of Aegypt so that in the end king Ioacim smote Vrias with the sworde and killed him and threwe his carkasse where the common sort of people were buried Aggaeus AGgaeus was endued with grace from aboue to prophecy of the Lord Christ vnder the person of Zorobabel he spake that which agreeth with the Lord Christ that is to say I wil make thee as a signeâ— for I haue chosen thee saith the Lord of hosts euen as Iohn the Euangelist speaking of the sonne of man saith for him hath God sealed This Aggaeus being a yong man came from Babylon to Ierusalem and prophecied very plainly of the returne of the people and as toutching the temple he saw with his eyes the buylding againe of it he dyed and was buried nigh the sepulchres of the priests with the accustomed honor done at the buriall of priests Zacharias THe spirit of God came vpon Zachary y â— he prophecied of the coÌ„ming of Christ for he saith Reioyce thou greatly O daughter Sion be glad O daughter Ierusalem for lo thy king coÌ„meth vnto thee euen the righteous sauiour lowly simple is he riding vpon an Asse and vpon the foale of an Asse Litterally he spake this prophecy of Zorobabel â–ª but y e trueth of it in the end tooke place in y e Lord Iesus Christ Againe he writeth And I wil say vnto him how came these wounds in thine hands he shal aunswere thus was I wounded in the house of mine owne friends And a litle after I wil smite the sheperd the shepe wil be scattered abrode The Lord him selfe was mindfull of this prophecy about the time of his passion alleaging it applying it to him self when he should be betrayed This Zacharie being very aged came out of Chaldaea there prophecied vnto y e people of many things for confirmation therof wrought straunge things he executed also at Ierusalem the priestly function he blessed Salathiel his sonne and called him Zorobabel he gaue by his prayer seruice which he made at Ierusalem vnto y â— Persians vnder Cyrus the victorie he prophecied of him blessed him exceedingly As toutching his propheticall visions he saw theÌ„ at Ierusalem he entreated of the end of y â— Gentils of the temple of idlenes of prophets priests and of a double iudgement he dyed being a very olde man and was buried nigh Eleutheropolis a forty furlongs of in the field Noeman but in the time of Ephidus the bishop he was reuealed to be that Zacharie the sonne of Bâ—rachie whom Esay spake of the land where he lyeth is called Betharia out of Ierusalem a hundred and fifty furlongs Malachias MAlachie euen as the rest haue done prophecied of our Lord Iesus Christ for thus he saith FroÌ„ the rising of the sonne vnto the going down of the same my name is great among the GeÌ„tiles in euery place incense shal be offered to my name and a pure offringe for my name is great among the very heatheÌ„ saith the Lorde of hostes And againe he saith Behold I will send my messenger he shall prepare the way before thee Iohn Baptist our sauiour also applied this Prophecye vnto him selfe Agayne sayth the same Prophete Vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnes arise health shal be vnder his wings ye shall goe forth like farte calues Ye shall treade downe the vngodlye for they shal be duste vnder the soles of your feete in that day that I shall doe this sayth the Lorde of hostes And beholde I will send you Elias the Thesbite before the comminge of the greate and glorious daye of the Lorde Euen as the Lord spake of Iohn vnto the Iewes And if ye vvill receaue it this is Elias vvhich was for to come This Malachie was borne in Supha after the returne of the people out of Babylon Beinge a very yonge man he tooke wonderfull straunge and diuine foode to nurishe him he led a godly life And because all the people reuerenced him as an holy man Saincte of God they called him Malachias whiche is by interpretation an Angel He was a well fauored and bewtifull yonge man What so euer he prophecied of the Angell of the Lord was seene then to instruct him â–ª euen as it came to passe in the days of old when there was no Prince as it is wrytten in the booke of Iudges He died in the prime of his florishing yeares and was laid to his fathers in his owne field Iohn Baptist out of Epiphanius IOhn Baptist the sonne of Zacharie and Elizabeth was of the tribe of Leui. This is he that shewed vs the lambe of God the sonne of the father whiche taketh away the sinnes of the worlde by poyntinge at him with the finger This is he that shewed mortall men the waye and sette the dores of the kingedome of heauen wide open There was neuer any that was borne of a woman greater then Iohn the Baptist He died beinge beheaded by Herode the tyrante for Herodias the wife of his brother Philip. The censure Dorothe us geueth of the Prophetes and theyr workes AMonge these Prophetes some wrote and some haue not wrytten There are twelue of them called the lesse Osee Amos Micheas Ioel Abdias Ionas Naum Abacuk Sophonias Aggaâ—â—s Zacharias and Malachias There are also foure called the greate Prophetes Esay Ieremie Ezechiel and Daniel All the Prophetes prophecyed vnto the levves and admonished them of the promises of God made vnto the fathers wherein he promised to blesse all nations in the seede of Abraham through the saluation that was to come by our Lorde Iesus Christ agayne howe he with a mightie and out stretched arme broughte them out of theyr bondage in Aegypt and gaue them the land of promisse Last of all howe they were led captiues into Babylon by Nabuchodonozor and thence broughte backe agayne with honor Moreouer howe they were afflicted by Antiochus and the nations founde aboute them yet for all that by the prouidence of God they proued conquerours in the end And to shutte vppe the wholl in fewe wordes holde he shoulde come accordinge vnto the promises whiche wente before of him that was looked for and promised of the seede of Abraham to be the Sauiour of the wholl worlde And this was the common drifte of all the Prophetes Of whiche number some wrote bookes namelye Dauid who compiled the booke of Psalmes And Daniel who was commaunded in the tyme of captiuitie to wryte such things as were reuealed vnto him by visions with certayne others also As for the reste they wrote not theyr owne Prophecyes but the Scribes which were in the temple wrote euery Prophets sayings as it were with supputation of the dayes And when so euer anye Prophete was sente of God to entreate either of the captiuitie of Ierusalem or of Samaria or of other places either of theyr returne or of Antiochus or of the borderinge nations or else of Christ
the eight booke of Eusebius so hath Musculus to and in maner all the tenth booke he hath not once touched Ruffinus vvrote the historie of his time in tvvo bookes and erred fovvly in certen things as Socrates doeth report of him Epiphanius Scholasticus translated the Tripartite historie Ioachimus Camerarius geueth of him this iudgement Tantam deprehendi in translatione non modo barbariem sed etiaÌ„ inscitiam ac somnolentiam istius Epiphanij vt mirarer vlli Graecorum non adeo alienam linguam Latinam sed ignoratam suam esse potuisse I founde in the translation of this Epiphanius not onely such barbarous phrases but also ignoraunce and palpable errour that I can not chuse but maruell hovve any Grecian coulde be vnskilfull not so muche in the straunge Latine tongue as ignorant in his ovvne language VVolâ—gangus Musculus a learned interpretour hath translated the histories of Eusebius yet Edvvardus Godsalfus geueth of him this Censure Hic autem satis correctis exemplaribus vt credibile est destitutus innumeris locis turpissime labitur Est porro adeo obscurus vt interpres egeat interprete adeo salebrosus vt lector identidem inhaereat adeo lacunosus vt autores ipsi Graeci historiae suae sententias non fuisse expletas grauiter conquerantur This Musculus as it is very like vvanting perfect coppies erred fovvly in infinite places Moreouer he is so obscure that the Translator hath neede of an interpretour so intricate that the Reader is novve and than graueled so briefe that the Greeke autors them selues doe grieuouslie complaine that the sentences in their Histories vvere not fullie expressed Though the reporter be partiall being of a contrarie religion yet herein I finde his iudgement to be true and specially in his translation of the tenth booke of Eusebius yet not I only but others haue founde it Iacobus Grynaeus a learned man corrected many faultes explicated many places printed in the marge many notes yet after al this his labour vvhich deserueth great commendation there are founde infinite escapes and for triall thereof Ireport me vnto the Reader Christophorson as for his religion I referre it to God and to him selfe vvho by this time knovveth vvhether he did vvell or no vvas a great Clarke and a learned interpretour he hathe Translated passing vvell yet sometimes doeth he addicte him self very much to the Latine phrase and is caried avvay vvith the sound and vveight therof If anye of the former vvryters had done vvell vvhat needed the later interpretours to take so much paines I vvoulde haue all the premisses and vvhatsoeuer hath bene spoken of these Latine Translatours by me althoughe one of them chargeth an other to be taken not that I accuse them of mine ovvne heade but by beholding their doings to excuse the faultes that myghte escape in this Englishe Translation I founde the Greeke coppie of Eusebius in manie places vvonderfull crabbed his Historie is full of allegations sayings and sentences and Epistles and the selfe same autoritie oftentimes alleaged to the confirmation of sundrie matters that the vvords are short the sense obscure hard to be traÌ„slated Yet the learning of the man the autoritie of his person the Antiquitie of his time vvill cause vvhatsoeuer may be thought amisse to be vvell takeÌ„ Socrates vvho follovved Eusebius about a hundred and fortie yeares after and continevved the Historie vvrote an eloquent and an artificiall stile he vseth to alleage vvholl Epistles perfecte sentences and hath deliuered the historic very plaine His vvords are svveete his vaine pleasaunt his inuention very vvittie though the historie be large his bookes long and the labour great in vvryting of them yet vvas I very much recreated vvith the svvetenesse of the vvorke Euagrius vvho beganne vvhere Socrates left and continevved his penne vnto the ende of the first six hundred yeares after Christ is full of Dialects and therefore in Greeke not so pleasaunt as Socrates He hath many superstitious stories vvhich might very vvell haue bene spared But in perusing of him I vvould haue the reader to note the great chaunge that vvas in his time more then in the dayes of the former vvryters and therafter to consider of the times follovving the difference that is in these our dayes betvvene the Church and the Apostolicke times the encrease augmentation daily adding of ceremonies to ceremonies seruice vpon seruice vvith other Ecclesiasticall rites and decrees is not the encrease of pietie and the perfection of godlines for our Sauiour telleth vs in the Gospel that tovvards the later dayes loue shall vvaxe colde and iniquitie shall abound but the malice and spite of the Deuell vvho vvith the chaunge of time altereth as much as he may the state of the Ecclesiasticall affaires and thrusteth daily into the church one mischiefe vpon an other Moreouer Euagrius being a teÌ„porall man stuffeth his Historie vvith prophane stories of vvarres and vvarlike engines of battailes and loudshed of Barbarians and Heathen nations In describing the situation of any soyle the erection of buildings and vertues of some proper person he doth excell Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus Martyr vvhom I haue annexed vnto these former Historiographers being vvell seene in the Hebrevv tonge and a great Antiquarie vvrote briefly the liues of the Prophets Apostles and seuentie disciples of our Sauiour The faultes that are therein I attribute them rather vnto the corrupt coppies then to any vvant of knovvledge in him Such things as are to be noted in him I haue laid them in the preface before his booke After all these Translations gentle Reader not vvithstanding my great trauell studie I haue gathered a briefe Chronographie begining vvith Eusebius and ending vvith Euagrius vvhere thou maist see the yeares of the Incarnation the raigne of the Emperours the famous men and Martyrs the kings of Iudaea and highe priestes of the Ievves in Ierusalem from the birth of Christ vnto the ouerthrovve of the Citie the Councels the Bishops of Ierusalem Antioch Rome Alexandria and all the heresies vvithin the first six hundred yeares after Christ deuided into Columnes vvhere the yere of the Lord staÌ„ds right ouer against euery one The profite that riseth by reading of these histories I am not able in fevv vvords to declare â–ª besides the vvorks of the autors theÌ„ selues they haue brought forth vnto vs Sentences Epistles Orations Chapiters and bookes of auncient vvryters such as vvrote immediatly after the Apostles and are not at this day extant saue in them Namely of Papias Bishop of Hierapolis Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna Polycrates Bishop of Ephesus Dionysius Bishop of Corinth Apollinarius Bishop of Hierapolis Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria Melito Bishop of Sardis Serapion Bishop of Antioch Irenaeus Bishop of Lions Alexander Bishop of Ierusalem Theoctistus Bishop of Caesarea Aâ—atolius Bishop of Laodicea Phileas Bishop of Thumis Alexander Bishop of Alexandria Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia Theognis Bishop of Nice Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria Gregorie Bishop of Nazianzum Cyrill Bishop
nunc autem omnis exusta atque habitatorum impietate fulminibus conflagrasse memoratur denique adhuc in ea Diuini reliquias ignis oppidorum quinque videre licet imagines renascentes in fructibus cineres qui colore quidem sunt edulibus similes carpentium vero manibus in fumum dissoluuntur cinerem The land of Sodome is knovven of olde to haue bene fortunate both for frute and vvelth of cities but novv to lye all parched and to haue bene burnt vvith lightnings for the sinne of the inhabitants â–ª to be short as yet a man may there see reliques of the fire vvhich God sent and tokens of the fiue cities and ashes to spring agayne and grovve in the frute vvhich in color are like vnto the eateable frute but being plucked dovvne in the hande of the gatherer they are dissolued into smoke and ashes The tenne plagues of Aegypt were very grieuous yet was the hart of Pharao and of the Aegyptians so hardened that they could not repent so that in steede of the salt teares of repentance which should haue trickled downe their cheekes to the washing away of their sinnes the redd sea was fayne to open to wipe away such monsters from of the face of the earth God ouerthrewe infinite nations before the face of his owne people I meane the Iewes to make away for them into the land of promise Yet forgat they all his goodnes and benefites bestowed vpon them how shamefull a thing is it for the sonne to disobey his father for the seruant to dishonour his Lorde and mayster for the pacient to cast of the phisicion for the chosen people to forsake their proper and peculiar God this haue the Iewes done wherefore beholde what happened vnto them Iosephus writeth bell Iud. lib. 2. cap. 13. that in the 12. yeare of the raygne of Nero the 17. yeare of the raygne of King Agrippa in the moneth of May and the 2. yeare of the Lieuetenantship of Florus the Iewes beganne to rebell and to take armour agaynst the Romaynes reiecting the solemnitie done in the temple to the honour of Caesar The chiefe cause that moued them thereunto was the cruelty of Florus VVherefore this Florus to geue the Iewes a taste of his authority for displeasure conceaued agaynst some which reuiled him caused such a slaughter at Ierusalem that the number of the slayne mounted to six hundred and thirty persons Iosephus bello Iudaico lib. 2. cap. 14. Agayne through wiles and deceate this Florus raysed a great commotion at Ierusalem to the slaughter of many cap. 14. The inhabitors of Caesarea slewe in one day all the Iewes which dwelled there aboue tvventy thousande in number all that fled Florus tooke and imprisoned the Iewes seeing this thought to reuenge them selues vpon the Syrians in which skirmishe there were slayne thirtene thousand Ievves all their substance taken for spoyle bell Iud. li. 2. cap. 19. Other contreyes in like sorte set vpon the Iewes the Ascalonites slewe tvvo thousande â–ª the inhabitants also of Ptolemais destroyed tvvo thousande The Tyrians imprisoned a great many slewe very many The Hippinaei and Gadarits set packing the stoutest of them and watched the rest very narowely Varus the procurator of King Agrippa slewe seuenty of the noblelest and sagest Iewes being sent as Legates vnto him lib. 2. cap. 20. The people of Alexandria slewe fifty thousande Ieeves cap. 21. Cestius gathered an hoast went into Iudaea he burned Zabulon he tooke Ioppe he destroyed eyght thousand and forty persons cap. 22. Caesennius Gallus ouerrunneth Galilee he destroyed in Asamon tvvo thovvsande cap. 23. The inhabitantes of Damascus destroyed tenn thovvsande Ievves which dwelt among them lib. 2. cap. 25. The Romayne souldiers vnder Antonius their captayne tooke Ascalon and destroyed tenn thovvsande Ievves immediatly at an other skirmishe in the same place aboue eyght thousande bell Iud. lib. 3. cap. 1. Vespasian is sent from Nero into Iudaea he inuadeth Galilee he taketh Gadara he burneth the citye and the villages rounde about lib. 3. cap. 5. 6. The city Aphaca was taken by Titus the 25. day of Iune there were slayne fiftene thousande Ievves and tvvo thousand a hundred and thirty persones taken captiues lib. 3. cap. 11. Vespasian tooke Samaria the 27. daye of Iune and slewe eleuen thousande and six hundred lib. 3. cap 12. Vespasian tooke Iotapata sett all the castels afire the 13. yeare of Nero the first of the Calendes of Iuly he slewe forty thousande he tooke a thousand and tvvo hundred captiue lib. 3. cap. 13. Vespasian tooke Ioppe the second time the Iewes seeing no way but one slewe them selues and fell hedlong into the sea so that the sea was imbrued with blood the number of dead bodyes which the sea threwe vp was foure thousande and tvvo hundred the rest otherwise slayne there remayned not one to bring tydinges thereof into Ierusalem lib. 3. cap. 15. Vespasian besieged the Taricheans he slewe in their citie six thousande and fiue hundred he tooke many aliue whereof he commaunded a thousande and tvvo hundred of the noblelest and elder sorte of them to be slayne he sent six thousande of the lustier to Nero vnto Istmon he solde thirty thousande and foure hundred persons besides those which he gaue to King Agrippa this was done the sixt of the Ides of September Iosep bell Iud. lib. 3. cap. 19. The citie of Gamala beganne to rebel the 21. of September the citie was taken the 23. of October there were slayne therein foure thousande besides these there were founde other fiue thousande which had cast them selues headlonge and broke their neckes not one of the whole city left aliue but only 2. women lib. 4. cap. 3. Titus tooke the city Gascala the inhabitantes fledd to Ierusalem they were ouertaken tvvo thousande slayne and three thousande taken captiue and thus was all Galilee ouerrunne and now to Iudea lib. 4. cap. 4. In Ierusalem there was such a sedition and conspiracy among themselues which opened a gappe for the enemy to come vpon them that euen in the first bickering there were founde dead eyght thousande fiue hundred Ievves lib. 4. cap. 7. againe the seditions persons among them called Zelotae by the helpe of the Idumaeans slâ—we tvvelue thousande of the chiefe of the Iewes lib. 5. cap. 1. Vespasian tooke Gadara and slew thirty thousande besides these the number was infinite that drowned them selues the number of the captiues came to tvvo thousand and tvvo hundred lib. 5. cap. 3. Vespasian tooke Gerasion slewe a thousande yong men which had not fledd lib. 5. cap. 6. Vespasian now at length after the death of Nero Galba Otho and Vitellius the Emperours is chosen Emperour and goeth to Rome he committeth the warres in Iudaea to his sonne Titus li. 5. cap. vlt. The misery of the Iewes in Ierusalem waxed so great that the sedition afore tyme but one was now become three folde euery one hauing their captayne Titus layeth siege to the city
the Machabees because it contayneth the combats of the Hebrues so termed in the bookes of the Machabees manfully fighting in the defence of their pietye towardes God And about the ende of the twentieth booke of Iudaicall Antiquities Iosephus him selfe signifieth that he wrote foure bookes of the proper opinions of the Ievves of God of his essence of the lavves and vvhy according vnto them certayne thinges are lavvfull and certayne forbidden He mentioneth in his workes other treatyes of his it shall seeme agreable with order if we recite those thinges which he wrote about the ende of his Iudaicall Antiquities that our allegations may the better be confirmed for he endeuoring to confute Iustus Tyberianus who writinge the historye of that tyme reported many vntruthes among others of his confutations thus he sayth I feared not thy censure so much of my vvritings but that I exhibited my bookes vnto the Emperours themselues vvhen the dedes done vvere novv fresh in memory my conscience bare me vvitnes that Ierred not but deliuered the trueth hauing obtayned their testimonies vvhich I hoped for And to diuers others I offred my historye vvhere of some vvere encombred vvith the vvartes as king Agrippa and diuers of his kinsfolkes And the Emperour Tytus him selfe vvoulde haue the certayne knovvledge of these vvarres deliuered vnto the vvorlde by my bookes onely commaunding them to be published vvith the priuiledge of his ovvne hande King Agrippa vvrote threescore tvvo epistles vvherin he testifieth of the true history deliuered by me Two of these epistles he alleadgeth but so farre concerning Iosephus now we wil proceede to that which foloweth CAP. XI How after Iames the Iust Simeon was Bishop of Ierusalom AFter the martyrdome of Iames and the captiuity of Ierusalem now ended the reporte â—â—â—eth that the Apostles and Disciples of our Lorde which then were aliue whereof many yet remayned gathered them selues from euery where vnto one place together with the kinsmen of the Lorde according to the fleshe there to haue consulted who was thought best worthy to succeede Iames so that all with one voyce iudged worthy of the seae of Ierusalem Simeon the sonne of Cleopas mentioned in the Gospell and called the cosin of Christ for Aegesippiâ—â— writeth that Cleopas was the brother of Ioseph CAP. XII How Vespasian commaunded the posteritie of Dauid diligently to be sought out in the Churche of Ierusalem MOreouer he declareth that Vespasian after the siege of Ierusalem caused enquirie to be made of such as were of the lyne of Dauid lest that any remayned yet among the Ievves of the royall bloude so that thereby agayne there was raysed a great persecution among the Ievves CAP. XIII After Vespasian and Titus Domitian raigned vnder Titus Linus and Anacletus were Bishops of Rome vnder Domitianus Anianus and Abilius were Bishops of Alexandria WHen Vespasian had raigned tenne yeares Titus his sonne succeeded him in the empire in the seconde yeare of whose raygne Linus after he had bene Byshop of Rome the space of xii yeares deseased and him succeeded Anacletus When Titus had raygned two yeares and two monethes his brother Domitian tooke the imperiall crowne In the fourth yeare of the raigne of Domitian Anianus the first Bishop of Alexandria hauing continued there xxii yeares dyed the seconde after him that succeeded was Abilius CAP. XIIII Of Clemens his Bishoprike his testimony his epistle IN the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Domitian when as Anacletus had bene Bishop of Rome twelue yeares Clemens succeeded whome S. Paul writing to the Philippians calleth his felovv laboter when he sayth vvith Glemens and the rest of my felovv laborers vvhose names are vvritten in the booke of life one vndoubted epistle there is of his extant both worthy notable y â— which he wrote from Rome vnto Corinthe when sedition was raysed among the Corinthians the same Epistle we haue knowne to haue bene reade openly publikely in many churches both of olde and amongest vs also â–ª that at that tyme there was raysed a sedition amongest the Corinthians Aegesippus is a witnes of creditt CAP. XV. Of the persecution and ende of Domitian warring agaynst God DOmitian when he had executed much cruelty agaynst many and put to death no smal multitude of the Nobles of Rome and notable men beyond all rightfull iudgement and punished an infinite company of famous men with the hurtful exile losse of their substance dyeth and appoynteth him selfe successor of the hatred owed to Nero of the warre against God this man secondarily raysed persecution agaynst vs although his father Vespasian practysed no presumptuous Lordlynes towards vs. CAP. XVI VVhen Iohn the Euangelist was banished into Patmos ABout this time Iohn y â— Apostle Euangelist is sayd to haue bene banished into y â— I le Patmos for the testimony of the worde of God Irenaeus in his fift booke agaynst the heresies writing of the epitheton of Antichrist layde downe in the reuelation of S. Iohn sayth thus word by word of Iohn If his name ought publikely to haue bene preached at that present tyme by him veryly it vvas preached vvhich vvrote the reuelation for it vvas not seene a long time after but vvelnigh in this our age about the ende of the raygne of Domitian Our religion so florished in the forsayd times that the heathen writers noting exactly the tymes voutchsafed to publish in their historyes this persecution and the martyrdomes suffred in the same CAP. XVII Of Flania Domicilla a noble gentlewoman banished into the I le Pontia and the edict of Domitian for the destroying of the posteritie of Dauid THey haue written that in the fiftenth yeare of Domitian one Flauia descending of the sister of Flauius Clemens which then was of the Romayne Consuls was exiled with many others vnto the I le Pontia for the testimony of Christ When Domitian commaunded such as lynealy descended out of Dauid to be slayne the old report goeth that certayne of this opinion were accused to haue come out of the auncetors of Iudas who was the brother of Christ according vnto the fleshe as if by this meanes they were of the stocke of Dauid and the kinsmen of Christ this Aegesippus declareth saying there suruiued as yet certayne of the kindred of the Lorde nephevves of Iudas called his brother according vnto the flesh vvhom they brought forth as being of the line of Dauid these Iocatus doth bring before the Emperour Domitian for he feared the comming of Christ euen as Herode did and demaunded of them vvhether they vvere of the stocke of Dauid vvhich vvhen they had acknovvledged he demaunded againe vvhat possessions they enioyed and vvhat money they had They aunsvvered both vve haue onely ix thousande pence so that halfe that summe sufficeth either of vs yet this summe haue vve not in money but in vallovved land contayning not aboue xxxix acres out of the vvhich vve pay tribute and relieue our selues through our
Symeon was then diuersly by them accused to be a Christian for the space of many dayes he was scourged so that the Iudge and his company was maruelously amazed and in the ende he dyed a deathe agreeable with the passion of Christe but let vs heare the Historiographers owne wordes Certayne sayth he of the Heretickes accused Symeon the sonne of Cleopas that he linealy descended of the stocke of Dauid and that he vvas a Christian he suffered martyrdome being a hundreth and tvventy yeare olde vnder Traian the Emperour and Atticus the Consul The same Aegesippus reporteth how that his accusers enquiry being then made of such as came of the royall bloude among the Ievves were founde to haue their originall of the Regall Iewish trybe whosoeuer wayeth this with him selfe he will confesse that this Symeon was of them whiche both hearde and sawe the Lorde in that he liued so long a tyme and in that the Gospell maketh mention of Marie Cleopas whose sonne we haue sayde this Symeon to haue bene before Agayne the same Historiographer writeth how that certayne others of the posterity of some one of them called the brethren of our Lorde namely Iude were alyue vntil the same tyme yea after the testimony of them whiche vnder Domitian were tried for the true faythe of Christe for thus he writeth â–ª they come and gouerne vvhole Churches as martyrs being also of the kindred of Christ VVhen peace novve had possessed the Churches they remayne aliue vnto the tyme of Traian the Emperour vntil the afore sayd Symeon the Lords consingermaine the sonne of Cleopas vvas il entreated of Heretickes accused vnder Atticus the Consul often scourged tollerated such martyrdome that all vvondred the Consul him self marueiled hovv that he being a hundred xx yeares old vvas able to endure that bitter torment to be short in the end he vvas by commaundement crucified Vnto the afore said the same Historiographer annecteth this â–ª vnto those tymes the Church of God remained a pure an vncorrupted virgin for such as endeuored to corrupt the sound rule the right preaching of the vvord if then there vvere any such hidd them selues vnto that time in some thicke miste â–ª or dongeon of darkenes but after that the sacred company of the Apostles vvas vvorne and come to an end that that generation vvas vvholy spent vvhich by special fauour had heard vvith their eares the heauenly vvisedome of the sonne of God â–ª then the detestable error of conspiracy through deceate of such as deliuered straung doctrine tooke rooting and because that not one of the Apostles suruiued they publish boldely vvith all might possible the doctrine of falsehoode and impugne the open manifest and knovvne trueth Thus of these thinges hath this Historiographer written Now to that which by order of history we are bound vnto CAP XXX How Traian caused to cease the inquisition for Christians SO greate a persecution was raysed agaynst vs in sundry places that Plinius secundus a notable President made relation thereof vnto the Emperour being very much moued with the number of martyrs which suffred death for the testimony of their fayth signifying withall that they committed no haynous offence that they transgressed no law sauing that they rose before day and celebrated Christ with hymnes as God forbidding adulteryes slaughter with such other like abominable factes conforming all thinges agreable vnto the lawes After which reporte it is written that Traian commaunded by edicte that the Christian nation shoulde not be enquired for but if happily they were founde they ought to be punished by which edicte the vehement heate of that greuous persecution was somewhat delayed yet neuerthelesse there was scope enough left for such as were willing to afflicte vs. so that in one place the people in an other place the Princes and rulers of the regions layde wayte for our men whereby seuerall persons suffred martyrdome in their prouinces and sundry of the faithful sundry kindes of death without open or manifest persecution which history we haue selected out of the latine Apollogye of Tertullian whereof we haue alleadged before by interpretation thus Although vve haue knovvne the inquisition directed for vs to be inhibited it vvas by reason of Plinius secundus President of the prouince vvhich hauing condemned some of the Christians and depriued some others of their dignities vvas moued vvith the greatnes of the multitude and doubted vvhat vvas best to be done he made the Emperour Traian priuy thereof saying that he founde nothinge in them that vvas impious but that they refused the vvorshippinge of Idoles signifyinge this vvithall that the maner of the Christians vvas to ryse before daye to celebrate Christe in Psalmes as God and to the ende their discipline might straitly be obserued to forbid shedding of bloude adultery fraude trayterous dealing such like for aunsvvere hereunto Traian vvrote againe that there shoulde be no inquisition for the Christians but if they vvere mett vvith to be punished And thus went the affayres of the Christians then CAP. XXXI Of Euarestus the fourth Bishop of Rome AMonge the Bishops of Rome when as the afore sayd Emperour had raigned three yeares Clemens committed the ministery vnto Euarestus and finished his mortall race when he had gouerned the Churche and preached the worde of God the space of ix yeares CAP. XXXII How after Symeon Iustus succeeded the thirde Bishop of Ierusalem and of the famous Bishops then liuing â–ª Polycarpus Papias Ignatius and his Epistles AFter Symeon had such an ende as before we haue reported a certayne Ievve called Iustus one of that infinite number which of the circumcision beleued in Christ was placed in the Bishops seae of Ierusalem And vnto that time Polycarpus a Disciple of the Apostles liued in Asia beinge placed Bishop of the Churche of Smyrna by suche as sawe the Lorde and ministred vnto him the same time florished Papias Bishop of Hierapolis a man passing eloquent expert in the Scriptures And Ignatius likewise vnto this daye amongest most men famous the seconde Bishop by succession after Peter of the Churche of Antioch the reporte goeth that this Ignatius was sent from Syria to Rome for the confession of his faith to be foode for wilde beastes who passing through Asia and curiously garded with a greate troope of keepers confirmed the congregations throughout euery citye where he came with preaching of the worde of God and wholsome exhortations and specially geuing charge to auoide the heresies lately sprong and at that time ouerflowing and to cleaue stedfastly vnto the traditions of the Apostles which for the auoyding of error and corruption he thought very necessary to be diligently written And being at Smyrna where Polycarpus was Bishop he wrote an epistle vnto the Church of Ephesus making mention of Onesimus their Pastor An other vnto the Church of Magnesia lying on the riuer Meander â–ª making mention of Dama their
