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
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
Episcopal Office to Linus of whom Paul has made mention in his Epistles to Timotheus Anencletus succeeded him after whom in the third place from the Apostles Clemens had the Bishoprick allotted to him who had seen the blessed Apostles and was conversant with them and as yet he had the preaching of the Apostles sounding in his ears and their tradition before his eyes and not he alone for at that time there were many yet remaining alive who had been taught by the Apostles In the times of this Clemens when no small dissension rose among the brethren at Corinth the Church of Rome sent a most compleat and agreeable Epistle to the Corinthians joyning them together in peace and renewing their faith and the tradition they had lately received from the Apostles And after some few words he says Evarestus succeeded this Clemens and Alexander Evarestus then Xystus was constituted the sixth from the Apostles after him Telesphorus who suffered a glorious Martyrdom after him Hyginus then Pius after Pius Anicetus Soter having succeeded Anicetus Eleutherus is now in possession of the Episcopal Office in the twelfth place from the Apostles In this same order and succession both the tradition of the Apostles in the Church and also the promulgation of the truth is descended unto us CHAP. VII That even to those times miracles were wrought by the faithfull ALl this being agreeable to what we have delivered in the foregoing Books of our History Irenaeus has given his assent to in those five books of his which he entitled The Confutation and Overthrow of Knowledge falsly so called in the second book of which Subject he does in these words manifest that even in his days there remained in some Churches examples of the divine and wonderfull power of God in working miracles saying So far are they from raising the dead as the Lord and the Apostles did by prayer And frequently amongst the brotherhood the whole Church of one place having with much fasting and prayer requested the soul of the defunct has returned into his body and the man has had the benefit of life conferred upon him by the prayers of the Saints And again after the interposition of some words he says But if they say that the Lord wrought such miracles as these in appearance only not really we will bring them to the oracles of the Prophets and from thence demonstrate that all things were thus predicted concerning him and most undoubtedly done by him and that he onely is the Son of God Therefore they which are his true disciples receiving grace from him doe in his name perform all things for the benefit of the rest of mankind according as every one of them hath received the gift from him For some of them do certainly and truely cast out devils in so much that those very persons who were cleansed from evil spirits frequently become believers and continue in the Church Others have the fore-knowledge of things future and visions and utter prophetick predictions Others by the imposition of their hands heal the sick and restore them to their former soundness and moreover as we said the dead also have been raised who continued with us many years after What shall we say more We cannot declare the number of the gifts which the Church throughout the whole world having received from God in the name of Jesus Christ who was crucified under Pontius Pilate does daily perform for the benefit of the Nations She uses no deceit towards any person neither does she sell her gifts for as she has freely received them from God so she freely ministers them to others And in another place the same Authour writes thus In like manner as we have heard many brethren in the Church who had prophetick gifts and by the Spirit spoke all sorts of languages who also revealed the secrets of men in such cases as 't was profitable and necessary and explained the mysteries of God And thus much concerning this matter to wit that diversities of gifts continued with such as were worthy untill those times before manifested CHAP. VIII After what manner Irenaeus makes mention of the divine Scriptures BUt because in the beginning of this work of ours we promised that we would produce in due place the words of the ancient Ecclesiastick Presbyters and Writers wherein they have delivered in writing the traditions concerning the books of the Old and New Testament which came to their hands of which number Irenaeus was one Come on we will here adjoyn his words and first what he has said of the sacred Gospels after this manner Matthew published his Gospel among the Hebrews written in their own Language whilest Peter and Paul were Preaching the Gospel at Rome and founding the Church After their death Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter delivered to us in writing what Peter had Preached Luke also the follower of Paul compiled in a book the Gospel Preach't by him Afterwards John the disciple of the Lord he that leaned on his breast publisht a Gospel when he lived at Ephesus a City of Asia Thus much the forementioned Authour has said in the third book of the foresaid work And in his fifth book he discourses thus concerning the Revelation of John and the number of Antichrist's name These things being thus and this number being extant in all accurate and antient copies and those very persons who saw John face to face attesting the truth of these things even reason doth teach us that the number of the beasts name according to the computation of the Grecians is made apparent by the letters contained in it And after some other passages he speaks thus concerning the same John We therefore will not run the hazard of affirming any thing too positively concerning the name of Antichrist for if his name were to have been openly declared in this age it would have been express't by him who saw the Revelation For it was not seen long since but almost in our age about the end of Domitian's Reign Thus much is related by the foresaid Authour concerning the Revelation He mentions also the first Epistle of John and produces many authorites out of it as also out of the second Epistle of Peter He not onely knew but also approved of the book called Pastor saying Truly therefore hath that book said which contains this Before all things believe that there is one God who created and set in order all things and so forth He quotes some words out of the Wisedom of Solomon saying in a manner thus The vision of God procures incorruption and incorruption makes us neer unto God He makes mention also of the sayings of an Apostolick Presbyter whose name he has concealed and annexes his expositions of the divine Scriptures Moreover he makes mention of Justin Martyr and Ignatius quoting also authorities out of their writings The same person has promised to confute Marcion in a separate Volume by arguments pickt out
15. c. 2. l. 30. r. Tiberius p. 17. c. 1. l. 3. r. Centurion of the Proconsular office p. 21. c. 2. l. 2. r. not in his first but in his second Apology p. 47. c. 1. l. 15. r. Symbol or Signall p. 78. c. 1. l. 4. from the bottom read whole story about the Cells p. 83. c. 2. l. 1. r. the publick Treasure p. 88. c. 2. l. 43. r. in the name of Eulogia p. 98. c. 1. l. 41. r. signifies a narration onely ibid. l. 59. r. which are Printed p. 120. c. 2. l. 24. r. solemn prayer of the Eucharist p. 123. c. 2. l. 25. r. in his Libel which p. 136. c. 1. l. 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 172. c. 2. l. 2. from the bottom read a son of God p. 180. c. 1. l. 12. r. Note o. p. 183. c. 2. l. 15. r. and we an entire and compleat p. 189. c. 1. l. 37. blot out and. p. 215. c. 2. l. 16. r. Orthodoxae p. 223. c. 1. l. 7. r. chap. 45. p. 258. c. 2. l. 25. r. which is born or begotten p. 263. c. 1. l. 35. r. we owe. p. 266. c. 2. l. 8. r. at this place p. 310. c. 1. l. 60. read Safima p. 324. c. 1. line 4. from the bottom read an hundred and thirty seaven p. 331. c. 1. l. 28. r. Safima p. 336. c. 2. in the last line read in which he terms him Rhutupinu◠Latro. p. 353. c. 1. l. 6. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibid. l. 9. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 357. c. 1. l. 13. r. Learn◠the Letters p. 434. c. 1. l. 51. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 451. c. 2. l. 57. r. who imagine or fancy p. 470. c. 2. blot out almost an Island p. 538. c. 2. l. 17. r. chap. 21. p. 559. c. 1. l. 44. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE Ecclesiastical History OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS CHAP. I. The Subject of this Work THE successions of the Holy Apostles together with the series of times continued from our Saviour to our age and how many and great things are said to have been done agreeable to the subject of an Ecclesiastical History and who have eminently governed and presided over the Church especially in the most famous Sees also who in every age have set forth the Divine Word either by preaching or writings And also what men and how many and when through a desire of innovation falling into extream errours have published themselves authors of knowledge falsly so called and sparing none as ravening wolves have devoured the flock of Christ and moreover what evils and calamities befell straightway the whole nation of the Jews because of their conspiracy against our Saviour and again by how great and what manner of means and in what times the Divine Word hath been impugned of the Gentiles and what singular men in every age have undergone the greatest perills in defence thereof by shedding their bloud and suffering torments and besides all this the Martyrdoms that have happened in our own times together with the merciful and benign assistance of our Saviour graciously exhibited towards every one These things I say I determining to publish in writing will not take my entrance from any other place than from the very Incarnation of our Lord and Saviour Jesus who is the Christ of God But truly even in the beginning we must modestly crave pardon for we confess ingeniously it is far beyond our strength to finish what we design and promise perfectly and compleatly so as to omit nothing For we taking this argument in hand first adventure to tread a solitary and untroden way praying that God may be our guide and the power of our Lord our present help and aid but we can no where find so much as the bare steps of any men who have passed the same path before us excepting onely some small shews and tokens divers here and there have left us particular declarations of the times they lived in holding forth as it were Torches a far off and lifting up their voices from one high and calling as out of a Watch-tower to direct us what way we ought to goe and how without errour or danger to order our discourse Whatsoever things therefore we think will be expedient for this present argument these we carefully chusing as they are here and there by them mentioned and culling and gathering the commodious and fit sentences of former Writers as it were flowers out of Wisdoms Meadows we will endeavour by an Historical narration to compact the same into one body resting well contented to preserve from oblivion the successions although not of all yet of the most famous Apostles of our Saviour in those Churches which then were eminent and are still renowned I suppose that I have taken in hand a subject very necessary because I have not found any Ecclesiastical Writer which hath hitherto employed any diligence in a work of this nature I hope also it will appear a most profitable work to those who prize the usefull knowledge of History And indeed I heretofore wrote an Epitome of these things when I compiled my Chronical Canons but the more ample declaration hereof I now purpose to undertake And the beginning of my narration as I said will I take from the Dispensation of our Saviour Christ and from his Divinity the conception whereof far exceeds the reach of humane capacity For it is requisite for him that would commit to writing an Ecclesiastical History thence to begin even from the incarnation of Christ diviner than it seemeth to many in as much as from him we are honoured with the name of Christians CHAP. II. A brief Summary concerning the Praeexistence and Divinity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. WHereas therefore there is in Christ a twofold Nature the one resembling the Head of the Body by which He is understood to be God the other rightly compared to the feet by which he hath put on our humane nature subject to like passions with us for the sake of our Salvation the series of our subsequent narration will be perfect and entire if we begin the declaration of the discourse of the whole History concerning Him from those Heads which are the chief and principal Hereby also both the Antiquity and divine dignity of Christianity will be manifestly declared against them which suppose this Religion new and strange of yesterday and never before apparent But to declare the Generation Dignity Essence and Nature of Christ no speech can sufficiently serve Wherefore also the Holy Ghost in the Prophets saith His Generation who shall be able to declare For the Father no man hath known but the Son neither at any time hath any fully known the Son but the Father alone which begat him That Light that shone before the World that Intellectual and Essential Wisdom that was before all Ages the Living God the Word
