as he deserv'd the Government was Re-establish'd in its right Method The Emperor perswaded by his Wife and pious Sister resolved to Assemble a Council to Redress the Divisions of the Church but he could not execute his Resolution being prevented by Death which seized on him that Year in The Death of Theodosius the Fiftieth of his Age and the Forty Third of his Reign A Prince without Vice Pious and of an extraordinary Good Temper but Weak and very easie to be Governed by those who were near him From Christ 450. He dying without Issue the Senate People and Soldiers chose with a common suffrage Martian for their Emperor Martian Emperor who from a common Soldier rose by his Valour and great Conduct to the highest Commands in the Army Pulcheria having Pulcheria Marrys him procur'd by her Interest to raise him to this high Dignity marry'd him on this Condition as the Historians of that time have Written That they should live Chastly together as Brother and Sister From Christ 451. A little while after by the Authority of the two Emperors Valentinian and Martian a Council was Assembled of Six Hundred The Council of Chalcedon and Thirty Bishops in the City of Chalcedon The Errors of Eutychus were there Condemned and their Author Banish'd as also some Bishops his Adherents among others Dioscorus Bishop of Alexandria The Council confirmed what had been already Decreed by that of Constantinople under Theodosius the Great touching the Equality of Precedence between the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople notwithstanding the Displeasure resented by the Legats of Leo Bishop of Rome Attyla King of the Huns was come with Attyla King of the Huns. a formidable Army which reach'd from the Banks of Tanais even unto the heart of Gaule Ravaging and Destroying all that dared to oppose him The City of Orleans refused to Surrender and while he besieged it Aetius Prefect of the Gaules made a League with Meroveus King of the French Theodorick King of the Goths and Gondicar King of the Buâ—gundians against this common Enemy The Confederates came to meet him before Orleans with their united Forces so soon as they approach'd Attyla raised the Siege and retreated they follow'd and overtook him in the Cataulaunike Plains where they overcome him with a mighty Slaughter of Overcome near Chalons Men. After this great Overthrow he retired into Illyria where he gathered together another Army greater then his first he came back into Italy took and destroyed Enters into Italy Aquilia and after that all the other Towns he past through so that he might have gone even to Rome if he had not been diswaded from going there by Bishop Leo who came to meet him and prevailed with him to March another way He past a second time into Gaule where Is again defeated in Gaule he was once more Defeated by Torismond King of the Goths and Sangiban King of the Allanes so being forc'd to retire he stopt in Panonia with his Huns from whom Panonia called Hungary that Province was called Hungary There as he was Celebrating his Nuptial with a Young Lady a Daughter of the King of the Bactrians who voluntarily had followed him he Gorged himself so Excessively The Death of Attyla with Eating and Drinking that it choak'd him From Christ 352. The People round about Aquilia and other neighbouring Counties of the Continent to preserve themselves from the Fury of Attyla retired to the Islands at the end of the Adriatick Sea which gave there the first Beginning to that wonderful City which from the Name of Heneti or Veneti was called Venice which by process of Venice time is become chief of a powerful Republick The British Islanders being infested by the frequent Incursions of the Scots or Picts applied themselves to Aetius Prefect of the Gauls to help them against their cruel Enemies He could not well supply them with Succors having to deal with Attyla and other Barbarians who ravaged Gaul Whereupon the Britains implored the Aid of the Saxons Who came over under the Command of Hengist with so vast an Army that in a little time they became Masters of that Country which took the Name of England Whether it was from the Angles the The Saxons in Britain chief People of the Saxons or else from Hengist by Contraction with the Word Land which signifies the Earth from The Name of England whence was derived the Name of England Valentinian was an imprudent Prince and was also wicked and debauch'd He The Death of Aetius put to Death Aetius Prefect of the Gauls upon false grounded Suspitions of his Fidelity