which contained the division of the 12 Tribes the description of the City Jerusalem and the Hebrew appellations of extraneous nations is now lost But the latter which treats of the Hebrew names of places was above twenty years since put forth in Greek by the Reverend Father Bonsrerius to which there is prefixt an Epistle to Paulinus Wherein Eusebius attests that by Paulinus's perswasion he attempted that work and he gives him this title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 O Paulinus thou sacred man of God! Paulinus therefore was our Eusebius's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Instigator to compile his books as Ambrosius heretofore was Origen's Further this Paulinus was at first a Presbyter of Antioch Afterwards being preferred to the Bishoprick of Tyre he was much commended for his Presidency over that Church And at length when Eustathius was divested of the See of Antioch he was by the Antiochians preferred to the Goverment of their Church so Eusebius info 〈…〉 us in his book against Marcellus chap. 4. in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Afterwards he inveighs against the man of God Paulinus a most blessed person who was adorned with the dignity of a Presbyter at Antioch and was so famous for his Government of the Tyrian Church that the Antiochians challenged him as their own proper goods Philostorgius book 3. chap. 15. says expresly that Paulinus succeeded Eustathius in the See of Antioch and that six months after his translation he died Paulinus therefore died in the year of Christ 328 after he had born the Episcopate of Antioch six months Wherefore Gothofredus is much mistaken who in his notes on Philostorgius supposes Paulinus to have died in the year of Christ 324 and blames Philostorgius for being inconstant to himself But Philostorgius agrees very well with himself which Gothofredus does not in asserting that Paulinus Bishop of Tyre died on the year of Christ 324. undoubtedly Paulinus Bishop of Tyre was present at the Nicene Council and survived that Synod sometime as Theodoret informs us book 1. chap. 6. and Sozomen book 2. chap. 18. Baronius indeed says that Paulinus died in the year 324 and that Eustathius succeeded him But Baronius affirms not that that Paulinus whom he makes Eustathius's predecessour was Bishop of Tyre Vales. * The phrase in the original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Valesius Chistophorson and Grynaeus render in perfecto numero and we in its due order Psal. 98. 1 2 3. Psal. 46 8 9. * Psal. 37. 35 36. b This place which neither Musculus nor Christophorson understood must be thus mended 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. But although they did not enjoy them in the same degree that we did yet at least in some measure might together with us partake of the streams c. Vales. In Stephens Edit the reading is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. * Ezek. 37. v. 7. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here as 't is frequently in this Historian us'd to signifie the praising of God so also is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 laudare Deum to praise God Vales. b Rufinus's Version of this place may serve in stead of a comment he translates it thus Jam verò ingens in Sacerdotiis ministeriis atque in omnibus quae ad religionis observantiam pertinent gratia refulgebat Adstabant hic psallentium chori juvenes virgines senes cum junioribus laudabant nomen domini Hic mystica ministeria ordinatis dispositis vicibus agebantur And now an exceeding great glory and beauty appeared in the performances of the Presbyters and in the Ecclesiastick Services and in all things belonging to the observances of Religion In one place the company of those that sung Psalms youths and virgins old men and young praised the name of the Lord. In another the mysticall services were performed by set courses orderly appointed The terms 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore denote the people of the congregation who sang Psalms in the Church and hearkned to the sacred Lessons which is confirmed by these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 auditours of the expressions which can be understood of the Laicks only The words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 point out to us the Presbyters who performed the mystical ceremonies Vales. c By these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the mystical Symbols of our Saviour's passion is meant Baptism which is a sign of our Saviour's suffering For by Baptism we die and are buried with Christ and we rise again through the same Christ by faith See Colos. 2. 12. Vales. a These words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render to whom God hath given this special and particular priviledge Christoph. understands as if this were the sense of them viz. That this Church which was founded by Paulinus was a special ornament or honour to Christ and his Church but Musculus follows the same sense that I do Vales. b In the Greek Text the term is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we have translated Religious but doubtless Eusebius wrote 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 majestick for it would be a simple way of expressing ones self thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Religious Auditory of Religion Vales. * Psal. 44. v. 1. Psal. 48. v. 8. * 1 Tim. c. 3. v. 15. †Psal. 87. v. 2. * Psal. 122. v. 1. †Psal. 26. v. 8. * Psal. 48. v. 1. c In the Med. M. S. I found this Scholion written at these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Thou deliverest no good divinity here O Eusebius I concerning the Son of God who is coëqual in dominion coëternal and con-Creatour of all things with the Father Thou stilest him the second Authour of all good when as he is the same Authour and Framer of all things with the Father and of the same substance with him Also in the Maz. M. S. we met with this Scholion here in a later hand wherein Eusebius is also reproved in regard he subjects the Son to the Father and attributes to him the second place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is why doest thou utter this divinity O man to thine own destruction detracting from and subjecting him who in glory power and essence is every way like the Father and attributing to him the second place from the Father Thy sentiments and writings do herein contradict those holy Fathers who determined the Son to be coëssential with the Father To whose opinion thou didst subscribe unless they who wrote their Acts do declare a palpable untruth Vales. d In the Greek these following lines the translation whereof is contained within this parenthesis seem to be Iambicks taken out of some Tragedian The words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which verses are undoubtedly very elegant and smel something of Aeschylus or Sophocles But I think they ought rather to be blotted out of this place for they disturb the sence Vales. e Here he first relates what Christ did in the days of old for the salvation of mankind Afterwards
That such as have bought things belonging to the Church or have received them as a gift must restore them ibid. Chap. 42. An earnest Exhortation to worship God ibid. Chap. 43. That those things which Constantine had established by Laws were by him really accomplished and performed Page 565 Chap. 44. That he preferred Christians to the Government of Provinces but if any of the Governours were Pagans he forbad them to Sacrifice ibid. Chap. 45. Concerning the Laws forbidding Sacrifices and ordering the Churches to be built ibid. Chap. 46. Constantine's Letter to Eusebius and the rest of the Bishops concerning the building of Churches and that the old-ones should be repaired and built larger by the assistance of the Presidents Page 566 Chap. 47. That he wrote against Idolatry ibid. Chap. 48. Constantine's Edict to the Provinces concerning the Errour of Polytheism The Preface concerning Virtue and Vice Page 567 Chap. 49. Concerning the Pious Father of Constantine and concerning Diocletian and Maximian the Persecutours ibid. Chap. 50. That by reason of Apollo's Oracle who could not give forth Responses because of The just Men a Persecution was raised ibid. Chap. 51. That Constantine when he was a youth heard that The just Men were the Christians from him that had written the Edicts concerning the Persecution pag. 567 Chap. 52. How may soris of Tortures and Punishments were made use of against the Christians Page 568 Chap. 53. What reception was given to the Christians by the Barbarians ibid. Chap. 54. What manner of revenge overtook them who on account of the Oracle raised a Persecution ibid. Chap. 55. Constantine's Glorification of God and his confession in reference to the sign of the Cross and his prayer for the Churches and people ibid. Chap. 56. How he prayes that all persons may be Christians but forces no body ibid. Chap. 57. He gives glory to God who by his Son has enlightned those that were in Errour Page 569 Chap. 58. Another glorification of God from his Government of the world ibid. Chap. 59. He praises God in regard he alwaies teaches good things ibid. Chap. 60. An Exhortation at the close of the Edict that no person should give trouble or disturbance to another ibid. Chap. 61 How from the City Alexandria controversies were raised on account of Arius Page 570 Chap. 62. Concerning Arius and the Melitians ibid. Chap. 63. How Constantine sent a Legate with a Letter in order to a Composure ibid. Chap. 64. Constantine's Letter to Alexander the Bishop and Arius the Presbyter Page 571 Chap. 65. That he was continually sollicitous about Peace ibid. Chap. 66. In what manner he put a stop to the Controversies raised in Africk ibid. Chap. 67. That the Beginnings of Religion were from the East ibid. Chap. 68. That being troubled by reason of the Disturbance he advises to an Agreement Page 572 Chap. 69. Whence the Controversie between Alexander and Arius arose and that such matters ought not to be enquired into ibid. Chap. 70. An Exhortation to an agreement Page 573 Chap. 71. That a pertinacious Contention ought not to have been raised concerning this matter on account of some light and frivolous Expressions ibid. Cha. 72. That being highly affected with grief in regard of his Piety he was necessitated to shed tears and that on this account he put off the Journey he was about to make into the East Page 574 Chap. 73. That after this Letter the disturbance about the Controversies continued ibid. Book III. Chap. 1. A Comparison of Constantine's Piety with the Improbity of the Persecutors pag. 575 Chap. 2. Again concerning the Piety of Constantine who made a free and open profession of the Cross of Christ. Page 576 Chap. 3. Concerning Constantine's Picture over which was placed a Cross and under it a wounded Dragon ibid. Chap. 4. Again concerning the Controversies raised in Egypt by Arius Page 577 Chap. 5. Concerning the dissention on account of the Feast of Easter ibid. Chap. 6. In what manner he gave order that a Synod should be convened at Nicaea ibid. Chap. 7. Concerning the Oecumenical Synod at which were present Bishops out of all Provinces Page 578 Chap. 8. That like as 't is said in the Acts of the Apostles they met together out of various Nations ibid. Chap. 9. Concerning the Virtue and Age of the two hundred and fifty Bishops ibid. Chap. 10. The Synod was held in the Palace amongst whom Constantine went in and sate together with the Bishops pag. 579 Chap. 11. The Silence of the Synod after Eusebius the Bishop had made a short speech ibid. Chap. 12. Constantine's Speech to the Synod concerning Peace Page 580 Chap. 13. That he reduced those Bishops who were at difference to an agreement ibid. Chap. 14. The Concordant determination of the Synod concerning the Faith and concerning Easter Page 581 Chap. 15. That Constantine entertained the Bishops at a Feast it being his Vicennalia ibid. Chap. 16. The gifts bestowed on the Bishops and the Letters written to all Page 582 Chap. 17. Constantine's Letter to the Churches concerning the Synod convened at Nicaea ibid. Chap. 18. The same persons words concerning the Agreement about the Feast of Easter and against the Jews ibid. Chap. 19. An Exhortation that they would rather follow the greatest part of the world Page 583 Chap. 20. An Exhortation that all should give their assent to the Decrees of the Synod ibid. Chap. 21. His advice to the Bishops now ready to go away that they would preserve Unity Page 584 Chap. 22. In what manner he sent to some and wrote to others and concerning the distributions of money Page 585 Chap. 23. How he wrote to the Egyptians and exhorted them to Peace ibid. Chap. 24. That he frequently wrote Pious Letters to the Bishops and People ibid. Chap. 25. That he ordered a Church to be built at Jerusalem in the holy place of our Saviour's Resurrection ibid. Chap. 26. That the impious had covered our Lord's Sepulchre with Rubbish and Idols Page 586 Chap. 27. In what manner Constantine gave order that the materials wherewith the Idol-Temple had been built and the Rubbish should be removed and thrown at a great distance ibid. Chap. 28. The discovery of the most Holy Sepulchre ibid. Chap. 29. In what manner he wrote to the Presidents and to Macarius the Bishop concerning the building of a Church Page 587 Chap. 30. Constantine's Letter to Macarius concerning the building of the Martyrium of our Saviour ibid. Chap. 31. That he would have this Church built so as to exceed all the Churches in the world for beauty of Walls Columns and Marbles ibid. Chap. 32. That Macarius should write to the Presidents concerning the beautifying of the Concha and concerning Workmen and Materials Page 588 Chap. 33. How the Church of our Saviour was built which the Prophets had termed New-Jerusalem ibid. Chap. 34. A description of the Fabrick of The most Holy Sepulchre Page 589 Chap. 35. A description of the Atrium and of