Bishop An other vnto the Church of Trallis whose ouerseer then was Polybius and besides these epistles he wrote vnto the Churche of Rome prefixing an exhortation lest that they refusing martyrdome shoulde be depriued of the hope layde vp for them but it may seeme needefull that we alleadg thence some part of the wordes for proofe hereof for thus he writeth from Syria sayth he vnto Rome I striue vvith beastes by sea by land nightes and nightes fettered among tenne Leopardes that is a bande of souldiers the more benefit they receaue the vvorse they become I thus exercised vvith their iniuries am the more instructed yet hereby am not I iustified I desire to enioy the beastes prepared for me vvhiche I vvishe to fall vppon me vvith fierce violence yea I vvill allure them forthvvith to deuoure me that they abstayne not from me as they haue left some for feare vntoutched If they as vnvvilling vvill not I vvill compell them to fall vpon me pardon me I vvott vvell vvhat this shall auaile me Novv doe I beginne to be a Disciple I vvay neither visible nor inuisible thinges so that I gaine Christ â–ª let fire gallovves violence of beastes bruysing of the bones racking of the members stamping of the vvhole body and all the plagues inuented by the mischiefe of Satan light vpon me so that I vvinne Christ Iesu this he wrote from the aforesaid city vnto the Churches before named And beinge beyonde Smyrna he wrote vnto the Churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna and seuerally to Polycarpus their Bishop whome he knewe for a right Apostolike man commending as a syncere and right Pastor ought to doe the congregation of Antioche praying him to be carefull of the busines there namely about the election of a Bishop in his rowme this Ignatius writing vnto the Church of Smyrna reporteth certaine wordes vttered by Christ which he founde I wott not where I knovve and beleue that he vvas in the fleshe after the resurrection for comming vnto them vvhich vvere vvith Peter he sayde vnto them Come feele me and knovve that I am not a spirite vvithout body and anone they felt him and beleued Irenaeus also knewe his martyrdome remembred his epistles writing thus Euen as one of our men condemned vnto the beastes for the confession of his fayth sayde In so much that I am the vvheate of God I am to be grinded vvith the teeth of beastes that I may be founde pure breade or fine manchet And Polycarpus maketh mention hereof in the epistle vnder his name vnto the Philippians writing thus I beseeche you all that you be obedient and exercise patience vvhich you haue throughly seene not only in blessed Ignatius Rufus and Zosimus but in diuers of your selues and in Paul vvith the rest of the Apostles being persvvaded for certaine that all these ranne not in vayne but in fayth and righteousnes novve resting them vvith the Lorde in the place appointed due for their deserts vvith vvhom they suffred together they loued not this present vvorlde but him that dyed for our sinnes and rose agayne for our sakes agayne he addeth both you and Ignatius vvrote vnto me that if any did trauell vnto Syria he might conuey thither your letters of vvhich I vvill be careful if fitt opportunity be offred vvhether I my selfe goe or send that your busines there may be dispatched according vnto your request I haue sent you the epistles of Ignatius both vnto vs vvritten and the others in my custody annexed vnto this epistle vvhere you may gayne much profitt they contayne fayth and patience and all maner of edifying in the Lorde thus much concerning Ignatius whom Heros succeeded in the Bishopricke of Antioche CAP. XXXIII Of the Euangelistes then florishing AMong them which were then famous was Quadratus whome they say together with the Daughters of Philip to haue bene endued with the gift of prophecying and many others also at the same tyme florished which obtayning the first stepp of Apostolicall succession and being as deuine Disciples of the chiefe and principall men buylded the Churches euery where planted by the Apostles preaching and sowing the celestial seede of the kingâ—… of heauen throughout the worlde filled the barnes of God with encrease for the greater â—â—â—â—e of the disciples then liuing affected with greate zeale towards the worde of God first fullfilling the heauenly commaundement distributed their substance vnto the poore next taking their iourney fullfilled the worke office of Euangelistes that is they preached Christ vnto them which as yet heard not of the doctrine of fayth and published earnestly the doctrine of the holy Gospell These men hauing planted the fayth in sundry newe and straunge places ordained there other pastors committing vnto them the tillage of the newe ground they lately conuerted vnto the fayth pas sing them selues vnto other people and contries holpen there vnto by the grace of God which wrought with them for as yet by the power of the holy Ghost they wrought miraculously so that an innumerable multitude of men embraced yea at the first hearing with prompte and willing mindes the Religion of the Almighty God In somuch that it is impossible to rehearse all by name when and who were pastors and Euangelistes in the first succession after the Apostles in the Churches scatered throughout the worlde it shall seeme sufficiente onely to commit in writing to memorie the names of such as are recorded vnto vs by tradition from the Apostles them selues as of Ignatius in the epistles before alleadged and of Clemens mentioned in the epistle which for vndoubted he wrote vnto the Corinthians in the person of the Romayne churche where he imitating very much the epistle wrytten vnto the Hebrewes and alleadging thereof whole sentences worde by worde manifestly proueth that this epistle vnto the Hebrewes was nether newe nether of late founde wherefore it semed good to number it among the rest of the Apostles writings wheÌ„ as Paul wrote vnto the Hebrevves in his mothers tonge some affirme that Luke the Euangelist some other which seemeth more aggreable that Clemens traslated it for bothe the Epistle of Clemens and that vnto the Hebrevves vse the like manner of speach and differ not much in sense CAP. XXXIIII Of the Epistle of Clemens and other wrytinges forged vnder his name and fathered vpon him WE haue to learne that there is a seconde epistle of Clemens yet not so notable and famous as the former and we knowe that the elders did nether vse nether alleadge it Now diuerse haue thrust out in his name certaine vabling and tedious comentaries containing the dialogues of Peter and Apion which none at all of the elders haue mentioned nether doe they obserue the sincere forme and rule of the Apostolicke doctrine CAP. XXXV Of the writinges and workes of Papias THe vndoubted wrytinges of Clemens are apparent we haue spoken likewise of the wrytinges of Ignatius and Polycarpus The
wrytinges of Papias are sayde to be fiue bookes entituled the exposition of the Lordes sermons Of these Irenaeus reporteth as wrytten alone by this man saying thus This truely Papias the auditor of Iohn the companion of Polycarpus testifieth in the fourth booke of his vvrytinges for he vvrote fiue Thus farre Irenaeus Papias him selfe in the preface to his bookes signifyeth that he nether heard nether sawe the Apostles but receiued the vndoubted doctrine of fayth of their familiars and disciples When he sayth It shall not seeme greuous vnto me if that I compile in vvriting and commit to memorie the thinges vvhich I learned of the elders and remember as yet very vvell vvith there expositions hauing fully tryed already the trueth thereof Nether am I pleased vvith such as say many thinges as many are accustomed to doe but vvith such as teach true thinges nether vvith such as repeate straunge precepts but vvith such as alleadge the thinges deliuered of the Lorde for the instruction of our fayth proceding from the trueth it selfe if any came in place vvhich vvas a follovver of the Apostles forthvvith I demaunded the vvordes of the elders VVhat Andrewe vvhat Peter vvhat Philip vvvhat Thomas or Iames or Iohn or Matthewe or any other of the Lordes disciples vvhat Aristion and the elder Iohn disciples of the Lord had sayd I beleued verely not to profit my self so much by their vvrytinges or bookes as by the authoritie of the persons and the liuely voice of the reporters making relation thereof It may seeme worth the notinge that by these wordes wee marke the name of Iohn to bee twise repeated The first numbred with Peter Iames Matthewe and the rest of the Apostles signifying Iohn â–ª the Euangelist the second with a different terme without the cataloge of the Apostles ioyning him with Aristion playnly calling him the Elder that hereby the truth of the history may appeare which declareth two of the same name to haue bene in Asia and two seueral monuments of them both to be at Ephesus whereof â—oth as yet beare the name of Iohn which may not lightly be passed ouer of vs for it is very like that the seconde vnlesse ye are pleased with the first saw that reuelation which beareth the name of Iohn Papias then of whom we spake before confesseth him selfe to haue hearde the wordes of the Apostles of them which were their followers namely of Aristion and Iohn the elder for often tymes by mentioning them he alleadgeth their traditions in his bookes I suppose these thinges to haue bene spoken to good purpose agayne to that which hath bene already spoken I thinke it not amisse to adde out of the bookes of Papias things very straung which he reporteth to haue receaued by tradition before we haue written how that Philip the Apostle together with his Daughters had his abode at Hierapolis nowe we haue to signifie how that Papias remayning amongest them reporteth a certayne history tolde him by the Daughters of Philip he writeth that a deade man rose to life againe and moreouer an other miraculous thinge to haue happened to Iustus whose syrname was Barsabas that he dronke deadly poyson and tooke therby no harme the godnes of God preseruing him The history of the Actes declareth of this Iustus how that after the ascention of our Sauiour the holy Apostles seuered him together with Mathias praying ouer them that ereother of them might be allotted in the place of Iudas the traytor to the complete number of the Apostles They appointed tvvo Ioseph called Barsabas by syrname Iustus and Mathias Certayne other thinges the same writer reporteth of the which some he receaued for tradition by worde of mouthe also certayne straunge parables of our Sauiour mixt with fabulous doctrine where he dreameth that the kingdome of Christ shall corporally here vppon earth laste the space of one thousande yeares after the resurrection from the deade which error as I suppose grewe hereof in that he receaued not rightly the true and mysticall meaning of the Apostles neither deepely wayed the thinges deliuered of them by familiar examples for he was a man of smale iudgement as by his bookes playnly appeareth yet hereby he gaue vnto diuers Ecclesiastical persons occasion of error which respected his Antiquity namely vnto Irenaeus and others if there be any founde like minded other traditions he alleadgeth of Aristion and the Elder Iohn vnto the which we referre the studious reader yet one thinge toutching Marke the Euangelist the whiche he reporteth we may not omitt for thus he writeth The Elder meaning Iohn sayd Marke the interpreter of Peter looke vvhat he remembred that diligently he vvrote not in that order in the vvhich the Lorde spake and did them neither vvas he the hearer or follovver of the Lorde but of Peter vvho deliuered his doctrine not by vvay of exposition but as necessity constrayned so that Marke offended nothing in that he vvrote as he had before committed to memory of this one thinge vvas he carefull in omitting nothinge of that he had hearde and in deliuering nothing vvhiche vvas false so farre of Mark. concerning Matthewe he writeth thus Matthewe vvrote his booke in the hebrevv tongue vvhich euery one after his skill interpreted by allegations Papias alleadged testimonies out of the first epistle of Iohn of Peter he expounded a certayne historye of a woman accused before Christ of many crymes written in the Gospell after the Hebrevves of these thinges thus much we suppose to haue bene necessarily spoken and added vnto that which went before The ende of the thirde booke THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. VVhat byshops were of Rome and Alexandria in the time of Traian the Emperour ABout the twelfe yere of the Raygne of Traian after the death of the Byshop of Alexandria before mentioned Primus was placed the fourth byshop after the Apostles The same time Alexander when Euarestus had gouerned full eight yeares was the eight byshop of the Church of Rome after Peter and Paul CAP. II. VVhat calamities the Iewes suffred in the time of Traian THe doctrine of our Sauiour the Church of Christ so florished that dayly it encreased and was more and more furthered But the calamities of the Ievves grewe so great that one mischief ensued vpon an other When the Emperour was nowe come to the eightenth yere of his raygne the rage of the Ievves was so stirred that a greate multitude of their nation was destroyed for at Alexandria and throughout the rest of Aegypt and Cyren the Ievves as if they were possessed of a raging seditious and fanaticall spirite so bestirred them selues that they made an vprore among the Gentiles where they abode kindled such a firye sedition that the yere folowing they waged no small battaile Lupus then being president throughout Aegypt In the first battaile the Ievves had the
sure the Gods are not so secure but that they disclose hurtfull persons For these men punishe such as vvil not vvorship the Gods more greuously then you doe vvhich thus vexe them and confirme the opinion vvhich they conceaue of you to be Atheists or godlesse men It is their desire in Gods quarell rather to dye then to lyue so that they become conquerers yeldinge their liues vnto the deathe rather then they obey your edictes It shall seeme very necessarye to admonishe you of the earthquakes vvhich haue and doe happen among vs that being thervvith moued ye may compare our estate vvith theirs They haue more confidence godvvardes then you haue you during the tyme of your ignorance despise other Gods contemne the religion of the immortal God banish the Christians vvhich vvorship him persecute them vnto the death In the behalfe of these men many of the prouinciall Presidentes haue vvritten heretofore vnto our father of famous memory vvhome he aunsvvered in vvriting againe that they vvere not to be longer molested vnlesse they had practised treason agaynst the Romayne empire many haue giuen notice vnto vs of the same matter vvhom vve aunsvvered as our father did before vs. If any therefore hereafter be founde thus busied in other mens affayres vve commaund that the accused be absolute free though he be founde such a one I meane faulty and that the accuser be greeuously punished This edict was proclaymed at Ephesus in the hearing of the greate assembly of Asia witnesse hereof is Meliton Bishop of Sardis which florished at y e time in his profitable Apologie for our doctrine deliuered vnto the Emperour Verus CAP. XIIII Of Polycarpus Bishop of Smyrna IRenaeus reporteth that while Anicetus was Bishop of Rome Polycarpus as yet liued and came to Rome and questioned with Anicetus â–ª concerning the day of Easter An other thinge yet he reporteth of Polycarpus in his thirde booke against heresies which needefully must here be annexed Polycarpus sayth he vvas not only instructed by the Apostles and conuersant vvith many vvhich savve Christe but also of the Apostles ordayned Bishop of Smyâ—na in Asia â–ª vvhome vve in our youthe haue also seene for he lyued long and vvas very olde and at lengthe finished this lyfe vvith moste glorious â–ª and renovvned Martyrdome â–ª vvhen he had continually taught that he learned of the Apostles vvhich the Churche at this daye deliuereth for vndoubted trueth All the Churches of Asia and as many vnto this daye as succeeded him in that seae beare vvitnesse that Polycarpus vvas vvorthier of credit thâ—n Valentinus Marcion then the vvhole rabble of peruerse people For he being 〈◊〉 Rome in conference vvith Anicetus conuerted many of the foresayd Heretickes vnto the Church of God preaching the one and onely trueth receaued of the Apostles and deliuered by the Churche There be yet aliue vvhich hearde him reporting hovve that Iohn the Disciple of Christ entring into a bath at Ephesus to bayne him selfe and spying vvithin the Hereticke Cerinthus departed the bath vnbayned and sayd Let vs departe hence lest the bath fall vvherein Cerinthus the svvorne enemy of the trueth bayneth him selfe And Polycarpus on a tyme meeting Marcion face to face vvhich sayd vnto him knovve vs aunsvvered I knovve thee for the firste begotten sonne of Satan So zelous vvere the Apostles and their Disciples that they communicated not in vvorde vvith the corrupters of the trueth according vnto that of Paul eschevv him that is an Hereticke after the first and seconde admonition knovving that such a one is peruerse and condemned a sinner by the testimony of his ovvne conscience There is extant an epistle of Polycarpus vnto the Philippians very profitable for such as are carefull of their saluation vvhere they may knovve the true character of fayth and the right rule of doctrine So farre Irenaeus Polycarpus in the foresayde Epistle vnto the Philippians at this daye extant alleadgeth testimonyes out of the former Epistle of Peter When that Antoninus syrnamed Pius had ended twenty and two yeares in the Romayne Empire Marcus Aurelius Verus and Antoninus his sonne togither with Lucius his brother succeeded him CAP. XV. The martyrdome of Polycarpus and diuers other Sainctes in Smyrna vnder Verus the Emperour WHen Asia was visited with greate persecution Polycarpus was crowned with martyrdome I suppose it necessary to penne in this our historye his ende which at this daye is published in writing The Epistle is in the person of the Churche where he was President vnto the Parishes throughout Pontus signifying the circumstance about Polycarpus in this sorte The Church of God which is at Smyrna vnto the Church at Philomilium and vnto all the congregations of the holy Catholicke Church throughout Pontus mercy to you peace and the loue of God the Father of our Lorde Iesus Christ be multiplyed VVe haue vvritten vnto you brethren of such as suffred martyrdome and of blessed Polycarpus vvho signed and sealed this persecution vvith his ovvne bloud And before they make relation of Polycarpus they rehearse the constancy and pacience of other Martyrs saying The behoulders vvere amazed seeing the flesh of the Martyrs rent vvith scurges euen into the inner vaynes and sinovves so that the most secret entrayles of their bodies their bovvels invvard priuityes vvere piteously to be seene Behoulding againe the sharpe shells of sea fishe pimple stones stravved vnder the Martyrs backes and brused bodies vvith euery kinde of torment that could be deuised Last of all throvvn to be torne in peeces and deuoured of vvilde beastes Specially they wrote of Germanicus that he valiantly endured and ouercame through the grace of God that corporall feare of death graffed in the frayle nature of man For when as the Proconsull exhorted him to relent admonished him of his tender yeares prayed him to pitye his owne case being nowe in the flowre of his youth â–ª He without intermission entyâ—ed the beaste to deuoure him yea constrayned and compelled that with speede he might be dispatches of this wrongfull and wicked life Which patience and constancye of the blessed Marâ—â—â— â–ª and of the whole Christian nation the multitude of Inâ—â—dels behoulding sodainly began to shoâ—â—â— â—â—â—oue the vvicked seeke out Polycarpus And when there was a great tumuâ—â—e raysed by reason of this clamor a certaine Phrygian by name Quintus lately come out of Phrygia trembled at the flerâ—e rage of the terrible beasts and shrinked at the sight of their grimme visage and betrayd his owne safety with his slacknes of courage For the same epistle testifieth of him that he personally appeared together with the rest before the barre more of rashues then of any religion and being taken be publickly protested that none ought to intruâ—e him selfe amonge such men without good deuotion neither intermedle in mâ—â—â—â—â—s wherewith he hath not to doe But of these men thus much Toutching the renowned Polycarpus they write that he hearing the report of this
CAP. XVIII Of the workes and writinges of Iustinus IVstinus hathe leaft vnto the posterity many monuments of his instructed minde and right vnderstanding full of all kind of profitt vnto the which we referre the studious readers and withall we will note such as came to our knowledge first a supplication vnto Antoninus Pius and his sonnes and to the Romayne Senate in the defence of our doctrine Agayne an Apology vnto y â— sayd Emperours successor by sirnamâ— Antoninus Verus whose time we presently do prosecute He wrote also agaynst the Gentiles where at large he disputeth many questions both of ours and the heathenish philosophers doetrinet of the nature of spirites altogether impertinent for this our present purpose He wrote an other booke also agaynst the Gentiles intituled a confutation or reprehension After that of the monarchie of God collected not onely out of the sacred Scriptures but also out of prophane wryters Next one intituled Psaltes An other of the soule as by way of annotation alleaging diuersâ— questions and many opinions of the heathen philosophers differring the consutation and his definitiue sentence vntill an other place Lastly of all he wrote a dialogue agaynst the Ievves disputing at Ephesus with Tryphon then a famous Doctor among the Ievves where he beelaâ—eth how the mercifulnes of God brought him to the knowledge of the true fayth how he diligently studied philosophie and earnestly sought after the trueth In that dialogue of the Ievves declaring their spite against the doctrine of Christ he inueieth against Tryphon thus You haue not onely hardened your selues from repentance but haue sent chosen men from Ierusalem vvhich shoulde passe through out the vvorlde and pronounce that there vvas a certaine Christian Heresie spronge slaunderinge vs as the rest doe vvhich knovve vs not so that thereby you proued your selues authors of falsehood not onely to your ovvne people but to all other nations He wryteth also how that vnto his time the gifte of prophecy flourished in the Church He remembred the reuelation of Iohn plainely affirming that it was the Apostles he alleageth many places of the prophets charging Tryphon that the Ievves rased them out of the Bible It is reported he wrote many other things well knowne vnto diuerse of the brethrâ— His workes of old were in great reuerence Irâ—â—â—â—â— in his fourth booke remembreth him saying Iustinus vvryting agaynst Marcion sayth very vvell Nether vvoulde I haue beleued in the Lord if he had shevved any other God besides the maâ—â—â— of all thinges And in his first booke â–ª Iustinus sayd vvell that before the coÌ„ming of our Sauiour Sâ—thaÌ„ durst not blaspheme God in so much he knevve not certainely of his condemnation before that tyme. These thinges were needfull to be noted that the â—â—â—sous mightâ—â—â—â—nestly embrarâ— his workes so farre concerning Iustinus CAP. XIX The succession of Byshops in Rome Alexandria and Antioche IN y â— eight yeare of the sayd Emperours raygne when as Anicetus had bene byshope of Rome eleuen yeares Soter succeded And in Alexandria after that Celadion had gouerned fourteene yeares Agryppas came in place* In the Church of Antioche Theophilus was the sixt from the Apostles Heros the fift Cornelius the fourth CAP. XX. VVhat ecclesiasticall persons flourished at that time IN those dayes Egesippus flourished in the Churche one of the moste auncient and Dionysius byshope of Corinthe and Pinytus byshope of Creta Philippus Apollinarius Meliton Musanus Modestus but specially Irenaeus of all which number there are monuments leaft in wryting vnto the posteritie of their Apostolicke traditions and sounde fayth CAP. XXI By the reporte of Egesippus he declareth what vniforme consent in relligion there was in that age and who of olde were authors of sectes and heresies EGesippus in his fiue bookes left vnto the posteritie a full remembrance of him where he declareth that comminge to Rome and conferringe with many byshopes he founde them all of one minde and the same doctrine we haue also to vnderstande of the worthy reporte alleaged by him toutching the Epistle of Clemens wrytten vnto the CorinthiaÌ„s saying The church of Corinthe remayned in the pure and right rule of doctrine vnto the tyme of Primus byshop there vvith vvhome meaninge the Corinthians sayling to Rome I conferred and abode many dayes and vvas conforted very much by reason of them and their doctrine Being come to Rome I stayd there vntill that Anicetus vvas stalled byshop vvhose Deacon vvas Eleutherius vvhome Sother succeded and after him Eleutherius In all their successions and in euery one of their Cities it is no othervvise then the lavve and prophets and the Lorde himselfe preached The same author reciteth y â— originalles of y â— heresies in his tyme wryting thus After that Iacobus Iustus had bene martyred in such sorte as Christ himself vvas put to death this vncle SimoÌ„ Cleopas vvas chosen byshope vvhome all preferred because that he vvas the Lordes seconde kinsman vvherefore they called that church a pure virgin for as yet the deuell had not sovvne there any corrupt seed of false doctrine But Thebulis because he vvas not chosen byshop vvent about to corrupt the same beinge partaker of the seuen heresies vvhere of one is Symon of vvhome the Simoniani and Cleobius of vvhome Cleobiani and Dositheus of vvhome Dositheani and Gorthaeus of vvhome Gorthaeani and Masbothaei of vvhome spronge the Menandrianists Marcionists Carpocratians Valentinians Basilidians and Saturnilians vvhereof euery one hath sett a broche a proper seuerall opinion Of these sprang the false christs the false prophets the false-apostles renting a sunder the Church vvith their false doctrine directed agaynst God Christ our Sauiour The same author describeth likewise y t old heresies of the Ievves saying There vvere in the time of the circumcision sundry sectes among the children of Israell varying in opinions sett opposite agaynst the tribe of Iuda and Christ namely theese the Essaeans â–ª the GalilaeaÌ„s the Hemerobaptistes the Masbothaeans the Samaritans the Sadduces the Pharises diuerse other thinges he wryteth of the which haue bene partly remembred of vs before and applyes to their proper and peculier places Afterwardes he maketh relation of the Gospell after the Hebrevves and Syrians and seuerally of certayne Hebrue dialectes and that 〈◊〉 meanâ—s of the Hebrevves he attained vnto the Christian fayth with a recitall of other vnwrytten traditions of the Ievves â–ª Moreouer Egesippus and yet not onely he but also Irenaeus with the whole assembly and company of the elders â— haue termed the prouerbes of Salomon wisedome it self replenished with all kinde of vertue and godlines and by occasion reasoninge of the Scriptures called Apocrypha he sayde that in his time diuerse of them were published by Heretickes hereof thus much now to that which by order of history we are bounde vnto CAP. XXII Of Dionysius Byshop of Corinthe â–ª and his Epistles FIrst we haue to speake of Dionysius â–ª who being byshop of Corinthe freely
