalem could not setle quietnes within their brests for some of them which had bene at the councell dissented from the decrees came to Palaestina coÌ„playned of the forme of fayth deliuered by y â— councell laboured to set other monks on firy sedition but wheÌ„ Iuuenalis returned froÌ„ y â— councell to his byshoprick was coÌ„pelled by such aduersaries as laboured to bring him into y â— contrary opinion to coÌ„fute detest his owne religion had fled vnto the city where y â— emperour made his abode they y â— impugned reuiled the councell of Chalcedon as I said before gathered theÌ„ selues together made an election vpon Easter day chose Theodosius to their byshopp who was the ringleader of the whole mischiefe raised in the councell and the first that certified them of the canons and decrees thereof concerning whome not long after the Monks of Palaestina wrote vnto Alcison how that he was conuicted of haynous crimes by hiw owne byshopp and expulsed the monastery and how that continewing a while at Alexandria he cleaued to Dioscorus was whipped for sedition set vpon a Camell as malefactors are vsed and carted throughout the citie vnto this Theodosius there came many out of the cities of Palaestina requesting him to appoint them byshops of which number Petrus the Iberian was made byshop of Maiuma hard by Gaza â–ª when the trueth of these treacheries came to light Martianus the Emperour commaunded first of all that Theodosius should be brought vnto him with power of armed soldiers secondly he sent thither Iuuenalis to th ende he shoulde reforme the disordered state of the Church and reduce all to peace and quietnes moreouer he commaunded him to depose as many as Theodosius had preferred to y â— priestly functioÌ„ After the returne of Iuuenalis into IerusaleÌ„ many grieuous calamities mischieuous deuices such as most coÌ„monly through the instigation of the enuious deuell and satan the sworne enemy to God and man are wont to raigne in the mindes of mortall men ensued by the meanes of y e contrary factions for the deuell by chaunging of one letter and lewde interpreting thereof brought to passe that it should be pronounced either way for to establish a contrary opinion the which sentence as diuers doe thinke is so repugnant and inferreth such contradictorie sense and meaning that the one seemeth vtterly to subuert and ouerthrowe the other for he that confesseth Christ to be IN two natures saith no lesse but that he consisteth Oâ— two natures for by graunting that Christ is both IN diuinitie and humanitie is to confesse that he consisteth OF diuinitie and humanitie he againe that saith that Christ consisteth OF two natures affirmeth plainly that he is IN two natures for by auouching that he consisteth of diuinitie and humanitie he testifieth him to be in diuinitie and humanitie yet not by conuersion of the fleshe into the godhead whose vniting is inexplicable neither of y â— godhead into flesh so that wheÌ„ we say OF TVVO we vnderstand withall IN TVVO by saying IN TVVO we meane OF TVVO not parting y â— one froÌ„ the other for it is toe plaine that the whole not onely consisteth of the parts but y t the whole is vnderstood in the parts yet for al y â— some men be of the vpinion y t they are farre seuered a sunder because their mindes and heads are so occupied before or else because they maintaine some sulline opinion of God or selfe will that they had leuer endure any kinde of death then yeelde vnto the plaine and manifest trueth by occasion of this subtlety of satan the aforesaid mischieues ensued but so much of these things in this sort CAP. VI. Of the great necessitie of rayne famine and pestilence and howe that in certaine places hardly to be belieued the earth brought forth of her owne accorde ABout that time there was suche scarsitie of rayne in both Phrygia Galatia Cappadocia and Cilicia that men wanting necessaries receiued poysoned nurishment and deadly food vpon this there rose a great pestilence and men after chaunge and alteration of diet beganne to sickenne their bodies swelled the inflammation was so great that it made them starke blinde they had withall such a cough that they died thereof the third day Although there could no medicine be had neither remedy be found for this pestilence yet by the prouidence of almighty God the famine relented for suche as were left aliue for it is reported that in that deare and barren yeare there came downe foode from the aer no otherwise then Manna of olde vnto the 〈◊〉 and the yeare following the earth of her owne accorde brought forth fruite Neither wâ—… this miserie rise throughout Palaestina but also sundry calamities raigned in many and inâ—… regions CAP. VII How Valentinianus the Emperour was slaine Rome taken and ransacked WHile the aforesaide calamities raigned in the East Aëtius was lamentably put to death at olde Rome Valentinianus also Emperour of the West parts of the worlde was slaine together with Heraclius by certen soldiers of Aëtius through the treason of Maximus who aspired vnto the Empire and therefore wrought their destruction because the wife of Maximus had bene deflowred by Valentinianus and forced to commit adulterie This Maximus maried Eudoxia the wife of Valentinianus against her will she neyther without good cause tooke this as a great contumelie and reproche deuised euerie way howe to reuenge her husbandes death for she is a woman exceedinge outragious for stayninge the puritie of her vessell of an intractable minde when her honesty is oppressed