all the people bear thee witness that thou art just and respectest not the person of any man perswade the multitude therefore that they be not deceived about Jesus for we and all the people put our confidence in thee stand therefore upon the battlement of the temple that from on high thou mayest be conspicuous and thy words readily heard by all the people for upon account of the passover all the tribes together with the Nations are come together Therefore the foresaid Scribes and Pharisees placed James upon the battlement of the Temple and cried out to him and said O Justus whom we all ought to put our confidence in because the people are mislead after Jesus who was crucified declare to us which is the gate of Christ who was crucified and he answered with a loud voice Why do ye question me about Jesus the Son of man He even sits in heaven at the right hand of great power and will come in the clouds of heaven Now when many were fully satisfied and confirmed and glorified God for this Testimony of James and cryed saying Hosanna to the Son of David then the same Scribes and Pharisees said again to one another we have done ill in exhibiting such a Testimony to Jesus but let us go up and cast him down that so the people being terrified may not give credit to him And they cried out saying O O even Justus himself is also seduced And they fulfilled that which was written in Esaiah We will destroy the righteous for he is troublesome to us wherefore they shall eat the fruit of their doings They went up therefore and cast down Justus and said amongst themselves Let us stone James the Just and they began to stone him for he was not fully dead after his fall but turning he kneeled saying I intreat thee O Lord God the Father forgive them for they know not what they doe As they were thus stoning of him one of the Priests of the sons of Rechab the son of Rechabim testifyed of by Jeremy the Prophet cried out saying cease what doe ye Justus prays for us And one of them being one of the Fullers took a leaver with which he used to squeeze garments and smote Justus on the head and so he was martyred And they buried him in that place and his Grave-stone as yet remains neer the Temple This man was a true and substantial witness both to Jews and Gentiles that Jesus was the Christ and soon after Vespasian beset Judea round about and took the Jews captive These things Hegesippus having related fully and largely does therein agree with Clemens But James was a person so admirable and so much cried up amongst all men for his righteousness that the most sober men of the Jews were of opinion that this was the cause of the siege of Jerusalem which immediately followed upon his Martyrdome and that this siege befell them upon no other account than that audacious villany committed against this James Josephus therefore was not afraid to testifie this in writing declaring himself in these words These things befell the Jews in the way of revenge for James the Just who was the brother of Jesus called Christ because the Jews had murthered him being a most righteous person And the same Authour in the twentieth Book of his Antiquities relates his death in these words Caesar being certified of Festus his death sent Albinus Procuratour into Judea But Ananus the younger who as we said before had gotten the High-priesthood was a man as to his disposition rash and excessively bold he embraced the Sect of the Sadduces who in matters of judgment are cruell above all the Jews as we before manifested Ananus therefore being such an one as we have described him to be supposing he had a fit opportunity in that Festus was dead and Albinus yet upon his journey called an Assembly of the Judges into which he caused the brother of Jesus called Christ whose name was James with certain others to be brought whom he accused as violatours of the Law and so delivered them up to be stoned But as many as seemed to be the mildest and most modest in the City and who were the strictest observers of the Law were very much offended hereat and sending privately to the King they intreated him to write to Ananus to warn him that he should not any more attempt any such thing For that he had not done this first fact regularly and legally And some of them also went to meet Al binus journeying from Alexandria and informed him that it was not lawfull for Ananus without his consent to assemble the Sanhedrim Albinus being induced to believe what they said wrote in great anger to Ananus threatning that he would punish him And King Agrippa for this very thing took the High-priesthood from him which he had held three months and constituted Jesus the son of Dammaeus High-priest Thus much concerning James whose the first of those called the general Epistles is reported to be But you must know it is suspected to be spurious Therefore not many of the Antients have made mention of it like as neither of that called Jude being also one of the seven termed the general Epistles Yet notwithstanding we know that these with the rest have been publickly read in most Churches CHAP. XXIV How after Mark Annianus was constituted the first Bishop of the Church of the Alexandrians BUt Nero being in the eighth year of his reign Annianus the first after Mark the Apostle and Evangelist succeeded in the publick charge of the Church at Alexandria being a man beloved of God and in all respects admirable CHAP. XXV Of the persecution in the time of Nero in which Paul and Peter were for Religion graced with Marty dome at Rome THe Empire being now confirmed to Nero he giving his mind to the commission of nefarious facts armed himself against the very worship of the supream God Indeed how wicked a person he was our present leisure will not permit us to describe But in as much as many have related in most accurate Treatises those things that were done by him he that is desirous may from thence see the cruelty and insolent rage of the man Whereby having without all consideration destroyed an infinite number of men he arrived to such an height of murdering cruelty that he forbore not his most familiar and most beloved friends but slew his mother and his wife with innumerable others that were related to him as if they had been enemies and adversaries by sundry kinds of death This indeed also ought together with the rest to have been ascribed to him as one of his titles That he was the first of the Emperours that demonstrated himself to be an Adversary to the worship due to God Thus much again Tertullian the Roman does record saying after this manner Consult your Records There you will
Vespasian commanded that the descendants of David should be sought out ANd moreover it is reported that Vespasian after the taking of Jerusalem commanded all those that were of the kindred of David to be diligently sought out least any one of them who were of the Royal Race should be left remaining amongst the Jews and that a most sore persecution was thereby again brought upon the Jews CHAP. XIII That Anencletus was the Second Bishop of the Roman Church BUt when Vespasian had reigned ten years his son Titus succeeded him in the Empire In the second year of whose Reign Linus Bishop of the Roman Church having held that publick charge twelve years delivered it to Anencletus And Titus after he had reigned two years and as many months was succeeded by his brother Domitian CHAP. XIV That Avilius was the Second Bishop of Alexandria FUrthermore in the fourth year of Domitian Annianus the First Bishop of the Alexandrian Church having there spent two and twenty years compleat died After whom succeeded Avilius being the second Bishop there CHAP. XV. That Clemens was the Third Bishop of the Roman Church ALso in the twelfth year of this Emperours Reign Anencletus having been Bishop of the Roman Church twelve years had to his successour Clemens whom the Apostle writing an Epistle to the Philippians declares to be his fellow-labourer saying with Clement also and with other my fellow-labourers whose names are in the book of life CHAP. XVI Concerning the Epistle of Clemens MOreover there is extant one Epistle of this Clemens his which by general consent is acknowledged as genuine and is singularly excellent and admirable which he wrote in the name of the Roman Church to that of the Corinthians there being at that time a Faction raised in the Corinthian Church which Epistle also we have known to have been publickly read in many Churches before the whole congregation both in times past and also in our own memory Now that in the time of the aforementioned Clemens there was a Faction raised in the Corinthian Church Hegesippus is a witness worthy to be credited CHAP. XVII Of the Persecution in Domitians time BEsides Domitian having shown much cruelty towards many and by unjust sentences put to death no small company of men of Rome that were nobly descended and illustrious and having punished innumerable other most eminent persons undeservedly with banishment and loss of goods at length rendred himself the successour of Nero as to his hatred of God and his fighting against him For he raised the second persecution against us Although his father Vespasian had designed nothing injurious towards us CHAP XVIII Concerning John the Apostle and his Revelation IN this persecution its reported that John the Apostle and also Evangelist who yet lived was banished into the Isle Patmos upon account of the Testimony he exhibited to the word of God Indeed Irenaeus writing concerning the number of the name of Antichrist mentioned in the Revelation of John does in these very words in his fifth book against Heresies thus speak concerning John But if at this present time his name ought publickly to be preached it would have been spoken of by him who saw the Revelation For it was seen not a long time since but almost in our Age about the latter end of Domitian's Reign But so mightily did the doctrine of our faith flourish in those forementioned times that even those Writers who are wholly estranged from our Religion have not thought it troublesome to set forth in their Histories both this Persecution and also the Martyrdoms suffered therein And they have also accurately shown the very time relating that in the fifteenth year of Domitian Flavia Domitilla daughter of the sister of Flavius Clemens at that time one of the Consuls at Rome was together with many others also banished into the Island Pontia for the Testimony of Christ. CHAP. XIX How Domitian commanded that the descendants of David should be slain WHen the same Domitian gave command that the descendants of David should be slain there goeth an antient report that some Hereticks accused the posterity of Jude who was the brother of our Saviour according to the flesh as being of the off-spring of David and bearing affinity to Christ himself And this Hegesippus manifests word for word saying thus CHAP. XX. Concerning those that were Related to our Saviour THere were yet surviving who were related to our Lord the Nephews of that Jude who was called the brother of Christ after the flesh whom they accused as being descended from David And these Evocatus brought to Caesar Domitian For Domitian was afraid of the coming of Christ as well as Herod And he asked them if they were of the stock of David and they acknowledged it Then he questioned them how great possessions they had or what quantity of money they were masters of and they said that they both had but nine thousand pence a moiety whereof belonged to each of them and these they said they had not in ready money but in land of that value being onely thirty nine Acres of which also they paid tribute and themselves were maintained by their own labour And then they shewed their hands producing as an evidence of their working the hardness of their skin and a brawniness imprinted on their hands by reason of their assiduous labour Being also asked concerning Christ and his Kingdom of what sort it was and when and where it would appear they returned answer that it was neither worldly nor Terrestrial but Celestial and Angelical that it should be at the end of the world when he would come in Glory to judge the quick and dead and reward every man according to his deeds Upon which answer Domitian condemned them not but scorning them as despicable persons he dismist them unbound and by Edict appeased the Persecution raised against the Church But they thus released as t is said afterwards presided over Churches as being both Martyrs and also allied to our Lord and peace ensuing they lived till the Reign of Trajan So far Hegesippus But moreover Tertullian also makes mention of Domitian Domitian also attempted a Persecution who was a Limb of Nero as to cruelty But being also but a man he soon desisted from his enterprize restoring even those whom he had banished But after Domitian had reigned fifteen years Nerva having succeeded him in the Empire the Roman Senate decreed that Domitians Titles of Honour should be abrogated and that such as were by him unjustly banished should return to their houses and have their goods restored This they relate who committed to writing the History of those times Moreover the account of the Antients amongst us declares that then also the Apostle John was released from his banishment in the Island and took up his habitation again at Ephesus CHAP. XXI That Cerdo was the third that presided over the Alexandrian Church BUt Nerva