the Lorde vvrought these thinges phantastically vve vvill leade them vnto the practised examples of the Prophetes and proue out of them that they all prophecied of him after this manner and that these thinges vvere done in deede and that he vvas the onely sonne of God VVherefore in his name they that be his true Disciples receauing grace of him bende their vvhole might to this ende that euery one after the quantitie of the talent receaued doe benefitt the other brethren some soundely and truely expell deuills so that they being deliuered of their euill spirites embraced the fayth and vvere receaued into the Church others haue the foreknovvledge of thinges to come they see diuine dreames propheticall visions others cure the deseased and sickly restore them to their health by their laying on of handes Novv according to our former saying the deade vvere raysed to life and liued together vvith vs many yeares for the gracious giftes of the holy Ghost are innumerable vvhich the Church dispersed throughout the vvhole vvorlde hauing receaued disposeth dayly in the name of Iesus Christ crucified vnder Pontius Pilate to the benefitt of the Gentyles seducing none neither selling to any at any pryce as she hath receaued them freely so freely she bestovveth them Againe in an other place Irenaeus writeth as vve haue hearde of many brethren in the Churche vvhich had the gift of prophecying vvhich vvere able through the holy Ghost to speake vvith sundry tongues vvhich coulde reueale the secretes of men vvhere it so behoued and expounde the darke mysteries of God thus much of the diuersity of giftes which florished among the worthy men vnto that time CAP. VIII VVhat Irenaus wrote of and concerning the holye Scriptures canonicall and the septuagints translation FOr as much as in the beginning of this our treatise we haue promised in their seuerall places to alleage the testimonies of the auncient ecclesiasticall elders and writers which they haue written to our knowledge deliuered to the posteritie toutchinge the canonicall scriptures of bothe the olde and newe testament nowe we will endeuour to performe the same And beginninge with Irenaeus firste of all let vs see what he hath written of the newe testament his wordes are these Matthewe deliuered vnto the Hebrues the historie of the Gospell vvritten in theire ovvne tongue VVhen Peter and Paul preached at Rome and planted the churche after their departure Marke the disciple and interpreter of Peter also deliuered vs in vvritinge suche thinges as he had hearde Peter preache and Luke accompanyenge Paul comprised in one volume the Gospell preached of him After these Iohn the disciple of our Lorde vvhich also leaned on his breaste published a Gospell vnto the posteritie remaining at Ephesus This hath he written in his thirde booke And in the fifte of the same argument he reasoneth of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn and the calculation of Antichristes name These thinges beinge thus vvhen as in all true and auncient copies this numbre is layde dovvne and they also testifie the same vvhiche savve Iohn vvith their eyes and the vvorde it selfe teacheth vs that the number of the beastes name according vnto the numbring of the Gentiles is declared by the letters expressed in the vvord it selfe A litle beneath of the same thus he sayth VVe doubte nothing of the name of Antichrist of the vvhich vve affirme sure certenly for if his name at this present vvere openly to be published no doubt it had bene done by him vvhich pronounced the reuelation â–ª neither vvas the reuelation seene long agoe but vvelnighe in this our age vnder the end of Domitians raigne thus muche he sayed of the reuelation of Sainct Iohn He hath made mention of the firste Epistle of Iohn citing thence many testimonies also of the former of Peter and he not onely knewe but allowed of the booke of Hermes intituled Pastor sayeng That vvritinge hath very vvell pronounced vvhich saithe before all thinges beleue there is one God vvhich hath created and made perfect all thinges c. Hee hath vsed also certaine sentences selected out of the booke of VVisdome of Solomon where he sayeth The sight of God bringeth incorruption incorruption dravveth a man vnto God He cyteth the woorkes of some one Apostolicke elder whose name he passeth ouer with silence yet pronounceth his interpretation of holy scripture Moreouer he remembred Iustinus Martyr and Ignatius alleaging their writinges for testimonies he hath promised to confute Marcion in a seuerall volume but of the translation of the olde testament by the septuagintes heare what he writeth in these wordes God then vvas made man the Lord himselfe hath saued vs geuing vs a Virgine for a signe not as some saie vvhich presume to interprete the Scriptures beholde a damsell shall conceaue and bring forth a sonne as Theodotion the Ephesine and Aquila of Pontus translated vvhich vvere both Ievvish proselytes vvhom the Ebionites folovving haue taught that Christ vvas borne of Ioseph and Marie After a fewe lynes he addeth sayinge Before the Romaine empire grevve to be of suche force vvhen as yet the Macedonians helde Asia Ptolomaeus the sonne of Lagus fullie minded to erect a librarie at Alexandria and to replenishe the same vvith all such good bookes as vvere extant requested of the Ievves inhabiting Ierusalem that they vvould sende him their bookes translated into the Greeke tongue they forasmuche as they vvere as yet subiect vnto the Macedonians sent vnto Ptolomaeus seuentie elders from among them very skilfull in their bookes and both the tongues God no doubt disposinge this thinge after his pleasure Ptolomaeus for tryals sake fearing if they conferred together they vvould conceale the truth reuealed in their bokes commaunded them seuerally euery man by himselfe to vvrite his translation and this in euery booke throughout the olde testament VVhen as they all came together in presence of Ptolomaeus and conferred the translations one vvith an other God vvas glorified and the Scriptures diuine in deede vvere knovven for all they from the beginninge to the endinge had expressed the selfe same thing vvith the selfe same vvordes and the selfe same sentences so that the Gentils then present pronounced those scriptures to haue bene translated by the instincte and motion of the spirite of God neither may it seme maruailous vnto any man that God brought this to passe for vvhen as in the captiuitie of his people vnder Nabuchodonosor the scriptures vvere perished the Ievves returning into their ovvne region after seuenty yeares in the tyme of Artaxerxes King of Persia he inspyred Esdras the priest of the tribe of Leâ—â— that he restored agayne all the sayinges of the former Prophetes and delyuered vnto the people the lavve geuen by Moses thus farre Irenaeus CAP. IX Of Iulianus Bishop of Alexandria and Pantaenus there professor of diuinitie WHen Antoninus had raigned ninetene yeares Comodus tooke the rule of the imperiall scepter in the first yeare of whose raigne
opportunitie or subtle shift to snare men in stirred vp againe straunge heresies to molest the Church and of those Heretickes some crept into Asia and Phrygia after the manner of venemous serpents whereof the Montanists bragge and boaste of Montanus as a comforter and of his women Priscilla and Maximilla as Prophetisses of Montanus others some preuayled at Rome whose captayne was Florinus a Priest excommunicated out of the Churche and together with him one Blastus subiect to the same daunger of soule both these haue subtly circumuented many and perswaded them to their purpose euery one seuerally establishing newe doctrine yet all contrary to the trueth CAP. XIIII The censure of the olde writers toutching Montanus and his false prophetes THe victorious and inuincible power of the trueth alwayes preuailing hath raysed vp Apollinarius of Hierapolis of whome we spake before as a stiffe and strong defence together with many other discreate persons of those tymes to the confutation of the foresayd Phrygian heresie whiche haue left behinde them matter sufficient and very copious for this our historye Wherefore one of them taking penne in hande to paynte out these heretickes signifieth at the entrance how he rebuked them with vnwritten elenches he beginneth thus It is novv a great vvhile agoe vvelbeloued Auircus Marcellus since thou diddest enioyne me this taske ▪ that I should publish some booke against the follovvers of the hereticke Miltiades vvherupon I doubted vnto this day vvhat vvas best to be done not but that I vvas able to confute their falsehoode and geue testimony vnto the trueth but that I feared greatly lest by vvriting I shoulde adde something vnto the perfect vvordes of the nevv testament vvhereto nothing may be added and vvherefro nothing may be taken avvay by him that vvill leade a life agreeable to the Gospell I being of late at Ancyra in Galatia founde the Churche throughout Pontus filled not vvith Prophets as they call them but rather as it shall be proued vvith false Prophets vvhere through the Lorde as much as in me laye I disputed in the Churche the space of many dayes against them and their seuerall obiections so that the Churche reioysed and vvas thereby confirmed in the trueth but the contrary parte yet repyned and the gaynesayers vvere very sorovvefull and vvhen the Elders of that place required of me in the presence of our fellovve minister Zoticus Otrenus that I vvould leaue them in vvriting some commentary of such things as vvere vttered against the aduersaries of the trueth At that time I did not but promised that I vvoulde shortly through the helpe of the Lorde vvrite somevvhat therof vnto them these and the like thinges layd downe in the proeme in processe of his booke he writeth thus VVherefore the originall of them and their nevve founde opinion against the Churche of God vvas after this sorte there is a certaine village in Mysia a region of Phrygia called Ardabau vvhere histories recorde that first of all one Montanus a late conuerte in the time of Gratus Proconsul of Asia pufte vp vvith an immoderate desire of primacy opened a gappe for the aduersary to enter into him and being madde and sodainly estraunged and berefte of his vvitts vvaxed furious and published straunge doctrine contrary to the tradition and custome and auncient succession novv receaued vnder the name of prophecy they vvhich then vvere auditors of this vnlavvfull preaching some chasticed checked him for a lunaticke one that vvas possessed of the spirite of error forbad him to preach being mindful of the forevvarning threatning of our Sauiour tending to this ende that vve shoulde take diligent heede of false prophets others some vvaxed insolent boasted bragged of him not a litle as if he vvere endued vvith the holy Ghost the gift of prophecye being forgtefull of the forevvarning of God they called vpon the dissembling the flattering and seducing spirite of the people by the vvhich they vvere snared deceaued that through silēce he should no more be hindred the deuil through a certain arte or rather the like subtle methode vvorking the destruction of disobedient persons being more honored thē his merit did require stirred vp kindled their mindes svvarued already from the faith slumbring in sinne so that he raised tvvo vvomen possessed of a foule spirit vvhich spake fonde foolish fanaticall thinges euen as he had before they reioyced gloried in the spirite vvhich pronounced them happy and puffed them vp vvith infinite faire promises yet sometimes by signes and tokens he rebuked them to their faces so that he seemed a chasticing spirite there vvere fevve of the Phrygians seduced notvvithstanding that boulde and blinde spirite instructed them to blaspheme and reuile generally euery Church vnder heauen because they neyther did homage neyther curteously receaued amonge them that false spirite of prophecye the faithfull throughout Asia for this cause men often and in many places examined the nevve founde doctrine pronounced it for prophane ▪ they excommunicated reiected and banished this hereticall opinion out of their churches When he had written these thinges in the beginning and throughout his first booke reprehended their error in his seconde booke he writeth thus of their endes because they charge vs with the deathe of the Prophets for that vve receaue not their disordered fantasies these saye they are the Prophets vvhiche the Lorde promysed to sende his people let them aunsvvere me I charge them in the name of the liuing God ôye good people is there any one of the secte of Montanus and these vvomen vvhich hath bene persecuted by the Ievves or put to deathe by any tyrant not one of them bearing this name vvas eyther apprehended or crucyfied neyther vvas there any vvoman of them in the Synagogues of the Ievves eyther scurged or stoned at all but Montanus and Maximilla are sayde to dye an other kinde of deathe many doe vvrite that both these throughe the motion of their madde spirit not together at one tyme but at seuerall tymes hanged them selues and so ended their lyues after the manner of Indas the traytour euen as the common reporte goeth of Theodotus that iolly fellovve the first founder of their prophecye vvho being frenticke persvvaded him selfe on a certayne tyme through the spirit of error to take his flight vp into the heauens and so being caste into the ayre tombled dovvne and dyed miserably thus it is reported to haue come to passe yet in so muche vve savve it not vvith our eyes vve can not Ovvorthy Syr alleadge it for certayne vvhether Montanus Theodotus and the vvoman dyed thus orno Agayne he writeth in the same booke howe that the holy Bishops going about to rebuke the spirite which spake in Maximilla were hindered by others that wrought with the same spirite sayinge as followeth let not the spirite of Maximilla saye as it is in the Epistle to Asterius Vrbanus I am chaced as a
vvolfe from the sheepe I am no vvolfe I am the vvorde the spirite and povver but let him manifestly expresse that povver by the spirite and preuayle let him compell such men as then vvere present to trye and conferre vvith that talkatyue spirite namely these vvorthy men and Bishops Zoticus of Comanum and Iulian of Apamia to confesse the same vvhose mouthes vvhen the companions of Themison had stopped they suffered not the lying spirite and seducer of the people to be rebuked In the same booke after he had layde downe other thinges to the confutation of Maximilla his false prophecyes he declareth with all the tyme when he wrote and their prophecyes foreshewing warres and sedicions whose fonde fantasies he confuteth in this sorte And hovv can it othervvise fall out but that this be founde a manifest vntrueth and open falsehoode For novve it is more then thirtene yeares agoe since this vvoman dyed and yet in all this space hath there happened in this vvorlde neither ciuill neither generall vvarres but especially the Christians through the mercy of God haue had continuall peace Thus much out of the seconde booke out of the thirde booke we will alleadge a fewe lynes agaynst them which gloried that many of them were crowned with martyrdome for thus he writeth VVhen as they are in the premisses blanked confuted and voyde of arguments they flye for shift and refuge vnto martyrs reporting them selues to haue many affirming that to be a sure and a certayne proofe of the propheticall spirite raygning among them neither is this a most euident proofe as it appeareth for diuers other hereticall sectes haue many Martyrs vnto vvhome for all that vve neither condescende neither confesse that they haue the trueth among them And first for all the Mareionites affirme they haue many Martyrs vvhen as for all that their doctrine is not of Christ him self according vnto the trueth a litle after he sayth these that are called to their tryall and to testifie the true fayth by suffring of Martyrdome are of the Churche they communicate not vvith any of the Phrygian hereticall Martyrs but are seuered from them consenting no not in one iote vvith the fonde spirite of Montanus and his vvoman and that this vvhich I saye is moste true it shall euidently appeare by the examples of Caius and Alexander Martyrs of Eumenia vvho suffered in our tyme at Apamia situated vppon the ryuer Maeander CAP. XV. Of Miltiades and his workes IN the afore sayd booke this Apollinarius remembred the Commentaries of Miltiades who likewise wrote a booke against the foresayd heresie the wordes by him cyted were in this sort these things haue I briefly alleadged and found vvritten in some one of their commentaries vvhich confute the booke of Alcibiades vvhere he declareth that it is not the property of a Prophet to prophecye in a traunce a litle after he rehearseth the Prophets of the newe Testament among whome he numbreth one Ammias and Quadratus saying as followeth A false Prophet in a traunce vvhere licence and impunitie doe concurre beginneth vvith rashe ignoraunce endeth vvith furious rage and frensie of mind as it is sayd before of this sort in such traunce of spirite they shal be able to shevve vs non of the prophetes ether of the olde or of the nevve testament neyther shall they be able to glory of Agabus of Iudas of the daughters of Philip of Ammias the Philadelphian of Quadratus neither of any other vvhich may any thing auaile them Againe he wryteth If that as they say after Quadratus and Ammias the Philadelphian these vvomen of Montanus succeeded in the gift of prophecy lett them shevve vvho aftervvardes succeeded Montanus and his vvomen for the Apostle thinketh good that the gift of prophecie should raigne in euery Church euen vnto the ende but novve for the space of these fouretene yeares since Maximilla dyed they are able to shevve vs not one so farre he this Militiades whome he remembreth leaft vnto vs in wryting other monumentes of his laboure and industrie in the holy Scriptures aswell in the bookes he wrote agaynst the Gentiles as also in the books agaynst the Ievves satisfieng confuting in two books their seuerall argumentes and opinions afterwardes he wrote an Apologie of the Christian philosophie which he embraced vnto the potentates and princes of this world CAP. XVI Apollonius his iudgement of the same heresie TO be briefe this Phrygian heresie was confuted by Apollonius an ecclesiasticall writer who then I saye at that time florished in Phrygia he published a seuerall booke against it he refuted their prophecyes accompting them for vayne lyes he plainely opened and reuealed the conuersation of such as were principall and chief patrons of this heresie of Montanus he wrote in this manner But vvhat kinde of nevve Doctor this is his vvorkes and doctrine doe declare This is he vvhich taught the breakinge of vvedlocke this is he vvhich prescribed lavves of fastinge this is he vvhich called Pepuza and Timium peltinge parishes of Phrygia Ierusalem to the ende he might entice all men from euery vvhere to frequent thither this is he vvhich ordayned tolegatherers taxers of money â–ª this is he vvhich vnder pretense and colour of oblations hath conningely inuented the arte of bribinge this is he vvhich giueth greate hyre vnto the preachers of his doctrine that by feedinge of the panche his prophecies may preuaile Thus much of Montanus and immediatly of his Prophetisses he wryteth VVe haue shevved before these first prophetisses from the time they vvere filled vvith theyr false spirite to haue forsaken theyr husbandes hovve shamefully then do they lye calling Priscilla a virgin He addeth sayinge Doth not the-vvhole Scripture forbydde that a prophete shoulde receaue revvardes and money VVhen I see a prophetisse receaue golde and siluer and precious garmentes hovve can I chuse but detest her Agayne of an other he sayth And besides these Themison also inflammed vvith the burninge thurst of couetousnesse tasted not of the tarte conyzance of confession before the tyrant but shifted himself out of fetteres vvith much money And vvhen as therefore he shoulde haue humbled himselfe yet he all in braggery as if he vvere a martyr after the example of the Apostle vvrote a catholicke epistle very presumptuously to enstructe them vvhich beleued better then he did and to exhort them to striue for the nevve doctrine together vvith him and to reuile the Lorde and his Apostles and his holy Churche Againe speakinge of one of theyr highlye esteemed Martyrs he wryteth in this sorte And that vve trouble not our selues vvith many lett the prophetisse tell vs toutchinge Alexander vvho called himselfe a Martyre vvith vvhome she hathe banqueted vvhome also many doe adore vvhose theftes and other haynous crimes vvhich he suffred for I vvill not presently rehearse for they are publickely knovven and registered vvhose sinnes hathe he pardoned vvhether doth a prophete yeld thefte vnto a
Martyre or a martyr an immoderate desire of plenteousnesse and gathering vnto a prophete vvhen as Christ cōmaunded you shall not possesse gold neither siluer neither tvvo coates these of the contrarye seke after the possession of vnlavvfull substance vve haue declared that they vvhome they call prophetes and martyrs haue extorted money not onely of the riche but of the poore the fatherlesse and the vvidovves but if they pleade innocency let them staye and ioyne vvith vs in ishvve in the same matter vpon this condition that if they be ouerthrovven at leaste vvise from hence forthe they vvill cease to committe the like sinne agayne VVe haue to proue the vvorkes of Prophetes The tree is to be knovven by his fruyte And that the case of Alexander maye be knovven of suche as desire it ◠he vvas condemned at Ephesus by Aemilius frontinus liuetenant not for his pofession but for presumpteous and boulde enterprised theft being a levvd person and vnder false pretense of Christian profession vvherevvith he cloked the mater seducinge the faythfull of that place he vvas pardodoned and sett at liberty the congregation vvhereof he vvas pastor because he vvas a thiefe vvoulde not admitt him They that vvill knovve further of his offences I referre them vnto publicke recordes ▪ for by confutinge him vvhome the prophete hathe not knovven by dvvellinge together many yeares vve declare vnto the vvorlde by him the stedfastnesse of the prophete VVe are able to shevve at large the conformity of bothe partes But if they haue any confident perseuerance lett them beare the reprehension Agayne in an other place of the same booke he wryteth of theyr Prophetes thus If they deny they re Prophetes to haue bene bribers lett them affirme it condicionally that if it be proued they be no longer Prophetes hereof vve are able to alleadge many particular proufes all the vvorkes of a Prophete are necessarily to be proued tell me I beseche you is it seemely for a Prophete to paynte himselfe in coloures is it seemly for a Prophete to smothe himselfe vvith the vvhite glisteringe stibium is it seemly for a Prophete neatly to pyncke and gingerly to sett forthe himselfe is it seemely for a Prophete to dise and to carde is it seemely for a Prophete to be an vsurer let them ansvvere me vvhether these be lavvefull or vnlavvefull I vvill proue these to be they re practises This Apollonius in the same booke sheweth the time of his wryttinge to be the fortyeth yeare since Montanus inuented this false and forged prophecy Agayne he declareth howe that Zoticus mentioned before by the former Author went about at Pepuza to reprehende and confute the fayned prophecy of Maximilla and the spirite which wrought in her but yet was forbidd by such as fauored her folly he remembreth one Thraseas a martyr of that time he declareth as receaued by tradition that the Lorde commaunded his Apostles not to departe from Ierusalem vntill the twelfe yeares ende he alleageth testimonyes out of the Reuelation and reporteth howe that Sainct Iohn raysed at Ephesus by the deuine power of God one that was deade to life againe other thinges he wryteth by the which he hath fully confuted and ouerthrowen the subtle sleighte of the foresayed heresie these thinges of Apollonius CAP. XVII The censure of Serapion byshop of Antioche toutching the Phrygian heresie THis Serapion remembred the workes of Apollinarius where he confuted the sayed heresie who then is sayd to haue succeeded Maximinus in the byshopricke of Antioche he maketh mention of him in a peculier Epistle vnto Caricus Ponticus where also the sayed heresie is confuted thus I vvoulde haue you to vnderstande this also hovve that the operation of this deceatefull purpose called the nevve prophecy is impugned and counted for detestable and cursed doctrine of all the Churches throughout Christendome I haue sent vnto you the learned vvrytinges of Claudius Apollinarius that holy byshope of Hierapolis in Asia In this Epistle of Serapion there are subscriptions of many byshops one subscribeth thus I Aurelius Cyrenius martyr vvishe you health An other thus Aelius Publius Iulius byshop of Debeltum a citie of Thracia as sure as the Lorde liueth in heauen vvhen as holy Zotas of Anchia vvoulde haue cast out the deuell vvhich spake in Priscilla the dissemblinge hypocrites vvoulde not permitt it And many other byshops gaue the same censure and subscribed with theyr owne handes to the sayed Epistle the affayres then went after this forte CAP. XVIII The Industry of Irenaeus in refutinge the heresies blased at Rome by Blastus and florinus I Renaeus wrote diuers Epistles to the confutation of suche as corrupted at Rome the sincere rites of the Churche he wrote one to Blastus of schisme an other to Florinus of Monarchie or the rule of one or she winge that God is not the author of euell which opinion Florinus seemed to be of but afterwardes he being seduced with the error of Valentinus Irenaeus wrote against him that booke intitled ogdoas by interpretation the number of eightie where he signifieth himselfe Immediatly to haue succeeded the Apostles the ende of which booke hathe this notable protestation necessarily to be graffed in this our history for it is read as followeth I charge thee in the name of our Lorde Iesus Christ and his glorious comminge at vvhat time he shall come to iudge the quicke and the dead vvho so euer thou be that copiest this booke that thou peruse this copie and diligently correcte it after the example of my ovvne hande vvrytinge and that thou putt to likevvise this charge and sett it dovvne after the vvrytten copye This was profitably spoken and faithfully remembred of vs that we may behoulde the aunciente and right holy men as a moste exquisite and right paterne of earnest care and diligence Againe Irenaeus in his epistle to Florinus reporteth that he had conuersation with Polycarpus sayinge This doctrine O Florinus if I may boldly pronounce the trueth sauoreth not for sounde this doctrine disagreeth from the Churche and bringeth such as geue care vnto it into extreme impietie this doctrine no not the heretickes vvhich vvere out of the Church euer durste to publishe this doctrine such as vvere elders before vs and disciples of the Apostles neuer deliuered vnto thee I savve thee vvhen I vvas yet a boye vvith Polycarpus in the lovver Asia liuinge gorgeously in the Emperoures palace and busienge thy selfe vvith all might to be in fauoure and creditt vvith him For I remember better the thinges of oulde then the affayres of late For the thinges vve sucke of a childe sincke farther in our mindes and grovve together vvith vs. So that I remember the place vvhere Polycarpus sate vvhen he taughte his goinge out and his comminge in his trade of life the figure and proportion of his body the sermon he made vnto the multitude the reporte he made of his conuersation vvith Iohn and others vvhich savve the Lorde hovve he remembred
abused of Fencers and ruffians and after she had muzed a while with her selfe and they demaunding an answere to haue sayd such thinges as pleased not the Gentiles and therefore immediatly after sentence pronounced to haue bene taken and ledd of Basilides a souldier of authority among the hoast to execution When the multitude molested her sore spitefully handling her with opprobrious termes Basilides repressed and rebuked their rayling speaches pytying her very much and practising great curtesie towardes her she of the other side approued and acknowledged his curteous dealing towards her and bad him be of good cheere saying that after her departure she woulde entreate her Lorde for him and shortly requite the curtesie shewed vnto her When she had ended this communication pitche scalding hott was powred by a litle and a litle ouer all her body from the crowne of her heade to the soule of her foote the which she manfully endured in the Lorde and such was the sore combatt which this worthy virgine sustayned but not long after Basilides being required of his fellowe souldiers to sweare for some occasion or other affirmed plainely it was not lawfull for him to sweare for he sayd he was a Christian and that he woulde in very deede protest the same at the first he was thought to daly but when he constantly auoutched it he is brought before the iudge and there hauing confessed the same is clapt in prison but when the brethren had visited him demaunded of him the cause of his sodaine and maruelous alteration the report goeth he declared them how that Potamiaena three daies after her martirdome appeared vnto him by night couered his head with a crowne and sayd she had entreated the Lorde for him and obtayned her purpose and that not long after he shoulde ende this life after these sayinges and the seale of the Lorde receaued by the brethren he was beheaded and so suffered martyrdome they write that many others in Alexandria embraced plentifully the doctrine of Christ for that Potamiaena appeared vnto them in sleepe called them to the fayth of these thinges thus much The translator vnto the reader for the remouing of suspicion rising of two thinges which Eusebius layd downe in the chapiter going before THere are two things in this former chapiter of Eusebius with good aduisement to be considered The first whether Potamiaena after her martyrdome prayed for Basilides the second whether after her martirdome she appeared vnto him to others as Eusebius by heare say laieth downe Toutching the first if we may credit Augustine The soules of the departed are in such a place vvhere they see not those thinges vvhich are done vvhich happen vnto men in this life he sayth further that they haue a care ouer vs as we haue ouer them although vve are altogether ignorant vvhat they doe Peter Martyrs opinion is this although I could easily graunt that the Sainctes in heauen do vvish vvith most feruent desires the saluation of the elect yet for all that I dare not affirme that they pray for vs in so much that the Scripture hath no vvhere layde that dovvne Potamiaena this holy virgine and martyr seeing the kindnes this souldier shewed vnto her was greatly pleased with him and in the feruency of her christian loue towards him sayde that she woulde entreate the Lorde for him after her departure In the like sorte also I reade that Cyprian Bishop of Carthage moued Cornelius Bishop of Rome that whether of them both shoulde first departe this life the same without intermission shoulde pray vnto God for the other suche was the feruencye of loue betwene them In the like sense men commonly say God haue mercy on his soule which saying the learned and zelous doe not so well like of for though the good motion as they say disposition of the minde be expressed therby yet doth it the dead no good at all when as his soule being already in the hands of God needeth not our prayer God no doubt was as redy to graūt Basilides the light of his spirit as Potamiaena was to pray for him Toutching the seconde whether she appeared vnto him after her deathe the godly can iudge Sainct Augustine sayth If the soules of the deade departed vvere present at the affayres of the liuinge then vvoulde they speake vnto vs vvhen vve see them in our sleepe and to omitte others mine ovvne tender mother vvoulde forsake me neuer a nighte vvhich follovved by sea and by lande to the ende she might liue together vvith me God forbid that she shoulde become cruell in the happier lyfe so that if ought at any tyme greeue my harte she comforte not her sorovvfull sonne vvhome she loued entyrely vvhome she vvoulde neuer see sadd but in good soothe that vvhich the sacred Psalme soundeth out is true my father and my mother haue forsaken me but the Lorde tooke me vp If our fathers haue forsaken vs hovve are they present at our cares and busines If our parentes be not present vvhat other of the departed be there vvhiche knovve vvhat vve doe or vvhat vve suffer The Prophet Esay sayth Abraham hath bene ignorant of vs and Israell hath not knovvne vs. God of his greate goodnes promised King Iosias that he shoulde dye and be gathered vnto his people leste that he shoulde see the plagues which he threatned shoulde happen to that place and people Chrysostom sayth the soule that is seuered from the bodye can not vvander in these regions Agayne he sayth It may not be that the soule departed from the bodye can be conuersant here vvith vs a litle after he sayth It may be proued by many testimonies of holye Scripture that the soules of iuste men vvander not here after their deathe and leste any thinke that the wicked doe wander thus he writeth that neyther the soules of the vvicked also can linger here harken vvhat the ritche man sayth vveye vvhat he requesteth and obtayneth not for in case that the soules of men coulde be conuersant here then had he come according vnto his desire and certified his friendes of the torments of hell by vvhiche place of Scripture it playnely appeareth that the soules after their departure out of the body are brought into some certayne place from vvhence at their vvill they can not returne but vvayte for that dreadefull day of iudgement Theophilact also the Summarist of Chrysostome hath the same wordes Origen writing agaynste Celsus is of the same opinion affirming that the soules wander not but suche as wander to be deuills Chrysostome wryteth that the deuill vseth to saye vnto the liuing anima talis ego sum I am such a mans soule ▪ to the ende he may deceaue him Samuell whome the wytch raysed was not Samuell but the deuill in his forme as Augustine writeth Cyprian sayth the vvicked spirites doe hide them selues in pictures and images consecrated these inspyre the mindes of the Prophets