Hebrews the rest they made small account of They observed also the Sabbath and all other Judaical rites in like manner as the Jews doe but on Sundays they performed the same things with us in remembrance of the Lords Resurrection From whence because of such opinionâ— by them held they got this name to wit the appellation of Ebionites a name that betokens the poverty of their understanding For by this name a begger is called amongst the Hebrews CHAP. XXVIII Of the Arch-Heretick Cerinthus WE have heard that at the same time there was one Cerinthus a Founder of another Heresie Caius whose words I before quoted in that disputation of his now extant writes thus concerning him But Cerinthus also who by Revelations written by himself as it were by some great A postle hath feigned monstrous narrations as if they had been shewed him by Angels and sets them abroach amongst us saying that after the Resurrection the Kingdom of Christ will be terrestriall and that men living again in the flesh at Jerusalem shall be subject to desires and pleasures He also being an enemy to divine Scripture and desirous to induce men into errour says that there shall be the number of a thousand years spent in a nuptial feast And Dionysius also who in our time was chosen Bishop of the Church of Alexandria in his second book concerning promises speaking something of the Revelation of John as from antient tradition mentions this man in these words But Cerinthus the Founder of the Heresie called from him the Cerinthian Heresie was they say the authour of that book being desirous to put a creditable name upon his own Forgery For this was one of the tenets of his doctrine that the Kingdom of Christ should be terrestrial and those things which he being a lover of his body and altogether carnally minded earnestly lusted after in them he dreamt the Kingdome of Christ consisted to wit in the satiety of the belly and of those parts beneath the belly that is in meats drinks and marriages and in those things whereby he thought these might with a greater pretence and shew of piety be procured that is in feasts sacrifices and in the â—laying of offerings Thus far Dionysius But Ireneus in his first book against Heresies does recite some more secret false opinions of this mans and in his third book he delivers in writing a certain story unworthy to be forgotten as from the tradition of Polycarpe saying that John the Apostle going on a time to the Bath to bathe himself and understanding that Cerinthus was within retired in great hast from that place and fled out at the door not enduring to goe under the same roof with him and that he perswaded those who were with him to doe so also saying Let us be gone least the Bath fall Cerinthus that enemy of the truth being within it CHAP. XXIX Of Nicholas and those Hereticks who bear his name AT this time the Heresie called the Heresie of the Nicholaites continued for a very short time of which also the Revelation of John makes mention These boasted of Nicholas one of the Deacons who together with Stephen were Ordained by the Apostles to minister to the poor as the Authour of their Sect. Now Clemens Alexandrinus in the third of his StromatwÌ„n relates thus much of him word for word He they say having a beautifull wife being after our Saviours ascension blamed by the Apostles for his jealousie brought his wife forth and permitted her to marry whom she had a mind to For this deed they report is agreeable to that saying of his to wiâ— That we ought to abuse the flesh Those therefore who follow his Heresie simply and rashly assenting to this saying and imitating this deed doe most impudently give themselves over to fornication But I am given to understand that Nicholas made use of no other woman besides her he married and that those of his children which were daughters remained virgins when they were old and his son continued undefiled by women Which things being thus his bringing of his wife over whom he was said to be jealous forth before the Apostles was a sign of his rejecting and bridling his passion and by those words of his that we ought to abuse the flesh he taught continence and an abstaining from those pleasures which are with so much earnestness desired by men For I suppose he would not according to our Saviours commandment serve two masters pleasure and the Lord. Moreover they say that Matthias taught the same doctrine that we should war against the flesh and abuse it allowing it nothing of pleasure but that we should inrich the soul by Faith and Knowledge Let thus much therefore be spoken concerning those who endeavoured about that time to deprave the truth but on a sudden were wholly extinct CHAP. XXX Concerning those Apostles that are found to have been married BUt Clemens whose words we even now recited after that passage of his before quoted does reckon up those Apostles that are found to have been married upon account of such as despise marriage saying what will they reprehend even the Apostles also For Peter and Philip begat children and Philip matcht his daughters to husbands Paul also in one of his Epistles fears not to name his wife whom he carried not about with him that he might with more expedition perform his Ministration But because we have mentioned these things it will not be troublesome to produce also another story of his worthily memorable which he hath set forth in the seventh of his StromatwÌ„n after this manner Now they say that S t Peter seeing his wife led to be put to death rejoyced because she was called by God and because she was returning home and that calling her by her name he exhorted and comforted her saying O woman Remember the Lord. Such was the wedlock of the Saints and such the entire affection of most dear friends And thus much being pertinent to the subject now in hand we have here seasonably placed CHAP. XXXI Of the Death of John and Philip. INdeed both the time and manner of the death of Paul and Peter and moreover the place where after their departure out of this life their bodies were deposited we have before manifested concerning the time of John's death we have already also in some sort spoken but the place of Sepulchre is demonstrated by the Epistle of Polycrates who was Bishop of the Ephesian Church which he wrote to Victor Bishop of Rome wherein he mentions both him and also Philip the Apostle and his daughters after this manner For also in Asia the great Lights are dead which shall be raised again at the last day the day of the Lord 's coming wherein he shall come with glory from heaven and shall find out all his Saints I mean Philip one of the twelve Apostles who died at Hierapolos and two of his daughters who
therefore suggested to Nicetas the father of Herod but the brother of Dalcis do address to the Governour that he would not give us his body least as they said they leave him that was crucified and begin to worship this person and this they spoke upon account of the suggestion and importunity of the Jews who very diligently watcht us when we were about to take his body out of the fire but they were ignorant that we could never at any time relinquish Christ who suffered for the salvation of all those throughout the world who were to be saved nor yet worship any other For we adore him as being the Son of God but we have a worthy affection for the Martyrs as being the disciples and followers of the Lord because of their most exceeding great love shown to their own King and Master whose companions and fellow disciples we wish our selves to be The Centurion therefore perceiving the contentious obstinacy of the Jews caused the body to be brought forth and as 't is customary with them burnt it and so we at length gathered up his bones more highly to be prized than the most pretious gemms and more refined than the purest gold and deposited them in a decent place of burial whereat being assembled together the Lord grant we may with joy and gladness celebrate the Birth-day of his Martyrdom both in memory of those who have heretofore undergone and been victorious in this glorious conflict and also for the instruction and preparation of such as hereafter shall be exercised therein Thus much concerning the blessed Polycarp who together with twelve Philadelphians was crowned with Martyrdom at Smyrna who alone is so eminently famous and memorable amongst all men that even the heathens every-where doe make mention of him Such was the glorious exit of the admirable and Apostolick Polycarp whose story the brethren of the Church in Smyrna have in the fore-cited Epistle recorded and to the same writing concerning him are annexed other Martyrdomes undergone at the same City of Smyrna and at the same period of time wherein Polycarp suffered Amongst which number Metrodorus supposed to be a Presbyter of the Sect of the Marcionites was burnt to death But the most famous and eminent Martyr of those times was one Pionius Whose particular professions boldness and freeness in speaking Apologies and most learned orations in defence of the faith made both before the people and in the presence of the Governours and moreover his affectionate invitations and encouragements to those who in time of persecution fell into temptation and the consolatory speeches he used to such brethren as made him visits during his imprisonment and further than all this the torments and besides them the exquisite tortours he endured his being nailed to the stake and his fortitude amidst the fiery pile and lastly his death which was subsequent to all these miraculous sufferings whosoever are desirous to know all these particulars we remit them to the Epistle which contains a most ample account concerning him which we have inserted into that collection we made of the sufferings of the Primitive Martyrs Moreover there are extant the Acts and Monuments of others who suffered Martyrdom at Pergamus a City of Asia to wit of Carpus and Papulus and of a woman named Agathonica who after many and most eminent confessions of our faith were made perfect by a glorious death CHAP. XVI How Justin the Philosopher asserting the Christian Religion at the City of Rome suffered Martyrdom AT the same time also Justin of whom we made mention a little before having presented a second Apology to the foresaid Emperours in defence of our faith was crowned with divine Martyrdom Crescens the Philosopher whose life and manners were answerable to the appellation of a Cynick of which Philosophical Sect he was a follower formed and contrived the treacherous plot against him because Justin confuted him often in several disputes had in the presence of many auditours at length by his own Martyrdom he obtained the reward of that truth he was an assertour of Thus much this most studious follower of the truth perceiving before hand what was about to befall him does in his foresaid Apology expresly predict in these same words And I also my self doe expect to be treacherously betraied by some one of those called Philosophers and put in the stocks and perhaps by Crescens that illiterate fellow and one who is a lover of vain glorious boasting for the man is unworthy the name of a Philosopher because he declares in publick such things as he is altogether ignorant of and affirms the Christians to be impious and irreligious persons meerly to please and delight the multitude committing herein a great errour For in that he inveighs against us having never read the doctrine of Christ he is abominably wicked and much worse than the vulgar sort of men who most frequently are cautious in their discourses concerning those things they are ignorant in and avoid speaking falsely thereof But if he has read our doctrine and understands not the majestick sublimity thereof of if he understands it and behaves himself thus because he would not be suspected to be a Christian then he is far more base and wicked in that he makes himself the slave of popular applause and irrational fear For I would have you to know that when I proposed to and asked him some such questions as these I perceived and was convinced he indeed understood nothing at all and that you may know I speak what is true I am ready if those our disputations have not come to your knowledge to propose the queries again even in your presence And this exercise will by no means be misbecoming your Imperial Majesty But if both my questions and also his answers have been made known to you then it will be apparently manifest to you that he is altogether ignorant of our Religion But if he understands it but dares not freely declare himself because of his auditours he is no Philosopher as I said before but is manifestly evidenced to be an affector of popular applause and has no esteem for that most excellent saying of Socrates to wit that no man is to be preferred before the truth Thus far therefore Justin And that he was put to death according to his own prediction by a treacherous plot of which Crescens was the framer Tatianus a man who in the former part of his life had been a teacher of Rhetorick was well read in the Grecian learning and obtained no small repute by his being conversant therein who also has left in his works many monuments of his Ingenuity does relate in the book he wrote against the Grecians in these words And the most admirable Justin said truely that the foresaid persons were like thieves Then interposing some words concerning these Philosophers he adjoyns thus much Indeed Crescens who had made his nest
