accustomed to adore in a certaine house fire which continewally burneth vnder the ground they conuey a man whome they make to rore and to crie out as followeth when the king is at his prayers The king must be thrust out of his kingdome He behaueth himselfe lewdly in taking the Christian priest for a godly person Isdigerdes for so was their king called hearing this dreadful voice for all that he reuerenced Maruthas yet purposed he to sende him awaye Then Maruthas being a right godly man gaue himselfe wholly to prayer whereby he found out the fraude and deceate of the Magicians Wherefore he reasoneth thus with the kinge Be no longer deceaued O king but get thee into the house cause the earth to be digged vp thou shalt easily perceaue theyr guile For the fire speaketh not it is a certaine deuise inuēted by men for y ◠purpose The king yeldeth vnto the counsell of Maruthas in he goeth againe vnto the house where the fire continewally burned As soone as the voice was heard the second time he commaunded the earth should be cast vp and there was he founde which spake and cried out the which clamor they tooke to be the commaundement of God himselfe The kinge when he espied theyr lewde treachery was exceedinge wroth and gaue forth charge that euery tenth of the Magician kinred shoulde be executed he turned him to Maruthas and willed him to buylde churches where pleased him best Upon this occasion it fell out that y ◠faith in Christ florished exceedingly in the kingdome of Persia For that time Maruthas left Persia and tooke his voyage to Constantinople Shortely after he went againe in embassie into Persia by that time the Magicians found out other deceytfull deuises and a freshe they fall a forging to the end the kinges mind might be alienated from him Of sette purpose they infected the ayer of a certaine place where the king was wont to frequent with a stinking sauour and with all they sclaunder the Christians that it was scattered by them But the kinge hauinge iust cause to suspect the Magicians for theyr former wiles made great inquire who should play so slutush a parte at length by longe sifting it was knowen that the Magicians themselues had caused this corrupte odour for the nonce to be spred all ouer the place wherefore againe he executed many of them but Maruthas he had in greate estimation Thence forth he loued the Romaynes entirely embraced thē in league of peace friendship The king was almost become a christian when Maruthas together w t Ablaatus the Persiā bishop published vnto y ◠world an other experimēt or triall of the Christian faith for they both beinge continewally geuen to watch and to pray cast a Deuell out of the kinges sonne which tormented him out of measure But death preuented him and abridged the raines of his mortall rare ere he coulde fully be instructed in the Christian faith After his desease his sonne Bararanes enioyed the crowne in whose dayes as it shall be hereafter more plainely declared the league betwene the Romaynes and the Persians was broken CAP. IX The succession of Bishops in the Church of Antioch and Rome ABout that time when Flauianus Bishop of Antioch had departed this life Porphyrius was chosen in his rowme and after Porphyrius Alexander was made Bishop of that seae In the Churche of Rome when that Damasus had gouerned the Ecclesiasticall affayres the space of eighteene yeares Siricius succeeded him in the Bishoprick Againe after that Siricius had continewed there the tearme of fifteene yeares departed this life Anastasius was Bishop three yeares after his desease Innocentius who firste droue the Nouatians out of Rome and depriued them of many Churches was made Bishop of that seae CAP. X. Howe that Alarichus tooke Rome and made it subiect vnto the Barbarians IT fell out in those dayes that Rome was taken of the Barbarians For one Alarichus a Barbarian being in league with the Romaynes and sometime ayded the Emperour Theodosius in the battaill agaynst the tyrant Eugenius and therefore was aduaunced into great honour by the Romaines when he could not paciently content him selfe with the prosperous sayle of fortunate successes although he aspired not vnto the Emperiall seepter yet left he Constantinople and posted in all the hast into the Weste partes of the worlde He was no sooner come into lllyrium but he subdued vnto him all that contreye As he went forewardes on his iorneye the Thessalians withstoode him aboute the entries of the riuer Peneus the readye waye by Mounte Pindus vnto Nicopolis a citie of Epirus the sielde beinge there pitched the Thessalians slew aboue three thousand men After that bloody s kirmishe the Barbarians which accompanied Alarichus ransackinge and spoylinge both towne and coutrey as they went tooke at length the citie of Rome They rāsacked the citie They defaced and fired many worthie monuments they violently spoiled the citizens of theyr money they executed many of the Senatours with sundry kindes of tormente Alarichus to the ende he might bring the Royall porte and maiestie of the Emperiall scepter into contempt and derision proclaymed Emperour one whose name was Attalus this man by his procuremc̄t walked abroade the space of one wholl daye with a garded troope of souldiers the next day after in the attyre and habite of a seruant When these things preuailed then in suche sorte as you heare Alarichus tooke his heeles and ranne away for the reporte that was bruted abroad of Theodosius y ◠Emperours great power marching to geue him battaill astonied his mind and put him in great feare Neither was it a fable or a forged rumor but for moste certaine trueth that the Emperours host made expedition to wage battaill with him He when as he coulde in no wise away with that fame gaue him selfe to flight The reporte goeth that as he went towardes Rome a certaine monk met him which admonished him not to delite him selfe with perpetrating of such haynous and horrible offences neither to reioyce in committing of slaughter and bloodshed Whome Alarichus answered in this sorte I God knovveth doe take this voyage agaynst my will There is one which molesteth me dayly nay he compelleth me by force and sayth thus vnto me goe on thy iorney destroy the citie of Rome So farre of Alarichus CAP. XI Of the Bishops which in those dayes gouerned the Church of Rome AFter Innocentius Zosimus gouerned the Churche of Rome the space of two yeares after his desease Bonifacius was Bishop three yeares whome Celestinus succeeded This man banished the Nouatians out of Rome depriued them of their Churches and constrayned Rusticula their Bishop priuely to rayse priuate conuenticles For vnto that time the Nouatiās florished at Rome enioyed many churches had vnder thē great cōgregatiōs but they were thē hated out of measure whē as the bishop of Rome no otherwise thē the bishop of
inueÌ„ted such things to deface the true and catholicke faith When they had ended these lowde speaches the Councell brake vp The Emperour vnderstaÌ„ding of this coÌ„mauÌ„ded them forthwith to exile banishmeÌ„t determineth w t him selfe to summone a generall couÌ„cell to y â— end after citing of all the easterne bishops into the west contries he might if it were possible bring them all to embrace vnitie and concorde But after better aduisement taken with him selfe he sawe it was a very hard matter to compasse by reason of the farre contries and longe iourney and therefore he commaunded the Councell shoulde be deuided into two partes the bishops then present to assemble at Ariminum a citie of Italie the bishops of the East to meete at Nicomedia a ritie in Bithynia But his purpose tooke no prosperous successe for nere nother of y â— Councells agreed â–ª within them selues both was deuided into sundry factions For neither could the bishops which mett at AriminuÌ„ in Italy agree amonge them selues neyther the bishops of the East among them selues for they raysed a newe schisme at Seleucia a citie of Isauria but howe all this came to passe I will hereafter rehearse in processe of our discourse if that first I say somewhat of Eudoxius In the very same time Leontius â–ª who preferred Actius the hereticke to the degree of Deaconship hauing departed this lyfe Eudoxius bishop of Germanicia a citie of Syria then beyng at Rome thought it high time for him to returne into the East he dealeth doubly with the Emperour forlicence to depart with speede alleadginge for him selfe that the citie of Germanicia stoode in greate neede of his helpe and ghostly counsell The Emperour litle thinkinge what fetches he had in his heade gaue him his pasport He through the sute and furtherance of the Emperours chamberlaynes left his owne citie and crept through wyle and subtletie into the byshopricke of Antioche he endeuoureth to restore Actius agayne into the church and goeth about to summone a Councell of byshops and to make him Deacon agayne But his lewde dryft was longe in brynginge about because the hatred owed vnto Actius was of more force to repell him then the hartie good wyll and furtherance Eudoxius vsed to restore him but of this we neede no more wordes Of them which assembled at Ariminum the Easterne byshops not mentioninge the businesse aboute Athanasius signified that the cause of their comminge was to discourse of other matters Vrsacius and Valens who at the firste were Arians and afterwards exhibited a recantation vnto the byshop of Rome subscribing as I sayd before vnto the clause of One substance stoode them in great stead for these two continewally cleaued vnto the stronger and the surer side There came also to take their part Germanius Auxentius Demophilus Caius In the assembly of bishops then present when diuers men would haue diuers things enacted Vrsacius Vales affirmed y â— all formes of faith layd downe in times past were thenceforth to be caÌ„celled that y â— new forme of faith published a litle before at y â— councell of SirmiuÌ„ was to be coÌ„firmed When they had so sayd they gaue forth a shete of paper which they had in their haÌ„ds to be read The second creede written before at Sirmium suppressed there as I sayd before read also at AriminuÌ„ translated out of the Latine into y â— Greeke toÌ„gue was layd downe in these words This Catholick faith was published at SirmiuÌ„ in the presence of Costantius our liege lord Flauius Eusebius Hypatius renowmed consuls the eleuenth Kalends of Iune VVe beleue in one onely true God the father almightie creator and maker of all things in one onely begotten sonne of God who was before all worlds before all beginninges before all tymes that may be imagined and begotten of God the father vvithout any passion before all comprehensible knowledge by vvhome both the vvorld and all things were made one only begotten begotten of the father alone God of God like vnto the father which begatt him according vnto the scriptures vvhose generation no man hath knovven saue the father vvhich begatt him him vve knovve his onely begotten sonne to haue come dovvne from heauen at the fathers becke to banishe and vvype avvay synne to haue bene borne of the Virgine Marie to haue bene conuersant vvith the disciples to haue fulfilled according vnto his fathers will all his message to haue bene crucified to haue suffred died to haue descended into hell and there to haue disposed all things at whose sight the porters of hell gates trembled to haue risen againe the third day againe to haue accoÌ„panied with his disciples after 40. dates were expired to haue ascended into heauen where he sitteth at the right hand of the father and shall come againe at the last day with the glory of his father to reward euery one according vnto his workes And we beleue in the holy ghost whome the onely begotten sonne of God Iesus Christ him selfe promised to send mankind the coÌ„forter as it is written I go vnto my father I will pray my father to send you an other comforter the spirite of trueth he shall take of myne and shall teache leade you in all things The word Substance being simply layd downe of the fathers vnknowen of the ignoraÌ„t people geuing vnto many great cause of offence insomuch it is not founde in holie scripture vve haue thought good to abandone it and henceforth speakinge of God to make no mention of the vvorde Substance because the sacred scriptures haue not once remembred the substance of the Sonne or of the holie ghost VVe say that the sonne is like the father in all things that because the word of God hath affirmed taught it vs. WheÌ„ these things were read such as were not pleased with the circumstances and contents therof rose vp and sayde We came not hither as though we wanted faith and beleese for we retayne that faith which we learned from the beginning but we are come to withstand nouelties if ought be practised preiudiciall vnto y â— same If those thiÌ„gs which you haue now read neither sauor neither rend to y â— establishing of noueltie accurse renounce the heresie of Arius in such wise as the old auncient canon of the church hath banished all hereticall blasphemous doctrine It is apparent vnto the whole world what tumults troubles the blaspemous opinioÌ„ of Arius hath raysed euen vnto this day in the church of God This offer was not accepted of Vrsacius Valens Germanius Auxentius Demophilus Caius thervpon the bond of vnitie retained in the church of God was broken asunder For these men cleaued vnto such things as the councell of AriminuÌ„ had decreed y â— other confirmed the canons of the Nicene Councell derided y â— contents of the creede y â— was read in their presence but specially Athanasius so y â—
vvell of the Ievves as Gentils This same vvas Christ. And though Pilate by the iudgement of the chief rulers amongest vs deliuered him to be crucified yet there vvanted not them vvhich from the beginning loued him he appeared vnto them aliue the third day after his passion as the holy Prophets haue foretolde yea these an innumerable more maruelous thinges of him to this day the christian people vvhich of him borovv their name cease not to encrease Now when as this Historiographer by blood an Ebrue borne hath of olde deliuered in writing these the like thinges concerning Iohn Baptist our Sauiour Christ what refuge now remaineth but that they be condeÌ„ned for impudent persons which of their owne braine haue fayned comentaryes contrary to these allegations and of these thinges also thus much CAP. XIII Of the disciples of our Sauiour that there were more then 12. Apostles and 70 disciples THe names of the Apostles are apparent vnto euery one out of the holy Euangelists but the cataloge of the 70. disciples is no where to be founde Barnabas is sayde to be one of the number whome the Actes of the Apostles remembred and no lesse did S. Paul writing to the Galathians Amonge these they number also Sosthenes which together with Paul wrote to the Corinthians The history also of Clemens in the fift of his Hypotypose on affirmeth Cephas to he one of the 70. of whome Paul sayde vvhen as Cephas came to Antioche I vvithstoode him to his face because he vvas culpable This Cephas was of the same name with the Apostle And Mathias who of the Apostles was elected in the rowme of Iudas the traitor and Barsabas also who is sayde by the same lott to haue bene worthely preferred to the number of the 70. disciples Also Thaddaus whome Thomas by the commaundement of Iesu sent to cure Agbarus is counted one of the number concerning whome I will forth with declare a certayne historye which came to our handes Thou shalt finde by diligent obseruation that there were more then 70. disciples of our Sauiour for prouf wherof thou maiest vse the testimony of Paul which sayeth that after Christs resurrection from the dead he appeared first to Cephas then to the tvvelue After them to more then fiue hundred brethren at once vvhere of he sayth some to haue fallen a sleepe but more to haue remayned aliue at that tyme when he wrote these thinges Afterwards to haue appeared to Iames which was of the disciples and one of the brethren of Christ. last of all as though besides these there were more Apostles after the maner of the twelue such as Paul him selfe was he addeth saying he vvas seene of all the Apostles but of this so farre The Translator toutching the doubt rising about him whom Paul reprehended at Antioche whether he was Peter the Apostle or Cephas one of the seuenty WHereas Eusebius in the former chapiter affirmeth Cephas to be one of the number of the 70. disciples and the same to be reprehended by Saynct Paule at Antioche it seemeth repugnant to the playne wordes of holy Scripture deliuered vnto vs by the holy Ghost The aduersaryes of the trueth thought better to erre with Eusebius by saying that Cephas was rebuked by Paule and not Peter rather then that they woulde graunte Peter whome they terme the Prince of the Apostles to be controlled of Paule supposing hereby a presiding to ensur agaynst the prymacye of the Pope or liking of this opinion as a bare shift to stoppe the sclannderous mouth of Porphyrius which here took occasion to reprehende the Christians for their sedition but let vs confesse the trueth and shame the deuill The wordes of Saynt Paul are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vvhen Peter came to Antioche I vvithstoode him to his face and a litle after 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I sayde vnto Peter in the presence of them all Augustine and Ierome had great conâ—â—â—tion about the interpretation of this place but nerâ—â—â—â—her denieth the party to be Peter â—â—t 〈◊〉 giue vnto the historiographer the credit dâ—â— vnto him he might call Peter Cephas as our Sauiour sayd in the Gospell vnto Peter thou shalt be called Cephas which is a Syrian word sounding in greeke or latine nothing else but Peter or Petra a rocke In that he calleth him an other from the Apostle I doe not see how it can stande Ierome denieth any other Cephas knowen of vs sauing Peter The conclusion is this Eusebius calleth the person reprehended by Paul Cephas The holy Ghost in the Scripture calleth him Peter Eusebius sayth he was an other from the Apostle The holy Ghost in discourse calleth him Peter the Apostle in the same chapiter to whome the Apostleship of Circumcision was committed and most like to be the Apostle for there that is at Antioche he was first placed Bishop CAP. XIIII The history concerning the Prince of the Edessaeans The epistle of Agbarus vnto Christ and the epistle of Christ vnto him agayne THe history toutching Thaddaeus of whom we spake before was after this sorte After that the diuinity of our Lorde Sauiour Iesus Christ was made manifest vnto al men through the working of miracles he drewe vnto him an innumerable sorte of straungers farre distant from Iudaea affected with sundry diseases and euery sorte of maladyes hoping to recouer their health of which number king Agbarus gouerner of the famous nations inhabiting beyond the riuer Euphrates greuously diseased in body incurable by mans cunning hearing the renoumed fame of Iesu the wonderfull workes which he wrought agreable vnto the same published of all men made petition vnto him by letters that he would voutchsafe to deeme him worthy of deliueraunce from his disease Iesus though not presently yelding vnto his petition voutchsafed to aunswere him by an epistle that shortly he would sende one of his disciples which shoulde cure his disease promising with all that he shoulde not onely cure his disease but as many of them as belonged vnto him which promise not longe after he performed for after his resurrection from the dead and ascention into heauen Thomas one of the twelue Apostles sent his brother Thaddaeus accompted among the 70. disciples of Christ by diuine inspiration into the city Edessa to be â— preacher and Euangelist of the doctrine of Christ by whome all thinges which concerned tâ—â— promise of our Sauiour were performed The reader hath an approued testimony of these thinges in writing taken out of the recorded registery of the princely city Edessa for there are found enrolled in their publique registery things of Antiquity which were done about Agbarus time yea and preserued vnto this day There is no reason to the contrary but that we may heart the letters themselues copied out of their registery translated by vs out of the Syrian tongue into these wordes The epistle of Agbarus vnto our Sauiour AGbarus gouerner of Edessa vnto Iesu the good
to be short a theefe for he keepeth this mountayne ouer against the church together vvith his associates the Apostle then renting his garment and beating his heade vvith greate sorrovv sayde I haue left a vvise keeper of our brothers soule prepare me a horse and let me haue a guyde he hastened out of the churche rode in post being come vnto the place appoynted he is straight vvayes taken of the theeuishe vvatch he neither flyeth neither resisteth but exclamâ—th for this purpose came I hither bringe me vnto your captaine vvho in the meane space as he vvas armed behelde him comminge but eftsones vvhen he savve his pace and knevve that it vvas Iohn he vvas stroken vvith shame and fledd avvay the olde man forgetfull of his yeares vvith might pursueth him flying and cryeth My sonne vvhy flyest thou from me thy father vnarmed and olde O sonne tender my case be not afrayde as yet there remayneth hope of saluation I vvill vndertake for thee vvith Christe I vvill dye for thee if neede be as Christ did for vs. I vvill hazard my soule for thine trust to me Christ sent me â–ª but he hearing this first stoode still turning his countenance to the ground next shoke of his armour anone trembled for feare and vvept bitterly He embraced the olde man comming vnto him aunsvvering as vvell as he coulde for vveeping so that agayne he seemed to be baptized vvith teares the shaking of the hande onely omitted The Apostle vvhen he had promised and protested to procure for him pardon of our Sauiour and prayed and fallen vpon his knees and also kissed his right hande novve clensed through repentance brought him vnto the Churche agayne VVhen that also he had povvred forth often tymes prayers for him and stroâ—gled vvith him in continuall fastinges and mollified his minde vvith diuers and sundry sermons and confirmed him departed not as the reporte goeth before he had fully restored him vnto the Churche â–ª and exhibited a greate example of true repentance a greate tryall of nevve birth and a singular token of the visible resurrection this haue I taken out of Clemens partly for the history and partly also for the profitâ— of the Reader CAP. XXI Of the order of the Gospells NOw we will forwardes and entreate of the vndoubted wrytinges of this Apostle And firste let there be no staggering at his Gospell which is well knowne of all the Churches vnder heauen Why it was of olde placed the fourthe after the other three it shall thus appeare The diuine holy men namely the Apostles of Christ leading a passing pure life hauing their mindes be decked with euery kinde of vertue vsed rude and simple speache yet of a diuine and forcible power which they had receaued of Christ neither knewe they nether endeuored they to publish the doctrine of their â—â—ister with curious paynting of wordes but vsing the demonstration of the holy spirite which wrought with them and the onely power of Christ which brought miracles to perfection they shewed the knowledge of the kingdome of heauen to the whole worlde being nothing carefull at all for the writinge of bookes And this they brought to passe being occupied with a greater worke and in maner exceeding the strength of man Paul the mightiest of all the rest in the setling of wordes and best armed with the power of perfect senses wrote but very short epistles whereas he might haue layd downe infinite thinges yea and secretes being rapt vnto the thirde heauen and behoulding celestiall things yea brought into paradyse it selfe and there thought worthy to heare secrete mysteries neyther were the rest of the Disciples of our Sauiour namely the tvvelue Apostles and the seuenty with other innumerable ignorant and vnskilful herein And yet of al these the Disciples of our Sauiour Matthew Iohn wrote gospels Who as report goeth were constrained therunto for Matthew when he had first preached vnto the Hebrevves now passing vnto other people wrote his Gospell in his contrey language supplying by writing in his absence y â— which was desired in his presence When Mark and Luke had published their gospels â–ª Iohn say they in all y â— space preached without writing but at length was moued to write for this cause It is reported that when the bookes of the three Euangelistes were through out the worlde and come into his handes he allowed them and yelded of them a true testimonye wishing that the declaration of such thinges had bene printed in their bookes which were done at the first preaching of Christ the Reader may perceaue these three Euangelistes to haue onely sett forth the doinges of our Sauiour one yeare after the imprysonment and captiuitye of Iohn the Baptist which may be gathered by the beginning of their histories for after the xl dayes fasting and the annexed temptation Matthewe sheweth the time of the beginning of his historye saying VVhen he had hearde that Iohn vvas taken he returned from Iudaea into Galilee And Marke likewise after that sayth â—e Iohn vvas taken Iesus came into Galilee And Luke also before he had mentioned the doings of Iesu obseruing the same manner Herode saythe he proceeding in his haynous offences shutt vp Iohn in prison Iohn the Apostle beinge for these causes entreated wrote the tyme passed ouer of the former Euangelistes with sylence and therein the Actes of our Sauiour namely which went before the imprisonment of Iohn which he partly signified writing thus this vvas the first of the miracles vvhich Iesus did partly with all mentioning the doinges of Iohn the Baptist who as then baptized in â—non by Salem which is euident when he sayth for as yet Iohn vvas not cast into prison Iohn then in his Gospell deliuereth such thinges as were done of Christ before the coâ—â—iâ—â—ing of Iohn the other three beginne with the mention of Iohns imprysonment vnto him that recoâ—â—yleth the Euangelistes thus they shall not seeme discrepant in so much that the Gospell of Iohn contayneth the former doinges of Christe the other the latter lastinge vnto the ende therefore not without cause Iohn passeth ouer with silence the genealogye of our Sauiour accordinge vnto the fleshe being afore amply layde downe by Matthewe and Luke and beginneth with his diuinitie reserued of the holy Ghost for him as the mightier thus much shall suffice concerning the Gospell written by Sainct Iohn The cause why Marke wrote his Gospell we haue declared before Luke in the beginninge of his historye sheweth the occasion of his writing signifying that diuers nowe already had imployed their diligent care to the setting forthe of such thinges as he was fully perswaded of deliuering vs very necessarily from their doubtful opinion why left that he by his Gospell declareth vnto vs the sure and certaine narration of such thinges whereof he had receaued the truthe sufficiently partely by the company and conuersation of Paul partely also throughe the familiaritie