the hereticke corrupted Anthimus Byshoppe of Constantinople and Theodosius Byshop of Alexandria but the Emperour deposed them and placed other in theyr rowmes THere are extant Epistles which Seuerus wrote vnto Iustinianus the Emperour and Theodora his wife where we may learne howe that at the firste when he fled from the Byshopricke of Antioch he went not straight to Constantinople but in a good while after that beinge at Constantinople he conferred with Anthimus found him of his owne opinion and perswaded him to leaue his Byshopricke He wrote of the same matter vnto Theodosius Byshop of Alexandria where he glorieth that as I sayd before he had perswaded Anthimus to make more accompt of that opinion then of worldly honor and Bishoplicke dignity There are moreouer to be seene toutching that matter the Epistles of Anthimus vnto Theodosius and of Theodosius againe vnto Seuerus and Anthimus all which I purposely doe omitte lest I seeme to stuffe this present volume with toe many such allegations leauinge them for suche as are desirous to sifte them out them selues Bothe these Byshops when they had withstoode the Emperours edictes and reiected the canons of the Chalcedon councell were deposed of theyr Byshoprickes in the seae of Alexandria Zoilus did succeede and Epiphanius in the Byshopricke of Constantinople to the end from thence forth the councell of Chalcedon mighte openly be preached in all Churches and that none durst be so bold as to accurse it and if any were found of the contrary opinion they were by all meanes possible to be perswaded For Iustinianus published an edicte where he accursed bothe Seuerus and as many as helde with him and enioyned greate penalties for such as maintayned theyr opinion to this ends that from that tyme for the there mighte no dissention take roote in any of all the Churches throughout the worlde but that the Patriarchs of euery prouince mighte hold together and the Byshops of euery city obey theyr Archebyshops and that the foure councells the firste helde at Nice the councell of Constantinople the firste helde at Ephesus and the councell of Chalcedon shoulde be preached in the Churches There was a fifte councell summoned by the commaundemente of Iustinian whereof what shall seeme conuenient I will declare when occasion shall serue In the meane space we haue seuerally to discourse of the worthy actes done about those tymes CAP. XII Of Cabades kinge of Persia and his sonne Chosroes out of Procopius history PRocopius Rhetor who penned the life of Belissarius wryteth that Cabades king of Persia purposed to bequeath the kingdome vnto Chosroes his yongest sonne and that he tooke councell howe he mighte procure the Emperour of Rome to adopte him hoping by that meanes to assure him of the regall Scepter But when he coulde by no meanes bring his purpose about Proclus one that was alwayes conuersante with Iustinian and by office his Quaestor was the cause that there rose greater enmytye betwene the Romaynes and Persians then euer was before Furthermore the sayde Procopius discourseth at large of the Romayne and Persian affayres of the bloodye battaills that were betwene them when Belissarius was captayne of the Easterne power And firste he reporteth howe the Romaynes had the victorye at Daras and Nisibis what tyme Belissarius and Hermogenes were chiefe ouer the Romayne Armyes Vnto these he annexeth the state of Armenia and the mischiefe whiche Alamundarus captaine of the Barbarians called Scenetae wrought in the borders of the Romane Empire how he tooke Timostratus the brother of Russinus aliue together with his soldtours and afterwardes tooke for them a great raunsome and let them goe CAP. XIII Of Alamundarus and Azerethus and the sedition at Constantinople where the people had this watchword Nica that is ouercome THe aforesaid author handleth very learnedly how Alamundarus spoken of before and Azerethus inuaded the marches of the Romaine dominions how as they returned into their countrey Belissarius was compelled of his armie to ioyne with them a litle before Easter day beside Euphrates how the Romaine power for not following Belissarius counsell was vtterly foyled and how Russinus and Hermogenes concluded a perpetuall league with the Persians so that he moueth the reader very much Immediatly he entreateth of the popular sedition raised at Constantinople called Nica by interpretation