by perusing the expositioÌ„s of their doctrine vve haue fouÌ„d many things sauoring of the true doctrine of our Sauiour and certaine other things borovved and interlaced vvhich vve haue noted vnto you Thus farre Serapion CAP. XII Of the workes of Clemens byshop of Alexandria THe bookes of Clemens entitled Stromatôn are in all eight and extant at this daye bearing this inscription The diuerous compacted bookes of Titus Flauius Clemens of the science of true Philosophie There are also of the same number bookes of his intitled Dispositions or InformatioÌ„s where he namely remembreth his maister Pantaenus expounding his interpretations traditions there is extant an other booke of his for exhortatioÌ„ vnto the gentils and three bookes intitled the schoolemaister other thus vvhat ritch maÌ„ can be saued againe a booke of Easter and disputations of fasting and of sclaunder an exhortation to nevvenes of life for the late conuerts The canon of the church or against the Ievves dedicated vnto Alexander the bishop aboue named In the bookes Stromatôn he explicated not onely the deuine but also the heathenish doctrine and he repeating their profitable sentences maketh manifest the opinions both of Grecians and barbarians the which diuerse men highely doe esteeme and to be shorte he confuteth the false opinions of Graunde heretickes dilatinge manye Historyes and ministringe vnto vs muche matter of sundry kindes of doctrine With theese he mingleth the opinions of philosophers fittlye entitling it for the matter therein contained a booke of diuerous doctrine He alleageth in the sayde booke testimonies out of wryters not allowed and out of the booke called the vvisedome of Solomon Iesus Sirach the Epistle to the Hebrvves Barnabas Clemens Iude. He remembreth the booke of Tatianus against the Gentils and of Cassianus as if he had wrytten a Chronographie Moreouer he remembreth Philo Aristobulus Iosephus Demetrius Eupolemus Iewish wryters and howe that all they pronounced in their writings that Moses and the nation of the Hebrevves and Ievves were farre more auncient then the Gentils The bookes of the aforesayd Clemens containe many other necessary and profitable tractes In the first of his bookes he declareth that he succeded the Apostles and there he promiseth to publish comentaries vpon Genesis In his booke of Easter he confesseth himself to haue bene ouer treated of his friendes that he shoulde deliuer vnto the posteritie in wryting those traditions which he hearde of the elders of olde he maketh mention of Melito and Irenaus and of certain others whose interpretations he alleageth To conclude in his bookes of Dispositions or Informations He reciteth all the bookes of y â— Canonicall Scripture neyther omitted he y â— rehearsall of such as were impugned I speake of the Epistle of Iude the Catholicke epistls the epistle of Barnabas the Reuelation vnder the name of Peter CAP. XIII Clemens byshop of Alexandria of the Canonicall Scripture Alexander byshop of Ierusalem of Clemens and Pantaenus Origen cometh to Rome in the time of Zephyrinus THe Epistle vnto the Hebrevves he affirmeth to be Pauls for vndoubted and therefore written in the Hebrewe tongue for the Hebrews sakes but faithfully translated by Luke and preached vnto the Gentils and therefore we finde there the like phrase and maner of speache vsed in the Actes of the Apostles it is not to be misliked at all that Paul an Apostle is not prefixed to this Epistle For saith he vvryting vnto the Hebrevves because of the ill opinion they conceaued of him very vvisely he concealed his name lest that at the first he shoulde dismay them Againe he sayth For euen as Macarius the elder sayd for so much as the Lorde himself vvas the messenger of the almighty sent vnto the Hebrevvs Paul for modesty his sake being the Apostle of the Gentils vvrote not himselfe the Apostle of the Hebrevves partly for the honor due vnto Christ and partly also for that he frely boldly being the Apostle of the Gentils vvrote vnto the Ievves Afterwardes of the order of the Euangelists according vnto the tradition of the elders he writeth thus The gospels vvhich containe the genealogies are placed and counted the first The Gospell after Marke vvas vvritten vpon this occasion VVhen Peter preached openly at Rome and published the Gospell by rote many of the auditors intreated Marke being the hearer and follover of the Apostle a long vvhile one that vvell remembred his vvords to deliuer them in vvryting such things as he had heard Peter preach before vvhich thing vvhen he had signified to Peter he nether forbad him neither commaunded him to do it â–ª Iohn last of all seing in the other Euangelists the humanitie of Christ set forth at large being entreated of his friends and moued by the holy Ghost vvrote chiefly of his diuinitie Thus farre Clemens byshop of Alexandria Againe the aforesayd Alexander in a certaine epistle vnto Origen writeth howe that Clemens Pantaenus were become familiar friends after this manner This as you knovve very vvell vvas the vvill of God that our frendship should continevve and remaine immoueable begonne euen from our progenitors become yea more feruent stedfast vve takâ—â—â—em for our progenitors vvho going before haue taught vs they vvaye to follovve after vvith vvhome after a vvhile vve shal be coopled I meane blessed Pantaenus my Mayster holy Clemens my maister also vvhich did me much good and if there be any other such by vvhose meanes I haue knovven you throughly for my maister and brother So farre Alexander but Adamantius so was Origen called writeth in a certaine place that he was at Rome when Zephyrinus was bishop there for he was very destrous to see the most auncient churche of the Romains where after he had continewed a litle while he returned to Alexandria executing most diligeÌ„tly y â— accustomed office of Catechizing when as Demetrius also bishop of Alexandria vsed all meanes possible together with him to th ende he might profitt and further the brethren CAP. XIIII Of Heraclas Origens campanion in catechizinge WHen Origen sawe himselfe not sufficient neither able alone to searche out the profound mysteries of holie scripture neither the interpretation and right sense thereof because that suche as frequented vnto his schoole graunted no leasure at all â–ª for from morning to nyght in seuerall companies one ouertakinge an other they flocked to his preachinge he ordained Heraclas of all the other his familiers his fellowe helper and Usher a man experte in holy scripture discrete and wise and a profounde philosopher committing vnto him the instruction of the inferiour sort and lately come to the faith reseruing vnto himselfe the hearinge of suche as were father and better entred CAP. XV. Origen studyed the Hebrewe tongue and conferred the translations of holie scripture ORigen had so greate a desire of searching out the deepe mysteries of holy scripture that he studied the Hebrevve tongue and bought the copies vsed
the glorie of God and of the power of his doctrine he returned againe vnto his accustomed schoole CAP. XXI The catalogue of Hippolytus workes Origen beginneth to comment AT that tyme Hippolytus amongest many other of his monumentes wrote a booke of Easter where after supputation of tymes layde downe he sette forth a certayne canon of Easter comprisinge the compasse of sixteene yeares endinge the raygne of the Emperour Alexander in the firste yeare Of his other workes these came to our knowledge â–ª of the sixe dayes creation of the thinges vvhiche folovve the sixe dayes vvorkes Agaynste Marcion vpon the Canticles of Solomon vpon certeyne peeces of Ezechiell of Easter agaynste all heresies with manye others the whiche thou shalte finde extant amonge other men About that time Origen beganne to commente vpon holye scriptures Ambrose diuerslye prouokinge him not onely with wordes and fayre speaches but also â—rginge him with large offers of necessarye expences For Origen had at certayne tymes appoynted for him mo in number then seuen swyfâ—e notaryes euery one supplyinge the rowme by turne and writinge that whiche he vttered vnto them and as many more scriueners together with maydens well exercised and practised in penninge whose necessary expences and charges Ambrose exhibited yea and that abundantly who also together with him bestowed greate diligence in the exercise and studye of the sacred scriptures whereby chiefely he prouoked him to write commentaries vpon holye scripture When these thinges were thus adoynge after Vrbanus had gouerned the churche eyghte yeares Pontianus succeeded him in the seae of Rome and in the churche of Antioche Zebinus succeeded Philetus CAP. XXII Origen is made minister at Casarea AT that tyme when the necessitie of the ecclesiasticall affayres so constrayned Origen beynge sent into Greece was made minister at Caesarea in Palaestina of the bishops there abidinge But what sturre fell out toutchinge that matter in his behalfe and what was decreed by byshops concerninge the controuersies about him and what other thinges he suffred preachinge the worde of God in so much they require a seuerall volume we wyll passe them ouer referringe the reader vnto the seconde Apollogie whiche we published in the defence of him where we haue lyghtly runne them ouer CAP. XXIII Of certaine commentaries of Origen THese thinges are also to be annexed vnto the reste howe that in the sixte booke of his annotations vpon Iohn he declareth the fyue firste to haue bene written by him at Alexandria But all the tracts that came to our knowledge vpon this Euangelist mounted to the number of tvventie and tvvo tomes In his nynth tome vpon Genesis whereof all are tvvelue he signifieth not onely the former eyght to haue bene written at Alexandria but also his annotations vpon the firste fiue and tvventie psalmes Againe he wrote vpon the lamentations of the which we haue seene fiue tomes where he made mention of his bookes of the resurrection in number tvvo He wrote also of principall beginninges afore his departure out of Alexandria and the bookes intituled Stromateis in number tenne he wrote in the same citie in the tyme of the Emperour Alexander euen as all the titles prefixed to the tomes declare the same CAP. XXIIII The catalogue of the bookes of the olde and nâ—we Testament alleaged out of Origens workes IN his exposition vpon the firste psalme he reciteth the bookes of the olde testament writinge thus VVe may not be ignorant that there are tvvo and tvventie bookes of the olde testament after the Hebrevves vvhich is the number of the letters amonge them Agayne a little after he sayeth The tvvo and tvventie bookes after the Hebrevves are these The firste Genesis of vs so called but of the Hebrevves Beresith the title beynge taken of the beginninge of the booke vvhiche is as muche to saye as In the beginninge Exodus in Hebrevve Veellesemoth that is these are the names Leuiticus in Hebrevve Vâ—ikra that is and he called Numeri in Hebrevve Hamisparim or Pecudim Deuteronomium Elle haddebarim that is these are the vvordes Iesus the sonne of Nave Iosue ben Nun that is Iosue the sonne of Nun. Iudges and Ruth vvith them one booke in Hebrevve Sophetim that is Iudges The firste and seconde of Kinges vvith them one booke in Hebrevve Samuel that is called of God The thirde and fourthe of Kinges vvith them one booke in Hebrevve Vâ—hamelech Dauid that is and the raygne of Dauid The firste and seconde of Paralipomenon vvith them one booke in Hebrevve Dibre â—aâ—â—mim that is the vvordes of dayes The firste and seconde of Esdras vvith them one booke in Hebrevve Ezra that is a helper The booke of Psalmes in Hebrevve Sepher tehillim â–ª The Prouerbes of Solomon in Hebrevve Misloth Ecclesiastes in Hebrevve Coheleth The Canticle of Can ticles vve may not reade as some thinke the Canticles of Canticles in Hebrevv Sir hasirim Esaias in Hebrevve Iesaia Ieremias vvith the lamentations and the epistle in one booke â–ª in Hebrevv Ieremia Daniel in Hebrevve Daniel Iezâ—chiel in Hebrevve Ieâ—â—â—chiel Iob in Hebrevve â—â—oâ— Hester in Hebrevv Hester besides these there are bookes of the Machabees intituled in Hebrevv Sarbet Sarbaneel These thinges hath Origen layde downe in the foresayde commentariâ— â–ª And in the firste tome vpon the Gospell after Mathewe obserâ—ing the ecclesiasticall canon he testifyeth there be foure onely gospels writinge thus As I haue learned by tradition of the foure Gospels vvhich alone vvithout contradiction are receaued of all the churches vnder heauen the firste is vvritten by Mathewe vvho vvas firste a publicane then an Apostle of Iesus Christ. he published the same in vvritinge vnto the faithfull Ievves in Hebrevve letters The seconde is after Marke vvho vvrot the same according vnto the preaching of Peter vvho in his catholick epistle calleth him his sonne saying The church vvhich is in BabyloÌ„elected together vvith you saluteth you my vvelbeloued sonne Marke The thirde is after Luke vvritten for their saks vvho of the Gentils turned to the sayth vvhich also vvas allovved of Paul The fourth is after Iohn Agayn in his fyfte come of annotations vpon Iohn the same Origen toutchinge the epistles of the Apostles sayeth thus Paul habled a minister of the nevve Testament not accordinge vnto the letter but after the spirite preached the Gospell abundantly euery vvhere from Ierusalem vnto Illyricum vvrote not vnto all the churches vvhiche he instructed but vnto vvhome he vvrote he vvrote in fevve lynes but Peter vpon vvhome the churche of Christ vvas buylded agaynste the vvhich the gates of hell shall not preuayle lefte behinde him one epistle vvhereof vve are certayne Be it that he lefte an other but this is in controuersie VVhat shall I saye of Iohn vvho leaned on the breaste of our Lorde Iesu vvho vvrote one Gospell and confessed vvithall so many Gospells myght haue bene vvritten that if they had bene vvritten the vvorlde coulde not
byshopricke sodenly as it vvere by certaine iugglinge feates he stepped forth a byshop this lavvemaker and protector of the ecclesiasticall science vvhen that he presumpteously endeuored to chalenge vnto himselfe the title of a byshop not graunted vnto him from aboue chose tvvo men of a desperate condition to be partakers of his heresie vvhome he might sende to a certaine corner or les ser part of Italy and thence to seduce three byshops plaine simple and countrey men by some crafty meanes auoutching and affirming that they must in all the haste come to Rome fayninge that they together vvith other byshops meetinge for the same purpose shoulde appease and remoue a certaine schisme raised in the Citie â–ª vvho beinge simple men as vve sayde before not knovving theyr craftie and mischieuous fetches aftertheir coming vvere inclosed by such levvde persons that vvere like vnto themselues suborned for the purpose aboute tenne of the clocke vvhen as they vvere some vvhat tipsie and vvel crommed vvith vitayles they vvere constrayned to create him bishop vvith imaginatiue and friuolous layinge on of handes the vvhich craftely and subtlely not compatible for his person he chalenged vnto him selfe One of them aftervvards repented him and returned vnto the Church bevvaylinge his fall and conconfessing his fault the vvhole multitude also intreatinge for him vvhome vve receaued vnto the company and communion of the laytie In the rovvmes of the other byshops vve ordayned and sent from vs such as should succeed them VVherfore this iolly defender of the Gospell vvas ignorant that there ought to be but one byshop in the catholicke church in the vvhich he knovveth for hovve shoulde he be ignorant that there are six and forty priests seuen deacons seauen subdeacons tvvo and forty acolytes tvvo and fyfty exorcists and readers vvith porters vvidovves and impotent persons aboue a thousand and fifty soules vvho all are releaued through the grace and goodnes of almighty God vvhome so great a multitude and so necessary in the Church and by the prouidence of God so copious and infinite yea a number of innumerable people could not coÌ„uert and turne him to the Church from this his desperate and damnable presumption Againe in a while after he wryteth Novve forvvardes I vvill orderly declare by vvhat meanes by vvhat trade of life he purchaced vnto himselfe the title of a bishop Thinke you that therefore because of his conuersation in the Churche from the begining or because he endured many skyrmishes or conflicts for his name or that he stood in manifolde and greate perills for piety his sake none of all this vvas true in him The occasion of beleeuinge he tooke of Satan vvhich entred into him and made there longe abode VVhen he vvas deliuered by the Exorcists he fell into a dangerous disease and because he vvas very like to dye vvas baptized in the bedd vvhere he laye If it may be termed a baptisme vvhich he receaued For he obtayned not after his recouery that vvhich he shoulde haue done accordinge vnto the canon of the Church to vvete confirmation by the handes of the byshop In so much then he obtained not that hovve came he by the holy Ghost And againe a little after he sayth He beyngè lothe to dye and desirous of life in the time of persecution denyed himselfe to be a priest VVhen he vvas entreated by the deacons and admonished â—o come forthe out of the house vvherein he had enclosed himselfe and to minister vnto the necessitie of the brethren vvhich vvanted he vvas so farre from doinge and obeynge the Deacons that he vvent avvay and departed in a chaâ—e saying that he vvoulde no longer playe the priest but addicte him selfe vnto an other trade of Philosophie and againe to this he annecteth that which followeth this good man forsooke the Church of God vvherein he vvas baptized and vvhere also he tooke priesthoode vpon him by fauour of the byshop vvhich allotted him thereunto through the layinge on of handes and vvhen all the clergye yea and many of the layetiâ— vvithstoode the facte that none baptised in bedd as he vvas shoulde be chosen into the ecclesiasticall order yet they all requested that he might be permitted to enter into orders An other insolency of this man passinge all the former he reporteth thus VVhen he distributed the oblation and deliuered to euery maÌ„ parte thereof he added this vvithall constrayninge the seely soules before they receaued of his oblation to svvere holdinge both their handes together not loosed before they had thus svvorne I vvill vse theyr ovvne vvordes svveare vnto me by the body and blood of our Lorde Iesus Christ that thou vvilt neuer forsake me and flye vnto Cornelius The vvretched man tasted not thereof before he had vovved vnto him and in steede of that vvhen he receauinge the breade shoulde haue sayd Amen he ansvvered I vvill not goe vnto Cornelius Againe a little after he sayth Novv thou mayst vnderstande that he is all bare and foresaken reiected and left of the brethren vvho dayly returne vnto the Church vvhome blessed Moses a martyr vvho of late endured amongest vs a maruelous notable martyrdome being aliue and perceauinge his temerytie and arrogancie did excommunicate together vvith fiue other priests vvhich seuered themselues vvith him from the Church In the ende of the epistle he reciteth the catalogue of byshops who at theyr beinge at Rome condemned the madd fantasie of Nouatus wrytinge both theyr names and the prouinces where they gouerned he reciteth also the names and Cities of such as were absent and had subscribed by theyr letters These thinges hath Cornelius signified by his letters vnto Fabius byshop of Antioch CAP. XLIII Dionysius Alexandrinus reporteth of Serapion that fell in persecution howe at his ende he was desirous to receaue the sacrament of the Lords supper DIonysius also byshop of Alexandria wrote to the aforesayd Fabius who in manner yelded to the schisme many thinges in his letters of repentance paintinge forth theyr pacience which lately had bene martyred at Alexandria whereof omitting many things this one straunge acte worthy of memory we haue thought good to publishe in this our history for thus he wrote I vvill certifee thee sayth he of this one example vvhich happened amongest vs. There vvas one Serapion dvvelling among vs a faithful olde man vvhich of a long time liued vvithout repreheÌ„sion but being tempted in persecutioÌ„ fell from the faith he entreated very often that he might be receaued again but none gaue eare vnto him for he had done sacrifice falling vnto a dangerous disease lay speachlesse and benummed of all his senses the space of three dayes the fourth day after being somvvhat recouered he called vnto him a nephevv of his his daughters sonne and sayd vnto him hovve longe O my sonne doe ye vvithholde me I besech you make hast and absolue me quickly call vnto me one of the Priestes the vvhich as soone as he had
spoken he vvas speachelesse agayne The boye ranne vnto the Priest it vvas night the Priest vvas sicke and could not come vvith him And because I gaue commaundement sayth Dionysius that such as vvere aboute to dye if humbly they requested shoulde be admitted to the ende they being strengthened in faith might departe in peace he deliuered vnto the boy a litle of the Eucharist commaunded him to crimble or soke it and so droppe it by a litle a little into the olde mans mouth the boy returneth and bringes vvith him the Eucharist vvhen he vvas hard by before he came in Serapion sayd comest thou my sonne the priest caÌ„not come vvhy then dispatch thou that vvhich he commaunded thee to doe and lett me departe the boy immixed or loked the eucharist and vvith all lett it by droppe meale into the old mans mouth vvhereof vvhen he had tasted a litle forth vvith gaue vp the Ghost â–ª is it not manifest that this olde man vvas so longe helde backe vntill he vvere absolued and loosed from the linke of sinne by confessing in the presence of many the fault he had committed Thus farre Dionysius CAP. XLIIII The epistle of Dionysius byshop of Alexandria vnto Nouatus NOwe let vs see what he wrote vnto Nouatus who at that time molested the Churche of Rome Because that he pretended the cause of his fall and the occasion why he embraced that Apostasie and schisme to rise through the perswasion of certaine brethren as if he were thereunto compelled by them Marke howe he wryteth vnto him Dionysius vnto the brother Nouatus sendeth greeting If thou vvast constrayned against thy vvill as thou sayest thou vvilt declare the same if thou returne vvillingly â–ª thou shouldest haue suffred anything rather then to rent a sunder the church of God neither is this martyrdome vvhich is suffred for not seueringe and deuidinge the Church of lesse glorie then that vvhich is tollerated for denyall of sacrifice vnto deuels â–ª yea in my iudgement it is offarre greater glorye For in the one martyrdom is suffred for one soule in the other for the vniuersall church but if thou ether persvvad the brethren or constraine them to returne to vnitie this notable fact vvilbe farre greater then the fault that vvent before the one vvill not be imputed the other vvilbe comended If thou canst not persvvade the rebellious and disobedient saue at leaste vvise thine ovvne soule I desire thy health in the Lord and thy embracing of peace vnitie Thus he wrote to Nouatus CAP. XLV The catalogue of Dionysius Alexandrinus Epistles concerning repentance HE wrote an Epistle of repentance vnto the bretherne throughout Aegypt where he layeth downe his censure of such as fell and describeth meanes to correct vices of the same matter there is extant an epistle of his vnto Conon byshop of Hermopolis and an exhortation vnto his flocke of Alexandria among these there is an other wryten vnto Origen of martyrdome likewise he wrote of repentance vnto the brethern of Laodicea whose byshop was Thelymidres to the bretherne throughout Armenia whose byshop was Meruzanes Moreouer he wrote vnto Cornelius byshop of Rome approuinge his epistle against Nouatus where he reporteth that he was called of Elenus byshop of Tarsus in Cilicia and other his companions Firmilianus byshop of Cappadocia and Theoctistus byshop of Palaestina to meete them at the synode held at Antioch where diuerse went about to establish the schisme of Nouatus he addeth besides howe he signified Fabius there to haue deseased and Demetrianus to haue succeded him byshop of Antioch He wrot of the byshop of Ierusalem these wordes The renovvmed Alexander dyed in pryson There is extaÌ„t an other epistle of Dionysius vnto the Romayns deliuered by Hippolytus againe he wrote an other of peace and repentance an other vnto the confessors which cleaued vnto the opinion of Nouatus Againe other two epistles vnto such as were conuerted vnto the churche and to many others he wrote very profitable tractes for the studious readers to peruse The ende of the sixt booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF EVSEBIVS PAMPHILVS BISHOP OF CAESAREA IN PALAESTINA CAP. I. The wickednesse of Decius and Gallus the Emperours the death of Origen NOwe takinge in hande the seuenth booke of the ecclesiasticall historye the great Dionysius byshop of Alexandria who partely by his commentaries and partely by his Epistles described all the seuerall actes of his time shall stande vs in good steede Here hence will I beginne this present booke â–ª when Decius had not raygned full two years he was slayne together with his sonnes whome Gallus succeeded at what time Origen of the age of threscore nine yeares departed this life but of the foresayd Gallus Dionysius wrote vnto Hermammon in this manner Neyther did Gallus perceaue the implety of Decius neyther did he foresee what seduced him but stumbled at the same stone which laye right before his eyes who when the emperiall scepter prosperously befell vnto him and his affayrs went luckely forvvardes chaced awaye the holy men which prayed for peace and his prosperous estate and so he banished together vvith them the prayers continually powred vnto God for him And this much of him The translator vnto the reader IN so much that Ensebius throughout his sixt booke almost in euery chapiter hath wrytten at large of the famous clarke and greate doctor of Alexandria by name Origen and nowe also in the beginninge of his seuenth booke reporteth of his ende and that in fewe wordes I thought good for the readers sake for the more absolute and perfect deliuer aâ—â—â— of the story and for the further knowledge of his ende to annexe here vnto a worthie history out of Suydas a greeke writer who liued about a thousande years agoe toutching the thinges which happened vnto Origen a litle before his death his wordes are these The life of Origen out of Suydas Origen is sayd to haue suffred much afliction for Christs sake being famous eloquent and trayned in the Church euen from his youth vp but through enuy he was brought before the rulers magistrats through the despitefull subtlely crafty â—nuâ—tion of Satan he was brought into great sclaunder blemish of infamy A man they say the authors of iniquitie deuised to vvorke the feat as much to saye they prepared an Aethiopian or foule blacke moore beastly for to abuse his body but he not able to avvaye neyther vvillinge to here so horrible an Acte brake out into lovvd speach and exclaymed at both the thinges vvhich vvere giuen him in choyce rather then the one that he vvoulde doe the other in the end he consented to sacrifice vvherefore vvheÌ„ they had put frâ—kensence in his hand they threwe it into the fire vpoÌ„ the altar by this meanes he was by the iudges put froÌ„ martyrdome also banished the church wheÌ„ he had thus done he was so ashamed that