when the punishments of those tyrannous persons were rendred ineffectual by Christ through the patient sufferance of the blessed Martyrs the devil invented other subtil devices to wit the imprisonments of them in darkness and in the most noisome parts of the prison the stretching of their feet in the stocks which were strained to the fifth hole and such other sorts of punishment as enraged ministers and therefore full of the devil doe usually provide for those that are shut up in prison So that many were suffocated in prison whom the Lord manifesting his own glory was pleased should after that manner depart out of this life For some who had been so cruelly tortured that in all likelyhood they could not possibly live any longer although they should have had all methods of cure administred to them continued in prison destitute indeed of humane assistance but corroborated by the Lord and strengthened in body and mind who also encouraged and comforted the rest But others who were young and newly apprehended whose bodies had not before been accustomed to endure tortures were not able to bear the burthen of confinement but died in prison Now the blessed Pothinus who was entrusted with the administration of the Episcopal Office in Lyons being above the age of ninety years and very infirm of body scarce able indeed to draw his breath by reason of his present bodily imbecillity but corroborated with alacrity of mind through an earnest desire of an approaching Martyrdom He I say was also haled to the Tribunal his body indeed was both by age and also by his distemper decayed and spent but his life was preserved in him that Christ might triumph thereby He being carried to the Tribunal by the Souldiers the Magistrates of the City accompanying him and the whole multitude raising shouts of all sorts against him as if he had been Christ exhibited a good testimony but being asked by the President who was the God of the Christians he replied if you be worthy you shall know After this answer he was drag'd up and down after a most inhumane manner and suffered various sorts of blows and stripes both those who were neer exercised all manner of injurious usage towards him with hands and feet shewing no reverentiall respect to his age and such as were at a distance cast at him whatever each person had ready at hand yea they all accounted it to be a great offence and an impiety should any one have been deficient in his insolent usage of him For by this means they thought they should revenge their gods And when there was scarce any breath left in him he was cast into prison where after two days he expited But here there came to pass a singular dispensation of Gods providence and the immense mercy of Jesus was demonstrated an instance whereof has indeed rarely happened among the Brotherhood but which was not at all disagreeable to the skill and dexterity of Christ. For those who upon their being first apprehended renounced the Faith were themselves also confined to prison and partook of the same miseries which the Martyrs underwent for their denial of the Faith was not in any wise beneficiall to them at that juncture of time But those who confest themselves to be what they really were were imprisoned as Christians no other crimination being laid to their charge but these were kept in custody as being besides that murderers and wicked persons and underwent double the punishment that others did For the joy of Martyrdom the hope of the Promises the Love to Christ and the Spirit of the Father comforted those but their conscience did heavily torture these in so much that in their passage from the prison to the Tribunal their countenances might be manifestly known and distinguished from all the rest For those came forth chearfully their countenances being intermixt with very much of majesty and pleasantness in so much that their fetters encompassed them with a beautifull comliness like a bride bedeck't with fringes of gold wrought about with divers colours and moreover they yielded a scent of the sweet savour of Christ so that some thought they were anointed with terrestrial oyntment But these had a dejected countenance look't unpleasantly and illfavoured and were filled with all manner of deformity moreover they were reviled by the very Heathens as being cowardous and unmanly having indeed procured themselves the crimination of murderers but lost that most honourable glorious and vivifick appellation of Christians Which things when the rest beheld they were made stedfast and such as were apprehended did without any thing of dubiousness confess themselves to be Christians entertaining not the least thought of diabolical consideration To these having interposed some words they again add saying Afterwards therefore their Martyrdoms were divided into all sorts of death for having platted one Crown of different colours and of all sorts of flowers they offered it to the Father It was indeed fit that those couragious Champions who had undergone a various combat and been egregious conquerours should receive the invaluable Crown of incorruption Maturus therefore and Sanctus and Blandina and Attalus were brought before the wild-beasts into the Amphitheatre and into the publick place where the inhumanity of the Heathens was exhibited a day for fighting with the wild-beasts being granted purposely upon the account of those of our Religion And Maturus and Sanctus did again undergoe all sorts of torments in the Amphitheatre as if they had before suffered nothing at all but the rather because having already subdued the adversary in many encounters and being now to engage in a Combat for the Crown it self they again underwent such stripes in their passage thither as are customarily inflicted the being torn and drag'd up and down by the wild-beasts and whatever else the enraged people some from one place some from another called aloud for and commanded and in fine the Iron chair upon which their bodies being broyled filled their noses with the offensive smell of burnt flesh Neither did they make an end of their cruelty thus but were yet more fiercely enraged being desirous to overcome the patient sufferance of the Martyrs But they heard no other expression from Sanctus save that which he had usually uttered all along from the beginning of his confession These two persons therefore after they had continued alive a long while under the sufferings of a mighty combat at last were slain having been made a spectacle to the world throughout that day instead of all that variety which is exhibited in the combats of the Gladiatours But Blandina being hung upon a piece of wood fixt in the ground was proposed as food for the wild-beasts to prey upon who also in that she seemed to hang in the form of a Cross by her strong and earnest prayer implanted much alacrity upon the minds of those that were combatants when they saw whilst they were undergoing their sufferings even with
he was either sitting or standing should he have heard such words as these And this may be manifested from those Epistles of his which he wrote either to the neighbouring Churches to confirm them or to some brethren to admonish and exhort them Thus far Irenaeus CHAP. XXI How Apollonius suffered Martyrdom at Rome AT the same time of Commodus's Empire our affairs were converted into a quiet and sedate posture peace by the divine grace encompassing the Churches throughout the whole world In which interim the saving Word of God allured very many of all sorts of men to the religious worship of the universal God So that now many of those at Rome who were very eminent both for riches and descent did together with their whole housholds and families betake themselves to the attaining of salvation But this could not be born with by the envious devil that hater of good being by nature malicious Therefore he arms himself again inventing various Stratagems against us At the City Rome therefore he brings before the judgement seat Apollonius a man who was at that time one of the faithfull and very eminent for his Learning and Philosophy having stirred up one of his ministers who was fit for such a wicked enterprize to accuse this person Now this wretch having undertaken this accusation in an unseasonable time for according to the Imperial Edict the informers against those that were Christians were to be put to death had his legs forthwith broken and was put to death Perennis the Judge having pronounc't this sentence against him but the Martyr most beloved by God after the Judge had earnestly beseeched him by many entreaties and requested him to render an account of his Faith before the Senate having made a most elegant defence before them all for the faith he profest was as it were by a decree of the Senate condemn'd to undergoe a capital punishment For by an ancient Law 't was establisht amongst them that those Christians who were once accused before the judgment-seat should in no wise be dismist unless they receded from their opinion Moreover he that is desirous to know Apollonius's speeches before the Judge and the answers he made to the interrogatories of Perennis the oration also which he spoke before the Senate in defence of our faith may see them in our collection of the sufferings of the antient Martyrs CHAP. XXII What Bishops flourisht at that time MOreover in the tenth year of Commodus's Reign Eleutherus having executed the Episcopal office thirteen years was succeeded by Victor In the same year also Julianus having compleated his tenth year Demetrius undertook the Government of the Churches at Alexandria At the same time likewise Serapion whom we spake of a little before flourisht being the eighth Bishop from the Apostles of the Antiochian Church At Caesarea in Palestine presided Theophilus and in like manner Narcissus whom we made mention of before at that time had the publick charge over the Church at Jerusalem At Corinth in Achaia Bacchyllus was then the Bishop and at the Church of Ephesus Polycrates Many others 't is likely besides these were eminent at that time but we at it was meet have onely recounted their names by whose writings the doctrine of the true faith has been derived down to us CHAP. XXIII Concerning the Question then moved about Easter AT the same time no small controversie being raised because the Churches of all Asia supposed as from a more antient tradition that the fourteenth day of the Moon ought to be observed as the salutary feast of Easter to wit the same day whereon the Jews were commanded to kill the Lamb and that they ought always on that day whatever day of the week it should happen to be to put an end to their fastings when as notwithstanding 't was not the usage of the Churches over the rest of the world to doe after this manner which usage being received from Apostolick tradition and still prevalent they observed to wit that they ought not to put an end to their fastings on any other day save that of the resurrection of our Saviour upon this account Synods and assemblies of Bishops were convened And all of them with one consent did by their letters inform the Brethren every where of the Ecclesiastick decree to wit that the Mystery of our Lords resurrection should never be celebrated on any other day but Sunday and that on that day onely we should observe to conclude the Fasts before Easter There is at this time extant the Epistle of those who then were assembled in Palestine over whom Theophilus Bishop of the Church in Caesarea and Narcissus Bishop of Jerusalem presided In like manner another Epistle of those Assembled at Rome concerning the same question having Victor the Bishops name prefixt to it also another of those Bishops in Pontus over whom Palmas as being the most antient presided Also an Epistle of the Churches in Gallia which Irenaeus had the oversight of Moreover of those in Osdroëna and the Cities there and a private Letter of Bacchyllus's Bishop of the Corinthian Church of many others also all which having uttered one and the same opinion and sentiment proposed the same judgment and this we have mentioned was their onely definitive determination CHAP. XXIV Concerning the disagreement of the Churches throughout Asia OVer those Bishops in Asia who stifly maintained they ought to observe the antient usage heretofore delivered to them presided Polycrates Who in the Epistle he wrote to Victor and the Roman Church declares the tradition derived down to his own times in these words We therefore observe the true and genuine day having neither added any thing to nor taken any thing from the uninterrupted usage delivered to us For in Asia the great lights are dead who shall be raised again in the day of the Lords Advent wherein he shall come with glory from heaven and raise up all his Saints I mean Philip one of the 12 Apostles who died at Hierapolis and his two daughters who continued Virgins to the end of their lives also his other daughter having whilest she lived been inspired by the holy Ghost died at Ephesus And moreover John who leaned on the Lords breast and was a Priest wearing a plate of Gold and was a Martyr and a Doctor this John I say died at Ephesus Moreover also Polycarp Bishop at Smyrna and Martyr and Thraseas of Eusmema Bishop and Martyr who died at Smyrna What need we mention Sagaris Bishop and Martyr who died at Laodicea And moreover Papirius of Blessed memory and Melito the Eunuch who in all things was directed by the suggestion of the holy Spirit who lies at Sardis expecting the Lords coming to visit him from heaven when he shall be raised from the dead All these kept the day of Easter on the
