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
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
Alexandria departed this life in his tyme he woulde geue him the nominatinge of the nexte incumbent to succeede him in the Byshoprick Zacharie reporteth that the Emperour charged him he wente about to procure it vnto him selfe but to cleare him selfe of this suspicion he sware and protested with solemne othes he woulde neuer be Byshop if it were offered him and so gotte him home Wherefore the Emperour decreed that after the death of Timothee he should be Byshop whome both clergy and laytye would electe Shortely after Timothee died Iohn gaue a peece of money as Zacharie doth wryte neglected the othe he made vnto the Emperour and was chosen Bishop of Alexandria When this was knowen the Emperour banished him Alexandria wrote by some mens procuremente an Epistle vnto the people of Alexandria of vnitye and concorde and commaunded that Peter shoulde be restored vnto the Byshopricke condicionally if he subscribed vnto the Epistle and receaued into the communion suche as helde with Proterius CAP. XIII Howe Petrus Moggus Bishop of Alexandria receaued the Epistle of Zeno and was reconciled vnto the faction of Proterius PErgamius Liuetenant of Aegypt tooke vpon him the orderinge of this matter according vnto the minde of Acacius Bishop of Constantinople he arriued at Alexandria and there he was geuen to vnderstand that Iohn had fled away he conferred with Peter exhorted him to allowe of Zeno his Epistle wrytten vnto the people of Alexandria and to receaue into the Church such as dissented from him Whereupon Peter receaued the Epistle and subscribed vnto it promised moreouer to admit his aduersaries into the communiō After all this at a solemne meeting within Alexandria whē all the people embraced the Epistle of Zeno intitled of Concorde Peter also was reconciled vnto the faction of Proterius made a sermon vnto the people and read in the church the Epistle of Zeno which was an exhortation vnto peace and vnity CAP. XIIII The Epistle which Zeno wrote to reconcile the people of Alexandria ZEno Emperour Caesar Pius Victorious Triumphant chiefe Lord perpetual Augustus vnto the most reuerend bishops throughout Alexandria Aegypt Libya Pentapolis with the Priests Mōks laye people sendeth greeting In somuch we are certenly perswaded that the originall cōfirmation continewāce strēgth inuincible fortres of our Emperiall scepter is only vpheld by the sincere true faith the which three hūdred eighteene holy fathers deliuered vnto vs by the inspiratiō of the holy Ghost in the councell of Nice was also confirmed of a hundred fifty godly Bishops in the councel held at Cōstantinople we haue labored day and nighte not onely by prayer but with all endeuer and vvyth publishinge of lawes amply and aboundantly to sill vvith it the holy Catholick and Apostolick Church of God scattered far vvide ouer the face of the earth being the immortall and sempiternall parent of this our raygne and principalitye that the deuoute people of God continewinge the diuine peace and quietnes may poure vnto God the acceptable sacrifice of prayer together with the most holy Bishops sacred clergy with the gouernours of Monasteries Monkes them selues for the preseruatiō of our prosperous raygne For in case that almighty God and our Sauiour Iesus Christ who tooke flesh of the virgine Mary the mother of God was borne into the worlde would allowe of the general praises worship we geue vnto him receaue the same with willīg minde redines then no doubt not onely all sorts of enemies woulde vtterly be foyled but also all other nations vnder heauen would be brought subiect vnto our Empire willingly serue vs next immediatly after God then also peace the profit annexed therunto seasonable tēperature of the aer plenty of all sorts of fruite with all other things required for the vse of mā would abūdantly be ministred Nowe therfore seing it appeareth vnto all men howe both we our selues the Empire of Rome is preserued vnder the wing of the true faith the holy gouernours of the monasteries heremits with other religious mē exhibited vnto vs supplicatiōs exhortīg vs very earnestly that the most holy churches may enioy peace that the mēbers may be coupled together whiche the deuel enemy to honesty hath labored of a lōg time to part asunder for he is fully perswaded that if the body of the church being ioyntly knit together in the bond of vnity encountred with him he would quickly be ouerthrowē by reason the mēbers were seuered it came to passe that infinit multituds of mē now many hundred yeres ago departed this world some without baptisme some other without the cōmunion being void of charity the dynt of death is ineuitable it caused moreouer infinit slaughters bloodshed not only the earth but the aer also was infected with streames of blood is huinge out of the tender bowells of men And who is he I pray you that wisheth not for reformatō redresse of these things wherfore we haue done our indeuor for to certifie you that not onely we our selues but all the churches euery where haue not had in times past neither present will not haue herafter neither knowe any other that haue any other faith or doctrine then the creede spoken of before deliuered by three hūdred eighteen Byshops confirmed afterwardes by a hundred fifty fathers But if any man haue any other creede we take him not to be of the church For we beleue that through this faith only it cometh to passe that our Empire doth florish that the people by embracīg of the same are inspired with the holy Ghost washed in the sacred fountaine of baptisme it was this faith that the holy fathers in the councell of Ephesus subscribed vnto which deposed wicked Nestorius of the Ecclesiasticall ministery as many as fauored his hereticall opinion whome we also doe accurse together with Eutyches for both of them impugned the aforesayde faith and approue the twelue pointes of the faith layde downe by Cyrill of worthy memorye late Archbishop of the Catholicke church of Alexandria For we confesse that the onely begotten sonne of God our Lord Iesus Christ is truely incarnate of one substance with the father accordinge vnto his diuinity of one substance with vs accordinge vnto his humanity that he came downe from heauen that by the holy Ghoste he tooke fleshe of the virgine Mary the mother of God that he is one and not two For we say that the miracles he wrought the vexations he endured in the flesh belonged vnto one person we doe condemne for euer such as deuide or confound his natures or say that he had a phantasticall body For he was truely incarnate of the mother of God without spott or blemish of sinne The Trinity remayneth neuerthelesse though one person of the Trinity to wit God the worde be incarnate VVherfore seing we learne of surety that all the holy and Catholicke Churches euery where that all the godly Presidentes
this also howe certaine trauelers in whose company Symeon was lefte behinde them a childe about midnighte a Lion came and tooke vp the childe on his backe and brought him to Symeons Monastery Symeon bad the seruaunts go forth and take in the childe which the Lion had caried thither He did many other notable actes which haue neede of an eloquente tongue leasure conuenient and a peculiar volume all which are well knowen and rife in euery mans mouth There resorted vnto him of all nations not only Romains but also Barbarians and obtayned there sutes This Symeon in steede of meate and drinke fedde vpon certaine bowes of shrubbes that grewe in the mountaine harde by him CAP. XXIII The death of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch SHortly after Gregorie Bishop of Antioch being sore pained with the gowte tooke a certaine medicen made of Hermodactylus for so was it called the which a certaine phisicion ministred vnto him and after the drinkinge thereof died immediatlye He departed this worlde when Gregorie the successor of Pelagius was Bishop of Olde Rome Iohn of Constantinople Eulogius of Alexandria Anastasius of Theopolis who after twenty and three yeares was restored vnto his Bishopricke and also when Iohn was Bishop of Ierusalem which died shortely after and as yet there is none chosen in his rowme Here doe I minde to cut of and make an end of wryting to wit the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Mauricius Tiberius Emperour of Rome leauing such things as followe after for them that are disposed to penne them for the posterity in time to come If I haue omitted ought through negligence or lightly runne ouer any matter let no man blame me therefore remēbringe with him selfe that I gathered and collected together a scattered and dispersed historie to the end I might profitt the reader for whose sake I tooke in hande so greate and so werysome a labour I haue finished an other worke comprisinge relations Epistles decrees orations disputations with sundry other matters The relations therein contayned are for the most parte in the person of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch For the which I was preferred vnto two honorable offices Tiberius Constantinus made me Quaestor Mauricius Tiberius preferred me to be maister of the Rolles where the Liuetenants and Magistrats were registred The relations I compiled duringe his raygne at what tyme he broughte Theodosius to lighte who was bothe vnto him and to the common weale a preamble or entrance to all kinde of felicity The ende of the sixt booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Euagrius Scholasticus THE LIVES THE ENDS AND THE MARTYRDOMES OF THE PROPHETES APOSTLES AND SEVENTYE DISCIPLES OF OVR SAVIOVR WRITTEN IN GREEKE by Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus aboue a thousand yeares agoe and nowe translated by M. H. Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers 1577. THE LIFE OF DOROTHEVS GATHERED by the Translator DOrotheus vvas a rare and singular man vvell seene in the Latine Greeke and Hebrevv tongues He flourished in the time of Diocletian Constantinus Magnus Constātius Iulian the Apostata Eusebius Pamphilus one that knevve him very vvell heard his gift of vtterance vvryteth thus of him Dorotheus minister of the Church of Antioch vvas a very eloquent and singular man He applied holye Scripture diligentlye he studied the Hebrevve tongue so that he reade vvith great skill the holy Scriptures in Hebrevve This man came of a noble race He vvas expert in the chiefe discipline of the Grecians by nature an Eunuche so disposed from his natiuitye For vvhich cause the Emperour for rarenesse thereof appropriated him placing and preferringe him to be magistrate in the citie of Tyrus and to ouersee the dieing of purple VVe heard him our selues expounding holy Scripture vvith greate commendation in the Church of God So farre Eusebius Antonius Demochares saith of him that he vvas exiled in the persecution vnder Diocletian and that he returned from banishment after the death of Diocletian and Licinius and recouered his Bishopricke againe vvhere he continevved vnto the raygne of Iulian about the yeare of our Lord 365. And because Iulian persecuted not the Christians openly him selfe but secretly by his gouernours and Magistrates Dorotheus vvas faine againe to flie vnto the city of Odissus vvhere as Petrus de Natalibus vvriteth the officers of Iulian apprehended him and tormented him to death for his testimony of Christ Iesus There he died and vvas crovvned Martyr being a hundred and seuen yere old An. Dom. 366. Of his vvorkes there is none extant saue this treatise contayning the liues and endes of the Prophetes Apostles and seuenty Disciples of our sauiour mentioned in the Gospell after Luke the vvhich he entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by translation a compendium or briefe tract THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE READER TOVTCHING DOROTHEVS AND THE LIVES HE WROTE OF BY this short treatise of DOROTHEVS Christian reader we may take occasion to beholde the prouidence of God ouer his Churche scattered farre and nigh ouer the face of the earth and to praise him therefore in so much that of his great care and entire loue the inheritors of the kingdome of heauen his chosen people the Sainctes of God whose names were written in the booke of life were neuer left desolate without guides and teachers Adam in Paradise hearde the voyce of God himself there followed him such as called vpō the name of God erected diuine worship and taught their posteritie the same namely Abel Seth Enos Cainan Malalael Iared Enoch Mathusalem Lamech and Noe whome Peter calleth the eight person after Seth the sonne of Adam and a preacher of righteousnes When as the olde worlde and the first age numbred from Adam to Noe I meane as many as liued in his time were drowned for the sinnes iniquities of the whole world yet saued he eight persons to reueale his will vnto all nations to vphold his Church to multiply and to encrease the world In the secōd age of the world after Noe there liued Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Phaleg Reu Saruch Nachor Thare Abraham vnto whom God rekoned faith as S. Paule saith for righteousnes In the third age of the world after Abraham liued Isaac Iacob otherwise called Israel with the twelue patriarchs Ruben Simeon Leui Iuda Zabulon Issachar Dan Gad Aser Nepthali Ioseph Beniamin Threescore and fiue yeares after the death of Ioseph Moses was borne He gouerned Israel he guided the people God gaue him three signes from heauen to confirme his doctrine to assure him of his vocation ▪ he receaued the ten cōmaundements the law of God in moūt Sina deliuered it vnto the people him succeeded Iosue after Iosue captains Iudges namely Othoniel Aod Debora Barach Gedeon Abimelech Thola Iair Iepthe Abesan AElon Abdon Samson Heli the priest Samuel the prophet iudged Israel After these came in the kings good bad Saule Dauid c. In the fourth age of the
one hundred yeares all the progeny of Herode vvas rooted out The fift order is of high priests neither haue I omitted them seeing both the Euangelistes and the Historiographers mentioned such as vvere in the time of Christ They ende likewise with the kings of Iudaea and the destruction of Ierusalem I remember Iosephus wryteth that froÌ„ Aaron which was the first highpriest vnto the last at the ouerthrowe burning of the temple vnder Titus there were highpriests to the number of fourescore and three The sixt diuisionis of councells sometimes of the wicked as of the Pharises and heretickes some other times of the godly as of the Apostles and Apostolickmen where it appeareth manifestly vnto the wholl world that the bishop of Rome had as litle to doe therein as other bishops for Emperours princes somtimes the bishops of some prouince or other within theÌ„selues haue summoned couÌ„cells called bishops together decided such matters as were called into controuersie without the aduise of the bishop of Rome For saith Socrates the chiefest councels were summoned are vnto this day called together by the commaundement consent of the Emperours Besides all the aforesaide I haue laid downe the succession of bishops in the foure most famous churches as IerusaleÌ„ Antioch Rome AlexaÌ„dria Though other writers addict them selues wholly vnto the Catalogue of the churche of Rome omitting no not one Ioan the she Pope onely excepted Some will maruell why I preferre Ierusalem and Antioch before the seae of Rome the reason is because those churches had their bishops before the church of Rome Clemens AlexaÌ„drinus wryteth that Iames called the brother of Christ was immediately after the assumption of our Sauiour chosen bishop of Ierusalem by Peter Iames and Iohn the Apostles Againe as Luke reporteth the Antiochians were first called christians Paul Barnabas preached there one wholl yeare and if fame fayle vs not of the trueth Peter the Apostle was bishop there seuen yeares and spente seuen other about Ierusalem the Easterne contreyes afore his comminge to Rome He came to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius the Emperour Anno Dom. 44 a great while after the seae of Ierusalem and the bishoprik of Antioch were setled Let no man muze why I lay downethese fouresâ—aes otherwise then all Chronographies in what language so euer vnto this day extant haue done I doe it not of any singularitie for these auncient Historiographers Eusebius Socrates and Euagrius haue followed the same order though other Chronologers and Chronographers haue not imitated them Last of all I haue placed the hereticks by themselues so that the reader may easily see wheÌ„ they liued who they were what they haue taught by whome they were condeÌ„ned the end of most of them as farre forth as the lines might be contriued within the colume the long tediousnes auoyded Nowe drawing towards the birth of Christ where the Chronographye beginneth I thinke best by way preface not as my principall drifte briefly to runne ouer the yeares of the world that thereby we may the sooner learne when our Sauiour Christ Iesus appeared in the flesh and first we haue to beginne from Adam The yeare of the world Adam was the first man made of the mould of the earth being a hundred thirty yeare old he begate Seth he liued in all nyne hundred and thirty yeares Genes 5. he was aliue vntill the fiftyeth and six yeare of Lamech the father of Noe and departed this life 126. yeare before Noe was borne The first age of the worlde from Adam to Noe. 130. Seth was a hundred and fiue yeare old when he begate Enos he liued in all nyne hundred and twelfe yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde on thousand forty and two after the death of Adam one hundred and twelfe yeares before Noe vvas borne 14. yeares 235. Enos was fourescore and tenne yeare olde when he begate Cainan he liued in all nine hundred and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde one thousande one hundred and fortieth yeare he liued together with Noe fourescore foure yeares 325. Cainan liued threescore and tenne yeares and begat Malalael he liued in all nine hundred and tenne yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1235. 