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
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
among the Ievves whiche were written in Hebrevve letters he searched and conferred the septuagints translation of holy scripture with others at that time extant CAP. XVI Origen compiled and sette forth the translations of holy scripture terming the one edition Tetrapla that is fourefolde the other Hexapla that is sixfolde ORigen founde certeine other translations besides the common and vulgare variyng among them selues to wete the translation of Aquila of Symachus of Theodotion â–ª which I wote not where lying hidde of a long while he searched out and set forth vnto the worlde of the which by reason they were obscure dusty mothe eaten he knewe not the authors but this onely he signified that the one he founde at Nicopolis on the shore Actiâ—eke the other in some other odd place In the sixefolde edition of the psalmes after the foure famous translations he annexed not onely the fifte but the sixte and the seuenth reportinge againe howe that he founde one of them at Hiericho in a tunne in the time of Antoninus the sonne of Seuerus These being compacted together in one volume and the pages deuided into pillers or columnes euery copie sette righte ouer against the other together with the Hebrevve he published the same and entituled it Hexapla ioyning withall seuerally the translations of Aquila of Symachus of Theodotion and of the Septuagints entituling them Tetrapla yet haue we to vnderstande that of these interpreters Symachus was an Ebionite The Ebionites opinion was recounted an heresie for that they taught Christ to be borne of Ioseph and Marie and that Christ vvas but a bareman They taught that the lavve vvas to be obserued after the Ievvishe manner as we haue learned by histories heretofore The commentaries of Symachus are at this daye extant wherein he inueyeth against the Gospell after Mathewe endeuoring to establishe vphold the foresaide 〈…〉 opinion These works of Symachus together with other traÌ„slations of holy scripture Origen tâ—porteth him selfe to haue found with a certaine woman called Iuliana which sayde that Symachus deliuered hir them to keepe CAP. XVII Origen reuoketh Ambrose from the heresie of Valentinus he professeth diuinitie and philosophie with greate admiration AT that tyme Ambrose addicted vnto the Valentinian heresie and 〈…〉 by Origen was lyghtened with the trueth whiche shyned as the sonne beames and embraced the sounde doctrine of the churche together with manie other learned men whiche resorted vnto him When the rumor was nowe euerie where bruted abrode of the fame of Origen they came to trye the trueth of his doctrine and to haue experience of his vtterauntâ— in preachinge Heretickes also very many and philosophers specially of the moste famous â–ª whereof not a fewe gaue diligent eare and attentiue heede and were instructed of him not onely in deuine but also in prophane literature as many as he perceaued towardly and sharpe wiâ—â—e◠〈…〉 them vnto philosophicall discipline expoundinge vnto them Geometrie and Arithmeticke with the other liberall artes againste the absurde opinions of philosophers he alleaged philosophers autorities and expounded them consideringe seuerally of them as by waye of commentarie so that he was renowmed famous and recounted amonge the Gentiles for a greate philosopher he perswaded also vnto the studie of the liberall artes many of them which were dull witted affirminge they shoulde thence procure vnto them selues great commoditie and helpe to the contemplation and increase of knowledge in holye scripture for he was of this opinion that the exercise of prophane and philosophicall discipline was very necessary and profitable for him selfe CAP. XVIII VVhat diuers men thought of Origen THe heathenishe philosophers who then florished are witnesses approued of his good purpose and industrie in this behalfe in whose commentaries we finde often mention made of this man wherof some haue dedicated their bookes vnto him other some haue deliuered vp their works vnto him as vnto the censure of their maister But what shall I speake of them when as Porphyrius himselfe then in Sicilia striuinge and strugglinge against vs with his bookes endeuouring to confute holy scripture remembred the interpreters thereof And beynge not able to charge neither to impugne to any purpose our doctrine any kinde of waye now voyde of reason he fell to rayling speaches and sclaundering of the expositors of which number namely he goeth about to accuse Origen whome he reporteth to haue knowen of a child yet through his vnaduised forgetfulnesse he commendeth the man sometyme reporting truely when as he coulde not otherwise chuse sometime vntruely thinking thereby to delude others and whilest that nowe he accuseth him for being a Christian anone he paynteth forth and wondereth at his singular gyfte and excellencie in philosophicall discipline heare him therefore for thus he writeth Many beyng desirous to finde out not the imperfection and impietie of Ievvishe scriptures but the resolution haue turned them selues vnto expositions not cohaerent interpretations of the scriptures inconuenient and not onely allovvinge of forged scriptures but also approuing and extollinge the commentators for they alleaging the darke speaches vvhich are sayd to be manifest in Moses and publishing them as Oracles replenished vvith hydd concealed mysteries they frame a charmed iudgement through the arrogancie of their minde and shevv forth their expositions Agayne after a fewe lynes he sayeth This is the absurde manner and guyse of that man vvith vvhome I beyng very yonge haue had conference vvho then vvas very famous and at this daye also by reason of the commentaries he lefte behinde him I meane Origen is muche spoken of vvhose greate prayse is blased farre and nyghe among the maisters and fauourers of that doctrine For vvhen he vvas the disciple of Ammonius vvho in our tyme excelled for his fame in philosophie he profited very muche vnder him beyng his maister and obtayned greate knovvledge in the sciences but as toutchinge the right institution of lyfe he tooke in hande an other trade quite kame from his for Ammonius beyng a Christian and brought vp of christian parents vvhen he had grovven into rypenesse of iudgement and the knovvledge of philosophie forthvvith he framed his trade of lyfe conformable vnto the lavves but Origen beynge a Gentile and brought vp in the sciences of the Gentiles degenerated and fell into that barbarous temeritie vvherevvith beynge taken he corrupted both him selfe and the perfection of those sciences leading a lyfe after the maner of the Christians contrary vnto the lavves according vnto their opinions of celestiall matters and of God preferring straunge fables before the science of the gentiles He continevvally perused Plato he readde ouer the vvorkes of Numenius Cronius Apollophanes Longinus Moderatus Nicomachus and the reste of the Pythagoreans counted vvise and profounde men he vvas vvel seene in Chaeremon the Stoicke and in the vvorkes of Cornutus vvhence he borovvinge of the Grecians maner the allegoricall interpretation of mysteries applyed it vnto the Ievvishe scriptures These thinges
hath Porphyrius written in his third-booke agaynst the Christians truely reporting of this mans exercises and sundry kindes of knowledge but vntruely in that he sayde he should degenerate from the Gentiles For how can he pronounce the trueth when as he practiseth to write againste the Christians he sayeth that Ammonius from leading a good and a godly lyfe fell into heathenish idolatrie for the doctrine of Christ the which Origen receaued of his forefathers the same he retayned as we haue largely declared before And Ammonius also contrary to his reporte kept styll and retayned the sounde and vncorrupted philosophie of God euen vnto his laste ende as his commentaryes at this daye beare recorde whiche he lefte behinde him namely that famous worke entituled The agreement of Moses and Iesu and other tractes whatsoeuer other men haue founde written These thyngs are layde downe to the coÌ„mendation of Origen agaynst the sclaunderous mouthe of that despitefull man and of the greate skyll of Origen in the Grecians discipline and doctrine Toutchinge the whiche when he was reprehended of soâ—e for his studye therein he defended him selfe in a certaine epistle writinge after this manner CAP. XIX Howe Origen defended him selfe againste such as reprehended him for studying Philosophie Of his voyage into Arabia and Palaestina WHen that I studyed for the increase of knovvledge and that a rumor or fame vvas spredde abrode of the perfection of my learninge and doctrine heretickes and speciallie such as vvere profounde in philosophie and in the doctrine of the Gentils resorted vnto me vvherefore I thought good to searche out the selfe opinions of heretickes and vvhat soeuer myght be sayde out of philosophie for the confirmation of the trueth This haue I done firste of all after the example of Pantaenus vvho profited a greate manye before my tyme and had singular skyll and knovvledge therein secondly after the example of Heraclas novve a minister of the churche of Alexandria vvhome I founde vvith a professor of philosophie vvhiche vvas his mayster fyue yeares before I applyed my minde to the studie of theyr sciences VVho also in tymes paste vsed the common and vsuall attyre novve layinge that asyde he tooke the philosophers habite the vvhiche he retayneth as yet and ceaseth not vnto this daye vvith earnest labour industrie to reade ouer the philosophers bookes These thinges hath he written to the clearinge of him selfe for his studie in prophane writers When as at that tyme he continewed at Alexandria there came a certayne souldier from the gouernour of Arabia with letters vnto Demetrius Byshope of that seae and vnto him who then was Liuetenante of Aegypte requestinge them with all speede to sende Origen vnto him whiche myght communicate vnto him some parte of his doctrine Origen then beynge sente of them taketh his voyage into Arabia Not longe after when he had accomplished the cause of his iourney he returned into Alexandria In the meane whyle there was raysed such a sedition in the cytie and the warres were so hotte that there was no beynge for him there he lefte Alexandria and foreseeynge that he coulde be safe no where in all Aegypt he went into Palaestina and remayned at Caesarea where he was intreated by the byshopes of that prouince to dispute in the open churche and to expounde holie scripture beynge as yet not called to the ministerie Whiche thinge may euidently appeare by that whiche Alexander bishope of Ierusalem and Theoctistus bishope of Caesarea wrote in defence of the facte vnto Demetrius concerninge him after this manner he layde this downe in his letters that there was neuer suche practise hearde of that there coulde no where the like president be founde that laye men in presence of bishops haue taught in the churche VVe knovve not for vvhat cause he reporteth a manifest vntrueth vvheÌ„ as there may be found such as in opeÌ„ assemblies haue taught the people yea vvhen as there vvere present learned men that coulde profite the people and moreouer holie byshops at that tyme also exhortinge them to preache For example sake at Laranda Euelpis vvas requested of Neon at Iconium Paulinus vvas requested by Cellus at Synada Theodorus vvas requested by Atticus vvho vvere godly brethren It is like also that this vvas practised in other places though vnknovven to vs. Thus was Origen honored beynge a yonge man not onely of his acquaintance but of byshops that were straungers vnto him Afterwardes when Demetrius had called him whome by his letters and diuers Deacons of the churche had earnestly solicited his returne he taketh his voyage agayne into Alexandria and there diligently applyeth his accustomed maner of teachinge CAP. XX. Of the famous writers in Origens tyme and how the Emperours mother sent for him THere florished at that tyme many other learned and profounde ecclesiasticall persons whose epistles writing from one to an other are at this daye to be seene and found reserued in the librarie buylded at Jerusalem by Alexander who was bishope there at that tyme. from whence we haue compiled together the substance of this our present historie of this number Beryllus besides his epistles and commentariesâ— hath lefte vnto the posteritie sundrye monumentes of his sounde fayth for he was bishope of Bostra in Arabia Likewise Hippolytus bishope of an other place There came also into our handes the disputation of Gaius a notable learned man had at Rome in the tyme of Zephyrinus agaynste Proclus a patrone of the Phrygian heresâ—e â–ª in the which to the confutation of the temeritie and bolde enterprise of the contrarye parte in alleaginge of newe founde scriptures he maketh mention of therteene epistles of Sainct Paul not naming the epistle vnto the Hebrevves in the number For neither as yet of diuerse Romaines is that epistle thoughte to be Pauls When Antoninus had bene Emperour seuen yeares and sixe moneths Macrinus succeeded him in the empire And after that this Macrinus had departed this lyfe in the firste yeare of his raygne an other Antoninus tooke the imperiall scepter to rule ouer the Romaines in the first yeare of whose coronation Zephyrinus bishop of Rome dyed wheÌ„ he had gouerned the ecclesiasticall seae the space of eyghteene yeares whome Calâ—stus succeeded who continewing the space of fyue yeares lefte the churche to Vrbanus Agayne after that Antoninus had bene Emperour foure yeares full he dyed in whose rowme Alexander immediately folowed at what tyme Philetus succeeded Asclepiades in the churche of Antioche Then Mamâ—â— the Emperours mother a woman if there was then any suche in the worlde very godly and religious when the fame of Origen was spredde farre and nyghe enen vnto hir eares thought hir selfe a happie woman if she myght see him and â—eare his wisedome in holye scripture whiche all men wondered at Wherefore remayning at Antioche she sent of hir garde for him who also came and after that he had continewed there a while and published many thinges to
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
neither haue we purposed to mention thē which were tēpted sore with persecution or altogether suffred shipwrack of their saluation and willingly were swallowed vp in the deepe goulfes of the seaes but onely to graffe in our history such things as first of all may profitt our selues next the posteritie in time to come We will proceede then and paynt forth the happy combats of the blessed Martyrs CAP. III. A recitall of certaine imperiall edicts against the Christians the constancie of certaine faithfull persons the beginnings of the butcherly slaughter IT was the nynteenth yeare of Diocletians raigne and the moneth Dystros after the Romaines March the feast of Easter then being at hande when the Emperours proclamations were euery where published in the which it was commaunded that the churches shoulde be made euen with the grounde the holy scriptures by burninge of them shoulde be abolished such as were in honor and estimation should be contemned and such as were of families if they retained the christian faith should be depriued of their freedome and such were the contents of the firste edict But in the proclamations which immediatly followed after it was added that y ◠pastors throughout all parishes first should be imprisoned next with all meanes possible constrained to sacrifice then I say then many of y ◠chiefe gouerners of the churches endured that cherefully most bitter torments gaue y ◠aduenture of most valiant noble enterprises many others fainting for feare at y ◠first onset were quite discouraged all y ◠rest tryed the experience of sundry tormēts one scorged from topp to toe an other wrested maimed with more intollerable payne some fayled of y ◠purposed ende some other were founde constant and perfect one was drawen to the foule and filthie sacrifices and dimissed as if he had done sacrifice when as in very deede he had not an other when he had neyther approched neyther toutched ought of their detestable offringes and such as were present affirmed that he had sacrificed departed with silence paciently suffring this thanklesse pickthanke an other halfe deade was borne away beyng throwen of them for deade againe there were some prostrat vpon the pauement trayled lugged all a long by the feete recounted for sacrificers one reclaymed with a lowde voyce denyed y ◠euer he sacrificed an other lifted his voyce and confessed him selfe to be a Christian and gloryed in the faith of that gladsome tytle an other againe protested that he had neyther sacrificed neither euer woulde do sacrifice These were beaten on the face and buffeted on the chekes their mouthes were stopped by the souldiers handes an whole bande was appointed for the purpose whiche violently thrust them out at the dores so the enemies of the trueth triumphed if at lest wise they might seeme to bring their purpose to effect but their purpose preuailed not against the blessed martyrs of God whose conflicts no tongue can sufficiently declare CAP. IIII. Of the persecution first raysed by Veturius the captaine against the Christian souldiers at the beginning priuely afterwards openly THere were many to be seene whiche bare singular good will and affection to the seruice of almightie God not onely in the time of persecution but long before whē peace preuailed yet of late I say of late at the first the chiefe gouernour starting vp as it were out of soking drunkemesse leaueled at the churche priuely and obscurely since the time which runne after the raigne of Decius Valerianus and waged battaile with vs not sodenly but first assayed onely the christians which were in campe By this meanes he thought he could eassly snare the rest if that first he conquered these and here might you see many of the souldiers desirous to leade a priuate solitarie lyfe fearinge they shoulde faynt in the seruice of almyghtie God for when the captaine who so euer he was firste went about to persecute his hoast and to trye and syfte as many as were brought vnto him throughout euery ward and to giue them in choise either to obey enioy their dignitie or to resist and of the contrary to be depriued many of the souldiers which were of the kingdome of Christ without any delaye or doubt preferred the faith of Christ before the fauor and felicitie they seemed enioye and nowe one or two of them very heauely not onely contemned their dignities but also endured bytter death for their constancie in the seruice of God because that the captaine as yet powred his malice by a little though he durst shede the blood of a fewe innocents yet staggered he at the multitude of beleeuers fearing as it is most like sodenly to giue bettell vnto all and that vniuersally but after that he tooke in hande more manifestly to persecute the church of God it can not be tolde or expressed with tongue how many and what maner or sort of Martyrs were to be seene throughout cities and villages CAP. V. A noble man of Nicomedia rent in peeces in the prefence of many the wicked Edict of the Emperour published against the Christians ON of Nicomedia no obscure person but according vnto the accōpt of the world of greate nobilitie who as soone as the edict againste the churches of God was published in Nicomedia being moued with zeale god wards and feruencie of faith tooke into his hands and tare in peeces the prophane most impious proclamation pasted to an open publicke post in y ◠presence of both the emperours of him which amonge the rest was most honorable of him also which was the fourth person in the empire he which first practised this noble acte endured as it is most like the penaltie of so bolde an enterprise retayning a valiant and inuincible minde vnto the last gaspe CAP. VI. The Martyrdome of certaine courtiers in Nicomedia with others both there and in other places ALl the renowmed men that euer were either of the Grecians or Barbarians cōmended for noble prowesse and fortitude are not to be compared to the deuine and famous martyrs of this our age of thē I speake who together with Dorotheus being the emperours pages in chiefest credit with their Lordes and were no lesse vnto them then deare and naturall sonnes yet counted they those comumelies drudgeries and new found torments for the trueth in Christ greater ritches then the glory and pleasure of this present life One of these for example sake and the ende he made I wil declare that the reader may coniecture by his happe what besell vnto the rest One of the aforesayd Noble men was brought forth at Nicomedia into the open assembly enioyned to do sacrifice who stoutly refusing by cōmandement is hoysed vp on high his naked bodie all to be scourged and the fleshe rent in peeces with the lashe of the whyppe vntyll he were ouercome and yeelded to their sacrifice When that he had endured
when as in steede of his proper name he had named himselfe vnto him after some Prophet or other for this was their maner in steede of the Idolatrous names which their parents had geuen them to chose them newe names they called them selues after the name of Elias Ieremias Esay Samuel and Daniel and expressed not onely in worde but in workes them selues the very true God of Israel hidd from the Iewes according vnto the proper etymologie of their names Firmilianus hearing such an appellation of the Martyr weyed not at all the sense and signification of the worde but secondarily asketh of him what contreyman he was he satisfying the interrogatorie geueth a flâ—t name vnto the former aunswere that his contrey was Ierusalem meaning in very deede the selfe same wherof Paul spake that Ierusalem vvhich is aboue is free vvhich is the mother of vs all agayne in an other place ye are come vnto the mount Sion and to the citye of the liuing God the celestiall Ierusalem for it was this that the Martyr vnderstoode Firmilianus being earthly minded enquireth earnestly and curiously where this city was in what contrey it lay and with all tormented him greeuously to the ende he shoulde confesse the trueth â–ª this Martyr hauing his handes wrested and tyed behinde him his feete with certayne newe and straunge kinde of engines stretched asunder auoutched constantly that he had told him the trueth Afterwards when the iudge demaunded of him againe what he was and where that city was situated made answere that it was a contrey which onely belonged vnto the godly that none other shoulde be partaker thereof saue the godly alone and that it was situate eastward where the sunne in the morning spreddeth abroad the bright beames of his light In vttering these wordes he entred into so diuine a cogitation within him selfe that he forgot the tormentors which layd him on on euery side and seemed to perceaue no sense or feeling of the payne and punishment as if he had bene a ghost without fleshe bloode or bone The iudge casting doubts with him selfe and greatly disquieted in minde thought the Christians would bring to passe that the city mentioned by the Martyr should rebell and become enemy vnto the Romaynes he began to search and diligently to inquire where that region by report eastward should be â–ª last of all when he sawe this yong man after bitter and greeuous torments with immutable constancy to perseuere stedfast in his former saying he gaue sentence that his head should be striken of from his shoulders â–ª such was the mortal race of this miserable life which this blessed Martyr did runne The rest of his companions after the like torments ended their liues with the laying of their heads vpon the blocke In the ende Firmilianus although in maner weryed and frustrated of his purpose yet satisfied to the full with these infinite torments and their terrible execution turned him selfe vnto Pamphilus and his companions And although he had experience sufficient heretofore of their inuincible constancy in the defence of their fayth yet agayne he demaundeth whether at length they would obey and yelde vnto him when he was resolued of their definite sentence and last answere which tended to martyrdome he gaue sentence they should be tormented and punished alike with the former martyrs which being done a yong man one of the seruants of Pamphilus so well brought by instructed that he might very well seeme worthy the discipline and education of so worthy a man as soone as he perceaued that sentence was past vpon his maister crieth out in the middest of the throng and requesteth that his maisters carkasse together with his companions after the breath were departed their body might quietly be buried in their graues The Iudge being affectioned not like vnto man but to a beast or if there be any other thing more sauadg tendered not at all y â— yong mans youthly yeares but forth w t demaundeth of him whether he were a christian who when that he affirmed plainly that he was boyled with anger as if his hart had bene stickt w t a knife charged the tormentors they shoulde laye on him the weyght of their handes and the might of their strength after that he was inioyned to sacrifice and had refused the Iudge commaunded that without all compassion he should be scourged vnto the bare bone the inner and secret bowells not as if he were man couered with flesh and compassed in a skinne but a picture made of stone or wood or some other senselesse metall In which kinde of torment continewed a long time when the iudge perceaued that he vttered no language neither gaue forth to vnderstand y â— he felt any paine sawe that his body being in maner senselesse spent with lashes consumed away he tormented him in vayne he continewed still in that his hard and stony hart voyde of all humanitie and decreed forthwith that his body should be burned by a litle and a litle with a slowe and slacke fire This yong man being the last of them which afore the martyrdome of Pamphilus who was his maister according vnto the fleshe entred into this dangerous skirmishe departed this life before him because that the tormentors which executed the rest seemed to be very slow Then might a man haue seene Porphyrius for that was the yong mans name after triall in euery kinde of exercise earnestly and wholy bent with a wonderful desire as the maner is of men to obtayne the valiant sacred victory his body be poudred with dust yet gracious in face and countenance hastening to the place of execution for al his affections with vpright and noble courage replenished no doubt with the spirite of God attyred in the philosophicall habit after his wonted guyse to wete wearing a garment after the maner of a cloke which couered only his shoulders telling his familiars with signes tokens w t a modest mild spirite what his wil was to be done continewing still yea when he was bounde to the stake his glorious gladsome countenance moreouer when the fire flashed about with great distance and waxed extreame hott in compasse of him ye might haue seene him with his breath on eyther side drawing the flame vnto him and after these wordes when as the flame first of all toutched his bodye which with loude voyce he sounded out Iesus thou sonne of God succor and helpe me to haue suffred constantly without any murmuring at al all those maruelous and extreame torments euen to the last gaspe such was the affliction of Porphyrius whose ende Seleucus a confessor and a souldier signified vnto Pamphilus â–ª who as the author of such a message deserued was without delay thought worthy to take the same chaunce together with those Martyrs for as soone as he had certified him of Porphyrius death and taken his leaue and farewell of one of the Martyrs certaine souldiers laye handes vpon him