ouercome For that was the watchword which they had chosen to discerne and know their friend from their foe In which insurrection Hypatius and Pompeius were of the people constrained to rebell yet after the rebelles were ouercome Iustiman commaunded they two should be beheaded and throwne into the sea Procopius wryteth that in that skirmish there were staine thirtie thousand persons CAP. XIIII Of Honorichus king of the Vandals and the Christians whose tongues he caused to be pulled out AGain the said author cōmitting to letters the historie of the Vandals reporteth such stories as are worthy of memorie and the printing in Marble the which I am now about to declare Honorichus the successor of Genzerichus in the kingdom being an Arian hereticke raised great persecution against the Christians which inhabited Libya For such as maintained the sound and sincere faith he compelled to embrace the Arian heresie and such as would not yeelde he burned to ashes and executed with sundrie kindes of lamentable death pulling out from some their tongues Of which number after their flight to Constatinople Procopius sayth he sawe certen of them with his owne eyes and that they spake as if they had had no such mischaunce and for all their tougues were pluckt vp by the rotes yet talked they very plaine and distinctly which was very straunge and in maner incredible Of these kinde of people there is mention made in the Edict of Iustinus two of them sayth Procopius lost their speach for immediatly after they went about to talke to women their voyce was taken from them and the Martyrs gift remained no longer wyth them CAP. XV. Of Cabaon captaine of the Maurusians ANother myracle besides the aforesayd worthy the admiration is remembred of him to haue bene wrought by the power of our Sauiour among men who though they were such men as were not of one opinion with vs yet led they a godly life He sayeth that Cabaon was gouernour of the Maurusians inhabiting about Tripolis This Cabaon I wil vse the proper wordes of Procopius who orderly discoursed heereof as soone as he perceaued that the Vandals tooke armour against him did as followeth First he commaunded all the subiectes within his dominions to refraine from all vnrighteousnes to abstaine from such meates which prouoked to sensualitie and specially to forgoe the companie of women Next he made two trenches pitching in the one his owne tent and pauillion with all his men In the other he shutte vppe the women threatning that who so euer repaired vnto the womens trench should die the death Afterwardes he sent to Carthage a skoutwatch commaunding that as soone as the Vandals made
cap. 27. 28. Heraclas was firste Origens Vsher in the schoole of Alexandria afterwards b. of that seae about the 11. yeare of the Emperour Alexander where he cōtinewed 16. yeares Euse lib. 6. cap. 14. 25. 34  240. Gordianus was created Emperour after Maximinus he raigned 6. yeres Euseb lib. 6. cap. 27. 33.     Fabianus was b. of rome after Anterus Anno Dom. 241. beinge a contrey minister he was miraculously chosē in the church by reason that a doue lighted vpō his head he suffered martirdome vnder Decius Euseb lib. 6. cap. 28. 38.  Coraciō a Chiliast was in open disputation confuted by Dionysius b. of Alexandria Euseb lib. 7. cap. 23. 246. Philip was crowned Emperour after Gordianus he was the firste Christian Emperour after Christ raygned 7. yeres Euseb lib. 6. cap. 33. 38.  There was a synode held at Rome in the tyme of Fabianus where he together with 60. other bishoppes remoued the schisme of Nouatus Sabel Pantal.  Babylas was b. of Antioche after Zebinus died in prison in the persecution vnder Decius Euseb lib. 6. cap. 28. 38  Dionysius the disciple of Origen was b. of Alexādria after Heraclas the 3. yere of Philip the emperour he reporteth the perill he stod in the persecution he suffred vnder Decius He wrote of the martyrs at Alexandria  254. Decius was Emperour after Philip. he persecuted the churche of God and raygned not full 2. yeares Euseb lib. 6. cap. 38. lib. 7. cap. 1. Cyprian b. of Carthage florished about this time he erred in the rebaptizing of heretickes suffered martyr dome vnder Valerianus Galienus Euseb lib. 7. ca. 3 Ier. catalog There was a synode helde at Rome in the time of Cornelius where Nouatus the here tike was condemned Euseb lib. 6. cap. 42.   Cornelius was b. of Rome in the tyme of Decius he condemned excommunicated Nouatus the heretick cōtinewed b. 3. yeares Euse lib. 6. cap. 38. lib. 7. cap. 2. vnto Fabius b. of Antioch he wrote vnto the heretike Nouatus vnto Hermāmon Stephen Xystus bishops of Rōe vnto Philemō minister of Rome afterwardes vnto Dionysius b. of Rome He was persecuted vnder Valerianus the Emperour He cōfuted the booke of Nepos the Chiliast and confounded in opendisputation Coracion his disciple He was b. of Alexandria 17. yeares dyed the 12. yeare of Galienus Euseb lib. 6. cap. 28. 34. 39. 40. 44. 45. lib. 7. cap. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 10. 22. 23. 27. Nouatus a prieste of Rome fell frōhis order and called his sect Catharous that is puritans he wold not admit vnto the church suche as fell after repentance he was condemned by sundry notable mē and in sundry councells Euseb lib. 6. ca. 42. He abhorred second mariadge Epiphan haeres 59. Cyprian did erre in rebaptizinge of heretickes Euseb li. 7. cap. 3.   Metras and Quinta a woman stoned to death Apollonia a virgine Iulianus Cremon Macar Epimachus Alexāder 4. womē burned Scrapion had his neck broken Amonarion a a virgine Mercuria Dionysia beheaded Herō Ater and Isidorus burned Nemesion a martyr Dioscorus Ammō Zenon Ptolomaeus Ingenuus Theophilus cōfessors Ischyrion beaten to death with a cudgell Cheremō b. of Nilus fled into the desert with his wife Euseb lib. 6. cap. 40. 41. An other synode was held at Antioche where Elenus b. of Tarsis Firmilianus b. of Cappadocia Theoctistus b. of Palaestina and Dionysius b. of Alexandria were present to the condēnation of Nouatus Euseb lib. 6. cap. 45.  Fabius was b. of Antioche after Babylas in the time of Decius Euse lib. 6. cap. 38. Lucius was b. of Rome after Cornelius gouerned the churche not full 8. moneths Euseb lib. 7. cap. 2.  A whole Councell helde at Carthage in the time of Cyprian did erre Euseb lib. 7. cap. 3.  Gallus was Emperoure after Decius and raygned not full two yeares Euse lib. 7. cap. 1. 9 AEmilianus was Emperour 3. moneths after Gallus Eutrop There was a synode helde at Carthage which erred about the rebaptizing of hereticks in the whiche Cyprian was chiefe Euseb lib. 7. cap. 3. An other at Iconium Synadis for receauing of hereticks after repētāce Euseb lib. 7. cap. 6. Mazabanes was b. of Ierusalē after Alexander Eus lib. 6. cap. 38. vntill the raigne of Gallus Volusianus Epiph. haeres 66.    Angelici were hereticks which worshipped Angels August lib. de haeres  255.        Apostolici were heretickes in Pisidia which arrogantly so termed them selues because they allowed not the cōpanie of maryed men and such as had proper possessions for the catholicke Church hath sayeth Augustine many such religious clergy mē August lib. de haere Epiphan haeres 61. 256. Valerianus together with Galienus his sonne was created Emperour he persecuted the churche of God Not long after his sonne Galienus ruled alone and restored peace vnto the christians He cōtinewed Emperour 15. yeares Euseb lib. 7. ca. 9. 12. 28. Priscus Malchus Alexander a woman were torne in peces of wilde beasts Euseb lib. 7. cap. 11. Marinus be headed Euse lib. 7. cap. 14.  Hymenaeus was b. of Ierusalem after Mezabanes in the tyme of Valerianus Euseb lib. 7. cap. 13. vntill the raygne of Aurelianus Epiph. haeres 66. Demetrianus was b. of Antioche after Fabius in the time of Valerianus Euseb lib. 7. cap. 13. Stephan was b. of Rome after Lucius Anno Dom. 256. He reprehended Cyprian b. of Carthage for rebaptizinge of heretickes gouerned the churche 2. yeares Euseb lib. 7. ca. 2 3. 4.  Sabellius of whome the Sabelliās haue their appellation sayth Augustine was the disciple of Noetus and taught the like doctrine with Noetus that the three persons in the Trinitie were one but sayth Epiphanius they differed in that Sabellius sayde not the father to haue suffred The heresie of Sabellius beganne at Pentapolis in Ptolemais and was impugned by Dionysius b. of Alexādria in the time of Xystus b. of Rome Euseb lib. 7. cap. 5. He denyed that there was a trinitie Epiphan haeres 62. August lib. de haeres 271. Claudius was Emperour after Valerianus 2. yeares Euseb lib. 7. cap. 28. Astyrius a senator of Rōe was a greate fauorer of the Christiās lib. 7. cap. 15. 16. There was a synode held at Antioche about the 12. yeare of Galienus where Samosatenus was condemned Euse lib. 7. cap. 26. 27.   Xystus the 2. of that name was bishop of Rome after Stephā where he cōtinewed 11. yeares Euseb lib. 7. cap. 4. 26. Maximinus was b. of Alexādria in the 12. yere of Galienus continewed 18. yeares Euseb lib. 7. cap. 10. 27. 31. Paulus Saniosatenus b. of Antioch denyed the diuinitye of the sonne of God Euseb lib. 7. cap. 26.  Quintilius was Emperour after Claudius 17. dayes Eutrop. lib. 9. Agapius b. of Caesarea in Palaestina Pierius a minister of