And to fill up the Measure of his great Injustice he made use of a cunning Stratagem to violate the Wife of the Senator Maximus Grand-son to that Maximus who had taken the Title of Emperor and had been overcome and killed by Theodosius the Great This last vâ—â—lent Act of Valentinian cost him his Life For the Wife of that Senator died with extream Grief for the irreparable Injury she sustained Her Husband to Revenge himself seduc'd the Soldiers The Death of Valentinian III. who without making it known who did set them on killed Valentinian So Maximus having made an Interest Maximus Emperor with the Paetorian Bands they proclaimed him Emperor and the Senate acquiess'd to it more willingly because he married Eudoxia Daughter to Theodosius the Younger and Widow to Valentinian From Ch. 455. Maximus reap'd small Advantage by his Treason he was so indiscreet to discover the Secret to his new Wife thinking by that means to give her a full Assurance of his Loyal Love But the only Effect it wrought upon her was to make her resolve to Revenge the Death of her first Husband by that of the Second To which end she privately sollicited Genseric King of the Vandals to come into Italy Where he arrived with that Expedition that Maximus being not in a Condition to resist him fled from Rome to save himself in the Mountains but he was stoned to Maximus killed Death by the People enraged against him for his base Flight From Christ 456. Three Days after Genseric had entred Genseric takes Rome Rome and wasted it more cruelly than the Goths had done he had not time to ruine it utterly For the Winter approaching obliged him to set Sail for Africk to secure the vast Riches he had plundered and the great Number of Illustrious Prisoners he had taken among whom were the Empress Eudoxia with her two Daughters Eudoxia and Placidia After Genseric was retreated Avitus was acknowledg'd Emperor of Rome The Avitus Emperor Army of the Gauls having before proclaimed him But the Romans soon grew weary of him finding his Court composed not only of Gauls but also of Officers and Soldiers of his Army being the most part Barbarians Finding himself to be very much hated for that Cause he willingly resign'd up the Empire and retired to
long time like a Monk he had brought over with him Paula and his Daughter Eustochia the best qualified Ladies in Rome After he had made a great Friendship with Ruffinus a Priest of Aquilia he broke it off Ruffinus with him when he found him to be an Origenist He writ most severely against Vigilantius Vigilantius a Spanish Priest who was an Enemy to the unmarried Clergy he also vigorously oppos'd the Errors of Helvidius who Helvidius denied the Honour due to the Holy Virgin Mother of our Saviour At this time flourrish'd Paulus Orosius Paulus Orosius Author of the Seven Books of the Universal History from the Creation of the World to his time The Emperor Honorius The Death of Honorius died of a Dropsie Aged Thirty Nine Years having Reign'd Twenty Eight Some time before his death he conferred the Title of Emperor Augustus on Constance his Brother-in-law who marry'd Placidia Widow to Astolfus King of the Goths Constance died not long after he was Marry'd leaving Valentinian his Son under the Tuition of his Mother Placidia she and her Son lived at Constantinople when Honorius died so Italy being destitute of the Royal Presence of the Princes John the Tyrant John a Prefect of the Praetorian Bands took upon him the Title of Emperor Placidia having heard of it marches with her Son to Fight the Tyrant who was taken by surprize at Ravenna by the means of some Officers faithful to the Princes He was brought Prisoner to them at Aquilia when they there were and where the Rebel had his Head cut off His Death so the Empire was divided between the Theodosius the 2d and Valentinian the 3d. Emperors Bishops of Rome two Cousins Theodosius the Second and Valentinian the Third The first keeping his Court at Constantinople and the other at Rome From Christ 423. Boniface Bishop of Rome and Successor to Innocent died in the same Year as Honorius the Emperor Count Boniface Governour of Africk incensed on a false Accusation that Placidia Regent of the Western Empire design'd to put him out of his Government called Tâ—â— Vandalls in Africk Genseric their King The Death of St. Augustin the Vandals out of Spain into Africk of which they easily took Possession under the Conduct of Genseric their King St. Augustin Bishop of Hippo in the same Province of Africk died a little before the