395. Malalael liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Iared he liued in all eight hundred ninety and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life 366. yeares before the deluge after Noe was borne 234. yeares 460. Iared liued a hundred threescore and two yeares begat Enoch he liued in all nine hundred threescore and two yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1422. he liued with Noe three hundred threescore and six yeares 622. Enoch liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Mathusalem he liued in all three hundred threescore and fiue yeares was translated Genes 5. he was taken vp into heauen seuen fifty yeares after the death of Adam 687. Mathusalem liued a hundred fourescore seuen yeares and begat Lamech he liued in all nyne hundred sixty nyne yeares and died in the yeare of the deluge Genes 5. 874. Lamech liued a hundred fourescore and two yeares and begatt Noe he liued in all 777. yeares died fiue yeares before the deluge Genes 5. 1056. 1556. Noe was borne in the yeare of the worlde one thousand fifty and six in the 182. yeare of his father Lamech after the death of Adam 126. after the death of Seth 14. yeares being fiue hundred yeare old he begat Sem and liued in all nine hundred and fifty yeares Genes 9. he liued with Enos 84. yeares with Cainan 179. with Iared 366. with Mathusalem 600. with Lamech 595. with Sem his sonne 448. 1656. Anno mundi 1656. The deluge drowned the whole worlde in the six hundred yeare of Noe. Genes 7 8. It was in the yeare of the worlde one thousande six hundred fifty and six for so doth Augustine write de ciuitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 20. finding fault with the error of the Septuagints whome Eusebius in his Chronicon Beda haue followed for they numbred 2262. yeares which can not be Againe Augustine de ciuitat Dei lib. 15. cap. 12. 14. misliketh very much with such as doubted whether the yeares of olde were as long as we finde them of late he proueth that there were so many houres in the day so many dayes in the weeke so many weekes in the moneth so many moneths in the yeare alike from the beginning of the worlde 1658. Sem being an hundred yeare olde begat Arphaxad the seconde yeare after the flood he liued in all six hundred yeares Genes 11. he was borne nynety and nyne yeares before the deluge he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 2158. The second age of the world froÌ„ Noe to Abraham  Arphaxad being borne
the East enquiring where the King of the levves should be borne that they had seene his starre and therefore had taken so great a iorneye in hande to the ende they might worshippe God which was borne was not a litle moued supposing his principality to be in perill and his rule to goe to wracke and ruine â–ª for he inquiring of the Doctors of the Lawe among the levves where they looked that Christ should be borne had no sooner perceaued the prophecy of Micheas foretelling the byrth of Christ to be in Bethleem but with one edicte he commaundes the sucking babes in Bethleem and in all the borders thereof as many as were two yeare olde and vnder according vnto the tyme that he had exactly enquired and knowen of the wise men to be slayne supposing certaynly thereby as it was very likely to destroy Iesus in the same perill with his equals of the same age â–ª but the babe Iesu preuented this deceatefull pretence of his being conueyed into Aegypt his parents also being forewarned by the appearing of an Angell of that which should come to passeâ— his the holy Gospell doth declare Moreouer I thinke it not amisse to let the worlde vnderstande howe that the deâ—ine vltion without any delaye at all apprehended the bolde enterprises of Herode agaynst Christ and his equalls while breath was yet in his body shewing as it were by certayne preambles what was like to be fall him after his death And how he stayned his princely affayres which in his owne censure seemed prosperous by his interchangeable domesticall calamities that is by the truell slaughter of his wife of his children of his nearest kinsfolkes of his most familiar friendes so that it is impossible presently to repeate the whole The matter it selfe so shamefull that it ouershadowed euery tragicall action The which Iosephus hath prosecuted at large in his historyes howe that for his conspiracy and crafty counsaile which he entended agaynst Christ and the other infantes an heuye scourge from aboue apprehended him bexing him to the death it will seeme pertinent to the purpose presently to heare the wordes of the historiographer him selfe describing in the 17. booke of the Antiquities of the Ievves the lamentable ende of his life in these wordes Herods desease vexed him more more God executing iustice on him for the thinges vvhich he had impiously committed It vvas a slovve or slacke fire yet yelding not so great inflamation outvvardly to the beholders as vexation invvardly to the internal partes he had a vehement desire greedely set to take some thing yet vvas there nothing that sufficed him moreouer invvarde rotting of the bovvels and specially a greuous fluxe in the fundament a ravve and a running â—leume about his feete and the like malady vexed him about his bladder his priuey meÌ„bres puâ—rified engendring vvormes vvhich svvarmed out a shrill stretched vvinde he had great payne in breathing and a grosse breathe hauing throughout al the partes of his body such a crampe as strength vvas not able to sustaine it vvas reported by them vvhich vvere inspired from aboue and to vvhome the gyft of Diuination vvas graunted that God enioined the Prince this punishment for his great impiety These thinges the aforesayd Iosephus in his commentaryes hath made manifest vnto vs and in the second parte of his historyes the like he noteth vnto vs writing thus From that time forth sickenesse inuaded his vvhole body and brought him subiect to diuerse passions it vvas a hott burning feuer an intollerable itche ouerrunning the outvvard partes of his body a continual payne in the fundament hydropical svvellings in the feete an inflamation of the bladder putrefaction of the priuities vvhich ingendred svvarmes ofâ—ice besides this often and difficult dravving of breath vvith the crampe contracting the synevves throughout all the membres of his body so that the vvise men reported these deseases to be nothing else but sure and certayne plagues or punishments he although strugling vvith so many sores yet for all that vvholy set to saue his life hoped for health imagined after remedies Passing ouer Iordane he vsed for helpe the hoâ—â— bathes nye Calliroe vvhich runne vnto the 〈…〉 Asphaltitis vvhich also by reason of their svveetenesse are drinkeable The Phisitians there thought good that his vvhole body should be supled vvith v vhot oyle he being dimissed into a vessell full of vvhot oyle his eyes so dasled dissolued them selues that he came out as dead VVhen the seruantes by reason of these circumstances vvere sore troubled he remembred his plague and despaired thencefoorth of any recouerie at all commaunding vvithall fiftie peeces of siluer to be deuided among his souldiers but his chiefe captaines and most familiare friendes to receaue great sommes of money And taking his iourney thence he came to Hiericho al madde by reason of melancholy that abounded in him for he grevve to that passe that he threatned to him selfe death and vvent about to practise an horrible offence For gathering together the famous men in euery village throughout all levvrie he coÌ„maunded them to be shut vp into one place called Hippodromus calling vnto him vvithall his siâ— â—…lome and her husbande Alexander I knovve saith he the Ievves vvill merily celebrate as holy day the day of my death yet may I be lamented of others and so haue a glorious Epitaphe and funerall if that you vvill execute mine aduise Those men therefore vvhich are kept in close prison souldiers being circumspectly set on euery side see that you immediatly slaye as soone as breath departeth out of my body so that therby al Ievvric euery house vvill they nill they may revve and lament my death And agayne a litle after he sayth VVhen as through vvant of nourishment and griping coughe ioyned vvithall his sickenesse sore increased and novve being quite ouercome he coniectured that his fatal course vvas then to be finished For taking an apple in his hande he called for a knife for he vvas accustomed to pare and so to eate then beholding on euery side vvhether any vvas redy to hinder his enterprise lifted vp his right hande to do him selfe violence Besides these the same Historiographer writeth that a thirde sonne of his besides the couple before staine afore the ende of his life by his commaundement was put to death so that Herode left not this life without extreme paine Such was the tragicall ende of Herode suffering iust punishment for the babes destroyed in Bethleem practised purposely for our Sauiours sake After whose death an angel came to Ioseph in sleepe as he remayned in Aegypt and commaunded that he shoulde returne together with the chylde and his mother into Ievvrie in asmuch as they were dead whiche sought the childes lyfe â–ª vnto these the Euangelist addeth saying VVhen that he hearde that Archelaus raigned in Iudaea in his fathers steede he feared to go thither and being admonished in his sleepe from aboue he departed into
tyme also Paul raged agaynst the Church entring into the seuerall houses of the faythfull and giuing forth precepts that both men and women should be imprisoned And Phillip one of the ordayned Deacons with Stephen and of the dispersed came to Samaria and being plenteous as toutching the diuine power first of all preached vnto the inhabitantes there the word of God The grace of God so mightely preuayled with him that he drew vnto him by his preaching Simon Magus with many moe Simon at that tyme was so famous holding in awe them that were bewitched with his sorcery so that they supposed him to be the great power of God which then being amazed with the miracles wrought of Phillip by diuine power came and grewe so farre forwards to mens seeming that he dissembled euen vnto the baptisme y â— is through fayth in Christ Which at this day is wonderfull in them that hitherto walowing in that most detestable heresye treade the trace of their forefather encroatching vpon the Churche as a pestilent and â—â—ysome disease infecting them which can not throughly discerne the incurable intractable venyme lying hid within them but diuerse of them their implety being reuealed were throughly knowne and reiected of which number Simon himselfe being apprehended of Peter receaued the sentence of damnation due to his desert When that the preaching of the Gospel dayly proceeded with encrease it came to passe by reason of some domestâ—â—â—â— affayres that there came from the lande of the Aethiopians the theef gouernour of the qeene which after the custome of their contrey held the kingdome for as yet the people of that contrey haue to their Prince a Queene This same being the first of the Gentiles obtayned of Phillip the holy mysâ—eeyes by the inspiration of the heauenly worde was made the first fruites of the faithfull throughout the worlde and as it is reported after his returne vnto his natiue soyle he preached the knowledge of the vniuersall God geuing life vnto men and the comming of our Sauiour So that in his doing the prophecy was fulfilled which sayth Aethiopia shall stretch hir hand before vnto God About this tyme Paule the chosen vessel is declared an Apostle not of men nether by men but by reuelation of Iesus Christ and God the father which raysed him from the dead and is vouchsafed worthy of this vocation by a vision and a voyce reuealed from heauen CAP. II. The report of Pilate the censure of Tiberius the Emperour and the Romayne Senate concerning Christ. WHen as the wonderfull resurrection of our Sauiour and his assumption into the heauens was now made manifest vnto many and the auncient maner among the heathen Princes had so preuayled that if any nouelty by any were enterprised the same forth with should be signified vnto him that helde the Princely scepter lest that he should be ignorant of any thing which was done it came to passe that Pilate made Tiberius the Emperour priuy of those thinges which concerned the resurrection of our Sauiour Iesu were published throughout Palaestina adding thereunto his maruelous workes whereof he was credibly enformed and how that now after his resurrection he was of many taken for a God The report goeth that Tiberius made relation thereof vnto the Senate which reiected his saying for no other cause but for that they had not first approued the same the auncient custome oâ—â—â—rued that none should be accounted of the Romaynes among the number of Gods vnlesse he were canonized by the sentence and decree of the Senate which no doubt was done for this ende that the holesome doctrine of the diuine preaching should not neede the approbation and commendation of man Though this petition toutching our Sauiour were reiected of the Romayne Senate after it was made vnto theÌ„ yet Tiberius reseruing vnto him selfe his former opinion conceaued no absurdity preiudiciall vnto the doctrine of Christ. These things Tertullian a man well experienced in the Romane lawes and besides famous among them which flourished at Rome in his Apologye which he wrote for the Christians in the Romane tongue and by translation writeth thus and that vve may reason toutching the originall of these lavves it vvas an auncient decree that no God should be consecrated by the King vnlesse it vvere first agreed vpon by the Senate The like did Marcus Aemilius practise concerning a certayne Idole of Aâ—burnus and this is seene for our sake that the deytye is deliuered amongst you by mans decree Vnlesse that God please man he is not made God So that by this decree it is expedient for man that he be fauorable vnto God Tibarius then vnder vvhome the Christian name vvas spred abroad in the vvorld vvhen this doctrine vvas signified vnto him out of Palaestina vvhere it first sprang communicated the same vnto the Senate declaring vvithall that this doctrine pleased him right vvell The Senate reiected it because they had not allovved the same But he perseuered in his opinion threatning theÌ„ death that vvoulde accuse the Christians This was the wisedome of the diuine prouidence lightning his mind that the preaching of the Gospel shoulde passe at the beginning throughout the world without let or hinderance CAP. III. How that in short space the Gospell was published throughout the worlde BY the diuine power and helping hand of God the holsome doctrine sodaynely as it were sonne beames shined throughout the worlde and forthwith according vnto the sacred Scripture the sound of the holy Euangelists and Apostles passed throughout the whole earth and their vvordes vnto the endes of the vvorlde So that throughout all cities and villages after the maner of barne floores replenished forthwith very many the same very populous churches were established and they which by auncient succession were blinded through old errour and the rooted disease of superstitious Idolatry through the power of Christ by the doctrine of his disciples together with the wonderfull workes wrought by them were at libertye from their cruell Lordes and loosed out of their lothsome fetters wholy abandoning the Idolatricall worship of many Gods confessing the one and the alone God the worker of all thinges and worshipping him with the rites of true piety through diuine and pure religion graâ—â—ed in the heart of man by our Sauiour himselfe But the diuine goodnesse and grace of God spred it selfe abroade among other nations and first of all Cornelius of Caesarea in Palaestina with all his housholde by a diuine vision and the ministery of Peter embraced the fayth of Christ and many Graecians of Antioche hearde the preachinge of those which dispersed them selues at the stoning of Stephen when as at this tyme the Churche of Antioche flourished and multiplied exceedingly and many Prophets of Ierusalem among whome were Paul and Barnabas frequented thither and besides them an other multitude of brethren so that the christian name there sprange first as of a freshe and fertill soyle