Thus death fighting with the two forementioned weapons to wit the Pestilence and the Famine did in a short time destroy whole families In so much that you might have seen two or three dead bodies carried out of the same house together to the grave Such were the rewards of Maximin's arrogance and of the Decrees which the Cities issued out against us During these sad times all the Heathens had evident demonstrations of the care and piety of the Christians exhibited towards all men for only they amidst so many and great calamities on all sides in reality declared their true compassion and good nature some of them imployed themselves every day in taking care of and in burying the dead for vast numbers died whose funerals no body took care of Others gathered together into one body all those in the City who lay under the pressures of the Famine and distributed bread to them all So that when the fame of this action was divulged amongst all men they all glorified the God of the Christians and did acknowledge them to be pious and the only true worshippers of God being convinced sufficiently by their works Affaires being in this posture God the great and celestial defender of the Christians having by the aforesaid calamities manifested his wrath and indignation against all men because of their barbarous cruelties shown towards us did again restore to us the gracious and glorious splendour of his Providence darting forth upon us involved in the thickest darkness the most miraculous light of his peace and made it apparent to all men that God himself was always the Overseer and inspectour of our affaires who does sometimes indeed chastise and correct his people with the scourges of affliction but after sufficient chastisement he does again shew himself gracious and merciful to those that confide in him CHAP. IX Concerning the death of the Tyrants and what expressions they used before their deaths CONSTANTINE therefore who as we said before was an Emperour born of an Emperour the Pious son of a most Religious sober and prudent Father and Licinius who was next to him in Authority both honoured for their Wisdom and Piety two most Pious Emperours having been encouraged by God the supream King and Saviour of all men against two most impious Tyrants and engaging them in a lawful War God assisting them Maxentius was most miraculously vanquished at Rome by Constantine and Maximin the Eastern Tyrant not long surviving Maxentius dyed a most ignominious death being conquered by Licinius who had not yet done any extravagant action Moreover Constantine the former of these two who was the chiefest person both in respect of honour place and degree in the Empire took compassion upon those who were oppressed with Tyranny at Rome and having by prayers humbly called upon the God of Heaven and his Word Jesus Christ the Saviour of all men to be his helper he marcheth with his whole Army in vindication of the antient Liberties of the Romans Now Maxentius confiding more in his Magick devices than in the love and favour of his Subjects durst not so much as stir out of the City gates but with an innumerable host of Souldiers and with Ambushes he fortified all Places Towns and Cities whatsoever about Rome and within the compass of all Italy which were under the pressures of his Tyranny the Emperour Constantine depended upon divine assistance and having attacked the Tyrant's first second and third Battalion and with ease routed them all he made himself a passage through the greatest part of Italy and was now come up to the very gates of Rome But least he should be constrained to assault all the Romans for the Tyrant's sake only God himself drew the Tyrant as it were with cords a great way out of the Gates and did effectually confirm the truth of the miracles he wrought in times past against the wicked recorded in the everlasting monuments of the sacred Scriptures which though they are accounted fabulous by some and not credited are nevertheless believed by the faithful to all in general Believers as well as Infidels who saw this miracle we are about to relate For as God in the days of Moses and the old Religious Nation of the Hebrews overwhelmed the Chariots and forces of Pharaoh in the Sea and drowned his chosen Captaines in the Red Sea and covered them with the waves after the very same manner Maxentius with the Souldiers and guards that were about him were cast into the deep like a stone at such time as he fled before the divine power which did always assist Constantine's Armes and designed to pass a River that was in the way before him over which he laid a very artificial bridge made of Boats joyned together and so became instrumental to his own destruction Upon which account these words may be pertinently spoken concerning him He hath graven and digged up a pit and is fallen himself into the destruction that he hath made His travel shall come upon his own head and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate The joynings therefore of the bridge laid over the River being after this manner separated the passage began to sink and the Boats together with the men in them descended on a sudden to the bottom of the River Thus this most impious Tyrant in the first place and after him his Guards according to what was foretold in the sacred Scriptures sunk down like lead into the deep waters So that Constantine's Souldiers who at that time by divine assistance obtained the victory in such sort as the Israelites heretofore did who were lead by Moses that eminent servant of the Lord ought in all reason to have sung and repeated the same expressions though not in words exactly the same yet in reality that they heretofore did against that impious Tyrant Pharaoh after this manner Let us sing unto the Lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and the rider hath he thrown into the Sea The Lord is my helper and defender he is become my salvation And again who i. like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like unto thee Glorious art thou amongst the Saints wonderful in glory working miracles When Constantine had in reality sung these Hymns and Songs like unto and of the same sort with these in praise of Almighty God Governour of all things and Authour of victory he entred Rome with all triumphant Pomp and Splendour and immediately the whole Senate those that were of the Equestrian Order and all the people of Rome together with their wives and children received him with a joy in their countenances which proceeded from their very hearts as a Redeemer a Saviour a publick Father and Benefactour and with acclamations and a gladness insatiable But he possessing a piety towards God that was naturally implanted on him was not in the least elevated in mind at these popular acclamations nor puffed up with these
this our new and excellent Zorobabel by the accuteness of his understanding perceived that according as the divine Word had foretold She which had been brought to desolation for God's sake should enjoy these good things after that bitter Captivity and abomination of desolation He dispised not this dead corps but having in the first place with supplications and prayers together with the joynt consent of you all propitiated the Father and taking for his assistant and fellow-labourer the only reviver of the dead He raised up this fallen Church having first purified Her and healed Her of her Maladies And now he hath put a Robe about Her not that Old one but such a one as he had again received instructions about from the divine Oracles which expresly testifie thus And the latter glory of this house shall far excell the former Upon which account having taken in a far larger compass of ground he fortified the outward circuit with a wall on every side which might serve for a strong fence to the whole Structure Then he raised a spacious lofty and stately Portico against the rayes of the rising Sun which to those who stand at a sufficient distance without the sacred inclosure does yield a full prospect of this Structure within and as it were attracts the eyes of Infidels to look upon the first entrances that so no person might pass by who should not feel some pricks in his mind both at the remembrance of the former desolation and also at the sight of the stupendious miracle of the present Fabrick Hence he hoped that he who upon that account felt such a compunction might peradventure be drawn towards it and at the very sight thereof would be perswaded to enter in But after you are come within the gates he has not permitted you to enter immediatly into the holy place with impure and unwashen feet But having left a large vacancy betwixt the Temple and the Portico He beautified this vacant space having inclosed it in the figure of a Quadrangle with four opposite Cloysters supported on every side with Pillars The intermediate space betwixt these Pillars he filled up with partitions made of wood resembling Net-work which reach up an indifferent height but the middle space he left open that a view of Heaven might be taken and that by it might be let in the clear air filled with the rays of Light Here also he placed the Mysterious Symbols of the sacred Purgations to wit fountaines built opposite to the front of the Church which afforded plenty of water for those who entred the sacred walls to wash in And this first place of reception to those that entred yielded both a beautiful and splendid prospect to all men and also afforded a very commodious Mansion to those who yet wanted instruction in the first principles of Religion Moreover after a view taken of these buildings he made passages opening into the Church adorned with a great many more inward Porticoes And again at the rays of the rising Sun he placed three gates in one and the same side On the middlemost of which he thought fit to bestow much more of magnificence and spaciousness than on the other two placed on either side of it and having adorned it gloriously with plates of Brass bound on with Iron and with variety of Sculpture he adjoyned the other two as the Guards to Her being as it were a Queen When he had after the same manner made the number of the Porches equal to the Cloysters on both sides of the Church over these Porches he invented other copious conveyances of Light into the House and adorned them with various and exceeding fine and small wooden Sculptures but the Royal House it self he furnished with richer and more costly materials liberally bestowing thereon most magnificent and vast expences I think it here superfluous for me to describe the length and breadth of this building and to treat particularly of the splendour of the Structure of its unspeakable greatness of the glittering show of the Works of its height which equals heaven and of the costly Cedars of Libanus that are laid hereupon the mention of which even the holy Scripture hath not passed over in silence wherein t is said The trees of the Lord shall r 〈…〉 e even the Cedars of Libanus which he haâ—â— planted To what end should I make an exact narration here of the most ingenious and artificial composure of the whole Structure and of the incomparable beauty of every particular part of it when as the testimony of the Eyes excludeth all knowledge which entreth at the Eares Moreover after he had thus finished the Temple and decently adorned it with the highest thrones in honour of the Prelates of Churches and also with benches orderly placed all over the Church at last he placed the Holy of Holies the Altar in the middest and that the multitude might not come within these sacred places he enclosed them with wooden râ—ils made like Net-work which were so curiously and artificially framed and carved that they entertained those that viewed them with a wonderful and surprizing sight Neither was the very Pavement neglected by him but after he had beautified it most gloriously with Marble-stone he proceeded to the out-buildings of the Temple and with great Art and Skill erected most spacious Exhedrae and Oeci on each side which in an uniform manner were joyned together at the sides of the Cathedral and united to the doors which lead into the middle of the Church These buildings our most peaceful King Solomon who erected this Temple of God made for them who want the Purification and the sprinkling by water and the Holy Ghost So that that Prophesie before quoted is no longer a wordy Prediction but is really accomplished For now it is come to pass that the glory of this latter House is truly greater than the former For it was requisite and agreeable that since her Pastor and Lord for her sake once suffered death and after his Passion changed that vile body which for her sake he had put on into brightness and glory and translated that very corruptible flesh from corruption to immortality she also should likewise enjoy the Dispensations of her Saviour For although she having received from him a promise of far more excellent things than she doth at present enjoy incessantly longeth to be for eternal ages partaker of a far greater glory of a Regeneration at the Resurrection of the incorruptible body with the Quire of the Angels of light in the Palaces of God above the Heavens together with Jesus Christ the Donour of all good things and her Saviour Yet during the interim of her abode in this present world she who was heretofore a widow and desolate being by the grace of God surrounded with these flowers is as the Prophesie saith truly become like unto a Lilly And having put on her wedding Robe and being encircled with a