taking of that City by the Vandalls This Great Father of the Church opposed the Errors of the Manichees though he had been infected with them in his Youth he boldly Combated against the Errors of Pelagius thâ— Heritick The Council of Carthage and of Mileva Pelagius who at that time declared himself an Enemy to our Saviour Christ They were Condemned in two Councils held at Carthage and at Mileva at the same time Pelagius had two Disciples Celestius and Julien Celestius was wholly of the Opinion of his Master Julien was not altogether of that Opinion but acknowledged a necessity of the Grace of Jesus Christ for the Conversion and intire accomplishment of Salvation he affirmed that the Beginnings and Inclinations depended on the will of Man John Cassian a Monk who had been a John Cassian Disciple of St. John Chrisostome being retired to Marseilles infected the Priests and Monks of that City and all thereabouts with this Error of Semipelagianism Prosperus of Aquitaine opposed it most Prosperus of Aquitaine Vigorously in Gaule as his Master St. Augustin had done in Africk At this time flourish'd in Gaule Severus Sulpitius Author of the two Books of the Learned Men. Sacred History And in the East Theodoret Bishop of Cir who Writ the Ecclesiastical History from Constantine to Theodosius the Younger Genseric King of the Vandals took Carthage Carthage taken and made it the Metropolis of the Kingdom he Establish'd in Africk In the same Year Theodosius assembled a The Council of Ephesus against Nestorius Council at Ephesus to enquire into the Opinion of Nestorius Bishop of Constantinople who asserted two Persons in Jesus Christ This Error was condemned there Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria by the Council in which presided Cyrillus Bishop of Alexandria John Bishop of Alexandria in Thrace pretending that that precedency belonged to him because that Ephesus depended on his Metropolis and had drawn away several Bishops to its Faction among others Theodoret Bishop of Cir with whom he had Assembled another Council in the same City of Ephesus not to countenance the Errors of Nestorius but to demonstrate that they had mistaken the Forms of Proceeding In the mean time Affairs were embroiled to that Degree that the Emperor not being able at first to discover the Truth imprisoned Cyrillus and Nestorius but at last being better informed of the justice of the Cause he set Cyrillus at Liberty and sent Nestorius The Death of Nestorius to utter Banishment where he died Miserably From Christ 432. Caelestin Bishop of Rome died the Year Bishops of Rome after that Council was held He had there his Legats who Subscribed to the Condemnation of Nestorius who had been already Condemned at Rome in a Council which had been there Assembled by the same Caelestin Sixtus the Third his Successor held the See Eight Years during which time all was very quiet in the Church From Christ 440. But the Church was again disturbed in Eutychus the Heritick the East by Eutychus a Priest and Abbot of the Monks of Constantinople who by an Error contrary to that of Nestorius asserted but one Nature in Jesus Christ he found so many Adherents among the A false Câ—uncil at Ephesus Eastern Bishops that a great number of them being Assembled at Ephesus his Error was approved of in that false Council where things were carried with that Violence that Flavian who had been made Flavian Bishop of Constantinople Bishop of Constantinople in the place of Nestorius for having oppos'd the Judgment of the Council that favoured Eutychus suffer'd Martyrdom not by the hands of the Pagans but by those of Barsumas an Abbot and of Dioscorus Bishop of Alandria and President of the Assembly From Christ 449. These great Troubles were redrest at Pulcheria Sister to Theodosius the return of Pulcheria to the Court of her Brother Theodosius There had been formerly some Disgust between her and her Sister-in-law Eudosia Eudosia his Wife which had obliged that Empress to retire to Jerusalem where she had wholly Devoted her self to Piety and Charity towards the Poor From that time the Eunuch Chrisapius Chrisapius was become so great a Favorite to Theodosius that Pulcheria making that Minister jealous of her was removed but the pressing necessity of Affairs obliged Theodosius to recall her she made her Brother highly sensible of the ill Conduct his Favorite used in Governing the Empire and of his most inveterate Malice to foment the Troubles of the Church so the Eunuch having been punish'd