in his time a dead man was raised to life again and further that there came to pass another miracle about Justus who was surnamed Barsabas how that he drank deadly poyson and by the grace of the Lord susteined no harm That this Justus after our Saviours Ascension was together with Matthias set forth by the Holy Apostles and that they prayed that one of them might instead of the Traitour Judas be allotted to fill up their number the Book of the Acts of the Apostles doth after this manner relate And they appointed two Joseph called Barsabas who was surnamed Justus and Matthias And they prayed and said Moreover the same writer has set down some other things which came to him barely by word of mouth to wit certain strange parables of our Saviours and Sermons of his and some other more fabulous relations Among which he says there shall be a Thousand years after the Resurrection from the dead wherein the Kingdom of Christ shall be corporally set up here on earth and I judge he had this opinion from his misapprehending the Apostolical discourses in that he did not see through those things they spake mystically by way of similitude For he seems to have been a man of a very narrow understanding as it may be conjectured from his Books Yet he gave occasion to very many Ecclesiastical persons after him to be of the same erronious opinion with him who had a regard for the antiquity of the man as for example to Irenaeus and to every one also who has declared himself to be of the same opinion He relates also in his Books other interpretations of the foresaid Aristion's of the sayings of the Lord and the traditions of John the Elder To which we doe refer the studious Readers and judge it requisite now onely to adjoyn to his fore mentioned words a passage he relates concerning Mark the Evangelist in these words This also the Elder said Mark being the Interpreter of Peter accurately wrote what ever he remembred but yet not in that order wherein Christ either spake or did them For he was neither an hearer of the Lords nor yet his Follower but as I said he was afterwards conversant with Peter who Preacht the doctrine of the Gospel profitably to those that heard him but not so as if he would compose an History of the Lords sayings Wherefore Mark committed nothing of errour in that he wrote some things so as he had remembred them For he made this one thing his chiefest aime to wit to omit none of those things he had heard nor yet to deliver any thing that was false therein Thus much Papias relates concerning Mark. Concerning Matthew he says this Moreover Matthew wrote his divine Oracles in the Hebrew tongue and every one interpreted them as they were able This Papias also has quoted authorities taken out of the First Epistle of John and likewise out of the former Epistle of Peter He has set down also another relation about a woman who was accused of many crimes before the Lord which relation is contained in the Gospel according to the Hebrews And thus much we have usefully and diligently observed and added to those things which before we had set down THE FOURTH BOOK OF THE Ecclesiastical History of EVSEBIUS PAMPHILUS CHAP. I. Who were the Bishops of the Roman and Alexandrian Churches in the Reign of Trajane ABout the twelfth year of Trajan's Empire Cerdo the Bishop of the Alexandrian Church whom we a little before mentioned departed this life and Primus the fourth from the Apostles was elected to the publick charge of that Church At the same time also Evarestus having finished his eighth year Alexander undertook the Bishoprick of Rome who was the fifth in succession from Peter and Paul CHAP. II. What the Jews suffered in this Emperours time MOreover the Doctrine and Church of our Saviour flourishing daily increased more and more but the calamities of the Jews were augmented by continual mischiefs following one upon another For the Emperour entring now upon the eighteenth year of his Reign there arose again a commotion of the Jews which destroyed a very great number of them For both at Alexandria and over all the rest of Egypt and moreover throughout Cyrene they being stirred up as it were by some violent and contentious spirit raised Sedition against the Greeks and Gentiles with whom they dwelt And they increasing the Faction very much on the ensuing year enkindled a great War Lupus was at that time Governour of all Egypt Moreover it happened that in the first encounter they were too hard for the Greeks who flying to Alexandria took the Jews that were in the City alive and slew them But those Jews who inhabited Cyrene being frustrated of assistance in the war from them persisted to infest and destroy the countrey of Egypt and all its Prefectures by pillages and robberies one Lucuas being their Leader Against whom the Emperour sent Marcius Turbo with horse and foot and also with Navall forces he in many ingagements having made the war against them long and tedious destroyed many Myriads of Jews not onely of those of Cyrene but also of those of Egypt who flockt together to give assistance to their King Lucuas But the Emperour suspecting that those Jews in Mesopotamia would also set upon the inhabitants there commanded Lusius Quiet us to clear that Province of them Who ingaging with them destroyed a very great number of them that dwelt there for which successfull piece of service he was appointed Deputy of Judea by the Emperour And thus much those heathens who committed to writing the transactions of those times doe almost in the very same words relate CHAP. III. Who in the time of Adrian wrote Apologies in defence of the Faith WHen Trajan had held the Empire twenty years compleat excepting six months Aelius Adrianus succeeded in the Government To whom Quadratus dedicated and presented a book wherein he had comprized an Apology for our Religion because certain malicious men endeavoured to molest the Christians This work is still extant amongst many of the brethren and we also have it From which book may be seen perspicuous evidences of the man's understanding and of his truely Apostolical faith and sound doctrine The same Writer makes his own antiquity sufficiently evident by what he relates in these very words The works of our Saviour were always conspicuous for they were true Those that were healed such as were raised from the dead did not onely appear after they were healed and raised but also were afterwards seen of all and that not onely whilest our Saviour was conversant upon earth but also after he was gone they continued alive a great while in so much that some of them survived even to our times Such a person indeed was Quadratus Aristides also a faithfull man of that Religion profest by us left in like manner as Quadratus did an Apologie for
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
of Christ he was honoured with a Presbytership of the Church there Now this man having undertaken to dispute against Paul the Notaries having written down all the passages of that disputation which is at this day extant was the onely person that was able to detect and convince that crafty and deceitfull fellow CHAP. XXX Concerning the Epistle of the Bishops against Paul THe Prelates therefore being assembled together by common consent writ an Epistle to Dionysius Bishop of Rome and Maximus Bishop of Alexandria and then sent it over all the Provinces both manifesting their diligence to all men the perverse Heterodoxy of Paul the Confutations and Disputes which were held against them and also giving in a Narration of the whole Life and Morals of the man whose words in which Epistle that Posterity may remember them it will be convenient here to relate THE EPISTLE To Dionysius and Maximus and to all our fellow-Ministers over the whole world Bishops Presbyters and Deacons and to the whole Catholick Church under heaven Helenus Hymenaeus Theophilus Theotecnus Maximus Proclus Nicomas Aelianus Paul Bolanus Protogenes Hierax Eutychius Theodorus Malchion and Lucius And all the rest of the Bishops of the Neighbouring Cities and Provinces which are with us the Presbyters and Deacons and the Churches of God To the beloved Brethren in the Lord health After some words interpos'd they adde these following We have written to and intreated many of the Bishops far Remote that they would come and assist in the Curing of this Pestiferous Doctrine for we wrote to Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria and to Firmilianus Bishop of Cappadocia men of blessed Memory The first of them wrote to Antioch but did not so much as vouchsafe the Authour of the Heresie a salutation neither did he write to him by name but to the whole Church a Copy of which Letter we have here inserted The other Firmilianus came twice and condemned Paul's novelties as we who were then present do attest and many others do also know as well as we But when he promised to recant Firmilianus believing him and hoping that the business might be composed without any reproach to our Religion deferred his sentence being deceived by him who denyed his God and Lord and who kept not the faith which he formerly professed But Firmilianus was now about coming to Antioch and he came as far as Tarsus For he had had experience of his malicious wickedness who denyed his God But in the interim of our assembling and whilest we were sending for him and expecting his coming he died After some other passages they describe his Morals and what course of Life he lead in these words But since he turn'd to forged and spurions Opinions departing from the true Rule it is not our concern to examine the Actions of one who is out of the Church Neither how he who was formerly poor and indigent having had no Estate from his Parents nor got any thing by any Trade or Profession is now become incredibly rich by his unlawful and sacrilegious dealings by extortion and vexatiousness used towards the Brethren and by taking bribes from those that were injured promising to help them to their right for a reward but he deceiv'd them too getting money for doing nothing through their willingness who were entangled in Suits to give any thing for a delivery from those troubles He supposed godliness to be gain Neither need we declare how proud and insolent he was being invested with secular Dignities and desiring to be stiled a Ducenarius rather then a Bishop and how he walk't in state through the Forum reading and dictating Letters as he walked in publick with a numerous Guard about him some going before and some following him in so much that there was an ill opinion and an odium brought upon the faith through his pride and haughtiness Neither does it concern us to examine his vain glorious ambition in the Ecclesiastick conventions which he greedily pursues being desirous of glory and affected with an imaginary pomp with such devices as these terrifying the minds of the faithful and ignorant Besides he errected for himself a Tribunal and a lofty throne not like one of Christ's disciples but had a place called his Secretum like as the secular Magistrates have He also used to clap his hand upon his thigh and stamp't upon the Throne with his feet And such as did not commend him and shake their oraria as they usually did in the Theaters and did not make loud exclamations nor leapt up and down in the same manner as his favourites which were a company of silly men and women that during their hearkning to him used such indecencies did but were attentive to him with such a seemly reverence and decencie as befits the house of God those persons he rebuked and reproach't In his publick discourses he reflected upon those Doctours of our Religion that were dead with all imaginable scorn and petulancy but he magnified himself not as became a Bishop but rather like a counterfeit and an Impostour He abolished the Psalms which were usually sung in honour of our Lord Jesus Christ as Novel and the composures of modern men On the great feast of Easter he appointed women to sing Psalms in his commendation in the body of the Church which whosoever heard might justly tremble at He also privately sent the Bishops of the Neighbouring Villages and Towns and the Presbyters who were his flatterers to make discourses to the people in commendation of him For he will not joyn in a confession with us that the Son of God came down from heaven that we may now premise some things of what we shall hereafter more at large declare in writing Neither shall this be affirmed on our bare word but it is evident in many places up and down his Acts which we have sent you and most especially there where he says that Jesus Christ is of the earth But those who chaunt out his praises and sing his Encomium's amongst the people do say that this their impious master is an angel come down from heaven nor does that haughty fellow prohibit these expressions but is himself present when they are spoken What need we here mention his and his Presbyters and Deacons Subintroduced women as the Antiochians term them in whom he conceals not onely this but many other damnable crimes which he is conscious of and of which he has been convict they are guilty that by this means he may keep them so obnoxious as not to adventure through a fear of their own guilt to accuse him for his impious words and practises Moreover he has enriched them And this is the reason he is beloved and admired by them who covet such things But why do we write these things We know beloved that it is the duty of a Bishop and of the whole Clergy to be examples of good