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
variance so that the dearest friendes stroue among them selues one seely soule depriuing an other of his dayly sustenance and prouision And lest the dying should be thought to vvant the theeues searched them that vvere ready to dye leste peraduenture any had hydd meate in his bosome therfore fained him selfe to dye they vvhich greedely gaped by reason of their vvant vvandred and trotted like madd dogges falling vpon dores like madd men rushinge into the same houses tvvyse and thryse in an houre as men berefte of their vvittes Necessitye made all meate that came to the teethe supplying to be eaten those thinges vvhiche vvere not commodious no not for the fylthyest brute beastes At lengthe they abstayned not from gyrdles and shoes they eate the leathren skynnes that couered their targetts Many eate chopt haye or mynced grasse that vvas vvithered other some gathered svvept and scraped dust dounge selling the least measure thereof for foure pence But vvhat should I rehearse hovve that famyne spareth not thinges that haue no life vnlesse vvith all I declare this vvorke of her vvhose like vvas neuer reported to haue bene done amonge the Gentyles nor Barbarians horrible to be spoken of but true to the hearer I of myne ovvne parte vvoulde gladly passe this calamitie vvith silence leste that I seemed to laye forthe monstrous lyes vnto the vvorlde Vnlesse I had infinite vvitnesses in this behalfe for othervvise I should recompence my contrye vvith colde thanke if I restrayned the rehearfall of such thinges as they smarted for * A certayne vvoman vvhich dvvelled beyond Iordane called Maria the daughter of Eleazar of the village Bathezor vvhich signifieth Hyssope of good kindred and great vvealth sled vvith the rest of the multitude vnto Ierusalem and there vvas besieged the rest of her substance vvhich she had procured vnto her out of the region beyonde lordane and caused to be caryed into the city the tyrantes of the contrye tooke avvay the reliques that vvere left and the prouision for foode the catchpoles rushing in dayly snatched avvay A certayn grieuous indignation inuaded this seely vvoman so that often tymes she prouoked against her selfe by rayling and scolding the cruell rauenners VVhen as none either moued vvith pity or prouoked vvith anger slevve her she labored about seeking vittailes and could no longer finde any and famine had entred into her bovvels and inner partes furious motions more then famine inflamed her mind so that she being ledd vvith the heat of anger pinching or pining necessity offred violence vnto nature for taking her sonne in her armes vvhich vvas a suckling she sayd O vvretched infant for vvhom shall I reserue thee in these vvarres in this famyne in this seditious conspiracy Among the Romaynes if so be that vve shall liue vnder them there shall be bondage this bondage hath famyne for gone these seditious persons do afflict vs more grieuously then both Passe on be thou meate vnto me a fury vnto these seditious men a fable vnto the vvorlde vvhiche yet alone hast not felt the Ievvish calamities And immediatly vvith these vvordes she slevve her childe and boyled him being boyled she eate halfe the rest she saued and hidd secretly Anone these of the conspiracy come in stamping staring threatning present death vnto her vnlesse vvith speade she bring forth vvhat meate she had prepared she aunsvvered that she reserued the better portion for them bringing forth and shevving vvith all the reliques of her litle childe A sodaine horror and traunce of trembling minde tooke them that they vvere astonied at the sight thereof But she sayd this is my naturall sonne and this is the vvorke of myne ovvne handes Eate for I haue eaten be not you more tender then a vvoman or proner to compassion then a mother If you are so godly and mislike this my sacrifice I truely haue eaten in your name and that vvhiche remayneth I reserue for my selfe vvhiche vvhen she had sayde they all trembled at this one horrible fact and scarse leauing this meate for the mother they departed vvith greate feare In a vvhile after this haynous offence vvas bruted ouer the vvhole citye so that euery man behoulding before his eyes this affliction vvas no lesse moued then if the fact had bene committed agaynst him selfe But they that vvere pressed vvith famyne desired death earnestly and happy vvere they accompted vvhome death so preuented that they neyther hearde nor savve the greate misery that happened such were the rewardes of iniquity and impiety committed by the Ievves agaynst Christ and God It shal be thought well if we adde the true prophecy of our Sauiour declaring these thinges after this maner to haue come to passe CAP. VII The prophecyes of Christ toutching the destruction of Ierusalem WOE be to them vvhich are vvith childe and geue sucke in those dayes sayth Christ but praye that your slight be neyther in vvinter nor on the Saboth daye for then shall be greate tribulation suche as vvas not from the beginning of the vvorlde vnto this tyme neyther shall be When the Historiographer had collected the number of them that perished by sword and famine he reporteth that it mounted to * a hundred ten myllions besides the seditious and theeuish reuenners betrayed on by an other and slayne after the winning of the city and yonge men of highe stature and comlynes of bodye that were reserued for their exercise in triumphe of the rest of the multitude as many as passed seuentene yeare olde they were sent bounde to druggerye in Aegypt many were sent into the prouinces that being layde on theatres subiect to the sworde and crueltye of beastes so they might perishe â–ª suche as were vnder seuentene yeare olde were brought vnto captiuitie and soulde the number of these he reporteth to haue mounted to nyne Myriades or millions these thinges happened after this manner in the seconde yeare of the raygne of Vespasian truly according vnto the foreshewed prophecye of our Lorde and Sauiour Iesus Christ which by his diuine power as if they had bene then present he foresawe and with the shedding of teares as the holy Euangelistes testifie he be wayled whiche alleadge these his wordes then vttered to Ierusalem If thou hadest knovvne sayth he these thinges vvhiche belong vnto thy peace euen at this daye thou vvouldest take hede But novve are they hidde from thine eyes for the dayes shall come vpon thee that thine enemyes also shall cast a banke about thee and compasse thee rounde and keepe thee in vvith vexation on euery side and make thee euen vvith the grounde and thy children also Then sayth he of the people there shall be greate trouble in the lande and vvrath ouer all this people and they shall fall through the edge of the svvorde and shall be ledde avvay captiue vnto all nations and Ierusalem shall be troden dovvne of the Gentyles vntill the tyme of the Gentyles be fulfilled If any will conferre the wordes of
their saynges and vvhat he hearde out of theyr mouthes toutching the Lord of his povver and doctrine recitinge preceptes and all thinges consonante to holy Scripture out of theyr mouthes I say vvho themselues had seene vvith their eyes the vvorde of life in the flesh these thinges at that time through the mercy of God vvhich vvrought in me I diligently marked and paynted it not in papyr but printed it in my harte vvhich continually throughe the grace of God I ponder and meditate And I am able to testifie before God that if that holy and Apostolicke elder had hearde any such thinge he vvoulde haue straight reclaimed and stopped his eares and after his maner pronounced good God into vvvhat times hast thou reserued me that I shoulde suffer such thinges yea and vvoulde haue straight shunned the place vvhere he sitting or standing had hearde such speaches to bee shorte this may be reported for true out of the epistles vvhich he vvrote to the confirmation of the borderinge Churches or out of the Epistles vvhich he vvrote to certaine brethrē for admonition and exhortation sake thus farre Irenaeus CAP. XIX The Church enioyeth peace vnder Commodus the Martyrdome of Apollonius a Christian Philosopher THe same yeare vnder Comodus the Emperoure the rage of the Gentiles was mitigated towardes vs so that peace was graunted through the grace of God vnto the vniuersall Churche through out the worlde When as the heauenly doctrine leade the mindes of all mortall men to the embracinge of the true Religion of the onely and vniuersall God so that many of the nobles of Rome brewe neare to their soules health and saluation together with their whole houses and families It was a thinge altogether intollerable for the deuell whose nature is altogether enuious and spitefull therefore he taketh vs in hande againe and inuenteth diuerse snares to entrape vs in he procureth at Rome Apollonius a man amonge the faythfull of that time for learninge and philosophie very famous to be brought forth before the tribunall seate raising his accuser among them that were fitt ministers for so malicious a purpose But the vnhappie man came out of season to receaue the sentence of iudgement because it was decreed by the Emperoure that the accusers of the Christians shoulde dye the death Perennius the Iudge forthwyth gaue sentence agaynste him that his legges shoulde be broken Then the beloued Martyre when the iudge had earnestly and with many wordes entreated him to render an accompte of his fayth before the noble senate he exhibited in the presence of them all a notable Apollogie of his fayth in the whiche he suffred martyrdome Yet neuerthelesse by decree of the senate he was beheaded and so ended this life For the auncient decre was of force and preuayled amonge theym that the Christians whiche were once presented before the tribunall seate and not reuoked their opinions shoulde no more be sette at libertie Wherefore the wordes of Apollonius whiche he answered to Perenius standyng at the barre and his whole Apollogie offered to the senate who lysteth to knowe lette him reade our booke of Martyrs CAP. XX. Of the succession of Byshopes in the moste famous churches IN the tenthe yeare of the raygne of Comodus when Eleutherius had gouerned the bishopricke of Rome thertene yeares Victor succeded him at what tyme also Iulianus after he had continewed tenne yeares in the bishopes seae of Alexandria dyed and Demetrius came in place at what tyme likewise Serapion mentioned a little before was knowen to be the eyght Bishope of Antioche after the Apostles Then was Theophilus bishope of Caesarea in Palestina and Narcissus before remembred bishope of Ierusalem and Banchillus bishope of Corinthe in Hellada Polycrates bishope of Ephesus and an infinite number more as it is verye likelie besydes these excelled at that tyme. but we rehearse theim by name and that iustlye by whose meanes and writinges the catholicke fayth hath bene continewed vnto our tyme. CAP. XXI Of the controuersie about the kepinge of Easter daye AT the same time there rose no small contention because that all the churches throughoute Asia of an aunciente tradition thought good to obserue the highe feaste of Easter in the foreteenthe moone on whiche daye the Ievves were commaunded to offer their Pascall Lambe as muche to saye as vpon what daye soeuer in the weeke that moone fell the fastinge dayes finished and ended when as the other churches throughout the worlde accustomed not to celebrate Easter after this manner but obserued the Apostolicke tradition and custome as yet retayned to wete the fastinge dayes on no other daye to be broken vp afore the daye wherein our Sauiour rose from death to lyfe Wherefore synodes and meetinges of Byshopes were summoned where all with one accorde ordained an ecclestasticall decree whiche they published by their epistles vnto all churches That vpon no other then the sondaye the mysterie of our sauiours resurrection shoulde be celebrated And that one that daye and no other the fasting vsed before Easter shoulde haue an ende Theire epistle is at this daye extant who at that tyme for this cause assembled together in Palaestina whereof Theophilus bishope of Caesarea and Narcissus bishope of Ierusalem were chiefe At Rome likewise there was a synode gathered together for the same cause the whiche Victor their bishope published Agayne there was an other of bishopes at Pontus where Palmas as the moste auncient did gouerne An other of bishops throughout Fraunce whiche Irenaeus did ouersee to be shorte an other of the bishopes throughout Ostroëna and the cities therein contained and speciallye of Banchillus bishope of Corinth with many others al which with one and the same sentence and iudgement ordained the same decree and their vniforme assent was thus made manifest vnto the worlde CAP. XXII By the reporte of Polycrates the churches in Asia celebrated Easter the fouretenthe moone POlycrates moderated the bishops throughout Asia whiche affirmed that their aunciente custome deliuered them of olde was to be retayned This Polycrates in his epistle vnto the churche of Rome sheweth the custome of Asia obserued vnto his tyme in these wordes VVe celebrate the vnuiolated daye of Easter neither addinge anye thinge thereto neither takinge oughte therefro for notable pillers of Christian religion haue rested in Asia vvhiche shall rise at the laste daie vvhen the Lorde shall come from heauen vvith glorie and restore all the sainctes to ioye Philip one of the tvvelue Apostles novve lienge at Hierapolis his tvvo daughters vvho kept them selues virgins all the dayes of their liues the third also after the ende of hir holie conuersation rested at Ephesus Againe Iohn vvho laye on the Lordes breast being a Priest vvore the priestlie attire both a Martyr and a Doctor slept at Ephesus Moreouer Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna and a Martyr Thraseas an Eumenian both a Bishop a Martyr slept at Smyrna VVhat shal I speake of Sagaris
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
on the grounde to be lugged and trayled all a long to gâ—â—t them heat â–ª they had not one sparcle of compassion on vs but thought of duety they should thus be affected furiously rage agaynst vs as though vve had bene no liuing creatures vvherfore our aduersaries inuented this seconde payne and added it to the former punishments after stripes they vvere layd in the stockes and their feete streched foure spaces or holes asunder so that of necessitye they must lye on their backes hauing no feeling of their bodies by reason of the vvoundes vvhich the stripes printed in their members others being throvvne a long vpon the pauement lay poudred in the dust in extreame payne a more piteous and lamentable spectacle vnto the behoulders then the torment it self bearing in their bodies diuers vvoundes diuersly inuented The case lying thus some died in torment confounded the aduersaries vvith their pacience some halfe deade and shutt in pryson after a fevve dayes died of their payne the rest by carefull prouision vvere comforted and after certayne continevvance of imprisonment became more constant vvhen they had geuen them in choise either to toutch the detestable sacrifices and so be at ease enioy among them their cursed libertie or not to sacrifice chaung life for death vvith all speede voluntarily they embraced death â–ª for they vvere skilfull in those things vvhich concerned them in holy Scripture he that sacrificeth to straunge Godâ— sayth he shal be rooted out from among the people and thou shalt haue no other Gods but me such are the words of a true Philosopher and godly Martyr which he wrote from prison to his parishioners afore the iudge pronounced the sentence of condemnation vpon him rehearsing vnto them y t state he stoode in prouoking them to march forwards and to holde fast the profession of fayth in Christ after his death which then was at hande but to what ende doe I vse many wordes and alleadge the conflictes of the blessed Martyrs throughout the worlde inuented one after an other specially of them which were pursued to death not after the publique lawes but with deadly hatred CAP. XI How a whole citie in Phrygia with the inhabitants thereof was burnt to ashes and of Audactus the Martyr WHen the souldiers had besieged a whole citye in Phrygia inhabited of Christians and compassed in both men women and children which called vpon the name of the Lord they sett all a fire and burned them to ashes For with one consent all the inhabitants thereof the Lieuetenant the captayne the whole Senate the people euery one protested them selues to be Christians and coulde by no edicts be brought to adore Idols or carued images And an other also there was renowmed for Romayne dignitie whose name was Audactus by linage comming of a noble house in Italie and for all his vertues in great creditt with the Emperours so that he gouerned with great wisedome vprightnes the common wealth and weyghtiest matters of the empire but aboue all he was famous for religion and sayth in Christ so that in the administration and gouerning of the common wealth he endured torment and was crowned with martyrdome CAP. XII Of the regions and contreys where the Christians were martyred and the