sundry tymes for the holy ornaments and treasure of the Churche what pride and ambicion raygned in many of them howe rashly and vnlawfully they handled diuerse of the brethren what schismes were raysed among the confessors them selues what mischieues certayne sedicious persons of late stirred vp agaynst the members of the Church which were remnants whilest that dayly with might and mayne as commonly we say they endeuored to excogitate new deuises one after an other howe that vnmercifully they destroyed and brought all to nought with the lamentable estate of bitter persecution and to be short heaped mischiefe vpon mischiefe all these aforesayd I minde to passe ouer with silence supposing it not to be our part as I haue sayde in the beginning of this booke eyther to rehearse or recorde them in as much as I am wholy bent and carefully minded to ouerslipp and conceale the memoriall of them yet if there be any laudable thinges any thing that may seeme to set forth the word of God any worthy act or famous doings florishing in the Churche I take it to be my speciall and bounden dutie to discourse of these to write these often to inculcate these in the pacient eares of the faythfull Christians and to shutt vp this booke with the noble acts of the renowmed Martyrs and with the peace whiche afterwardes appeared and shined vnto vs from aboue When the seuenth yeare of the persecution raysed agaynst vs was nowe almost at an ende and our affayres beganne by a litle and as it were by stelth to growe vnto some quiet staye ease and securitye and nowe leaned vnto the eyght yeare in the whiche no â–ª small multitude of confessors assembled them selues together at the myne pitts in Palaestina who freely occupied them selues in the rites and ceremonyes of Christian religion so that they transformed their houses into Churches the President of the prouince being a cruell and a wicked man as his mischieuous practises agaynst the Martyrs of Christ doe proue him for no other made a voyage thyther in all the haste and hearing of their doinges their trade of life and conuersation made the Emperour by his letters priuey thereunto paynting forth in the same such thinges as he thought woulde disgrace discredit and defame the good name of those blessed confessors Whereupon the maister of the myne pitts and mettalls came thyther and by vertue of the Emperours commaundement seuereth asunder the multitude of confessors so that thenceforth some should continew at Cyprus some other at Libanus and others also in other places of Palaestina and commaunded that all shoulde be weryed and vexed with sundry toyles and labour â–ª afterwards he picked out foure of the chiefe of them and sent them vnto the iudge of the which two of them were called Peleus and Nilus Bishops of Aegypt the thirde was a minister the fourth annexed vnto these was Patermythius a man wonderfully beloued for his singuler zeale towardes all men in Gods behalfe all whiche the Iudge requested to renounce Christ and his religion who when they obeyed not and seeing him selfe frustrated of his purpose gaue sentence they shoulde be tyed to a stake and burned to ashes others some againe of the confessors being not fitt for that labour and seruice by reason eyther of their heauye olde age or vnprofitable members or other infirmities of the bodye were released and charged to dwell in a seuerall and solitary place of whiche number Siluanus Bishop of Gaza was the chiefe who liuely expressed vnto all the worlde a godly shewe of vertue and a notable paterne of Christianitie this man from the firste daye of the persecution and in maner vnto the laste duringe all that space was famous for the sundry and manifolde conflictes he suffered after infinite examinations and reserued vnto that very moment to the ende he being the last might seale vp with his bloode all the conflictes of the Martyrs slayne in Palaestina there were released and partakers with him of the same affliction many Aegyptians one was Iohn who also in fame renowne excelled all the meÌ„ of our time Who although he was blind before yet the tormeÌ„tors were so truel so fierce so rigorous y â— for his great constaÌ„cy in professing y â— name of Christ they maymed with a burning sawe his left legge as the other confessors were vsed before and seared the aple of the eye bereued already of the sight with an hott scaldinge iron Let no man maruell at all at his good conuersation and godly life though he were blinde in so much that his maners deserued not such admiration as his gift of memorie where he had printed whole bookes of holy scripture not in tables made of stone as the holy Apostle sayth neyther in the â—ydes of beástes parchement or paper which moth corrupteth the time weareth awaye but in the fleshly tables of the hart that is in the prudent memory and sincere vnderstanding of the minde so that when it seemed good vnto him he was able out of the closett of his minde as if it were out of a certaine treasury of good learning to alleadge repeat y â— Law the Prophets sometimes the histories at other times the Euangelists and workes of the Apostles I confesse truely that when first I sawe the man stande in the middest of the congregation and assembly and hearde him recite certaine places of holy Scripture I wondred at him For as longe as I hearde his voice sounde in mine eares so long thought I as the maner is at solemne meetinges that one read out of a booke but when that I came neerer vnto him and sawe the trueth as it was all other stand in compasse with whole open and sounde eyes and him vsinge none other but onely the eye and sight of the minde and in very deed vtteringe many thinges much like vnto a Prophete and excelling in many thinges many of them which enioyed their senses sounde and perfect I coulde not chuse but magnifie God therefore and maruell greatly thereat â—e thought I sawe liuely tokens and euident argumentes that he was a man in deed not after the outward appearance or fleshly eye of man but accordinge vnto the inner sense and secret vnderstandinge of the minde â–ª the which expressed in this man though his body were mayned and out of fashioÌ„ greater power of his inward giftes God himselfe reachinge vnto these men mentioned before and continewinge in seuerall places and executinge their wonted trade of life in prayer and fasting with the rest of their godly exercises the right hand of his mercy and succor graunted them through martyrdom to attaine vnto an happy and a blessed ende But the deuell enemy and sworne aduersary of mankinde colde no longer away with them for that they were armed and fenced against him with prayers continewally poured vnto God but went about as he imagined to vexe them and to cut them of from the face of the earth For
of his dominion wherfore CostaÌ„tinus the emperour being ayded from aboue set vpoÌ„ the first the second third band of the tyraÌ„ts host valiantly ouercame all so coÌ„quering y â— chiefe part of Italy draweth nowe nigh to Rome lest he shold be coÌ„strained for y â— tyraÌ„ts sake to assault the Romaines God draweth forth very far without the gates of y â— citie the tyrant him selfe as if he had bene bound with certaine chaines setteth forth coÌ„firmeth againe that auncient power against impious persons incredible and fabulous peradueÌ„ture vnto many but vnto y â— faithfull certaine ingraffed in holy scripture woÌ„derfully with the eyes theÌ„ selues to be beheld in trueth it selfe of all and that I may speake in fewe wordes both faithful infidels euen as therfore vnder Moses that auncieÌ„t godly nation of the Hebrevves he ouerthrew the chariots of Pharao his host couered with the waues of the sea the chosen horsmen drowned the souldiers in the running streames of the read seâ—â—â—â— Maxentius and his armed souldiers and whole troope descended like a stone plunginge into the deapth of the water when as he went about to auoyde and flie away from the power of God by whome Constantinus was assisted and to passe ouer y â— water y â— which he had carefully ouerlayd with cockboats like bridges linked together and prepared to his owne destruction wherfore then also it might haue bene said He made a pitt digged it vp fell him selfe into the destructioÌ„ he made for other for his trauell shall returne vpon his ovvne head his vnrighteousnes shall light vpoÌ„ his owne pate For the bridge which was made vpoÌ„ y â— riuer being ouerthrowen y â— passage was hindered the boates forthwith together with the men in theÌ„ suncke into the bottome first of all y â— most impious tyraÌ„t him selfe next his gard which were w t him according vnto y â— foresaying of holy scripture plunged like lead into y â— depth of y â— ruÌ„ning streame so y â— very well this victory being obtained by y â— helping hand of God y â— selfe same which of old was sayd against y â— impious tyraÌ„t though not in word yet in dede euen as they which were w t Moses the great seruaÌ„t of God might haue bene song and sayde after this sort Let vs singe vnto the Lorde he is gloriously magnified he hath ouerthrowen the horse and rider in the sea he is become my helper and defender so that I perishe not And vvho is like vnto thee o Lorde amonge the Gods vvho is like vnto thee glorified in the sainctes vvonderfull gloriously bringing straunge thinges to passe When Constantinus had songe by his works these others to the like purpose vnto God the prince whose power reacheth ouer all and author of y â— victorie he came conquerour to Rome where immediatly with cheerefull countenance and from the hart he was receaued of all both men women and children senators and other noble personages and of all the people of Rome with gladsome shouts and vnspeakable ioye as a deliuerer from oppression defender of the city and general benefactor vnto all but as one hauing the seruice of God engrassed within him not moued with these triumphant acclamations neither puffed vp with prayses yet priuey well inough to the ayde of God commaunded immediatly the banner of the Lords passion should be set vpon the ryght hand of his picture so they set it vp in the most famous place of Rome holding in his right hande the holsome signe of the crosse in the which he commaunded this superscription to be ingrauen in Romaine letters In this wholsome signe the true conizance of fortitude I haue deliuered our citie from vnder the tyrants yoke haue sett the senate and people of Rome at libertie restoring them to their auncient honor and renowne Moreouer wheÌ„ as Constantinus him self also Licinius y â— Emperour together with him who as yet was not fallen to tyrannie and madnes whereof afterwardes he was gyltie both together pacified God the author of all goodnes with one minde and will they make a lawe in most absolute and ample wise in the behalf of the Christians they send notice also vnto Maximinus who as yet ruled in the east howe wonderfully God wrought with them and the victorye againste the tyrant and the lawe it selfe and the friendship hypocritically he pretended towards them but he like a tyrant acknowledging these thinges to be most true became very sorowfull next lest he shoulde seeme to yelde vnto others and againe about to swarue from the edict for feare of them which had ordayned this lawe as of his owne accord and authoritie he gaue forth vnto the presidents of his dominion this edict necessarily in the behalfe of the Christians in the which craftely against him selfe he fayneth the things that neuer were done by him Acoppie of Maximinus the tyrants epistle in the behalfe of the Christians Iouius Maximinus Augustus vnto Sabinus sendeth greting I hope it is well knowen vnto your wisdome and to all mortall men our lieges and lordes Diocletian and Maximinian our fathers to haue notably decreed wheÌ„ as they saw in maner all men laying aside the seruice of the gods and ioyning them selues to the Christian nation that as many as seuered them selues from the seruice of the immortall Gods shoulde be called againe vnto the religion of the gods with vndoubted paynes and punishments I truely first of all when that happely I came into the east vnderstoode of many men which might haue profited the coÌ„mon wealth and were banished by the Iudges for the aforesayd cause gaue this to euery Iudge in charge that none of them thenceforwards should deale seuerely with them of their prouinces but call them backe vvith faire speaches exhortations vnto the worship of the Gods VVhen these thigs then according vnto our will were accomplished it fell out that none of the easterne partes eyther was banished or found obstinate but by reason that nothing was greuously or seuerely practised against them they might be reuoked vnto the seruice of the Gods VVhen as the last yeare prosperously I came to Nicomedia and there made my abode the citizens of Nicomedia came vnto me together with the images of their gods crauing earnestly that in no case I shoulde permitt such a nation to inhabite their contrey But forasmuch as I knevve very many men of that religion to dvvell in those parts I framed them an ansvvere in this sort that I liked vvell of their petition but I sawe that all did not request the same VVherefore if any continewed in that superstition our will was that euery one should be left to follow the free purpose of his vvill so that they vvould acknowledge the seruice of the gods in like sort they should enioye the same city together with the citizens of Nicomedia and the other cities
also vvhich made the like request vnto me that not one of the Christians might dvvell among them It vvas needefull that I should ansvvere them friendly and louingly the vvhich all the auncient Emperours obserued and is of the gods them selues approued through whome all mortall men and the gouernment it self of the commonvvealth doth stande It pleased vs then to ratifie so great a request made vnto vs in the behalfe of the seruice of their hygh God VVherefore though chiefely heretofore also vve haue vvritten vnto your vvisdome commaunded the like that nothing seuerely were done against them of the prouince vvhich vvent about to succour such a nation but shoulde paciently be obeyed and that they should suffer contumelies and vexations neither of the officials neither of any other vvhatsoeuer I haue thought good by these my letters to admonishe your prompt minde that vvith fayre speaches and exhortations you brynge them of our dominions to acknovvledge the carefull prouidence of the Gods VVherfore if any of his ovvne accorde thinke good to acknovvledge the seruice of the Gods such a one is vvorthie to be embraced but if some vvill cleaue to their peculier religion lette them do it at their free vvill and pleasure Your vvisdome hath therefore to obserue that vvhich is decreed of vs that none henceforth haue this povver giuen him to oppresse vvith contumelies ratling speaches shaking troubles our louing subiects sithen that as it is vvritten before it behoueth vs rather vvith faire speaches and milde exhortations to reuoke them vnto the seruice of the immortall gods And to the ende this our commaundement be knovven of all our prouincials our vvill is that you publishe by proclamation directed from yourselfe that vvhich is commaunded by vs When Maximinus being constrained of necessitie not of his owne accord had coÌ„maunded these things for all this was he not of all men thought true in his dealing either worthy of trust for because that afore time after the like graunt he shewed a turncoate a wauering mind a lying mouth There durst none of vs gather a synode together or medle with publique affaires for these letters licenced not this but onely commaunded that we should not be afflicted with any violence or contumelie it commaunded not that conuenticles should be made that churches should be buylt or the rest of our wonted ceremonies should be retained although Constantinus Licinnius princes of peace and piety had written vnto Maximinus that he should graunt these things and permitted the same vnto all their subiects by Edicts and decrees yet the most wicked woulde not hitherto haue remitted his tyrannie had not he by deuine iudgement bene compelled and brought at length against his will to this passe for such a trouble besett him as followeth CAP. X. Maximinus wageth battayle with Licinnius and is ouercome he rageth against his inchaunters he publisheth an Edict in the behalfe of the Christians at length dyeth miserably WHen as he was no longer able to sustayne the weyght of the Empire which vnworthely he had chalenged vnto him selfe but went about his affaires otherwise then became him through want of skill beynge voyde of a moderate minde required in an Emperour and vnaduisedly puffed in minde with ouerflowinge arrogancie and pride he presumed to waxe stately against his fellowe Emperours farre excellinge him in lynage and learninge in worthinesse and wisdome but especially agaynst him which passed all other in wisdome and pietie towardes the true God and to chalenge vnto him selfe the maiestie of the chiefe Emperour He became so furious and madd that he broke the league made with Licinnius and raysed an irreconciled battaile In short space therfore with all might he molested in maner euery cytie and hauing gathered all his host together and mustred a multitude of many millions of souldiers he marcheth to battayle and directeth the forefront of his bande agaynst him trustinge in deuils whome he tooke for gods and was arrogant because of his infinite multitude of armed souldiers But in the skirmishe it selfe he is destitute of Gods helpe and God the one and the onely ayder succourer of all meÌ„ giueth the victory to Licinnius first of all the force of armed souldiers wherin he trusted fayleth him afterwardes he was left alone destitute of all companie forsaken of the souldiers that were about him which fled vnto the coÌ„querour the vnhappy man put of quickly the imperiall attire not pertayning vnto him timorous cowardy and effeminate he ioyneth him self to the multitude and flyeth away and hiding him selfe in fields and villages he hardly escaped the hand of the enemy while by all meanes he sought to saue his life in very deede notably approuing the holy scripture shewing for manifest trueth where it was sayd There is no king that can be saued by the multitude of an host neither is any mightie man deliuered by much strength A horse is counted but a vaine thing to saue a man neither shall he deliuer any man by his greate strength Beholde the eye of the Lorde is vpon them that feare him and vpon such as trust in his mercy that he may deliuer their soules from death After this sort the tyrant subiect to most vile shame and reproche came to his owne coasts and first of all being stroken with rage madnesse he slewe many priests and prophets of their gods whome before he had suspected and by the procurement and trust of whose oracles he had taken armour vpon him to wage battaile â–ª as inchaunters deceauers which also had villanously betraied his person afterwards wheÌ„ he had glorified the God of the Christians and ordayned a most perfect and absolute decree in the behalfe of their libertie sodainly vexation ended his life so that there remained no time afterwards for him to deliberate the lawe which he published was thus The coppie of Maximinus the tyrants constitution in the behalfe of the Christians translated out of Romaine letters into the Greeke tonge The Emperour Caesar Caius Valerius mighty lord of Germanie lorde of Sarmatia gratious fortunate puissant Augustus It is requisit that without ceasing we prouide for the profâ—â— of our prouincials by all meanes that we be willing to exhibit those things vnto them whereby they may obtaine such things as may chiefly profit theÌ„ The things which auaile for publique profit coÌ„moditie the aduaÌ„tage of the coÌ„moÌ„ wealth pleasing vnto euery maÌ„ we are well perswaded that there is none but knoweth theÌ„ very well â–ª that euery one hath recourse vnto that vvhich is done that euery wight in the world vnderstaÌ„deth of our affaires wheÌ„ as afore time it came to our knowledge that for the same cause for the which it was coÌ„mauÌ„ded by Diocletian Maximinian our progenitors of famous memory the synodes asseÌ„blies of the christians should be cutt shorte many were troubled spoiled by the officials the same as yet we perceaue to be further practised
chiefe thinges at least wise the seconde closset of the inner contemplation of your soules when he hath exactly sifted euery one of you by experience and proliritye of time and when as with his owne industrye and care he hath enstructed all you of the worlde in honestye and the doctrine which is according vnto godlines and hath bene made mighty aboue all others to sett forth with workes agreeable to his calling that doctrine which by aide of the diuine power he hath gotten the chiefe therefore and our greate highe Priest the thinges vvhiche he seeth the father doe the same likevvise sayth he doth the sonne but this man secondarily euen him selfe beholding with the cleare eyes of the mynde the firste as a teacher whatsoeuer thinges he sawe him doe vsing as it were the first framed paternes the portracture of them as much as laye in him to the like resemblance as a workeman he wrought the thinges whiche you see with your eyes differing not a â—ote from that Beseleel whome God him selfe endued with the spirite of wisedome and vnderstanding and other industrye and skylfull knowledge whome he called and ordayned the workeman of the buylding of the temple by formes of the celestiall types after this sorte this man garnishing and bewtifying whole Christ the worde the wisedome and light in his minde it may not be tolde with what courage of minde with what plenteous and vnsaciable power of the minde and with what greate liberalitye of you all and earnestly contending with largenesse of giftes lest by any mâ—aues you shoulde slyde away from his purpose he hath ordayned this moste renowned and moste excellent temple of the highe God as a visible paterne agreable with nature resembling y â— better inuisible temple This quyre worthy to be spoken of though firste of all it were couered through the wiles of the aduersaries with the sincke of all filthines he despised not neyther yealded vnto the cruell spyte of them whiche were authors of that mischiefe for if his pleasure had bene to haue passed vnto some other place a thousande others had bene easily sought in this citye he had founde greate ease of his labour and had bene ridd of so much busines but firste of all he styrred vp him selfe to this worke next all the whole people being settled with readinesse and made of all as it were one will firste he tooke this labour in hande to the ende that he might specially restore her that was destroyed by the enemye whiche afore tyme had endured greate trauells and before our tyme the same persecution whiche we suffered I meane the Churche like a mother depriued of her chyldren he thought good that she altogether with vs shoulde enioy the magnificency of our gracious God for as much as the great shepeherd hath voutchsafed to gather into one folde his children the beastes and wolues driuen away and euery sorte of cruell and sauadge creatures put to flight the iavves of the Lions he hath broken as the holy Scripture doth testifie he hath also most iustly restored agayne the very folde of his flocke that he might still the enemye and auenger and resist the rebellious enterprises of the wicked agaynst God and nowe they are not hated of God no more were they then but after that in shorte space they molested and were also molested them selues they suffered punishment due for their desert and were vtterly destroyed them selues their friendes and families so that the prophecyes written of olde in holy Scripture they haue in very deede confirmed where among other things the holy Scripture truely pronounceth these things of them the vvicked haue dravven their svvord bended their bovv that they may shoote at the poore and needy and sleye the pure of harte their svvorde shall pearce their owne harte and their bovve shall be broken and agayne the remembrance of them is perished vvith a sounde and their name hast thou vviped avvay for euer and euer and vvhen they vvere in misery they cryed but there vvas none to deliuer them vnto the Lorde and he hearde them not they stumbled and fell but vve rose and stand vp and this that was foretold of them Lord in thy citye thou shalt bring their likenesse to nought is nowe in all mens sight founde true but they after the maner of the giauntes goinge about to warre with God purchased vnto them selues suche an ende as berewed them of theyr liues but she that was desolate and bewailed amonge men obtained such an ende of her pacience in God as is nowe to be seene that accordinge vnto the prophecye of Esay it may be tried vnto her Reioyce thou drie desert let the vvildernes be glad and florishe like the â—â—â—y the vvast places shall bring forthe and reioyce You loose handes and dissolute knees ye shall be strengthened Comforte your selues you faynt harted you shall be strenthened feare not Behoulde our God hathe restored iudgement and vvill requite He vvill come and saue you For sayth he the vvaters shall flovve in the deserte and the valleyes in a thyrsty lande and the dry lande shall beturned into marishe and the fountaynes of vvaters into drye lande And these thinges of olde time foretolde by wordes were graffed in holy Scripture but the things nowe brought to passe are not onely deliuered vnto vs by hearesay but by workes themselues This desert destitute of water this widowe and desolate whose gates with axes like timber in the woodes they haue hewed downe For they haue broken her in peeces vvith axes and hammers Whose bookes they haue destroied And burned vvih fiere the Sanctuary of God for they haue throvven to the grounde the tabernacle of his name vvhose grapes they haue gathered as many as passed this vvay throvven dovvne her hedges the vvhich the vvilde bore out of the vvoode hathe rooted vp and the vvilde beaste of the fielde deuoured By the wonderfull workes of Christ presently where it pleased him is become like the lily For then by his commaundement accordinge vnto the prouidence of the father she was chasticed VVhome the Lorde loueth he chasticeth he scurgeth euerye childe vvhome he receiueth and after due measure conuerted she is commaunded to reioyce from aboue now florisheth like the lily breatheth vnto all meÌ„ an holy sweete smelling sauor for sayth he the vvater shall flovve in the desert they to wete which are holy of the sauinge fountaine of newebyrth And now that whiche a while agde was desert is turned to marishe and the wellspringe of the water of lyfe issued out into thyrstie lande And to say the truthe the handes before loose are strengthened these workes also which we presently beholde are greate and famous tokens of the wonderfull power and handy worke of God Moreouer the knees of old withered and weakened hauinge recouered they re strength and wounded paces doe enter the right and highe way of deuine knowledge and hasten vnto the flocke