another while the Historical parts of Scripture and again at other times the Evangelick and Apostolick writings I was I confess amazed when I first saw this man standing in the midst of a numerous Ecclesiastick congregation and repeating some parts of the divine Scripture For as long as I could only hear his voice I supposed him to have read what is usually rehearsed in such assemblies But when I approached very neer and saw plainly what was done to wit all the rest in the assembly standing round and having their eye-sight clear and perfect and him making use of the eyes of his understanding only in reality delivering oracles like some Prophet and far surpassing those that were sound and healthy in body I could not forbear praising and glorifying of God And I thought that I really beheld a firm and most evident instance to perswade me to believe that he is to be accounted truly a man not who appears so to be by the external shape of his body but who is such in respect of his mind and understanding For although this person had a mangled and deformed body yet he demonstrated the strength of his internal faculties to be great and most powerful Moreover God himself vouchsafed to allot these forementioned persons who living in a place apart by themselves spent their time according to the usual manner in prayers fastings and in the performance of other severe exercises of Religion a blessed and salutary death reaching out to them his propitious right hand But that malicious enemy of all goodness unable to endure them any longer in regard they were carefully armed against him with their continual prayers to God resolved to have them killed and removed from off the earth as being troublesome to him Which God permitted him to attempt and perform both that he should not be hindred from â—oing mischief agreeable to his own mind and purpose and that they might at length receive the rewards of their various combats Thus therefore nine and thirty persons were beheaded on one and the same day by an order from the most impious Maximin These were the Martyrdomes perpetrated in Palestine during the space of ten years and such was the persecution in our days which having been began from those times wherein the Churches were demolished was much increased in the times succeeding by the Governours insolencies Amidst which their various and different combats who were Religious Champions made an innumerable company of Martyrs throughout every Province to wit in Libya and throughout all Egypt Syria and all those Provinces which reach from the East round to the Country of Illyricum For those regions scituate beyond these now mentioned that is all Italy Sicily France and those which lie towards the Sun-setting Spain Mauritania and Africa having not indured the rage of the persecution full out the space of the two first years were vouchsafed a sudden visitation from God and obtained peace divine Providence taking compassion on the simplicity and faith of those men Further an accident a parallel to which the Records from the very first beginning of the Roman Empire cannot shew happened now first in these our days contrary to all expectation For during the persecution in our times the Empire was divided into two parts Those brethren which were inhabitants of the one part that just now mentioned enjoyed peace but such as dwelt in the other part of the Empire endured innumerable conflicts renewed against them successively But when divine grace gave some indications of its candid and compassionate visitation of us then those very Governours of ours who before had been raisers of the wars waged against us in our days having most miraculously altered their minds sounded a retreat extinguishing the flame of persecution kindled against us by Rescripts published in favour to us and by mild Edicts 'T is requisite that we Record their retractation The End of Eusebius Pamphilus's Book concerning the Martyrs of Palestine THE NINTH BOOK OF THE Ecclesiastical History OF EUSEBIUS PAMPHILUS CHAP. I. Concerning the counterfeited Cessation of the Persecution THIS Revocation contained in the Imperial Edict mentioned before was published in all parts of Asia and throughout the Adjacent Provinces After which publications thus made Maximin the Eastern Tyrant a person as impious as ever breathed and a most deadly enemy to the worship of the supream God being in no wise pleased with these Rescripts instead of the forementioned Edict issues out a verbal Order only to those Governours within his Jurisdiction that they should stop the persecution against us For in regard he durst not in any wise oppose the Decree of his superiours having concealed the forementioned Edict and taken such care as that it should not be publickly proposed in the Provinces under his Jurisdiction he gives order by word of mouth only to those Governours under him that they should put a stop to the persecution against us of which Order they inform one another by Letters For Sabinus who was then honoured with the Prefecture of the Praetorium the chiefest Office among them in a Latine Epistle to the Governours of the Provinces declared the Emperour's pleasure the contents of which Letter we have thus translated The Majesty of our most sacred Lords the Emperours by their earnest and most devout care have long since determined to render the minds of all men conformable to the true and holy Rule of living that by this means they who seem to have embraced usages different from those of the Romanes might be induced to exhibite due worship to the immortal Gods But the obstinate and most untractable perverseness of some mens minds was arrived at such an height that neither could the justice of the Imperial Decree prevaile with them to recede from their own resolutions nor the imminent punishment annexed strike any terrour into them Since therefore it might have happened that upon this account many would have precipitated themselves into danger the sacred Majesty of our Lords the most puissant Emperours according to their innate clemency judging it disagreeable to their own most sacred Intent that upon this occasion men should be surrounded with such great danger enjoyned our devotedness to write to your Prudence that if evidence be brought against any Christian for his following that way of worship observed amongst those of his own Religion you should secure him and set him free from all danger and molestation and that you should condemn none to be punished upon account of this pretence For since it has been manifestly evidenced that during so long a tract of time they could by no means be perswaded to desist from their perverse stubborness your Prudence therefore is enjoyned to write to the Curators to the Magistrates and to the Presidents of the Villages belonging to every City that they may understand that for the future they are not to take any further care concerning this affair Hereupon all the
the great Council of Nice was this We believe in one God the Father Almighty Maker of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God begotten of the Father the only begotten that is of the substance of the Father God of God and Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made of the same substance with the Father by whom all things were made that are in heaven and in earth who for the sake of us men and for our salvation descended and was incarnate and was made man and he suffered and arose again the third day ascended into the Heavens he shall come to Judge the quick and the dead We also believe in the Holy Ghost But the holy Catholick and Apostolick Church doth anathematize those that aver that there was a time when the Son of God was not and that he was not before he was begotten and that he was made of nothing Or that say he was made of another substance or essence or that he is either created or convertible or mutable This Creed three hundred and eighteen Bishops approved of and embraced and as Eusebius testifies being unanimous in their suffrages and sentiments they subscribed it There were only five that refused to allow of it who misliked the word Homoousios these were Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Theognis Bishop of Nice Maris of Chalcedon Theonas of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais For in regard they asserted that that is Consubstantial which is from another either by Partition or by Derivation or by Eruption by Eruption as the Branch from the Root by Derivation as Children from their Parents by Partition as two or three pieces of Gold from the whole Mass but that the Son of God is from the Father by none of these three ways Therefore they said they could not give their assent to this draught of the Creed Therefore after a tedious cavil about the term Homoöusios they deny'd to subscribe the degradation of Arius Upon which account the Synod anathematized Arius and all those that were of his opinion adding this besides that he should be prohibited from entring into Alexandria The Emperour also did by his Edict banish Arius Eusebius and Theognis Eusebius and Theognis soon after their banishment exhibited their penetentiary Libells and assented to the belief of Homoöusios as we shall declare in the procedure of our History At the same time Eusebius sirnam'd Pamphilus Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine having made some small Hesitancy in the Synod and considered with himself whether he might securely admit of this form of Faith at length together with all the rest gave his assent and subscrib'd he also sent a Copy of the form of Faith to the people within his Diocess and explain'd to them the term Homoöusios lest any one should have an ill opinion of him because of his Hesitancy Thus therefore he wrote word for word It is very probable beloved that you may have heard what hath been done concerning the Ecclesiastick Faith in the great Council convened at Nice in regard report doth usually outrun an accurate Narrative of the matters Transacted But fearing lest by such a bare report the matter might be represented to you otherwise then really it is we thought it requisite to send to you first that form of Faith which we our selves proposed to the Council and likewise that other published by the Bishops who made some additions to ours That form of Faith drawn up by us which was read in the presence of our most pious Emperour and appeared to all to be sound and Orthodox runn's thus As we have receiv'd by tradition from our Predecessours the Bishops then when we were instructed in the first principles of the Faith and received Baptism as we have learnt from the divine Scriptures and as during our continuance in the Presbytership and also since we have been intrusted with a Bishoprick we have believed and taught so we also now believe and do make a publick declaration to you of our Faith which is this We believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the Word of God God of God Light of Light Life of Life the only begotten Son the first born of every creature begotten of God the Father before all worlds by whom also all things were made who for our salvation was incarnate and conversed amongst men who suffer'd and rose again the third day he ascended unto the Father and shall come again in Glory to Judge the quick and the dead We also believe in one Holy Ghost We believe that each of these Persons is and doth subsist that the Father is truely the Father the Son really the Son and the Holy Ghost really the Holy Ghost as our Lord also when he sent his Disciples out to Preach said Go ye and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Concerning which Articles we do aver that we thus maintain and hold them that these are our sentiments of them that this was our Opinion formerly that this Opinion we will till death retain that we will persevere in this belief and anathematize every impious Heresie We call God Almighty and Jesus Christ our Lord to witness that these were sincerely and heartily our sentiments ever since we were capable of knowing our selves and that we do now think and speak what is most true and we are ready to demonstrate to you by most infallible proofs and to perswade you that both in times past we thus believ'd and likewise thus Preached When this Creed was propos'd by us there was no body that could oppose it Moreover our most pious Emperour did himself first attest its truth he protested that he himself was of the same Opinion and exhorted all to assent to and subscribe these very Articles and unanimously to agree in the profession of them this one only word Homoöusios being inserted which term the Emperour himself thus explained saying he suppos'd that the word Homoöusios was not to be taken in such a sense as is agreeable to the affections of the body and therefore that the Son had not his subsistance from the Father either by Division or Abscission For it is impossible said he that an immaterial intellectual and incorporeal nature should be subject to any corporeal affection but our sentiments of such things must be expressed in divine and mysterious terms Thus did our most wise and pious Emperour Philosophize But the Bishops upon the occasion of adding this word Homoöusios drew up this form of the Creed The Creed We believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God the only begotten of the Father that is of the substance of the Father God of God Light of Light very God of very
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