extant pag. 82. Marcus b. of Arethusa and his learned Creede pag. 275. the Mariage of Paul pa. 52. the Mariage of Peter pa. 52. the Mariage of Philip. pa. 52. 53. the Mariage of Cheremon b. of Nilus pag. 117. the Mariage of Demetrianus b. of Antioch pag. 141. the Mariage of priests allowed of pag. 234. 255. the Mariage of Spiridion b. of Cyprus pag. 234. the Mariage of Priestes detested of an hereticke pa. 292. the Mariage of Ammon the Monke pa. 329. Maria the daughter of Eleazar killed her owne sonne to eate in the famine at IerusaleÌ„ pa. 40. Marinus a souldier was beheaded for the fayth pa. 131. Maris bishop of Chalcedon an Arian page 223. 246. Marke the Euangelist vpoÌ„ what occasioÌ„ he wrote his Gospel p. 28. he was the first that preached Christ vnto the Aegyptians pa. 28. the firste b. of Alexandria pa. 35. his martyrdome pa. 519 his life pa. 533. Marke of the Gentils the first b. of Ierusalem pa. 60. 85. Marke an hereticke whome Irenaeus confuteth pag. 62. Marke bishop of Alexandria after Eumenes pa. 62. Martianus the Emperour pag. 425. his ende pa. 433. Martyrs vvho properlye maye so be called page 81. Martyrs and Martyrdomes looke persecution Maruthas b. of Mesopotamia preached vnto the Persians pa. 380. Masbothaei were heretickes pa. 70. Mathevve and Luke the Euangelists are thought to disagree pa. 10. Matthan begat â—acob the father of Ioseph pa. 10 11. Mathias one of the 70 Disciples was chosen in the rowme of ludad the traitor pag. 15. 19. his life pa. 533. Mathias the 8b of Ierusalem pa. 59. Maturus was beheaded for the fayth page 76. 78. Mauricâ—us the Emperour pag. 500. 501. Maxentius the tyrant and his impiety pa. 154. his miserable end pa. 179. 215. 216. 469. Maximilla the prophetesse of Montanus hanged her selfe pa. 86. 88. 89. Maximinus the 7 b. of Antioch pa. 72. Maximinus succeeded Alexander in the Empire and persecuted the Church of God but continewed no longer then thre yeres pag. 11. His end 469. Maximinus the tyrant and his impiety page 153. 154. 155. 156. His miserable end pa. 182. 215 Maximus wrote learned bookes pag. 94. Maximus was beheaded for the fayth pag. 131. Maximus B. of Antioch pag. 139. Maximus B. of Ierusalem pag. 271. Maximus a tyrant is executed pag. 347. 348. Maxis a vvicked tribune and a persecutor pag. 167. Mazabanes B. of Ierusalem pag. 114. Melchi begate heli the father of Ioseph pag. 10. 11. Melchisedech a figure of Christ pag. 7. Meletius B. of Pontus pag. 144. Meletius of whome the Meletians are called and theyr heresie pag. 219. 220. 227. 228. Meliton b. of Sardis wrote an Apollogie of the Christian faith vnto Verus the Emperour pa. 63. 70. His workes pag. 72. 73. 93. Meltiades B. of Rome pag. 204. Menander a Sorcerer and his opinions pa. 50. 51. 70. Menas Patriarch of Constantinople pag. 486. Menedemus was burned for the fayth pag. 326. Mercuria a woman was beheaded for the fayth pag. 116. Meruzanes B. of Armenia pag. 120. Metras after torment was stoned to death for the fayth pag. 115 Metrodorus a Christian was burned to ashes pa. 67. Micheas the prophete and his life pag. 524. Miltiades an hereticke page 87. Miltiades a learned wryter wrote an Apollogie pag. 88. 89. Mithra an heathen God pag. 298. 34â— Modestus a learned wryter pag. 70. 72. Montanus the heretick pag. 73. 81. 86. 87. He haÌ„ged him selfe pa. 88. 89. 90. 282. Moses testifieth of Christ pa. 3. 4. He conceaued a mystery in the word Iesus pag. 6. Moses a minister of Rome was martyred page 119. Musanus a learned vvryter pag. 70. his vvorkes pag. 73. N. NAamanes a Saracen pag. 503. Narcissus B. of Ierusalem page 85. his miracles pag. 101. 102. Narcissus b. of Neronias was an Arian pag. 273. Natalius an hereticall b. repented him selfe and became a confessor pag. 95. Nathan the Prophete and his life pag. 521. Naum the prophete and his life pag. 528. Nectarius a noble man vvas chosen b. of Constantinople pag. 344. 346. Nemesion a martyr pag. 116. Nepos b. of Aegypt was a Chiliaste and confuted by Dionysius b. of Alexandria pag. 136. Nepotianus Constantius a tyrante and his ende pag. 272. Nero was Emperour after Claudius page 31. his cruelty pag. 35. he raygned 13 yeares pag. 37. his end pag. 469. Nerua was Emperour of Rome after Domitian pag. 47. Nestorius b. of Constantinople and his heresie page 393. 394. 395. 396. 412. 413. 414. 415. 416. Nicôcles the Laconian sophist pag. 295. Nicolas of whome the Nicolaites are called pa. 52. Nicomas b. of Ieonium pag 139. Nicostratus an historiographer pag. 502. Nilus b. of Aegypt vvas burned pag. 153. 172. Nouatus a prieste of Rome and his heresie page 117. 118. 119. 335. 336. 391. Nouatian heresie pag. 233. 391. O. ODed the prophete and his life pa. 522. Onesimus b. of Ephesus pag. 55. 73. Oâ—estes Liuetenante of Alexandria contended vvith Cyrill and vvas vvounded of the Monks pag. 383. Origen and his zeale being a childe pag. 96. 97. he vvas made a Catechiser pag. 97. he vvas the disciple of Clemens pag. 100. he gelded him selfe pa. 101. he vveÌ„t to Rome pa. 104. he studied Hebrevv and gathered together the traÌ„slations of the old Testament pag. 105. he vveÌ„t to Arabia pa. 107. he vveÌ„t to Antioch pa. 108. his vvorkes pa. 109. 111. 112. 113. his life out of Suidas pag. 121. his lamentation pa. 122. 123. An Apollogie for Origen pa. 370. Osius b. of Corduba in Spayne pa. 220. 235. 265 277. Osee the Prophet and his life pag. 524. Otho vvas Emperour a shorte vvhile pa. 37. his end pa. 469. P. PAchymus â— of Aegypt and a martyr pa. 153. Palladius a monke pag. 332. Palladius a svvift post pag. 387. Palmas b. of Pontus pa. 92. Pambo a Monke pa. 330. Pamphilus Martyr pa. 144. 