to build hath not yet vnto this day rested one while framinge in you all glistering gold an other while tried and purified siluer and precious stones to the end he may accomplish a fresh in you by workes themselues the sarred and mysticall prophecy which is thus read Behold I vvyll make thy vvalls of precious stone and thy fundations of Saphires thy bulwarks of Iasper thy gates of Crystall and thy borders of chosen stones Thy children shall be taught of God I will geue all thy children plenteousnes of peace and in righteousnes shalt thou be groūded Therefore building in righteousnes he hath proportionably seuered y ◠powers of the whole people by some comprising the only outward wall he hath fortified the fayth that is void of error But this people being many great in nūber is not fitt to resemble the buylding of a more excellent worke Vnto some he committed the entrances of the house geuing them in charge to watch the dores and to guide suche as enter in who not vnworthely are shewed to be the porches of the temple Some he hathe firmely sett about the inner court with chiefe pillers after the maner of a quadrāgle and to the chiefe bulwarks he hath referred the Scripture of the foure Euangelists Againe some he hath coupled with fortresses one eyther side about the princely pallace which as yet are nouices in the faith they both increase and prosper yet sett farther of from the inward holy cōtemplation of the faithful Of these hath he taken the incorrupt soules purified with the deuine fountaine after the maner of gold others hath he sett vp with pillers farre mightier then those outward out of the inner wrytings of mysticall Scripture and sett them forth liuely to minister light The glorious doctrine of the high supreme king that is of the one and onely God hathe adorned the whole temple with one porche and the same very notable He hath atributed the seconde bewtifull brightnes vnto the power of Christ and to the power of the holy ghost and euery where vnto the power of the Father as for y ◠rest he hath expressed the excellency of euery trueth both plentifull and manifold throughout the whole house euery way forth and one euery side he hath buylded a great a princely and a noble house full of light throughout with liuely seasoned sure and chosen stones of the soules He hathe bewtified the inner and vtter partes with the moste florishing atyre of continency and temperance in so muche as they consist not onely of soule and mind but also of body There are also in this temple thrones and infinite vnder seates and receptacles in all those soules wherein the graces of the holy Ghost haue their abode such as of olde appeared vnto them which had their conuersation with the holy Apostles of whom also clouen tongues were seene as if they had bene fire and rested vpon ech one of them ▪ but whole Christ him selfe hath fastened his seate in him which gouerneth all in others secondarily next after him placed rateably as euery ones capacitie can comprise the diuisiōs of the power of Christ and his holy spirit The vnder seates are both Angels and soules of certayne men euen of such as are committed vnto euery on for institution custodies sake The noble the great and onely altar what other thinge is it than the most holy place y ◠sincerity of the priests soule which is common to all at y ◠right hand of which altar standeth the great high priest of all Iesus himselfe the only begottē sonne of God which directeth vnto the father of heauen and the vniuersall God that sweete smellinge perfume the vnbloody and spirituall sacrifices of prayers receaued of all with swift eyes and stretched out armes first of all he himself with adoration and alone exhibiteth due honor vnto the father and next prayeth that he wil be vnto vs all pacified and gentle firmely and for euer This greate temple which is in the whole worlde vnder the sunne the great workeman of al ▪ euē the word of God hath ordained and againe he hath finished vpon earth this spirituall likenes of them which clime ouer the same circular forme of the heauens that the father might be honored and worshiped through him of euery creature and resonable thinges on this earth againe he hath made the supercelestial hoste and the shewes of these things there to be seene to be short that Ierusalem which they call newe and Sion the celestiall mounte and supernaturall cytye of the liuing God in the which infinite solemne troups of Angels the church of the first begotten which are wryttē in heauen do honor with secret and vnsearchable prayses our maker and the g◅ll prince of all whome no mortall man can worthely sett forth For the eye hathe not seene and the eare hath not heard neyther hathe the harte of man conceaued the things vvhich God prepared for them that loue him Whereof we nowe partly beinge thought worthy both men women and children all together as well smale as great with one spirit and with one soule lett vs not ceasse with thankesgeuinge to celebrate the author of so greate benefits bestowed vpon vs ▪ VVhich hath mercy on all our sinnes and cureth all our maladyes vvhich hathe redemed our life from destruction he crovvneth vs in loue and mercies and filleth our desire vvith goodnes For he hathe not dealt vvith vs acordinge vnto our sinnes neyther revvarded vs accordinge vnto our iniquities For looke hovve farre the east is from the vveast so farre hath he sett our sinnes from vs. And euen as a father tendreth his sonnes so hathe the Lorde tendered suche as feare him Ponderinge therefore in our mindes these thinges alwayes hereafter and settinge before our mynde the author and solemnizer of this presente feaste of this ioyfull and renowmed daye yea daye and night euery houre and as I may so saye vnto the last gaspe embracinge and reuerenringe him with all the mighte of our minde and nowe risinge lette vs humblye beseeche him with the greate voyce of our earnest desires that he kepe and defende vs in his sheepe foulde vnto the ende and that he alwayes gouerne the peace whiche he him selfe hathe graunted neuer to be broken alwayes immoueable in Christ Iesu our Sauiour to whome be glory world without ende Amen CAP. V. The edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius toutching Christian religion and the libertie thereof GO to nowe lett vs proceede on annexe the coppies of the imperiall edicts of Constantinus and Licinnius translated out of the Romayne into the Greeke tongue as followeth VVeyinge vvith our selues that of olde the liberty of religion vvas not to be hindered and that euery one had licence after his minde and vvill vve haue presently commaunded that euery one shall handle the holy affayres at his pleasure and that the christians shall retayne the fayth of they re former opinion
I leade my life here at Constantinople where I was borne bredd and brought vp no maruell though I write more at large of the famous acts done within this citye partly seeing that I sawe most of them with mine eyes and partly also in so much they are more famous and thought farre worthier of memory then many other Acts. Nicephorus that fabulous Historiographer doubteth not to sclaunder him with the hereticall sect of Nouatian when as no such thinge can be gathered by the workes of Socrates he dreameth that in so much he had familiaritie and commendeth diuerse of the Nouatian Bishops for many their rare and singuler vertues therefore without all peraduenture sayth he he was a Nouatian I reade that Origen was of a long tyme in one house together at bedd and borde with an olde hereticke whose name was Paulus I see that Eusebius highly commendeth the heretick Tatianus for his booke against the Gentiles he extolleth also Bardesanes the Syrian who was a Valentian hereticke I finde that Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria reuerenced wonderfully the person of Nepos the Chiliast he doubted not to affirme that his soule was in rest yet as we may in no wise call Origen an heretick for his familiaritye with Paulus neyther Eusebius a Tatian or Valentinian for commending of Tatianus and Bardesanes neyther Dionysius a Chiliast for extolling of Nepos no more may we call Socrates a Nouatian for his familiaritie with Auxanon and praysing of the Nouatians where he commendeth the Nouatians where he maketh report of Auxanon where also he excuseth him selfe his wordes are these I haue learned moreouer sayth Socrates that Eutychianus a man of syncere religion florished about that time who though he were of the Nouatian sect yet did he many straunge things I will reueale him that reported me his doings neyther will I cloke or conceale that at all though therefore I may seeme to incurre suspicion or the reprehension of diuers persons It was Auxanon a priest of the Nouatian Church In an other place he commendeth the Nouatians for embracing the Nicene Creede for ioyning with the true Christians agaynst the Arian heretickes who woulde not in like sorte commende them for the same he sayth further that almost they had bene at vnitie with the true Catholicks had not the fault bene in the Nouatians them selues What other thing is this then commending of them for well doing and reprehending of them for ill doing is he therefore to be termed a Nouatian This Nicephorus sticked not in like sorte to call Eusebius an Arian who as it is well knowen vnto the whole worlde was at the councell of Nice wrote the creede condemned Arius with his owne hand sure I am of this that toutching the history this Nicephorus hath patched together out of Eusebius Socrates Euagrius other auncient writers if euery birde tooke her fether from him there woulde be nothing left of his owne parte but fables Tritenhemius wrote reuerently of this author in this sorte Socrates by byrth a Grecian a learned and an eloquent man a notable Historiographer of great fame by reason of his profounde skill wrote a volume containing the Ecclesiasticall history from the raygne of Constantinus magnus the firste Emperour of that name vnto the raygne of Theodosius iunior I finde by translating of him the doctrine sounde the stile familier the story faythfull in commending he obserueth a meane in reprehension modest in confutation earnest and zealous in defence of the trueth the autor him selfe learned his iudgement graue his writings of great antiquitie THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORYE OF SOCRATES SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. The proëme of the booke He beginneth his history where Eusebius ended EVsebius syrnamed Pamphilus comprising wholly in tenne bookes the Ecclesiasticall history continewed the same vnto the tyme of Constantinus the Emperour in the which tymes the heate of persecution kindled by Diocletianus agaynst the Christians was quenched The same author writing the lyfe of Constantine passed ouer very lightly the practises of Arius for that he chiefly endeuored to publishe the prayses of the Emperour exquisitely to set forth with maiestye of wordes the oration wherewith he might highly commende him rather then diligently to describe the actes of that tyme. We therefore purposing to write the thinges which happened in the Church since that tyme wil beginne where Eusebius left not minded with curious and lofty style but playnely to sett forth onely the thinges which eyther we haue founde faythfully recorded or else haue bene shewed vnto vs by such as sawe them with their eyes And in as much as it seemeth very necessary for our present purpose to mention the maner home Constantinus the Emperour became a Christian we will speake somewhat hereof and herehence take our beginning CAP. II. Howe Constantinus the Emperour became a Christian WHen as Diocletian and Maximinian by syrname Herculius had by vniforme consent deposed them selues of the emperial scepter and embraced a priuate kinde of life when as also Maximianus otherwise called Galerius raigning together with them had taken his iourney into Italy and appoynted two Emperous Maximinus to rule the East and Seuerus to gouerne Italy Constantinus is openly proclaymed Emperour in Britanny to succeede his father Constantius which died the first yeare of the two hundred seuenty and first Olympiad the fiue and twentyeth of Iulye but at Rome Maxentius the sonne of Maximianus Herculius is chosen of the pretorian souldiers not to gouerne the empire but rather to practise tyranny Not long after Herculius inflamed againe with desire of rule went about to dispatch his sonne Maxentius but y ◠souldiers hindred his purpose in the ende he died at Tarsus a city of Cilicia Seuerus the Emperour which was sent to Rome by Galerius Maximinianus to take Maxentius was of the souldiers betrayed and put to death Last of all Maximianus Galerius being chiefe Emperour after he had crowned Emperour Licinnius by originall a Dane his old fellowe souldier and familiar friend departed this life Maxentius in the meane while handleth the Romaines ill fauoredly he oppresseth them and sheweth him selfe rather a tyrant then an Emperour towards them he farre passeth the boundes of shamefastnes abusing the spouses of noble personages sleying many with the sworde and putting in vre other such like lewde practises Constantinus the emperour being certified hereof deuised with him selfe which way possibly he might ridd the Romaynes from vnder this greeuous yoke of seruitude and dispatch the tyrant out of this life deliberating thus with him selfe he forcasted also what God be were best to cal vpon for ayde to wage battel with the aduersary he remembred how that Diocletian which 〈…〉 dedicated him selfe vnto the seruice of the heathenish Gods preuayled nothing thereby also he perswaded him selfe for certayne that his father Constantius who renounced the idolatry of the Gentiles ledd a more fortunate
to flyght and abandoned from amongest you but that also our fayth by reason of peace and concorde doth euery vvhere notably florishe God preserue you vvelbeloued brethren An other Epistle vnto Eusebius COnstantinus the puysant the mighty noble Emperour vnto Eusebius sendeth greeting Euen as welbeloued brother I haue learned of a truth and am fully perswaded that all Churches from the fundations are either through negligence gone to decay or through feare of the daūger that was like to ensue haue bene lesse repayred then they should haue bene yea vnto this present daye by reason of the grieuous maladye of spite and great tyrannye exercised vpon the Sainctes of God and the seruants of our Sauiour Iesus Christ so now liberty being restored vnto all men and that dragon and persecutor Licinnius being foyled the direction of ecclesiasticall affayres remoued from the disposition of the vulgar sort by the prouidence of Almighty God the vigilant labor of our ministery I suppose that the power and might of God is made manifest vnto all men that they which fell by reason of feare or incredulitie or other infirmitie whatsoeuer in as much as nowe they acknowledge the true God in deede will repent and returne vnto the true and right way VVherefore what Churches so euer thou doest gouerne or other places where other Bishops Priestes Deacons of thy acquaintance doe ouerse our will is that thou admonish them all that with watchful eye the buildings of the churches be looked vnto to the ende that such as stande may be repayred and also be enlarged or else vvhere necessitie so constrayneth they may be erected all new from the foundation Looke what thinges are necessarily required for buildinge see that either thou thy selfe or some other in thy name demaunde them of the Lieuetenants or rulers of our prouinces for vve haue signified vnto them by our letters that vvith all celeritie and promptnes of minde they shall supplye the vvante of such thinges as thine holines doth prescribe and thus vvelbeloued brother I committ thee to the tuition of Almighty God These thinges the Emperour wrote for the buylding of the Churches vnto the Bishops of euery prouince and what seuerally he wrote vnto Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea in Palaestina for the coppying of holy Scripture it may easily be gathered by these letters of his as followeth Constantinus the puysant the mighty and noble Emperour vnto Eusebius Bishop of Caesarea sendeth greeting In so much that in the citye vvhich is called after our name there inhabiteth a greate multitude of men our Sauiour Iesu and God the father of his prouidence sending encrease thereunto vvhich embraceth the most holy Church to the ende all the Ecclesiasticall affayres may in the same place dayly encrease more more vve haue thought good that more Churches shoulde be erected and buylded there VVherefore accept vvith louing harte vvhat our vvill and pleasure is VVe haue thought good to signifie vnto thy vvisedome that thou shouldest prepare fyftye volumes or coppies of holy Scripture written in parchment which shal be both legible hādsome portable that thou commaunde moreouer that they be written of skilfull scriueners exercised in the arte of penning our will is that the volumes comprise those bookes of holy Scripture whose penning and vse thou thy selfe shalt thinke most necessarily to auaile for the edifying of the Church Our highnes hath sent letters vnto our heade treasurer that he shoulde minister all necessaries for the prouision of these bookes It is thy part then to ouersee with speede that these vvritten coppies be made ready Moreouer by vertue of these our letters as right requireth we geue thee liberty to take vp tvvo common vvaggons for the conueying of them thither for so the vvritten coppies shal the sooner be brought vnto vs and so much the better if one of thy Deacons be put in trust therewith who when as he commeth in place shall find the proofe of our liberality God keepe thee in health welbeloued brother An other epistle vnto Macarius COnstantinus the puysant the mighty and noble Emperour vnto Macarius Bishop of Ierusalem sendeth greeting So bountifully vvas the goodnes of our Sauiour shevved towards vs that no tongue is able for the worthines thereof sufficiently to expresse this present miracle that the pleadge or monument of his most blessed passion which of late laye hidd in the bovvells of the earthe the space of so many yeares shoulde at length be reuealed vnto the seruants of God being set at libertie after conquering of the common and generall enemie it farre exceedeth all humane sense and capacitie of mans vvitt For if all the sages and vvisest sorte of men throughout the vvorlde assembled them selues together and purposed to reason and entreate hereof without doubt they coulde not for the worthines thereof satisfie with any circumstance no not the least point thereof the fayth annexed vnto this miracle is of such force and so farre exceedeth the sense and capacitie of mans nature as celestiall and diuine thinges doe passe humane and worldly affaires VVherefore this is alwayes my principall and onely marke to shoote at that euen as the true fayth reuealeth her selfe dayly by newe and straung miracles so all our mindes with all modestie and vniforme readines shoulde be fixed and more prone to the obseruation of the most holy and blessed Gospell besides this that also the vvhich I thinke euery man knovveth full vvell I vvoulde haue thee fully assured to be my chiefe care that the sayd holy place the which by the commaundement of God we haue purged from the foule weight of the filthy Idols ouerlayed therevvith as it vvere vvith a most grieuous burthen the vvhich place also vve knowe to haue bene recounted holy in maner from the beginning of the vvorlde and aftervvards also to haue yelded more euident proofes of holines by sturring vp againe the faith of the passion of our Sauiour as it vvere from out of darkenes into light be bevvtified vvith goodly and gorgeous buylding It is requisite that thy vvisedome doe cast vvith thy selfe and sett in order this work◠and carefully prouide necessaries for all circumstances to the ende that not onely the sanctuary may excell for bevvtie all the rest vvheresoeuer but that also the other partes thereof may be such as shall farre passe in excellencie of buylding all the principall Churches throughout euery citye I certify thee moreouer that toutching the making vp of the vvalls and the curious vvorkemanship thereof I haue charged our friende Dracillianus who gouerneth diuers other coasts and also the ruler of that prouince our grace hath charged them that what artificers what workemen what other thinges soeuer shall seeme expedient for the buylding they shoulde learne of thy wisedome and forthvvith be sent thither for the prouision thereof Concerning the pillers other parts of the temple to be made of marble looke vvhat thou supposest fittest both for