raised by the different opinion of the Emperour For his Letter was produced in one passage whereof he gave order for the debating of this matter in the first place in another for that A disagreement therefore hapning concerning this matter a Schism was made amongst the persons present And this was the original cause of the Seleucian-Synods being divided into two parties The one faction was headed by Acacius Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine Georgius of Alexandria Uranius of Tyre and Eudoxius of Antioch of the same mind with whom there were only two and thirty other Bishops The principal persons of the other faction were Georgius of Laodicea in Syria Sophronius of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia and Eleusius of Cyzicum who were followed by the major part When therefore that side prevailed which was for debating in the first place concerning the Faith Acacius's party manifestly rejected the Nicene Creed and intimated the publication of another But those of the other faction who were superiour in number approved of all other matters determined in the Nicene Synod excepting only the term Homoöusios which they found fault with Therefore after a very sharp contest amongst one another untill Evening at length Silvanus who presided over the Church at Tarsus spake a loud saying there was no necessity of publishing a new Draught of the Creed but that they ought rather to confirm that set forth at Antioch at the consecration of the Church When he had said this Acacius's party secretly withdrew out of the Council but the other faction produced the Creed composed at Antioch after the reading whereof the Council broke up for that day On the next day they met in a Church in Seleucia and having shut the doors they read that Creed and confirmed it by their subscriptions Instead of some Bishops who were absent the Readers and Deacons there present subscribed by whom the absent persons had professed that they would acquiess in that Draught of the Creed CHAP. XL. That Acacius Bishop of Caesarea dictated another Draught of the Creed in the Synod at Seleucia BUt Acacius and those of his party found fault with what was done because they had subscribed covertly when the Church-doors were shut For matters said he transacted in secret were naught and to be suspected He made these objections because he was desirous of publishing another Draught of the Creed instead of that subscribed by them which form he had about him ready drawn up and had before recited it to Lauricius and Leonas the Governours and he made it his whole business to get that Draught only established and confirmed These were the transactions of the second day when nothing else was done On the third day Leonas was again very earnest to procuâ—e a meeting of both parties At which time neither Macedonius of Constantinople nor Basilius of Ancyra were absent When therefore both these persons had joyned themselves to one and the same faction the Acacians were again unwilling to meet saying that as well those who had before been deposed as them at present accused ought in the first place to be put out of the assembly After a great contest on both sides at length this opinion was prevalent the persons charged with an accusation went out and the Acacians came in Then Leonas said that Acacius had delivered a Libell to him Leonas not discovering it to be a Draught of the Creed which in some passages secretly in others openly contradicted the former When silence was made amongst those that were present they supposing the Libel to contain any thing else rather than a form of the Creed Acacius's composure of the Creed with a Preface thereto was then recited the Contents whereof are these We having met together at Seleucia a City of Isauria according to the Emperours Command yesterday which was before the fifth of the Calends of October used our utmost endeavour with all modesly to preserve the peace of the Church stedfastly to determine concerning the Faith as our Emperour Constantius most dear to God hath ordered according to the Prophetick and Evangelick expressions and to introduce nothing into the Ecclesiastick Faith contrary to the Divine Scriptures But in regard certain persons in the Synod have injured some of us have stopt the mouths of others not permitting them to speak have excluded othersome against their wills have brought along with them out of divers Provinces persons deposed and have in their company such as have been ordained contrary to the Canon of the Church in so much that the Synod is on all sides filled with tumult of which the most eminent Lauricius president of the Province and the most Illustrious Leonas the Comes have been eye-witnesses upon this account we interpose these things Not that we forsake the Authentick Faith published at the Consecration at Antioch but we give that the preference especially in regard our Fathers concurred about the proposition at that time in controversie But whereas the terms Homoöusion and Homoiöusion have in times past disturbed very many and do still disquiet them and moreover whereas 't is said that there is an innovation lately coyned by some who assert a dissimilitude of the Son to the Father Upon this account we reject Homoöusion and Homoiöusion as being terms not to be met with in the Scriptures but we anathematize the term Anomoion and do look upon all such as are assertours thereof to be persons alienated from the Church But we do manifestly profess the likeness of the Son to the Father agreeable to the Apostle that hath said concerning the Son Who is the image of the invisible God We acknowledge therefore and believe in one God the Father Almighty the maker of heaven and earth of things visible and invisible Moreover We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ his Son begotten of him without any passion before all ages God the Word the only begotten of God the Light the Life the Truth the Wisedom by whom all things were made which are in the heavens and which are on the earth whether visible or invisible We believe him to have assumed flesh from the holy Virgin Mary at the consummation of ages in order to the abolition of sin and that he was made man that he suffered for our sins and rose again and was taken up into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and that he shall come again in Glory to judge the quick and dead We believe also in the holy Ghost whom our Lord and Saviour hath termed The Paraclete having promised after his departure to send him to his disciples and he sent him By whom also he sanctifies all Believers in the Church who are Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost But those who Preach any thing contrary to this Creed we look upon to be alienated from the Catholick Church This is the Draught of the Creed published by Acacius The persons who subscribed it
commendation of Johannes on account of his Letter WHen Paulus Bishop of Emisa was arrived at Alexandria and had made a discourse which is still extant in the Church concerning this matter At which time also Cyrillus having highly commended Johannes's Letter wrote word for word thus Let the heavens rejoyce and the earth be glad For the partition wall is demolished that which caused grief and sadness is ceased and the occasion of all manner of dissention is taken away in regard Christ the Saviour of us all has restored peace to his own Churches and the most Religious Emperours and most dear to God have invited us thereto Who having been the most incomparable Emulators of their Ancestours piety do preserve the true Faith firm and unshaken in their own minds and they take an exquisite care of the Holy Churches to the end they may obtain both a far-spread and immortall Glory and also render their Empire most highly renowned To whom even the Lord of Hosts himself distributes good things with a plentifull hand gives them power to vanquish their adversaries and freely bestows Victory on them For he cannot lie who has said As I live saith the Lord I will glorifie them who Glorifie me When therefore My Lord and most Religious Brother and Fellow-Minister Paulus was come to Alexandria we were filled with joy and that most deservedly in regard so great a person was come to be an Intercessour and was willing to undergo Labours above humane strength that he might vanquish the Envy of the Devil unite divisions and by removing offences on both sides crown both Our and Your Churches with Concord and Peace And after the interposition of some words he Adds Moreover that this dissention of the Church was altogether frivolous and inexcusable we have been now fully satisfied since my Lord the most Religious Bishop Paulus has brought a paper which containes an irreprehensible confession of Faith and has affirmed that it was written by Your Sanctity and by the most Religious Bishops there Now the confession runs thus and 't is inserted in the very same words into this our Epistle But concerning Theotocos and so forth When We had read these Your sacred words and perceived that We Our Selves embraced the same Sentiments For there is one Lord one Faith one Baptism We glorified the Saviour of all men rejoycing mutually because as well your as our Churches do profess a Faith which is agreeable both to the divinely inspired Scriptures and also to the Tradition of our Holy Fathers These things may be known by him who is desirous of having an accurate account of those affairs transacted at that time CHAP. VII What the impious Nestorius writes concerning his own sufferings and how his tongue having at last been eaten out with worms he ended his life at Oasis BUt after what manner Nestorius was banished or what befell him after that or in what manner he departed out of this life and what rewards he received on account of his Blasphemy these particulars have not been related by the Writers of History All which had been forgotten and had been wholly lost and swallowed by length of time nor had been so much as heard of had not I accidentally met with a book of Nestorius's which contains a Narrative of these things This Father of Blasphemy therefore Nestorius who has not raised his building on that foundation which was laid but hath built his house on the sand and therefore it has soon faln down according to our Lord's parable making an Apology which was his desire in defence of his own Blasphemy against those who had accused him because he had introduced some innovation contrary to what was fitting and had not rightly requested that a Synod should be convened at Ephesus amongst other things writes to this effect that he wholly compelled thereto by necessity had betaken himself to the defence of this part in regard the holy Church was divided some affirming that Mary was to be termed Anthropotocos others Theotocos That therefore as he says he might not offend in one of these two viz. least he should either joyn things mortall with those that are immortall or else least by betaking himself to the other side he might be deprived of that other party who defended the term Theotocos he invented the word Christotocos He intimates further that at first the Emperour Theodosius out of that affection he bore towards him confirmed not the sentence of deposition pronounc't against him but afterwards that when some Bishops of both parties had been sent from the City Ephesus to Theodosius and when he also himself requested it he was permitted to return to his own Monastery which is scituate before the Gates of that City now called Theopolis and is not expressly named there by Nestorius But they say it is now termed Euprepius's Monastery which as we assuredly know stands before the City Theopolis distant from thence not more than two furlongs Moreover the same Nestorius says that having resided there during the space of four years he had all imaginable honour conferred upon him and enjoyed all manner of reverence and respect but that afterwards by the Edict of the Emperour Theodosius he was banished into that place called Oäsis But he has concealed that which is the principall thing For during his Residence there he in no wise desisted from his own Blasphemy In so much that Johannes Bishop of Antioch gave the Emperour an account thereof and Nestorius was condemned to perpetuall Banishment He wrote also another Book composed in the manner of a Dialogue to a certain Egyptian as it were concerning his banishment into Oäsis wherein he speaks more at large concerning these things But what punishments he underwent on account of the Blasphemies coyned by him not being able to lie concealed from God's all-seeing eye may be known from other Letters sent by him to the Governour of Thebäis For in those Letters you may find after what manner in regard he had not yet undergone condign punishment the judgment of God seized him and involved him in Captivity a calamity of all afflictions the most miserable But in as much as he was to endure greater punishments he was let go by the Blemmyae amongst whom he had been a Captive And removing from place to place about the utmost borders of Thebäis by the Edicts of Theodosius who had determined that he should return and being dash't against the earth he ended his days agreeable to his own forepast life like a second Arius declaring and foreshewing by his calamitous death what rewards are appointed for those who utter Blasphemy against Christ. For both those persons blasphemed Christ in a like manner Arius by terming him a Creature and Nestorius by thinking him to be a man To whom because he complains that The Acts at Ephesus were not