sanadgnesse of tyrannic all he at hen towards the faythfull TO what ende shall I by name recite the rest or rehearse the maltitude of men or describe the sundry torments of famous Martyrs whereof some were beheaded as it happened in Arabia some tormented with the breaking and bruysing of their legges as it happened in Cappadocia some hanged by the feete and their heades downe warde with slowe fire sett vnder smothered to death with choking smoke as it happened vnto the brethren in Mesopotamia some others had their nostrells slitt their eares bored their handes maymed their members and parts of their bodies drawne asunder and vnioynted as it happened at Alexandria to what ende shall I furbushe the memory of them which were burned at Antioche hott burning coales layde vnder not quickely to dispatch them but with lingering payne to torment them of others which chose rather to burne their handes then they woulde toutch their abominable sacrifices the experience whereof some going about to auoyde before they were apprehended and fallen into the handes of their aduersaries threw them selues downe headlong from the toppe of houses thought better so to preuent death then to sustayne the torments of their malicious enemies A certayne matron also renowmed for her vertue and integricie of life among all them of Antioch famous for her wealth and substance her noble lynage and estimation â–ª had brought vp two doughters that were virgins in the feare of God which passed all other in brightnesse of bewtye and youthly comlines These because they were greatly spited and enuied for all that they hidd them selues they were founde out and when that at length with much adoe they vnderstood of their being among forrayners they cyted them to appeare with speede at Antioch in their proper persons and besett the place of their abode with a bande of souldiers compassing them as it were with a nett This matron seeing her self and her doughters plunged in great periâ—â— by no meanes possibly to be auoyded pondered with her selfe the punishments ensuing and that which was most greeuous of all the abusing of their bodies she admonished in no wise to be suffred no not once to sincke into their eares and sayd further that if they committed their soules as bondslaues vnto Satan it were a thinge more intollerable then any death or destruction yet there remayned one remedie for all and that sayd she was to flye vnto the Lorde for refuge After deliberation with vniforme consent they layde downe what was to be done they apparelled them selues gorgeously and tooke their iourney towards Antioch In the middest of the way when their gard seuered them selues as about to serue nature they cast them selues vnto the floode that slyded thereby and drowned them selues These heathen Idolaters threwe into the seaâ— an other coople of Antiochian virgines renowmed for all vertues true sisters of noble linage of good life of tender yeares of goodly bewtie of honest mindes of godly conuersation of wonderfull disposition as though the earth could no longer beare them such were the tragedies at Antioch In Pontus they suffred horrible punishments to be heard of whose fingers of both hands were pricked vnder the tender nayles with sharpe quills others had hott buyling leade poured on their backes the most necessary members of their bodyes maymed others endured shamefull intollerable and such torments as may not be tould in their priuy members and in the secret bowels of their bodyes such as these noble and counted lawfull iudges excogitated for tokens of their sharp witt and deepe wisedome Dayly also they founde out newe torments contending one with an other who could excell in spitefull
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
as were present affirmed that he had sacrificed departed with silence one being halfe dead was borne away being throwen of them for dead the same was tormēted with bondes reckned among the sacrificers an other lifted his voyce protested that he had not yelded at all the same was beaten on the mouth constrayned to kepe silence by the force of many hands which stopped his breath violētly excluded him when he had not sacrificed at al. so it pleased them well if at least wise they might seeme to bring their purpose to effect but for all their mischieuous deuises the blessed martyrs of God only bare away y ◠victory againe y ◠seuēteenth day of y ◠moneth Dius after the Romaynes the fifteenth of the Calendes of December Alphaeus and Zachaeus after they had bene lashed with whipps mangled with rasors after racking and greuous tormentes therein after sundry questions demaunded of them after they had layen in y ◠stocks many dayes and many nights their feet stretched foure spaces asunder last of all whē they had freely confessed and boldely pronounced that there was but one onely God one kinge captaine ouer all Iesus Christ as if herein they had vttered blasphemy or treason they were in like maner beheaded euen as the martyr mētioned a litle before Moreouer the history toutching Romanus y ◠martyr who suffred the same day at Antioch is worthie of memory He was borne in Palaestina he was deacon and exorcist of the church of Caesarea as it fell out being in Antioch at the ruyne and desolation of y ◠churches beholding with his eyes great multituds both of men women and children flocking vnto the altars and offering sacrifices to the Idols supposed it was his duety in no wise to winck thereat wherefore he being moued with singular zeale of the spirit of God drewe nigh vnto them exclaimed against them and sharpely rebuked them Who for so bold an enterprise was apprehended shewed him selfe a valiāt witnes or testifier if then there was any such in the world of the trueth in Christ For when the iudge threatned him death with flashing fire that consumeth to ashes he of the contrary embraced his offer most willingly with cherefull countenance and gladsome courage and with all is brought vnto the place of execution Being bounde to the stake while the officers threwe fagotts about him and such as were appointed to kindle the fire wayted for the emperours watch worde pleasure who then was presente he shouted vnto them from the stake where I pray you is the fire The whiche he had no sooner spoken but the Emperour called him vnto him to the ende he shoulde suffer a newe and straūge kinde of torment to wete that his tongue might be plucked out of his mouth the which he constantly endured and thereby declared at large howe that the deuine power and grace of God neuer fayleth them which suffer for godlines sake but alwayes ether easeth their labours slaketh theyr griefs or els graunteth courage and might to endure paciently vnto the ende This blessed sainct as soone as he had vnderstoode of their newe deuised torment beinge valiantly disposed neuer staggered thereat but voluntarily put out his tongue yelded the same which was fully instructed in the word of God vnto the tormentors hands After which tormēt he was clapt in prison and there plagued alonge time at length when the twentieth yeare of the Emperours raygne was nowe expired at what time a generall pardon was proclaimed y t all prisoners should be sett at liberty he alone lying in the stockes and his feete stretched fiue spaces asunder had his necke compassed with a haulter and thus in prison stifled to death so that hereby according vnto his desire he was crowned with martyrdome This man although he suffred out of the bounds of his natiue soyle yet being a Palaestinian by birth is worthy to be canonized amōg the martyrs of Palaestina Such were the tragicall affayrs of the church in Palaestina the first yeare of the persecution which was chiefly bent against y ◠presidents of our doctrine byshops of y ◠church of God CAP. XXI Of the martyrs which suffred in Caesarea the seconde yeare of the persecution vnder Diocletian and of the alteration of the Empire THe second yeare nowe being come when the persecution raised against vs waxed hott the proclamations of the Emperours where it was generally cōmaunded that both mē women children throughout euery citie and village should be constrained to sacrifice offer incense to Idols were newly come to the hands of Vrbanus then lyuetenant of y ◠prouince Timotheus of Gaza in Palaestina after infinite torments the which he endured laste of all being boūd to the stake enuironed with slacke slowe fire gaue forth a worthy triall of his zeale godwards through pacient sufferance in all the bitter punishments laid vpon him and in the end bare away the garlande of victory vsually graunted to all y ◠valiant champions which wrastle for piety the seruice of God At y ◠same time Agapius Thecla also which liued in this our age she wed y ◠worthy constancy of their noble minds when as at y ◠cōmaundement of the iudge they were throwen at the feete of wild beasts to be ether deuoured or torne in peeces What man is he that ether beholdinge with his eyes the thinges which ensued will not fall into admiration or lendinge onely the bare eare vnto the recitall of them will not be astonied thereat For when as the Ethniks solemnized their publick feastes and celebrated their wonted spectacles amongst other their mery newes gladsome wishes it was commonly noyced abrode that the christians lately condemned to wild beasts made all the sport and finished the solemnity This report being farre and nigh and euery where bruted abrode yonge striplings to the number of six whereof one was of Pontus by name Timolaus the second of Tripolis a citie in Phaenicia called Dionysius the third by name Romulus subdeacon of the church of Diospolis the fourth Pausis the fift Alexander bothe Aegyptians the sixt Alexander of the same name with him that went before of the citie of Gaza ioyning handes and hartes together signifiyng thereby the feruent loue they owed to martyrdome went with speede vnto Vrbanus who a litle before had let loose the raueninge beastes to rent the christiās in peeces and frely protested the christian faith declaring by this their promptnes and willing minds as it were absolutely furnished to giue the onsett of what aduenture soeuer that suche as glory in the title worshipp and seruice of the great God creator of the whole world haue not to tremble at y ◠fierce rage of furious and sauadge beastes Wherevpon both the president and the people fell into great admiration and the confessors were forth with clapt in prison Not longe
our prosperous dayes Our desire is that such a plague be purged farre from amōgst you our request is welbeloued people of Alexādria that in your prayers where you craue after your wōted custome the aid asistance of the spirit of God you take Athanasius for chiefe or as I sayd before an helper to the end according vnto your happy prosperous successe the Hethenishe nations as yet snared with the erroneous seruice of Idols may hasten with most willinge mindes to embrace the profession of our most holy fayth VVe counsell you this also that you perseuere in the things we rehearsed before that you entertaine willingly your Bishop sent vnto you by the mighty power of God our louing pleasure that you count him worthy all curteous salutatiō For a of surety this is comely for you cōuenient for our highnes VVe haue also charged the iudges gouernours of those prouinces by our letters that they should weede all the tares of spite cōtention out of the minds of malicious persons punish seuerely seditious busy bodies wherfore seing that you vnderstād all these circūstances that our pleasure is agreable with the will of God that we haue care ouer you for the maintenance of concord vnity that we haue assigned punishmente for troublesome and seditious persons obserue diligently the things whiche are correspondent vnto the ordinances of the church the seruice of God embrace this Athanasius with all honor reuerēce poure out prayers vnto God the father who gouerneth all thinges both for your selues also for the concorde quietenes of the whole world An epistle for the abrogating of the things that were decreed against Athanasius There is extant also an epistle in the same forme vnto the gouernours of Augustomnica Thebais Libya and Licya Constantius the puysant noble Emperoure vnto Nestorius sendeth greeting If any thing be founde decreed and recorded heretofore to the preiudice hurte or damage of suche as comunicate with Athanasius the Bishop our will is that the same wholly be abrogated dissanulled Our pleasure is moreouer that his clergie shall enioy the like franchesse liberty as in times past we will haue this cōmaundement put in vre as that Athanasius the bishop is restored to his seae so all the clergie of his communion may recouer and possesse the like libertye with other ecclesiasticall persons and so beinge liue at hartes ease CAP. XIX Howe that Athanasius passinge by Ierusalem into Alexandria was receaued of Maximus into the communion howe he called there a Synode of Byshops and confirmed the decrees of the Nicene councell AThanasius the Bishop trustinge to these letters passed through Syria came to Palaestina He got him thence to Ierusalē opening vnto Maximus both y ◠coūcel of Sardice also y ◠Emperoure Constatius agreement consent therein he procured a synod of Bishops to be assēbled there For Maximus without all delay cited thither certaine Bishops out of Syria Palaestina The assembly being gathered together he gaue Athanasius y ◠cōmunion assigned vnto him his dignity The councel being dissolued wrote signified by their letters vnto the people of Alexādria vnto y ◠bishops of Aegypt Libya all their decrees canōs toutching Athanasius wherefore all y ◠aduersaries of Athanasius cried out against Maximus because y ◠asoretime he had subscribed to his depositiō nowe againe repenting him of his folly as if he had not thē done well he became of his faith awarded him both y ◠cōmunion his dignity Whē Vrsacius Valens who afore time were earnest followers of Arius vnderstood of this they condemned their former doings got then to Rome there they exhibit vnto bishop Iulius their recantation repētance in writing they subscribe vnto the creede contayning the clause of One substance and they wryte vnto Athanasius that thenceforth they will cōmunicate with him Vrsacius Valens being thus wonne with the prosperous successe of Athanasius his affaires agreed as I sayde before vnto the clause of One substance But Athanasius trauelinge by Peleusium the ready way to Alexandria preached in euery citie where he came and exhorted them to eschewe the Arians and to embrace such as confessed the faith of One substance And in diuers of the churches also he ordayned ministers whiche gaue occasion vnto the aduersaries for to accuse him againe that he presumed to make ministers in other mens prouinces So farre of the thinges which happened then vnto the renowmed Athanasius CAP. XX. Of Magnentius and Bretanion the tyrantes and of the death of Constans the westerne Emperoure IN the meane while the quiet estate of the common weale was not a litle out of square whereof I will briefly entreate and runne ouer suche thinges as I haue determined with my selfe to laye downe After the death of Constantine who buylded Constantinople his three sonnes as I haue sayde in my first booke succeded him in the Empire Of which numbre we haue to vnderstande that Constantinus so called after his fathers name was one and raygned together with the reste of the Emperoures whome the souldiers slewe after he had raygned a very litle while as Constantius cōmaunded not he should not be slayne so againe he forbad not the slaughter But how that Constātinus the yonger breaking out into the borders of his brothers dominions lost his lif whilest that he fought hande to hande with the souldiers I haue oft mentioned before After whose death there rose warres betwene the Persians y ◠Romains where Constantius had but ill fauored successe For the campe beinge pitched in the night time about the boundes of the Romaine and Persian dominions the Persian hoste seemed then to preuaile and for a time to haue the vpper hand Then also the ecclesiasticall affaires went very troublesome for there was great contention in the Church about Athanasius and the clause of One substance These things being at this point Magnentius the tyrant became a rebell in the West partes of the worlde and throughe treason procured the death of Constans the Emperoure which gouerned the west thē abode in Fraunce This beinge wrought there ensued great and grieuous warres Magnentius the tyrant inuaded all Italie subdued Aphrick and Libya and tooke also Fraunce Moreouer at Sirmium a citie of Illyrium there was an other tyrant set vp by the souldiers whose name was Bretanion At Rome also there was a greate sturre For Nepotianus Constantius sisters sonne hauing gotte vnto him a greate troop of fencers and sworde pleares aspired vnto the Emperiall scepter but the captaines of Magnentius dispatched him Magnentius in a little while ouerranne and subdued all the Weste partes of the worlde CAP. XXI Howe that after the death of Constans the VVesterne Emperoure Paulus and Athanasius were deposed againe Paulus in his exile was stifled to death Athanasius fled and so saued his life ALl the aforesayde sturre