153. 164. 165. 168. 169. Pantaenus was a Catechiser in the schoole of Alexandria and the Maister of Clemens AlexaÌ„drinus pag. 85. Paphnutius b. of Thebais pag. 223. 233. 234. Papias b. of Hierapolis pag. 28. 54. his workes pag. 56. he was an hereticke pag. 57. Papylus a Martyr pag. 67. Patermythius vvas burned for the sayth pag. 172 Patropassians and theyr heresie pa. 264. 323. Patrophilus b. of Scythopolis pag. 256. Paulinus b. of Triuere in Fraunce pag. 279. Paulinus b. of Tyrus pag. 184. 185. Paul was called from heauen to be an Apostle pag. 20. he was martyred at Rome vnder Nero pa. 32. 35. 36. 519. his Epistles pag. 36. he was maried pa. 52. his life pa. 533. Paulus Samosatenus and his heresie pa. 94. 139. 140. 141. 263. 323. Paulus a notable maÌ„ was beheaded for the faith pa. 166. Paulus a godly b. of Constantinople pa. 255. he was stisâ—ed in Cappadocia pag. 272. his corps was caried to Constantinople pa. 345. Pausis an Aegyptian was beheaded for the fayth pa. 160. Peleus b. of Aegypt was burned pa. 153. 172. Periurie is punished pa. 102. Persecution
pa. 23. 32. 33. 35. 46. 47 â–ª 53. 63. 64. 65. 66. 67. 68. 69. 72. 73. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80 81. 96. 97. 98. 99. 101. 111. 114. 115. 116. 117. 128. 129. 130. 131. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150. 151. 152. 153. 159. 160. 161. 162. 163. 164. 165. 166. 167. 168. 169. 170. 171. 172. 173. 175. 176. 273. 274. 284. 285. 298. 305. 306. 307. 310. 319. 320. 322. 326. 327. 328. 329. 332. 333. 386. 476. 493. 519. Persia receaued the faith pa. 38. Pertinax the Emperour and his end pa. 469. Peter the Apostle was imprisoned by Herode Agrippa and deliuered by an Angel pag. 23. he met SimoÌ„ Magus at Rome in the time of Claudius pag. 27. he was crucified at Rome about his later time after he had preached in other contreyes pa. 35. 36. 519. his workes pa. 36. he was maried and his vvife martyred pag. 52. Peter b. of Alexandria was beheaded page 144. 153. 176. Peter the Emperour Diocletians page after sundry tormentes was broyled to death pa. 148. Peter the successor of Athanasius in the seae of Alexandria pa. 328. 340. Petirus a monke pa. 330. Petrus Apselamus was burned for the fayth pag. 168. Peucetius a persecutinge Magistrate is executed pa. 183. Pharises and theyr heresie pag. 70. Phileas b. of Thmuis vvas beheaded pag. 150. Philetus b. of Antioch pa. 108. Philip the tetrarch pa. 13. 14. Philip one of the seuen Deacons preached in Samaria baptised Simon Magus the Eunuch pa. 19. 20. Philip the Apostle rested at Hierapolis pa. 53. 93 his martyrdome pag. 519. his life pa. 532. Philip the 9 b. of Ierusalem pa. 59. Philip b. of Gortyna wrote against Marcion pa. 71. 72. Philip was Emperour after Gordianus a Christian pa. 112. his end pa. 469. Philip a Priest of Sida wrote a booke to the confutatioÌ„ of Iulian the Apostata intitled it the Christian historie pa. 392. Philo Iudaeus a man of greate fame was sente in Embassie from the lewes of Alexandria vnto the Emperour Caligula pa. 21. he is alleaged pa. 22. 28. 29. he talked with Peter the Apostle at Rome pa. 28. his workes pa. 30. 31. Philoromus gouernour of Alexandria was beheaded for the faith pa. 150. Philosophie is studied and commended pag. 105 106. 107. 308. 309. Philumena an hereticke the Prophetesse yoke mate of Apelles pa. 86. Photinus b. of Sirmium and his heresie pag. 262. 264. 274. 275. 277. 323. Pictures of Simon Magus and Helena the vvitch pag. 27. Pierius a minister of Alexandria pag. 144. Pilate was made President of Iudaea the 12 yere of Tiberius pag. 13. he certified Tiberius that our Sauiour was risen from the dead pag. 20. he plagued the Ievves pag. 22. he slevve him selfe pa. 22. 23. Pinytus b. of Creta pag. 70. Pinytus b. of the people Gâ—o sij pa. 71. Pionius was burned for the faith pag. 67. Pior a Monke pag. 329. Pius vvas b. of Rome 15 yeares pag. 62. 83. Placitus b. of Antioch pa. 256. a Plague in Alexandria pa. 134. 135. a Plague throughout the vvorld pa. 182. a Plague in the time of Maximinus pa. 178. Plinius Secundus a Liuetenant vvas sorie that the Christians vvere persecuted vvrote therof vnto Traian pag. 54. Plutarchus a Martyr pa. 97. 98. Pneumatomachoi and their heresie pa. 293. Polybius b. of Tralleis pa. 55. Polybius an historiographer pa. 501. Polycarpus b. of Smyrna wrote an Epistle vnto the Philippians page 54. 55. 64. 93. he was at Rome with Anicetus pa. 63. he met MarcioÌ„ in the face pag. 64. his Martyrdome pag. 64. 65. 66. 67. Polycrates b. of Ephesus wrote vnto Victor b. of Rome pa. 53. 92. 93. Pompei besieged Ierusalem and sent Aristobulus captiue to Rome pa. 9. Pontianus b. of Rome pa. 108. Ponticus a yonge man of 15. yeare old was martyred pa. 80. Pontinus an hereticke pag. 86. Pontius a learned man pa. 103. Porphyrius an Atheist wrote against the Christians and disputed vvith Origen pag. 106. 