worshiping of God And the name of God is deuoutly and reuerently extolled of the Barbarians them selues who vnto this day were ignorant of the trueth euery man knoweth that he which is ignorant of the trueth is also ignorant of God But the BarbariaÌ„s through my industrie that as I sayd before am a right vvorshiper of God came to the knowledge of God and learned to serue him in holines whome they perceaue in all thinges with the carefull eye of his diuine prouidence to defende me This thing moued them at the first to tast of the trueth in Christ whome also for the awe and loyaltie they owe vnto our imperiall scepter they serue vprightly but we which woulde seeme I will not say to obserue nay to maintayne the sacred and holy mysteries of his Church doe practise nothing else but that which breedeth discorde and discention and to be short that which tendeth to the vtter ouerthrowe and destruction of mankinde But see that you come vnto vs as I sayd with speede perswading your selues of this that our mind is as much as in vs lyeth first of all to maintayne soundly without corruption all that is contayned in holy Scripture so that no blemish of sclaunder or infamy may redounde thereunto abandoning vvearing avvay and rooting out all the rotten aduersaries of christian religion vvho vnder color of Christian professioÌ„ haue crept in sovved in the Church of God sundry blasphemous sectes heretical schismes CAP. XXIII VVhen as all the synode came not vnto the Emperour Eusebius together with that crue framed a newe accusation against Athanasius that he shoulde report he woulde stay the carying of corne from Alexandria to Constantinople wherat the Emperour being moued banished Athanasius into Fraunce THe aforesayd letters of the Emperour sett the whole councell together by the eares so that diuers of them returned home to their cities but Eusebius Theognis Maris Patrophilus Vrsacius and Valens gott them to Constantinople they reason no longer of the broken cup or the table that was ouerthrowen or of Arsenius that was sayd to be murthered but they frame them selues to forge out an other accusation They informe the Emperour that Athanasius threatned he woulde cause that no corne shoulde be conueyed from Alexandria as they then vsed to Constantinople and that Adamantius Annubyon Arbathion and Peter that were Bishops hearde it out of Athanasius his owne mouth but then truely the accusation is like to be hearde when the accuser carieth creditt with his person The Emperour was wonderfully moued at this and tooke great indignation against Athanasius exiled him commaunded that he should abide in Fraunce some report that the Emperour did it for this pollicie to see whether with his absenâ—e he coulde reduce the Church to vnitie and concorde for Athanasius was the man that woulde in no wise communicate with the Arians being exiled he ledd his life at Triuere a city in Fraunce CAP. XXIIII Of Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra and Asterius professor of humanitie THe Bishops then being assembled at Constantinople deposed also Marcellus Bishop of the lesser Galatia for this cause There was one Asterius in Cappadocia that professed humanitie and leauing that embraced the faith in Christ wrote bookes thereof which vnto this day are extant The pestilent doctrine of Arius is proued out of them to were that Christ is no other wise the power of God then the locusts and flyes are sayd in Moses to proceede from the handie worke of God and other such lewde reasons This Asterius kept company with Bishops and specially of the damnable sect of Arius He frequented vnto their assemblies for he longed after some bishoprike or other But because that in the time of persecution he had sacrificed vnto Idols he was not admitted to execute the function of a Priest He wandreth and rogeth throughout Syria shewing the bookes he had written Marcellus vnderstanding of this going about to sett him selfe against Asterius fell him selfe into the contrary heresie for he was not afraide euen as Paulus Samosatenus sayd before to affirme that Christ was but a bare and naked man The Bishops that mett at Ierusalem hearing of this made no accompt of Asterius because he was a laye man but Marcellus who was of the clergie they call to an accompt for the booke he had written When they perceaued that he maintayned the opinion of Paulus Samosatenus they charge him to recante He with shame inough promiseth to burne the booke But when as the councell was dissolued in haste for the Emperour had called the Bishops to Constantinople agayne they reason of Marcellus at Constantinople before Eusebius and the other Bishops then present As soone as Marcellus refused to performe his former promise that is to fire the booke which he had vnaduisedly framed the Bishops then present depose him of his bishoprike sent Basilius in his rowme to be Bishop of Ancyra Eusebius moreouer wrote three bookes against his pamflett and confuted his wicked opinion Marcellus after that recouered his bishoprike againe in the councell helde at Sardice where he sayd they vnderstoode not his booke and therfore suspected him that he had sauored of the opinion of Paulus Samosatenus but what opinion we may conceaue of this man we will declare in an other place CAP. XXV How that Arius being called from Alexandria to Constantinople after the exile of Athanasius for to render an accompt before the Emperour of the tumult he made at Alexandria raised a great sturre against Alexander Bishop of Constantinople In the ende died miserably WHile these thinges were a doing the thirtieth yeare of Constantinus raygne was expyred Arius with his company returning to Alexandria sett the whole citye on an vprore The citizens of Alexandria tooke very grieuously that not onely Arius with his confederats was restored but also that Athanasius their Bishop was condemned to banishment When the Emperour vnderstood of the peruerse minde and corrupted purpose of Arius he sendes for him againe to Constantinople there to render an accompt of the tumult sedition he had raysed afresh At that time Alexander who a litle before succeeded Metrophanes in the bishoprike of Constantinople gouerned that Church This Alexander proued him selfe a religious a godly a deuout man in the quarel then betwene him Arius for when Arius came the people was deuided into two parts a great tumult raised in the citye â–ª whilest that some maintained the Nicene Creede the same to remayne firme stable others affirmed the opinion of Arius to be lawfull agreable with y â— trueth Alexander came forth into this great heat of disputation specially because that Eusebius bishop of Nicomedia had geuen out great threats that without all peraduenture he would worke his depriuation vnlesse he would admitt Arius his company to y â— communion but Alexander feared not the deposition so much as the abrogation of the Nicene Creede which they
church such as defended the creede contayning the clause of One substance flocked to the church as well as the Arian hereticks As soone as the gouernour together with Macedonius was now come nygh the church a maruelous great feare amazed both the multitude and the souldiers them selues There was so great a multitude gathered together that there was no passage for the gouernour to leade Macedonius the souldiers were faine to thrust the people of this side and that side but the throng was so great and the rowme so narowe that they coulde not geue backe neither recoyle The souldiers supposinge the multitude had set them selues againste them of set purpose stopped their walke that the gouernour might haue no passage theraway drewe their swords let flye amongest them and layd on lustyly The report goeth that there fell about three thousande one hundred and fifty persons whereof some were slayne by the souldiers some other styfled in the throng crushed to death But Macedonius after all these famous acts as if he had committed no offence as if he were innocent and gyltles toutching all this haynous and horrible slaughter is stalled in the bishops seate more by the censure of the gouernour then the canon of the church These were the meanes that Macedonius and the Arians vsed to clim◠by slaughter and murther to be magistrates in the church About that tyme the Emperour buylded a goodly churche nowe called The church of wisdome and ioyned it vnto the churche called by the name of Peace the which beyng of small compasse his father afore him had both in bygnes enlarged and in beautie sett forth and adorned Nowe were they both inuironed with one wall and called after one name CAP. XIII Howe Athanasius being terrified with the Emperours threats fled the second tyme to Rome ABout that tyme there was an other sclaunder raysed by the Arians agaynst Athanasius which forged out such an accusation agaynst him as followeth Constantinus the father of these Emperours had geuen a good whyle before certaine grayne for almes to the reliefe of the poore within the churche of Alexandria This they sayde that Athanasius had soulde and turned it to his owne lucre and gayne The Emperoure taketh their sclaunderous reporte for trueth and threatneth him with death Athanasius then vnderstandinge of the Emperours hygh displeasure against him fled away and hidd him selfe in a secrete and obscure place Iulius bishop of Rome hearing the molestation and iniuries the Arians offred Athanasius and nowe hauing receaued the letters of Eusebius who lately had departed this lyfe vnderstandinge of the place where Athanasius hydd him selfe sent for him willinge him to repayre to Rome At the same tyme he receaued letters from the Councell assembled at Antioch and other letters also sent vnto him from the byshops of Aegypt which playnely affirmed that all such crymes as Athanasius was charged withall were meere false Wherefore Iulius by sendinge of contrary letters answered at large the byshops which assembled at Antioche and firste he sheweth what griefe and heauines he conceaued by their letters secōdly that they had transgressed the canon of the church in not callinge him to the Councell in so much the canon commaundeth that no decree be thrust vpon the church without the censure of the bishop of Rome moreouer that they had couertly corrupted the fayth also that they concluded by mayne force and double dealing such things as of late they had lewdely handled at Tyrus in that they of spyte had procured the relations of one side duely to be registred at Mareôtes and that their forged leasinges of Arsenius were meere sclaūders false reports These other such like thīgs Iulius layd downe in his letters vnto y ◠bishops assēbled at Antioch we would haue layd downe here y ◠epistles vnto Iulio his vnto others were it not that the length of their writings and the tediousnesse of their discourse perswaded vs to the contrary Sabinus the fauourer of Macedonius his fond opinion of whome we spake before though in his booke intituled The collection of Councells he omitted not y ◠epistle of the bishops assembled at Antioche vnto Iulius yet layde he not downe the letters of Iulius vnto them agayne It was his accustomed maner so to doe for what epistles so euer were written by any Councells either altogether disanullinge or at lest wise passing ouer with silence the clause of One substance them he carefully cyted and collected diligently looke such as were of the contrary them of sett purpose he ouerskipped CAP. XIIII Howe that the VVesterne Emperour requested his brother to sende vnto him such as were able to iustifie the depositions of Athanasius and Paulus and howe the legats brought with them a newe forme of faith NOt long after Paulus leauyng Thessalonica fayned he woulde to Corinth and gott him straight into Italie there both he Athanasius ioyntly do open their estate vnto the Emperour The Emperour whose dominions were y ◠contries of the West esteeming of their iniuries as his owne aduersitie wrote vnto his brother requesting him in his letters to send vnto him three men that might render afore him iust causes of the deposition of Paulus Athanasius There were sent vnto him Narcissus the Cilician Theodorus the Thracian Maris the Chalcedonian and Marcus the Syrian After their comming they woulde not reason with Athanasius but concealing the forme of faith decreed at Antioche the bishops frame out an other the which they exhibited vnto the Emperour in these words VVe beleue in one God the father almightie creator and maker of all things of vvhome all fatherhoode is called both in heauen and earth and in his onely begotten sonne our Lorde Iesus Christ begotten of the father before all vvorldes God of God light of light by vvhome all thinges vvere made both in heauen and in earth be they visible or inuisible who is the vvorde the wisdome the power the life the true light who in the later dayes was incarnate for our sakes vvas borne of the holie Virgine vvas crucified dead and buryed vvho rose agayne the thirde day from the dead ascended into the heauens sitteth at the right hand of the father and shall come againe at the ende of the vvorld to iudge the quicke and the dead and to reward euery man according vnto his vvorks whose kingdome shall haue no ende but shall continew foreuer For he shall sitt at the ryght hande of the father not onely vvhile this vvorlde lasteth but also in the lyfe to come And vve beleeue in the holie Ghost that is in the comforter whome he promised he vvould sende the Apostles whome also he sent after his ascention into the heauens for to informe and instruct them in all thinges by vvhome their soules shall be sanctified vvhich faithfully beleue in him VVhosoeuer then dare affirme that the sonne hath his being of nothinge or that he is of any other substance then of the
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
incarnation or that he hath his being of nothinge or that he consisteth of any other essence or substance then of the fathers or that the sonne of God is conuertible and mutable them I saye ▪ the holy and Catholick Churche vnder heauen doth holde for accursed I Eustathius bishop of Sebastia Theophilus Siluanus legats of the councells of Lampsacum Smyrna with others haue voluntarily with our owne proper hands subscribed vnto all the premisses to euery parcell within comprised If any man after this our protestation commense any sute or accuse either vs or them whiche sent vs let him come with your holinesse letters vnto some of the catholick Bishops whome you thinke best there pleade with vs in their presence so let the punishment light vpon his heade that is faulty Liberius hauing bounde the legats with the subscription of their owne hands receaued them into the communion gaue them these letters following and sent them away The epistle of Liberius Bishop of Rome vnto the Bishops of the Macedonian sect inhabiting the East contries Vnto our welbeloued brethren and fellow bishops Hythius Cyrillus Hyperechius Vranius Heron Elpidius Maximus Eusebius Eucarpius Heortasius c. vnto all the Catholick bishops of the East churches Liberius Bishop of Italy together with other Bishops of the VVest sende greeting alwaies in the Lord. Your letters welbeloued brethren mē that are bedecked with the bright beames of fayth we haue receaued by the reuerend brethren bishops Eustathius Siluanus Theophilus containing quietnes concord of the catholick church which confirmed in vs fully out desired ioy gladnes And first of all because that therby we perceaued your faith opinion to be in all pointes agreeable both with mine which am the meanest of you all with the other bishops of Italy the rest of the west contreyes nay not only this but also your legats haue confirmed it with the testimony of their owne handes This Catholick Apostolicke faith we doe acknowledge which from the councell of Nice hitherto hath firmely vnuiolably continewed This was the faith that your legats protested in this faith with notable corage they haue accursed all the croked steppes of cankred opinions quenched all the fiery sparcles that slashed thereof This faith not onely by preaching vnto the people but also by penning of it in paper they haue published vnto the worlde The coppy whereof we thought good to annexe vnto these letters lest the hereticks finde meanes hereby to cauill euen as some heretofore haue gotten lighter occasion then this to leueale at the church of God the darts of their dispiteful minde the flaming firebrands of contention for our most reuerende brethren Eustathius Siluanus Theophilus confesse the same and withall them selues together with your fatherhoode to haue bene euer of this fayth nowe with free purpose to continewe firme in the same vnto the last houre that in the faith which was approued of three hundreth eyghteene Catholick Bishops assembled in the city of Nice which containeth the absolute and perfect trueth which stoppeth the mouths of hereticks and vtterly ouerthroweth their counterfeit doctrine Neither came it to passe by happ hazarde that so great a heape multitude of bishops met together for it was the will prouidence of Almighty God that assembled them to the suppression of the fury rage of the heretick Arius It was with the same nūber that blessed Abraham ouercame through faith so many millions of mē The which fayth being comprised in the force vertue of one substance is so firme inuincible a bulwark that it foyleth all the sleights crafty inuention of the Arian heresie And although the cursed abominable Arians caused all bishops from euery where to assemble at Ariminum to the ende that eyther through persvvasion or rather to tell the trueth by the commaundement of the Emperour that vvhich vvas the principall point of the creede might by them be blotted out or at least vvise levvdly peruerted yet for all their spitefull deuises they preuailed not For all the Bishops in maner vvhich mett at Ariminum and vvere either allured by their fradulent enticements or compelled by force and so fell at that time from the faith novv hauing remembred them selues better accursed the faith sett forth by the Bishops at Ariminum ratified by subscription the Catholick Apostolick faith confirmed by the bishops of the Nicene councell and now they communicate together vvith vs once I say againe all they presently are earnest zealously bent against the hereticall opinion of Arius and his followers The vvhich thing vvhen your legats had throughly examined deepely vveyed vvith them selues they freely subscribed in your names accursed Arius together vvith the canons concluded vpon at Ariminum contrary vnto the Nicene faith vnto the vvhich sometimes you your selues being trained through fraude vviles haue by othe subscribed VVherfore it seemed good vnto vs to write vnto your louing brotherhoode to asist you in such reasonable requests especially seing we are geuē to vnderstād by the protestatiō of your legats that the bishops of the cast are novv come into the right vvay embrace one faith together with the Catholick Bishops of the vvest Neither vvould vve haue you ignorant that they vvho sometime vvere craftely violently dravven from the trueth to establish the blasphemous decrees against the maiestie of the sonne of God at the councell of Ariminum novve haue vvholly vnfainedly condemned the same with vniforme consent of them all to haue embraced the Nicene creede Moreouer you haue to certifie all men by your letters that they vvhich heretofore vnvvittingly svvarued from the faith now wander in the wast desert darke miste of heresie may at length returne vnto the bright celestiall beames of christian liberty shining in the vvorlde to the comfort of their soules All vvhich let them knovve for suertie that if they vvill not after this damnable councell purge them selues vomit out the deadly poison of this detestable doctrine if they will not remoue from among them all the blasphemies of Arius if they wil not abhorre him from the hart roote accurse him for euer that they them selues are cutt of excōmunicated from the communion of the faithfull as aliens forayners for the Churche norisheth no bastards together with Arius his disciples all such vipers broode as the Sabellians Patropassians all other hereticall opinions whatsoeuer God haue you in his tuition welbeloued brethren The legats of Eustathius cōpany hauing gotten these letters tooke their iourney into Sicilia where after that a synode of Sicilian bishops was called together they protested in like sort before them y ◠they embraced y ◠faith of one substance there also they ratifie the forme of faith established by the councell of Nice When they had also procured these bishops letters toutching the same matter together
they call forty dayes fastinge or Lent Others some contrary to the aforesayde customes beginne to fast seuen weekes before Easter yet in all that whyle they vse abstinence but onely fifteene dayes pausing betweene euery of them and these fewe dayes they call forty dayes fastinge or Lent so that I can not chuse but maruell for all that they differ in the number of dayes yet all ioyntly doe call euery of their obseruations forty dayes fastinge or Lent Others some haue deriued the Etymologie of this worde as it pleased them best and accordinge vnto the inuention of their owne brayne Neyther is this difference onely about the number of the dayes but also a greate diuersitie in the kindes of meate For some doe abstayne from euery liuinge creature some other of all the liuinge creatures feede onely vpon fishe others together with fishe feede vpon the foules of the ayre affirminge as Moses doth write that their originall is of the water others some eate neyther nutts neither aples neyther any other kinde of fruite nor egges neither some feede onely vpon drye breade some other receaue no not that There are some that when they haue fasted vntill nyne of the clocke they refreshe nature with diuerse sortes of meates Other nations haue other customes the maner and causes are infinite But in somuch there is no man able to shewe a president or recorde thereof in writinge it is playne that the Apostles left free choyce and libertie vnto euery man at his owne discretion without feare compulsion and constraynte to addicte him selfe vnto that whiche seemed good and commendable Wee knowe for moste certayne that this diuersitie of fastinge is rife throughout the worlde Againe toutching the Communion there are sundry obseruations and customes for though in maner all the Churches throughout the whole worlde doe celebrate and receaue the holy mysteries euery Sabaoth daye after the other yet the people inhabitinge Alexandria and Rome of an olde tradition doe not vse it The Aegyptians adioyninge vnto Alexandria together with the inhabitours of Thebais vse to celebrate the Communion vpon the Sundaye yet doe they not receaue the Communion as the maner is among the Christians For when they haue banquetted and crommed them selues with sundry delicate and daynty dishes in the Eueninge after seruice they vse to communicate Agayne at Alexandria vpon the Thursdaye and Frydaye the Scriptures are read the Interpretours expounde them all the solemnitie for the Communion is accomplished yet the Communion then not receaued And this is an olde and an auncient custome at Alexandria It is well knowen that Origen florished in those dayes in the Churche who beinge a wise and discreete Doctor and Expounder of holy Scripture perceauing that the preceptes of Moses lawe coulde in no wise be litterally vnderstoode gaue forthe of the Passeouer a mysticall and more diuine kynde of interpretation that there was but one onely true Passeouer or Easter the whiche our Sauiour effectually solemnized at his naylinge to the tree when he encountred with the power of darkenes and triumphed ouer the Deuill and all his workes Agayne the Readers and Interpreters of holy Scripture at Alexandria be they Cathecumenists or baptized it forceth not when as the custome in other contreyes and Churches is to admitt none into that function vnlesse he be firste baptized I remember my selfe an other custome which preuayleth and is of force in Thessalia that if there he whiche is a Priest after the receauinge of orders doe keepe company with his wife the whiche he maryed beinge a laye man he is forthewith deposed of the ministerye yea when as all the famous Priestes througheout the Easterne partes of the worlde and the Bishopes also refrayne the company of their wiues at their owne choyse without lawe or compulsion For many of them notwithstandinge the administration and gouernement of their Bishoprickes begett children also on their lawefull wiues The autor and ringeleader of that custome in Thessalia was Theodorus a Prieste of Triua a citye of that contrey the wryter of those wanton and amorous bookes the whiche he made in the pryme of his florishinge youthe and intituled Aethiopica They retayne the same obseruation and custome at Thessalonica Macedonia and Hellas in Achaia I remember they haue an other custome in Thessalia that is they baptize onely on the Easter holydayes and therefore very many die without baptisme The Church of Antioch in Syria is situated contrary to other Churches for the altare standes not to the East but towards the West In Hellas Ierusalem and Thessalia seruice is sayd with candell light after the maner of the Nouatians at Constantinople In like sort at Caesarea in Cappadocia and at Cyprus the priests and Bishops doe preach and expounde holy Scripture at euening prayer on the Saturdayes and Sundayes by candle light The Nouatians of Hellespontus haue not the same order and maner of seruice as the Nouatians of Constantinople yet for the most part they imitate the chiefe churches among them To be short amonge the customes and obseruations of all sects and religions we shall not be able to finde two which follow and retaine one order of seruice Moreouer at Alexandria the inferior priest doth not vse to preach that order first beganne when Arius turned vpside downe the quiet estate of the Churche At Rome they faste euery Saturdaye At Caesarea in Cappadocia after the maner of the Nouatians they receaue not into the communion such as sinne after baptisme Euen so doe the Macedonians in Hellespontus and such as throughout Asia doe celebrate the feast of Easter the fouretenth day of the moneth The Nouatians throughout Phrygia allowe not of seconde mariages such as of them inhabite Constantinople doe neither receaue it neither reiect it againe such as are in y â— West partes of y â— world admit it wholly The originalls and autors of so great a diuersitie were Bishops which gouerned the Churches at diuerse and seuerall times such as like of these rites doe commende them vnto the posteritie for lawes But to penne in paper the infinite and diuerse ceremonies and customes throughout cities and contreyes woulde be a very tedious peece of worke and scarse nay vnpossible to be done This much already layd downe may seeme a sufficient treatise for to proue that the celebration of the feaste of Easter beganne euery where more of custome then by commaundement either of Christ or any Apostle Wherfore their talke sauoreth not of the trueth their report is to no good purpose which say that the Nicene Councell sett the maner of celebrating this feast out of square For the bishops of that assembly endeuored with all might possible to reconcile the lesser number with the greater which varied from them Neither were the Apostles times without such broyles and dissentions neither were they themselues ignorant hereof as it appeareth by the Acts of the Apostles for when the Apostles vnderstoode