and decreed that in handling the diuinitie of God there should thenceforth no mentioÌ„ be made of these words affirming y â— the word essence was not founde in holie scripture and that the Apostle in deliueringe the grounde of doctrine was constrayued of necessitie to vse the word substance But they decreed farther that in an other sense to the end the opinion of Sabellius might be rooted out these words were to be admitted lest that through the want of proper wordes we should be compelled to imagine the thinge of three names to be as one but that the seuerall names of the blessed Trinitie signifie and sett forth God to subsist by him selfe in proper substance These were the things decided in that Councell I see nothinge to the contrarie but that presently also we may laye downe what we learned and read of the wordes essence and substance Such as laboured in Greece to sett forth the sage doctrine of the Grecians gaue vs to vnderstande that the worde Essence was diuersly to be taken and had many significations but of the word Substance they made no mention at all nay Irenaeus Grammâ—ticus in his Atticke Dictionarie termeth it a barbarous worde He sayeth moreouer that it can not be founde in any auncient writer and if that perchaunce we lyght vpon it that it was neuer meant in the sense we take it That Sophocles in his Tragedie of Phoenix taketh Hypostasis for wyles or conspiracie and Menander for sauce and resignifyed also lâ—es or dregges of wyne For though the auncient Philosophers haue not vsed this worde yet we see that the later wryters haue taken it very oft for Essence But we haue spoken before that the definition of Essence was deliuered to haue diuers significations If that Essence may be comprised by definition howe when we entreate of God which is incomprehensible can we properly vse this boyced Euagrius in his booke intituled The Mooke exhorteth vs to refrayne from rashe and vnaduised reasoninge of the God head he forbyddeth the definition of the diuinitie of God because it is a simple thinge For definitions sayeth he are alwayes of concâ—eâ—â— and compound things not of the abstract and simple His wordes are these Euery proposition as the Logicians doe vvrite hath eyther Genus of vvhome it may be verifyed oâ— Species or Differentia or Proprium or Accidens or that vvhich dependeth of these But in the handlinge of the blessed Trinitie none of all thâ—se is to be required because it can not be layde dovvne neyther expressed by vvordes therefore it is not to be defined but reuerently to be runne ouer vvith silence So farre presently out of Euagrius but here after more at large We of our owne parte although we steme to haue digressed yet in so much these things appertayne vnto the discourse of our present argument 〈◊〉 haue thought good to lay them downe here CAP. VI. The Apollogie of Athanasius in defence of his flyght in the tyme of persecution AThanasius at that very tyme read in the hearinge of such as were present an Apollogie the which he had written a litle before in his owne defence when as by reason of the armed souldiers that besett the churche of Alexandria and sought his lyfe â–ª he was fayne to leaue all and runne away Whereof I haue thought good at this present to alleadge some such parcell as may seeme to brynge most profitt vnto the louing reader leauinge the whole discourse beynge somewhat ouer longe vnto the labour and industrie of the paynefull students Beholde â—ayth Athanasius the lewde practises of vvicked persons Although they are priuie vnto these haynous offences yet for all that they are nothinge ashamed of the contumelyes an dâ—â—uell tyrannle they exercised against vs but charge vs in their opinion vvith a foule spott and blemishe of infamie for escapinge the handes of cutthrotes and bloodâ—uckers yea they beshrevve them selues that they dispatched vs not out of the vvay Moreouer to the ende they may stayne my credite and aestimation they fall to accuse me for faint courage and timorous disposition being forgetfull that vvhilest they blased these thinges to my dispraise they turned the shame to light vpon their ovvne pates For if it be a discredite to slie the handes of the tyrant hovve much more to persecute meÌ„ vnto the death He that flieth seeketh meanes to saue his life but he that persecuteth goeth about to procure the others death That vve shoulde flie in such cases the scriptures are on our side but in thurstinge after the bloode of our brother the commaundement is broken and the author thereof is founde chiefe cause of the flight If they blame any man for geuinge them the slippe they are vvorthie of farre greater shame and reprehension For lett them ceasse from persecutinge and threatninge of death then vvill the other remaine still and not runne avvay But their spite and malice hath no ende they doe nought else â—aue deuise feates to bringe men vnto destruction yea vvhen they knovve full vvell that the flight of the persecuted is a foule shame vnto the persecutours For no man flieth the gentle and meeke but rather the cruell and vvicked man They that vvere greeued and farre indetted vnto others gaue Saul the slippe and fledde vnto Dauid VVherefore these men goe about to dispatche such as conuey them selues out of their vvay lest the levvdnesse of Bishops be manifestly knovven vvithout doubte herein they seeme to be starke blinde For looke hovve euident the flyght is farre more apparent vvyll theyr slaughter and banishmentes seeme vnto the vvorlde If they murther men death no doubt lifteth her voyce and soundeth out their crueltie if they fall a banishinge of them therein they sett vp monuments to the remembrance of their vvicked doinges Had they bene in theyr ryght vvitts they might haue easilie perceaned their ovvne follie and them selues ouerthrovven in their ovvne deuises But in that they are bereaued of their vvittes and beside them selues they fall a persecutinge of others and vvhile they endeuour to mischiefe others they perceaue not their ovvne malice and impietie If they reprochefully charge them which hide them selues from such as seeke their liues and accuse them for strenge the handes of the persecutor what haue they to say I beseche you vvhen they heare that Iacob fledd from the face of his brother Esau and that Moses for feare of Pharao â–ª conueyed him selfe to Madian VVhat haue these contentious quarellers to saye vnto Dauid vvho fledd from Saul vvhich sent of his garde out of his house to slaye him hid him selfe in a caue counterfeited his person vntill that subtly he had past Abimelech the priest and auoyded their layinge of vvaite for him VVhat ansvvere can these rashe bablers geueâ— vvhen they see that the greate prophete Elias vvho so deuoutly called vpon the name of God and raysed the dead vvas faine to hide him selfe from Achaab and runne away because of
whose name was Amachius who commauÌ„ded that the Idolatricall temple of the Ethnicks which stood in y t citie should be set wide open that the foule heapes and filthy corners of a long time vnfrequeÌ„ted should be made cleane and fell himselfe a worshipping of the Idols Which act of his pricked not a litle in conscience the zealous christians Wherefore one Macedonius Theodulus and Tatianus beinge kindled with fetuencie of loue towardes the christian fayth coulde in no wise away with such horrible practises but in the burninge zeale of their godly inindes brake in the nighte season into the temple threwe downe theyr Idols and stamped them into pouder Whereat when the gouernoure was wonderfull wroth and purposed to execute diuerse of the citizens whiche were giltelesse and innocente persons the authors thereof presented themselues of their owne accorde before him and chose to dye themselues for the trueth rather then any other for their sakes should be depriued of their liues After they were layde in holde the gouernoure commaunded that they should cleare theÌ„selues by sacrificinge vnto the Idols and threatned them if they refused he would seuerely punishe them They beinge of a noble minde valiant courage set nought by his threats made themselues redy to suffer what tormente soeuer were layde vpon them for they counted it farre better to loose their liues then to defile their soules with those impure sacrifices The gouernour wheÌ„ he had assayd them at all kind of torments last of all set them on the gredyron caused fire to be made vnder broiled them to death And to the end they might valiantly encouÌ„ter vnder the glorious garlande of victory they reason thus with the gouernour If thou longe O Amachius after broyled meate turne vp the other side of vs least in the eatinge we seeme rawe vnto thee and the bloode runne aboute thy teeth This was the ende that these men had CAP. XIIII VVhen the Emperoure Iulian forbad the christians the studie of Prophane literature both the Apollinaruses the father and the sonne fell a wrytinge The profltte that the christians haue in prophane wryters THe lawe whiche the Emperoure made that the christians shoulde not be trained vp in the liberall sciences made bothe the Apollinariuses of whome we spake before to be of farre greater fame For either of them beinge skilfull in suche artes as directed our style and orations the father a grammarian the sonne a Rhetorician profited very much the christians and furthered at that time not a little the churche of God For the father as a profounde grammarian framed the arte of humanitie vnto the furtherance of Christian religion he turned the fiue bookes of Moses into Heroycall verse together with other bookes of the olde Testament which contayne Hystories partely in Hexameter verse and partely after the forme of comedies and tragedies with the fitte application of persons he wrote in all kinde of meter to the ende the christians shoulde not be ignorant and vnskilfull in any rare gifte that excelled among the Gentils The sonne an eloquente Rhetorician broughte the wrytinges of the Euangelistes and workes of the Apostles into Dialogues as Plato vsed amonge the Heathens Althoughe their laboure and industrie seemed auaylable and greatelye to sette forthe the seruice of God in so muche that thereby the lewde drift of the Emperoure was stopped from takinge effect yet the prouidence of God did farre exceede both their carefull studie and dashed also the Emperours wiked deuise For immediatly the Emperours lawe as hereafter it shall more manifestly appeare was abrogated and theyr workes were as muche spoken of as if they had neuer bene wrytten But here peraduenture some man will saye vnto me why then doe ye attribute bothe the aforesayde vnto the prouidence of God As toutchinge the shorteninge of the Emperoures dayes it is knowen well inoughe howe auaylable it was vnto christian religion but in that the Poâ—trye of bothe the Apollinariuses was neglected and that the christians freely applied the Philosophicall sciences of the heathens there is no man will graunte that it furthered the seruice of God and the faith of Christ For it can not be without daunger that the christians maye wade in the doctrine of Ethnickes in so muche it teacheth that there be many Gods Vnto these things which aptely may be obiected vnto vs we will presentely frame suche answers as we can The doctrine of the Gentiles is allowed neither by Christ neither by his Disciples as inspired from aboue neither altogether reiected for daungerous And I take y â— to haue come to passe not without the speciall prouidence of almightie God For there were many heathen Philosophers which were not farre from the knowledg of God such as by publique disputation confuted the Epicures and other contentious Philosophers delited with the quirckes of logicke and ouerthrewe their palpable error and ignorance And thoughe they coulde stande the fauorers of christian religion in greate steade for their furtherance of learninge yet attained they not vnto the grounde principall point of our religion insomuch they vnderstoode not the mystery of Christ which was concealed the coÌ„tinewance of many ages and generations The whiche the Apostle in his epistle vnto the Romanes sheweth plainely in these wordes The wrath of God is reuealed from heauen against all vngodlines and iniquitie of men which withholde the trueth in vnrighteousnesse For the thinge that may be knowen of God is manifest amonge theÌ„ because God hath shevved it vnto them For his inuisible thinges beinge vnderstoode by his workes are seene through the creation of the world that is both his eternall power godheade so that they are without excuse because that when they knewe God notwithstanding they glorified him not as God VVherefore they knowinge the trueth which God reuealed vnto them were worthie of death because that wheÌ„ they knewe God they glorified him not as God Therefore sithence that the Apostle forbadd not the knoweledge of the Gentils doctrine he gaue free licence and libertie vnto euery man at his choice and pleasure to wade in the vnderstandinge of them Let this suffire for one reason to the satisfiynge of the former doubts The seconde is as followeth The holy Scriptures inspired from aboue deliuer vnto vs diuine precepts and mysticall doctrine they graffe in the mindâ—s of suche as heare them true Godlines and the righte trade of liuinge they sette wyde open before such as study them the most sacred faith they teach vs no logicke wherewith we may withstand such as oppugne the trueth although the aduersaries are easiest ouerthrowen when their owne armoure and proper defence is vsed to their foyle and destruction But the christians enioyed not this benefit by the workes of bothe the Apollinariuses This was it that the Emperoure Iulian shotte at when as he made a lawe that the christians shoulde not be schooled in the doctrine of the Gentils He knewe full well that the fables contained in
courage Moreouer the Emperour called home againe the bishops whome ConstaÌ„tius had exiled whome Iulian also had not restored to their seaes TheÌ„ also the Idoll groues temples of the Ethnicks were shut vp the Pagans them selues wandered hid them here there such as wore y â— philosophicall habite layd it aside wore y â— coÌ„mon vsuall attire Those bloody detestable sacrifices wherwith they openly defiled theÌ„ selues tooke their fill during y â— raigne of Iulian were nowe wholly taken away CAP. XXI How the Macedonians and Acacians assembling at Antioche confirmed with their subscriptions the Nicene Creede THe Christian affaires were not as yet pacified neither enioyed they a quiet ende For such as were ringleaders of contrary factions gott them vnto the Emperour hopinge that he would geue them free libertie to feede foster among them selues the fiery humour of contention licence to deale sediciously w t their aduersaries And first of all y â— Macedonians exhibite vnto him a supplication where they request that such as auoutch the vnlikenes dissimilitude betwene the sonne the father should be banished y â— church theÌ„ selues substituted in their rowmes The authors of this supplication were Basilus bishop of Ancyra Siluanus bishop of Tarsus Sophronius bishop of Pompeiopolis Pasinicus bishop of Zenum Leontius bishop of Comanum Callicrates bishop of Claudiopolis Theophilus bishop of Castabala The Emperour receauiÌ„g their supplication gaue them no answere at all but sent theÌ„ away w t these words I tell you truely I caÌ„ not away w t contention but such as embrace vnitie concord I doe both honor reuerence them These words of y â— Emperour coÌ„ming to yâ—eares of other contentious persons delayd the heate of sedition y â— was kindled amoÌ„g them which fell out right as the Emperour had wished Againe at y â— time also the behauiour of y e Acacians a busie kind of bodies a sect wonderfull seditious was perceaued a kind of people they are alwaies applying them selues according vnto the vaynes of the Emperours These men assemble them selues at Antioch in Syria together with Meletius who a litle before had seuered him selfe from their communion they creepe to familiaritie conference with him The cause that moued them therevnto was for that they sawe him in great estimation with the Emperour who then made his abode at Antioche They frame a supplication amonge them selues with vniforme coÌ„sent of them all They acknowledge the faith of One substance they ratifie the Nicene creede They exhibite vnto y â— Emperour their supplication coÌ„tayning y â— forme as followeth Vnto our most holy and gratious lorde Iouianus victorious puisant Augustus the councell of bishops assembled at Antioch out of sundry prouinces send greeting in the Lorde VVe haue experience tryall sufficient most holy Emperour howe that your graces highnes with great industrie endeuoureth to establishe peace vnitie in the church of God neither are we ignorant howe that your prudent aduice thinketh no lesse then that the forme of the catholicke faith will preuayle very much to the furtherance and confirmation of the aforesayde vnitie and concorde Therefore lest we should be numbred among the corrupters of the true and syncere character of Christian doctrine we thought good to let your maiestie vnderstand that we both allowe and retaine vnuiolably the Creede confirmed of old in the holy