Herod who made himself a while after so Renowned Of the World 3242 before Ch. 62. In Aegypt Alexander having killed his King of Aegypt Mother Cleopatra who was so indulgent to him that she set him on the Throne to the greatest Injustice to her eldest Son Lathurus The Aegyptians set him up after they had expelled the other Both being dead Galinius Pro-Consul of Syria received Orders from the Senate to put in possession of that Kingdom Ptolomy Auletes Son to Lathurus whom the Aegyptians had expelled Crassus plundered the Temple of Jerusalem Crassus plunders the Temple of Jerusalem is overcome and killed by the Parthians Caius Julius Caesar subdues the Gauls The Jews did artribute for that Sacriledge the unhappy Success of the War he made against the Parthians where he and his Son were overcome and killed C. Julius Caesar after his first Consulate having had the Government of Gaule-Cisalpine subdued the Trans-Alpines in Nine Years time The Senate being jealous of his growing Power commanded him to disarm upon his Refusal he was declared an Enemy to the Commonwealth Which occasioned The Civil War a Civil War Of the World 3255 before Ch. 49. The Senate having given the Command of their Army to Pompey upon Caesar's coming he was forc'd to pass the Sea to Dyrachium In the mean time he made himself to be chose Consul at Rome then passed into Caesar Consul the Second time Reduces Spain Spain where without hardly a Blow struck he forced Afranius and Petreius to deliver up to him the five Legions they commanded for Pompey And the like Submission was shewn by Varro who commanded a Legion for the same Faction which lay towards the Streights of Gades in that Kingdom At his Return he press'd the Siege of Marseilles which he left block'd up when Takes and ruines Marseilles he went into Spain He took it and destroyed it making that miserable City an Example to those that took part with his Enemies Then he came back to Rome but stayed He comes back co Rome no longer there than was necessary to regulate his own Affairs So he went to Brundusium and from thence to the other Passes the Sea to fight Pompey side of the Sea to fight Pompey After some Skirmishes between the two Armies the Business was at last decided in the Plains of Pharsalia where Pompey was The Battle of Pharsalia overcome tho' he had had an Army far more numerous than that of Caesar's Of the World 3956 before Ch. 48. Pompey flying after this great Misfortune to the Coasts of Aegypt was there killed Pompey killed by the Treachery of the Counsellors of young Ptolomy Denis who had succeeded his Father Auletes Caesar arriv'd soon after in Aegypt where Caesar arrives in Aegypt by his Policy and Strength he defended himself against the Ambuscades of the Aegyptians And after an open War had been declared he defeated them by Sea and Land their young King being killed in The End of Ptolomy in Aegypt Cleopatra Queen of Aegypt a Land-Battle Then Caesar falling in Love with Cleopatra Sister to the slain King made her Queen of Aegypt tho' he might have reduc'd it to a Province Pharnaces the Son of Mithridates who Caesar against Pharnaces remained in possession of some Provinces near the Bosphorus judging this Opportunity of the Civil War favourable to his Designs he had taken not only enterprized upon the Pontus the ancient Patrimony of his Royal Family but also on Bythinia and Cappadocia Caesar returning from Aegypt advanced towards him and ended the War with as much Facility as Expedition So that he writ to one of his Friends it was the same thing for him To come to see and to overcome In his Return to Rome he set at Liberty the Prince Aristobulus who had been taken by Pompey Caesar likewise assisted him with some Forces in order to put himself in possession of the Kingdom of the Jews But having been poyson'd by the Treachery of his Enemies his eldest Son Alexander fell into the Hands of Scipio who cut off his Head at Antioch His younger Son Antigonus retired to the Parthians So that in Judea the High-Priesthood remaining still in the Hands of Hircanus elder Brother to the deceased Aristobulus The Political Government was administred by Antipater and his two Sons Phaselus and Herodes Caesar passed over into Affrick against Caesar in Affrick Cato Scipio Massinissa King of Numidia and others who having got together the Remains of Pompeys's Army had powerfully renewed the War in those parts They were all defeated by Caesar near Tapsus The Battle of Tapsus his Victory was so great that the chief of them despairing to be able to renew