rebaptizing of heretickes THen firste of all Cyprian bishop of Carthage thought the heretickes no other kinde of waye to be admitted and purged from their errour then by Baptisme But Stephan thought good that nothinge shoulde be innouated preiudiciall to the tradition preuaylinge of olde for whiche cause he was greatly offended with Cyprian CAP. IIII. Dionysius writeth vnto Stephan bishop of Rome of the matter in controuersie and of the peace which followed after persecution DIonysius when he had often written vnto him of this matter at length certifieth him that persecution beynge ceassed all the churches enioyed peace embraced vnitie and detested the erroneous nouelties of Nouatus he writeth thus Vnderstand nowe o brother that all the churches throughout the east yea and beyonde are vnited together whiche afore tyme were deuided and at discorde amonge them selues All the gouernours of the churches euery where are at one reioysinge exceedingly at the peace which happened beyonde all expectation Demetrianus of Antioche Theoctistus of Caesarea Mezabanes of Ierusalem Marinus of Tyrus Alexander who is dead Heliodorus of Laodicea which succeeded after the death of Thelymidres Helenus of Tarsus all the churches of Cilicia Firmilianus and all Cappadocia I haue onely recited the most famous Bishops lest my epistle become ouer large and the readinge be ouertedious All Syria and Arabia two wherewith ye are pleased and to whome presently ye write and Mesopotamia Pontus and Bithynia and that I may vtter all in one worde euery one euery where reioyceth glorifyinge God in concorde and brotherlie loue So farre Dionysius Stephan when he had bene byshop of Rome two yeares dyed and after him came Xystus in place And to him wrote Dionysius an other epistle of Baptisme layinge downe the censure of Stephan and the other byshops Of Stephan he sayeth thus He wrote an epistle toutchinge Helenus and Firmilianus and all Cilicia Cappadocia Galatia and the borderinge nations that he woulde not communicate with them for that cause to weete for that they rebaptized heretickes Consider that this is a weyghtie matter For truely as I heare in the greatest synodes of bishopes it is decreed that such as renounce any heresie shoulde firste agayne be instructed then be baptized and purged of the dregges of the olde and impure leauen And hereof I wrote vnto him requestinge him to certifie me agayne and to our welbeloued fellowe ministers Dionysius and Philemon who at the firste gaue their censure with Stephan and nowe they write vnto me to whome at the firste I wrote brieflie but nowe at large So farre presently of this question then in controuersie CAP. V. Of the Sabellian heresie MAkinge relation of the Sabellian heretickes then preuaylinge he writeth thus For as much as manie brethren of both partes haue sente theyr bookes and disputations in writinge vnto me toutchinge the impious doctrine lately sowen at Pentapolis in Ptolemais contayning many blasphemies against the almightie God and the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ and withall muche incredulitie toutchinge his onely begotten sonne and firste begotten of all creatures and the worde incarnate and senselesse ignorance of the holy ghoste Some of them I haue written as God gaue me grace with greater instruction and sent the copies vnto you CAP. VI. Dionysius being warned from aboue read with greate profitt the bookes of heretickes he thinketh that such as returne from their heresies shoulde not be rebaptized DIonysius in his third epistle of Baptisme writeth thus vnto Philemon a Romaine minister I haue read ouer the traditions and commentaries of heretickes not infecting my minde with their impure cogitations but profiting my selfe accordingly that I reprehēded thē with my selfe and detested them vtterly And when I was brotherly and charitably forbidd by a certaine minister whiche feared lest that I wallowed my selfe in the puddle of their malicious writinges whereby my soule myght perishe who as it seemed me tolde the trueth a certaine vision came vnto me from aboue plainlie commaundinge and sayinge Reade all whatsoeuer come into thy handes thou shalt be able to weye to proue and trye all for by this meanes at the firste thou camest vnto the faith I thankfully receaued the vision as agreable vnto the voice of the Apostle speakinge vnto myghtier men Be you tryed stewardes or disposers of the mysteries of God Agayne after he had spoken somewhat of all the heresies before his time he proceedeth on thus I haue receaued this canon and rule of blessed Heraclas our pope Suche as returned from heretickes though they fell from the churche or not fell but thought to participate with them yet betrayde for that they frequented the companie of one that published false doctrine he excommunicated neither admitted no if they had entreated before they had openly pronounced all they had hearde of the aduersaries then at length he gathered them together not requiringe that they shoulde be baptized againe For a good whyle before they had obtained by his meanes the holie ghost Agayne when he had largely entreated hereof he writeth thus ▪ And I am sure of this that not onely the bishopes of Africk haue practised the like but also the bishops our predecessours of olde in the most famous churches and in the Synodes of the brethren at Iconium and Synadis with the aduise of manie haue decreed the same whose sentences to ouerthrovve and raise contention and bravvling among the brethren I cannot awaye with Thou shalt not as it is written alter the bounds of thy neighbours which thy fathers haue limited CAP. VII The same Dionysius of the Nouatian heresie HIs fourth epistle of Baptisme is written vnto Dionysius then a Romaine minister but afterwards there placed bishop whereby we may coniecture howe he was counted wise and famous by the testimonie of Dionysius bishope of Alexandria he wrote vnto him after other things in this manner of Nouatus VVe are not without iuste cause offended with Nouatus vvhiche hath rent a sunder the churche of God and drawen diuerse of the brethren vnto impietie and blasphemies and hath published of God a moste impious and prophane kinde of doctrine charging the moste louing and mercifull God vvith the title and sclaunder of immercifulnesse And moreouer he hath renounced baptisme he hath made shipwracke of his former faith and confession he hath chased avvay the holy ghost vvhat hope soeuer remaines either of the tarying or returning of the holy ghost into them againe CAP. VIII Dionysius reporteth of one that sorowed because he had receaued baptisme of heretickes THe fifte epistle of Dionysius is extant vnto Xystus bishop of Rome where after he had written many thinges againste heretickes he reporteth this one thing which happened in his time writing thus In good sooth brother I stande in neede of aduise and counsaile I craue your opinion for that a certaine thing happened vnto me vvherin I feare lest I be deceaued when the brethren were gathered
lines they added as followeth VVe haue cited hyther many byshops from farre to salue and cure this deadely and poysoned doctrine as Dionysius byshop of Alexandria Firmilianus byshop of Caesarea in cappadocia men blessed in the Lord whereof the one writinge hither to Antioch voutchsafed not once to salute the author of error for he wrot not to his person but to the whole congregation the coppy whereof we haue here annexed but Firmilianus came twise and condemned his straunge doctrine as we knowe very well and testifie which were present together with many other besids vs for when Paulus promised to recante this man beleeued and hopped he woulde redresse and preuent this occasioÌ„ without all contumely reproch which might redound vnto the true doctrine he differred posted ouer his opinioÌ„ from time to time being seduced no doubt by him which denied God his Lord swarued froÌ„ the faith he held at the beginning This Firmilianus in his iourney to Antioch came as farte as Tarsus hauing experimeÌ„t in Christ of his malicious spite wherwith he denied God but whilest that we assemble together whilest we summone him waite for his comming he departed this life againe of the life of Samosatenus and his conuersation they write thus in the same epistle After that he forsooke the ecclesiasticall canon he fell vnto vnlawefull forged doctrine neither is it behoueable for vs nowe to iudge of an aliene ether to descant howe at the first he was poore nothing bequeathed him of his parents that neither by art trade or exercise he attayned vnto the aboundaÌ„ce of welth which he enioyned but with lewdacts sacriledge by iniurious tyrannicall oppressioÌ„ of the brethren whom he made to tremble for feare with his guyleful gaine wilie promise of hired patronship by which subtlety deceate he gayned so much that he procured the geuers to be liberall to th end they might be deliuered from their aduersaries and so he turned godlines into gaine neyther neede vve to speake here of hovve that he being puffed vvith pride vsurped seculer dignities vvould rather be called a vvarlicke captaine then a byshope of the Churche vvalkinge stately throughout the streets and market place reading letters vvithall openly enditing maintaining about him a great troope to gard his person some going before some coming after so that our faith religion runne to great spite sclaunder and hatred by reason of his svvellinge pride hautye disdayne neither vvill vve reherse the monstrous figmentes vvhich he fayned his glorious braggs the vglesome spectacles he deuised to amaze the minds of the simpler sort he made for him self a lofty seate high throne not like the disciple of Christ but seuered in shevve title after the manner of the princes of this vvorlde smyting the thighe vvith the hand pouncinge the footestole vvith his feete If any extolled him not as the vse is vpon theatres vvith clappinge of theyr handes vvith shoutinge and hurlinge of theyr cappes if any also both of men and vvomen had not skipped to and fro vvith busie bodies vndecent obeysance if any as in the house of God had behaued themselues honestly and decently the same he checked and all to be reuiled He inueyed vvithout all reason in the open assemblyes against the expositors of holy scripture vvhich then vvere departe to rest he auaunted him selfe more like a sophister and sorcerer then a byshop the psalmes song in the Church to the laud of our Lord Iesus Christ lie remoued couÌ„ting them nevve found figments of late vvriters in stede vvvherof in the middest of the church vpon the high feast of Easter he suborned certaine vvomen vvhich sounded out sonnets to his praise the which if any now heard his heare woulde stand staringe on his head he licenced the bishops ministers of the adioyning villages cities which honored him to preache vnto the people he staggereth at confessing with vs that the sonne of God descended from heauen And that we may borowe somwhat of that which hereafter is to be spokeÌ„ of vs it shall not be barely â—…châ—d â—â—t 〈◊〉 out of the coÌ„meâ—ariâ—â— published by vs vnto the whole worlde specially where he sayth that Christ Iesus is of the earth They which sound out his coÌ„mendation extoll him among the people affirmâ— this wicked most detestable varâ—ett to be an angell that came â—…ueÌ„ neither forbiddeth he these things but staÌ„deth arrogaÌ„tly to the things spokeÌ„ of him â–ª what shall I speake of his entertainmeÌ„t of associated closly kept womeÌ„ as they of Anâ—â—oth terme 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 deacoâ— which accoÌ„pany him wherwith wâ—â—tingly he cloâ—â—th this sundry other haynous incurable well knowen offences to the ende he may withhold them also â—â—â—lty together with him in those things the which both in word deede he ofâ—â—ideth in daring not to accuse him insomuch they theÌ„ selues are gilty in their coÌ„sciences of the same crime for he enritcheth theÌ„ wherfore he is both beloued honored of theÌ„ that gape after the like gudgins we knowe beloued brethreÌ„ that a bishop and the whole order of priesthoode ought to be a paterne of good works vnto the coÌ„moÌ„ people neither are we ignoraÌ„t of this that many are falleÌ„ because of the closly kept women many againe are subiect to suspicioÌ„ slauÌ„der wherfore admitt that he coÌ„mitted no lewde wantones vvith theÌ„ yet should he haue feared the suspicioÌ„ surmise vvhich riseth therof lest that either he shold offend any or bolden any to the â—â—itatioÌ„ offâ—levvde an exaÌ„ple for hovv caÌ„ hereprehend admonâ—she an other that as it is vvâ—â—â—â—en he 〈…〉 loÌ„ger the coÌ„pany of an other vvoman that he take heede he fall not vvhich novv abstaineth from one in stede therof retaineth tvvo lustier liuelyer peeces at home if he trauell anyvvhither he leadeth theÌ„ vvith him being al set vpon the full delicate pleasure For vvhich 〈◊〉 cuÌ„stance all do sobbe sighe secretly treÌ„â—ling at his povver tyrannie dare nor accuse him but these things as vve haue sayd before are of such importaÌ„ce that they vvould cause a catholicke person vvere he neuer so deare a frende vnto vs to be sharply rebuked As for him vvhich fell from the mysterie of our faith discried the detâ—stable heresie of Artemas nothing amisse if novv at leÌ„gth vve name the father of the child we thinke him neuer able to reÌ„der accoÌ„pta of his mischeuous actes Againe about the end of the epistle they write thus vvherfore necessitie coÌ„sâ—taining vâ— so to do vve excoÌ„municated the svvorne aduersary of God vvhich yelded not a lote placed in his rovvme DoÌ„nâ—s a maÌ„ bedecked vvith allgifts required in a bishop soÌ„ne to Demâ—â—riâ—â—us of vvorthy memory the predecessor of Paulus him as vve are pesvvaded by the prouideÌ„ce of God vve ordained bishop certified you to vvrite vnto him to the
before of Spaine could in no wise brooke that Paulus and Athanasius should be absent the Easterne bishops forthwith depart and cōming to Philippi a citie in Thracia they assemble a priuate coūcell among thē selues beginne thenceforth openly to accurse the creede cōtaining the claule of One substance to sowe abrode in writing their opinion that the sonne was not of one substance w t the father But the assembly of bishops which cōtinewed at Sardice first cōdemned them which fled from the hearing of their cause next deposed from their dignities the accusers of Athanasius afterwards ratified the creede of the Nicene coūcell abrogated the hereticall opinion which said that the sonne was of a different substance from the father last of all sett forth more plainely the clause of One substance for they wrote letters therof sent them throughout the whole world Both sides were pleased with their owne doings and euery one seemed to him selfe to haue done right well the bishops of the East because the Westerne bishops had receaued such as they had deposed the byshops of the West because the Easterne bishops being deposers of others had departed before y ◠hearing of their cause the one for that they mayntained the Nicene creede the other for that they went about to condemne it Their bishoprickes are restored to Paulus and Athanasius likewise to Marcellus bishop of Ancyra in the lesser Galatia who a litle before as we sayd in our first booke was deposed who also then endeuoured with all might to disproue and confute the sentence pronounced against him saying that the phrase and maner of speach which he vsed in his booke was not vnderstoode and therefore to haue bene suspected by them as if he mayntayned the heresie of Paulus Samosatenus Yet we may not forget that Eusebius Pamphilus wrote three bookes to the confutation of the booke of Marcellus where he citeth the words of Marcellus and refuteth them plainly declaring that Marcellus no otherwise then Sabellius the Aphrick Paulus Samosatenus thought that the Lorde Iesus was but onely man CAP. XVII An Apologie or defence in the behalfe of Eusebius Pamphilus that he was no Arian as diuers malicious persons wrote of him BEcause that diuers haue bruted abroade sclaunderous reports of Eusebius Pamphilus affirming that in his workes he sauoured of the heresie of Arius I thinke it not amisse presently to laye downe in fewe wordes what of trueth we may thinke of him Firste of all he was both present at the Councell of Nice and subscribed vnto the clause of One substance In his thirde booke of the lyfe of Constantine he hath these wordes of that Councelll The Emperoure dealt so farre vvith them for the reducinge of them vnto concorde and vnitie that he lefte them not vntyll he had brought them to be of one mynde and of one opinion toutchinge all that afore tyme vvas called into controuersie so that vvith one voyce they all embraced the fayth decided in the Councell of Nice If Eusebius then mentioninge the Councell summoned at Nice doth saye that all quarells and questions were there ended and that all were of one minde and of one opinion howe is it that some dare presume to charge him with the spotte of Arianisme The Arians them selues also are foulie deceaued if they take him for a fauourer of their opinion But some man peraduenture wyll saye that he seemed to smell of Arianisme in that he vsed often tymes in his bookes this phrase By Christ. Whome I answere that not onely he but also other ecclesiasticall writers yea and the Apostle him selfe who was neuer once suspected to be the author of any lewde opinion vsed this phrase before them which wrote such kinde of speache and sundrie other sortes of sentences for the liuely settinge forth and expressinge of the order and maner of our sauiours humanitie But what Eusebius thought when Arius taught that the lonne was a creature and to be accompted as one of the other creatures nowe vnderstande for in his first booke agaynst Marcellus he writeth thus He alone and none other is both called and is in deede the onely begotten sonne of God VVherefore they are vvorthy of reprehension vvhich are not ashamed to call him a creature and to say that he beganne of nothinge as other creatures did Hovve shall he be the sonne or after vvhat sort may he be called the onely begotten of God vvhen as he hath as they say the same nature vvith other creatures and is become one of the vulgare sort of men to wete hauinge the like beginninge vvith them and beyng made partaker vvith them of the creation vvhich is of nothinge But the holie scriptures Ivvis teache vs no such thinges of him And agayne a litle after he sayeth VVhosoeuer then sayeth that the sonne vvas begotten of nothinge or that the principall creature beganne of nothing he attributeth vnto him vnaduisedly the onely name of the sonne but in very deede and in trueth he denyeth him to be the sonne For he that is begotten of nothinge can in no vvyse be the true sonne of God no more can any other thinge that hath the lyke beginninge But the sonne of God truely begotten of the father him selfe is to be termed the onely begotten and the vvelbeloued of the father and so he shall be God For vvhat other thinge is the budde or branche of God then that vvhich resembleth the begetter The kinge is sayde to buylde or make a cytie but not to begette a cytie and so he is sayde to begette a sonne but not to buylde or make a sonne In respect of the vvorke he vvrought he is not called a Father but a cunninge vvorkeman and in respect of the sonne he begatte he is not called a vvorkeman but a father VVherefore the God of all vniuersalitie is worthely to be called the father of the sonne yet the framer and maker of the worlde Although it be once found written in a certaine place of holie scripture The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his workes yet as I am minded immediatly to interpret it behoueth vs to skanne narowly and to sift out with diligence the sense vnderstanding thereof not after the maner of Marcellus with one word to shake the chiefe principles of christian religion These many other such like reasons hath Eusebius alleaged in his first booke against Marcellus to y ◠cōfutation of his opinion In his third booke he hath expounded how this word Made or created is to be vnderstood as followeth These things being after this sort it remaineth that we cōsider of this sentence The Lord made me the beginning of his wayes for the accomplishing of his works which is no otherwise to be taken then the other thinges we expoūded before For in case he say that he is made he sayth it not as if he became something of nothing or that he
all the Bishops assembled at Ariminum sendeth greeting Although it is not vnknowen vnto your holines that vve haue alvvayes great care and consideration of the diuine the reuerend and sacred religion of Christ yet had vve as yet no leasure to talke vvith the tvventy Bishops whome your wisedomes sent in embassie vnto vs. For vve haue hitherto bene vvholy occupied about the expedition we made against the Barbarians And requisite it is as you knovve very vvell for him that vvill deale in matters of religion to be voyde of all care and troublesome affayres Therefore vve haue vvilled the Bishops to vvayte for our comming at Adrianopolis so that vvhen vve haue rightly disposed the common affayres of the publique weale we may then geue care and wey diligently afterwards such things as they shall lay before vs. In the meane vvhile let it not grieue your vvisedomes to expect their returne that after their departure hence and the bringing of our ansvvere vnto you ye may finish and conclude such thinges as shal be for the vse and furtherance of the Catholicke Church When the Bishops had receaued these letters they wrote backe againe vnto the Emperour in this sorte VVe haue receaued your maiesties gracious letters most godly Emperour wherby we gather you had not sufficient leasure by reason of the necessary busines of the common vveale to geue our legats the hearing moreouer that you geue vs in charge to vvayte for their returne vntill that your highnes of your vvisedome hath deepely vvayed the thinges vve haue decreed and layde dovvne agreeably vnto the canons and constitutions of our auncetors But novve by these our letters vve protest and assure your maiestye that vve vvill in no vvise shrinke from our sentence and determination VVe haue also charged and enioyned our legats the same VVherefore vve humbly beseech you of our vvonted clemency to voutchsafe the reading of these our simple letters and to take in good parte such thinges as vve haue enioyned our legats Your clemency moreouer knovveth as vvell as vve hovve heauy and hovve lamentable a case it is so many churches in the time of this your most blessed raigne to be bereaued of their Bishops And therefore vve are humbly to craue againe and againe most holy Emperour that before the sharpe and nipping season of vvinter if it so seeme good vnto your highnes you wil licence vs to returne home vnto our Churches to the ende vve may poure out together vvith the people our accustomed prayers vnto God the father Almighty and to our Lorde and Sauiour Christ his onely begotten sonne for prosperous estate of your raigne euen as we haue accustomed in times past and yet cease not to doe After they had written thus and continewed there a while longer when as the emperour voutchsafed not to answere them euery one returned to his owne home The Emperour because he had purposed with him selfe to sowe the Arian opinion throughout euery Church endeuored with might and mayne euery where to preferre the same tooke hereby occasion at the Bishops returne to bring about his baynous offence and sayd that in contempt and despite of him contrary to his will they had dissolued the councell Wherefore he gaue Vrsacius authoritie freely at his pleasure to practise all mischiefe agaynst the Churches of God and commaunded him moreouer to send into the Churches of Italie the forme of fayth that was read in the councell of Ariminum and such as would not subscribe vnto the same shoulde be deposed and others placed in their rowmes First of all Liberius Bishop of Rome as soone as he denied his hande thereunto was exiled by Vrsacius and Felix Deacon of the Church of Rome addicted vnto the Arian opinion was of the same Vrsacius by mayne force and violence preferred to the bishopricke Wherfore all the Westerne partes of the worlde by reason of these newe deuises were at great discorde and tumults while that some were by force deposed and sent to exile some other substituted in their rowmes these thinges were wrought by vertue of the Emperours edicts sent into the West contries Liberius not long after was called home from exile recouered his bishopricke againâ— because that the people of Rome was on an vprore and thrust Felix out of the Church so that the Emperour was constrained against his will to agree thereunto Vrsacius hauing played such prankes in Italie as pleased him best tooke his iourney into the East and got him to the citie of Nice in Thracia There after he had continewed a long while he called a councell and went about to ratifie the forme of faith that was read at Ariminum and translated as I sayd before into the greeke tongue to publishe and sett forth the same with glorious titles as agreed vpon by a generall councell calling it the Nicene fayth to the intent that thereby in vsing the name of Nice he might snare the ignorant the rude and simple people For they thought verily that it was the same forme of fayth which of olde was confirmed at Nice a citie of Bithynia but their forged pretence was no long furtherance vnto them For in a short while after their treachery was reuealed and the authors thereof derided for their labor So farre of such thinges as were done in the West CAP. XXX The crueltie of Macedonius the Arian and tumults raysed by him at Constantinople and elsewhere NOwe that we haue sufficiently discoursed of the West Churches let vs turne our talke and direct our penne into the East and there first beginne with the Arians The Arian Bishops being puffed vp with pride and confidence they put in the Emperours edicts presumed more boldly to bring their purposes to effect but in what sorte they sommoned the councell I will afterwards declare when that first I haue runne ouer their lewd practises before the councel Acaius Patrophilus as soone as they had deposed Maximus bishop of Ierusalem placed Cyrillus in his rowme Macedonius went about vtterly to ouerthrow y â— contries bordering cities of Constantinople vsing his seruants ministers as fit instruments to the defacing of the church of God he made Eleusius bishop of Cyzicum Marathonius bishop of Nicomedia who afore time had bene deacon vnder Macedonius him selfe very carefull about the affaires of men women y â— were addicted vnto monasticall solitary life But now heare how Macedonius went about to ouerchrow y â— contries cities within y â— prouince of Constantinople This man aspiring as I said before vnto y â— bishoprick plagued infinitely such as were determined to perseuere in y â— opinion contrary to his thrust out of the church not only such as in y â— councell seemed to vary from him but also y â— Nouatians for he knew of suerty that they embraced the creede containing the clause of one substance cruelly tormented them Agelius their bishop was faine to flie away for to saue his life
of their owne but in so much they haue written and annexed something of their owne braine it is requisite that we rehearse it againe They wrote as followeth VVe beleue in one God the father almighty of whome are all things in the only begotten sonne of God begotten of the father before all worldes before all begininge by whome all thinges were made both visible inuisible the one only begottē begottē of the father alone God of God like vnto the father which begate him according vnto the Scriptures whose generatiō as holy Scripture doth witnesse no man knoweth but the father alone which begat him This only begottē sonne of God vve knovve to haue bene sent frō the father to haue come dovvne from heauē as it is vvritten to haue bene conuersant vvith his disciples after the accōplishing of his message according vnto the vvill of his father to haue bene crucified dead buried to haue descended into hell at vvhose presence the infernall povver trembled to haue risen againe the third day from the dead againe to haue accōpanied his disciples after forty dayes vvere expired to haue bene taken vp into heauē vvhere he sittteth at the right hande of the father shall come at the generall resurrectiō vvith the glorie of the father to reward euery one according vnto his vvorks and vve beleue in the holy ghost vvhom the only begottē sonne of God himselfe our Lord God promised to send mankind a comforter as it is vvrytten the spirit of trueth whome also he sent after his assumptiō into heauē The clause of substāce being of diuers simply layd downe because the ignorant people vnderstood it not gaue greate occasion of offence It semed good therefore in as much as there was no mentiō thereof in holy scripture quite to take it away henceforth not to reason thereof because the word of God hathe no where remembred the substāce of the father of the sonne For the substance or subsistēcie of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost may not be once named or reasoned of we therefore as we are taught by holy scripture doe affirme that the sonne is like the father All heresies whatsoeuer either heretofore condemned or lately sprong vp if they be found contrary to this faith let them be held for accursed These things as you see were then decreed at Cōstantinople Nowe hauing at length runne ouer the confuse multitude of Creeds formes of faith let vs once againe briefely repeate the number of them After the Creede that was laid downe by the Nicene councell the Bishops framed two others at Antioch when they assembled to the dedication of the church the third was made in Fraunce of the bishops which were with Narcissus exhibited vnto the Emperoure Constantine the fourth was sent by Eudoxius vnto the Bishops throughout Italie Three were published in wryting at Sirmium where of one being gloriously intitled with the names of Consulls was red at Ariminum The eight was set forth at Seleucia procured to be red by the complices of Acacius The ninth was geuen abroade with additions at Constantinople there was thereunto annexed that thenceforth there should be no mention made of the substance of subsistencie of God Whereunto Vlphilas Bishop of y ◠Gotthes then first of all subscribed For vnto that time he embraced the faith established by the councell of Nice and was an earnest follower of Theophilus steps Bishop of the Gotthes who had bene at the Nicene councell subscribed vnto the Creed But of these things thus much CAP. XXXIII Howe that after Macedonius was deposed Eudoxius was made Bishop of Constantinople and of Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia ACacius Eudoxius together with their faction made foule tumults greate sturre at Constantinople fully purposing to remoue frō their bishopricks some of the contrary side And here also we may not passe ouer with silence howe that both parts inuēted causes of depriuatiō not for piety religion sake but of priuat malice quarellous spite for though they varied in the faith yet in deposing one an other they charged not ech other with their beleefe but such as were of Acacius side tooke the Emperours displeasure who purposed among diuers other to reuenge him of Macedonius as a fit occasion first they depose Macedonius frō his bishoprick partly for that he had bene the cause of great slaughter partly also because he admitted into the communion a certaine deacon that was taken in adultery They remoued Eleusius Bishop of Cyzicū for baptizing one Heraclius a sacrificing priest of Hercules at Tyrus who was knowē to be a great coniurer preferring him to the order of deaconship they depriued Basilius otherwise called Basilas who was made Bishop of Ancyra in Marcellus rowme for that he cruelly tormented imprisoned a certaine man for because he forged sclaundres discredited diuers persons and lastly for molesting the quiet estate of the churches in Aphricke by his epistles they suspended Dracontius for leauing Gallacia remouing to Pergamus they displaced moreouer Neonas Bishop of Seleucia where y ◠coūcel was held Sophronius bishop of Pompeiopolis in Paphlagonia Elpidius bishop of Satalum in Macedonia Cyrillus Bishop of serusalē many mo for sundry other causes Neither had Eustathius Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia licence permitted him for to purge himselfe because that a little before he had bene deposed by Eulauius his owne naturall father who was Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia for apparelling himselfe in such weede as was not decent for the dignity order of priesthood In this Eustathius rowme Meletuis of whome I mind hereafter to speake was made Bishop Moreouer Eustathius was afterwards condemned by the councell held at Gangra that was summoned for the hearing of his matters because that after his former deposition in the councell of Caesarea he had attempted many things cōtrary to the canons customes of the church He forbad mariadge set forth precepts of abstuēce He parted asunder diuers that were coupled together in wedlock perswaded suche as refrained the churches publick assembly to raise conuenticles brotherhood in their priuat houses He tooke seruāts frō their maisters vnder colour of religion He himselfe vsed the Philosophers habite constrained his followers to vse a straunge kind of Atyre He caused the women to be shauen He forbad the accustomed prescribed fasting dayes commaunded abstinence on the sundays He abhorted y ◠prayers that were made in maried mēs houses He detested the offring and the communion of the maried priest who when he was a lay man had lawefully coupled himselfe in the bonde of wedlocke This Eustathius when he had taught and set abroch these and many other such lewd precepts was as I said before deposed by y ◠councell held at Gangra in Paphlagonia and his doctrine accursed But these things were done a good while after When that