sacred councell of Nice sithence that the clause of One substance according vnto some mens thinkinge vnaduisedly layde downe is very well interlaced of the fathers interpreted and expounded both with commodious phrases and fitt epithetons the which exposition sheweth forth the sonne to be begotten of the fathers substance to be like vnto the father according vnto his substance that no passion ought to be conceaued in his inexplicable generation that the word Substance was not vsed of the holie fathers in that sense which the Graecians take it but to the ouerthrowe of the poysoned doctrine which the blasphemous mouth of Arius endeuoured to establishe saying that Christ had his originall of nothinge that also these Anomoians affirming by interpretation the sonne to be vnlike the father who lately stept vp auoutched more impudent and levvde doctrine to the ouerthrovve of the ecclesiasticall peace and vnitie VVherfore vve haue thought good to annexe vnto this our supplication vvherein our censure and opinion is layde downe the forme of faith which we honor and reuerence decreed by the bishops assembled at Nice It beginnes as followeth VVe beleeue in one God the father almightie c. contayning throughout very sounde and substantiall doctrine I Meletius bishop of Antioch doe subscribe and allowe of all the parts and parcells of the aforesayde supplication and creede aboue written Euen so doe I Eusebius bishop of Samosata Euagrius bishop of Sicilia Vranius bishop of Apamea Zoilus bishop of Larissae Acacius bishop of Caesarea Antipater bishop of Rosse Abramius bishop of Vria Aristonicus bishop of Seleucobelus Barlamenus bishop of Pergamus Vranius bishop of Melitine Magnus bishop of Chalcedon Eutychius bishop of Eleutheropolis Isacocis bishop of Armenia the greater Titus bishop of Bostra Peter bishop of Sipus Pelagius bishop of Laodicea Arabianus bishop of Antros Piso bishop of Adana by his substitute Lamydrio the elder Sabinianus byshop of Zeugma Athanasius byshop of Ancyra by his substitutes Orphitus and Atetius the elders Irenio byshop of Gaza Piso bishop of Augusta Patricius byshop of Paltum by his substitute Lamyrio the elder Anatolius byshop of Beroea Theotimus byshop of Arabia and Lucianus byshop of Arce This supplication haue we founde in the booke of Sabinus intituled The collection of the Councells The Emperour who determined with him selfe to pacifie with gentle and curteous languages all quarelles and contention made answere that he woulde not molest any what faith or religion soeuer they professed but aboue all others that he woulde honour and reuerence such as shewed them selues peacemakers and went about to mayntayne the bonde of vnitie and concorde Themistius the philosopher doth report these thinges in this sort of him For in the oration intituled Consul the which he wrote of him he extolleth him vnto the skies because that in grauntinge euery man free choyce and libertie to professe this or that kinde of religion he stopped the mouthes of all flattering parasites and sycophants which kinde of men sayeth he nyppinge wyse as it is knowen vnto the whole world worship not the kinge of heauen but the earthly crowne and scepter much like vnto Euripus caryed headlong some times this way some times that way CAP. XXII The death of Iouianus the Emperour THe Emperour when he had appeased the sedition of contentious persons in such sorte as we haue sayde before remoued with speede from Antioche and gotte him to Tarsus in Cilicia where after the wonted solemnitie of honorable funeralls he buryed the corps of Iulian his predecessor immediatly after he is proclaimed CoÌ„sul
goeth and rife it is in euery mans mouth that this cruell and horrible act was not longe after vnreuenged For immediatly all Phrygia was plagued with a sore and a lamentable famine so that many of the inhabitantes of that countrey were constrayned of necessitie to flie vnto Constantinople and to other prouinces for necessarie food The city of Constantinople though it find and relieue an infinite multitude of meÌ„ yet there is great plentie abundance of all things partly by reason that all necessaries are caried thither by seae and partly also that Euxinus is so nighe and conueyeth thither greate store of grayne CAP. XIIII Howe the Emperour wente to Antioch and persecuted all them that professed the fayth of one substance of his doinges at Edessa and the great constancie of a Christianwoman THe Emperour Valens weyed not at all this grieuous famine went forth on his iorney to Antioch and continewing there pursued with deadly hatred such as detested the Arian opinion He deposed of theyr churches for no other crime then because they were enemies vnto y â— Arians all that embraced the faith of one substance not onely throughout all the Easterne parts of the world but also not satisfied with this punishemente tormented them with diuerse grieuous deuises and executed a farre greater number then we spake of before with sundry kindes of death but specially with drowninge of them in the surginge waues of the sea Furthermore let vs here call to remembraunce the horrible Acte committed by him at Edessa a citie in Mesopotamia There I meane in that citie there is a goodly a gorgeous temple called Sainct Thomas the Apostles where infinite troopes of men for y â— reuerent opinion conceaued of the holy place are wont to frequent Valens being desirous to see it although he knewe full well that all those flockinge assemblies detested his hereticall opinion as the reporte goeth gaue the Liuetenant a blowe with his fist because he had not scattered those conuenticles as he had charged him before When the Liuetenant for all this grieuous contuâ—ely framed himselfe with vnwillinge minde to obeye the Emperours wrath and displeasure gaue notice priuely hereof vnto them it was farre from his mind to fall a murthering of so many godly citizens that none should shewe his face in the temple that none shoulde be founde raysing of any conuenticle but not one made accompt of his aduise nether weyed of his threates for the day followinge all flocked in greate companies to the temple And while the Liuetenant hastened with greate power of armed souldieres vnto the temple to the ende he might delay the boyling heate of the Emperours stomacke which breathed out anger and displeasure a simple woman leadinge a childe in her hande all in hast brake the raye and thrust her selfe in the throng of armed souldiers to passe on her voyage The Liuetenant being moued therewith calleth the woman before him reasoneth with her in this sorte thou fond and vnfortunat woman whether runnest thou so rashly thither sayde she where others doe hasten Hast not thou hearde sayth he that the Liuetenant will execute as many as he finds there I heard it sayd she and therefore I goe thither in all the hast that I may be founde there But whither sayd he leadest thou this childe that he also sayd she may be accompted in the number of Martyrs When the Liuetenant heard this he coniectured thereafter of the rest Thereupon he got him vnto the Emperour and geueth him to vnderstand that all from the highest vnto the lowest prepared them selues to die in the quarell and in defence of their faith he aded moreouer that it was verye rashe and without all reason that so great a multitude in so shorte a space shoulde so soddainely be executed in so saying he fell a perswading of the Emperour so long vntill that his wordes preuayled the Emperour was with reason appeased Thus the Edessaeans auoyded the ouerthrowe pretended of the Emperour towardes them CAP. XV. Howe the Emperour Valens put many to death whose names beganne with TH by reason of certaine Necromancie whereunto he gaue some credit ABout that time a certaine pestilent spirite vsed the tyrannicall crueltye of the Emperour to y t satisfieng of his deuelish lust pleasing mind For he allured certain fond curious kind of people to search and sift out by Necromancie who should succeede Valens in the Empire The deuell after his wonted guise gaue no perfect and plaine but a very darke doubtfull answere vnto the coniurers that his name beganne of foure letters Th E O D which should succeede ValeÌ„s in the Empire that his name was compound The fame thereof was spred so farre that it came to the Emperours eares He as it fell out neither attributed casualties neither referred the knowledge of things to come neither admitted y â— bestowing of scepters to lie in y â— power of God whose prouidence ruleth all things but laying aside the principles of Christian religion the which colorably he pretended executed diuers whome he suspected after him should enioy y â— Emperial scepter So y t he dispatched out of the way as many as were called Theodorus Theodotus Theodosius Theodulus or after any such like names Of which nuÌ„ber was Theodosiolus a noble man y â— sonne of a Senator being brought vnto Valens from Spayne who lost his heade Many for feare chaunged their names which theyr parents had geuen them at theyr comminge into y â— world denied themselues theyr owne names being in great perill daunger of their liues But of this matter thus much shal suffice CAP. XVI After the desease of Athanasius Peter became his successor but the Arians by the commaundement of the Emperour clapte Peter in prison and placed Lucius in the Bishopricke HEre we haue to learne that while Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria liued the Emperour through the prouidence of God tempered himselfe from troubling of Alexandria Aegipt because he vnderstoode y t there was a great multitude which would liue die w t Athanasius therfore he feared if AlexaÌ„dria were set on anvprore for it is a hot a hasty kind of people lest the coÌ„mon weale should therby greatly be annoyed Athanasius in y â— end after many skirmishes endured in the quarel of the church after he had bene bishop six forty years not without great hazard of his life departed out of this world in the Consulship of Probus the second of Gratianus left behind him Peter a godly and a zealous maÌ„ to succeede him Immediatly the Arians set vp themselues they brag boast of the Emperours religion in all the hast they certifie the Emperour who then continewed at Antioch of Athanasius death Euzoius also the Arian beinge then at Antioch determined with himselfe by reason of the opportunitie of the time in all the hast to ride into Alexandria for to coÌ„firme Lucius y
of theyr spitefull muention was turned downe to the ground When the Emperour vnderstoode of their manifolde dissentioÌ„ that they buylded not vpon y â— auncient fathers exposition of the faith but trusted to their sophisticall quirckes of Logicke dealt an other way with them bad euery sect lay downe theyr faith and opinion in wrytinge Then the principall of euery secte tooke penne in hande and wrote his opinion There was a daye appointed for the purpose All the Bishoppes beinge called mette at the Emperours pallace There came thither Nectarius and Agelius fauoringe the faith of one substance Demophilus of the Arians Eunomius himselfe in the name of the other Eunomians and Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicum for the Macedonians First of all the Emperour saluteth them rurteously next he receaued euery ones wryting then he went a side lockt in himselfe sell downe vpon his knees and prayed vnto God that he woulde asist him in the choice and reuealing of the trueth Last of all hauing perused euery ones opinion he condemned and tore in peeces all such Creedes as derogated from the vnitie which is in the blessed Trinitie he allowed highly commended onely of all the rest the Creede containing the clause of one substance This was the cause that the Nouatians were fauored and thenceforth suffred to celebrate their woÌ„ted assemblies within the walles of the citie The Emperoure wonderinge at their consente and harmonie toutching y â— faith made a lawe that they should enioy their owne churches w t securitie and y â— their churches should haue such priuiledgs as the other churches of the same opinion faith were wont to haue The Bishops of other sectes because there raigned amonge themselues mutuall discorde and dissentioÌ„ they were set at nought of the people committed to their owne charge Who though at their departure they were all soroweful pensiue yet fell they a coÌ„forting of their charge by letters exthorting them not to shrinke at all from them because many had left them and fell to embracinge the faith of one substance For many were called but fewe chosen This they vttered not when y â— greatest parte of the people cleaued vnto the higher power and zealously embraced their faith Yet for all this were not they which held the faith of one substance voyd of disturbance and molestation For the controuersie that sell out in the churche of Antioch deuided such as were of the councell into two factions for the Aegyptians Arabians Cyprians held together thought good to remoue Flauianus out of the Bishops seae of Antioch but the Palaestinians PhoeniciaÌ„s Syrians tooke his parte The issue end of this controuersie I will lay downe in an other place CAP. XI Howe that Maximus the tyrant through wiles sleâ—e the Emperour Gratian. And howe that Iustina the Empresse the mother of Valentinianus the yonger left persecutinge of Ambrose Bishop of Myllainâ— because she feared Maximus the tyrant WHen the councell was helde at Constantinople we haue learned such a broyle as followeth to haue bene in the Weste partes of the worlde Maximus a Brittaine tooke armour against the Empire of Rome and conspired the death of Gratian who nowe was weakened together with his power by reason of the battail he waged with the Germanes Probus sometimes a Consul was chiefe gouernour of Italy during the nonage of Valentinianus who w t great prudence ruled the common weale Iustina Valentinianus the Emperours mother being infected with the silch of Arianisme while her husbande liued coulde no kinde of way molest such as embraced the faith of one substaÌ„ce yet after his deseasse remouing to Mediolanum and her sonne being of tender yeares she raised such tumults against Ambrose the Bishop that in the end he was exiled But when the people for the singuler loue and affection they bare vnto Ambrose with stoode her act and hindred their force that went about to conueye him to exile tydings came y â— Gratianus through the wiles sleight of Maximus the tyraÌ„t was put to death Andragathius the captaine of Maximus hidinge himselfe in a chariot resemblinge the forme of a licter borne of mules gaue his souldiers charge to signifie vnto the Emperours gard y â— the Empresse rode therein weÌ„t to meet y â— Emperour who passed ouer Rhodanus a flood y â— runneth by Lions a citie of Fraunce The Emperour thinkinge verily that his wife was there in deede aboyded not the conspiracie but fell vnawares into the enemies hand as a blind maÌ„ falleth into y â— ditch For Andragathius lighted downe out of y â— chariot slewe Gratianus presently He died in the Consulship of Merogandus Saturninus after he had raigned fifteen yeares liued foure twenty The which newes cooled y â— heat of y â— Emperours mother kindled agayust Ambrose Wherefore Valentinianus y â— time constrayuâ—ng him thereunto receaued Maximus with unwilling mind to be his fellowe Emperour Probus y â— gouernour of Italy fearing y â— power of Maximus determined with himselfe to remoue into y â— East with all speed he left Italy and hasteninge towardes Illyrium made his abode at Thessalonica a citie of Macedonia CAP. XII Theodosius the Emperour left Arcadius his sonne and Emperour at Constantinople went towards Millayne to wage battail with Maximus the Bryttaine THeodosius the Emperour for y â— aforesaid cause was wonderfull sory he gathered greate power to go against the tyrant feared greatly lest Maximus would coÌ„spire the death of Valeutinianus y â— yonger Then came also legats from y â— Persians to conclude peace betwene theÌ„ the Emperour it was the very same time y â— his sonne Honorius was borne by his wife Placilla y â— Empresse in y â— consulship of Richomelianus Clearchus the neenth of September A litle before wheÌ„ y â— aforesaid men were consuls Agelius y â— Nouatian bishop finished the mortal race of his naturall life The yeare following being the first coÌ„sulship of Arcadius Augustur Vadon after y â— Timotheus bishop of Alexandria departed this life Theophilus succeeded him in the bishoprick The second yeare wheÌ„ Demophilus the Arian bishop had chaunged this life y â— Arians sent for Marinus out of Thracia a man of their owne crue appointed him their bishop Marinus in whose time y â— AriaÌ„s were deuided among theÌ„selues as it shal be shewed hereafter liued not many dayes after wherefore they call Dorotheus out of Antioch in Syria assigne him their bishop The Emperoure leauing his sonne Arcadius at ConstaÌ„tinople marched forewards to geue battail vnto Maximus As he came to Thessalonica he found the souldiers of Valentinianus all dismayed quite discouraged because y â— necessitie had constrained them to take the tyrant Maximus for an Emperour Theodosius shewed himselfe openly to seeme of nere nother side For wheÌ„ Maximus had sent embassadours vnto him he neither receaued neither reiected theÌ„ yet was he sory y â— the Empire of Rome