229. Porphyrius the SeruaÌ„t of Pamphilus martyr vvas burned for the faith pa. 170. Potamiaena a virgine was burned for the faith p. 98. 99. Pothinus b. of Lions is tormented put in prison and their dieth pa. 78. Primus was b. of Alexandria 12 yeares pag. 58. 59. Primus b. of Corinth pag. 70. Priscilla the Prophetesse of Montanus pa. 86. 89. 90. Priscus a Christian was torne in peeces of wilde beasts pa. 131. Priscus Rhetor an historiographer pa. 502. Probus was Emperour after Auâ—â—lianus â–ª pa. 141. Proclus a Cataphrygian hereticke page 35. 53. 108. Procopius was beheaded for the faith pag. 159. Procopius a tyrant dieth miserably pag. 320. Procopius Rhetor an historiographer pag. 502. Promus was beheaded for the fayth pag. 168. the Prophetes sawe God vvith the clensed eye of the mind pag. 3. Prophecy was in the Churche after Christ page 69. 82. 83. 88. 89. Proterius the godly b. of Alexandria vvas cruelly slaine pa. 433. Protogenes a godly b. of Sardice pag. 265. Psathyriani and theyr opinion pag. 357. Ptolomaeus a Martyr pag. 68. 69. Ptolomaeus a confessor pag. 116. Publius b. of Athens and a Martyr pag. 71. Publius b. of Ierusalem pag. 85. Q. Quadratus had the gift of Prophecy pag. 55. he vvrote an Apollogie of the Christian fayth vnto Adrian pag. 58. 59. 88. 89. Quadratus b. of Athens pa. 71. Quinta a vvomaÌ„ after torment is stoned to death pag. 115. Quintus fell in persecution pag. 64. R. REpentance of a thiefe pag. 49. Rhais a vvoman vvas burned for the faith pag. 98. Rhodion the disciple of Tatianus a learned vvriter pag. 86. Rome is called Babylon pag. 28. Romanus had his tongue pulled out aftervvardes stifled to death pag. 159. 160. Romulus Subdeacon of Diospolis was beheaded for the faith pag. 160. Rufus a Disciple pa. 55. Ruffus a Liuetenant of Iudaea destroyed the Ievves in Ierusalem pag. 59. Rugas a rebell was slayne with a thunderbolt pa. 400. S. SAbellius heresie pag. 126. 264. Sabinus a President of Maximinus the persecutor pag. 174. Sabinus a Macedonian hereticke pag. 224. 229. 260. Saduces and their heresie pa. 70. reade the Chro. Sagaris a martyr pag. 72. 93. Salome the â—ister of Herode pag. 13. Samaritans their heresy pa. 70. reade the Chro. Samosatenus the hereticke looke Paulus Samosatenus Samuel the Prophet and his life pag. 521. Sanctus Deacon of Vienna vvas beheaded pag. 76. 77. 78. Saracens receaued the Christian faith pag. 339. Saturnilians vvere heretickes pag. 70. Saturninus of Antioch an hereticke pag. 60. 74. Sclaunders raised vpon the godly pag. 60. 69. 76 77. 102. 116. 176. 177. 246. 247. 248. 250. 26â— 272. 369. 504. 505. Scriptures looke Canonicall Scripture Secundus b. of Ptolomais an Aâ—ian pa. 224. 227. Sedition in Alexandria pa. 135. Seianus vexed the Ievves pa. 22. Seleucus vvas beheaded for the fayth pa. 170. Semeia the prophet and his life pa. 5â—2 Sennecas the tenth bishop of Ierusalem pag. 59. Septuagints translation of the old Testament pa. 84. 105.
Of this opinion was Iohn the 22. b. of Rome Cap. 38. in the Greeke Origen in 8â— Psal Cap. 39. after the greeke Decius crowned Emperour Anno Domi. 254. vnder whom as Orosius sayth the 7. persecution was raysed Fabianus b. of Rome martyred Cornelius b. of Rome Alexander b. of Ierusalem died in prisoÌ„ Mazabanes b. of IerusaleÌ„ Babylas b. of Antioche died in prison Fabius b. of Antioche OrigeÌ„ is persecuted Cap. 40. after the Greeke * This custome in diuers places is now adayes in vie Cap. 41. in the Greeke Dionysius vn to Fabius b. of Antioche Metras after torments is stoned to death Quinta stoned to death Apollonia is burned Serapion was throwne downe his necke broke The edict of Decâ— agaâ—â—t the Christiâ—◠〈◊〉 â—4 Matth. 19. Iulianus burned Cronion was burned A souldier be headed Macar is burned Epimachus is burned Alexander is burned â— women burned AmmonarioÌ„ is beheaded Mercuria Dionysia beheaded HeroÌ„ burned Ater burned Isidorus burned Dioscorus a confessor Nemesion a Martyr Ammon Zenon Ptolomaeus Ingenuus â— Theophilus confessors Cap. 42. in the greeke Dionysius b. of Alexandria vnto Fabius b. of Antioch Ischyrion was beaten to death with a cudgill Chaeremon b. os Nilus was maried Ezechiel 18. Cap. 43. after the greeke The Nouatians call themselues 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. purâ—â—ans Nouatus is excommunicated Cornelius b. of Rome vnto Fabius b. of Antioch Maximus Vrbanus Sidonius Celerinus forsooke No uatus Thequalities of Nouatus Howe Nouatus the heretike vvas made bishop The order of the clerâ—â—â— in the church of Rome in the â—ime of Corâ—elius Nouatus fell in time of persecution and denyed his order The comunion was theÌ„ ministredand deliuered into theyr hands not popt in their mouthes Moses a martyr Cap. 44. after the greeke Dionysius â— of Alexandria vnto Fabius bishop of Antioch Men of olde receaued the communion a little before their deaths Cap. 45. in the greeke Dionysius b. of Alexandria vnto Nouatus the hereticke Cap. 46. after the Greeke Conon b. of Hermopolis