Body are consecrated in the most beautifull Mansions of Heaven Which Assertion of his does not only deserve admiration but is also highly usefull For what person giving credit to him and expecting such a felicity will not order his life in the best manner will not exercise Righteousness and Temperance and will not have an Aversion for wickedness Agreeably to these words also he has subjoyned that the Souls of wicked men are tossed up and down in the Streams of Acheron and Pyriphlegon floating like the Remains of a Shipwrack't Vessel CHAP. X. Concerning those men who do not only reject the Dogmata of the Sacred Scriptures but them of the Philosophers also and that we either ought to give the Poets credit in all things or in nothing NEvertheless there are some men so depraved as to their minds that when they reade these very discourses neither care nor are abashed with any thing of fear but as if they heard some forged Stories and Fables they contemn and laugh at them They highly extol a Variety and Fluency of expression but abominate the solidness and severity of the Dogmata But yet the same men give credit to the Fables of the Poets and fill all Greece and the Barbarous Regions with vain and false Stories For the Poets affirm that some men Sons of the Gods do judge Souls after death and they constitute them the Inspectors and Triers of those departed and celebrate their Sentences and Judiciary proceedings But these very Poets commemorate the Fights of the Daemons and Rights of War amongst them They divulge the Fates of the same God 's also And affirm that some of them are by nature cruel and austere that others of them are strangers to all Care over men and that some of them are morose Moreover they bring in the Gods lamenting the slaughter of their own Sons as if they were unable to give relief not only to strangers but to them also whom they love most entirely They also feign them lyable to the same Passions and Troubles with men whilst they sing their Wars and Wounds their Joyes and Mournings And they seem worthy of credit when they affirm these things For whereas they attempt Poetry incited thereto by some Divine motion 't is fit we should believe and be perswaded by them in reference to those things which they utter when moved by a Divine Spirit They likewise relate the Calamities of the Gods and Daemons Indeed their calamities are wholly agreeable with Truth But some body will say that 't is lawfull for Poets to lye For this 't is asserted is the Property of Poetry to recreate the minds of the Hearers but that is said to be Truth when what is spoken is in it self no otherwise than so as 't is delivered Let this be the property of Poetry sometimes to conceal and withdraw the Truth But they who lye never lye in vain and for nothing For they do this on account either of Gain and Profit or else being as 't is likely conscious to themselves of some ill practise they hide the Truth out of a fear of that danger which the Laws threaten them with But doubtless it might in my judgment be possible for them when relating nothing save the Truth concerning the Divine Nature neither to lye nor act impiously CHAP. XI Concerning Our Lord's Coming in the flesh what it was and for what reasons it has hapned IF therefore there be any person unworthy of an acquaintance with the best way of living and be conscious to himself that he hath lived wickedly and in a disordered manner may he repent and look towards the Deity having first clear'd the eye of his mind and being made a stranger to his former most vitious courses Nevertheless he ought to rest satisfied if even in his declining age he may attain wisdom But no Learning that has proceeded from men was ever any assistance to Us. But whatever things are commendable in mens Lives and Morals amongst those that have understanding are all accounted the Gifts of God Moreover against those poysoned darts which the Devil has framed I have no mean Buckler which I may oppose the knowledge namely of those matters which are acceptable to God Out of which knowledge having selected those things that are sutable to the discourse in hand I will attempt to laud the Father of all things But be Thou Thy Self O Christ Thou Saviour of all favourably present with this design of Our devotion and do Thou adorn Our discourse concerning Thine own power prescribing to us the way and method of uttering praises Farther let no person expect that he shall hear †an Oration garnished with a singular elegancy of words For I know accurately well that that Oration which is soft and loose and composed to please and allure will be unacceptable to the prudent when they who speak make noyse and applause rather than a sober and modest discourse their Care and Business Some inconsiderate and impious men do affirm that Our Christ was deservedly condemned to punishment and that he who is the Authour of Life to the living was himself deprived of life But 't is not in the least strange that those who have once dared to be impious and who have taken a resolution neither to be afraid nor conceal their own wickedness should assert this But that has exceeded the utmost degree of folly and madness which they seem to have perswaded themselves of that the immortal God underwent Force from men and did not suffer meerly out of his own benignity and kindness towards them Nor do they consider that magnanimity and patience is neither to be changed by ignominy nor removed from its natural constancy and firmness by reproach but by consideration and an height of mind does always break and beat back their fierceness who invade and assault it The Clemency of God had indeed resolved wholly to destroy injustice and to advance Modesty and Equity And therefore having gathered together the wisest of men it instituted a most beautifull and most advantagious doctrine to mankind to the end it might make the Good and Blessed to emulate and admire his own providence in reference to worldly affairs Than which what can be termed a greater Good God Himself prescribing the Laws of Justice and rendring those who shall deserve to be his disciples like himself to the end that Goodness and Virtue being diffused amongst all persons an everlasting felicity might be procured for men This is a Glorious Victory this is true power this is a mighty work and most befitting God the amendment namely of all people and the reducing them to a better Temper And to Thee O Thou Saviour of all with praises and acclamations we ascribe the glory of this Victory But Thou O wicked and infamous Blasphemy who dost advance Thy self by Lyes
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his that is Sabinus's Arch-heretick Vales. g The amendment of this place we owe to the Allat M. S. wherein t is thus written 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would instead of these reproaches c. Vales. a Socrates as also Sozomen is mistaken here For Paulus was by Philippus Praefect of the Praetorium banished not to Thessalonica but to Cucusus and was there strangled by the Arians as Athanasius informs us in his Epist. ad Solitar But these things hapned a long while after this to wit when Constans Augustus was dead in the year of our Lord 350 or 351. as Baronius will have it who long since perceived this errour of Socrates's Further 't is easie to confute Socrates out of Athanasius For Athanasius relates that Philippus after he had banished Paulus and caused him to be cruelly murdered by the Arians was within less than a year deposed from his Prefecture deprived of his goods and ended his life miserably Now Philippus was Consul in the year of Christ 348 and on the year following he bore the Office of Praefect of the Praetorium as may be collected from the Laws extant in the Theodosian Code directed to him The same Philippus was after this sent Embassadour by Constantius to Magnentius a little before the fight at Mursa as Zosimus relates in his second book Which hapned in the year of Christ 351. Let us therefore suppose that Philippus died on the year following which was the year of Christ 352. Then Paulus might have been banished by him in the year of Our Lord 351 which is Baronius's opinion And from this year Macedonius's presidency over the Constantinopolitan Church must be begun Vales. b At this place there was wanting this whole line 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through which Paulus was carried into the Imperial Palace which I have made good from the Florentine and Sfortian M. S. In Leo Allatius's M. S. there is something more added here after this manner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. They had flockt about the publick Bath being gathered together there by the report of a suspicion because the people environed all the passages out he ordered one of the Bath doors to be opened thorough which Paulus was conveyed into the Imperial Palace c. Vales. c How Philippus could banish Paulus to Thessalonica I see not For Socrates relates these things as done whilst Constans was yet living and before the Council of Serdica But at that time Thessalonica was under the Government of Constans Augustus How therefore could Philippus who was Praefect of the Praetorium to Constantius banish Paulus to Thessalonica and permit him to live in the Cities of Illyricum but wholly forbid him entring into the Eastern parts of the Empire Vales. * See Euseb. Eccles. History book 6. chap. 43. note e. pag. 113. †Churches d This Great-Church was consecrated by Eusebius Bishop of Constantinople he that before had been Bishop of Nicomedia if we may credit Cedrenus For at the ninth year of Constantius he writes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. i. e. And Eusebius consecrated the Church of God called the Great Church which was finished by Constantius according to the order of Constantine the Great in his Will And he brought the reliques of the holy Martyr Pamphilus and those of his companions Theodulus Porphyrius and Paulus from Antioch and deposited them therein But Cedrenus mistakes in his notation of the time For if this consecration were performed by Eusebius of Nicomedia it must be placed on the third or fourth year of Constantius at which time Eusebius governed the See of Constantinople The same Cedrenus relates that this Church being afterwards ruined and reedified by Constantius was consecrated by Eudoxeus Vales. * Constantine the Great a Socrates does here confound all things and repeats the same things twice as if they had been done again For he says that Athanasius fled to Rome twice The same is asserted by Baronius in his Annalls by Petavius in his Rationarium Temporum and by Blondellus in his book de primatu But we have sufficiently refuted this mistake in our first book of Ecclesiastick Observations chap. 6. Socrates makes the same mistake in his asserting that Paulus Bishop of Constantinople came twice to Rome Moreover Julius received Eusebius of Nicomedia's Letter before that Council of Antioch which was held at the consecration of the New Jerusalem as we remarked before And at the same time he invited Athanasius and his adversaries to Rome in order to the discussion of their cause as 't is manifest from Athanasius's relation Vales. b The Bishops who had been convened at Antioch at the consecration having received Julius's Letter written to Eusebius of Nicomedia in which he invited him and the rest of the Eusebians to Rome in order to the having their cause discussed there on a set day whereon a Council was there to be held deteined Julius's messengers Elpidius and Philoxenus beyond the day appointed Then after they had held their Synod they dismissed the messengers and gave them a Letter to Julius Upon receipt whereof he wrote back that famous Letter which Athanasius hath inserted in his second Apology against the Arians pag. 739 c. Edit Paris 1627. Vales. c He means the Synodical Epistle which the Bishops of Egypt wrote to all the Bishops every where which is inserted in the first place by Athanasius in his forecited Apology pag. 722. Edit ut prius Julius speaks concerning this Synodical Epistle in that letter he wrote to the Eastern Bishops convened at Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Moreover many Bishops says he wrote from Egypt and from other Provinces in defence of Athanasius Vales. d I read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he blamed not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he sent S r Henry Savil hath mended this place in the margin of his Copy and made it agreeable to our reading In the Allat M. S. this place is written thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in the first place he found fault with the bitterness of their Epistle This Letter of Julius's is still extant preserved for us by Athanasius in his second Apology against the Arians pag. 739 c. Edit ut Prius In that Letter Julius reprehends the insolency and pride which the Eastern Bishops had used in their Letters to him But that which Socrates here adds to wit that Julius complained because they had not invited him to the Synod and that it was the Ecclesiastick rule that nothing should be determined in the Church without the Bishop of Rome's consent is not to be found in that Letter Indeed Julius complains in that Epistle because the Eastern Bishops upon their receipt of his Letter wherein he invited them to the Synod at Rome disregarding this his invitation had ordained Gregorius Bishop in Athanasius's See But he says not one word concerning this Ecclesiastick Rule or Canon And yet Sozomen chap. 3. book