accustomed to adore in a certaine house fire which continewally burneth vnder the ground they conuey a man whome they make to rore and to crie out as followeth when the king is at his prayers The king must be thrust out of his kingdome He behaueth himselfe lewdly in taking the Christian priest for a godly person Isdigerdes for so was their king called hearing this dreadful voice for all that he reuerenced Maruthas yet purposed he to sende him awaye Then Maruthas being a right godly man gaue himselfe wholly to prayer whereby he found out the fraude and deceate of the Magicians Wherefore he reasoneth thus with the kinge Be no longer deceaued O king but get thee into the house cause the earth to be digged vp thou shalt easily perceaue theyr guile For the fire speaketh not it is a certaine deuise inuēted by men for y ◠purpose The king yeldeth vnto the counsell of Maruthas in he goeth againe vnto the house where the fire continewally burned As soone as the voice was heard the second time he commaunded the earth should be cast vp and there was he founde which spake and cried out the which clamor they tooke to be the commaundement of God himselfe The kinge when he espied theyr lewde treachery was exceedinge wroth and gaue forth charge that euery tenth of the Magician kinred shoulde be executed he turned him to Maruthas and willed him to buylde churches where pleased him best Upon this occasion it fell out that y ◠faith in Christ florished exceedingly in the kingdome of Persia For that time Maruthas left Persia and tooke his voyage to Constantinople Shortely after he went againe in embassie into Persia by that time the Magicians found out other deceytfull deuises and a freshe they fall a forging to the end the kinges mind might be alienated from him Of sette purpose they infected the ayer of a certaine place where the king was wont to frequent with a stinking sauour and with all they sclaunder the Christians that it was scattered by them But the kinge hauinge iust cause to suspect the Magicians for theyr former wiles made great inquire who should play so slutush a parte at length by longe sifting it was knowen that the Magicians themselues had caused this corrupte odour for the nonce to be spred all ouer the place wherefore againe he executed many of them but Maruthas he had in greate estimation Thence forth he loued the Romaynes entirely embraced thē in league of peace friendship The king was almost become a christian when Maruthas together w t Ablaatus the Persiā bishop published vnto y ◠world an other experimēt or triall of the Christian faith for they both beinge continewally geuen to watch and to pray cast a Deuell out of the kinges sonne which tormented him out of measure But death preuented him and abridged the raines of his mortall rare ere he coulde fully be instructed in the Christian faith After his desease his sonne Bararanes enioyed the crowne in whose dayes as it shall be hereafter more plainely declared the league betwene the Romaynes and the Persians was broken CAP. IX The succession of Bishops in the Church of Antioch and Rome ABout that time when Flauianus Bishop of Antioch had departed this life Porphyrius was chosen in his rowme and after Porphyrius Alexander was made Bishop of that seae In the Churche of Rome when that Damasus had gouerned the Ecclesiasticall affayres the space of eighteene yeares Siricius succeeded him in the Bishoprick Againe after that Siricius had continewed there the tearme of fifteene yeares departed this life Anastasius was Bishop three yeares after his desease Innocentius who firste droue the Nouatians out of Rome and depriued them of many Churches was made Bishop of that seae CAP. X. Howe that Alarichus tooke Rome and made it subiect vnto the Barbarians IT fell out in those dayes that Rome was taken of the Barbarians For one Alarichus a Barbarian being in league with the Romaynes and sometime ayded the Emperour Theodosius in the battaill agaynst the tyrant Eugenius and therefore was aduaunced into great honour by the Romaines when he could not paciently content him selfe with the prosperous sayle of fortunate successes although he aspired not vnto the Emperiall seepter yet left he Constantinople and posted in all the hast into the Weste partes of the worlde He was no sooner come into lllyrium but he subdued vnto him all that contreye As he went forewardes on his iorneye the Thessalians withstoode him aboute the entries of the riuer Peneus the readye waye by Mounte Pindus vnto Nicopolis a citie of Epirus the sielde beinge there pitched the Thessalians slew aboue three thousand men After that bloody s kirmishe the Barbarians which accompanied Alarichus ransackinge and spoylinge both towne and coutrey as they went tooke at length the citie of Rome They rāsacked the citie They defaced and fired many worthie monuments they violently spoiled the citizens of theyr money they executed many of the Senatours with sundry kindes of tormente Alarichus to the ende he might bring the Royall porte and maiestie of the Emperiall scepter into contempt and derision proclaymed Emperour one whose name was Attalus this man by his procuremc̄t walked abroade the space of one wholl daye with a garded troope of souldiers the next day after in the attyre and habite of a seruant When these things preuailed then in suche sorte as you heare Alarichus tooke his heeles and ranne away for the reporte that was bruted abroad of Theodosius y ◠Emperours great power marching to geue him battaill astonied his mind and put him in great feare Neither was it a fable or a forged rumor but for moste certaine trueth that the Emperours host made expedition to wage battaill with him He when as he coulde in no wise away with that fame gaue him selfe to flight The reporte goeth that as he went towardes Rome a certaine monk met him which admonished him not to delite him selfe with perpetrating of such haynous and horrible offences neither to reioyce in committing of slaughter and bloodshed Whome Alarichus answered in this sorte I God knovveth doe take this voyage agaynst my will There is one which molesteth me dayly nay he compelleth me by force and sayth thus vnto me goe on thy iorney destroy the citie of Rome So farre of Alarichus CAP. XI Of the Bishops which in those dayes gouerned the Church of Rome AFter Innocentius Zosimus gouerned the Churche of Rome the space of two yeares after his desease Bonifacius was Bishop three yeares whome Celestinus succeeded This man banished the Nouatians out of Rome depriued them of their Churches and constrayned Rusticula their Bishop priuely to rayse priuate conuenticles For vnto that time the Nouatiās florished at Rome enioyed many churches had vnder thē great cōgregatiōs but they were thē hated out of measure whē as the bishop of Rome no otherwise thē the bishop of
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
ende it might be vnpossible for any after him to reuiue those olde dregges of Lecherye He fayned him selfe to be in a greate agonye accused him selfe of rashe dealinge and meere madnesse sayinge he was toe vayne glorious and by that meanes weyed not the vtilitye and profitte of the common weale in that he had taken awaye both foolishlye and wythout aduisement so large a tribute begonne so manye yeares agoe and continewed so longe a time not foreseeinge the discommodityes that ensued by reason of the wante thereof the charges for mayntenance of soldiers the strength of the common weale The tribute beinge as a fortresse to defende it the liberalitye risinge thence and turned to vpholde the seruice of God Laste of all makinge no man of his counsell he proclaymed that his will was the tribute shoulde be wholly restored againe therefore he called vnto him the olde receauers he tolde them that he was sorye for the burninge of the recordes that he knewe not what to doe howe to excuse his folly neyther what to deuise seeinge their registeries were consumed to ashes When as they vnfaynedlye and from the very heart bewayled their losse and the want of the ill gotten goods which came thereby into their hands and tolde him playnely that it was in manner vnpossible to restore the tribute againe he requested them to doe all their indeuor and to searche if happely they might finde amonge all the recordes that were in anye place preserued the order of demaundinge the taxe and tribute Wherefore he sent vnto euerye one of them his charges for searchinge the countreys and recordes and commaunded that euerye deede or scrole which made mention thereof where so euer it were founde shoulde be brought vnto him to th ende this taxe might be restored agayne in suche good order that it coulde neuer fall afterwardes into decaye Shortly after when these messengers of trust brought tydings what they had founde Anastasius was wonderfull glad and seemed to tickle at the heart for ioy he reioysed in deede because now he had brought about that which troubled him so muche What sayth he vnto them haue ye founde any recordes where found ye them be they to any purpose doe ye thinke there are any where any more left behinde they aunswered that their trauell had bene greate that they rode about daye and night that they had searched both towne and countrey and swore by the life of the Emperour that there was not left in al the empire of Rome not as much as a patch of any scrole that was not brought vnto him then the Emperour commaunded a pile to be made all the papers registers recordes bills and baudy notes to be set thereon and burned to ashes when the fire had done his part he gaue commaundement they should throwe water vpon the ashes either quite to drowne them or to driue theÌ„ away with the streame purposing fully by this means for euer to tread vnderfoot the scroles of the baudy tribute that neither sparcle neither ashes neither letter neither any memoriall shoulde remaine after the firing of the records But while we commend Anastasius so highly for banishinge this shamefull tribute lest we seeme ignorant what diuers men of old being wedded to their owne affections haue reported of him we thought good here to lay downe their sayinges and conuince them with their owne words CAP. XL. VVhat Zosimus wrote of Chrysargyrum the shamefull tribute and of Constantinus the Emperour ZOsimus one of them that was bewitched wyth the impious rites and abhominable seruice of Paganes beinge incensed against Constantinus because he was the first Emperour whiche forsooke the detestable Idolatrye of the Gentiles and embraced Christian religion reporteth howe that the tribute Chrysargyrum was firste deuised by him and decreed it should be payde euerye fourth yeare With infinite other sclaunders he goeth about to defame the godly and noble Emperour Constantine For sayth he he deuised mischiefes against all sorts of men of what degree or callinge so euer they were that he slewe his sonne Crist us verye lamentablye that he dispatched his wyfe Fausta by shuttinge her vp iâ— a boylinge bathe that when he woulde haue had his priests to purge him by sacrisice of these horrible murthers and coulde not haue his purpose for they had aunswered plainelye it laye not in their power to clense him he lighted by chaunce vpon an Aegyptian whiche came out of Iberia and perswaded him that the Christian fayth was of force to wipe away euerye sinne were it neuer so haynous and that he embraced willingly all what so euer the Aegyptian tolde him Laste of all that he forsakinge his cuntrey religion cleaued vnto impietye as this lewde varlet reporteth but that all these reports be no other then lyes and sclaunders I will immediately declare and so muche in the meane whyle of Chrysargyrum CAP. XII An inuectiue against Zosimus the Ethnick for reuiling of Constantine and rayliage at the Christians THou saist O wicked spirit and fiende of hell that Constantine purposinge to buylde a citie comparable to Rome layde the fundation of an ample and worthye citie firste in the cuntrey of Troie and the pallace of Priamus after the stones were layde and the wall beinge erected on high to haue espyed that Byzantium was a goodlier soyle for his purpose to haue enuironed it with a wall to haue enlarged the olde and auncient citie to haue adorned it with goodly and gorgeous buylding that it seemed not much inferior to Rome which grew by a litle and a litle the space and continuance of many yeares to that perfection she is of Thou saist moreouer that he gaue to the citizens of Byzantium a measure of grame that such as departed this world at Byzantium left him great summes of golde for to build and erect his pallaces Againe thou reportest I will vse thine owne wordes that the Emperiall scepter befell vnto Constantius after the death of Constantine his father and the deceasse of his bretherne that Constantius at what time Magnentius and Bretannio rebelled endeuored to perswade Bretannto to shake of armour that wheÌ„ both armies ioyned together he made an oration and put them in remembrance of the liberality bountifulnes of his father towards them vnder whose banner they had foyled many an host and receaued of him large rewards that the soldiers immediatly after y â— hearing of his oration tooke away the princely robe from Bretannio led him like a priuate man vnto Constantius who for all thou reuilest him with his father did him no hurt at all how it can be that so liberall and so bountifull a prince coulde be so great a karle and pinche peny as to raise of his subiects so wicked a tribute I can not see That he murthered neither Fausta nor Crispus neither was instruâ—â—ed in y â— misteries of our Christian religion by any Aegyptian at all heare I beseeche thee what Eusebius syrnamed Pamphilus who liued the same time
both with Constantine and Crispus and had great familiaritye with them wroâ—e of that matter As for thy selfe thou writest suche thinges thou neuer heardest of and are farre from being true for thou wrotest long after to witte in the time of Arcadius and Honorius or after their raigne Eusebius in the eyght booke of his Ecclesiasticall historie writeth in this sort Not longe after Constantius the Emperour passinge all other throughout his life time in clemencie and goodnesse towardes his subiects singulerly affected towardes Gods worde ended according vnto the lawe of nature the common race of his mortall life leauinge behind him his naturall sonne Constantinus Emperour and Caesar to supplye his rowme A litle after His sonne Constantinus being proclaimed full Emperour and Caesar by the army and longe before by God him selfe the vniuersall king became a follower of his fathers pietie in Christian religion And about the later eude of his storie he writeth thus Constantinus the mightie puysant Emperour beinge renowmed for euery rare vertue and godlinesse together with his sonne Crispus the most godly Emperour like vnto his father in all thinges subdued the East parts of the worlde No doubt Eusebius who liued after Constantine woulde not so highly haue commended Crispus had he bene slaine of his father Againe Theodoritus writeth how Costantine about his later end was baptized at Nicomedia y â— therfore he differred it vnto y t time because he had a great desire to be baptized in Iordan But thou most wicked Zosimus reportest y t since christian religion was published throughout y â— world y â— state of y â— Romain empire decaied came to nought y â— which proceeds froÌ„ thee either of ignorance that thou hast not read ouer y â— auncient writers or of malice For the contrarye is soone proued that the Empire of Rome encreased together with our fayth Remember I besech thee howe about the time of the incarnation of our Sauiour Christ Iesus many of the Macedonians were by the Romaynes subdued Albania Iberia Colchi and the Arabians moreouer the Frenchmen the Germans the Brittanns in the hundred twenty third Olympiade after Caius Caesar had ouercome them with greate and grieuous battaills and made the fiue hundred cities which they inhabited tributaries as historiographers doe wryte vnto the Empire of Rome This Caius was the first which after the Consulls gouerned the Empire alone he made the way sure for the setting vp of the glorious Monarchie and in steede of the populare and common regiment brought into the worlde that kind of raigne No doubt it came to passe through the prouideÌ„ce of God because that the Monarchie of Christ was shortly after to take place All Iudaea besides and the bordering countreyes were annexed vnto the Empire of Rome so that the first taxing where Christ also was to be taxed then firste beganne and Bethleem likewise layde before theyr eyes howe that which of olde was prophecied of her was then fulfilled For thus had the Prophet Micheas foretold of her And thou Bethleem Iuda art not the leste amonge the Princes of Iuda for out of thee there shall come vnto me the captaine that shall gouerne my people Israel When Christ our God was borne into y â— world Aegypt was ioined vnto the Empire of Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar for theÌ„ it was that Christ appeared in the flesh who ouercame Antonius Cleopatra which afterwards dispatched theÌ„selues After their death