Catos's Death The Death of Massinissa Paetreus and Scipio the War killed themselves Cato at Utica Massinissa and Petraeus at Cirta the capitol City in Numidia Scipio at Sea finding his Vessel taken by one of Caesars Of the World 3959 before Ch. 45. The Conqueror being returned to Rome took possession of his fourth Consulat then went into Spain against the two Sons of Caesar goes into Spain Pompey who had seized of that Province and had got there a numerous great Army The decisive Battle was fought near The Battle of Munda Munda where the Eldest of the two Brothers Cneius Pompey was killed with a Thousand Knights and Thirty Thousand other Romans The younger Brother Sextus Pompeius escapt being reserved for another Fortune Caesar returned to Rome and there celebrated Caesars ' s Triumphs five Triumphs first of the Gaules of that of Aegypt of Pontus of Affrick and of Spain without making mention of the Battle of Pharsalia of Tapsus and of Munda It was at that time that the Calendar He reforms the Calender was begun to be used for Caesar as Soveraign Priest had reformed it the Year before Caesar by so great and fortunate Successes being Master of the Common-wealth the Senate conferred on him the highest Honours with an Absolute Power to command all the Roman Empire which gave occasion of the Conspiracy made against him by the two Brutuses Marcus and Decimus Caius Cassius and others of the chief of the Nobility who killed him Caesars Death in the Senate as he was preparing to make War against the Parthyans Of the World 3960 before Ch. 44. Octavius Caesar Grand Son to Julia Octavius Caesar And mark Anothony united Sister of Julius Caesar and his adopted Son took the Name Inheritance and all the Rights of his Father and maintained it with the help of Marcus Antonius the zealous Friend of Julius Caesar These two in a short time fell out Marcus Antonius having besieged Modena the Senate gave Octavius a Commission to raise the Siege where Decimus Brutus was shut up Octavius accomplisht the design so well that Anthony being overcome Mark Anthony overcome at Modena and retires to Lepidus fled into Gaule where he was kindly received by
more than Seventy Antoninus ' â— Death Years From Christ 261. Marcus Aurelius whom Antoninus had Marcus Aurelius Lucius Verus Successors Anicetus Bishop of Rome Adopted and Lucius Verus Adopted by Aurelius succeeded him Anicetus Bishop of Rome Justin the Apologist for the Christians with a great Number of others were Crowned Martyrs in the Persecution Marcus Aurelius raised up against them From Christ 162. War against the Parthians In the beginning of his Reign he had sent his Colleague to make War against the Parthians but Lucius Verus a debauch'd Man staying at Antioch to take his Pleasures sent his Lieutenants upon that Expedition which proved very successful to the Romans the Parthians having been defeated in many Rencounters From Christ 165. Polycarpus Bishop of Smirna and Disciple St. Polycarp of St. John the Evangelist ended his long Life by a glorious Martyrdom In like manner suffered Photinus Bishop Martyrs of Lyons of Lyons where many of his Flock instructed by him in their Faith received the same Happiness From Christ 167. Lucius Verus died as he came back from Lucius Verus ' s Death Illyria with Marcus Aurelius After his Death Marcus Aurelius found him better dispos'd to receive the Apologies presented Apologies for the Christians to him by Meliton Bishop of Sardis and the Philosopher Athenagâ—ras who so far prevailed to mitigate the Persecution Yet the Idolaters persevered to sacrifice many Christians to their Hate even at Rome Bishops of Rome where Soter Bishop and Successor to Anicetus suffered Martyrdom From Christ 170. The Persecution at length wholly ceased The Persecution ceases by the miraculous help that Aurelius received from Heaven by the fervent Prayers of the Christians which composed a Legion of the Army he had brought to fight against the Macromans This Legion was called the Thunderers The Thundering Legion because it had prevailed with Heaven to extirpate the Barbarians by a Tempest that discharged itself only upon them without falling on the Romans From Christ 173. Nevertheless Aurelius was forc'd to quit that War in order to compose a Civil A Civil War War broke out in Syria by the Pro-Consul Cassius Aurelius having happily concluded it The Exploit of Marcus Aurelius return'd to the Northern Parts against the Germans Panonians and Sarmatians all which he overcame with great Glory He died as he