the threats of Ieâ—â—â—bel For it is written howe that in those dayes the sonnes of the prophets beinge sought for hid them selues and through the helpe of Abdias â—urked in denns VVhat haue they not read these auncient stories vvhat are they ignorant also of such thinges as the Euangelists haue vvritten For the Disciples fearinge the levves stole them selues from amonge them Moreouer Paul beynge at Damascus â–ª and sought out by the gouernour of that countrey vvas lett dovvne ouer the vvall in a basket and so escaped the magistrate Seeinge that holie scripture hath thus remembred the behauiour of holie men â–ª vvhat coulourable shyfte can they finde to cloke their impudent dealinge If they charge them vvith timorous feare the fault recoyles and lighteth vpon their owne distempered brayne If they report it to be contrarie to the will of God then are they founde altogether ignorant of the vvorde of God For it is commaunded in the Lawe that sanctuaries and cities of refuge shoulde be ordayned for such as vvere pursued to death vvhere after they had sledde vnto them they might lyue in safetie Furthermore the vvorde of the father vvhich in olde tyme spake vnto Moses hath commaunded in these last dayes VVhen they shall persecute you in this cytie flye into an other And agayne VVhen you see sayeth Christ the abhomination of desolation mentioned in the Prophete Daniel standinge in the holie place he that readeth lett him vnderstande it then lette them that be in Iudaea flye vnto the mountaynes â–ª he that is on the house toppe lette him not come dovvne to take ought out of his house and lett not him that is in the fielde returne home for his raymente The vvhiche vvhen holie men had learned they framed their trade of lyfe agreeable therevnto For looke vvhatsoeuer the Lorde commaunded at that tyme the same he vttered by the mouthes of his Sainctes yea before his incarnation And this is the vvay to perfection for men to performe that in deede vvhich the Lorde commaunded in vvorde VVherefore the vvorde of God being made man for our sakes sticked not to hide him selfe as vve commonly doe vvhen he vvas sought for and agayne to flie to the ende he might auoyde the conspiracie of the Pharises vvhich persecuted him For euen as by pacient sufference of hunger and thurst and such kinde of miseries he vvoulde shevve him selfe to be true man so also by flyinge avvay from the face of the aduersary Moreouer euen from the very cradle and svvadling cloutes as soone as he had taken fleshe of the virgine being as yet but a childe he gaue charge vnto Ioseph by the Angell saying rise take the childe together vvith his mother and flie into Aegypt for it vvill come to passe that Herode vvill goe about to seeke the life of the childe Likevvise after the desease of Herode vvhen he hearde that Archelaus the sonne of Herode raygned in his steede it pleased him to goe aside into the partes of Nazareth Aftervvardes vvhen he made him selfe manifest to be God and healed the vvithered hande the Pharises vvent out and tooke councell hovve they might dispatche him but Iesus perceauinge their conspiracie conueyed him selfe from amonge them Agayne vvhen he restored Lazarus to life from that daye forth sayth the text they tooke councell hovve they might put him to death Iesus therefore after that tyme shevved not him selfe openly amonge the Ievves but departed vnto a solitary place adioyning vnto the vvildernesse Beside all this vvhen our Sauiour auoutched saying before Abraham vvas I am the Ievves tooke vp stones for to throvve at him but the Lorde hid him selfe and vvent out of the temple and passing through the middest of the thronge escaped avvay VVhen they see these examples but they seeing as it is vvritten doe not see and bethinke them selues of these presidents are they not invvardly pricked in conscience vvhen as they preâ—mue thus vnaduisedly to bolt out sentences and sit in iudgment both vpon the sayings and doings of our Sauiour To this purpose vvas that of Iesus vvho vnderstanding of the beheading of Iohn the Baptist and the burying of his body by his disciples tooke shiping weÌ„t aside into a desert place Thus the Lorde him selfe both did these thinges and taught the same I vvoulde to God these men vvoulde novv at length be ashamed of their doings and cease euen presently from sclaundering of true professors and not proceede on further in their furious disposition charging yea our Sauiour him selfe vvith timorous feare and faint corage blaspheming vvith all might the maiestie of his blessed name â–ª but no man can avvay vvith such kinde of persons that are vvholy geuen ouer vnto all vngracious behauiour it may easily be proued that they are altogether ignorant vvhat the Euangelists haue left vs in vvriting The cause that moued our Sauiour to slie and goe aside being layde dovvne in the Gospell seemed not onely to be agreeable vnto reason but vvas in very deede most true vve therefore haue to coniecture that the same by all likelyhoode happened vnto all the Sainctes of God for vvhatsoeuer thinges are vvritten to haue chaunced vnto our Sauiour after the maner of men vve haue not referre the same vnto all mankinde in so much he tooke our nature vpon him and liuely expressed in him selfe the humane affections of our fraile constitution euen as it is vvritten in the Gospell after Iohn they sought to take him but no man laide handes vpon him because that his houre vvas not as yet come Yea before this came about he sayde vnto his mother Mine houre is not as yet come He spake also vnto them that vvere called his brethren my tyme is not yet come Agayne vvhen the houre vvas come he sayd vnto his disciples sleepe on novv and take your rest beholde the houre is at hande the sonne of man shal be betrayed into the handes of sinners Therefore neyther suffred he him selfe to be taken before his tyme vvas come neyther hid he him selfe vvhen the houre vvas at hande but yelded him selfe vnto the enemie In like sorte the blessed Martyrs in the great heate and troublsome stormes of persecution vvhiche often came to passe being pursued by men fledde avvay and hid them selues in secret and solitary places but being taken they valiantly encountred vvith the aduersaries ended the combatt vvith martyrdome These were the reasons of Athanasius layd downe in his Apollogie the which he wrote in the defence of his departure from his bishopricke in the time of persecution CAP. VII Eusebius after the councell held at Alexandria was broken vp returned to Antioch where he founde the people at variance by reason that Paulinus was there chosen Bishop and when that he coulde not preuaile among them with exhort ations to peace and vnitie he gott him home to his owne bishoprick of Vercellae EVsebius Bishop of Vercellae immediatly after the dissoluing of the
all the citie seemed to be as one church CAP. XXIIII Howe Theodosius the Emperour after the execution of Iohn the tyrant proclaimed Valentinianus the sonne of Constantius and Placidia the Aunt of Theodosius Emperour at Rome WHen the tyrant was dispatched out of the waye Theodosius began to consider with him selfe whome he should proclaime Emperour of the west parts of the worlde He had to his kinseman one Valentinianus a very yong gentleman begotten on Placidia his aunt for she was the doughter of Theodosius Magnus the Emperour and sister to Arcadius and Honorius the Emperoures Constantius that was made Emperour by Honorius and gouerned the empire with him a very shorte space for he dyed immediatly was the father of Valentinianus Theodosius made this his cosin Caesar sent him into the west and put his mother Placidia in truste with the emperiall affaires Afterwards whē he determined to go him selfe into Italie for to proclaime his Cosin Emperour and in his owne person to counsell the Italians that they shoulde not lightly geue eare vnto tyrants and rebelles he came as farre as Thessalonica and there he was hindred with sicknes so that he could goe no further Therefore he sent the emperiall scepter vnto his Cosin by Helion the Senatour and returned him selfe backe againe to Constantinople But of these things thus much shall suffice CAP. XXV Of Articus bishop of Constantinople how he gouerned the churches Also howe he caused that the name of Iohn Chrysostome should be canonized among the saincts of that church ATticus the bishop was a great furtherer of the ecclesiasticall affaires for he gouerned with great wisdome and exhorted the people diligently with heauenly doctrine to vertuous and godly liuinge When he sawe the church deuided and that the Iohannits vsed their priuate meetings and conuenticles he commaunded that the memoriall of Iohn shoulde be solemnized at seruice time as the maner is of other Bishops that are deseased for by that meanes he hoped veryly it woulde come to passe that many of them woulde returne vnto the Church He was so bountifull and liberall that he prouided not onely for the pouerty of his owne Church but also sent money vnto the next Churches for to supply the want of the needy for he sent vnto Calliopius minister of the Church of Nice three hundreth peeces of golde and withall letters contayning this forme Aiticus vnto Calliopius sendeth greeting in the Lord. I am geuen to vnderstand that there is an infinite number in your city ready to perish with famine stand in neede of the almes charity of godly weldisposed persons VVhere I write an infinite number I meane a great multitude the certayne nūber wherof I do not readily knowe Therefore seeing I receaued money of him which bestoweth aboundance and plenty of ritches vpon them which vse it a right seeinge also dayly experience teacheth vs that some do want to the end that such as be welthy minister not vnto them may throughly be tryed my will is welbeloued brother that thou receaue from me these three hundreth peeces of golde and distribute them at thy discretion among the poore people of thy parish see that thou deale the same not among such as respect only the belly make a liuing or trade throughout their life time of begging but among such as are ashamed to begge Neither vvoulde I haue thee herein to respecte any opinion o◠sect vvhatsoeuer neither to preiudice them which practise in doctrine a contrary faith vnto vs but onely to haue consideration of this that thou relieue them which hunger thurst haue not vvherevvithall to helpe them selues Thus was he carefull of the pouerty of such as dwelled from him in farre forayne contreyes Againe when he vnderstood y ◠such as seuered them selues from the Nouatians about y ◠keeping of Easter had translated the corps of Sabbatius out of the Isle Rhodos for there he died in exile buried it solemnly and praied vpon his tumbe he sent certaine thither in the night time charging them to remoue the corps of Sabbatius bury it in an other sepulchre such as vsed to frequent the place when they saw the graue digged vp ceassed thenceforth to honour the tumbe of Sabbatius The same Atticus did passe in assigning of proper names to things for the rode in y ◠bosome of Pontus Euxinus which of old was called poyson he called Medicen lest he should there raise an assembly appoynt thereunto a place called after a foule name Moreouer he tearmed a peece of the suburbes of Constantinople Argyrople vpon such an occasion as followeth Chrysople is a rode in y ◠head of the sea Bosphorus Many auncient writers make mention therof namely Strabo Nicolaus Damascenus the famous writer Xenophon who both in y ◠sixt booke of Cyrus expedition in the first of y ◠famous acts of y ◠Grecians remembreth the said towne y ◠Alcibiades wal led it about how there is a place therein assigned for y ◠paiment of tyth tribute for such as loose out of the maine sea ariue at y ◠place doe vse there to pay tyth Wherfore Atticus seeing the place ouer against him had so worthy a name procured this rode thenceforth to be called Argyrople As soone as he spake y ◠word the name was immediatly chaunged Againe when as some men said vnto him y ◠the Nouatians should not haue their conuenticles assemblies w t in the walls of the citie what do ye not remember saith he what troubles vexations they endured when we were tossed w t the grieuous storme of persecution in y ◠raigne of Constantius Valens howe y ◠at sundry other times they testified together w t vs the true faith which we maintaine Moreouer for all they were of old deuided from the church yet attempted they to establish no noueltie as toutching y ◠fayth Againe this Atticus being at Nice about the ordayning of a bishop seing there Asclepiades a Nouatian bishop who was a very old man he asked of him how many yeares he had bene a Bishop when the other had answered fifty yeares thou art truely a happy man saith he in y ◠God graunted thee to enioy so worthy a function so long a time he said againe vnto Asclepiades verily I doe commende Nouatus but I allowe not of the Nouatians Asclepiades maruelling what he shoulde meane in so saying replyed how so O bishop Atticus made answere I do commend him saith he for refusing to communicate w t such as had sacrificed to Idols for I would haue done no lesse my selfe But I like not of the Nouatians because they exclude from the communion such as of y ◠layty haue lightly offended Asclepiades replied againe vnto these things besides y ◠sinne of sacrificing vnto Idols there are as holy Scriptures do witnes many other sinnes vnto death for the which you depriue onely the
byshoppricke and banished the companie of clergie men CAP. V. Howe Iohn byshop of Antioch came fifteene dayes after and deposed Cyrill byshop of Alexandria of his byshopricke together with Memnon byshop of Ephesus whome of the contrarie side the councell absolued remouing Iohn with his company and in the ende howe that Cyrill and Iohn by the meanes of the Emperour Theodosius letters became friends and ratified the depriuation of Nestorius When they had pronounced the aforesaid most iust sentence Iohn byshop of Antioch fiue dayes after the depriuation of Nestorius came to Ephesus together with the priests and byshops of his diocesse called together his clergie and deposed both Cyrill and Memnon Afterwardes when Cyrill and Memnon had exhibited supplications vnto the councell assembled with them though Socrates peraduenture vnacquainted with the circumstance report it otherwise Iohn was called of them to render an accompt why he deposed the byshops and being cited thrise came not at all Then Cyrill and Memnon were absolued and Iohn with his clergie excommunicated and depriued of al priestly autoritie but when Theodosius who at the first misliked with the deposing of Nestorius yet afterwardes vnderstanding fully of his blasphemous opinion consented thereunto had sent his gracious and godly letters vnto Cyrill of Alexandria and to Iohn of Antioch they became friends and ratified the sentence pronounced against Nestorius CAP. VI. The comming of Paulus byshop of Emisa into Alexandria and the commendation which Cyrill gaue vnto the epistle of Iohn ABout the same time when Paulus byshop of Emisa came to Alexandria and pronounced in the Churche the sermon which at this day is extant in the worlde and beareth his name Cyrill byshop of Alexandria extolled the epistle which Iohn had sent vnto him and wrote back againe as followeth Let the heauens reioyce and let the earth be glad the midwal of rankor is battered downe the boylinge choler which bereaued the mindes of quietnes is purged from among vs al the occasiō of discord discention is banished away for our sauiour Iesus Christ graunted peace vnto the Churches vnder heauen and the most vertuous and holy emperours haue perswaded yea and compelled vs thereunto who by imitating with great zeale the godly steppes of their auncesters doe firmely retaine in their mindes the true and syncere fayth prouiding with singuler care for the profite and furtherance of the holy Churche so that thereby they purchase vnto them selues an immortall fame and set forth the glorie of their imperiall scepter whome the Lorde of hostes doth so liberally rewarde and so bountifully recompence with diuine graces and benefites that they are wont not onely to foyle the enemies but all wayes to winne of them the renowmed garland of victorie Neither is it possible that God shoulde lye which saith As truely as I liue I doe glorifie them which glorifie me ▪ but when the Lorde our brother and most godly fellovve byshop Paulus came to Alexandria I was vvonderfull glad for I coulde not otherwise chuse because that he being a notable man became a meane laboured in preaching beyond the reache of his strength to th ende he might ouercome the enuie of Satan couple together in loue the loose and seuered members of the Churche and reduce our Church in like sort with yours vnto peace and vnitie Immediately after he wrote as followeth Now I am fully perswaded that the quarrell which rose in the Church was fond and beganne vpon light occasion in so much my most vertuous Lord Paulus the byshopp brought letters vnto me comprising a sound and syncere protestation of the faith the which he auoutched to haue bene written of your holinesse and of the most godly byshops whiche are of your prouince The forme and phrases of Cyrills epistle were as is aforesayde but toutching the clause which signified the mother of God there was written as followeth VVhen we had perused the godly sentences and clauses within contained and perceaued plainely that you were of one minde and opinion with vs for there is but one Lorde one fayth one baptisme we rendered vnto God diuine prayses who is the conseruer of the whole worlde and presently we conceaue exceeding ioye seeing that as well your Churches as ours being driuen thereunto partly by the force and power of the holy scriptures and partly also by tradition deliuered vnto vs of our most holy fathers doe embrace one faith and opinion Who so euer will diligently sift out the true histories of those times will easily attaine vnto the knowledge of the aforesaide CAP. VII Of many thinges whiche Nestorius reported in writing of him selfe and howe in the ende his tongue whiche vttered blasphemie was eaten vp of wormes in the Isle Oasis where he departed this life HOwe Nestorius was exiled what afterwardes became of him the manner of his ende and the punishments he endured for his blasphemous opiniō are not laid downe in writing of such as deliuered his life vnto the worlde all whiche in processe and continuance of time would quite haue bene forgotten and not once remembred had not I by meere chaunce lighted on a certen Pamphlet written by Nestorius him selfe where the aforesaid are rehearsed at large Wherfore Nestorius the father of blasphemy builded not vpon the sure and setled fundation but vpon the sand which according vnto the parable of our sauiour is subiect to speedy ruine ouerthrowe besides sundry other his shifts wherby he laboured to defend his blasphemous sentēces he wrote vnto such as charged him with y e raising of rash vnaduised nouelties with his fonde request for the summoning of y e coūcel at Ephesus that he was driuen of necessity to do as he did seing the church was deuided and y t the one side affirmed Mary was to be called the mother of man y e other the mother of God I said he of my part do speake vnfainedly to th end I might not erre in either side by affirming either that he was not mortall subiect to death or of the other side by saying he was not immortal haue deuised that Mary should be called the mother of christ furthermore in y e aforesaid pamphlet of his first of all he declareth how Theodosius ratified not his depriuation because of y e entire loue affection he bare towards him againe after y e certain byshops of either side were sent in Embassie frō Ephesus vnto Theodosius y e emperour for so y e emperour had willed y t he had licence giuen him to returne vnto his monastery being before y e gates of Antioch which now is called Theopolis y e name whereof Nestorius hath not laid downe yet as I learne it was called Euprepius monastery sure I am it stood before y e gates of Antioch not two furlongs of Nestorius reporteth y t he made there his abode y e terme of foure yeres y t he was highly reuerēced y t he receaued many presēts afterwards y t
a perfect knowledg of the faith also vnto a sure cōfirmation of the same ▪ for it instructeth vs most exquisitly in such things as we must necessarily know of the father of the sonne of the holy ghost and setteth forth after the plainest maner the incarnation of our Lord Iesus for them that with faith wil embrace it but seeing that certen leud godles persons endeuoring with their erronious opinions to root out true religiō haue brought into the world many vaine fantasies of their idle braines of which number some were not affraid to corrupt the true vnderstanding the mistery of the manhood our Lord Iesus toke for our sakes to deny the mother or bearing of God which is attributed vnto the virgine Mary other some fained very fondly that the diuinity the humanity consisted of one nature confoūding both with a certē imaginatiue cōmixitō of natures affirming with horrible blasphemy that in the said confusion the diuine nature of the onely begotten was patible therefore this great general coūcel presētly assēbled together being desirous with al might to stop euery gapp to cutt of all occasion of deuelishe deuices wrought to the ouerthrowe of the trueth decreeth that the faith which we receiued of the fathers is inuiolably to be retained and therefore commaundeth aboue all other formes of fayth that the creede deliuered vnto vs of three hundred and eighteene godly fathers is firmely to be beleeued moreouer to th ende the enemies of the holy Ghoste may vtterly be foyled it ratifieth the doctrine aftervvardes established touching the substance of the holy Ghost by a hundred and fifty godly byshopps whiche mett at the princely citye of Constantinople the which essence those fathers made manifeste vnto the whole world not by adding anything of their owne as if the canons of the Nicene coūcell were vnperfect but that they might declare by manifest testimonies of holy scripture what their owne opinion was of the holy ghost against such as denied the godhead thereof furthermore to the confutation of suche as doubted not to peruert the mysterie of our Lords incarnation assirming both impiously and blasphemously that he which was borne of the holy virgine was but onely man this holy councell approueth the synodicall Epistles of holy Cyrill byshopp of Alexandria written vnto Nestorius and to the byshops of the East churches partly to refell the mad and franticke opinion of Nestorius and partly also for to instruct such as are godly disposed and labour to attaine vnto the true vnderstandinge of the holye creede Againe this councell annexeth thereunto not without good consideration the Epistle of Leo the most holy archebyshop of old Rome which he wrote vnto Flauianus the most holy archebyshopp for the remouinge and rooting out of the Churche of God the fanaticall opinion of Eutyches as a worthie tract agreeing with the consession of Peter that great Apostle and as it were a stronge pillour and fortresse to vpholde the true and sincere doctrine against all erronious opinions for he valiantly encountreth with such as endeuored to deuide the mystery of the incarnation into two sonnes he excommunicateth suche as dare presume to saye that the diuinitie of the onely begotten is patible he manfully withstandeth suche as confounde or make a commixtion of both the natures in Christe he ratleth sickebraines and frentike fooles who affirme that the shape of a seruant which he tooke of vs was of a celestiall or some other kinde of substance last of all he accurseth suche as vaynely haue fayned that before the couplinge of the natures there vvere tvvo but after the vnitynge of them that there vvas but one onely nature in the Lorde VVherefore treadinge one trace and immitatinge the fayth of the holy Fathers vvhiche vvent before vs vve consesse one and the same sonne our Lorde Iesus Christe and vvith one generall consent vve saye that he is perfecte God and perfecte man true God and true man of a reasonable soule and humane fleshe subsistinge of one substance vvyth the father according vnto his diuinitye but of one substance with vs according vnto his humanitye like vnto vs in all things sinne onely excepted begotten of the father before all worlds according vnto his godhead but borne in these later dayes for our sakes and for our saluation of the virgine mary the mother of God according vnto his manhood one the same Iesus Christ the sonne the Lord the onely begotten of two natures knowen without confounding of thē without mutation without diuision without separation the distinctiō of natures not remoued for all the vniting of them but the proprietie of both natures vvholly retayned and coupled together in one person or as the Grecians say in one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not seuered parted into tvvo persons but one and the selfe same onely begotten sonne God the vvorde and the Lorde Iesus Christe euen as the Prophetts of olde and Christe him selfe aftervvardes haue instructed vs of him and the same hath the faith of the fathers deliuered vnto vs. Seeinge we haue sifted out the trueth of these thinges with great care and diligence the sacred and generall councell hath decreed that it shall be lavvfull for no man eyther to alleage or to vvrite or to frame or to beleeue or to teache any other fayth Moreouer this councell commaundeth suche as presume to deuise any other fayth or to bringe forth or to teache or to publishe any other creede vnto suche as turne eyther from paganisme or from Iudaisme or from any other secte whatsoeuer vnto the knowledge of the trueth if they be byshops that they be deposed of their byshoplike dignities if priests that they be vnministred if monks and lay people that they shoulde be accursed After the reading of these decrees Martianus the Emperour who was present at the councell of Chalcedon who made there also an Oration returned to Constantinople Iuuenalis and Maximus Theodoritus and Ibas who had bene deposed were restored to their byshopricks other thinges there were handled by the councell the whiche shall be layde downe as I saide before in the ende of this hooke They decreed besides all the aforesaide that the byshopps seae of New Rome that is of Constantinople because she enioyed the second honor after Olde Rome shoulde be chiefe and in honor aboue all other cities CAP. V. Of the sedition raysed at Alexandria about the election of Proterius and in like sort at Ierusalem AFter that Dioscorus was exiled into Gangrena a citie of Paphlagonia Proterius by the generall consent of the councell was chosen byshopp of Alexandria Beinge stalled in the seae there rose amonge the people through heate of contention a wonderfull great tumult vprore for as it falleth out in such hurliburlies some would needs cal home Dioscorus some others very earnestly cleaued vnto Proterius so that there ensued thereof great slaughter and bloodshed for Priscus the
layde vnto thy charge camest not knowe that for all the aforesayde thou art deposed by this holye and generall councell the thirteenth daye of this present October of thy byshopricke and bereaued of all Ecclesiasticall right and title These thynges beinge registred and sent also vnto the godlye byshops of the moste holye Churche of Alexandria and the decree agaynste Dioscorus openly proclaimed that session brake vp and so ended But afterwards they sate againe and first they aunswered the senators who had desired to be satisfied as touchinge the true and right faith next they affirmed that there was nothinge to be done concerninge Eutyches for the byshop of Rome had made a â—â—nall end and conclusion thereof and therein they were all agreed moreouer when all the byshops seemed very willing and the senators exhorted euery patriarch that one or other of euery their seuerall prouinces shoulde stande vp to th ende the opinions of them all might throughly be knowen Florentius byshop of Sardis craued their fauour that with aduise and after deliberation taken they might attaine vnto the trueth and Cecropius byshop of Sebastopolis saide The faith is both notablye sett forth by three hundred and eyghteene holye fathers confirmed afterwardes by the godlye fathers Athanasius Cyrill Celestinus Hilarius Basil and Gregory and nowe againe approued by moste holye Leo. VVherefore our requeste is that the creede of the three hundred holye fathers and of the moste holye Leo may be reade Beinge reade all the councell cryed This is the fayth of the true professors we are all of this fayth This is the fayth of Pope Leo this is the fayth of Cyrill thus hath the Pope interpreted Againe when they had reasoned amonge them selues for the readinge of the fayth which the hundred and fifty holye fathers publyshed in the councell helde at Constantinople it was also reade Then the whole councell cryed agayne This is the fayth of the true professors thus we doe all beleeue After the finishinge of all the premises Aetius the Archedeacon sayde I haue here at hande the Epistle of holye Cyrill written vnto Nestorius the whiche all the byshopes in the councell helde at Ephesus confyrmed wyth their seuerall subscriptions I haue here also an other Epistle of the same Cyrill written vnto Iohn byshope of Antioche and confirmed lykewyse will it please you to geeue them the hearinge When euerye one had spoken his pleasure of them they were both reade we haue thought good presently to laye downe here some portion of the former it was reade as followeth Vnto Nestorius the most reuerend and his most holy collegue Cyrill sendeth greetinge THere are as I am geuen to vnderstande certaine men whiche labour and that verye often altogether to discreditt me with your holinesse this they doe specially when they see worthye men and magistrates oftentimes meetinge together supposinge peraduenture that you will be pleased with the hearing of such thinges Againe after a fewe lines he saith The holy and famous councel affirmeth that he which is naturally begotten of God the father is the onely begotten sonne true God of true God light of light by whom the father made all things that he came downe from heauen that he was incarnate and made man that he suffred rose againe the third day ascended into the heauens It behoueth vs to yeelde and condescend vnto these articles vnto this doctrine and to search out with al the gifts we haue what is ment by being incarnate what is vnderstood by saying that the worde of God became flesh for we doe not say that the worde of God by chaunginge the nature thereof became flesh neither by conuersion into wholl man which consisteth of body soule but this rather that the worde according vnto the subsisteÌ„cy or being therof coupling vnto it selfe liuing flesh endued with a reasonable soule became man in such sort as may neither be expressed in worde neither conceaued by thought that he was called the soÌ„ne of man not according vnto will onely or in that it so pleased his goodnes neither onely by taking vpon him the person or because contrarie natures were coupled together in true vnitye but that one Christ and one sonne consisted of two natures not that the difference of the natures was taken away by reason of the vnity but that the diuinitye and humanitye after an vnspeakeable and secret couplinge and meetinge together made one Lorde Christe and the sonne After the enterlacinge of certayne other thinges he annexed thereunto as followeth Because he came of a woman and coupled mans nature vnto him selfe according vnto his subsistencie and that for our sake and for our saluation therefore is he said to haue bene borne after the fleshe for he was not first of all after the common generation borne of the virgine Mary then the worde of God entred into him but was coupled with the flesh in the matrix and is said to haue bene borne after the flesh as one that made the birth of his flesh proper to him selfe In like sort we say that he suffred rose againe not that God the word suffred in his owne nature either stripes or the print of nayles or other vexations for the godhead being without body is impatible but that the body being made proper vnto him suffred and so is he saide to haue suffred these thinges for our sakes for there was in the bodye which suffred that which coulde not suffer But so muche out of the first epistle touchinge the second we layde downe a good part thereof in the first booke of our Ecclesiasticall historie which went before in the epistle of Iohn byshopp of Antioch there is suche a protestation layde downe as followeth and confirmed with the testimonie of Cyrill VVe confesse that the holy virgine is the mother of God because God the worde tooke fleshe and manhood of her and coupled vnto him selfe by the conception the temple which he tooke of her Neyther are we ignorant that godly men inspired from aboue haue partly affirmed that the phrases which coÌ„cerned the Lord and were laid downe by the Euangelists and Apostles were vttered of one person and partly deuided them into seuerall portions as written of two natures and partly also confessed that they were diuine and spoken onely of the diuinitye of Christe Vnto this of Iohn Cyrill addeth of his owne VVhen we had perused these your godly sentences and clauses within contained and perceaued plainely that you were of one minde and opinion with vs for there is but one Lord one fayth one baptisme we reÌ„dred vnto god diuine praises who is the coÌ„seruer of the whol world and presently we conceaue exceedinge ioy seeinge that as well your Churches as ours beinge driuen thereunto partly by the force and power of the holy scriptures and partly also by tradition deliuered vnto vs of our most holy fathers doe embrace one fayth and opinion After the readinge of these Epistles they that