Thelymidres Meruzanes Cornelius Elenus Firmilianus Theoctistus Fabius Demetrianê° Alexander Hippolytus * Cap. 1. in the greeke Gallus â—â—â—aâ—â—d Emperour Anno Domini 255. OrigeÌ„ dieth Dionysius b. of Alexandria in his epistle to HermammoÌ„ Suydas in the life of Origen The choyce was that ether a blacke moore shoulde play the Sodomite with him or he himselfe shoulde sacrifice vnto Idols Psal 50. The lamentation of Origen He calleth vpon the saynctes in the same sense as he doth in this sorowefull plight vpon all other creature vnder heaueÌ„ The pollicie of Satan was to haue Origen to confirme the christians at the time of sacrifice not to the ende they might be saued as his preteÌ„se was but that Origen might be takeÌ„ with the manner and presently constrayned ether to sacrifice or deny his maister which fel out in the ende It seemeth by this that some promised Origen they vvoulde be baptized but when it came to the pinch they made him to sacrifice Origen bewayleth his excommunication * Origen gelded himselfe to embrace virginitie therefore iustely maye he be termed an aduancer in the ende he did sacrifice and committed whor dome with the deuell then was he defiled Psal 102. Psal 50. Psal 51. Math. 26. Psal 50. Luc. 16. Psal 80. Luc. 15. Psal 30. Lucius b. of Rome Stephan b. of Rome The error of Cyprian * Cap. 5. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto StephaÌ„ b. of Rome Xystus b. of Rome Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto Xystus b. of Rome Cap. 6. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto Xystus b. of Rome Cap. 7. in 〈◊〉 Greeke Dionysius of AlexaÌ„dri epist 3. of baptisme vnto Philemoâ— a minister 〈◊〉 Rome 1. Pet. 4. Heraclas b. of AlexaÌ„dria called a pope ergo it was not the peculier title of the bishop of Rome * The canon of Heraclas Deut. 19. Prouerb 22. * Cap. 8. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto Dionysiê° a minister of Rome but afterwards b. epist 4. of Baptisme Cap. 9. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria epist 5. vnto Xystus b. of Rome Cap. 10. in the Greeke Valerianus created Emperour together with Galienus his sonne Anno Dom. 256. Vnder him was raysed the eyghth persecution agaynst the churche of God * Dionysiê° b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto Hermammon Apoâ— 13. Satan Macrinus signifieth one standinge a farre of Esay 66. Exod. 20. * Cap. 11. in the Greeke Tob. 12. Dionysius b. of Alexandria agaynst Germanus epist ad Hermamon Act. 5. Dionysius with his company is banished into a certayne deserte called Cephro What Dionysius suffered for the fayth Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria vnto Domitius Didymus Esay 49. 2. Corinth 6. Of Eusebius b. of Laodicea â—eade the last cap. of this 7. booke Maximus Faustus Cap. 12. aâ—tâ— the greeke Priscus Malchus Alexander tome in peeces of wilde beastes A woman torne in peeces of wilde beastes Cap. 13. in the Greeke Aâ—â—â— Domâ— 262. Galienus the Emperour in the behalfe of the Christians Cap. 14 â–ª in the Greeke Xystus Demetrianus Firmilianus Gregorius Nazianzenê° â–ª Athenodorê° Domnus Theoâ—ecnuâ— Hymenaeus Cap. 15. in the greeke Marinus was beheaded A notable perswasion vnto martyrdome Cap. 16. after the greeke Astyrius a senator of RoÌ„e a fauorer of the Christians Cap. 17. after the Greeke The deuill is put to flight by fasting prayer Cap. 18. in the Greeke Luk. 8. Matth. 9. Monuments of memory not for superstition To erect an image is a heathenish custome Cap. 19. after the Greeke The seae of Ierusalem long preserued and continewed Cap. 20. in the Greeke Cap. 21. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of Alexandria vnto Hierax b. of Aegypt Cap. 22. in the Greeke Dionysius b. of Alexandria epist vnto the brethren in Aegypt Exod. 12. Plague Warres Famine Misery maketh the wicked to despayre but tryeth the godly as the gold in the fornace The Christians in the plague time loued not only their brethren but also their enemies The heathenish inhumanitie Cap. 23. in the greeke Dionysius Alex. vnto HermammoÌ„ Galienê° was Emperour together with his father Valerianus but after his father was takeÌ„ captiue of the Persians he ruled alone Esay 43. Apocal. 21. * Anno Domini 266. Nepos a Chi liast Chiliastae of the Grecians millenarij of the latines were so called because that like here tikes they dreamed that Christ should personally raygne as kiÌ„g here onearth a thousande yeares * Cap. 24. in the greeke Dionysius b. of AlexaÌ„dria lib. 2. of the promises of God * Here busye bodies stiÌ„ging waspes may learne a lessoÌ„ which reprehende euery thinge like of nothing Where the error of the Chiliasts first sprang Dionysius disputed with the Chiliasts CoracioÌ„ the Chiliast was consuted and coÌ„uerted by Dionysius Cap. 25. after the greeke Dionysius b. of Alexandria in his 2. booke of the promises of God Some of olde thought the reuelation to haue bene written by Cerinthus The