lived with that Constancy Marcus Aurelius ' s Death and Resolution worthy a Stoick Philosopher as he profess'd himself to be From Christ 180. His Son Commodus succeeded him in the Commodus ' s Son and Successor Empire but not in his Vertues The first five Years of his Reign were only remarkable for excessive Debaucheries From Christ 185. However the Church enjoying Peace Eleutherius Successor to Soter Bishop of Bishops of Rome Rome died of a Natural Death He was the first Bishop of that City who died so Many Hereticks disturbed this outward Hereticks Peace by their extravagant Opinions such as were those of the Adamites Abelites Sethites Ophytes and Cainites with others more dangerous as those of Theodâ—sien of Praxeus Hermogenes and of Artemâ—n Enemies to the Divinity of Jesus Christ. Tertullian a Priest of Lyons and Irenaeus Tertullian Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons disputed on the contrary for the true Doctrine by their Learned Works but the first had the Misfortune to yield to the Errors of Montanus and the Encratites The Learned Men who flourish'd since Trajan to this time were Appian Aelian Learned Men. Pausanias Justin the Abreviator of Trogus Pompeius Historians Ptolomy the Geographer Diogenes Laertius Athneus Apuleus Julius Pollux Maximus of Tyre Rhetoricians and Philosophers Marullus the Poet. Among the Christians Egesipus the Historian In the last Seven Years of Commodus the Empire was rendred desolate by the Plague and Famine and Rome particularly by a horrible Fire and by a terrible Earthquake This Monster of a Prince being not in the least reclaimed by all these Calamities still persevered in his most dissolute Debauches till the World being no longer able to suffer them he was poyson'd and Commodus ' s Death then strangled by a Faction of his own Domesticks From Christ 192. Helvius Pertinax chosen by the Conspirators Pertinax his Successor to succeed him was received with Joy by the Senate and People by reason of his good Qualities which recompenc'd the Meanness of his Birth But the Praetorian Bands suffering with Regret the want of those licentious Liberties to which they had been accustomed during the former Reign killed him within less than He is kill'd three Months After that the Murtherers retired and fortified themselves in their Camp crying out That the Empire was to be sold For in effect they bestowed it on Didius Julianus Didius Julianus his Successor who gave them more Money than was offered them by his Competitor Sulpitius Son-in-Law to Pertinax So the Senate and People chose an Emperor after this manner who in himself was very debauch'd From Christ 193. In the mean time three Generals of the Armies were proclaimed Emperors in three Three other Emperors several Provinces Pescenius Niger in Syria Albinus in Great Brittain Septimus Severus in Illyria and Panonia Severus being more politick than the others came into Italy with design as he said to incite the People to Revenge the Death of Pertinax The Senate encouraged by his Conduct Arraigned and Condemned Didius Julianus who was executed The Death of Didius Julianus Severus Emperor so that Severus coming to Rome was there received and acknowledged Emperour by the Senate and People The Year following he went into the East against Niger who was kill'd after The Death of Niger he had been overcome in a Battle in Cilicia From Christ 194. At that time there arose a Dispute touching The Dispute about Easter-Day the Day of the Celebration of Easter between Victor Bishop of Rome and the Bishops of Asia The Bishop of Rome would have it celebrated the Sunday after the 14th of the New Moon of March The others to be celebrated on the 14th of that Moon precisely on that Day of the Week it should happen From thence they were called the Quarto Decimans Quarto Decimans Tho' the Business was of no great Importance yet the learned Church-men were so inflamed by the Dispute that reciprocal Excommunations past between Victor Bishop of Rome and the Asian Bishops From Christ 197. Tho' Severus was overcome by Niger yet he had the good Fortune to defeat Albinus who afterwards killed himself near Thâ— Death of Albinus Lyons the Battle between them was so bloody that the River Arar thereby changed its Colour and was since called Sangone and by abbreviation Saone From Christ 198. The City of Lyons was of Albinus's side even all the Inhabitants were Christians Severus took that occasion to persecute Severus persecutes the Christians St. Ireneus Martyr the Faithful He put