his behauiour he was accompted in his exhortations very arrogant and insolent CAP. IIII. Howe that by the procurement of his Deacon Serapion Iohn was greatly hated of his clergy IOhn being thus conditioned and preferred vnto the bishoprick of Constantinople purposing to reforme the liues of his clergy for so he had determined with him selfe practised greater seueritie towards them then right and reason did require so that immediatly after his stalling in the Bishops seae because of his greate austeritie he was hated of his clergye many of them were offended with his dealing and beganne to setle them selues out of his daunger as one that was altogether out of square And in fewe wordes to confesse the trueth Serapion deacon of that church made him incurre all that displeasure who in presence of all the clergie sayde thus vnto him O Bishop thou shalt neuer be able to rule all these as thou wouldest vnlesse thou make them all taste of one whipp the which saying of his procured greate hatred vnto the Bishop The Bishop shortly after thrust many out of the Churche some for one thinge and some for an other they as it commonly falleth out where such Lordely Prelats put such deuises in vre conspyred agaynst him and of spyte discredited him with the common people The reportes that went of him to wete that he woulde neuer eate or drynke with any man and beinge laued to a banquette he would not come perswaded the herers So that the sclaunder raised of him increased more more Why and wherefore he would not fede in company with other men there was no man that knewe certainelye Some that endeuored to excuse him therefore affirmed the cause of his seuerall and priuate feedinge to be infirmity y ◠he was a sickly man could hardly away w t whatsoeuer were laid before him Other some affirmed that it was because of his straict austere kinde of life But howe soeuer it went these excuses were of force not sufficient to wipe awaye the hainousnes of the crimes wherewith he was charged of the aduersaries For all that the people were wonderfully affectioned towards him loued him entirely because of the notable sermones he made in the opē audiēce of the church wherefore they made no accompt of the accusations sclaunders that were laide to his charge The sermones he made beinge penned of swift scriueners as he vttered them out of the pulpit what they were howe excellent with what force they perswaded I neede not presently to rehearse in so much they are extant abroad in the worlde for euery man to peruse and thereof to gather great profit CAP. V. Howe he reprehended not onely the clergie but also such as were of great honor amonge the laytye and of Eutropius the Eunuch◠AS longe as Iohn inueyed onely against the Ecclesiasticall order the cōspiracy sclaunders raised of him preuayled not very much but when that he fell a taunting of the Magistrates then heaped he on his owne head great spite and malice And first many reports and sclaūders were bruted abrod of him next they were increased for a tale is not twise told but is twise as long at length his auditors cōceaued an ill opinion of him last of all the inuectiue he made against Eutropius augmented the sclaunder For Eutropius the Eunuche and chiefe of the Emperours chamber made great sute vnto the Emperour for to haue a lawe made by the Emperours y ◠none might take the church for his sanctuary but that such as fled thither for refuge might be pulled out by the eares The tast of which lawe he himselfe first tried for as soone as the newe found law was enacted published abroad in the heating of all the people of Constantinople Eutropius incurred the high displeasure of the Emperour tooke the church for his sanctuary Iohn the bishop seeing Eutropius lye along at the foote of the altare as it were besotted or amazed for feare sitting in his pulpit where he was wont to preach to the end his boyce might be the more audible made a whole sermon in the disprayse reprehension of him For so doinge many misliked of him very much that be not onely not pitied the man lienge in that lamentable plight but also inueyed against him bitterly The Emperour commaunded Eutropius who then was consull for certaine hainous crimes to be beheaded that his name should be blotted out of the Catalogue of consuls and that the title of his honor or dignitie shoulde onely be geuen vnto his college felowe Eunuche Theodorus The reporte goeth moreouer that Iohn the bishop rebuked freely after his wonted guise Gainas the cap taine because that he wente about to beg of the Emperour one of the churches within the citie for the Arians his felowe herreticks Againe for other matters he inueyed freely against other magistrats of the common weale which turned in the end to his great displeasure Theophilus also Bishop of Alexandria immediatly after he had consecrated him bishop beganne busily to deuise howe he might worke him mischiefe And as in presence he practised priuately by word of mouth so in his absence he wrote signified by letters vnto such as dwelled in farre foraine countreyes what he wished might be brought to passe The wonderfull boldnesse libertie of speach that Iohn vsed fretted Theophilus vexed his minde neither onely that but also because his malicious practises tooke no prosperous successe for he had purposed to place Isidorus a priest of his church in the bishops seae of Constantinople Thus went the affaires of Iohn the bishop who was continewallye hated euer since he beganne to enioy the bishopricke But of him we shall haue occasion to speake more hereafter CAP. VI. The tyranny of Gainas the Gotth the sedition raised of him at Constantinople and of his ende NOwe I goe about to declare a certaine historie of that time whiche is worthie of memory amonge all posterity in time to come I will declare howe the citie of Constantinople it selfe the prosperity of the Romaine Empire were deliuered out of extreme peril vtter ouerthrowe by the wonderfull prouidence of almighty God Nowe harken to the circumstance One Gainas by birth a Barbarian yet a subiect of the Empire of Rome was so trained vp in warlike exercise and feates of armes that at length through the dayly creditte he purchased by valiant actes he was of the Romaines made captaine both of the horsemen and footemen When he had gotte vnto his person such honor and so great a power at his becke and commaundemente he forgate himselfe he could not moderate the aspiring pride of his swelling stomacke but deuised euery waye and rolled as commonlye we saye euery stone for to bringe the Romaynes vnder his girdle And therefore he sent for all the Gotths out of their countrey determininge with himselfe to entertaine and stay with him as many as were fitte for feates of armes Tribigildus
tribune of the souldiers in Phrygia being somewhat a kinne vnto him and also of his conspiracye subdued all the Phrygian nation Gainas then made earnest sute vnto the Emperour in his owne behalfe that he woulde make him Liuetenant of Phrygia The which Arcadius the Emperour without foresighte of that which was like to ensue graunted vnto him with a willinge minde He immediatly as they reported wente to geue battaill vnto Tribigildus but as trueth was to playe the tyrant brought at his tayle thousands of the barbarous Gotths He was no sooner entred into Phrygia but all the contrey yelded vnto him The Romaines were in a woefull plight partely because that so greate a multitude of Barbarians followed after Gainas and partely also because that the Easterne parts of the empire were in great daunger of inuasion Then the Emperour yelding vnto y ◠necessity of y ◠time aduised himselfe dealt subtlely with y ◠Barbariā sent vnto him Embassadours and sought by all fayre meanes to pacifie him And when that he requested the Emperour to send vnto him Saturninus and Aphelianus who were Consuls head Senatours whome he suspected to be hinderers of his enterprised conspiracy the Emperour though vnwilling yet because of y ◠time yelded vnto his request They being of a noble valiant courage desirous also of death in the qua rell and defence of theyr countrey obeyed the Emperours commaundement To be short they met the Barbarian in a playne greene where they vsed to iust and runne at tilt a good way of Chalcedon and redy they were to endure what torment so euer were layde vpon them But he did them no harme for he dissembled his drift got him to Chalcedon there Arcadius the Emperour mett him The Emperour and the barbarian being together in the temple where the corps of Euphemia the martyr lyeth interred sware one to the other that nere nother would conspire neither procure the others death But although y ◠Emperour a man both godly zealous made great accōpt of his oth and kept it vnuiolably yet Gainas forsware himselfe brake the league and ceased not to proceede on in his former treason and conspiracy But deuised with himselfe howe he might settt the citie of Constantinople on fire ouerrunne the whole Empire of Rome Wherefore Constantinople vp reason of the infinite number of Barbarians which abode there became in maner a Barbarian citie of the citizens and inhabitants there was no other accompte made then of captiues and bondeslaues The citie was in so great a daūger that a wonderfull great Comet reaching in maner frō y ◠skie vnto y ◠earth the like whereof was neuer remēbred to haue bene seene before prognosticated the same Gainas first of all laing shamefastnes aside steeling his face with impudencye purposed in his minde to rifle the shoppes of the bankers and exchaungers But when as the report thereof preuented his lewde purpose and the bankers remoued theyr exchaunginge tables and conueyed awaye theyr money he endeuored to compasse an other mischieuous act for he sent in the nighte season a multitude of Barbarians to fire the pallace of the Emperoure At what time it appeared vnto the wholl world how carefull God was ouer that citie For an iufinite nūber of Angells resembling men of monstrous bodies all in glisterng armour were seene of these rebels that went about to set the pallace on fire the Barbarians supposing they had bene a greate armie and a mightie host were astonied and ranne away Gainas hearinge of this thought it a thinge incredible He knewe for certaintie y t so great a power of Romaine souldiers coulde not possibly be there for they were appointed seuerally throughout euery citie The night followinge he sent thither others that not once neither twise whē as y ◠souldiers being oftē sent of him reported y ◠same for the Angells of God were alike in the sight of the traitors at length he went thither himselfe with great power for to knowe the certainety of the wonderfull sight He perceauinge of a surety that it was an army of souldiers hiding themselues in the day time and withstanding his violēce in the night season went about to compasse a crafty feate as he thought whereby he might greatly hurt the Romaynes but as the euent declared it auayled them very much He fained himselfe to be possessed of a Deuell and therefore he got him to the Church of Saynct Iohn the Apostle which was not farre frō the citie there for to pray The Barbarians went forth w t him conueying armour priuely in tunnes and vessells coueringe them also with other sleyghtes and deuises When the watch porters of the citie gats perecaued theyr wile treason they commaunded them to carye forth no weapons the Barbarians hearinge this drewe theyr swords and dispatched thē euery one Immediately all the citie was on an vprore and death seemed to stande at euery mans dore Yet for all that the citie was safe the gates on euery side beinge shutte and well fortified The Emperour aduisinge himselfe in tyme proclaimed Gainas a traitor and an open enemy ◠he commaunded that the Barbarians which remayned in the citie shoulde be slayne euery one this was the day after the death of the porters the souldiers within the walls of the citie nigh the Gotthicke church for there all the Barbarians were assembled together dealt hande to hande with the Barbarians set the Churche on sire and slewe manye of them Gainas hearinge that as many of his complices as he left behinde with in the citie were executed and perceauing that his traiterous conspiracye had no prosperous successe left his hypocriticall prayers got him to the coasts of Thracia And comming into Cherronesus he tooke shippinge thence in all the hast to Lampsacum for to subdue from that place forewards all the Westerne partes of the worlde When the Emperour had preuented him in those countreyes by sending thither great power both by sea and by land it fel out y ◠God of his prouidence shewed there his wonderfull power the second tyme. For when the Barbarians wanted shippes they fell a framinge of newe vessells and so to transporte souldiers in them The Romayne nauye came thither and ariued at the very pinche or as commonly we saye in the nicke for they had winde and sayle at will the Westerne Zephyrus blewe on theyr side And as the Romayne power conueyed themselues thither with ease and pleasure so the greater parte of the Barbarian nauye bothe horse and man shippes and all were tossed to and fro scattered one from the other and suncke in the deepe gulphes of the surginge waues of the seaes Diuerse also of the Romaines were drowned alike And thus there was then an infinite number of the Barbarians destroyed But Gainas remouinge thence taking his flight by Thracia lighted by chaunce into the hands of the Romaine souldiers which dispatched both him
his life Afterwardes when he sawe his tyme he determined to enter vnlooked for into the Romayne dominions throughe Mesopotamia where there was no power to resiste them and purposed so to reuenge him of the Romaynes But the Romayne captaine was quickely made priuey vnto the pollicie and fetche of Narsaeus for he sacked and rifled Azazena with all speede and got him in post hast to Mesopotamia Wherefore though Narsaeus had gathered a woÌ„derfull great power together yet could he not inuade the Romayne contreyes When he came to Nisibis a citie of Persia yet situated iuste in the middest betwene the Romayne and Persian dominions he sent vnto Ardaburius that he would gladly come to parle with him toutchinge the time and place when and where the battaill shoulde be foughte Ardaburius answered the legats in this sorte tell Narsaeus from me that the Emperours of Rome vse not to wage battaill at Narsaeus his pleasure Wherefore the Emperour of Rome vnderstanding that the kinge of Persia had gathered a greate army together for to wage battaill with him put his wholl trust confidence in God he sent of the contrary a great host against him And hereby it will euidently appeare vnto the wholl worlde that the Emperour enioyed immediatly a singuler benefitte for casting his care affiance vpon God For when as y â— citizens of Constantinople were very sad heuy mistrusting the doubtful end of the variable chaunces incident to warrs a company of Angells appeared vnto certen in Bithynia whose necessary affayres constrained to trauell into Constantinople willed them to salute the citizens of Constantinople bid them be of good cheare exhorting them to pray to put theyr trust in God that the Romaines should foyle the enemy become conquerours and that God had sent them as gouernours and soueraigne captaines of the warres this being heard not only the citie was recreated but also y â— souldiers harts were lighted the more encouraged to fight WheÌ„ the campe was remoued y â— warres traÌ„slated out of Armenia into Mesopotamia the Romaines got the Persian souldiers into the citie of Nisibis and there besieged them they set to the walls wodden turrets resembling ladders rolled vpon wheeles and winded vp they slewe many of them whiche fought on the walls defended theyr citie withstood their skaling Bararanes king of Persia vnderstaÌ„ding that his contrey Azazena was destroyed and that his souldiers were shutte vp of the Romaynes and besieged within the citie Nisibis wente him selfe with all his power agaynste the Romaynes But because he feared greatly the force of the Romayne souldiers he craued ayd of the Saracens whose gouernour then was Almundarus a man of valiaunte courage and noble prowesse whiche broughte with him an infinite multitude of Saracens and encouraged the kinge of Persia and promised moreouer that in a shorte while after he woulde not onely conquere the Romaines but also take Antioch and Syria deliuer it into his hands But his promise was not performed it preuayled not accordinge vnto his desire for God vpon a sodaine so terrified astonied the Saracens that they imagined the Romaine souldiers were vnawares come vpoÌ„ them whilest that they besturred theÌ„ selues for feare knewe not where to flie they cast theÌ„selues headelonge as they were all in armour into the riuer Euphrates where the number of one hundred thousand was drowned such a misfortune befell vnto the Saracens The Romaines which layde siege to Nisibis hearing that the king of Persia was comming against them with a great number of Olyphants were wonderfully afrayde gathered together all the engines they had prepared for siege and burned them afterwards returned backe to their coÌ„trey But what battailes were afterwards fought how Areobindus an other captaine of the Romaines slew a mightie Persian dealing with him hand to haÌ„d how Ardaburius dispatched through wiles and stratagemes seuen of the nobilitie of Persia and how that Vitianus a third captaine of the Romaines foyled the remnant of the Saracens power I thinke it my duty to ouerskip them with silence lest I seeme to make toe long a digression from the purpose CAP. XIX Of Palladius the poste and his swiftnesse THe aforesayde newes were quickly brought vnto the Emperour Theodosius but howe he coulde so soone vnderstande of matters done in contreyes so farre distant I am now about to declare He had a man whose name was Palladius one that had rare gyftes bothe outwardly in bodie and inwardly in minde He was able in three dayes to ryde in such poste as was to be wondered vnto the furthest places and boundes of the Romaine and Persian dominions and backe agayne in so many dayes to Constantinople Moreouer he went with maruelous greate speede throughout the worlde whyther so euer the Emperour had sent him so that a wise man sayde once of him This fellowe with his celeritie maketh the Empire of Rome which is very wyde to be narrowe and strayght When the king of Persia heard the same of him he coulde not chuse but wonder So farre of Palladius CAP. XX. Howe the Persians were agayne vtterly foyled by the Romaines THe Emperour of Rome abydinge at Constantinople and vnderstanding for trueth of the victory that was geuen him behaued him selfe so graciously that he desired greatly the enioyinge of peace and quietnesse for all that his souldiers had suche prosperous successe in all their aduentures Wherefore he sent Helion one that was in greate creditte with him in embassie vnto the kinge of Persia for to conclude a league betweene them Helion comminge to Mesopotamia and the place where the Romaines had trenched them selues sent Maximinus a valiaunt man and felowe captayne with Ardaburius as Embassadour to entreate for peace As soone as he had presented him selfe before the kinge of Persia he sayde that he came not from the Emperour but from his captaines to see whether it woulde pleâ—â—e him to make truce that the Emperour was ignorant of all the circumstance and euents of that battaile â–ª and if peraduenture it were told him he would make but small accompt of it The king as he purposed with him selfe to receaue this embassie with most willinge minde for his army was almost famished to death the order of the souldiers whome they call Immortall the number mouÌ„ted to tenne thousand of most stronge and valiaunt men came and perswaded the kinge that he should not confirme any league before that they firste of all had assaulted and sodainly sett vpon the Romaines who nowe as they thought were vnprouided The Kinge yeelded vnto their aduise and councell deliuered the Embassadour in the meane while to be kept in holde and sent those Immortall souldiers for to assault the Romaines They went on their voyage and deuided their coÌ„pany into two armies purposing to beset and compasse some part of the Romaine host The Romaines when as they might see but one onely army of the Persians set vpon them for the other had not as yet appeared
of Antioch vnto the Shiriffe of Sommerset a learned historiographer vnto on that is no lesse studious of great fame vnto one that is of as good report a furtherer of religion vnto a fauourer of such as professe the same It is tolde me of trueth nay I haue found my selfe sufficient triall of your curtesie and vertuous disposition VVhen I trauelled novve tvvo yeares agoe at the request of a deare friende and kinsman of mine in your countye of Sommerset and savve the good vvill you bare vnto your neighbours and tenauntes the entire loue and affection they ovved vnto you againe I called to remembraunce the sayinge of Eberhardus Duke of VVittenberge in the Parlament helde at VVormes of all the princes of Germanie in the time of Maximilian Euerie of the nobylitie commended his ovvne cuntreye the Princes of Saxonie praysed their myne pittes and quarries their precious mettalls the Dukes of Bauaria sette foorth the maiesticall buyldinge and portly Cyties vvythin their dominions the Duke Palatine extolled the fertylitie of his soyle the plentifulnesse of his grape and the pleasauntnesse of his vvyne Duke Eberhardus holdinge his peace harkning to the rest vvas requested of Friderick Duke of Saxonie to say somevvhat for his ovvne cuntrey I knovve not saith he vvhat commendation I shoulde geue my cuntrey but sure I am of this one thinge that I may safely lay my heade and sleepe in the lappe of any subiect vvithin my dominions by day or by night at home or abroade as muche to say he gouerned his cuntrey so vertuously that the commonalty vvould liue and die vvith him the vvhich sying of his by the censure and opinion of all the princes deserued the greatest prayse If I may speake vnfainedly vvhat I thought I tooke his case to be yours the iudgment he gaue of his dominions to be the report you giue of your cuntrey and novve I thinke the godly rule of his people thē to be presently the politick gouernment of your shiriffvvike you remember I am sure naye I see it in you my selfe hovve the painter setteth forth the portracture of the emperours of Germanie holding a booke in the right hand a svvord in the left the booke betokeneth knovvledge of the lavve the svvorde execution of iustice many there are novve a dayes vvhich sue for suche offices in mine opinion they are not the fittest men they respect not the afore saide conditions but their ovvne lucre and the making vp of their bags for that yeare Iouianus refused the empire of the vvhole vvorld vvhen it vvas offred him Ambrose vvoulde in no vvise be made byshoppe of Millaine Eusebius could not be persvvaded to take the byshoprick of Antioch Constantinus magnus vvrote of him that in so doing he vvas vvorthie to be byshop of the chiefest Churche vnder heauen it vvas against your vvill that you tooke the office vpon you I knovve it full vvell therefore you deserue the greater prayse and commendation Novve that you are in office hearken vvhat a learned Poët seeing his friende chosen magistrate vvrote vnto him it vvas in such sort as follovveth Da capias quaeras plurima pauca nihil By interpretation geue much take litle seeke nothing he meant by extortion Aristotle bad Alexander remember that gouernment vvas not insolencie oppression and iniurie but execution of iustice helping vvith counsell and maintaining of right Ernestus Duke of Luneburge vvas mindefull of his calling vvhen he caused a burning candle to be stamped in his coyne vvith these letters in compasse A. S. M. C. alijs seruiens meipsum contero vvhile I serue other mens turnes I vvast my selfe avvay I presume that of your good nature you vvill take the premises in good part considering they proceede of good vvill and frendly remembrance for the great curtesie I haue receaued It is the part of a friende not onely to be thankefull for the benefits bestovved vpon him and to commend vertuous disposition vvhere he findeth the same but also exhorte his friende to goe on in vvell doing and vvish the continuance thereof If that herein I haue discharged some part of my duetie take it vvell in vvorth accept it vvith as louing a minde as the Translator vvas vvillinge to take penne in hand to commende it vnto you vvith a preface Farevvell from London the 4. of September 1576. Yours in the Lorde MEREDITH HANMER THE PREFACE OF THE TRANSLATOR VNTO THE READER TOVTCHING EVAGRIVS AND HIS HISTORIE EVagrius a noble man of Antioch a learned writer and continewer of this Ecclesiasticall historie may not lightly be ouerskipped with out commending of his prayse and vertues to immortall memorie and rehearsing of them to the encouragement of all studious nobilitie to the profite of the louing reader and the furtherance of christian profession his honor was nothing impaired his blood nothing blemished at all in that he being a tēporall man acquainted him selfe with ecclesiasticall affaires Sabellicus writeth that Bartolomevve the Apostle came of a noble race forsoke the brauery of courtiers and became the follower of Christ Peter Dorotheus and Gorgonius being pages vnto the Emperour Diocletian in great creditte and of noble parentage bad court farewell weyed litle their honor made lesse accompt of the Emperour forsoke their owne liues rather then they woulde forsweare Christ The treasurer together with the lieuetenant of a certaine towne in Phrygia chose rather for the trueth in Christ with fire to be consumed to ashes then here to enioy all worldly treasure Audactus a noble man of Italie preferred the garland of martyrdome before all the glorie and pompe of this transitorie life A noble man of Nicomedia rent in pieces a wicked proclamation in the face of all the foure Emperours Astyrius a Senator of Rome thought it no staining of his honor to take vp on his shoulders the deade bodie of a blessed martyr and prouide for it a funeral Iouianus Valentinianus and Valens noble men and afterwards Emperours one after the other threwe away their sword girdles left their offices departed the court of Iulian the Apostata rather then they woulde deny Christ Yet S. Paule saith that not many wise men according vnto the fleshe not manie mightie not manie noble men are called true it is in respect of a greater number of the contrary or rather we may say that these were not fleshly minded their disposition was not carnall their wisedome was not worldly how great a comfort is it vnto christian profession when princes become fosterers when Queenes become nurces and noble men become fauourers of the christian faith In some countries we see that noble men most of all spend their time in studie and learning It is not decent in some countries for the pesants sonne the farmour the frankline or howsoeuer ye terme him to forget his fathers rusticall toile forthwith addict him self to the gentlemans trade The Pope most commonly calleth noble men to his colledge of Cardinals Dukes and Earles yongest