issue the proceedings against him are arrived at you have either heard already or will hear lest we should seem to insult over a man who hath receiv'd a condign recompence for his own wickedness But his impiety was grown so prevalent that he drew into the same pit of perdition with himself Theonas Bishop of Marmarica and Secundus Bishop of Pâ—olemaïs For the same sentence that had been given against him was pronounced against them But after the Grace of God had delivered us from that mischievous Opinion and from impiety and blasphemy and from those persons who were so audacious as to make divisions and sow discord amongst a people heretofore peaceable there yet remain'd the perverse stubborness of Melitius and those that had been by him admitted into sacred Orders and we now relate to you beloved brethren the judgment of the Synod concerning this particular It pleas'd therefore the Synod which dealt more kindly with Melitius for in the strictest sense and rigour of the law he did not deserve the least favour that he should continue in his City but have no jurisdiction neither to Ordain or to propose the names of those that were to be Ordained or to appear in any Village or City upon this pretence but that he should barely enjoy his appellation and title only And as for those that had been Ordain'd by him to any function being confirm'd by a more sacred Ordination they should afterwards be admitted into Communion and upon this condition they may continue possest of their preferment and function but yet they are to acknowledge themselves always inferiour to all those that had been approved of in every Diocess and Church who had been Ordained before by our dearest colleague in the sacred Function Alexander So that besides they shall have no power to propose or nominate whom they please or to act in any thing at all without the knowledge and consent of some Catholick Bishop who is one of Alexanders suffragans But those that by the grace of God and your prayers have not been found engaged in any Schism but have continued in the Catholick Church blameless let such have power to nominate and elect those that are worthy of the sacred Function and act in all things according to the established Law and Sanctions of the Church And if it shall happen that some of those who now hold Ecclesiastick preferments die then let those that are newly admitted and receiv'd into the Church be prefer'd to the dignities of the deceased provided that they shall appear worthy and that the people shall freely elect them provided also that the Bishop of Alexandria doth by his suffrage ratifie and confirm the peoples Election This same Priviledge is also granted to all But concerning Melitius in particular we otherwise Decree that because of his former irregularity rashness and giddiness of disposition no jurisdiction or authority shall be allowed him he being a man able to revive the same disturbances that were before These things are such as most especially and particularly relate to Aegypt and concern the most holy Church of Alexandria But if there shall be any other Canon or Decree made being our Lord and our most Reverent fellow Minister and Brother Alexander is present he at his arrival will give you a more particular account in regard he is the Authour of and conscious to what ever is done We also send you the good news concerning the unanimous consent of all in reference to the celebration of the most solemn Feast of Easter for this difference also hath been made up by the assistance of your prayers so that all the brethren in the East who formerly celebrated this Festival at the same time the Jews did will in future conform to the Romans and to us and to all who have of old observed our manner of celebrating Easter Do you therefore rejoycing at the good success of affairs and at the unanimous Peace and Concord amongst all men and also because all Heresie is wholly extirpated with a greater honour and more ardent love receive our Fellow Minister but your Bishop Alexander whose presence here hath greatly rejoyced us and who in this his infirm age hath endured so great labours that Peace might be restored amongst you Pray for us all that those good determinations which are made may remain firm and inviolable through Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ together with the holy Ghost to whom be glory for ever Amen In this Synodical Epistle 't is apparent that the Nicene Fathers did not only anathematize Arius and his followers but the very terms of his Opinion also and that in regard they had amongst themselves agree'd concerning the celebration of Easter they received into Communion the Arch-Heretick Melitius allowing him indeed the liberty of retaining the dignity of a Bishop but they deprived him of the power of doing any thing as a Bishop And upon this account I suppose it is that the Melitians in Aegypt are to this day separated from the Church because the Synod took away all Episcopal power from Melitius Moreover you must know that Arius wrote a book concerning his own Opinion which he intitled Thalia The stile of the book and the Doctrine contained in it was loose and dissolute much resembling the Songs or Verses of Sotades This piece of his also the Synod did at the same time condemn Nor was the Synod only sollicitous about writing Letters concerning the Peace restored to the Church but the Emperour Constantine also signified the same by his own Letters who wrote to the Church of Alexandria as followeth The Emperours Letter Constantinus Augustus to the Catholick Church of Alexandria God save you beloved Brethren We have receiv'd the greatest blessing from the divine Providence that being released from all Errrour We can now embrace and profess one and the same Faith The Devil hath no longer a dominion over us for all the Machinations he design'd against us are now totally destroyed The bright lustre of truth has according to the commandment of God defeated those dissentions those Schismes those Tumults and if I may so term them those fatal poysons of discord We therefore do all adore one God in Name and we believe that he is Moreover that this might be effected by the admonition of God we conven'd a great many Bishops at the City of Nice together with whom we our selves one of your number who rejoyce exceedingly in that we are your fellow-servant undertook the disquisition of the truth We did therefore enquire into and accurately discuss all things which seem'd to yield the least occasion of ambiguity or dissention And may the divine Majesty pardon us how great and horrid Blasphemies have some indecently uttered concerning our Great Saviour concerning our Hope and Life speaking and openly professing that they believe things contrary to the divinely inspired Scriptures and to the sacred Faith
Laodicaea one that was present at this Synod informs us For he says in the Book he wrote concerning his Life that this Eusebius was descended from noble personages of Edessa in Mesopotamia and that from his childhood he Learned the sacred Scriptures that he was afterwards instructed in the Grecian literature by a Master who then lived at Edessa and in fine that he had the sacred Scriptures interpreted to him by Patrophilus and Eusebius the latter of which persons presided over the Church in Caesarea and the former over that in Scythopolis After this when he came to Antioch it hapned that Eustathius being accused by Cyrus of Beroea was deposed as being an assertor of Sabellius's opinion Wherefore Eusebius afterwards lived with Euphronius Eustathius's successour Afterwards that he might avoid being made a Bishop he betook himself to Alexandria and there studied Philosophy Returning from thence to Antioch he conversed with Flaccillus Euphronius's successour and was at length promoted to the See of Alexandria by Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople But he went thither no more because Athanasius was so much beloved by the people of Alexandria He was therefore sent to Emisa But when the Inhabitants of that City raised a Sedition at his Ordination for he was reproacht as being a person studious of and exercised in the Mathematicks he fled from thence and went to Laodicaea to Georgius who hath related so many passages concerning him When this Georgius had brought him to Antioch he procured him to be sent back again to Emisa by Flaccillus and Narcissus But he afterwards underwent another accusation for being an adherent to Sabellius's principles Georgius writes at large concerning his Ordination And in fine adds that the Emperour in his expedition against the Barbarians took him along with him and that miracles were wrought by him But hitherto we have recorded what Georgius hath related concerning Eusebius Emisenus CHAP. X. That the Bishops convened at Antioch upon Eusebius Emisenus's refusal of the Bishoprick of Alexandria Ordained Gregorius and altered the expressions of the Nicene Faith BUt when Eusebius who had been chosen Bishop of Alexandria at Antioch was afraid to go thither they then proposed Gregorius to be Ordained Bishop of Alexandria And having done this they altered the Creed finding fault indeed with nothing that had been determined at Nice but in reality their design was to subvert and destroy the Homoöusian Faith by their continual assembling of Synods and by their publishing sometimes one sometimes another form of the Creed that so by degrees all persons might be perverted to the Arian opinion Moreover how these things were done by them we will manifest in the procedure of our History But the Epistle they published concerning the Faith runs thus We have neither been Arius ' s followers for how should we that are Bishops be the Followers of a Presbyter Nor have we embraced any other Faith than what was from the beginning set forth But being made inquirers into and examiners of his Faith we have admitted and entertained rather than followed him And this you will understand from what shall be said For we have learned from the beginning to believe in one supream God the maker and preserver of all things as well intelligible as sensible And in one only begotten Son of God subsisting before all ages existing together with the Father that begat him by whom all things visible and invisible were made who in the last days according to the Fathers good pleasure descended and assumed flesh from the holy Virgin and when he had compleatly fulfilled all his Fathers will he suffered and arose and ascended into the heavens and sits at the right hand of the Father and he shall come to judge the quick and dead and continues a King and God for ever We believe also in the holy Ghost And if it be requisite to add this we also believe the Resurrection of the flesh and the life everlasting Having written these things in their first Epistle they sent them to the Bishops throughout every City But when they had continued sometime at Antioch condemning as it were this their former Epistle they again publish another in these very words Another Exposition of Faith Agreeable to Evangelick and Apostolick tradition We believe in one God the Father Almighty the Framer and Maker of all things And in one Lord Jesus Christ his only begotten Son God by whom all things were made begotten of the Father before all worlds God of God Whole of Whole Only of Only Perfect of Perfect King of King Lord of Lord the living Word the Wisedom the Life the true Light the way of Truth the Resurrection the Shepherd the Gate immutable and inconvertible the most express image of the Father's Deity Substance Power Council and Glory the First begotten of every Creature Who was in the beginning with God God the Word according as 't is said in the Gospel and the word was God by whom all things were made and in whom all things have subsisted Who in the last days came down from heaven and was born of the Virgin according to the Scriptures And was made man the mediatour of God and men the Apostle of our Faith and the Prince of life as he himself says * For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Who suffered for us and rose again for us the third day and ascended into the heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father And he shall come again with Glory and Power to judge the quick and dead And we believe in the holy Ghost who is given to believers in order to their Consolation Sanctification and Perfection according as our Lord Jesus Christ commanded his disciples saying Go ye and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost to wit of the Father being truly the Father and of the Son being truly the Son and of the holy Ghost being truly the holy Ghost which terms are not simply or insignificantly made use of but they do accurately manifest the proper and peculiar Person Glory and Order of each of those that are named So that they are three in Person but in consent One We therefore holding this Faith in the presence of God and of Christ do anathematize all manner of Heretical and ill opinions And if any one shall teach contrary to the â—ound and true Faith of the Scriptures saying that there is or was a time or an age before the Son of God was begotten let him be Anathema And if any one says that the Son is a Creature as one of the Creatures or that he is a Branch as one of the Branches and shall not hold every one of the foresaid points according as the sacred Scriptures have set them forth or if any one Teaches or Preaches