Cornelius Gallus was by Augustus Caesar made Liuetenant of Aegypt after y t Ptolomaeees decayed he raigned ouer Aegypt What cuntreys were wonne froÌ„ the PersiaÌ„s by Ventidius Curbulon the captaine of Nero by Seuerus Traianus Carus Cassius and Odaenathus of Palmyra by Apollonius and sundry others how ofte Seleucia Ctesiphon were taken howe oft Nisibis was nowe the Romaynes anone the Persians and after what sorte Armenia with other borderinge nations became vnder the Empire of Rome thou thy selfe haste penned it as well as others And yet I had almoste forgotten what thou wrytest to haue bene done by Constantine who by meanes of our religion gouerned the Romayne dominions with valiant minde and noble prowesse also what befell vnto Iulianus nusled vp in thy wicked mysteries what wounds and skarres he left in the common weale As for the prophecies which concerne the ende of the worlde or whether it had a beginninge and whether it shal haue an ending it is an higher matter theÌ„ can sinke into thy braine Therfore let vs see if thou wilt howe the Emperours which were Ethnickes and panyms mayntayners of Idolatry Paganisme and howe of the contrary suche as cleaued vnto the Christian faith ended theyr raygne was not Cains Iulius Caesar the first Emperour slayne by conspiracy did not certen souldiers with naked swordes dispatch Caius y â— nephewe of Tiberius was not Nero murthered by one of his familier deare friends had not Galba the like end Otho Vitellius who all three raygned only sixteen moneths what shall I speake of Titus whome Domitianus poisoned for all he was his owne brother what saist thou of Commodus did not Narcissus dispatch him out of the waye what shall I speake of Pertinax and what of Inlian enioyed not both they one kinde of death what did not Antonius the sonne of Seuerus murther his brother Geta and did not Martialis requite him with the like what shall I say of Macrinus did not the souldiers handle him like a captiue about Byzantium and cruelly put him to death was not Aurelius Antoninus of Emessa murthered together w t his mother was not Alexander immediatly after hiÌ„ together w t his mother likwise put to death what shall I say of Maximinus whome his owne army dispatched Or of Gordianus who through the treason of Philip was in like sorte by his owne souldiers put to death tell me I pray thee thy selfe O Zosimus what happened vnto Philip and after him vnto Decius were they not slaine by the enemy take Gallus and Volusianus with them were they not murthered by their owne armies what of Aemilianus had not he y â— like miserable end what Valerianus was not he taken by y â— Persians in battaill led about of them in triumphe what when Galienus was slaine through treason and Carinus beheaded came not Diocletian to be Emperour whome Diocletian cutte of lest they shoulde raygne with him After these Herculius Maximianus his sonne Maxentius Licinnius dyed with contumely and shame inough But since the time the moste noble Emperour Constantine beganne to raygne since he consecrated vnto God the city he had builte and called it after his owne name looke about I pray thee and speake indifferently was there any one Emperour in that citye Iulian a man of thine owne religion and thy Emperour onely excepted that was murthered either by his owne subiect or by the enemy or any one tyrant that vanquished the Emperour Basiliscus excepted yet
times past made priest in that Church Anastasius byshop of that seae because Thomas had at sundry times wrought him great displeasure and vexation boxed this monke about the eares When they that were then present were sory to see this combat Thomas saide vnto them that he would take that no more at Anastasius hands and that Anastasius would neuer offer it him againe Both which fell out to be true For Anastasius within one day after departed this worlde and Thomas as he went home from Antioch left this worlde and posted to immortall blisse at the hospital in the suburbes of Daphne and was buried in the sepulchre that was prouided for straungers When they had buried one or two other dead carkasses in the same sepulchre with him God after his death wrought that great miracle his corps was cast vpermost the other carkasses were seuered and pushed farre asunder the men seeing this had the Sainct in admiration and reuealed the whole vnto Euphremius Wherefore his most holy corps was caried to Antioch with greate pompe and solemnitie and there was buried in the churhyard by occasion whereof it came to passe that the plague whiche then raigned in the citie ceassed In honor of whom the people of Antioch haue yearely kept holiday vnto this our time but now let vs returne vnto our historie CAP. XXXV Of Menas the patriarch and the miracle then wrought in the Hebrewe boye VVHen Anthimus byshop of Constantinople was deposed as I saide before Epiphanius tooke his rowme after the deceasse of Epiphanius Menas in whose time a worthie miracle was wrought succeeded him in the byshopricke There was an olde custome at Constantinople that if there remained many portions of the pure immaculate body of Christ our God yong children which went to schoole shoulde be called to eate them When it was done a certen mans childe in religion an Hebrewe or Iewe in trade of life a glasiar kept company with the other children who after y t his parents demaunded the cause that made him tarie so longe behinde tolde them plainely the matter as it was and howe that he eate for companye with the other boyes The Hebrewe hearing this boyled within for anger was all set on rage and furie he tooke the boye and threw him into the firie fornace where he vsed to make his glasse The mother missinge the childe sought him out yet coulde not finde him she went throughout the citie and to euery streete calling vpon God with deepe sighes and lamentable teares The third day after as she sate at the doore of her husbands shop being nowe pitifully wasted with weeping she gaue out sighes and withall called the boy by his name the childe knowinge the mothers voyce aunswered her out of the fornace The mother burst open the doores and in she went she was no sooner in but she espied her child in the middes of the hot burning coales yet preserued that the fire toutched him not The childe being asked whether he felt not great heate and howe it came to passe that he was not burned to ashes made aunswere sayinge A woman clad in purple came very oft vnto me reached me water to quenche the firie flames which compassed my body last of all gaue me meate as oft as I was an hungred Iustinian hearinge of this thought good that the boye with his mother shoulde be baptised and that the father which refused to become a Christian shoulde be hanged on the gallowes at a place called Sycae And so an end of that CAP. XXXVI The Bishops of the famous cities about that time liuing WHen Menas had runne the race of his mortall life Eutychius succeeded him in the Byshopricke of Constantinople after Martyrius Bishop of Ierusalem came Salustius and him succeeded Helias Peter followed Helias and after Peter Macarius crept into y ◠Byshoprick when as yet the Emperour had not geuen him his consent He was afterwards deposed for the report went of him that he defended the opinions of Origen In the seae of Alexandria when Theodosius as I sayd before was deposed Zoilus gouerned the Bishopricke and after his desease Apolinarius CAP. XXXVII Of the fist holy and generall councell and wherefore it was summoned AFter the desease of Euphraemius Domninus was chosen Bishop of Antioch Now therefore when Vigilius was Byshop of old Rome Menas at the first Bishop of newe Rome whome Eutychius succeeded Apolinarius Bishop of Alexandria Domninus Bishop of Antioch Eustochius was Bishop of Ierusalem Iustinianus summoned the fift councell vpon such an occasion as followeth When the patrons of Origens opinions preuayled in many places but speciallye at Newe Laura so did they call it Eustochius imployed his wholl care and industry to the banishing of them He made a voyage into Newe Laura droue them all out of that coaste and in so doing he seemed to put to flighte the common plague and destruction of them all They beinge scattered abroade into sundrye cuntreys perswaded many to embrace theyr opinions There fauored them Theodorus syrnamed Ascidas Bishop of Caesarea the heade citie in Cappadocia who was continewally with Iustinian one that was bothe faithfull and necessarie When this Theodorus incensed the Emperours courte and pallace againste Eustochius makinge relation vnto them as of an haynous and horrible matter Eustochius sente Rufus Abbot of Theodosius Monastery and Conon Abbot of Saba to Constantinople bothe which partly for theyr vertue and excellency and partly also for the biggenesse of theyr Monasteries were counted chiefe and principall of the Monkes which inhabited the desertes There accompanied them also other religious men not much inferiour vnto them for worthines These men as theyr speciall drifte called into controuersie the opinions of Origen the behauiour of Euagrius and Didymus But Theodorus Byshop of Caesarea in Cappadocia beinge desirous to bringe them from that argumente proposed the cause of Theodorus Bishop of Mopsouestia Theodoritus and Ibas neyther did he this without the prouidence of almighty God who disposed all the circumstances so notably to the end euery prophane and wicked opinion of whether side so euer it were might be rooted out First of all when the questiō was propounded whether it were lawefull to accurse the deade or no Eutychius then presente a man very well seene in holy Scripture yet none of the famous personages or of great authority Menas was then aliue whome he succeeded in the bishopricke and at that time he sate to answere for the Bishop of Amasia when he perceaued that the councell went not a right but rather the wrōg way he tolde them plainely there was nothinge to be doubted in that question neyther any thing that required deliberation at all That kinge Iosias not onely executed the Idol Priestes then aliue but caused also the tumbes of suche as were lately deseased to be digged vp These wordes of Eutychius beinge so well applied pleased them all and satisfied them fullye Iustinianus also hearinge of this
Iustus and the first Bishop of Ierusalem yet Petrus de natalibus Volaterran and Demochares all which three wrote the catalogue of these disciples doe name no such one Eusebius Clemens Alexandrinus and Paule himselfe doe call him an Apostle and no disciple The 2. is Timothee whome the three aforesayde writers doe not number The 3. Titus The 4. Barnabas so doth Clemens Alexandrinus and Eusebius call him this is that Barnabas which in the Actes of the Apostles as Antoninus writeth was otherwise called Ioses and hauinge land solde it and layde the price downe at the Apostles feete The 5. Ananias The 6. Stephan The 7. Philip Bishop of Tralleis in Asia Volaterran sayth he was Bishop in Thracia Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say he was Bishop in Thracia afterwardes in Scythia Antoninus saith he dyed at Caesarea The 8. Prochorus whom Volaterran calleth Proculus The 9. Nicanor The 10. Simon Bishop of Bostra in Arabia Demochares Volaterran Petrus de natalibus doe saye he was Bishop of Tyre and Sidon The 11. Nicolas Bishop of Sapria yet say the aforesayd three autors it was Samaria The 12. Parmenas The 13. Cleopas The 14. Silas The 15. Siluanus The 16. Crescens bishop of Chalcedonia in Fraūce Volaterran calleth him Crisces Bishop of Chalcedonia Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Chrysches Bishop of Chalcedonia S. Paule sayth he sent this Crescens into Galatia Eusebius sayth the Apostle sent him into Fraunce whereby it appeareth by some mens coniectures that the Epistle vnto the Galatians was writtē by S. Paule vnto the French men The 17. Epaenetus yet Volaterran hath none suche The 18. Andronicus The 19. Amplias Bishop of Odissa Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Ampliatus and Bishop of Edissa Volaterran saith of Edessa The 20. Vrbanus The 21. Stachys the aforesaide autors doe call him Stateus The 22. Apelles Bishop of Smyrna Volaterran saith of Heraclea Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say it was of Eradia The 23. Aristobulus Bishop of Brettania Volaterran saith Betania Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye it vvas Bethania The 24. Narcissus Byshop of Patrae Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Tarcissus Byshop of Athens and Volaterran sayth he was Byshop of Athens The 25. Herodion Volaterran hath none suche The 26. Rufus The 27. Asyncritus The 28. Plegon The 29. Hermes Byshop of Dalmatia Volaterran Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye he was Byshop of Philipolis The 30. Hermas but the other writers haue none suche The 31. Patrobas ▪ Byshop of Nepotiopolis Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye of the nation Peli The 32. Agabus The 33. Linus The 34. Gaius Byshope of Ephesus after Timothee yet Origen sayth he was Byshop of Thessalonica The 35. Philologus The 36. Olympas the asoresayde three autors haue none suche Ambrose taketh this Olympas for the sister of Nereus but Origen doth not so The 37. Rodion the other writers remember none of that name The 38. Iason The 39. Sosipater bishop of Iconium Origen taketh him to be that Sopater of Berroea mētioned in the Acts of the Apostles The 40. Lucius whom Origē taketh to be Luke The 41. Tertius bishop of Iconium yet Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say he was b. of Meiadum Volaterran hath none such The 42. Erastus bishop of Paneas whom Volaterran calleth Erastes b. of Meiadum but Demochares Petrus de natalibus haue none such The 43. Phigellus whom Volaterran calleth Philetus Philegus The 44. Hermogenes The 45. Demas The 46. Quartus The 47. Apollos b. of Caesarea yet Petrus de natalibus saith it was of Connia The 48. Cephas who as Dorotheus gesseth was he whom Paule reprehended at Antioch but it is a fable as it is to be sene in the censure laid downe in Eusebius pag. 15. 16. the aforesaid latine writers haue none such among the disciples The 49. Sosthenes The 50. Epaphroditus b. of Adriana as Demochares saith of Andriaca The 51. Caesar The 52. Marcus the cosin of Barnabas The 53. Ioseph The 54. Artemas whom Volaterran calleth Antomas The 55. Clemens The 56. Onesiphorus or Onesimus yet by the words of Paule they should not be one The 57. Tychicus b. of Chalcedō in Bithynia or as the former autors doe write of Colophonia The 58. Carpus Bishop of Berhoea Petrus de natalibus saith of Beronia and Volaterran saith of Cheronea The 59. Euodius The 60. Philemon The 61. Zenas The 62. Aquila the aforesayde Latine writers doe remember none suche The 63. Priscas whome the Latines doe call Priscus The 64. Iunias Origen and Ambrose doe call him Iulias The 65. Marcus otherwise called Iohn The 66. Aristarchus The 67. Pudas or Pudens The 68. Trophimus The 69. Marke the Euangeliste and the 70. Luke the Euangeliste Besides these 70. I finde others also in holye Scripture vvorthye the notinge namelye Symeon Niger Manahen Iude othervvise called Barsabas Crispus Alexander one that behaued him selfe verye stoutlye at Ephesus Secundus Mnason of Cyprus an olde Disciple Mercurius Nereus Fortunatus Achaicus Syntiches Epaphras Nymphas Archippus Eubolus the Eunuche Baptized of Philippe in the Actes vvhome Eusebius calleth a Disciple vvyth others Other vvryters as Vincentius and Antoninus haue founde out more namelye Sauinianus Potentianus Altinus Cis Maximinus Iohannes Senior Aristion Zozimus Euphrates Martialis Sidonius Lazarus Vrsinus Iulianus and no maruayle for Sayncte Paule vvitnesseth that Christe vvas seene after his resurrection of moe then fiue hundred brethren These be they whom God raised vp to plant the principles of his Gospell and the sounde of their feete was heard throughout the world these be they which fedde with Angelles and became themselues foode for wilde beastes they spared not their liues vnto the death they quenched the heate of fire they turned the edge of the sworde they stopped the mouthes of furious beastes they confounded the tyrants and foyledde the ennemies of the truthe I may say of them as Cyprian speaketh of the true Christians and Martyrs occidi poterant sed vinci non poterant Well they might be slaine but it was vnpossible to ouercome them And yet when the ennemie triumpheth that at lest wise he seemeth to haue brought his purpose about we may comfort our selues with this saying Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae the bloude of the Martyrs is the seede of the Churche Christ him selfe foretolde that whosoeuer woulde be his disciple must take vppe his crosse and followe him These Prophets and these Apostles and these Disciples haue done no lesse Abel was murthered by Cain The children of Israel were oppressed vnder Pharao Elias was persecuted by Iezabel The Prophet Ioath was threatned by Ieroboam and slaine of a Lion Zacharie the sonne of Iehoida was stoned to death Micheas was throwne downe and his necke broken Amos was smitten with a clubbe on the temples of the heade and so brained Esaias was sawed asunder in two partes with a wodden sawe