the Typicon of S t Saba and by Balsamon in his Collection of Canons To whom add Isidorus and Beda in the Book de Divinis Officiis where they treat concerning Sunday Stephanus Gobarus writes the same in his 29 th Chapter To this custom it is perhaps to be referred that the Greeks most commonly reckon the days of the week not to the Sunday which precedes but to that which follows For after the Sunday of the Prodigal Son which is the ninth Sunday before Easter those dayes which followed immediately namely the second third and fourth Feria and so on were by the Greeks termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 untill the following Sunday which was termed Dominica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this week was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See Meursius's Glossary in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But after the Dominica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second Feria which followed next was termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and so the other days of that whole week unto the following Sunday which was called by the same name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The same may be observed in the other Sundays untill Easter-day For after the Dominica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the second Feria was termed the second Feria of the Holy Fasts and the whole week was called so untill the following Sunday which had the same name Lastly the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Great week or Passion-week which we call the Holy Week is reckoned to the following Sunday namely Easter Day as it appears from the Typicon of Saint Saâ—â— Chap. 31. Cyrillus also in his 〈◊〉 Sermons always begins the week of Easter which we now term The Holy Week from the second Feria and closes it with the following Sunday namely Easter-Day Nor does Theophilus do otherwise in his â—aschâ—l Epistles Vales. h 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the most ancient name of Sunday whorâ—by it was â—alled even from the Apostles times 'T is certain in the Revelation of Saint John mention is made of the Lord's day See Chap. 1. verse 10. But what Enseâ—ius says here and in the Life of Constantine namely that Sunday was consecrated and set apart for prayers and Ecclesiastick assemblies this in my judgment was instituted something later For the first Christians who had embraced the faith immediately after our Lords Ascent met every day always applying themselves to prayers and all manner of Offices of Piety as S r Luâ—e writes in the Acts of the Apostles But afterwards when the Heathens betook themselves in great numbers to the faith of Christ and the Faithfull could not meet every day it was appointed by the Apostles and their Successours that at least on the Lord's Day the Faithfull should meet together in the Church Concerning which there is an eminent passage in Justin the Martyr's Second Apology about the close of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 On the day termed Sunday all persons as well those who dwell in the Country as them in the City â—eet together c. He has termed it Sunday not the Lord's Day because he sâ—oke to the Roman Emperours who were well acquainted with Sunday but knew not the Lord's Day which was an appellation proper to Christians Justin repeats the same thing a little after in the same Apology Hereto likewise Pliny agrees in his Epistle to Trajan 〈◊〉 says he hanc fuisse summâ—m vel câ—lpa suâ— vel erroris c. They affirmed that this was the â—otall either of their fault or errour that on a stated day they were want to meet together before it was light and sing an Hymn to Christ aâ— to God Where by a stated day he means The Lord's Day Therefore from this place of Pliny it may be gathered that the Christians who then lived in Bithynia met together on the Lord's Day only Otherwise Pliny would have said that they were wont to meet on stated days not on a stated day Although this is not so much the Testimony of Pliny himself as the Christians own who conâ—eâ—t that before Pliny as he himself atteâ—â—s Besides the Lord's Day Epiphanius in the Epilogue to his Books against Heresies affirms that an Assemblie on the fourth and sixth â—â—riâ— and 〈◊〉 iâ— his Constitutions says that a meeting together on the Sabbath Day was instituted by the Apostles But as to what belongs to the Stations of the fourth and sixth Feria we are informed from Tertullian in â—is Book de Jejuniâ—â— that they were meerly arbitrary and at will not determined by any positive Law or Command And although it was the Easternâ— usage to meet together on the Sabbath yet 't is manifest from Epiphanius Socrates and others that in most Churches Assemblies were not then held There is an eminent passage of S t Jerom's on the Epist to the Galatians Chap. 4. Eâ— nâ—inord 〈…〉 gregatio popâ—â—â—â—idem minueret in Christo c. And least a disordered â—ongregation of the people might lessen the faith in Christ Wordâ—â—â—ome days â—re appointed that we might all come together Not that that day whereâ—â— we â—â—et is â—ore solemn but that on whatever day there is an assembly a greater joy may arise from the â—ight of one another Vales. i 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He says that the Lord's Day has its name from light not because it was by the Heatâ—ens termed the day of the Sâ—â— but because 't is the day of the Lord that namely whereon the Lord rose and conferred on us Life and Light and because on that day we received the Holy Spirit the Enlightner of our minds See Clemenâ— Alexandrinus's Strom Book 6. where speaking concerning the Sabbath there occurs a most elegant passage which for brevities â—ake I here omit The Lord's Day therefore is the day of Light both because on that day the Light was first â—reated and also in regard we on that day received the knowledge of the truth by the Holy Spirit who fell upon the Faithfull under the form of â—ire and without division was divided as Clemens words it in the forementioned place Vales. k 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is not satisfied in his instructing others he himself practises those things which he teacheth according to the command of the Gospel Vales. * Or Keepers l 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The reading must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and we have rendred it accordingly Indeed in the Fuketian Copy 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vales. m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Church is understood as 't is apparent from His third Book concerning the Life of Constantine Chap. 50. From whence it must be also here corrected 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the chiefest Cities as the reading likewise is in the Fuketian Copy Vales. n 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the third Book of his Life of Constantine Chap. 50 instead of the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is made use of Indeed
continued virgins to the end of their lives Also his other daughter who having lived by the guidance of the Holy Ghost died at Ephesus And moreover John who leaned on the breast of the Lord and was a Priest and wore a plate of gold and was a Martyr and a Doctor this John I say died at Ephesus And thus much concerning their deaths And also in the Dialogue of Caius of which we a little before made mention Proculus against whom he instituted the dispute agreeing with what we have inforced concerning the death of Philip and his daughters says thus After that also the four Prophetesses the daughters of Philip were at Hierapolis a City of Asia their Sepulchre is there and also their fathers Thus he Lâ—kâ— likewise in the Acts of the Apostles makes mention of the daughters of Philip that lived then at Caesarea of Judea with their father who were endowed with the gift of Prophecy saying word for word thus We came unto Caesarea and we entred into the house of Philip the Evangelist which was one of the seven and abode with him And the same man had four daughters virgins which did Prophecie Having thus far therefore treated of those things which came to our knowledge both concerning the Apostles and the Apostolick times and the Sacred Writings they left us both those that are questioned as doubtfull which yet are publickly read by many in most Churches and those also that are altogether Spurious and Repugnant to Apostolical sound Doctrine we now proceed to the subsequent part of our History CHAP. XXXII How Simeon the Bishop of Jerusalem suffered Martyrdom AFter the persecution of Nero and Domitian Report goes that under this Emperour whose times we now recount there was a persecution raised against us by piece-meal throughout every City which proceeded from a popular insurrection In which we have by tradition received that Simeon the son of Cleophas who we declared was constituted the second Bishop of the Church at Jerusalem finished his life by Martyrdom And this the same Writer attesteth several words of whose we have before quoted that is Hegesippus Who giving a relation of certain Hereticks adds that this Simeon being at that time by them accused and tormented divers ways and for the space of many days because he was a Christian struck with a great amazement both the Judge and those about him and at length died by the same kind of suffering that the Lord did Nothing hinders but that we may hear the Writer relating these things word for word thus Some of those Hereticks accused Simeon the son of Cleophas as being a descendant from David and a Christian and so he suffered Martyrdom when he was an hundred and twenty years old under Trajan the Emperour and Atticus of the Consular order then President of Syria And the same Authour says that those his accusers such as were of the Royal family of the Jews being at that time sought for happened to be convicted as belonging to that family Now should any one say that this Simeon was one of those who both saw and heard the Lord he would speak what is in no wise absurd having as an undoubted evidence thereof the great length of his Life and the mention made in the Gospels of Mary the wife of Cleophas whose son that he was our former words have manifested Also the same writer says that others related to one of those called the brethren of our Saviour whose name was Judas lived untill this Emperour's Reign after their profession of the Faith of Christ under Domitian before which we mentioned For thus he writeth They come therefore and preside over the whole Church as being Martyrs and of the Kindred of our Lord. And a profound Peace ensuing over the whole Church they continued alive till the times of Trajan the Emperour untill the foresaid Simeon the son of Cleophas who was Unckle to our Lord being accused by the Hereticks was in like manner also impeachâ— for the same thing before Atticus the president And being cruelly tortured for many days he with constancie professed the Faith of Christ in so much that the President and all those about him wondred greatly how a man of an hundred and twenty years old as he was could have endured such torments And in fine it was ordered he should be crucified Moreover the same man relating what was done in those times adds that untill then the Church continued a pure and undefiled Virgin those who endeavoured to corrupt the sound Rule of wholesom Doctrine if any such persons there were absconding themselves hitherto in obscure darkness But after the sacred company of the Apostles was by various kinds of death become extinct and that generation of those men who were accounted worthy to hear with their own ears the divine wisdom was gone then the conspiracy of impious errour took its rise from the deceit of false Teachers who in as much as not one of the Apostles was then surviving did now at length with a bare face attempt to Preach up the knowledge falsely so called in opposition to the doctrine of the Truth And thus much this Authour treating of these things has after this manner said But we will proceed to what in order follows of our History CHAP. XXXIII How Trajan forbad that the Christians should be sought after MOreover so great a persecution raged against us at that time in many places that Plinius Secundus the most eminent amongst the Governours of Provinces being moved at the multitude of Martyrs gave the Emperour an account of the great numbers of those that were destroyed because of their faith and together therewith certified him that he found they did nothing of impiety nor acted any thing contrary to the Laws onely that they rose at break of day and sung Hymns to Christ as unto God but that they abhor'd the commission of Adultery and Murder and such like horrid crimes and that they did all things consonant to the Laws Upon account of which Trajan made this Edict That the Christians should not be sought out but if by accident they were lighted on they should be punished Which being done the most vehement heat of the persecution that lay heavy upon us was in some measure quenched But to those who had a mind to doe us mischief there remained pretexts no whit less fair and specious in some places the people in others the Rulers of the Provinces fâ—â—ming treacheries against us in so much that even when there was no open and general persecution yet there were particular ones throughout the Provinces and very many of the Faithfull underwent various sorts of Martyrdomes We have taken this account out of Tertullians Apology written in Latine of which we before made mention the translation whereof is thus But we have found that the inquisition after us has been prohibited For Plinius Secundus when he was Governour of the