relations for the most part are in the person of Gregorie byshop of Antioche for the which I was preferred vnto two honorable offices Tiberius Constantinus made me Quaestor Mauricius Tiberius made me maister of the Rolles where the noble men and magistrates were registred The autor endeth his historie about the yeare of our Lord 595. wanting onely fiue yeares of sixe hundred There are many odde thinges in this historie whereby the reader may note the chaunge and diuersitie of times how abuses creepe in by a litle and a litle ▪ who so euer he be that is so disposed to settle his minde and rest vpon the plaine trueth by perusing of these histories he may haue great furtherance In Eusebius he may behold the estate of the primitiue church from the Apostles vnto his time three hundred odd years In Socrates although it follow immediatly he shal find great chaunge his historie is of a hundred and forty years after but in Euagrius being but a hundred forty yeares after him ye shall see farre greater alteration Lastof all if ye weye the thinges which happened since the sixte hundred yeares after Christe then as it is written Qui legit intelligat then came in the Pope then came in the Turke and then came in the deuell for altogether For after the raygne of this Mauricius came in Phocas to be Emperour which first graunted vnto the byshoppe of Rome to be called vniuersall byshoppe This Phocas murthered the Emperour Mauricius obtayned the Empire through treason a fitte man to be founder of so worthie an acte Note I beseeche you howe that in his time God seemed vtterly to withdrawe his blessing Fraunce Spaine Germanie Lumbardie and the greatest part of the east fell from the Empire for euer such a wrecke to the state as neuer had bene sene before Not onely this but there ensued in the temporaltie no feare of God no shame of the worlde no loue towardes the brethren no care of the Churche no consideration of cleargie men in the spiritualtie pryde of prelates pampering of their panches fleshly pleasure they turned deuotion into superstition fayth into fained workes plaine dealing into hypocrisie careful zeale into carelesse securitie in stead of the Bible they brought into the Church legendes of lyes in steade of the true and pure seruice of God they brought in peeuishe and pelting ceremonies wherefore the season requireth that we watche and pray and continewally wayte for the Lords comminge All is nowe in the extreme Nullum violentum perpetuum T. V. THE FIRST BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS CAP. I. The proëme of Euagrius to his historie EVsebius syrnamed Pamphilus a man without all peraduenture as in other thinges profounde so in penninge excellent is of such efficacie in his works y ◠although he can not make the readers perfect christians yet can he so draw them by perswasion that with prompt and willing mindes they will embrace the Christian fayth Eusebius Socrates Sozomenus Theodoret haue written most exquisitly of the incarnation of our most louing sauiour of his ascention into the heauens of the famous acts of the Apostles of the combats and persecutions of y ◠holy martyrs what other thing so euer was thought worthy the noting or otherwise vnto some part of Theodosius iunior his raigne In so much therefore such thinges as ensued after seeme nothing inferior vnto the rest and haue bene hitherto recorded in no perfect order although also I my selfe seeme vnfitt by reason of my smale habilitie to take so great an enterprise in hand yet I take it to be my duetie to imploy what labour and industrie lieth in me for the compyling of this worke and to put my whole trust and confidence in him which indued the fishermen with heauenly wisedome and filed the rough tongue for readie deliuerie and soundinge of euery syllable to th end I may reuiue the famous actes which nowe doe slumber in the duste of forgetfulnesse so sturre them with my penne and print them to immortall memory that not onely euerie man may know what hath happened vntill this our age when where in what sort against whome by what men but also that no worthie act through rechelesse securitie and languishinge slouthfulnesse the sister of obliuion be cleane put out of remembrance Wherefore by the helpe of almightie God there will I beginne to write where the aforesaide writers made an end of their histories when the outragious crueltie of Iulian had sucked his fill of the blessed sainctes and martyres blood when the mad furie of Arius false and counterfeit doctrine was bridled with the sounde canons of the Nicene councell when both Eunomius and Macedonius were sore pricked at Bosphorus with the power of the holy Ghoste and vtterly foyled at the famous Cytye of Constantinople when the holy Churche had purged her of her filthe and infection the whiche she lately receiued and now recouered her former glorie being as it were all layde ouer with glistering golde and gorgeously araid for her louer and bridegrome Satan the sworne aduersarie to all godlinesse because he could not away with these graces and benefites bestowed from aboue raised against vs a straunge battaile contrarie to the course of nature And when he sawe the idolatrie of pagans was trode in the puddle of contempt that the seruile and abiect opinion of Arius was quite banished the Churche although he staggered and staide openly from oppugninge the christian faith specially seeing it was confirmed and fortified by so many auncient and godly fathers for in besieging and assaulting of it his power was very muche diminished secretly and by stelth he wrought his feates he deuised certaine obiections and resolutions and laboured to conueigh the errour after his newe founde inuention vnto the Iewishe superstition forgetting like a wretche as he is that in partaking with them he was lately foyled and ouerthrowen Whereas a foretime he had one aduersarie now craftely he seemed to reuerence and in maner to embrace the same his deuise and endeuour was not to withdrawe the Church generally from the whole faith but to see whether he might possibly corrupt one worde or syllable comprised therein Wherefore being wrapped in his owne malice he craftely went about to alter yea one letter which seemed to appertaine vnto the sense and vnderstanding of the sentence ▪ but how in pronunciation he seuered the tongue from the trueth of the worde so that the sounde and sense of the phrase might not iointly laude God and extoll him with diuine prayses moreouer into what issue neither of them did growe and what ende they enioyed I will declare when I come to entreate of them I will also adde there vnto what other thing so euer may be thought worthie of memorie though therein I may seeme to digresse and there will I ceasse to write where God of his goodnesse will haue the historie ended CAP. II. Howe Nestorius
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
Rhetorician writeth howe the lieuetenant of Thebais came then to Alexandria saw al the people on an vprore set vpon the magistrates how they threwe stones at the garrison which endeuoured to keepe y â— peace how of force they made y â— soldiers flie vnto y â— temple of old called Serapis how the people ranne thither ransacked y â— temple burned y â— soldiers quick the emperour vnderstanding hereof to haue sent thither imediatly two thousand choseÌ„ soldiers who hauing winde wether at will arriued at Alexandria y â— sixt day after Againe when y â— soldiers rauished the wiues defloured the daughters of y â— citizens inhabiting Alexandria y â— the latter skirmish combat exceded the former in cruelty After al this how the people assembled together at Circus where their spectacles were solemnized there to haue requested Florus who was captaine of the garrisoÌ„ gouernour of their city in ciuill affaires y â— he would restore vnto them y â— priueledged corne which he had depriued them of their bathes their spectacles other things whatsoeuer were takeÌ„ from them because of their insurrection tumults The aforesaide autor reporteth that Florus appeased their wrath with his presence gentle exhortation restored peace for a while but in the meane space the monks which inhabited y â— deserts adioyning vnto Ierusalem could not setle quietnes within their brests for some of them which had bene at the councell dissented from the decrees came to Palaestina coÌ„playned of the forme of fayth deliuered by y â— councell laboured to set other monks on firy sedition but wheÌ„ Iuuenalis returned froÌ„ y â— councell to his byshoprick was coÌ„pelled by such aduersaries as laboured to bring him into y â— contrary opinion to coÌ„fute detest his owne religion had fled vnto the city where y â— emperour made his abode they y â— impugned reuiled the councell of Chalcedon as I said before gathered theÌ„ selues together made an election vpon Easter day chose Theodosius to their byshopp who was the ringleader of the whole mischiefe raised in the councell and the first that certified them of the canons and decrees thereof concerning whome not long after the Monks of Palaestina wrote vnto Alcison how that he was conuicted of haynous crimes by hiw owne byshopp and expulsed the monastery and how that continewing a while at Alexandria he cleaued to Dioscorus was whipped for sedition set vpon a Camell as malefactors are vsed and carted throughout the citie vnto this Theodosius there came many out of the cities of Palaestina requesting him to appoint them byshops of which number Petrus the Iberian was made byshop of Maiuma hard by Gaza â–ª when the trueth of these treacheries came to light Martianus the Emperour commaunded first of all that Theodosius should be brought vnto him with power of armed soldiers secondly he sent thither Iuuenalis to th ende he shoulde reforme the disordered state of the Church and reduce all to peace and quietnes moreouer he commaunded him to depose as many as Theodosius had preferred to y â— priestly functioÌ„ After the returne of Iuuenalis into IerusaleÌ„ many grieuous calamities mischieuous deuices such as most coÌ„monly through the instigation of the enuious deuell and satan the sworne enemy to God and man are wont to raigne in the mindes of mortall men ensued by the meanes of y e contrary factions for the deuell by chaunging of one letter and lewde interpreting thereof brought to passe that it should be pronounced either way for to establish a contrary opinion the which sentence as diuers doe thinke is so repugnant and inferreth such contradictorie sense and meaning that the one seemeth vtterly to subuert and ouerthrowe the other for he that confesseth Christ to be IN two natures saith no lesse but that he consisteth Oâ— two natures for by graunting that Christ is both IN diuinitie and humanitie is to confesse that he consisteth OF diuinitie and humanitie he againe that saith that Christ consisteth OF two natures affirmeth plainly that he is IN two natures for by auouching that he consisteth of diuinitie and humanitie he testifieth him to be in diuinitie and humanitie yet not by conuersion of the fleshe into the godhead whose vniting is inexplicable neither of y â— godhead into flesh so that wheÌ„ we say OF TVVO we vnderstand withall IN TVVO by saying IN TVVO we meane OF TVVO not parting y â— one froÌ„ the other for it is toe plaine that the whole not onely consisteth of the parts but y t the whole is vnderstood in the parts yet for al y â— some men be of the vpinion y t they are farre seuered a sunder because their mindes and heads are so occupied before or else because they maintaine some sulline opinion of God or selfe will that they had leuer endure any kinde of death then yeelde vnto the plaine and manifest trueth by occasion of this subtlety of satan the aforesaid mischieues ensued but so much of these things in this sort CAP. VI. Of the great necessitie of rayne famine and pestilence and howe that in certaine places hardly to be belieued the earth brought forth of her owne accorde ABout that time there was suche scarsitie of rayne in both Phrygia Galatia Cappadocia and Cilicia that men wanting necessaries receiued poysoned nurishment and deadly food vpon this there rose a great pestilence and men after chaunge and alteration of diet beganne to sickenne their bodies swelled the inflammation was so great that it made them starke blinde they had withall such a cough that they died thereof the third day Although there could no medicine be had neither remedy be found for this pestilence yet by the prouidence of almighty God the famine relented for suche as were left aliue for it is reported that in that deare and barren yeare there came downe foode from the aer no otherwise then Manna of olde vnto the 〈◊〉 and the yeare following the earth of her owne accorde brought forth fruite Neither wâ—… this miserie rise throughout Palaestina but also sundry calamities raigned in many and inâ—… regions CAP. VII How Valentinianus the Emperour was slaine Rome taken and ransacked WHile the aforesaide calamities raigned in the East Aëtius was lamentably put to death at olde Rome Valentinianus also Emperour of the West parts of the worlde was slaine together with Heraclius by certen soldiers of Aëtius through the treason of Maximus who aspired vnto the Empire and therefore wrought their destruction because the wife of Maximus had bene deflowred by Valentinianus and forced to commit adulterie This Maximus maried Eudoxia the wife of Valentinianus against her will she neyther without good cause tooke this as a great contumelie and reproche deuised euerie way howe to reuenge her husbandes death for she is a woman exceedinge outragious for stayninge the puritie of her vessell of an intractable minde when her honesty is oppressed
Herodian in maner folowed ending with the death of Maximus Nicostratus also a Rhetorician of Trapezus began with the raigne of Philip the successor of Gordianus and wrote vnto Odaenatus of Palmyra and the ignominious expedition of Valerianus against the Persians Of the same things entreated Dexippus at large beginning with the raigne of the Macedonians and ending with the Imperie of Claudius the successor of Galienus the said author laid downe the warres of the Carpians and of other Barbarians in Hellada Thracia and Ionia Eusebius continewed his storie from Octauianus the Emperours raigne vnto the time of Traian Marcus and the death of Carus Arianus and Asinius Quadratus wrote somewhat also of those times The times folowing reaching vnto the raigne of Arcadius and Honorius the Emperours Zosimus hath prosecuted and of the things which happened since their times Priscus Rhetor with others hath discoursed All which hystories Eustathius of Epiphania hath briefly runne ouer but very excellently and deuided the whole into two volumes The first containeth the Actes from the beginning of the world vnto the destruction of Troie and the Pallace of Priamus the second contineweth the story from that time vnto the twelfe yeare of Anastasius the Emperours raigne There beganne Procopius Rhetor and ended with the dayes of Iustinian What happened since vnto these our dayes although Agathius Rhetor and Iohn both my felow Citezen and kinsman haue orderly wrytten of vnto the time when Chosroes the yonger both fledde vnto the Romaines and also was restored vnto his kingdom by Mauricius who went not therein faintly to worke but courageously as it became an Emperour and brought Chosroes into his kingdom with great treasure and armed souldiers yet haue they not as yet published their hystories Of whom hereafter by the grace of God we minde to speake as occasion shall serue The ende of the fift booke of Euagrius Scholasticus THE SIXT BOOKE OF THE ECCLESIASTICALL HISTORIE OF EVAGRIVS SCHOLASTICVS CAP. 1. The solemne mariage of Mauricius and Augusta MAuricius being crowned Emperour first of all made preparation for the solemnitie of his mariage next celebrated such rites as became the Emperiall scepter and coupled vnto him in mariage Augusta otherwise called Constantina with great pompe and royaltie last of all made sumptuous feasts costly bankets with great glory and renowne Theosebia and y ◠Empresse came to this solenme mariage with a portly traine and rich presents The one brought with her not only the father and the mother of Mauricius which was neuer seene to haue happened to any Emperour before for to honor the mariage with their comely horenesse and reuerend wrincles but also his brethern of goodly stature proportion to set forth that royall solemnitie the other presented a garment all cloth of gold garnished with purple and pearles of India she brought also crownes couered wyth gold and precious stones of diuers sorts and sundry colours together w t all the nobilitie as well such as were renowmed for Martiall prowesse as they that were made of for their honourable order of the haule and pallace all they bare in their handes burninge torches stoode verye maiestically in the sight of all men vpholding the glory of that gorgeous spectacle so that there was neuer sene among men a more excellent a more roial shew Plutarchus Chaeroneus saith Damophilus a Romaine historiographer said very well that the puisance prosperous successe the fauor fortune of Rome ioined hands together but I had rather say that true piety felicity so met together in Mauricius alone that true piety forced felicity to be present would in no wise suffer her to be foyled ouerthrowen These things being finished Mauricius couered not onely his head with the crowne clad not onely his body in purple but also his minde with precious ornamēts for in maner he alone of all the Emperours fell a gouerning of his owne person and so became an Emperour in deede first he droue from his minde the popular state of affections next placinge the order of his peeres and nobilitie in the seate of reason he made him selfe a liuely paterne of vertue for his subiects to immitate and followe after Neither doe I report this of him to th ende I might sooth him with faire words and flattery to what purpose I beseech you should I doe so seeing he knoweth not of the things which I doe write but because the gifts which God hath so boūtifully bestowed vpon him and the affaires which at sundrye times enioyed suche prosperous successes doe manifestly proue it to be most true All which will we nill we we must confesse and acknowledge to be the goodnesse of God CAP. II. Of Alamundarus the Saracen and his sonne Naamanes THis Emperour besides all other men was carefull ouer suche as had bene attainted of high treason that none of them should be executed and therefore he beheaded not Alamundarus captaine of the Scenetae in Arabia who as I mentioned before had betrayed him but was driuen out of one onely Isle with his wife and certen children and banished for punishment into Sicilia And moreouer Naamanes his sonne who wrought infinite mischiefs against the common weale who had destroyed the two Phoenicias and Palaestina who last of all subdued the same regions with the helpe of the Barbarians rounde about him yea at what time his father Alamundarus was taken when all men craued his heade he kept him onely in free ward and enioyned him no other punishment the like clemencie he shewed to infinit other persons the which seuerally shal be spoken of when fit occasion is ministred CAP. III. Of Iohn and Philippicus Romaine captaynes and their doinges IOhn a Thracian borne was sent by Mauricius to guyde the Easterne armie who preuailinge but ill fauoredly in some battails in some others againe patching that which was a discredit vnto him before did as trueth is nothing that deserued any great commendation Next after him Philippicus one that was allied vnto y ◠emperour for he had maried one of the sisters made a voyage into foraine countreis destroied all that lay before him took great spoile and slew many of the nobles and peeres of Nisibis and of others on this side of the riuer Tigris he fought hand to hand with the Persians and geuing them a wonderfull sore battail he ouerthrew many that were of the chiefest of Persia and tooke many aliue a band also of speare men which fled into an hill lying very commodious for them he took not but let them go vntoutched which promised him they would send to their king with all speede to perswade him to peace Other noble acts did he while he led the Romaine power he brought the soldiers from riot and pleasure acquainted them with temperancie and diligent seruice All which circumstances we geue other men leaue if them please that either haue written or are about to write so farre to wade in
them as they haue learned by heresay or conceaued by selfe opinion who most commonly by reason of ignorance are deceaued and so halt or through toe muche partialitie or negligent or by occasion of spite and hatred are so blinded that they can not vtter the trueth CAP. IIII. Of captaine Priscus and the insurrection of the soldiers against him PRiscus succeeded Philippicus in the rowme of a captaine and was so stately that none coulde speake with him vnlesse it were about weightie and great matters For he was of the opinion that if he vsed litle familiaritie he might doe what him selfe listed and that his soldiers vnderneath him woulde stand in awe of him and the sooner obey his commaundement But comming on a certaine time vnto his armie with high lookes and hauty disdaine with his whole body set vpon toe arrogant gestures he made them an oration of soldiers patience in perill of warres of fine and picked harnesse and last of all of the rewardes they were to reape of the common weale for their trauell and seruice they knowinge of these thinges as well as he beganne openly to reueale their wrath and conceaued displeasure againste him and rushinge in thither where he had pitched his tent as if they had bene Barbarians They spoyled him of all his sumptuous store and precious treasure not onely this but without doubt they had also dispatched him had not he with al speede taken horse and fled vnto Edessa Yet they besieged this citie and commaunded that Priscus should be deliuered them CAP. V. Of Germanus whom the soldiers made Emperour against his will VVHen the citizens of Edessa woulde not restore Priscus the soldiers left him and by force tooke Germanus captaine of the warefaringe soldiers in Phoenicia of Iabanesia and proclaimed him their captaine and Emperour While he refused the office and they vrged it vpon him there rose great contention of either side for he would not be constrained and they would needs compell him they threatned to execute him vnlesse he would willingly accept of the dignitie he of the contrary protested openly he was neither affraide neither woulde yelde one iote At length they went about to lash him with whips to maime the members of his body which torments they perswaded them selues verily he would not endure that there was not in him more hardnesse to beare away stripes then nature and yeares gaue them to vnderstande they tooke him in hand knowing well inough what he was able to suffer dealt very circumspectly lest they wounded him sore vntil in th end they forced him to condescend and with anoth to promise them his faith and fidelitie Wherfore thus they compelled him whom they had ruled to rule and whom they had gouerned to gouerne and whom they led captiue to become their captaine furthermore they displaced all other officers as captaines tribuns centurions decurions and placed in their rowmes whom pleased them best reuiled the empire with railing speaches And though they bore them selues towards such as were tributary milder then the common vse and maner is of Barbarians yet were they altogether alienated from their companions members with them of one common weale For they tooke not their wayfaring vittailes by weight and measure neither were they pleased with suche lodginge as was appointed for them but tooke their owne lust for lawes and pleasure for prescribed order CAP. VI. The Emperour sent Philippicus againe among the soldiers but the armie refused him WHen the Emperour sent Philippicus to redresse the aforesaide enormities the soldiers not onely reiected him but menaced and conspired the deaths of suche as seemed to take his part CAP. VII Of Gregorie byshop of Antioch how he proued the report that was raised of him to be a meare sclaunder THe affaires of the common weale lying at this poynt Gregorie byshop of Antioch returned from Constantinople after the ending of a bitter conflict the which I am now about to declare when Asterius was lieuetenant of the east contention risen betweene him Gregory first all the head citizens tooke part with Asterius next the artificers stuck vnto him sayinge that Gregory had iniuried them euery one last of al it was permitted for the common people al to reuile Gregory both high and low conspired together and ceassed not either in the streat or on the theatre to raile very contumeliously at byshop Gregory neither was their scaffold and enterludes without skoffs Therefore Asterius was deposed of his Lieuetenantship and Iohn elected to succeede him whom the Emperour charged diligently to examine the circumstances of that seditious controuersie This Iohn was a man vnfit for the hearing of trifling causes much more for the examining of so weighty a matter the executing of so worthy a function wherefore when he had set the whole city on tumults published an edict where it was lawful for him that could say any thing to come forth accuse the byshop a certen exchaunger presented him y â— he had companied with his owne sister whom he maried vnto an other Againe others of y â— kinde of people charged him that he had disturbed the quiet and good estate of the citie and that not once but very oft But Gregory purged him selfe of that sclaunder and appealed vnto the Emperour and to a councell for the hearinge of the other matters I was my self in his company and present when he purged him of these crimes at Constantinople And when as al y â— patriarchs either by them selues or by their substitutes were at the hearing of Gregories purgation and the cause heard of the holy Senate and of many holy bishops â–ª after great sturre and much adoe the sentence went with Gregory that his accuser should be racked â–ª carted about the citie and banished the countrey After all this Gregory returned vnto his byshopricke againe in the meane while the soldiers ceassed not from raising of sedition for Philippicus the captaine made then his abode about Beroea and the citie of Chalcis CAP. VIII Howe Theopolis otherwise called Antioch was againe tossed with earthquakes FOure moneths after the returne of Gregorie from Constantinople in the sixe hundred thirtie and seuenth yeare after Antioch was so called and the threescore and firste yeare after the earthquake whiche went next before when as I my selfe the last day of September had taken to my wyfe a virgine of tender yeares and the citye therefore kept holiday and flocked wyth great pompe and solemnitie to my wedding caâ—â—ber feasting house about the third houre of the night there rose such an earthquake that with the violence thereof it shooke together the whole citie It so tossed the fundations that all the buildinges about the most holy Churche were turned downe to the ground except onely the hemispherical rouf that Euphraemius had made of baye trees which also was sore hurt of the earthquake in the time of Iustinus and so tossed also by other earthquakes