desire Athanasius having received these Letters at Aquileia for there he abode after his departure from Serdica hastned immediately to Rome And having shown the Letters to Julius the Bishop he caused great joy in the Roman Church For they supposed that the Emperour of the East had now given his assent to their Faith in regard he invited Athanasius to come to him But Julius wrote this Epistle to the Clergy and Laity in Alexandria concerning Athanasius The Epistle of Julius Bishop of Rome to those of Alexandria Julius to the Bishops and Presbyters and Deacons and to the Laity inhabiting Alexandria his beloved Brethren health in the Lord. I also rejoyce with you beloved Brethren because you now see before your eyes the fruit of your Faith For that this is truly so any one may see in our brother and fellow Bishop Athanasius whom God hath restored to you upon an account both of his purity of life and also of your prayers Hence it is apparent that you have continually offered up to God prayers which were pure and full of charity For being mindfull of the Celestial promises and of the course of life tending thereto which you have been instructed in by the Doctrine of our foresaid Brother you certainly knew and according to that true Faith which is implanted in you were apprehensive of this that your Bishop could not be perpetually seperated from you whom you carried in your pious minds as being continually present Wherefore I need not make use of many words in this my Letter to you For your Faith hath prevented whatever could have been said by me and by the grace of Christ those things have been fulfilled which you in common prayed for and desired I rejoyce therefore with you for I will say it again because you have preserved your souls inexpugnable in your defending of the Faith Nor do I any whit less rejoyce with my Brother Athan sius because although he hath undergone many sharp afflictions yet he was not one hour unmindfull of your love and your desire For although he seemed to have been withdrawn from you for a time yet he was continually conversant with you in spirit And I am of opinion Beloved that all the trialls and troubles which have hapned to him are not inglorious For both your and his Faith hath thereby been made known and approved amongst all men For had not so many and great afflictions befell him who would have believed either that you should have had so great a respect and love for so eminent a Bishop or that he should have been adorned with such excellent virtues by reason of which he is in no wise to be defrauded of his hope in the heavens He hath therefore obtained a testimony of confession every way glorious both in this and in the world to come For after his many and various sufferings both by Land and Sea he hath trodden under foot all the treachâ—ries of the Arian Heresie and after his having been frequently assaulted and brought into danger through envy he hath despised death being guarded by Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ hoping that he should not only avoid his Enemies Plots but also be restored in order to your consolation bringing back to you greater Trophies by reason of your being conscious of having done what was just and good Upon which account he hath been rendred glorious even as far as the ends of the whole earth being approved for his integrity of life undauntedly persisting in the defence of his resolution of mind and Celestial Doctrine and evidently declared by your constant and perpetual judgment to be intirely beloved by you He returns therefore to you now far more bright and glorious than when he departed from you For if the fire tries and refines pretious metalls I mean Gold and Silver what can be said of so eminent a Personage according to his worth who having vanquished the fire of so great afflictions and so many perills is now restored to you having been declared innocent not by our determination only but by that of the whole Synod Receive therefore Beloved Brethren with all Divine Glory and joy your Bishop Athanasius together with those who have been his fellow sufferers And rejoyce in that you enjoy your desires who have nourished and quenched the thirst of your pastour hungring if I may so speak and thirsting after your piety with your comfortable writings For you were a consolation to him during his abode in strange Countries and you have cherished him with your most faithfull souls and minds whilst he was Persecuted and assaulted with treacheries Indeed I rejoyce already whilst I consider and foresee in my mind the joy of every one of you at his return and the most pious meetings which will be given him by the populace and the glorious solomnity of those which will be assembled and what manner of day that will be wherein our brother shall make his return when forepast calamities shall have an end and his pretious and wish't for return shall unite all persons in an alacrity of mind exprest by the highest degree of joy Such a joy as this does as to the greatest part of it reach even as far as us to whom Heaven 't is manifest hath granted this favour that we should be able to come to the knowledge of so eminent a Personage It is fit therefore that we should close this Letter with a prayer May God Almighty and his Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ afford you this perpetual grace rendring you the reward of your admirable Faith which you have demonstrated towards your Bishop by a glorious testimony that better things may await you and your posterity both in this and in the world to come which Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things that God hath prepared for them that love him through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom Glory be to Almighty God for ever and ever Amen I wish you good health beloved Brethren Athanasius confiding in these Letters went into the East The Emperour Constantius received him not then with an incensed mind But upon the suggestion of the Arians he attempted to circumvent him And speaks to him thus You have indeed recovered your See by the Synods determination and our consent But in regard there are some of the people in Alexandria who do refuse to hold communion with you suffer them to have one Church in the City To which request Athanasius immediately made this return and says It is in your power O Emperour to command and do what you will I also ask and request this favour of you which I desire you would grant me When the Emperour had readily promised him to grant it Athanasius forthwith added that he desired to receive the same favour that the Emperour had required should be granted him for he also requested that throughout every City one
rather that the Divinity and Humanity have perfected to us one Lord and Christ and Son by an ineffable mysticall and secret concourse to an Unity And after some few words But in regard having personally united the humanity to himself on our account and for our salvation he proceeded from a woman for this reason he is said to have been born according to the Flesh. For he was not at first born a common and ordinary man of the Holy Virgin and after that The Word descended upon him but having been united from the very womb he is said to have undergone a Carnall Nativity that he might procure to himself the Nativity of his own Flesh. After the same manner we say he suffered and rose again not as if God The Word as to his own Nature suffered either the Stripes or the Transfixions of the Nails or any other of the wounds for the Deity is Impassible because 't is also Incorporeall But in regard that which had been made his own Body suffered on this account he is again said to have suffered for us For there was the Impassible Deity in a passible Body Most part of Cyrillus ' s other Letter hath been recorded in our foregoing Book But there is a passage in it which Johannes Bishop of the Antiochians had written in his Letter to which passage Cyrillus hath fully agreed this passage runs thus We confess the Holy Virgin to be Theotocos because God The Word took Flesh from Her and was made man and from that very Conception united to himself a Temple taken from Her But we know that those divine men do take the Evangelick and Apostolick Expressions uttered concerning the Lord sometimes in a common sense as spoken of one person at othâ—r whiles they divide them as uttered concerning two Natures And that they have delivered these Expressions as becoming God according to the divinity of Christ but those other as humble and mean agreeable to the same persons humanity To which words Cyrillus has subjoyned these Having read these your sacred Expressions We find that We our selves embrace the same Sentiments For there is one Lord one Faith one Baptism We have therefore glorified God the Saviour of all men rejoycing mutually that as well the Churches amongst us as those with you do profess a Faith that is agreeable both to the divinely inspired Scriptures and also to the Tradition of our Holy Fathers After the Reading hereof those of this Synod cried out in these words We do all believe thus Pope Leo believes thus Anathema to him that divides and to him who confounds This is the Faith of Leo the Arch-Bishop Leo believes thus Leo and Anatolius believe thus We all believe thus As Cyrillus so we believe The eternall memory of Cyrillus As Cyrillus's Letters are so are our Sentiments Thus we have believed thus we do believe Leo the Arch-Bishop thinks thus thus he believes thus he hath written Then an Interlocution having been made that Leo's Letter might also be read being rendred into Greek it was recited which Letter is extant in the Acts of the Councill After therefore the reading thereof the Bishops exclaimed This is the Faith of the Fathers This is the Faith of the Apostles We all believe thus we that are Orthodox do believe thus Anathema to him who believes not thus Peter by Leo hath uttered these words The Apostles have taught thus Leo hath taught piously and truly Cyrillus has taught thus Leo and Cyrillus have taught alike Anathema to him who believes not thus This is the true Faith the Orthodox think thus this is the Faith of the Fathers Why were not these words read at Ephesus Dioscorus hath concealed these Expressions It is recorded in the same Acts that when part of the fore-mentioned Letter of Leo was read the Contents whereof were these And in order to the paying that due debt of our Nature the divine Nature was united to a Nature passible to the end that for this was agreeable to our Remedies He being one and the same Mediatour of God and Men the Man Christ Jesus might be able to die by one and might not be able to die by the other the Illyrician and Palestine Bishops being in doubt as to this Expression Aetius Arch-deacon of the most Holy Church of Constantinople produced a passage of Cyrillus ' s the Contents whereof are these Again in regard his own Body by the grace of God according as the Apostle Paul saith hath tasted death for every man he himself is therefore said to have suffered death for us not as if he had experienced death as to what belongs to his own Nature For 't is stupidity and extream madness either to affirm or think this but because as I have even now said his Flesh tasted death And again as to an expression of Leo's Letter which runs thus For each Form acts with a communion of the other that which is proper to wit The Word operates that which is The Word ' s and the Flesh performs that which is of the Flesh and the one of these shines with Miracles but the other hath lain under injuries the Illyrician and Palestine Bishops being in doubt the same Aetius read a Chapter of Cyrillus the Contents whereof were these Of the expressions used concerning Christ some are most especially agreeable to God again others are agreeable to man But a third sort possess a certain middle place evidencing the Son of God to be God and also at the same time Man After this when the foresaid Bishops doubted at another place of Leo's Epistle which runs thus For although in our Lord Jesus Christ there is one person of God and of man nevertheless that is one thing whence there is in both a Community of Contumely and that is another whence there is a Community of Glory For from us he has humanity which is less than the Father But from the Father he has the divinity which is equall with his Father Theodoret after he had well considered this matter said that the Blessed Cyrillus had expresly spoken thus in these words And being made man and loosing nothing that was his own he continued what he was and the one dwelt in the other that is the divine Nature in man After this when the Illustrious Judges enquired whether there were any person who as yet doubted all answered that no person made any further doubt After whom Atticus Bishop of Nicopolis requested that a Truce of some few days might be allowed them to the end that with a sedate mind and undisturbed understanding such things might be decreed as were pleasing to God and to the Holy Fathers He desired also that Cyrillus's Letter written to Nestorius might be delivered to them in which Cyrillus intreats Nestorius that he would give his assent to his twelve Heads whereto all agreed And when the Judges by