canon the which they thought best not to be recorded whereunto some gaue their consents some other would not when they had suppressed y ◠contrary voices the Senators affirmed vpon Dioscorus owne reporte that he had deposed Flauianus for saying there were two natures in Christ that the decree bore wittnes that he cōsisted of two natures Then replied Anatolius Dioscorus was not deposed for heresie but because he excommunicated Leo and being thrise called vnto the councell would not come After this y ◠Senators would haue the Epistle of Leo layd downe among the decrees but the bishops sayd no it should not be they would not drawe any other forme for that was perfect inough in the end they referred that vnto the Emperour who commaunded that three bishops of the East churches three out of Pōtus three out of Asia three out of Thracia and three out of Illyrium together with Anatolius and the substitutes of the Bishop of Rome should meete at the Church and orderly reason of the fayth that either they should lay downe theyr seuerall Creedes or els knowe of a surety y ◠he would call a councell to decide that controuersie in the West Beinge demaunded whether they would hold with Dioscorus who affirmed y ◠Christ consisted of two natures or subscribe with Leo who sayd that there were two natures in Christ they cried that they beleued with Leo held such as sayd y ◠contrary for Eutychians The Senators replied y ◠Leo him selfe affirmed there were two natures so coupled in Christ that they could be neither chaunged diuided nor confounded with this saying they went into the temple of Euphemia accōpanied with Anatolius the substituts of Leo Maximus bishop of Antioch Iuuenalis bishop of Ierusalem Thalassius bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia and many others Being set the canon of the councell was read Our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ c. as we haue wrytten before After it was read they cried This is the faith of all the Fathers we are all followers of this we are all of this opinion Then sayd the Senators the decrees and canons of the Fathers are to be referred vnto the Emperours most excellent maiesty ▪ Martianus the Emperour was present at the sixt session made an oration of peace vnity vnto the Bishopps and commaunded Aetius Archdeacon of Constātinople to read in his hearing that which was decided whereunto they subscribed euery one Thē the Emperour asked them whether the decree was established by their generall consent they all the second time answered yea Againe the Emperour made vnto them two orations which were highely commended of them all In the end the canons by the meanes of the Emperour were confirmed and the seae of Chalcedon was made an Archbishopricke the Emperour moreouer commaunded the Bishops to continewe there three or foure dayes and to propose before the Princes and Senators what euery one thought good to be decided that they should decree that which seemed expediēnt Then the session brake vp There were other decrees and other canons established and there was an other councel held by Iuuenalis Maximus where it was decreed that the bishop of Antioch should haue either of both Phaenicia and Arabia annexed vnto his prouince the Bishop of Ierusalem all the three Palaestinas the which after consultation had both by the Presidents and Bishops was confirmed In the ninth session the cause of Theodoritus was heard who accursed Nestorius in these words cursed be Nestorius whosoeuer besides him denieth Marie the virgine to be the mother of God and deuideth the one onely begotten sonne into two sonnes I sayth he haue subscribed vnto the canons of the councell and the Epistle of Leo. After deliberation had amonge them selues they restored him vnto his Bishoprick In the tenth session the sute of Ibas was heard and the sentence which Photius Bishop of Tyrus and Eustathius Bishop of Berytus had pronounced against him was read but the finall end was differed vnto the next day In the eleuenth sessiō when many Bishops would haue him restored diuerse Bishops were against it and sayd that his accusers were at the dore and redy to come in At lēgth they read what they had decreed toutching him Yet the Senators moued the councell that the Actes of the councell held at Ephesus whiche concerned Ibas should be read and that all the acts of the second councell of Ephesus shoulde be abrogated the creation of Maximus Bishop of Antioch onely excepted they intreated therein the Emperour that nothinge whatsoeuer was decreed since the first councell of Ephesus where holye Cyrill Byshop of Alexandria was chiefe shoulde be of force and they gaue sentence that Maximus should enioy his Bishoprick In an other session Basianus the Bishop of Ephesus matter was called and decreed that Basianus should be remoued out of his Bishopricke and Stephan placed in his rowme In the thirteenth session Eunomius Bishop of Nicomedia and Anastasius Bishop of Nice were called for they contended among them selues about their cities The foureteeneth session was helde for the hearinge of Basianus Last of all it was decreed that the seae of Constantinople should enioy the next prerogatiue after Rome The ende of the seconde booke of Euagrius Scholasticus THE THIRD BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. Howe Zeno the Emperour gouerned and liued WHen Zeno after the deceasse of his sonne had attayned vnto the Emperiall scepter as if he were certainely perswaded he could not enioy y ◠Empire of the wholl world vnlesse w t outrage and riott he yelded him selfe vnto all fleshly pleasure whatsoeuer gaue him selfe at y ◠beginning so much vnto sensuality that he left no filthy or shamefull act no haynous offence vnpractised but so wallowed in them that he thoughte it the parte of a base and abiect minde to commit them in the darke in secret but to doe them openly in the face of y ◠whollworld was a princely parte such an act as became only the Emperour His disposition herein was both lewde and seruile for the Emperour is not to be counted of thereafter as he gouerneth others but as he ruleth and guydeth him selfe It behoueth him to suffer no lasciuious motion to roote within his breste but valiauntlye to encounter with intemperancy and to make his life as a paterne of vertue or a lanterne for his subiectes to followe after thereby to leade them vnto godly instruction But this man gaue himselfe ouer vnto voluptuousnesse and fell by a little and a little vnto suche shamefull seruitude that he coulde by no meanes be withdrawen from it he chaunged oftentymes suche enormityes as maystred him no otherwise then vnthriftes and castawayes doe vse whome infinite carnall delites doe leade captiue tickle theyr mindes and sooth theyr senses and that whiche is moste daungerous vices be so linked together that one moste commonly followeth in the necke of an
this also howe certaine trauelers in whose company Symeon was lefte behinde them a childe about midnighte a Lion came and tooke vp the childe on his backe and brought him to Symeons Monastery Symeon bad the seruaunts go forth and take in the childe which the Lion had caried thither He did many other notable actes which haue neede of an eloquente tongue leasure conuenient and a peculiar volume all which are well knowen and rife in euery mans mouth There resorted vnto him of all nations not only Romains but also Barbarians and obtayned there sutes This Symeon in steede of meate and drinke fedde vpon certaine bowes of shrubbes that grewe in the mountaine harde by him CAP. XXIII The death of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch SHortly after Gregorie Bishop of Antioch being sore pained with the gowte tooke a certaine medicen made of Hermodactylus for so was it called the which a certaine phisicion ministred vnto him and after the drinkinge thereof died immediatlye He departed this worlde when Gregorie the successor of Pelagius was Bishop of Olde Rome Iohn of Constantinople Eulogius of Alexandria Anastasius of Theopolis who after twenty and three yeares was restored vnto his Bishopricke and also when Iohn was Bishop of Ierusalem which died shortely after and as yet there is none chosen in his rowme Here doe I minde to cut of and make an end of wryting to wit the twelfe yeare of the raygne of Mauricius Tiberius Emperour of Rome leauing such things as followe after for them that are disposed to penne them for the posterity in time to come If I haue omitted ought through negligence or lightly runne ouer any matter let no man blame me therefore remēbringe with him selfe that I gathered and collected together a scattered and dispersed historie to the end I might profitt the reader for whose sake I tooke in hande so greate and so werysome a labour I haue finished an other worke comprisinge relations Epistles decrees orations disputations with sundry other matters The relations therein contayned are for the most parte in the person of Gregorie Bishop of Antioch For the which I was preferred vnto two honorable offices Tiberius Constantinus made me Quaestor Mauricius Tiberius preferred me to be maister of the Rolles where the Liuetenants and Magistrats were registred The relations I compiled duringe his raygne at what tyme he broughte Theodosius to lighte who was bothe vnto him and to the common weale a preamble or entrance to all kinde of felicity The ende of the sixt booke of the Ecclesiasticall historie of Euagrius Scholasticus THE LIVES THE ENDS AND THE MARTYRDOMES OF THE PROPHETES APOSTLES AND SEVENTYE DISCIPLES OF OVR SAVIOVR WRITTEN IN GREEKE by Dorotheus Bishop of Tyrus aboue a thousand yeares agoe and nowe translated by M. H. Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautroullier dwelling in the Blackefriers 1577. THE LIFE OF DOROTHEVS GATHERED by the Translator DOrotheus vvas a rare and singular man vvell seene in the Latine Greeke and Hebrevv tongues He flourished in the time of Diocletian Constantinus Magnus Constātius Iulian the Apostata Eusebius Pamphilus one that knevve him very vvell heard his gift of vtterance vvryteth thus of him Dorotheus minister of the Church of Antioch vvas a very eloquent and singular man He applied holye Scripture diligentlye he studied the Hebrevve tongue so that he reade vvith great skill the holy Scriptures in Hebrevve This man came of a noble race He vvas expert in the chiefe discipline of the Grecians by nature an Eunuche so disposed from his natiuitye For vvhich cause the Emperour for rarenesse thereof appropriated him placing and preferringe him to be magistrate in the citie of Tyrus and to ouersee the dieing of purple VVe heard him our selues expounding holy Scripture vvith greate commendation in the Church of God So farre Eusebius Antonius Demochares saith of him that he vvas exiled in the persecution vnder Diocletian and that he returned from banishment after the death of Diocletian and Licinius and recouered his Bishopricke againe vvhere he continevved vnto the raygne of Iulian about the yeare of our Lord 365. And because Iulian persecuted not the Christians openly him selfe but secretly by his gouernours and Magistrates Dorotheus vvas faine againe to flie vnto the city of Odissus vvhere as Petrus de Natalibus vvriteth the officers of Iulian apprehended him and tormented him to death for his testimony of Christ Iesus There he died and vvas crovvned Martyr being a hundred and seuen yere old An. Dom. 366. Of his vvorkes there is none extant saue this treatise contayning the liues and endes of the Prophetes Apostles and seuenty Disciples of our sauiour mentioned in the Gospell after Luke the vvhich he entitled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by translation a compendium or briefe tract THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE READER TOVTCHING DOROTHEVS AND THE LIVES HE WROTE OF BY this short treatise of DOROTHEVS Christian reader we may take occasion to beholde the prouidence of God ouer his Churche scattered farre and nigh ouer the face of the earth and to praise him therefore in so much that of his great care and entire loue the inheritors of the kingdome of heauen his chosen people the Sainctes of God whose names were written in the booke of life were neuer left desolate without guides and teachers Adam in Paradise hearde the voyce of God himself there followed him such as called vpō the name of God erected diuine worship and taught their posteritie the same namely Abel Seth Enos Cainan Malalael Iared Enoch Mathusalem Lamech and Noe whome Peter calleth the eight person after Seth the sonne of Adam and a preacher of righteousnes When as the olde worlde and the first age numbred from Adam to Noe I meane as many as liued in his time were drowned for the sinnes iniquities of the whole world yet saued he eight persons to reueale his will vnto all nations to vphold his Church to multiply and to encrease the world In the secōd age of the world after Noe there liued Sem Arphaxad Sale Heber Phaleg Reu Saruch Nachor Thare Abraham vnto whom God rekoned faith as S. Paule saith for righteousnes In the third age of the world after Abraham liued Isaac Iacob otherwise called Israel with the twelue patriarchs Ruben Simeon Leui Iuda Zabulon Issachar Dan Gad Aser Nepthali Ioseph Beniamin Threescore and fiue yeares after the death of Ioseph Moses was borne He gouerned Israel he guided the people God gaue him three signes from heauen to confirme his doctrine to assure him of his vocation ▪ he receaued the ten cōmaundements the law of God in moūt Sina deliuered it vnto the people him succeeded Iosue after Iosue captains Iudges namely Othoniel Aod Debora Barach Gedeon Abimelech Thola Iair Iepthe Abesan AElon Abdon Samson Heli the priest Samuel the prophet iudged Israel After these came in the kings good bad Saule Dauid c. In the fourth age of the
I frame the thunder and create the winde reuealing my Christ among men Again In that day wil I raise vp the tabernacle of Dauid that is falne down and close vp the breaches therof and I will raise vp his ruines and I wil build it as in the dayes of old that they may seeke the Lord which are the remnant of men all the heathen vpon whom my name is called sayth the Lord which doth this Iames made mention of this Prophecie in the Acts of the Apostles This Amos was of Thecna Armasias king of Iuda persecuted him very oft chastized him many times at length the sonne of Amasias tooke him with a clubbe on the temples of the head and killed him while as yet he drew breath after his wound they brought him to his owne countrey and within two dayes after he died and was there also buried Esaias THis great Prophet Esay the sonne of Amos foresaw in a figure the mysterie of Christ when he sawe the Lord sitting vpon an high and glorious seate where sayeth he the Seraphines stoode about him whereof one hadde sixe wings and an other hadde sixe wings wherewith they couered their faces and cried one to the other in this maner Holy holy holy is the Lorde of hostes the whole earth is full of his glory Then was there one of the Seraphins sent which tooke of the altar an hotte cole with the tongs and touched his lips saying this taketh away thine vnrighteousnes He was so fully instructed by the vision he sawe and perswaded of the type and figure that he foreshewed the mysterie of Christ Againe he was so endued with grace from aboue that he prophecied of the mysterie of Christes passion in this sort He was ledde as a sheepe to be slaine yet was he as still as a Lambe before the sherer and opened not his mouth The Eunuche of Ethiopia reading this Prophecie requested Philip to expound it vnto him who immediatly declared that the Prophet had said this most truely of Christ our Lord. againe he saith He is suche a man as hath good experience of sorowes and infirmities And againe He did none euil neither was there guile found in his mouth yet the Lord will clense him of his wound and shewe light vnto him Againe Thus sayth the Lord Behold I lay in Sion for a foundation a stone euen a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation and who so beleeueth on him shall not be confounded Againe The spirite of the Lord is vpon me therefore hath he anoynted me c. When the Lord readd this in the synagogue on the Sabaoth he sayd Verely I say vnto you this day is this scripture fulfilled in your eares This Esay was of Ierusalem He died at Ierusalem vnder king Manasses being sawed a sunder in two partes and was buried vnder the Oke nighe the well of Rogel hard by the place where the waters ranne which king Ezechias dammed vp It was by this Prophet that God wrought the monument and memoriall of the place called Siloam for when breath failed him before death came he called for a litle water to drinke which was immediatly sent vnto him out of this brooke therfore the place is called Siloam which is by interpretatioÌ„ as much to say as sent In y â— time of Ezechias before this lake or pond was made there came out a litle water at y â— prayer of Esay for the people were then in the plaine couÌ„treys of y â— Moabites who were aliens and left y â— citie perished through want of water for the enemies enquired where they might drinke the Citie being beset they besieged also the brooke Siloam which was drie vnto them there came forth water when the Iewes prayed together with Esay Therefore it runneth continewally after a secret sort vnto this day for to reueale this great myracle And because this was done by Esay the Iewes for memorial therof buried him with great care and honor nigh Siloam that by his holy prayers they might in like sort enioy the benefite of this water after his departure out of this world for he had an aunswere from aboue to doe as he did His sepulchre is nighe where the kings are buried behinde the buriall of the Iewes towardes the Southe Solomon builded the tumbe of Dauid vnto the East of mount Sinâ— hauing an entraunce to goe in from the way which cometh out of Gabaon out of the Citie about a twentie furlongs He made it so crooked and so awrie that it can hardly be perceaued so that many Priestes and in maner the whole nation of the Iewes coulde not vnto this day finde the way that goeth in King Solomon had laide vp there golde that came out of Aethiopia and spice And because Ezechias shewed and dishonored the bones of his fathers therefore God badde him assure him selfe it woulde come to passe that his seede should serue his ennemies and he made him baren and frutelesse from that day forth Ioel. GOd gaue of his spirite vnto the Prophet Ioel that he foreshewed the mysterie of Christ For he sayeth And it shall be in the last dayes sayth the Lorde Of my spirite I will poure out vpon all flesh your sonnes your daughters shall prophecie your yong nien shall see visions and your old men shall dreame dreames On my seruauntes on my handmaideÌ„s I vvill poure out of my spirit in those dayes and they shal prophecie I wil shew wonders in heauen aboue tokens in the earth beneath bloud fire and the vapour of smoke the sunne shal be turned into darknes and the Moone into bloud before that great notable day of the Lord come And it shall come to passe that whosoeuer shal cal vpon the name of the Lord shal be saued S. Peter rehearsed this Prophecie in the Acts of the Apostles that it was euen then fulfilled wheÌ„ as the holy Ghost came downe from heauen and rested vpon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost This Ioel was a neighbour vnto the citie Bethomeron in Rubim where he died was also buried in peace Ionas IOnas hath not barely in word but truely in deede foreshewed the mysterie of our sauiours resurrection For Christ sayth in the gospell Euen as Ionas was three dayes and three nightes in the bellie of the whale so shall the sonne of man be three dayes and three nights in the bowelles of the earth Euen as the whale cast vp Ionas vncorrupt so hathe the sepulchre restored the Lorde to the better life This Ionas was of Cariathmaus nigh Azotus a Citie lying on the sea coaste towardes the Gentiles After he came out of the whales bellie and taken his way to the Citie of Niniue he taried not in that lande but tooke his mother and soâ—orned in Assur a foraine soyle He thought with him selfe by this meanes I shall take away the infamie which I haue purchased vnto my selfe by prophecying falsely against
the Citie of Niniue Elias hauing propheried in those dayes against the house of Achaab and called for famine to light vpon the earth fledd away and being come to a widowe which had a childe he taried there for he coulde not abide among the vncircumcized blessed her When Ionas died God raised him to lif by Elias for he would haue him then know that he coulde not flie from the hand and power of God After the famine was ended Ionas left that countrey and gotte him to the land of Iuda and when his mother died by the way he buried her by mount Libanus He died also him self in Saar and was buried in the caue of Cenzeum who had bene made iudge ouer one tribe in his countrey what time the lande wanted a Prince This Prophet gaue straunge tokens vnto Ierusalem and the whole land to witte a stone crying very lamentably that the end was at hande that when Ierusalem were troden and frequented of all nations then the Citie should be destroyed Sophonias SOphonie was also thought worthy to prophecie of y ◠Lord Iesus Christ For thus he saith the lord shal be terrible vnto them destroy all the gods in the land al the isles of the heathen shal worship him euery man in his place And again I wil clense the lips of the people that they may euery one cal vpon the name of the Lord serue him vnder one yoke from beyōd the riuers of Aethiopia will I take my dispersed and they shall bring me an offering And againe Reioyce O daughter Sion be ioyful o Israel reioyce and be glad from thy whole heart o daughter Ierusalem for the Lord hath wiped away thy vnrighteousnes he hath redemed thee from the hand of thine enemies the Lord him selfe wil raigne in the middest of thee so that thou shalt no more see any mischiefe befall vnto thee These things do properly appertaine vnto the Lord Iesus Christ This Sophonias was of the tribe of Simeon and the lande Sabarthatha He prophecied of the Citie the ende of Israel and confusion of the wicked He died and was buried in his owne land Ieremie IEremie receaued grace from aboue to prophecie of the mysterie of Christ For he sayeth And they tooke thirtie peeces of siluer the price of him that was valewed whom they bought of the children of Israel and gaue them for the potters fielde as the Lorde appoynted me Mathew remembred this prophecie in the gospell as then fulfilled in the passion of Christ Againe sayeth the same prophet Behold the dayes will come saith the Lord and I will make a new couenaunt with the house of Israel the house of Iuda not such a couenant as I made with their fathers what time I brought them with a mightye arme out of Aegypt For they kept not my couenant and therfore I haue despised thē saith the Lord but this is the couenant which I will make with the house of Israel After those dayes sayeth the Lorde I will set my lawes in their mindes and I will write them in their hearts and I wil be their God and they shall be my people neither shal euery one then teach his brother or his neighbour saying knowe the Lord. for euery one shall know him from the lowest to the highest because I will haue mercie on their iniquities their sinnes will I remēber no more S. Paule writing to the Romains put them in remembrance of this prophecie This Ieremy was of Anathoth the people stoned him at Taphnis in Aegypt and so he dyed and lyeth buried there where Pharaos pallace stoode The Aegyptians beinge greatlye benefited by him did him that honor For he had prayed for them when certayne Adders and beastes that were bred in the water molested them sore such as the Aegyptians called Menephoth and the Grecians Crocodils And at this day also the faithful thereabouts do praye in that place take vp duste from thence for to cure suche as are hurte of those beastes Manye of them also doe vse therewyth to chase away these venemous creatures into other waters We our selues haue learned of some that were of the line of Antigonus and Ptolomaeus auncient and elderlye men that Alexander king of Macedonia comming vnto that place where the Prophet was buried and hearing of the misteries therof translated his tumbe reliques into Alexandria placed them there with great pompe glory on euery side so that kinde of serpent was banished that land also and that water in like sort thus were the serpents whom they call Argolai that is Lisards put away being brought out of Peloponnesus so that the people there are called Argolai that is lasy loubers their speach is nice fine but altogether infortunate This Ieremy gaue the priests in Aegypt warning that their Idols must be broken and throwen to the grounde by a sauiour that was a babe that shoulde be borne of a virgine and layde in a Manger And therefore at this day they sette a virgine in bed and an infant in a Manger and adore them And when as of old king Prolomaeus demaunded of them why they did so their aunswere was that their auncestors had deliuered them that mystery and receaued it of the holy prophet before the temple was taken this prophet tooke out the Arke of couenant all that was laid vp therin and hid it in a certen rocke saying vnto such as were present The Lord from Sinai is gone vp into heauen againe the lawgeuer shall come out of Sion with great power and the signe of his comming shal be vnto you when all nations shal honor a tree he said moreouer no man shall take away that Arke except Aaron and no man shall see the tables laide vp therein be he priest or be he Prophet except Moses the chosen of God And at the resurrection the Arke shall firste rise and come forth out of the rocke and it shall be layde on mount Sina and thither vnto it will all the Saincts assemble together lookinge for the Lord and flying from the enemy which would haue destroyed them comming vnto this rocke he sealed vp this Arke with his finger writing thereon the name of God the forme of it was like the ingrauing of iron and a light cloud ouer shadowed and couered the name of God neither knew any man this place neither could any man reade the sealinge vnto this day neither shall vnto the end This rock is in the desert where y ◠Arke was made at the first betwene two mountains where Moses Aaron lie buried And in the night time a cloude muche like fire couereth this place euen as it did of olde The glory of God can neuer be awaye from the name of God Therefore God gaue vnto Ieremy the grace that he should finish his mystery become companion with Moses Aaron who are ioyned together vnto this day For Ieremy came of the line of the priests Hulda