one hundred yeares all the progeny of Herode vvas rooted out The fift order is of high priests neither haue I omitted them seeing both the Euangelistes and the Historiographers mentioned such as vvere in the time of Christ They ende likewise with the kings of Iudaea and the destruction of Ierusalem I remember Iosephus wryteth that froÌ„ Aaron which was the first highpriest vnto the last at the ouerthrowe burning of the temple vnder Titus there were highpriests to the number of fourescore and three The sixt diuisionis of councells sometimes of the wicked as of the Pharises and heretickes some other times of the godly as of the Apostles and Apostolickmen where it appeareth manifestly vnto the wholl world that the bishop of Rome had as litle to doe therein as other bishops for Emperours princes somtimes the bishops of some prouince or other within theÌ„selues haue summoned couÌ„cells called bishops together decided such matters as were called into controuersie without the aduise of the bishop of Rome For saith Socrates the chiefest councels were summoned are vnto this day called together by the commaundement consent of the Emperours Besides all the aforesaide I haue laid downe the succession of bishops in the foure most famous churches as IerusaleÌ„ Antioch Rome AlexaÌ„dria Though other writers addict them selues wholly vnto the Catalogue of the churche of Rome omitting no not one Ioan the she Pope onely excepted Some will maruell why I preferre Ierusalem and Antioch before the seae of Rome the reason is because those churches had their bishops before the church of Rome Clemens AlexaÌ„drinus wryteth that Iames called the brother of Christ was immediately after the assumption of our Sauiour chosen bishop of Ierusalem by Peter Iames and Iohn the Apostles Againe as Luke reporteth the Antiochians were first called christians Paul Barnabas preached there one wholl yeare and if fame fayle vs not of the trueth Peter the Apostle was bishop there seuen yeares and spente seuen other about Ierusalem the Easterne contreyes afore his comminge to Rome He came to Rome the seconde yeare of Claudius the Emperour Anno Dom. 44 a great while after the seae of Ierusalem and the bishoprik of Antioch were setled Let no man muze why I lay downethese fouresâ—aes otherwise then all Chronographies in what language so euer vnto this day extant haue done I doe it not of any singularitie for these auncient Historiographers Eusebius Socrates and Euagrius haue followed the same order though other Chronologers and Chronographers haue not imitated them Last of all I haue placed the hereticks by themselues so that the reader may easily see wheÌ„ they liued who they were what they haue taught by whome they were condeÌ„ned the end of most of them as farre forth as the lines might be contriued within the colume the long tediousnes auoyded Nowe drawing towards the birth of Christ where the Chronographye beginneth I thinke best by way preface not as my principall drifte briefly to runne ouer the yeares of the world that thereby we may the sooner learne when our Sauiour Christ Iesus appeared in the flesh and first we haue to beginne from Adam The yeare of the world Adam was the first man made of the mould of the earth being a hundred thirty yeare old he begate Seth he liued in all nyne hundred and thirty yeares Genes 5. he was aliue vntill the fiftyeth and six yeare of Lamech the father of Noe and departed this life 126. yeare before Noe was borne The first age of the worlde from Adam to Noe. 130. Seth was a hundred and fiue yeare old when he begate Enos he liued in all nyne hundred and twelfe yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde on thousand forty and two after the death of Adam one hundred and twelfe yeares before Noe vvas borne 14. yeares 235. Enos was fourescore and tenne yeare olde when he begate Cainan he liued in all nine hundred and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde one thousande one hundred and fortieth yeare he liued together with Noe fourescore foure yeares 325. Cainan liued threescore and tenne yeares and begat Malalael he liued in all nine hundred and tenne yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1235. 395. Malalael liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Iared he liued in all eight hundred ninety and fiue yeares Genes 5. he departed this life 366. yeares before the deluge after Noe was borne 234. yeares 460. Iared liued a hundred threescore and two yeares begat Enoch he liued in all nine hundred threescore and two yeares Genes 5. he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 1422. he liued with Noe three hundred threescore and six yeares 622. Enoch liued threescore and fiue yeares begat Mathusalem he liued in all three hundred threescore and fiue yeares was translated Genes 5. he was taken vp into heauen seuen fifty yeares after the death of Adam 687. Mathusalem liued a hundred fourescore seuen yeares and begat Lamech he liued in all nyne hundred sixty nyne yeares and died in the yeare of the deluge Genes 5. 874. Lamech liued a hundred fourescore and two yeares and begatt Noe he liued in all 777. yeares died fiue yeares before the deluge Genes 5. 1056. 1556. Noe was borne in the yeare of the worlde one thousand fifty and six in the 182. yeare of his father Lamech after the death of Adam 126. after the death of Seth 14. yeares being fiue hundred yeare old he begat Sem and liued in all nine hundred and fifty yeares Genes 9. he liued with Enos 84. yeares with Cainan 179. with Iared 366. with Mathusalem 600. with Lamech 595. with Sem his sonne 448. 1656. Anno mundi 1656. The deluge drowned the whole worlde in the six hundred yeare of Noe. Genes 7 8. It was in the yeare of the worlde one thousande six hundred fifty and six for so doth Augustine write de ciuitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 20. finding fault with the error of the Septuagints whome Eusebius in his Chronicon Beda haue followed for they numbred 2262. yeares which can not be Againe Augustine de ciuitat Dei lib. 15. cap. 12. 14. misliketh very much with such as doubted whether the yeares of olde were as long as we finde them of late he proueth that there were so many houres in the day so many dayes in the weeke so many weekes in the moneth so many moneths in the yeare alike from the beginning of the worlde 1658. Sem being an hundred yeare olde begat Arphaxad the seconde yeare after the flood he liued in all six hundred yeares Genes 11. he was borne nynety and nyne yeares before the deluge he departed this life in the yeare of the worlde 2158. The second age of the world froÌ„ Noe to Abraham  Arphaxad being borne
Cap. 38. in the greeke The craft of Arius in swea ring before the Emperour The miserable ende of Arius the he retike The sonnes of Constantinus magnus 1. Constantinus 2. Constantius 3. Constans Cap. 39. in the Greeke The death â—f Constanâ—â—nus magnê° â—nno Dom. 40. â—ap 40. in 〈◊〉 Greeke The seconde booke of Socrates compriseth the history of 25. yeares being the full raign of Constantius ending Anno Dom. 365. * The error of Ruffinus By this we gather that there be two editions of Socrates history the first as he sayth him selfe vnperfect the seconde the last which is this very perfect absolute One rotten sheepe infecteth an other Illyrium is nowe called Sclauonia Cap. 3. in the Greeke The epistle of Constantinus the yonger vnto the Churche of Alexandria for the admission of Athanasius their Bishop Cap. 4. in the greeke Eusebius Pamphilus dyeth Acarius bishop of Caesarea * Cap. 5. in the Greeke Cap. 6. in the Greeke AlexaÌ„der bishop of CoÌ„stantinople dyed beingfourescore and eightene yeares olde Macedonius signifieth excellency Templum pacis Templum Sophiae Cap. 7. in the grecke * Cap. 8. in the Gâ—â—el e. A councell of Arians summonâ—d at Antioch Anno Dom. 344. Maximus b. of Ierusalem Iultus b. of Rome Placitus b. of Antioch Athanasius is sclaundered in the councell of Antioch Cap 9. in the Greeke Georgius b. of Laodicea Cap. 10. in the Greeke Gregorie an Arian bishop of Alexandria A forme of fayth layde downe by the hypocriticall Arian bishops which assembled at the councell of Antioch denying that they followed Arius An other Creed of the Arian byshops which is to be rede waryly Iohn 1. Iohn 6. Math. 28. Earthquake Cap. 11. in the greeke Athanasius was fayne to runne awaye for the â—aâ—egaâ—de of his lite Cap 12. in he Greeke Eusebius â—ome time â—â—shop of Nicomedia â—fterwardes â—â—ishop of â—onstaunoâ—le dyeth an 〈◊〉 The Arians caused greate murther and slaughter in the church Cap. 13. in the greeke The Greeke measure was 2. folde one was called Atticus coÌ„tainiÌ„g of our measure six galloÌ„s 1. pottel 1. quart An other was called Georgicus of our measure one bushell a peck one pynt * Cap. 14. in the Greeke Cap. 15. in the greeke The epistle of Iulius vnto the bishops of the East their answere vnto him againe is to be seene in the first â—ome of the Councells The church of Rome hath nothiÌ„g to doe with the churches of the East and so of the contrary Sabinus This Sabinus â—rot a booke â—tituled the collection of â—he couÌ„cells Socra lib. 1. â—ap 13. lib. 3. â—ap 21 where â—e â—ayth noâ—ing of the â—uersaries â—f the trueth â—ap 16. in 〈◊〉 Greeke The greate slaughter which the Arians caused at Constantinople about the placing of Macedonius the hereticke Cap. 17. in the Greeke Athanasius is falsely accused Cap. 18. in the Greeke Paulus b. of CoÌ„stantinople gott him to Rome The Creede of certaine AriaÌ„ bishops exhibited vnto Constans the emperour where they dissemble egregiously The heresie of Photinus Cap. 19. after â—he Greeke The bishops â—f the East summone a councell and sende abrode this theyr Creede with long expositions therof 1. Corinth 11. The heresie of Paulus Samosatenus The word of God is no vocal or meÌ„tall worde Marcellians Photinians Ancyrogalatians Gen. 1. 2. Gen. 12. 18. Exod. 19. 20. Hebr. 1. Sabellians PatropassiaÌ„s Prouerb 8. The bishops â—f the VVest â—hurches â—ere stayed â— religion Cap. 20. in the Greeke The couÌ„cell of Sardice was held An. Dom. 350. The Arians were loth to come to the couÌ„cel therfore they dissemble and fayne excuses The Acts of the councell of Sardice Paulê° bishop of CoÌ„stantinople Athanasius bishop of AlexaÌ„dria Marcellê° b. of Ancyra are by the councell restored to their churches Cap. 21. in the Greeke Euseb de vit Constantini lib. 3. Euseb lib. 1. contra Marcellum Prouer. 8. Euseb lib. 3. contra Marcellum 1. Pet. 2. Act. 2. Psal 50. Ephes 2. Cap. 22. in the Greeke The diuision of the East West churches The letters of Constanâ— the Emperour vnto his brother Constantius * Cap. 23. in the greeke 1. Corinth 2. The conference of Constantius and Athanasius Ca. 24. in the Greeke The councell of Ierusalem Anno Dom. 351. Maximus bishop of Ierusalem forsooke the Arians Vrsacius and Valens being Arians repeÌ„â— theÌ„ of there folly Cap. 25. in the Greeke Magnentius the tyrant is of Futropius called MaxeÌ„tius Bretanion a tyrant Nepotianus a traitor Cap. 26. in the Greeke Athanasius is accused The councel of AlexaÌ„dria Paulus Bishop of Constantinople exiled and there stifled â—o death Marcellus is deposed Lucius dieth in prison Theodulus Olympius Cap. 27. in the greeke The persecution of the christians by the AriaÌ„ heretickes Cap. 28. in the Greeke Athanasius Apollogie Sabastianusa captaine yet a Manichee and a greate blood sucker These bishops were sent to exile by the AriaÌ„s The clemeÌ„â—y of Constantius towards Bretanion Gallus Caesar The signe of the Crosse seene in the aër * Cap. 29. in the Greeke Photinus the hereticke The councel of Sirmium was held Anno Dom. 355 Cap. 30. in the greeke A forme of faith exhibited by Marcus Bishop of Arethusa vnto the councell of Sirmium Act. 2. 〈…〉 â— say 43. 44. Iohn 1. Gen. 1. 2. Gen. 32. Gen. 19. Psal 110. Iohn 15. 16. This forme of fayth is so â—atched together without time or â—asoÌ„ that in many places â— requireth a â—â—ry reader â—e authors â—ereof misâ—â—ed with it â—â—emselues â— called it in â—gaine as apâ—â—areth in â—e ende of â—s chapiter â—â—m 3. Esay 53. Math. 28. Photinus the hereticke was â—oyled in open disputation Cap. 31. in the Greeke Cap. 32. in the Greeke The crueltie of Magnentius The miserable death of Magnentius Decenius hanged himselfe Siluanus the tyrant was no sooner vp but he was dispatched * Cap. 33. in the Greeke The Iewes become rebells are ouercome * Cap. 34. in the greeke Gallus a rebell being in great trust became a traitor so lost his head This Iuliamus was Emperoure after Constantius became an Apostata â—uhus Bishop of Rome 15. yeares Liberius Bishope of Rome Anno â—om 352. â—a 35. in the â—â—ecke Cap. 35. in the Greeke VVhere in Aëtius differed from the Arians Leontius b. of Antioch The Greeke worde is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the speciall title of Aristotles predicaments yet doth it signifie as the sense here otherwise geueth vs to vnderstand his booke of Elenches by him intituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 VVhy Aëtius was called an Atheist Eunomius the hereticke Cap. 36. in the Greeke The couÌ„cel of Millayne * Cap. 37. in the Greeke Eudoxius b. of Antioche A forme of faith layde downe in the councell of Aâ—imino in â—â—aly by certaine Arian â—ishops â—h 14. 16. The answere of the Catholicke bishops The epistle of Athanasiê° vnto his familier frieÌ„ds where he laieth downe his censure of the creede going before condemning it for hereticall Luc. 2.
insulte and inueye against a man vvhich receaued dew for his desert His impietie grew to that passe and so preuayled that he lead Theônas bishop of Marmarica and Secundus of Ptolemais together vvith him into perdition for they vvere partakers of the same punishment vvith him After that the grace of God had deliuered vs from that peruerse opinion from that impietie and blasphemie and from such people as presumed to sowe discorde and debate in the middest of such as leade a peaceable and quiet life there remained as yet toutching the coÌ„tumacie of Meletius and such as he had aduaunced vnto ecclesiastical orders to be determined of vs and vvhat the councell decreed toutchinge him thus vnderstande vvelbeloued brethren The councell beyng bent to deale vvith more clemencie tovvardes Meletius then he deserued for by iust iudgement he was worthy of no pardon decreed that he should remaine in his proper city that he should haue no authoritie to make ministers no authoritie to aduauÌ„ce any vnto the ecclesiasticall function neither to appeare or present him selfe in any other region or in any other citie for that purpose but onely to retayne the bare name and title of his office and dignitie they decreed farther toutching such as were entred into holy orders by his laying on of haÌ„ds that they after confirmation vvith more mysticall laying on of handes should be admitted into the fellovvship of the church with this condition that they shoulde enioye their dignitie degree of the ministerie yet that they be inferiour vnto all the pastors throughout euery prouince and churche the vvhich the most honorable man and our college Alexander hath ordayned Moreouer that they haue no authoritie to elect the ministers approued by their censures no not so much as to nominate theÌ„ which are to execute the ecclesiasticall function nor to intermedle with any thing toutching theÌ„ that are within Alexanders iurisdiction without the coÌ„sent of the bishop of the catholicke church But they who through the grace of God the meanes of your praiers were found no maintayners of schisme but coÌ„tained theÌ„ selues within the bounds of the Catholicke Apostolicke churche voyd of all erroneous blemishe let these haue authoritie to consecrate ministers to nominate such as shal be thought vvorthie of the cleargie and in fine freely to do all according vnto the rule canon of the church If in case that one of them which presently enioye the ecclesiasticall dignitie chaunce to finishe his mortall race theÌ„ one of them lately admitted into the church so that he be found worthy the people chose him so that the bishop of Alexandria consent thervnto and confirme his election may succeede in the place of the deseased our will is also that that liberty be grauÌ„ted vnto all others But of Meletius namely it is otherwise decreede to wete that both for his insolent boldnes wherewith heretofore he molested the quiet estate of the church and also for his temeritie and wilfull ignorance openly shewed he shoulde haue neither power neither authoritie geuen him for in that he is a man he may agayne vexe the churche with the like disorder And these decrees properly and seuerally do concerne Aegypt and the most holy churche of Alexandria But if any other thinge besides this be decreed and concluded vpon vvhylest that the most honorable lorde our fellovve minister and brother Alexander is present vvith vs he beynge both president and priuye to our doinges vvyll in presence of you all more exactly recite the vvhole vnto you VVe sende you gladde tydinges of the vniforme consent and agreement toutching the celebration of the most sacred feaste of Easter that by the meanes of your prayers the sturre raysed in that behalfe vvas quietly appeased so that all the brethren vvhich inhabite the East obseruinge heretofore the maner of the Ievves novve vvith vniforme consent do follovve the Romaines and vs and you vvhich of olde tyme haue retayned vvith vs the selfe same order and maner of celebration VVherfore reioyce partly because of these prosperous affaires and partly for the peace and vniforme agreement of all partly also that all heresies are abaÌ„doned plucked vp by the rootes and embrace vvith greater honor more feruent loue our fellow minister Alexander but your bishop whose presence was a great pleasure vnto vs who in those yeares tooke great paynes labored exceedingly to reduce the affaires of your church vnto a quiet peaceable state powre vnto God harty prayers for vs all that the things rightly decreede established may continewe for firme inuiolable through God the father almighty our Lord Iesus Christ together with the holy ghost to whome be glorie for euer euer Amen It is euident by this Synodicall epistle that they accursed not onely Arius and his complices but also the sentences of his peruerse opinion moreouer that they agreed among theÌ„ selues toutching y â— celebration of Easter that they receaued y â— grauÌ„d hereticke Meletius grauÌ„ting him licence to retaine his episcopall dignitie yet depriuing him of all authoritie to execute the functioÌ„ as a bishop vseth for which cause I suppose the Meletians in Aegypt vnto this day to haue bene seuered from the church because that the councell tooke away from Meletius all authoritie We haue moreouer to vnderstaÌ„d that Arius wrote a booke of his opinion the which he intituled Thalia the style phrase of the booke is both wanton and dissolute resembling in all poynts the bawdy ballets and rymes of the wanton poet Sotades the which booke also the councell then dyd condemne Neyther was the councell onely carefull by writinge to certifie of the peace established but the Emperour also signified the same by his letters vnto the church of Alexandria Constantinus the Emperour vnto the Catholicke church of Alexandria VVe wishe you health in the Lord welbeloued brethren A great a singular benefite of the deuine prouidence of God is conferred on vs in that all errour and deceate beinge quite put to slight we acknowledge one the selfe same faith For henceforth there remayneth no refuge for the sleyghts of the deuill intended agaynst vs vvhatsoeuer through fraude he pretended the same is vvholly taken avvay The bright beames of the trueth according vnto the commaundement of Christ ouercame those dissentions schismes those tumults as I may so terme it that deadly poyson of discorde one God therfore all we both in name do adore and in faith do beleue to be And to the end the same through the forewarning of god might be brought to passe I haue called together a great coÌ„pany of bishops vnto the city of Nice with whome I also beiÌ„g one of your nâ—ber most willingly addictiÌ„g my selfe wholly together with you vnto the same busines haue endeuored that the trueth then in coÌ„trouersy might throughly be tried out wherfore all things that seemed to breede occasion of discord or dissention vvere narrovvly sifted
sought out How great what horrible blasphemies God of his goodnes be mercifull vnto vs haue some vnreuerently vttered against our great sauiour against our hope and life and impudētly not only blased things cōtrary vnto the scriptures inspired from aboue the sacred faith but also affirmed they beleued the same For vvhen as three hundreth bishops and aboue men of great fame both for modestie of minde sharpnesse of witt had confirmed one the same faith which was founde to be a true faith by the trueth it selfe and playne testimonies of holie scripture sought out for the purpose Arius alone was found beyng ouercome with the power and fraude of the deuill to fall from the same and beynge prone therevnto through the peruersitie of his minde scattered and sovved first of all amongest you aftervvardes amongest vs this poysoned errour of perdition VVherefore lett vs embrace that doctrine vvhich almightie God the father of heauen hath deliuered vnto vs let vs returne vnto our dearely beloued brethren vvhome the wicked impudēt minister of Satan hath seuered asunder let vs vvith might and mayne and as commonly vve say vvith all the vaynes in our hart go home agayne vnto the generall societie and body of the church and vnto our ovvne naturall members This aboue all other things behoueth your wisdome your faith holines after the remouīg frō your minds the cākred poysō of the aduersary who set him selfe opposite against the trueth that without all delaye ye haue recourse vnto the grace and goodnes of almightie God For that which seemed good vnto the three hūdred bishops is no othervvise to be taken then for the sentence of God specially in as much as the holie Ghost vvas resiant in the mindes of so vvorthie and so notable men inspiring them vvith the deuine vvill of God him selfe VVherfore let none of you stagger at the matter let none of you make any delay at all but all ioyntly vvith most vvillinge mindes returne vnto the most perfect way of trueth that as soone as I my selfe come amōgst you I may together with you rēder dew thāks vnto the god whose eye nothīg doth escape because that he hath not onely reuealed vnto vs the true syncere faith but also geuen vnto vs most graciously the loue and charitie which vvas to be vvished of vs all God keepe and preserue you vvelbeloued brethren This the Emperour wrote vnto the people of Alexandria signifying in playne words that the finall conclusion definitiue sentēce of the faith was not layde downe vnaduisedly neither came to passe by happe hazard but after great labour industrie after diligent searching and sifting out of the trueth to haue bene published by the councell and not some thinges to haue bene handled some other things to haue bene omitted but all whatsoeuer seemed necessary to be entreated of toutching the confirmation of y ◠doctrine of faith to haue bene sufficiently discoursed neither to haue bene firste vnaduisedly decreed before all were curiously handled in so much that all what so euer seemed to breede occasion of controuersie or discord was quite plucked vp by the rootes But that I may vtter all in one word Constantine calleth the censure of the whole assembly the sentence of God him selfe neither doubted he but that so great a company of bishops was vnited linked together in one mind in one opinion by y ◠motion instinct of the holy ghost Yet for all this Sabinus who is the ringleader of the Macedonian heresie wilfully and of sett purpose impugneth these thinges yea moreouer he termeth such as mett at Nice vnlearned and doultishe idiots neither is he ashamed to charge Eusebius bishop of Caesarea with the reprochefull spot and blemishe of ignorance neither weyeth he this with him selfe that such as were present at the coūcell though they were vnlearned men as he reporteth yet being inspired from aboue endued with the grace of the spirite of God could in no wise straye from the trueth But let vs heare what the Emperour layde downe in other letters against the opinions of Arius and his complices the which also he sent abroade vnto the bishops and congregations throughout christendome An other Epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the puyssāt the mighty noble Emperour vnto the bishops pastors people whersoeuer Inasmuch as Arius traceth the stepps of detestable impious persons it is requisite that he be partaker with them of the selfe same infamie and reproche For as Porphyrius the svvorne aduersarie deadly foe of deuine seruice vvho lately published levvde cōmentaries in the cōfutation defiance of Christian religion vvas revvarded according vnto his desert and so recōpenced that within the cōpasse of these fewe yeares he was not only grieued with great reproche blemished with the shamefull spot of infamie but also his impious blasphemous works perished vtterly were abolished euen so now it seemed good vnto vs to call Arius his complices the vvicked broode of Porphyrius that looke vvhose maners they haue imitated they may enioye also the priuiledge of their name Moreouer we thought good that if there can be founde extant any worke or booke compiled by Arius the same shoulde be burned to ashes so that not only his damnable doctrine may thereby he vvholly rooted out but also that no relique thereof may remaine vnto the posteritie This also we straightly cōmaunde charge that if any man be found to hyde or conceale any booke made by Arius and not immediatly bring forth the sayd booke deliuer it vp to be burned that the sayde offender for so doing shall die the death For as soone as he is taken our pleasure is that his head be stricken of from his shoulders God keepe you in his tuition An other epistle of Constantine COnstantinus the Emperour vnto the churches throughout christēdome sendeth greeting VVhen as I perceaued by the florishing prosperous estate of the publicke weale how greatly we are beholding vnto the goodnes of almightie God conferred vpon vs I deemed that aboue all things it behoued me of dutie to foresee that in the most holy and sacred assemblies of the Catholicke church vnder heauen there shold one faith syncere loue charitie vniforme consent agreement toutching the religion seruice of almightie God vnuiolably be retayned But sithence that the same could by no other way or meanes be compassed neither in any other sure or certaine place be setled vnlesse that either all the bishops or at lestvvise the greater part of them assembled together layde downe their seuerall censures concerning the most holy religion seruice of God therfore when the greatest company that coulde be gott mette together I my selfe as one of your number vvas present vvith them Neyther tooke I in scorne vvhereat novve I greatly reioyce that I coupled my selfe vvith you in those affayres VVe proceeded so farre in the premisses and handled all thinges so exquisitely vntill