be in future Ages that Chastity a Virtue so famous amongst Christians is the only thing that is invincible and which cannot be destroyed Thus this woman behaved her self CHAP. XXXV The Slaughter of the People of Rome by Maxentius ALL persons therefore both the Commonalty and the Magistracy as well the Honourable as the Obscure stood in great fear of him when they beheld him audaciously perpetrating such impieties as these and were sorely afflicted with his intollerable Tyranny And although they were quiet and patiently bore the austere servitude they were opprest with yet none could so avoid the Bloudy Cruelty of the Tyrant For one time upon a very trivial pretence he exposed the people of Rome to the slaughter of his own Guards And so innumerable multitudes of the Roman people not Scythians nor Barbarians but his own Citizens were killed with Spears and all manner of Weapons in the midst of the City Moreover 't is impossible to enumerate how many slaughters were committed of those that were Senatours to the end a seizure might be made of each persons Estate infinite numbers of them being put to death at severall times for various Crimes framed against them CHAP. XXXVI Maxentius's Magick Arts against Constantine and the scarcity of Provisions at Rome AT length as the Complement of his impieties the Tyrant proceeded to exercise the delusions of Magick Art sometimes ripping up women great with child otherwhiles searching into the Bowells of new-born infants He also killed Lyons and performed some other Horrid Rites to call forth the Daemons and repell the approaching War For he hoped that by these performances he should obtain Victory Whilst he Tyrannized therefore in this manner at Rome 't is impossible to relate what mischievous facts he perpetrated and how miserably he enslaved his Subjects in so much that they were reduced to such extream penury and want of necessary sustenance as 't is recorded by those of our times never hapned at Rome nor any where else CHAP. XXXVII The overthrow of Maxentius's Armies in Italy BUt Constantine moved with compassion at all these calamities of the Romans furnished himself with all manner of military provisions against the Tyranny And when he had procured the supream God to be his Patron and invoaked His Son Christ to be his Saviour and Assistant and had set up the Victorious Trophy to wit the salutary Standard before his Souldiers and Guards he began his march with his whole Army that by his intervention he might restore to the Romans the Liberties they had received from their Ancestours Now Maxentius confiding more in his Magick Impostures than in the Love and Affection of his Subjects durst not so much as stir out of the City Gates but with a multitude of Souldiers and with innumerable Bodies of men laid in Ambushes had fortified every place Region and City which were under the pressures of his Tyranny But the Emperour Constantine depended upon Divine assistance and having attacked the Tyrant's first second and third Body and with ease routed them all at the very first charge he opened himself a passage into the greatest part of the Country of Italy CHAP. XXXVIII Maxentius's Death on the Bridge of the River Tiber. ANd he had now made his approaches very near to Rome it self But least he should be constrained to assault all the Romans for the Tyrant's sake only God himself drew the Tyrant as it were with Cords a great way out of the Gates and effectually confirmed the truth of those Miracles Recorded in the everlasting Monuments of the Sacred Scriptures which though they are accounted fabulous by many persons and are not credited are nevertheless believed by the Faithfull he had wrought in times past against the wicked to all in generall Believers as well as Infidells who with their own eyes saw this Miracle we are about to relate For as heretofore in the days of Moses and the old religious Nation of the Jews God cast the Chariots of Pharaoh and his Army into the Sea and drowned his Chosen Captaines in the Red-Sea after the same manner Maxentius with the Souldiers and Guards that were about him were cast into the deep like a stone at such time as having been put to flight by that Divine power which gave assistance to Constantine's Arms he would have past the River that was in the way before him Over which he having laid a Bridge of boats well fastned together had thereby framed an Engin of destruction against himself being in hopes that the Emperour beloved by God might have been caught in this snare but the God whom he worshipped was present with and gave him his assistance But the wretched Maxentius deprived of his aid framed these secret machines against himself On which account these words may be pertinently spoken of him wherefore He he hath graven and digged up a pit and is fallen himself into the destruction that he hath made His travell shall come upon his own head and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate Thus therefore by God's assent the Machines framed upon the Bridge of Boats and the Ambuscade placed in them being disjoyned at a time in no wise expected the passage began to sink and the Boats together with the men in them descended on a sudden to the bottom of the River And in the first place the Wretch Himself then the Protectors and Guards that were about him as the Divine Oracles have predicted sank down like Lead into the deep waters So that Constantine's Souldiers who by Divine assistance then obtained the Victory in such sort as the Israelites heretofore did who were lead by that eminent servant of the Lord Moses might deservedly have sung and repeated though not in words exactly the same yet in reality some of those expressions which they heretofore did against that impious Tyrant Pharaoh in this manner We will sing unto the Lord for he hath been magnificently glorified The Horse and his Rider hath he thrown into the Sea My helper and defender is become my salvation And again who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods Thou hast been glorified in the Saints admirable in glories doing wonders CHAP. XXXIX Constantine's Entry into Rome AFter Constantine who at that time imitated that Great servant of God Moses had in reality sung these and other such like Hymns as these in praise of God the Governour of all things and the Authour of Victory he made his entry into the Imperial City in Triumph And immediately all persons as well those of the Senatorian as them of the Equestrian Order in that City being freed from the confinement of a Prison as 't were together with the whole Roman Populace received him with a joy in their Countenances that proceeded from their very Souls with acclamations and a gladness insatiable And the men together with the women children and infinite numbers of servants stiled him a Redeemer a Saviour and a
aim that as the authority of the truth doth daily demonstrate it self by new Miracles so the minds of us all should with all modesty and unanimous alacrity become more carefull and diligent about an observation of the Holy Law Which thing in regard I judge to be manifestly apparent to all men my desire is you should most especially be perswaded of this that there is nothing which I have a greater care about and concern for than that we should adorn that sacred place which by God's command I have unburthened of that most detestable accession of the Idol as 't were of some ponderous and heavy weight which place by God's determination was made holy from the beginning but was afterwards demonstrated to be more holy out of which he hath brought to light the Truth and Certainty of Our Saviour's passion with magnificent and stately structures CHAP. XXXI That He would have this Church built so as to exceed all the Churches in the world for beauty of Walls Columns and Marbles THerefore it does well become Your Prudence so to dispose and make provision of all materials necessary for the work that not only the Church it self may in stateliness excell all others in what place so ever but also that the other parts of it may be made such as that all the beautifullest structures in whatever City may be out-done by this Fabrick And as concerning the raising and exquisite workmanship of the walls We would have you know that the care thereof hath by Us been committed to Our Friend Dracilianus Deputy to the most Famous the Praefecti Praetorio and to the President of the Province For it has been ordered by Our Piety that Artificers and Workmen and whatever else they may be informed of from Your Prudence as necessary for the Structure shall by their care be forthwith sent But concerning the Columns or Marbles whatever You Your Self on sight of the Modell shall judge to be more sumptuous and usefuller make it Your business to inform Us by Letter that when we shall understand from Your Letter how many and what manner of Materials You stand in need of they may be conveyed to you from all parts For 't is but reasonable that that most admirable place of the whole world should be beautified according to its dignity and worth CHAP. XXXII That Macarius should write to the Presidents concerning the beautifying of the Concha and concerning Workmen and Materials FUrther I desire to know of You whether You think good to have the inner Roof of the Church Arched or Embowed or made of any other sort of Work For if it be Embowed it may also be gilded with Gold It remains therefore that as soon as may be Your Holiness should inform the forementioned Judges how many Workmen and Artificers and what money for Expences there will be need of and that Your Holiness take care to give Me a speedy account not only concerning the Marbles and Columns but in reference also to the Embowed Roofs if You shall judge that to be the more beautifull Work God preserve You Beloved Brother CHAP. XXXIII How the Church of Our Saviour was built which the Prophets had termed New-Jerusalem THese were the Contents of the Emperour's Letter his order was immediately followed by the things themselves effectually put in execution And in the very Martyrium of Our Saviour the New-Jerusalem was built over against that most celebrated Old Jerusalem which having been reduced to the utmost degree of Ruine and desolation after that nefarious Murder of Our Lord underwent the punishment of its impious Inhabitants Opposite to this City therefore the Emperour erected the Trophie of Victory which Our Saviour had gained over death with a rich and gorgeous splendour And this perhaps was that fresh and New Jerusalem spoken of in the Oracles of the Prophets concerning which there occurs so many and such large expressions uttered by the divine Spirit it self In the first place therefore he adorned the sacred Cave in regard it was the Head of the whole work to wit that divine Monument at which an Angel shining with a celestial light heretofore declared to all men that Regeneration which was demonstrated by our Saviour CHAP. XXXIV A description of the Fabrick of The most Holy Sepulchre THis Monument I say in regard it was the Head of the whole work the Emperour's Munificence in the first place adorned with Eximious Columns and with all imaginable beauty and rendred it glorious and splendid by various sorts of Ornaments CHAP. XXXV A description of the Atrium and of the Porticus's AFter that he passed to a most Spacious place open to the pure air The Ground whereof he beautified by paving it with shining or bright stone and inclosed it on three sides with Porticus's that were extended to a vast length CHAP. XXXVI A description of the Walls Roof Beauty and Gilding of the Church it self FOr to that side placed opposite to the Cave which side lookt towards the rising Sun the Basilica was joyned a Work admirable and stately raised to an immense height and extended to a vast length and breadth The In sides of which Structure were covered with Crusts of Marble that were of different colours but the outward surface of the Walls being beautified with polisht Stones cemented together by exact joynts made a most glorious and beautifull shew nothing inferiour to the appearance of Marble As to the top of the Church he covered the outward part of the Roof with Lead in regard that was the strongest defence against Winter showers But the Inner Roof being set with Carv'd Lacunaria and spread like some great Sea all over the Church by Tables joyned one with another and covered all over with the purest Gold made the whole Church shine as 't were with Rayes of Light CHAP. XXXVII A description of the double Porticus's on both sides and of the three Eastern Gates FUrther at both the sides double Porticus's as well beneath as above in length equalled the whole Church the Roofs of which Porticus's were likewise variously adorned with Gold Of these Porticus's they which were in the Front of the Church were under-prop't with vast Columns but those which were more inward were born up by piles of Stone most beautifully adorned on the outside Three doors fitly placed at the rising Sun received the multitudes of those that went in CHAP. XXXVIII A description of the Hemisphaere and of the twelve Columns with their Capitals OPposite to these doors was the Hemisphaere the Head of the whole Work which was stretch't to the top of the Church This Hemisphaere was begirt with twelve Pillars equall to the number of our Saviour's Apostles The heads of which Pillars were adorned with vast Capitals made of Silver