and Jerusalem the most approved and most famous of all the Prelates in Palestine judging Origen worthy of dignity and the highest pitch of honours had by imposition of hands ordain'd him Presbyter Therefore when he had ascended to great honour and had purchas'd a name amongst all men in all places and no small fame for his virtue and wisdom Demetrius being furnisht with no other accusation made a great and malicious complaint against that act which he had done in his youth Daring also to involve the Bishops in his accusations who had promoted him to the Office of a Presbyter These things were done a little after But then Origen freely and without any impediment perform'd his Office of teaching the divine doctrine to all that came to him by day or by night laboriously spending all his time either in divine learning or upon them who came to him After Severus had held the Empire eighteen years his son Antoninus succeeds him At this time there lived one Alexander one of their number who had behav'd themselves manfully in the Persecution and also by the providence of God had been preserv'd after their combats during their confessions him we before manifested to have been Bishop of the Church in Jerusalem Now because he was famous for his confession of Christ in the time of the Persecution he is promoted to the afore-mentioned Bishoprick whilest Narcissus his predecessour was yet alive CHAP. IX Concerning the Miracles of Narcissus THe Inhabitants of this Diocess report many Miracles of this Narcissus by tradition derived from a continued succession of the Brethren Amongst which they relate such a like Miracle as this done by him 't is reported that on the great vigils of Easter the Ministers oil fail'd them for which great pensiveness of mind having seized the whole multitude Narcissus gave command to them who took care of the Lights that they should draw water out of the well which was nearest at hand and bring it to him which being forthwith done he prayed over the water and commanded them to pour the water into the Lamps with a sincere saith in the Lord. When they had done this also contrary to all reason and expectation by a miraculous and divine power the nature of water was changed into the fatness of oil Some small specimen of this miracle then done has been preserv'd amongst many of the brethren for a long time even from that to our age They also relate several other things worth remembrance cencerning this mans life Amongst which there is such a story as this Some vile fellows who could not endure this persons vigour and his perseverance in leading of a pious life fearing least when they were caught they should suffer punishment because they were conscious to themselves of many evil actions they resolve to prevent him by patching up a plot against him and utter a grievous calumny against him Then that they might perswade the hearers to credit them they confirm'd their accusations with oaths one of them swore it was true which he said or he wish'd he might be consum'd by fire another if 't was not true that his body might be wasted by some terrible unhappy disease and the third that he might be depriv'd of his sight but none of the faithful gave heed to them although they swore thus because Narcissus's continency was alwaies resplendent amongst all men and his course of life most eminently virtuous and pious but he being in-no-wise able to endure the wickedness of what had been said against him and besides this for a long time being desirous to embrace a Philosophical life retired from the whole Congregation of his Church and liv'd many years lying hid in solitudes and in obscure fields But the great Eye of justice could not quietly wink at what was done But was quickly revenged upon these wicked men by those curses with which they had bound themselves being forsworn against themselves The first therefore was burnt together with his whole family the house in which he liv'd being burnt in the night by the fall of a little spark of fire upon it which upon no occasion given came out of it The second person's body was totally infected from the bottom of his feet to his head with the disease he had punish'd himself with But the third seeing the end of the two former and fearing the unavoidable vengeance of the all-seeing God publickly confess'd to all what they had plotted together in common amongst themselves and he pin'd away with so great complaints repenting of what he had done and never ceas'd weeping so long till he lost both his eyes And these suffer'd such punishments for their lying accusation CHAP. X. Concerning the Bishops of Jerusalem WHen Narcissus was retired it being altogether unknown where he was 't was the opinion of the Bishops of the bordering Churches that they should proceed to the Ordination of another Bishop This mans name was Dius To him having presided no long time Germanio was successour Gordius succeeds him in his time from some place or other Narcissus again appear'd as risen from death to life and is immediately invited by the Brethren to his Bishoprick all men admiring him much more both for his retreat and also for his Philosophick course of life But above all for the revenge which was vouchsaft him from God upon his Accusers CHAP. XI Concerning Alexander NArcissus being no longer able to officiate by reason of his very great Age the providence of God by Revelation made known to him in a vision by night call'd the fore-mention'd Alexander Bishop of another Church to be coadjutour in the discharge of his Office By this Revelation therefore as if he had been warned by some Oracle from God Alexander made a journey to Jerusalem from Cappadocia where he had before been honour'd with a Bishoprick upon account both of praying there and also of seeing the places The Brethren there receiv'd him most kindly and would not permit him to return home because of another Revelation made known also to them by night and a voice most plainly utter'd to some who were the most eminent for piety amongst them For it told them if they went out of their gates they should meet him who was predetermin'd by God to be their Bishop When they had done this with the Common consent of the Bishops who Govern'd the Churches round about they forc'd him of necessity to continue there Indeed Alexander himself in his own Epistles to the Antinoites which are preserv'd amongst us till this time makes mention of Narcissus's presidency together with him writing thus word for word at the end of that Epistle Narcissus salutes you who before me govern'd this Episcopal See and he now is my Associate in prayer being an hundred and sixteen years old and exhorts you to be of the same mind with me These things were thus done Now when Serapion was dead
Asclepiades succeeded in the Bishoprick of the Church of Antiochia And he also was famous for his confessions in the time of Persecution Alexander also makes mention of his consecration writing thus to the Antiochians Alexander the servant and prisoner of Jesus Christ sendeth greeting in the Lord to the Blessed Church of the Antiochians The Lord made my bonds easie and light in the time of my imprisonment when I heard that by divine providence Asclepiades a man most fit by reason of the worthiness of his faith was intrusted with the care over the holy Church of the Antiochians he signifies that he sent this Epistle by Clemens writing on this manner at the End I have sent these letters to you my Lords and Brethren by Clemens a blessed Presbyter a virtuous and approved person whom ye have known and shall know better who while he was here by the providence and care of God confirmed and increas'd the Church of the Lord. CHAP. XII Concerning Serapion and his Books that are extant 'T Is likely that other monuments of Serapion's studiousness and learning are preserv'd amongst other men but those writings onely came to our hands which he wrote to one Domninus a man who in the time of Persecution fell from the faith in Christ to the Jewish superstition And what he wrote to Pontius and Caricus Ecclesiastical men and other Epistles to other persons Another book also was compos'd by him concerning that Book Intituled The Gospel according to Peter which Book he wrote to confute the Errours in that for some mens sakes in the Church of Rhosse who taking an occasion from the foresaid Gospel inclin'd to Heterodox doctrines Out of which Book 't will not be unfit to set down some few words in which he sets forth the opinion he had concerning that Book writing thus For we my brethren doe admit of Peter and the other Apostles as of Christ himself but like wise men we reject those writings which are forg'd in their names knowing that we have receiv'd no such Books For I when I came to you thought all of you had adhered to the Right faith And when I read not the Gospel which was offer'd me that bears Peters name I said if this be the onely thing which seems to breed this dejected spirit in you let it be read But now understanding from what has been told me that their minds were covered with some Heresie I will make haste to come to you again wherefore brethren expect me suddenly But we Brethren have found out what heresie Marcianus was of for he contradicted himself not understanding what he said which you shall understand by some things which have been written to you For we have been able to borrow this very Gospel of some who have been continually exercised in it that is of some of their successours who preceded Marcianus whom we call Doceti for many of Marcianus's Tenets are derived from their doctrines and read it and we find indeed many things agreeable to the true doctrine of Christ but some things that are particularly to be excepted against and avoided which also we have here subjoyned upon your account And thus much concerning Serapion's Books CHAP. XIII Concerning the writings of Clemens CLemens his Stromata's which are in all eight books are extant amongst us which books he thus intituled The variegated contexture of discourses of Titus Flavius Clemens concerning all things which appertain to the knowledge of the true Philosophy of the same number with these are his books intitul'd Institutions in which he by name mentions Pantaenus as being his Master and he writes down his opinions he had receiv'd concerning the scope of Scripture and explains his traditions he has also an Hortatory discourse to the Gentiles And three books Intitl'd the Tutor And another book of his with this title What Rich man can be sav'd And a book concerning Easter Disputations also concerning the Fasting And concerning detraction And an exhortation to patience to those who were newly baptiz'd And a book intitl'd the Ecclesiastick Canon or against those who Judaized which book he dedicated to Alexander the fore-mention'd Bishop Moreover in his Stromata he does not onely compose miscellaneous discourses out of the holy Writings but he also mentions some things out of the Gentile Writers if any thing seems profitable which was spoken by them he also explains various opinions which occur in several books both of the Greeks and Barbarians He moreover consutes the false opinions of the Arch-hereticks He laies open much of History affording us large subject-matter of several sorts of learning Amongst all these he intermixes the Philosophers Opinions Hence he fitly made the Title Stromata answerable to the subject of the book In the same book he produces authorities out of those Scriptures which are not allow'd of as Canonical out of that which is call'd The Wisdom of Solomon and out of the book of Jesus the son of Sirac And out of The Epistle to the Hebrews And out of the Epistles of Barnabas Clemens and Jude He also makes mention of Tatianus's book against the Grecians and of Cassianus who also made a Chronographie Moreover he mentions Philo Aristobulus Josephus Demetrius and Eupolemus Jewish Writers who all have prov'd by their writings that MOSES and the Originals of the Jewish Nation are ancienter then any thing of antiquity amongst the Grecians And this mans books afore-mention'd are stuff'd with very much excellent learning of several kinds In the first of these books he saies concerning himself that he was born next to the first successours of the Apostles He promises also in them that he would write Commentaries upon Genesis And in his book concerning Easter he confesses he was constrained by his friends to commit to writing for the benefit of posterity those traditions which he had heard from his Ancestours In that same book also is mention'd Melito Irenaeus and some others whose explications he sets down CHAP. XIV What Writings Clemens has mentioned THat I may speak briefly in his Institutions he makes short explications of all the written word of God not omitting those Scriptures whose authority is questioned by some I mean the Epistle of Jude and the other Catholick Epistles and that of Barnabas and that which is said to be the Revelation of Peter And The Epistle to the Hebrews which he affirms to be Paul's but was written to the Hebrews in the Hebrew tongue which when Luke had with much care and pains translated he publisht it for the use of the Grecians Wherefore we may find the stile of the translation of this Epistle and Of the Acts of the Apostles to be the same But 't was for a very good reason that this Title Paul the Apostle was not set before it for he saies he writing to the Hebrews who were possest with a prejudice against and a suspicion of him