HVLDA a prophetesse the wife of Sallum dwelled in Ierusalem in the time of Iosias The king sent Helkia the priest with many others vnto her for to vnderstand what the will of the Lord was toutchinge their doings she aunswered in this sort Thus saith the Lord God of Israel tell ye the man that sent you vnto me Euen thus saith the Lorde beholde I will bringe euell vpon this place and vpon the inhabiters thereof euen all the curses that are written in the booke which they haue read before the king of Iuda because they haue forsaken me and haue offered vnto other gods to anger me with all manner workes of their hands therefore is my wrath set on fire against this place and shal not be queÌ„ched And as for the king of Iuda which sent you to enquire of the Lord so shall ye say vnto him thus saith the Lorde God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard because thine heart did melt and thou didst humble thy selfe before God wheÌ„ thou heardest his words against this place against the inhabiters humbledst thy self before me cariedst thy clothes didst weep before me I haue heard it also saith the lord behold I wil take thee to thy fathers thou shalt be put in thy graue in peace thine eies shall not see all the mischiefe that I will bringe vpon this place and vpon the inhabiters of the same Naum. GOd endued Naum with his spirit that he prophecied of the resurrection of our Lorde Christ Keepe thy festiuall dayes O Iuda pay thy vowes vnto the Lord for the wicked shal passe no more through thee the wicked is vtterly cut of he that rid thee out of trouble riseth vp breathing in thy face This Naum was of Elâ—esis ouer Bethabara and of the tribe of Symeon After Ionas he prophecied straungely of Niniue that they shoulde all be destroyed by sweete waters and fire vnder grounde whiche came so to passe for the meare or lake which compasseth the citie at a certen earthquake drowned and destroyed all and fire that came out of the desert consumed the vpper part of the citie This Naum died in peace and was buried in his owne land Abacuk THe spirit of God came vpon Abacuk that he prophecied of the resurrection of Christe his wordes are these Beholde ye despisers and wonder and perishe ye â–ª for I doe a worke in your dayes a worke whiche ye shall not belieue though a man declare it you S. Paule applyed this prophecy very well at Antioch in Pisidia to haue bene spoken of the resurrection of our Lord Iesus Christ This Abacuk was of the tribe of Simeon and the land Bithicuchar he foresaw the taking of Ierusalem before the captiuity and therefore lamented greatly And when Nabuchodonosor came vp against Ierusalem he fled into Ostracina and dwelled in y e land of the Ismaelites wheÌ„ as such captiues as were in Chaldaea returned againe such as were left in IerusaleÌ„ went downe to Aegypt he dwelled in his owne land And when on a certen time he ministred foode vnto y â— reapers of his land took poâ—tage â–ª he prophecied vnto his seruants saying â–ª I will go into a far country but I will returne quickly againe â—f ye see y t I tary to long geue you vnto y e reapers their meaâ— when he had bene in Babylon geuen y â— prophet Daniel his dinner immediatly he was by the reapers as they sate at meat neither made he them priuie to any thing y t was done he knew y â— the people would shortly returne out of Babylon â–ª two yeares before their returne he dyed was buryed in his owne land he prophecied also of the destruction of the temple that a nation should come out of the west destroy it then saith he the Cipres silke robe of the inner temple shal be set abrode the pinacles of the two pillours shal be taken away no man shall know where they shal be laide they shal be caried by an Angell into the desert where the Arke of couenant went at the first And about the end the Lord shal be knowen in them and he will lighten them that sit in darkenes and suffred persecution of the serpent as he did from the beginning Ezechiel THis Ezechiel prophecied in Babylon was endued with grace from aboue to prophecie of the mystery of Christ for he saith â–ª I will deliuer them out of all their trouble and iniquities and I will clense them and they shal be my people and I will be their God â–ª As formy se ruant â–ª Dauid he shal be a prince in the middest of them â–ª and there shal be one sheperde ouer them all for they will walke in my commaundements And againe These waters floweâ— out into the sea tovvards the east and runne dovvne into Arabia and come into the sea comming thither the vvater shal be wholsome yea it will come to passe that all which liue and moue where this riuer commeth shal be preserued This Ezechiel was of the countrey Sarira the line of priests â–ª he dyed in Chaldaea in the time of the captiuity after he had prophecied very muche vnto the inhabitants of Iudaea the Duke of the people of Israel slewe him at Babylon because he reproued him of Iâ—â—latrye and the people buried him in the fielde Maur in the sepulchre of Sem and Arphaxad the progenitors of Abraham that monument is a duble caue for Abraham built in Chebron a sepulchre vnto Sara after that fashion It is called duble because it is made of turninges and windinges standinge vpon the playne grounde yet hanginge in a certaine rocke He gaue the people a straunge token that they should note when y â— riuer Chobat dried vp then perswade theÌ„selues that the hook or sieth of destruction was at hand euen to the bounds of the earth againe when it ouerflowed the city of Ierusalem y â— their returne was at hand for the holy Prophet dwelled at that riuer and thither it was that many resorted vnto him It fell out that when there was a great multitude of people about him y â— Chaldaeans stood in great fears of y â— Hebrews lest they molested theÌ„ when they set vpon them for to slay theÌ„ the prophet caused the water of y e riuer to deuide itself to geue them passage to flie vnto the further banke that as many of the Chaldaeans as putsued after them y â— fled should be drowned The same prophet praied vnto God in the time of scarsity and dearth in so doing procured vnto the people great store of fish againe when many of them died he en reated the Lord for them that they were restored to life when the people was in maner destroyed he wrought such wonderfull miracles y â— he discouraged their enemies and that God smote them from aboue when the people saide vnto him we perishe
there remaineth no hope for vs he perswaded them by prophecying of dead bones that there was comfort inough left for Israel both for the present and for the time to come This Prophet Iudged Israel and shewed what shoulde become both of Ierusalem and the Temple He was taken from Babylon that he came to Ierusalem the same houre to rebuke suche as beleeued not in God This Prophet sawe euen as Moses did before him the fygure of the Temple the Wall and what was thereabout and the gate through the whiche the Lorde was to enter in and toe goe out and that it woulde come to passe that the same gate woulde be shut and that all nations shoulde put their trust in the Lorde In Babylon he iudged the tribe of Dan and of Gad because they wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord in persecuting them that kept the â—awe and he gaue them a terrible token for Adders destroyed their children and all their cattell for their sinne and iniquitye He prophecyed also that for their sakes the people shoulde not returne vnto their owne countrey but shoulde remayne in Media vntill they had repented them One of these was he that slewe this Prophet Daniel THe prophet Daniel prophecied in Babylon and was accepted of as one that was fit to prophecy of Christ. Know therefore vnderstand saith he that froÌ„ the going forth of the coÌ„maundement to bring againe the people and to build Ierusalem vnto Messias the prince there shal be seuen weeks and threescore two weekes c. Againe in an other place There vvas a sâ—one cut vvithout hands the stone smote the image it became also a great mountaine and filled the vvhol earth Againe And behold there came one in the clouds of heauen like the sonne of man vvhich vvent vnto the auncient of dayes vnto him there vvas geuen honor povver wyth other things that ther are laide downe This Daniel was of the tribe of Iudah a noble man borne being a yong childe he was led into captiuity out of Iudaea into the land of the Chaldees he was in the vpper Betheron so chasâ—â— man that the Ievves thought he had bene gelded he bewayled verye muche both the people and the holye citie Ierusalem He brought him selfe verye Iowe and weake by fastinge and abstayninge from delicate foode feedynge vpon the fruite of the earth In forme of bodye he was drye and leaue but in the fauour of God he was moyste and of good likinge At the request of Balthasar the kings sonne this prophet prayed very much for king Nabuchodonosor who was transformed into the figure of a monstrous beast that his father should not be cast away In the fore partes and the heade he was like an Oxe the hinder partes with the feete resembled the Lyon his heares were as Egles feathers and his nayles lyke byrdes 〈◊〉 â–ª It was reuealed vnto this holye man that the Kinge for his brutishe sensualitye and stifneckednesse â–ª shoulde be transformed into a beaste That is to saye he shoulde be made subiecte vnto Belial lyke an Oxe vnder yoke and resemble a Lyon for his raueninge tyrannye and crueltye These are the propertyes of Potentates in their youth vntill at length they are become bruite beasts rauening slaying practising tyrauny and all kinde of impieâ—y and in the end they receaue of the iust iudgment of God the reward of their wickednes The spirit of God gaue this holy man to vnderstand that like an Oxe he woulde â—eede vpon hay which was his food Wherefore Nabuchodonosor after he had digested this meate he recouered the sense and vnderstandinge of man he wept he made supplication vnto the Lord day night he prayed vnto y e Lord forty times And being come vnto him self yet forgate he that he had bene made a man The vse of his tongue was taken away that he could not speak and vnderstanding of that immediatly he fel a mourning His eyes by reason of his continuall lamentation gaue forth a dead look Many went out of y e citie to see him yet only Daniel would not go for al â–ª y â— while he was so transformed Daniel ceassed not to pray for him his saying was he wil become a man again theÌ„ wil I see him but they gaue no credit vnto his words Daniel by praying vnto y â— most highest brought to passe y t the seuen years whoÌ„ he called seuen times were turned into seuen moneths that y e mystery of y e seuen times should in theÌ„ be finished within y â— space ofâ—enen mâ—â—eths he was restored vnto him selfe y e sixe yeares y t were behind the fiue moneths he prostrated him self before the Lord confessing his sinnes iniquity And when he had obtained remission of sinne he gaue his kingdome vnto y e prophet he eat neither bread neither flesh nor dronk wine but coÌ„fessed his sinnes vnto y e lord For Daniel had coÌ„maunded him to feed vpoÌ„ pulse herbs so to please y e Lord â–ª wherfore he called Daniel Balthasar would haue made him cahere w t his sonnes â–ª but as toutching the kingdome the holy prophet would none of it his aunswere was be fauourable vnto me O Lorde that I forsake not the inheritance of my fathers and become heire vnto the vncircumcised He wrought many straunge wonders in the presence of the other kings of Persia whiche are not written Daniel dyed in Chaldaea and was honorably buried alone in a princely sepulchre he gaue a terrible token as toutchinge the mountaines ouer Babylon saying When ye see them smoke of the North side the destruction of Babylon is at hand When ye see them burne then the whole worlde is nigh to an ende If out of these mountaines in time of calamitie there shall flowe out water then the people shall returne into their owne lande if blood doe runne out there will be greate slaughter throughout the worlde After all this holy man of God rested in peace Baruch BAruch liued in the time of the prophet Ieremy he was his scribe he wrote out of Ieremies mouth read it before Ioachas the sonne of Iosias king of Iuda after he had read it he was faine to flye awaye and hide him selfe together wyth Ieremy for the booke was burned It appeareth after this â—light he was verye timorous God sent Ieremye to reproue him for it Beinge ledde captiue into Babylon when Ieremye went downe to Aegypt he wrote that booke which beareth his name the which was sent from thence to Ierusalem to be read in the temple vpon high dayes Vrias VRias was of Cariath-iarim the sonne of Semei he prophecied against the citie of Ierusalem and the whole lande of ludaea euen as Ieremye did Ioacim the sonne of Iosias kinge of Iuda sought to kill him therefore Vrias hearing of it was very much affraide fled away and got him into Aegypt but king Ioacim sent meÌ„ after Vrias which brought him out
him selfe looke what he prophecyed euerye daye the same was wrytten seuerallye as the Prophete vttered it He preached of some certayne matter and againe when as at an other tyme he prophecyed of an other thinge it was againe wrytten And suche thinges as were spoken followed after the chapiters that went before and had theyr titles layd downe in the beginings and thus the wholl and perfect booke was made of the diuerse and sundry sermons of that Prophete By this meanes it cometh to passe that we finde in the bookes of the Prophetes the chapiter noted and applied either vnto the captiuitie in Babylon or else vnto the returne thence and anone agayne an other chapiter either toutching Christ or concerning some other matter immediatly againe of a◠other thinge and by and by afterwardes of the former watter And to speake the wholl in one worde vnlesse a man will reade them with good aduisemente and graue iudgemente he will thinke them confusely placed and out of order They wrote not one lye the Prophetes workes in this order by peeces in the temple but also the bookes of the kinges Namelye such things as were from the dayes of Saul vnto his raygne and in the tyme of Dauid what happened vnder Saul vnto the raygne of Dauid and thus they wrote the seuerall actes of euerye kinge at seuerall tymes euen as the Chronicles are layde downe in the raygne of the kinges and so of the contrarye Moses wrote the fiue bookes called Pentateuchus to witte the historie of the thinges that were done before his time from the beginninge of the worlde what happened in his tyme and what shoulde come to passe after his dayes Iesus Naue wrote his owne booke The bookes of y ◠Iudges were wrytten in the temple that is to say in the tabernacle Euen so was Ruth Solomon him selfe wrote his owne Prouerbes the Canticle of Canticles and the booke of the preacher called Ecclesiastes For when he had receaued of God the gifte of wisedome he exhorted all men to liue wisely in this world He had not the gift of prophecy We haue rehearsed before such as were inspired from aboue to prophecye of Christ Of the twelue Apostles and Euangelistes 1. Symon Peter THe firste is Simon Peter the chiefe of the Apostles He as we are geuen to vnderstande by his Epistles preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Bithynia and in the ende preached at Rome where afterwardes he was crucified the thyrde Calends of Iuly vnder Nero the Emperour with his heade downewards for that was his desire and there also buried 2. Andrewe ANdrewe the brother of Simon Peter as our elders haue deliuered vnto vs preached the Gospell of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto the Scythians Sogdians Sacians and in the middle Sebastopolis inhabited of wilde Aethiopians He was crucified by Aegeas kinge of the Edessaeans buried at Patris a citie in Achaia 3. Iames the sonne of Zebedaeus IAmes the sonne of Zebedie a fisherman preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto the twelue dispersed tribes He was slayne with the sworde by Herode the retrache of the Iewes in Iudaea where he is also buried 4. Iohn IOhn the brother of Iames who was also an Euangeliste whome the Lorde loued preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in Asia The Emperour ▪ Traian exiled him into the Isle Patmos for the worde of God where he wrote also his Gospell the which afterwardes be published at Ephesus by Gaius his hoaste and Deacon of whome Paul the Apostle wryting to the Romaines hath testified saying Gaius myne hoast and of the wholl Church saluteth you After the death of Traian he returned out of the Isle Patmos and remayned at Ephesus vntill he had liued a hundred twenty yeres Which being expired he liuing as yet y ◠Lord would so haue it buried him selfe There are some which wryte that he was not banished into y ◠Isle Patmos vnder Traian but in the time of Domitian the sonne of Vespasian 5. Philip. PHilip of the city Bethsalda preached the Gospell in Phrygia he was honorably buried at Hierapolis with his daughters 6. Bartholomewe BArtholomewe preached the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ vnto the Indians and deliuered vnto them the Gospell of Mathewe He rested and was buried in Albania a citie of Armenia the greate 7. Thomas THomas as it hath bene deliuered vnto vs preached the Gospell of our Sauiour Christ Iesus vnto the Parthians Medes and Persians He preached also vnto the Caramans Hircans Bactrians and Magicians He rested at Calamina a citie in India beinge slayne with a darte which they call a speare or iauelin where he was also honorably buried 8. Mathewe MAthewe the Euangelist wrote the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ in the Hebrewe tongue and deliuered it vnto Iames the brother of the Lorde accordinge vnto the flesh who was Bishop of Ierusalem He dyed at Hierapolis in Parthia where he was also honorably buried 9. Simon Zelotes SImon Zelotes preached Christ throughout Mauritania Aphricke the lesse At lengthe he was crucified at Brettania slayne and buried 10. Iude the brother of Iames. IVdas the brother of Iames called also Thaddaeus and Lebbaeus preached vnto the Edessaeans and throughout all Mesopotamia He was slayne in Berytus in the time of Agbarus king of Edessa and buried very honorably 11. Simon Iudas otherwise Iames the sonne of Alphaeus SImon syrnamed Iudas who succeeded Iames in the Byshopricke of Ierusalem I take him to be Iames the sonne of Alphaeus was crucified vnder Traian and slaine in Ostracina in Aegypt whē he had liued a hundred and two yeares 12. Mathias MAthias beinge one of the seuentye Disciples was afterwardes numbered with the eleuen Apostles in y ◠rowme of Iudas the traitor He preached the Gospell in Aethiopia about y ◠hauen called Hyssus and the riuer Phasis vnto barbarous nations and rauenours of fleshe He died at Sebastopolis where he was also buried nigh the temple of Sol. Paul PAul being called of the Lorde Iesus Christ him selfe after his assumption and numbered in the Catalogue of the Apostles beganne to preache the Gospell from Ierusalem and wente on still vnto Illyricum Italy Spayne His Epistles are extant at this day ful of all heauenly wisedome He was beheaded at Rome vnder Nero the third Calendes of Iuly so died a Martyr lieth there buried with Peter the Apostle Marke the Euangelist MArke the Euangelist the first Bishop of Alexandria preached the Gospell vnto the people of Alexandria all the bordering regions frō Aegypt vnto Pentapolis In the tyme of Traiā he had a cable rope tied about his necke at Alexandria by the which he was drawen frō the place called Bucolus vnto the place called Angels where he was burned to ashes by the furious Idolatrers in the moneth of Aprill and buried at Bucolus Luke LVke the Euangeliste of the citye of Antioch
worlde there raigned after kinge Dauid Solomon ouer Israel ouer Iuda Roboam Abia Asa Iosaphat Ioram Ochozias Athalia Ioas Amasias Azarias Ioathan Achaz Ezechias Manasses Amon Iosias Ioachaz Ioacim Iechonias Sedechias vnder whome the captiuitie befell both citie and temple were destroyed the people led into Babylō Yet during the seuenty yeres of their captiuity there wanted not such as taught them such as prophecied vnto them of their deliuerance comforted them in their misery In the fift age of the worlde after the captiuitye the Israelites were gouerned by Zorobabel Resa Ioanna Iudas Iosephus Abner Semei Mattathias Aser Maath Nagid Arphaxad Agar Heli Masbot Naum Amos Sirach Mattathias Siloa Ioseph Arses Ianneus Hircanus Iudas Machabaeus Ionathas Simon Ionathas Iohannes Hircanus Aristobulus Alexander Hircanus Antigonus Aristobulus and Herode the Aliene in whose time Christe Iesus was borne in the fleshe These are the successions of Magistrates and Gouernours of all sortes as well of the vvicked to chastise as of the godly to cherishe whom God appointed to gouerne his people to vpholde the trueth to extoll vertue to roote out vice and to praise his holye name From Aaron vnto the byrth of Christ there were priests ordained to offer sacrifice vnto God to pray for the sinnes of the people and to preach the word of trueth Whose names as I reade in the Ecclesiasticall history of Nicephorus are these Aaron Eleazer phinees Eliezer Bochchi Ozi Heli Achitob Abimelech Abiathar Sadoc Achimaas Azarias Ioram Iodas Axioran Sadeus Phadaeus Iculus Ioathā Vrias Neri Ioas Selam Helchias Sareas Iosedech Iesus Ioachim Eliasib Ioachaz Ioannes Iaddaeus Onias Simō Eleazar Manasses Onias Simon Onias Iesus Onias Alcimus Onias the sonne of Onias Iudas Machabaeus Ionathas his brother Simon his brother Iohannes Hircanus Aristobulus Iannaeas Alexander Hircanus Antigonus Anaelus Aristobulus Anaelus Iesus and Simon in whose time Christe Iesus was borne From the byrth of Christe as it is to be seene in the Chronographie following vntill the destruction of Ierusalem vnder Titus there were these high priests Matthias Iosephus Ioazarus Eleazar Iesus sea Ananus otherwise Annas Ismael Eleazar Simon Caiphas Ionathas Theophilus Simon Ionathas Matthias Elioneus Ioseph Ananias Ionathas Ismael Iosephus Ananus Iesus Dannaeus Iesus the sonne of Gamaliel Matthias and Phanes in whose time the citie of Ierusalem was taken the temple set on fire and the high priests ceassed There were also from the beginning of the worlde vnto the birth of Christ prophets foreshewing as Dorotheus writeth the promises of God made vnto the fathers wherin he promised to blesse all nations in the seede of Abraham through the saluation that was to come by our Sauiour Iesus Christ Iosephus in his Iudaicall Antiquities writeth that Adam prophecied and foretolde his sonnes the worlde shoulde be twise destroyed first by water afterwardes with fire Iude in his Epistle speaketh of Enoch the seuenth from Adam that he prophecied sayinge beholde the Lorde shall come with thousands of Saincts to geue iudgement against all men and to rebuke all that are vngodly among them of all their vngodly deedes which they haue lewdly committed and of all their cruell speakinges whiche vngodly sinners haue spoken againste him Iacob prophecied that his posteritie shoulde be deliuered out of Aegypt of the comminge of Christ that the scepter should not depart from Iuda and a lawgeuer from betweene his feete vntill Siloh that is the Messias came Ioseph foretolde likewise the children of Israell of their deliuerance out of Aegypt sayinge I die and God will surely visit you and bring you out of this land vnto the lande which he sware vnto Abraham Isaac and Iacob God will not faile but visite you and ye shall carie my bones hence Moses the great worshipper of the high God prophecied of the creation of the worlde and of suche thinges as were done vnto his time the space of two thousande yeares before he was borne againe of Christe he sayde as Peter hath alleadged him in the Actes of the Apostles A Prophete shall the Lorde your God rayse vp vnto you of your brethren lyke vnto me him shall ye heare in all thinges whatsoeuer he shall saye vnto you Samuel was both a iudge ouer Israel a priest and a prophet Dauid Solomon also is sayde to haue bene endued with the spirite of prophecie though Dorotheus be of the contrary opinion Both olde and late writers doe thinke no lesse then that he was a prophet Antoninus hath a tracte intitled De prophetijs Dauid Solomonis of the prophecies of Dauid and Solomon There prophecied moreouer as we finde in holy scripture Nathan Gad Ahias Asaph Idithum Addo Semeia Ioath Oded Azarias Hanani Iehu Iehaziel Eliezer Elias Zacharias Elissaeus Osee Abdias Michaeas Amos Esaias Ioel Ionas Sophonias Ieremie Hulda Naum Abacuk Ezechiel Daniel Baruch Vrias Aggaeus Zacharias Malachias and Iohn the Baptist Whose liues this autor hath briefely runne ouer These prophets in some places of holy scripture are termed Seers in some other places the men of God againe in other places the seruāts of the most high God In the time of King Acab Obadias the gouernour of his house one that feared God hid an hundred prophets in caues yet their names are not knowen of al the prophets generally Peter the Apostle writeth in this sort It is of the saluatiō of your soules that the prophets haue enquired and searched which prophecied of the grace that should come vnto you searching when or at what time the spirit of Christe which was in them shoulde signifie whiche spirit testified before the passions that shoulde happen vnto Christe and the glorie that shoulde followe after vnto which prophets it was also declared that not vnto them selues but vnto vs they shoulde minister the thinges which are now shewed vnto you of them Such was the goodnesse of God towardes mankinde that in times past as S. Paule saith he spake at sundry times and in diuers sorts vnto the fathers by prophets also by the ministery of Angells sent forth for their sakes which shal be heires of saluation In these later dayes being the sixt age of the worlde beginning at Christ and continewinge vnto the day of iudgement that is vnto the seuenth age and the Sabaoth of rest we haue had the twelue Apostles Peter Andrevve Iames Iohn Philip Bartholomevve Mathevve Thomas Iames the sonne of Alphaeus Iude Simon Matthias which was chosen in the rowme of Iudas the traitor Paule is also termed an Apostle and called to the function by our sauiour him selfe cryinge vnto him from heauen after his ascention VVe haue also the foure Euangelists Mathevve Marke Luke and Iohn VVe haue moreouer here layde downe by Dorotheus the catalogue of the seuentie disciples which our Sauiour ordained in the Gospell and appointed to goe by two and two into euerye citie and place where he him selfe shoulde come The first after Dorotheus is Iames the brother of the Lorde called
Iustus and the first Bishop of Ierusalem yet Petrus de natalibus Volaterran and Demochares all which three wrote the catalogue of these disciples doe name no such one Eusebius Clemens Alexandrinus and Paule himselfe doe call him an Apostle and no disciple The 2. is Timothee whome the three aforesayde writers doe not number The 3. Titus The 4. Barnabas so doth Clemens Alexandrinus and Eusebius call him this is that Barnabas which in the Actes of the Apostles as Antoninus writeth was otherwise called Ioses and hauinge land solde it and layde the price downe at the Apostles feete The 5. Ananias The 6. Stephan The 7. Philip Bishop of Tralleis in Asia Volaterran sayth he was Bishop in Thracia Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say he was Bishop in Thracia afterwardes in Scythia Antoninus saith he dyed at Caesarea The 8. Prochorus whom Volaterran calleth Proculus The 9. Nicanor The 10. Simon Bishop of Bostra in Arabia Demochares Volaterran Petrus de natalibus doe saye he was Bishop of Tyre and Sidon The 11. Nicolas Bishop of Sapria yet say the aforesayd three autors it was Samaria The 12. Parmenas The 13. Cleopas The 14. Silas The 15. Siluanus The 16. Crescens bishop of Chalcedonia in Fraūce Volaterran calleth him Crisces Bishop of Chalcedonia Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Chrysches Bishop of Chalcedonia S. Paule sayth he sent this Crescens into Galatia Eusebius sayth the Apostle sent him into Fraunce whereby it appeareth by some mens coniectures that the Epistle vnto the Galatians was writtē by S. Paule vnto the French men The 17. Epaenetus yet Volaterran hath none suche The 18. Andronicus The 19. Amplias Bishop of Odissa Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Ampliatus and Bishop of Edissa Volaterran saith of Edessa The 20. Vrbanus The 21. Stachys the aforesaide autors doe call him Stateus The 22. Apelles Bishop of Smyrna Volaterran saith of Heraclea Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say it was of Eradia The 23. Aristobulus Bishop of Brettania Volaterran saith Betania Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye it vvas Bethania The 24. Narcissus Byshop of Patrae Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe call him Tarcissus Byshop of Athens and Volaterran sayth he was Byshop of Athens The 25. Herodion Volaterran hath none suche The 26. Rufus The 27. Asyncritus The 28. Plegon The 29. Hermes Byshop of Dalmatia Volaterran Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye he was Byshop of Philipolis The 30. Hermas but the other writers haue none suche The 31. Patrobas ▪ Byshop of Nepotiopolis Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe saye of the nation Peli The 32. Agabus The 33. Linus The 34. Gaius Byshope of Ephesus after Timothee yet Origen sayth he was Byshop of Thessalonica The 35. Philologus The 36. Olympas the asoresayde three autors haue none suche Ambrose taketh this Olympas for the sister of Nereus but Origen doth not so The 37. Rodion the other writers remember none of that name The 38. Iason The 39. Sosipater bishop of Iconium Origen taketh him to be that Sopater of Berroea mētioned in the Acts of the Apostles The 40. Lucius whom Origē taketh to be Luke The 41. Tertius bishop of Iconium yet Demochares Petrus de natalibus doe say he was b. of Meiadum Volaterran hath none such The 42. Erastus bishop of Paneas whom Volaterran calleth Erastes b. of Meiadum but Demochares Petrus de natalibus haue none such The 43. Phigellus whom Volaterran calleth Philetus Philegus The 44. Hermogenes The 45. Demas The 46. Quartus The 47. Apollos b. of Caesarea yet Petrus de natalibus saith it was of Connia The 48. Cephas who as Dorotheus gesseth was he whom Paule reprehended at Antioch but it is a fable as it is to be sene in the censure laid downe in Eusebius pag. 15. 16. the aforesaid latine writers haue none such among the disciples The 49. Sosthenes The 50. Epaphroditus b. of Adriana as Demochares saith of Andriaca The 51. Caesar The 52. Marcus the cosin of Barnabas The 53. Ioseph The 54. Artemas whom Volaterran calleth Antomas The 55. Clemens The 56. Onesiphorus or Onesimus yet by the words of Paule they should not be one The 57. Tychicus b. of Chalcedō in Bithynia or as the former autors doe write of Colophonia The 58. Carpus Bishop of Berhoea Petrus de natalibus saith of Beronia and Volaterran saith of Cheronea The 59. Euodius The 60. Philemon The 61. Zenas The 62. Aquila the aforesayde Latine writers doe remember none suche The 63. Priscas whome the Latines doe call Priscus The 64. Iunias Origen and Ambrose doe call him Iulias The 65. Marcus otherwise called Iohn The 66. Aristarchus The 67. Pudas or Pudens The 68. Trophimus The 69. Marke the Euangeliste and the 70. Luke the Euangeliste Besides these 70. I finde others also in holye Scripture vvorthye the notinge namelye Symeon Niger Manahen Iude othervvise called Barsabas Crispus Alexander one that behaued him selfe verye stoutlye at Ephesus Secundus Mnason of Cyprus an olde Disciple Mercurius Nereus Fortunatus Achaicus Syntiches Epaphras Nymphas Archippus Eubolus the Eunuche Baptized of Philippe in the Actes vvhome Eusebius calleth a Disciple vvyth others Other vvryters as Vincentius and Antoninus haue founde out more namelye Sauinianus Potentianus Altinus Cis Maximinus Iohannes Senior Aristion Zozimus Euphrates Martialis Sidonius Lazarus Vrsinus Iulianus and no maruayle for Sayncte Paule vvitnesseth that Christe vvas seene after his resurrection of moe then fiue hundred brethren These be they whom God raised vp to plant the principles of his Gospell and the sounde of their feete was heard throughout the world these be they which fedde with Angelles and became themselues foode for wilde beastes they spared not their liues vnto the death they quenched the heate of fire they turned the edge of the sworde they stopped the mouthes of furious beastes they confounded the tyrants and foyledde the ennemies of the truthe I may say of them as Cyprian speaketh of the true Christians and Martyrs occidi poterant sed vinci non poterant Well they might be slaine but it was vnpossible to ouercome them And yet when the ennemie triumpheth that at lest wise he seemeth to haue brought his purpose about we may comfort our selues with this saying Sanguis martyrum semen Ecclesiae the bloude of the Martyrs is the seede of the Churche Christ him selfe foretolde that whosoeuer woulde be his disciple must take vppe his crosse and followe him These Prophets and these Apostles and these Disciples haue done no lesse Abel was murthered by Cain The children of Israel were oppressed vnder Pharao Elias was persecuted by Iezabel The Prophet Ioath was threatned by Ieroboam and slaine of a Lion Zacharie the sonne of Iehoida was stoned to death Micheas was throwne downe and his necke broken Amos was smitten with a clubbe on the temples of the heade and so brained Esaias was sawed asunder in two partes with a wodden sawe