Vâ—les k Constantine the Great l ◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So Rob. Stephens Valesius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 * Galerius m Chap. 17. Book 8. n Who were Constantinus and Licinius or Licinianus See chap. 17. book â— a Before I had lookt into any of the M. SS I thought these words were added by Rob. Stephens who in some copies had found these two Supplements of the 8 th Book But when I had perceived that the same words occurred in all the M. SS I was easily induced to believe that all those M. SS were transcribed from one and the same Copy Moreover this 2 d Supplement is nothing else but Eusebius's Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine which appears from the words at the end of this Supplement For in the Maz and Med. M. SS these words occur there ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. the End of Eusebius Pamphilus's book concerning tho Martyrs of Palestine Vales. a The same Relation is in the Acts of the passion of Procopius the Martyr which begin thus The first of the Martyrs that appeared in Palestine was Procopius c. From whence 't is evident that those Acts were translated out of the Greek Copy of Eusebius into Latine To make this more manifestly apparent it will in no wise be unusefull to insert here the entire Acts. For many things worth our knowledge are contained in them which neither Baronius nor Molanus happened to have a sight of We have transcribed them from a most ancient M. S. belonging to the Musciacensian Monastery which is now in the hands of that learned person Claudius Joly Canon of the Church at Paris Their Contents are these The Passion of S. Procopius the Martyr who suffered under Fabianus the President on the fourth of the Nones of August The first of the Martyrs that appeared in Palestine was Procopius a person full of celestial grace who before his Martyrdom ordered his life so as that from his very childhood he applied his mind to chastity and a virtuous converse He so macerated his body that 't was judged to be almost dead But he comforted his mind with such divine words that he infused strength and courage into his body by this refection of his mind Bread and water was his food and drink he fed onely on these which he would forsake for two or three sometimes for seven days together and then return to that his food again Also a meditation on divine expressions had bound up his mind so fast that he continued indefatigable in it night and day He made himself an high example of courtesie and meekness looking on himself to be inferiour to others so great was his studiousness in divine matters he had also attained to a competency in external accomplishments His original extract he had at Aelia i. e. Jerusalem but by converse and habitation he was a Scythopolitan He served in three Offices in that Church one was that of a Reader another consisted in his interpretation of the Syrian Tongue and the third was an imposition of hands to cast out devils And when he together with his companions was sent from Scythopolis to Caesarea he was led from the very Gates to the President and before he had experienced the miseries of imprisonment and bonds he was upon his very first Arrival commanded by Flavianus the President to offer sacrifice to the Gods But with a loud voice he attested that there was not a multiplicity of Gods but one Maker and Framer of all things The President smitten with that expression of his and being wounded in his own conscience assented to what he said And betaking himself to other arguments perswaded him to sacrifice at least but to the Emperours But the holy Martyr of God despising what he said repeated that passage of Homer It is not good to have many Lords let there be one Lord one King Which words being heard it being supposed that he spoke something that was of ill consequence to the Emperours by the Presidents command he was led to execution and being beheaded had an entrance into a celestial life or found a compendious way into heaven on the seventh day of Desius that is the moneth July which amongst the Romans is called the Nones of July in the first year of the Persecution against us This was the first Martyrdom that was consummated in Caesarea our Lord Jesus Christ Reigning to whom be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen These Acts are also extant in two M. SS belonging to the Library of Saint Germans Vales. b The foregoing Acts of the passion of Saint Procopius render this passage almost word for word thus Priusquam carceris vel vinculorum experiretur angustias before he had experienced the miseries of imprisonment and bonds By which words the cruelty of the Judge is signified For the Roman Presidents were wont first to imprison those offenders that were apprehended and brought before them and to interrogate them afterwards at their leisure Vales. c The foregoing Acts word this passage thus in ipso ingressu suo â— Judice Flaviano ut Diis sacrificaret impellitur i. e. he was upon his very first arrival commanded by Flavianus the President to offer sacrifice to the Gods Many things are here omitted in the Greek Text of Eusebius which must be made prefect by those Acts in Latine the translation whereof we have before inserted For when Eusebius had here said expresly that Procopius upon his first arrival was brought before the Judge he adds nothing concerning the place from whence he came where he was apprehended or to what place he was brought nothing of which ought to have been omitted Besides Eusebius does accurately relate the descent and country of other Martyrs mentioned in this book and if any of them had attained any degree of Ecclesiastick honour he does usually take notice of that also But of this person who was the chief and Leader of all the Palestine Martyrs we see no such remarks made This 't is probable was not the fault of Eusebius but of his Excribers For in the Latine Acts which as we before evidenced were translated out of Eusebius all these circumstances are manifestly declared See the translation of the Latine Acts in note a. in this chapter Vales. d The Latine Copies of these Acts doe vary a little here in Claudius Joly's Copy the translation of which you have in note a. in this chapter the words are Defii Septima Julii mensiâ— quae nonas Julias dicitur apud Latinos i. e. on the seventh day of Desius that is the moneth July which amongst the Romans is called the Nones of July in the two M. S. Copies belonging to the Library of S. Germans the reading is thus Dies erat Septima Julii mensis quae 7. Idus Julii dicitur apud Latinos i. e. it was the seventh day of the Month July which amongst the Romans is called the seventh of the Ides of July In the greek Text of
giving Life to the living and restoring Life to the dead the true Light enlightning every man that cometh into the world God and the Minister of Good things in regard he is begotten of the Goodness and Power of the Father who hath not divided with him that has imparted the Dignity nor with any other his Fathers Substance or Kingdom But by Generation is made Glorious and the Lord of Glory Who has received Glory from the Father but has not partaken of the Fathers Glory For the Glory of the Almighty is incommunicable as he himself has said I will not give my Glory to another Who has been glorified by the Father before ages Who has been glorified by the Father through ages and throughout the whole rational and created Substance Whom the whole celestial Milice doth guard For he is the Lord and King of Glory as being the Son of God and God the Framer of things immortal and mortal the Framer of Spirits and of all flesh For all things were made by him and without him nothing was made The King and Lord of all Life and breath of those Creatures that were made by him For all things were delivered unto him by the Father according to his holy expression and the Father hath given all things into his hand Obedient to the framing and creating of the things which are Obedient to every Administration Not receiving his being the Son or God from his obedience but in that he is the Son and is the only begotten he is made God Obedient in Works Obedient in Words The Mediatour in Sentences or Decrees The Mediatour in Laws Him we acknowledge to be the Sun of God and the only begotten God Him alone we acknowledge to be like to him that begat him upon account of an eminent similitude and a peculiar conception or signification Not as the Father is to the Father For there are not two Fathers Nor as the Son is to the Son there being not two Sons Nor as the Unbegotten to the Unbegotten For there is one only Unbegotten to wit the Omnipotent and one only begotten Son But he is like as the Son to the Father in regard he is the Image and Seal of every operation and power of the Almighty the Seal of all the Works Words and Councels of the Father Him we acknowledge to be one of those who covered the earth with a deluge of waters Who burnt the Sodomites with fire Who inflicted punishment on the Egyptians Who made Laws according to the Commandment of the Eternal God Who in the times of the Prophets converst with the Ancients Who called those that refused to obey Who has received all power of Judging For the Father judgeth no man but hath given all judgment to the Son Who in the last days was made flesh made of a woman Made man in order to the deliverance and Salvation of us men Who assumed man or humanity consisting of a Soul and Body Who by his tongue and mouth Preached peace to those that were near and such as were remote Who was made obedient unto the Cross and unto death And who saw not corruption but rose again the third day And after his Resurrection he compendiously expounded the mystery to his disciples He sits on the right hand of the Father and shall come to judge the quick and dead After this person We Believe in the Paraclete the Spirit of Truth The Teacher of Piety Made by the Only begotten to whom he was once subject Who is not to be reckoned after the Father nor together with the Father For there is one only Father who is God over all Nor is he to be equalled with the Son For he is the Only begotten and has no Brother begotten at the same time with him Nor yet is he to be compared with any other thing For he has transcended all other things that have been made by the Son in Generation Nature Glory and Knowledge In regard he is the first and best the greatest and most beautifull work of the Only begotten Who also himself being one and the first and the Only and the most eminent of all the Sons composures by reason of his substance and natural Dignity does perfect every operation and Doctrine according to the Sons arbitrement by whom he is sent and of whom he receives And he makes a relation to those that are instructed teaching the Truth sanctifying the Saints leading them who come to the Sacrament dividing to the Spirit all his free gifts who gives grace And he cooperates with the faithfull in order to their understanding and contemplation of the things commanded Who groans with them that pray is the Guide to what is profitable gives strength in order to Piety enlightens Souls with the light of knowledge purges the thoughts chases away devills cures the sick heals the diseased brings back the wanderers into the way comforts the afflicted erects those that stumble and fall refreshes those that labour encourages with shouts those that strive emboldens those that are fearfull is the Guardian and Overseer of all men takes all imaginable care and makes provision for the promotion or access of the well minded and for the preservation of the more faithfull Further We Believe in that Resurrection which shall be effected by our Saviour to wit of those very Bodies which have been dissolved together with their proper members and particles when nothing shall be wanting or changed of those things which composed every mans body in this present life Moreover We Believe the Judgment which shall be after this of those things which have been ill-thought or acted and likewise of all the works words actions practises conceptions of the mind and thoughts which have hapned in this present life so that nothing at all whether of the greatest matters or of the least shall be concealed nothing of those things which have been legally done or unjustly perpetrated shall be neglected or overlookt but a proportionate and just sentence shall be given or measured out And those that have continued impious and sinners to the end of their lives shall be sent away to an endless punishment But such as have led Holy and righteous lives shall be taken up to an eternall life These are our Sentiments which we have learned from the Saints and thus we think and believe We have omitted nothing of what we have learned on account of shame or out of fear Nor have we by reason of turpitude or contentiousness made any additions thereto or perverted any thing therein Neither are we conscious to our selves of any such falsity or detestable impiety as is framed against us by those Sycophants or slanderers Whose damnation is just That this is the confession of Faith which was delivered by Eunomius to Theodosius in the month June on the second Consulate of Merobaudes which he bore which Saturninus is evident from these words which occur at the beginning of this confession to wit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